In this week’s newsletter you’ll see this year’s Scriptural theme for our school, our upcoming Curriculum Night, our new section about “Walking with the Saints”, an ongoing need for Playground Angels, our Cross Country Schedule and a need for help, another chance to register for EDP, Individual Picture Day is coming up soon, an invitation to school Mass this Friday, sacramental preparation registration information from the parish, a reminder about the MAP testing, 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 the Harvest Festival and Spaghetti Dinner with a need for more volunteers, an employment opportunity with youth group 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 6:00 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.
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
Harvest Festival / Spaghetti Dinner - Thank you in advance to all who have signed up to help with this big event! There are still some important volunteer opportunities that we need filled. We need volunteers to facilitate the games and serve food! See the link below.
We are excited to be bring back the Harvest Festival and building up our school community through this fun, family-oriented event. Remember there are two dinner seatings. Also please stay for BINGO after dinner! Help support the 8th graders and their trip to DC planned for May 2023!
See the attached form to prepay for your tickets and skip the line! (We will have them waiting for you at the door). And don’t forget the cornhole tournament registration for middle schoolers and adults!! There will be some great prizes and some bragging rights!
Ticket Form Here: Tickets Order Form
Volunteer Link Here: Assumption Harvest Festival and Spaghetti Dinner
Room Parents - Thank you to all the parents that agreed to be room parents! This is very exciting to have these roles filled so quickly! Remember your Room Parent Coordinator is Catie Sullivan. If you have questions about your role as room parent, please email her at catiesullivan417@gmail.com.
Yearbooks – The school year may have just begun but start thinking about yearbooks! Keep an eye out for an order form coming soon and get your orders in before September 30th for the best price.
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. 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.
Below is the volunteer link to sign up and help sell 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
XC Meet hosted by Assumption
Our own Cross-Country meet is fast approaching, and we need volunteers! It is Thursday, September 22nd at Cornwall Park. Volunteers need to check in at the big field between 3:30 – 3:45pm and the race starts at 4:15 pm. We need at least eight volunteers to help along the route and at the finish line. Here are the areas where we need help: parking, race route (directing runners) and the finish line. We would love to let the parents of runners watch their kids and enjoy the race, so extra hands are greatly appreciated.
To help, please contact Ryan Mills at rmills@assumption.school
Cross Country Schedule:
Thurs. Sept 15 Meridian MS Bellewood Acres 4:15pm
Thurs. Sept 22 Assumption/Franklin Acad Cornwall Park 4:15pm
Wed. Sept 28 Nooksack Valley MS Nooksack Valley MS 4:15pm
Thurs. Oct. 6 Blaine MS Pipeline Fields 4:15pm
Wed. Oct. 12 Horizon/Vista MS Hovander Park 4:15pm
Tues. Oct. 18 Lynden Christian MS LCMS 4:15pm
**Boys race first, followed by the girls
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. We are also looking for anyone who wants to sponsor the event.
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.
Assumption Parent Prayer Group is back
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. 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.
Individual 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. Please see the flyer in today’s Wednesday envelope. Next week we will be sending home the order forms, so look for those if you plan to order pictures.
EDP
We will begin offering our Extended Day Program (EDP) on Thursday, September 1st. If you need this service and have not yet filled out an EDP registration form, please do so as soon as possible. EDP forms are on the website. Feel free to email Miss McIntosh with questions: amcintosh@assumption.school.
School Mass this Friday
This Friday, Sept. 16th, our 6thth graders will be leading Mass. All grades should wear dress uniforms and parents are welcome and encouraged to attend!
Registration for Sacraments
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 criterion 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 as soon as possible.
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 16th.
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. This is a whole family activity and conversation starter. Below is a description of a saint but their name is withheld. See if you can guess who the 2 Saints are and get your name put in for a prize drawing.
See Mrs. Michele King in the office if you have a guess.
Last week’s Saint: St. Peter Claver (Emery Shoff was the winner from 2nd grade! Great Job)
New Saint Hint: Between May 13 and October 13, 1917, three children in Portugal received apparitions of Our Lady at Cova de Iria, near Fatima. At that time, Europe was involved in an extremely bloody war. Portugal itself was in political turmoil. The children suffered much from friends and family.
When Mary first appeared, she asked the children to return to that spot on the 13th of each month for the next six months. She also asked them to learn to read and write and to pray the rosary “to obtain peace for the world and the end of the war.” They were to pray for sinners and for the conversion of Russia, which had fallen to communism. The children and about 70,000 other people witnessed the Miracle of the Sun on Oct.13th, 2017.
Less than two years later, one child died of influenza in his family home at the age of 11. And his sister died the following year of influenza at the age of 10. She offered her suffering for the conversion of sinners, peace in the world and the Holy Father, the Pope. The third child live until the age of 97 and died in 2005. In 2017, two of the children were canonized by Pope Francis.
Who are 2 of these children that are saints now? ________________
Upcoming calendar items:
Sept 14th– Curriculum Night, 6 pm in the gym
Sept 17th– PTC Harvest Festival 3-6 pm; Spaghetti Dinner with seating at 5:30 & 6:30 pm
Sept. 21st– Early Release at 11:45, casual uniform (ACS t-shirt and jeans or shorts)
Sept. 26th– Principal’s Coffee Time @ 8:15am in the library
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)
