In this week’s new you’ll find this year’s Scriptural theme for our school, our upcoming Curriculum Night, a new section about Saints, an ongoing need for Playground Angels, a reminder to send your child with a water bottle each day, a highlight of 2 winners at the state level for Catholic Daughters of the Americas, a resource for current COVID school guidance, another chance to register for EDP, treats for our summer readers, an invitation to school Mass this Friday, sacramental preparation registration information from the parish, a reminder to review this year’s Parent-Student Handbook, guidance for dropping off and picking up your children, best practice for sharing information with the office, Our Annual Holy Hoops in October, a chance to help sell scrip, PTC News including a return to the Harvest Festival and Spaghetti Dinner with a need for more volunteers, Facts portal information and upcoming calendar events. Thanks for reading!
“I hereby command you: Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)
Curriculum Night
Please mark your calendars for Curriculum Night on Wednesday, September 14th starting in the gym at 6 pm.(Please note this is a change from the Annual Calendar we sent home last week.) The teachers will have three of the same presentation starting at 6:30 pm, 6:55 pm, and 7:20 pm. If you have more than one child enrolled, this gives you the opportunity to visit multiple homeroom classes. If you’d like to meet with specialist teachers or middle school teachers other than your child’s homeroom, they will be available in their classrooms from 6:30 pm to 7:40 pm to answer questions. Childcare is not provided for this evening, but we do ask that at least one parent attends. Please email the office with any additional questions.
Walking in Holiness With the Saints
This is a new section of the newsletter, and we hope that you will enjoy learning about how saints are a great example of holiness, strength, and courage one day at a time. Below is a description of a saint but their name is withheld. See if you can guess who this Saint is and get your name put in for a prize drawing. See Mrs. Michele King in the office.
Hint: Born in Catalonia in Spain. He was ordained in 1616. He ministered to the most vulnerable in the New World in Cartagena (present day Columbia). Ten thousand African slaves came through the port each month. He brought Christ to them, climbing into the filthy, pestilential holds of the ships to feed them, baptize the dying, and hear confessions. His work angered those who thought slaves were less than human and he was stopped from baptizing them. At the end of his life, he fell victim to the plague and was confined to his bed under the care of a neglectful servant and he accepted all without complaining. Who is this saint? The answer will be in next week’s newsletter too.
Calling Playground Angels!
We have an ongoing need to keep these safety positions filled. You get to earn volunteer hours and it’s a great way to see your child during the day while getting to know their friends. Thank you for your help in keeping recess fun and safe!
PTC News
Check today’s physical envelope for information on the return of our beloved Harvest Festival and Spaghetti Dinner! After a two-year absence that the PTC filled with their brilliant Take & Bake meals, we’re thrilled to welcome back this in-person event! Mark your calendar for Saturday, September 17th ; it’s a super fun time for all ages! Purchase your dinner, games and competition tickets early. Physical tickets will be sent home in next week’s envelope. Children 3+ are $10 and adults are free to attend.
Volunteer Link Here: Assumption Harvest Festival and Spaghetti Dinner
Scrip Signups for September and October
My name is Tam Bratt for those who do not know me. My kids are Caroline Bratt (5th grader) and Alison Bratt (3rd grader). Welcome to another wonderful year at Assumption Catholic School. You are receiving this email because you signed up to help sell Scrip. The schedule to sell scrip is Friday 7:45-8:15 and Thursday 2:45 to 3:15 for the first few months, more days might be added if needed in the future. If this is your first time doing it, please feel free to let me know and I will walk you through the whole process. It is easy and fun, but it is also especially important to be accurate as well. Also, this is an on-going commitment through the end of the school year. Even if you complete all your volunteer hours before school ends, it would be great if you could help all the way till the end.
Below is the link to sign up for the month of SEPTEMBER and OCTOBER. Please feel free to reach out to me any time if you have questions. You can also reach me at 360-223-3549.
Thank you, Tam Bratt
Link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080F45ABA723A6FE3-assumption2
GoodWill Fundraiser
Our 8th graders will be collecting items to give to Goodwill. The proceeds will help fund their trip to Washington D.C. in the spring. It is a win-win. Clean out closets and help the 8th graders!
