WEDNESDAY PARENT NEWSLETTER 1.4.23

   “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)

Happy New Year! In this week’s newsletter there is an Annual Fund update, Distinguished Alumni Award nominees, health updates, Christmas Art Contest Winners, Archery, Boys’ Basketball, preschool employment opportunity, Playground Angels for January, Catholic Daughters Education Contest, deadlines for Growing Great Kids Auction, Pizza Lunch this Monday, the saint of the week and much more! Thank you for reading.

Distinguished Alumni Award during Catholic Schools Week

During Catholic Schools Week each year, we honor an alumnus from Assumption who has continued to be a leader in the community and a supportive member of the Catholic church. If you know an alumnus who graduated from Assumption in the year 2005 or earlier, please fill in the attached Microsoft Form with his/her contact information and we will vote as a staff on January 17. https://forms.office.com/r/nrfWi2NiwZ

More Playground Angels Needed!

2022 Student Christmas Card Art Winners

We wanted to highlight and congratulate all the wonderful entries from students.

The following students’ artwork was chosen to be printed on our school Christmas cards. Thank you to all that participated in the contest. 

Here are the names of the Christmas Art winners:

• Keira Patelli (K)
• Vivienne Dechert (1^st)
• Di Nguyen (3^rd)
• Cecelia Boneau (3^rd)
• Madeline Dechert (3^rd)
• Bella Blas (4^th)
• Hy Nguyen (5^th)
• Caroline Bratt (5^th)
• Luz Lane (6^th)
• Pablo Ordonez Aguilar(8^th)

Growing Great Kids Auction Updates: Donations Due January 27th

It’s the final stretch for getting those auction donations and funds into the office! Let us know if you need help, and don’t forget you may also donate funds through Scrip, or you may choose to sponsor the gala to satisfy your donation commitment. If you are unable to get a donation in to the office by then, just expect to see a charge on your next month’s tuition account. 

Fundraising Hours: In past years, you may remember that you could earn fundraising hours by donating bottles of wine. Instead, this year, for every $20 donated above your $200 auction commitment ($100 for preschool) you will earn one fundraising hour! This special donation opportunity helps to offset the cost of wine at the gala. Take advantage of this easy way to get those hours completed. 

1. Don’t forget – on January 27th all auction donations, classroom projects and gala sponsorships due.
2. And stay tuned for tickets to officially go on sale this month!
3. For more information, email GrowingGreatKidsAuction@gmail.com
4.  visit https://assumption.maestroweb.com 

Annual Fund Update

As current school families, we all presently benefit from the Annual Fund in the reduced tuition we pay (approximately $500 per child). If your family is able to share any part of that gift back, others will also benefit, furthering the investment in the future of our community and world!

To give, choose one of these options:

• Click DONATE NOW on the top right of this page.
• Send a check in your Wednesday envelope noted for the Annual Fund.
• Call Mrs. Angie King with your credit card information.

While donations are happily welcomed anytime, we’re hoping to reach our $120,000 goal by January 31^st.Thank you for your continued support of ACS!

Drop off reminders

In the morning, please remember to pull all the way up by the cross before dropping off. Signs are there to help guide you: “Please pull forward” and “Exit between the signs”. The teacher on duty is there to remind your children to stay in cars until they have pulled forward (about five cars can be unloading at the same time). Wait for the cars in front of you to exit before you do.

We’re seeing kids exiting cars way back by the playground/field and vehicles pulling around and passing those still dropping off in the designated area. Please help us keep your children safe by following these guidelines!

Co-Curricular Programs

Winter Ride

This month our middle school students will get to experience skiing on Mt. Baker or ice skating at the Sportsplex.  Here are the Tuesday dates: Jan. 10, 17, 24 and 31^st.

Please email Miss McIntosh with any questions at amcintosh@assumption.school

Boys Basketball Season

Here is the schedule for the season:

January 5: 4:00 PM Away @ Nooksack Valley Middle School

January 9: 4:00 PM Away @ Lummi Nation Middle School

January 11: 4:00 PM Home VS Lynden Middle School

January 19: 4:00 PM Home VS Blaine

January 23: 4:45 PM Away @ Mount Baker Junior High School

January 25: 4:00 PM Home VS Vista Middle School

Archery Club

Reminder to those in the first session, practice is Thursday mornings at 7 am. 

