March 4, 2010
A Note to Parents
Dear Parents,
In case you were out of town last weekend and missed the news, Father Hoefler announced at the Masses that they have identified an apparent low bidder for our Building on Tradition project. Although he was unable to announce specific details at that point, he hopes to be able to share more information at Masses this weekend.
A groundbreaking date has been set for Friday, March 19, at 2:00 p.m. Our entire student body will be present at the groundbreaking ceremony, and we invite all of our parents to join us. It should be an exciting day for our school community! Thanks to all of you whose generosity has made this dream a reality for BSS!
Registration information was sent home on Monday and is due back in two weeks on Monday, March 15. If you have any questions or concerns or did not receive a packet, please feel free to contact me. We are already off to a good start with our call-in for kindergarten and preschool. (Packets for preschool and new kindergarten families will be mailed tomorrow.) We are also pleased to have registered several families who toured our school during our open house. Again, if you know of any families interested in learning more about our school, please have them call the school office to set up a tour.
Yesterday Father Hoefler, Kim Hoffmann, and I joined several of our parents and parishioners at the Catholics at the Capitol event. We joined in a celebration of the Mass at the Cathedral with Cardinal George of Chicago as the main celebrant. After a short briefing by representatives of the Catholic Confernece of Illinois, we visited offices of our Illinois representatives and senators to ask for their support of bills that promote funding for Catholic education in the form of the restoration of funding or increase in funding for the School Safety Grant, the Transportation Reimbursement Program, and the Textbook Loan Program. We were also pleased to be able to visit with several of our graduates who are working at the State Capitol. We ask that you continue to contact your legislators about bills that benefit Catholic education. (A copy of the CCI’s legislative agenda is available on our school website to use as a guide in contacting your state legislators.)
We have a regular dismissal tomorrow, and it is a PSA Spirit Day. (See the PSA newsletter for specific details.) We are looking ahead to next week being busy with our preparations for CultureFest. Please check the Looking Ahead section of the newsletter for upcoming events. Hope you’ll be able to enjoy some of the warmer weather this weekend! Have a good weekend!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Kathy Wear
Eighth Grade Class T-Shirts
Our eighth graders received their class t-shirts last week. They will be allowed to wear the t-shirts each Friday for the remainder of the school year with uniform pants or skirts for girls. On Spirit Days they are acceptable BSS shirts to wear with jeans. There is only one exception at this time; on Friday, March 19, we ask that all students be in regular uniform for the groundbreaking ceremony.
Spring Photo Day
Next Tuesday, March 9, is our Spring Photo Day. Students may be out of uniform for the photos that day but must follow the non-uniform guidelines in the student handbook. Any students not following the guidelines will be asked to call home and/or will not be allowed to participate in the next non-uniform day. Photos do not have to be pre-ordered for this day, but a flyer is being sent home today with more information about the poses. Later Lifetouch will send home a packet of the photos to all parents; you may return all photos or purchase what you want and return the rest. Lifetouch generously makes a donation to the school for our participation in Spring Photo Day, whether or not the parents buy any photos.
We are searching for three pairs of long white gloves for a student performance. If anyone can donate them or allow Mrs. Ficke to borrow them, please contact Mrs. Ficke at 522-7534, ext. 220, or Mrs. Davis at 522-7534, ext. 205, by Monday, March 8.
Intramural Volleyball
A fifth grade boys’ intramural volleyball coach is needed! The team will have practice time once or twice a week, and the tournament will be one evening in April. If you are interested in helping, please contact Janice Davis at 522-7534, ext. 205.
CultureFest/Fine Arts Evening
Please join us in celebrating the arts at Blessed Sacrament by viewing our students’ work at CultureFest on Sunday, March 14, after the Masses. Also, don’t miss the opportunity to see our students’ musical performances on Monday, March 15, at 6:00 p.m. in the gym. (Our fifth through eighth grade performers will have a dress rehearsal for the students on Tuesday, March 9, at 1:00 p.m. in the gym.)
Thanks to all of you who have donated items for the Easter Basket Lenten project so far. The list of requested items is being sent home again today and also will be available outside the school office. Please return your donations by next Friday, March 12. Thanks for your continued generosity!
