MARK YOUR CALENDARS:

AUG

15th             School starts.  Holy Day Mass 1st – 8th @8:30

15th-17th      ½ days for Kindergarten ONLY– lunch served with noon dismissal 

16th              PreS State of the School Address 9:00am & 12:30pm

17th              PreK State of the School Address 9:00am & 12:30pm

20th             First full day for Kindergarten - PreK starts  

21st              PreS starts

26th             Parish Carnival 1:30-5:30

TUITION PAYMENTS FOR FULL & HALF PAY FAMILIES WERE DUE AUGUST 1ST.  PLEASE SEND CHECKS TO THE SCHOOL OFFICE ASAP. NINE MONTH INSTALLMENTS BEGIN SEPTEMBER 20TH.

A MESSAGE FROM FATHER RON

Great Campaign Success so far means …

Our “Embracing the Mission…Expanding Our Journey” Capital Campaign has been a great success to date.  With just about 1/3 of parishioners having returned pledge cards we are over 62% of our goal.  This is fantastic and we see no reason for this pace to slow. This success, coupled with our space demands leads us to announce that we are ready to break ground for our classroom addition. 

But let me also add a cautionary note: although we have been successful enough to begin construction, the only way for construction to continue is for our capital campaign to meet or exceed our goal of $3.8 million. If everyone continues to consider pledging a sacrificial gift when you are contacted by a campaign volunteer, we’ll be able to finish construction. 

There is no pot of gold at the end of a rainbow waiting for us.  The cost of this project is ours, and ours alone, so what we can build is limited only by the success of our capital campaign.  I challenge every member of St. Patrick’s to join “on our Journey”!

Fr. Ron

TRAFFIC FLOW – Remember to come into the parking lot via the North Access Road off Laramie Street by the fire station.  Laramie Street is one block north of the water tower. You must be here by 8:00am or earlier in the am and in your assigned parking lot by 3:20pm in the afternoon.  The family handbook has all the information you need.  YOUR TIMELINESS IS SO IMPORTANT – The safety committee and all of us at St. Patrick’s appreciate how you put the safety of your students first.  THANK YOU. 

HELPFUL TIPS FROM THE OFFICE – Please use the memo blank on your checks to let the office know where the amount should be applied such as tuition, lunch, extended care, etc.  Thank you for doing this, it really helps!  Also, starting next week, the Principal’s Notes will come out every Thursday unless there is a short week. In that case, the notes will be out earlier.  Please remember to put your child/children’s name on their sweatshirts, jackets, etc… This really helps when it comes to finding and claiming lost items items. Thanks and enjoy these last few days of summer.

FAMILY HANDBOOK & ACKNOWLEDGMENT FORM – All parents and their students are required to read the 2007-2008 Family Handbook that can be found on the school website www.stpatselkhorn.org After doing so, please sign the attached Family Handbook Acknowledgement Form and return it on the first day of school.  Students will not be allowed to access the computers until they read the handbook and returned this form. Please use this handbook as a constant reference for what is expected from you and your children throughout the year.  This will also help eliminate any confusion with the guidelines of the school.

FAMILY HANDBOOK ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FORM

EXTENDED CARE ASSISTANT POSITION OPEN – Our wonderful Extended Care Director, Dana Gerten, is seeking an assistant that loves to care for children in her program before and/or after school for a few hours Monday through Friday when school is in session.  The hours are Monday through Friday from 6:30am – 7:45am and/or 3:15pm – 6:00pm.  If you are interested send your letter of application and resume to Mr. Ridder at ridderd@stpatselkhorn.org.

LUNCH PROGRAM - St. Patrick’s Catholic School lunch staff takes pride preparing nutritious lunches for students, parents, and grandparents. We could not do this without the support of the church and school staff and our wonderful lunch room volunteers. The lunch menu is available at school or on the website.  St. Patrick’s Lunch Program is a pre-payment program. All information for the school lunch program is available in the school handbook on the website. Lunch account deposits are due Tuesday, August 14th. Payment plans are available in the school office to aid in determining the amount to deposit in the family lunch account. This year more fresh fruit and salad will be offered weekly. A lunch with milk will cost $2.25. Extra milk or milk purchased with a sack lunch will cost $.30. Ala-carte and Extra Specials cannot be purchased by the Kindergarten thru 2nd Grade and children bringing sack lunches.  Students in grades 3rd thru 8th who have purchased a hot lunch may purchase an Ala-Carte Item for $.60, $.75, or $1.00 each. There will be no 2nds served this year as in past years. Instead of selling 2nds, students in grades 3rd thru 8th who purchase a hot lunch may purchase an Extra Special. Extra Specials consist of comparable lunch items but different than the ingredients used in the daily lunch menu. When students go though the lunch line the first time, they may purchase an Extra Special Item for $.75 or $1.00. One trip through the line should allow students more time to enjoy their lunch. If you are interested in volunteering to help with the lunch program please contact Kathy Mingo @502-3744 or mikemingo@cox.net.