Here is the link to the flyer: Goodwill Fundraiser 2022
Catholic Daughters Competition- State Level Winners!
The 2021-22 theme was “With God all things are possible.” (Mt 19:26). Last February, our local CDA court “St. Aloysius” chose four winners from four categories. This is a multi-media contest to express the theme each year through art, photography, poetry or essay for grades 4-8th. We are always proud to have the Assumption School community represented so well. The CDA local court sent the four winners on to the state level, where two entries won additional prizes in the Art and Poetry categories.
Finley Twining took 2nd place in the State Category I for her art entry. And Stella Wolf won first place in State Category II for her poetry. Stella Wolf’s poetry entry has now been sent into the national contest to be judged. Congratulations to all the participants for their entries this year, and the next education contest will begin in October for the 2022-23 school year. More details will come soon. Thank you.
Regent,
Mrs. Michele King
Room Parent Needed
We could use one more Room Parent for Mrs. Thomas’ 4th grade class. Please check the link and consider joining this critical team if you can! Assumption PTC: Room Parents 2022-2023 (signupgenius.com)
Love, Faith, and BASKETBALL
HOLY HOOPS is back again and starting SOON! Mark your calendar for Tuesday, October 18th through Friday, October 21st.
Holy Hoops is a FREE four day, 4-on-4 basketball tournament intended for EVERY 5th-8th grade student at Assumption Catholic School. Once again, there will be two divisions: a boy’s league and a girl’s league. Each team will be a combined group of 5th, 6th, 7th, or 8th and one or two Assumption alumni coaches. In order to build fun and community around a sport we all love, it is critical that ALL eligible students participate- prior experience NOT required! Participants will receive their team t-shirt, pizza lunch, an end-of-event BASH, and build life-long memories with teammates and competitors. Games take place every day from 3:15 to 6:00 pm, but there if flexibility in participation if students can’t make it every day.
Let’s continue to make Holy Hoops a tradition that Assumption families can enjoy for years to come! Look for signups in your parent envelope in mid-September.
If you have any questions or concerns contact Lisa Twining at vonskirch@gmail.com
MAP Testing
The Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) is the school’s standardized, summative assessment for grades 2-8 that is given digitally three times during the school year. This will begin on Tuesday, September 20th. The tests consist of math, reading, language, and science (grades 3-8 only), and each test takes approximately 45-60 minutes. More information will follow, but we want students to be ready with their devices (5th-8th grade) and for parents to have this on their calendars. Most of the tests will be administered Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday between 8:15 and 9:45 am or from 10-11:30 am.
FACTS Family Portal
If you are new to the school OR have a Sixth Grader this year, we want to help you access family information and middle school grades/assignments via the FACTS Student Information System! Please see the flyer in the physical envelope that came home with your child today for information on how you can create an account.
- The directions for ALL PARENTS explain how you can create a profile to view and make changes to your personal information (those with middle school children can also access grades and assignments)
- The directions for MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS explain logging in to their own accounts to track grades, assignments, etc.
Please call or email the office if you have any technical difficulties logging in!
Assumption Parent Prayer Group begins next week
One of our parents, Mary Cade, has volunteered to lead the Assumption Prayer Group this year for all parents in preschool through eighth grade. Mary will be leading prayer for anyone who wants to attend in the library starting at 8:15 am every Tuesday morning, beginning on Tuesday, September 13th. We look forward to seeing you there. Younger children (not in school yet) are welcome to attend with their parents. If you’d like more information, please email Mary at mbucy88@gmail.com.
Picture Days are September 27th and September 28th
Individual pictures will be taken on Tuesday, September 27th for Preschool and K-8 students. Pictures for PreK are on Wednesday, September 28th (and for those absent on Tuesday). Students may come in free dress for pictures, but all current free dress expectations apply on picture day.
EDP
If you need this after school service and have not yet filled out an EDP registration form, please do so as soon as possible. Feel free to email Miss McIntosh with questions: amcintosh@assumption.school.
Summer Reading forms- LAST CALL!
We’re so proud of our great Assumption readers! If your child(ren) met the summer reading requirement for their grade level, please fill out and return the confirmation form on the back page of the “Summer Reading List K-8″, shown here. If you don’t have your copy handy, extra forms can be found here.