Box Tops Update
Congratulations to the classroom winners from last week’s Box Tops Olympic Winter Games for snowboarding. Room 10 (Mrs. Reiser) won gold; room 9 (Mrs. Ketchum) won silver; and room 7 (Mrs. Bloome) won bronze. This week’s contest is the luge event, and box tops are due by Friday, March 5. Next week’s event will be ice skating. Thanks for your support!
Fannie May Candy Sale
Please remember that order forms for Fannie May candy are due tomorrow, Friday, March 5. This is an eighth grade class fundraiser to help with their costs for events such as graduation and class trip. Don’t forget to order for Easter gifts!
Mark Your Calendar!
Due to many teachers attending the Illinois Reading Conference on March 18 & 19 as well as the groundbreaking ceremony on March 19, we are moving report card day for the third quarter to Monday, March 22. Please mark that change on your calendars!
Men’s Club Fish Fry
The Men’s Club is hosting another Fish Fry this Friday, March 5, from 5:00 to 7:30 p.m. in the school gym. Each dinner includes walleye, cole slaw, and a choice of French fries or baked potato. The cost of a dinner is $7 for adults and $3 for children. Cheese pizza is also available. Don’t forget you can dine in or carry out!
Chess Tournament
The Springfield Evening Kiwanis Club is hosting a free chess tournament for children from kindergarten through eighth grade who know how to play chess. The tournament will be held on Friday, March 26, from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Trinity Lutheran School. Flyers with more information are available outside the school office.
Junior High Dance
St. Agnes School is hosting a junior high dance this evening, Friday, March 5, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. Admission is $5 and a canned good or non-perishable donation. School ID is required for attendance.
Singing Invitation for Boys
Catholic grade school boys from third grade through eighth grade are being invited to join a boys’ chorus to sing at an event on Sunday, April 18. The chorus will be directed by Linda Younkin, the music director for the Christ the King Church. Flyers were distributed to interested students today, and additional flyers are available outside the school office.
Arrival & Dismissal Reminders
Look for updates in upcoming newsletters regarding any changes in arrival and dismissal procedures due to the beginning of the construction of the addition to our building. In the meantime, please continue to help us keep our students safe by picking up car riders from the parking lot only and by stressing to your children to cross at corners only. We have had a couple of close calls with students almost being hit by cars when crossing in the middle of street after leaving the school area and by trying to cross in the middle of the street with a parent there. Thanks for your help!
Friday, March 5 –
PSA Spirit Day
Fannie May candy orders due!
Men’s Club Fish Fry – 5:00-7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, March 9 –
Spring Photo Day
PSA Board meeting at 5:00 p.m. in the rectory
basement
Wednesday, March 10 –
First Communion meeting for 2nd grade parents at 6:30 p.m. in church
Thursday, March 11 –
1:30 p.m. dismissal for faculty meeting; B.A.S.E. provided
Friday, March 12 –
End of 3rd quarter
Donations of items for Easter baskets due!
No fish fry due to CultureFest!
Sunday, March 14 –
CultureFest in the gym after the Masses
Monday, March 15 –
Fine Arts Evening performances at 6:00 p.m. in the gym
Friday, March 19 –
Groundbreaking ceremony at 2:00 p.m.
Men’s Club Fish Fry – 5:00-7:30 p.m.
Monday, March 22 –
Report Card Day
Before School Patrols for the Week of March 8 - 12:
Joe Moore Riley Murphy
Ethan O’Connor Wilson Reyhan
After School Patrols for the Week of March 8 - 12:
Nic Farris Erick Hernandez
Regan Israel
Mass Servers for March 6 & 7:
(only BSS students listed)
4:30 p.m. Saturday Taylor Pohlman
Abby Pohlman
Jack Broeker
7:00 a.m. Sunday Kate Healy
Erick Hernandez
8:30 a.m. Sunday Meredith Beger
Sydney Compton
10:30 a.m. Sunday Patrick Belz
Emily Thornberry
Daily Servers for March 8 - 12:
8:00 a.m. M & W Jack Jennings &
& 8:20 a.m. Tu Maddie Smith
8:20 a.m. Th, & Olivia Hibbert &
8:00 a.m. Fri.
Brendan Stannard