Movie Night		Fall Harvest - Thank You!		Dinner Dance Ticket Form
Dinner Dance Journal Form		Virtue of the Month - Gentleness

From the Desk of Sr. Judith....

November 2, 2007

Let us Make a Return to God for all the gifts
 He has given us!

SOWL (Serving Others With Love)

• Each month we send home with the students Mission Donation Envelopes for students to put their monetary offering in for the collection at our First Friday mass.  We do this each month in order to give our students an opportunity to give thanks to God for all he has done for us through our giving to others.   The good we have received we must pass on.  If you have not had your child carry out this practice yet, now would be a good time to begin.
   

• Next week is the Thanksgiving Food Drive to help stock Santa Maria Parish Food Pantry.  You have been given a list of what is needed – and we thank you in advance for your contribution.
   

•  SOWL’S Operation Africa due date is fast approaching (Nov. 12 - 15.)    Most children who will receive these gift boxes live in desperate circumstances, suffering from abject poverty, sickness, war, or natural disasters.  As you pack your box, pray that God will meet their physical, emotional, and spiritual needs.  We thank you in advance for your generosity in this project. 

Virtue of the Month for November is Gentleness.  In this packet we’ve included suggested ways of practicing Gentleness.  Perhaps you can discuss these with your youngsters.  Please remember that we do try to recognize each student for the practice of a virtue at some point during the year.  However, there has to be genuine effort to practice the virtue.

One More Time

• Students in Grades PreK - 3 have gym scheduled for Tuesday, November 6^th.  Students are NOT to wear gym clothes on that day if you want them to have their picture taken. 
   

• Since these are school pictures the regular uniforms will be worn for both individual and group pictures.  In the spring we will have a special picture opportunity when students can wear their regular, non-uniform clothes.   As last year, the spring program will allow you to purchase magnets and other items with your child’s picture on it. 
   

• Please send your child to school with the envelope and payment on Tuesday, November 6^th – not before.   All students need to have their pictures taken since these are the pictures we put in the yearbook and on their records.  
   

• Class Group Pictures will be taken on Friday, November 16^th.

Parent/Teacher Conferences
In this packet you will receive your appointment for your Report Card Conference with your child’s teacher.  We scheduled the appointments according to the order the requests were received by us.  If you did not return the form stating your preference, we assigned you to a time slot which we had available.  Please contact your child’s teacher if an emergency occurs which necessitates a change.  However, please understand that if this happens and you have more than one child you may need to come at two different times.  As I’ve said before, this report card will only be handed to a parent directly.  If you do not come for your assigned appointment, please make another appointment with your child’s teacher after Thanksgiving to come and meet and receive the report card.  Please mark this appointment on your calendar.  Thank you.

Prayer Requests
Please remember in your prayers our Eighth Graders who will be taking the TACHS Exam (Test for Admission to Catholic High School) on Friday, November 9^th.

• A Reminder:  When there is a change of plans regarding how your child will be going home from school, you are required to send a note to the homeroom teacher with this notification:  for example, if your child usually stays for Extended Day and one day someone will be picking him/her up at 3:00 p.m. or the reverse, the teacher must know this.    This is intended for your child’s protection.
   

• As we have stated before, when children are dismissed at the end of the day they are not to play or ride scooters or bicycles up and down Zerega Avenue.   Children are under the supervision of parents at this time and I do ask parents to be attentive to their children.

Regarding Deadlines:

• There are times during the year when money is due for Field Trips, Lunches, Projects, etc.  We understand that you may need to wait for your next paycheck to make that payment and may not have the money on the “due date.”  If this is the case, please send in the form you have received with a note on it stating that you do not have the money right now but will send in the money by a specific date – and please specify the date.  This is the way we know your child is to be “counted in” and tells us when to expect payment.
   

• When you receive reminders that payments are overdue, please do not ignore us.  As soon as you get the reminder, please call and speak to either Mrs. Ricciardi, Mrs. Pieretti, or Mrs. Skrapits or me and explain the situation and tell us when you will be able to make the payment.  This will help all of us.  Thank you.