Students who return their completed forms will receive a celebratory treat at lunchtime on Friday, September 9th!
School Mass this Friday
This Friday, Sept. 9th, our 7th graders will be leading Mass. All grades should wear dress uniforms and parents are welcome and encouraged to attend!
Registration for Sacraments
Registration for First Reconciliation & First Holy Communion and Confirmation Prep at Assumption Parish
Sunday, Sept. 11, 11:15 a.m. in the Gym.
Any Assumption Catholic School student in grades 2-6 who is baptized Catholic and is an Assumption parishioner may register for first reconciliation & first holy communion prep, which will take place monthly (with a parent) on Sunday mornings.
In addition, any 7th or 8th grader fitting that criteria may prepare for first reconciliation and first holy communion through the confirmation prep classes that will be held on Sunday afternoons on campus. Please contact one of the following parish staff members with your questions:
Claudia Maeda – Registrar; claudia@assumption.org
Gina DePalma – K-5 Faith Formation, First Reconciliation & First Holy Communion; ginad@assumption.org
April Jordan-Hulsey – 6th-12th Faith Formation & Confirmation; aprilj@assumption.org
Assumption/Sacred Heart Parish Employment Opportunity
Assumption and Sacred Heart parishes in Bellingham seek an energetic person to serve as full-time Pastoral Assistant for Youth Ministry. Prospective candidate should be an active member of a Catholic parish faith community with a B.A. degree or equivalent experience in a related field and able to work evenings and weekends. Excellent benefits, salary DOE. View the job description and online application at www.assumption.org. Position open until filled.
Karen Zuther
Parish Administrator
Assumption Church-Bellingham
(360) 733-1380
Parent-Student Handbook for 2022-2023
Please review this year’s copy of the Parent-Student Handbook on the school’s webpage and sign the paper form that went home in today’s Wednesday Envelope. Please return your completed form to the office via your family envelope by Friday, September 9th.
Drop off/Pick up procedures
This year, students will be dismissed at 3 pm, but we will stagger the pick-up so that K-4 parents should pick up at 3:05 pm and 5-8 parents at 3:10 pm. Preschool parents can pick up at 3 pm. If you arrive before 3 pm, please pull in and park until the gate opens at 3:05 pm. If your child is not at his/her sign, please pull around the loop (you don’t need to go all the way out of the parking lot).
Remember that traffic is always one way in the morning and the afternoon. Please enter by the Virginia St. side and exit on the Kentucky St. side (by Bellingham High School).
Students in grade four and above can have permission to walk or bike home. Children in grades three and below must walk with a parent or older sibling. Students who are biking or walking should exit through the Cornwall gate only. We need consent on this form if you give your child permission to walk or bike home. Please complete this by Friday, September 9th.
Office communication
As you know, we now offer two Mrs. Kings to meet your needs in the office! We are welcoming Mrs. Michele King into the Office Assistant position this year. She is a great addition to the role and has been a member of our school and church community for many years! To best serve our school families and ensure no communication slips through the cracks, please use the following guide for emailing:
Attendance, including absences, tardies, and planned appointments: please email attendance@assumption.school. This ensures all office staff get your message regardless of scheduling.
All other communication (questions, concerns, messages to children or teachers)- please do your best to email us according to areas of responsibility:
Tuition and school account issues and records: Mrs. Angie King, aking@assumption.school
Everything else: Mrs. Michele King, mking@assumption.school
Used Bike for Someone
If you are interested in a bike for an older student, please contact Amanda McIntosh. Her email address is
This will be on a first come, first served basis. The bike was donated by a community member. Thank you.
Upcoming calendar items:
Sept 9th– Ice Cream Treats for those who met the Summer Reading Challenge
Sept 14th– Curriculum Night, 6 pm in the gym
Sept 17th– PTC Harvest Festival 3-6 pm; Spaghetti Dinner with seatings at 5:30 & 6:30 pm
Sept. 21st– Early Release at 11:45, casual uniform (ACS t-shirt and jeans or shorts)
Sept 27th– Individual Picture Day, Preschool & K-8 (free dress for those students)
Sept 28th– Individual Picture Day, Pre-K (free dress for those students)