AUGUST LUNCH MENU

LIBRARY VOLUNTEERS NEEDED- Are you looking for a great way to work with students and make a difference at St. Patrick’s?  The school library is in need of volunteers to help with checking in/out books, book maintenance, shelving books, Birthday book Club parties, helping students during their check out time, and much more.  Ideally, we are looking for consistent help, but even if you can only spare a little bit of time, we appreciate it.  Please contact Mrs. Kalkowski at akalkowski@stpatselkhorn.org if interested.

HOME & SCHOOL SIGN-UPS – At the Back to School Social on Thursday evening, parents were given the chance to sign-up for many fun and enriching volunteer opportunities. As you know, all parents are expected to participate in the stewardship program and our Home and School program offers the perfect opportunity.  So if you haven’t already signed up for one or more of our Home and School programs, I am encouraging you to sign up for one of these: Room Parents, lunchroom, carnival, safety patrol, etc.  Please contact ladybug97@cox.net.

SAFE ENVIRONMENT TRAINING AT ST. PATRICK’S You can get your initial Safe Environment Training here at St. Patrick’s…This will be available in the Parish Center on Thursday, August 16th from 6pm to 9pm, and on Saturday, October 13th from 9am to Noon.  If you have already received you initial training, you can get re-certified on Tuesday, September 18th from 6:30 to 9:00pm.  Anyone who works with children must have this training.  Please attempt to have that training as soon as possible.

HELP TO KEEP A.M. DROP OFF SAFE - The Safety Patrol Committee is looking for bright faces to help with the duties of morning drop off.  If you are a morning person and would be willing to help in this volunteer effort, please contact Denise Kimnach at 496-1210.

CALLING ALL WELCOME DESK VOLUNTEERS - Summer is almost over and the new school year is quickly approaching. It's time to think about our school's Welcome Desk.  Some of last year's volunteers are returning (Thank You!), but we're in need of more help.  Our goal is have someone at the desk throughout the school day. 

If you're interested, please contact Melinda Macdonald at 965-9676 or omahamacdonald@cox.net.  It's a great way to meet fellow parents and parishioners!  If you can't commit to a certain day or time, think about becoming a sub!

SAVE THE DATE FOR THE PARISH CARNIVAL - The St. Patrick's Parish Carnival is nearly here!  This year's carnival will be on Sunday, August 26th from 1:30 pm to 5:30 pm and promises to be as exciting and as fun as ever!  We will have plenty of games, prizes, inflatables, face painting, food, and more!   We will also feature special appearances by The Amazing Arthur and Poppin' Penelope!!!  Make sure to mark your calendars...you will not want to miss this wonderful event!

CARNIVAL HELP - There are many ways that you can support the carnival this year...from baking cakes for the Cake Walk to monitoring one of the booths to helping sell tickets.  Any help is welcome and very much appreciated!  As always, we will be looking for gently used toys to use as prizes as well as treasure jars for the Treasure Jar booth.  Please start looking around your home and/or start saving those fast food toys ASAP!  Feel free to contact Jen Mezzacasa at 218-9186 if you have any questions or wish to help in some way.  Thank you!

BOOKSHELVES, FILE CABINETS, RERIGERATORS — With the growth of our students and staff, we are in need of the following items for our classrooms:  bookshelves, file cabinets, and dorm size refrigerators, If you or someone you know would like to donate these items please contact Don Ridder at 289-5407 or ridderd@stpatselkhorn.org.

DEHUMIDIFIERS NEEDED – If anyone has a dehumidifier they would like to donate to the school, please contact the office at 289-5407.  We are in need of 2.

BOX TOP FOR EDUCATION -  Buy participating Box Tops for Education.  Get 50 Bonus Box Tops when you buy any participating Box Tops for Education products!  Get 80 Bonus Box Tops when you buy any 15 participating Box Tops for Education products, and get 120 Bonus Box Tops when you buy any 20 participating Box Tops for Education products!  Purchases must be made in a single shopping visit between 7/29/07 and 8/17/07.

PAL VOLLEYBALL 6th ~ 8th GRADE -.Dear Parents and Players - We are looking forward to our second season of volleyball.  To kick of the year we are having a volleyball mini-camp.  It will be on Friday, August 10th at Twin Rivers YMCA in Valley.  The sixth graders will have camp from 5:30 to 6:30.  The seventh and eighth graders will have camp from 6:30 to 7:30.There will be five coaches there to help and instruct the fundamentals. After that, teams and practice times will be decided.  A practice and game schedule will be sent out the week of the 13th.  We all very excited and look forward to working with you this year.  Go Angels!  ~See you at camp…Coaches Simons, C. Hagemann, S. Hagemann, Van Dyke & Harder

Principal’s Notes Deadline

Please submit all items/information in final form for Principal’s Notes

by Tuesday, 8:00am to the school office or email to

ridderd@stpatselkhorn.org

Archived Principal Notes