If you cannot make it, please email Mrs. Dennis ddennis@assumption.school or Mrs. Eusebio at ceusebio@assumption.school Thank you.

PTC CONNECTIONS

Happy New Year from PTC!

GENERAL PTC MEETING – Mark your calendar for the general meeting on Wednesday, 1-25-22, at 7pm. It will be via ZOOM with the hopes for great attendance while you sip your wine from the comforts of your couch or while you prep dinner and assist with homework. Your attendance will gain your child(ren) free dress the next day! We will provide you with updates on business, upcoming PTC events and a quick reference for local summer programs.

CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK – This fun filled week is approaching at the end of the month, 1-28-23 thru 2-3-23. Stay tuned for volunteer opportunities that we will highlight in the next couple weeks of newsletters.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES – Continue to check the school volunteer website for volunteer opportunities. I know it’s cold outside, but we still need to keep the children safe, and we need our Playground Angels!  Link here

Missoula Children’s Theater  

Missoula Children’s Theater will be back at Assumption this spring!  Mark your calendars for the week of May 1^st, 2023.  We are looking for two host families for the guests to stay with during that week.  If you are interested, please contact Tia Entrikin at duttontia@gmail.com.

Other News from School

Looking for a Preschool Assistant Teacher to start this month

We are still interviewing for the preschool assistant teacher to start on Tuesday, January 17^th. Please send applicants to the school’s website or have them email a resume and cover letter directly to Mr. Anderson at danderson@assumption.school.

Variety Show is Coming in January

  

Catholic Daughters Education Contest 2022-23

This is an annual tradition that the National Catholic Daughters of America presents to students in grades 4-12 in three different divisions.  The students at Assumption have a long history of participating with our local court, St. Aloysius #243, here in Whatcom County.  Many students have won prizes at the state level also.

This year the theme is “We walk by faith, not by sight” Corinthians 2:5,7 or “When do I have to lean on my faith more than sight?”

Students can participate through essays, poetry, art, or computer art on this theme.  Students in grades 6-12 can also choose music or photography in addition to the other genres. All entries need to be turned in by January 27, 2023, for judging at the local level.  First place winners are then sent on to the state level.  First place winners from State are then sent on to the National Catholic Daughters Contest to be judged in the spring. Please speak with Mrs. Michele King if you have any questions.

 Entry form here

Health Reminders

Continued staffing shortages and limited availability of some medications, particularly those for children, threaten to overwhelm our already strained healthcare system. Please remember to follow the health department’s recommendations for limiting the spread of these viruses into the month of January:

• Practice good hand hygiene.
• Stay home if you’re sick and keep sick kids home.
• Cough into your elbow.
• Get vaccinated against COVID-19 and influenza.
• Wear a mask in crowded indoor spaces.
• Use good ventilation or air filtration at home.

There is now a Triplex test that detects COVID-19 and two strains of the Flu in one sample. We’ve ordered these free tests to be able to help our families identify illnesses in the event kids are sent home sick from school. They should arrive shortly.

Please feel free to contact Mrs. Dennis with any questions or concerns (ddennis@assumption.school). Thank you and prayers for your family’s good health in 2023!

Walking in Holiness With the Saints

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 his/her name is withheld. See if you can guess who the saint is and get your name put in for a prize drawing.  See Mrs. King in the office if you have a guess.

Last week: Happy Birthday Jesus and Merry Christmas!  

Congratulations …….

New Saint: I was born in France in 1786.  I lived during the French Revolution and learned about my faith in secrecy from faithful nuns and priests as well as from family.  Many of these priests were brave, smart, and courageous.  I was able to make my first communion and confirmation at the age of 13 in secrecy. 

I had a hard time learning in school, especially my Latin.  But I worked extra hard to learn it because I wanted to be a priest. After being drafted into the army, I deserted and returned home and entered the seminary in 1813.

As a priest, I was assigned to Ecully and in 1818 became the Cure, the paster of Ars.  I worked sometimes 16- 18 hours in the confessional, administering the Sacrament of Penance, or Reconciliation to many, many people. 

This saint passed away in 1859 and proclaimed a saint in 1925. 

He is the patron saint of priests. 

Who is this saint?  ________________

Upcoming calendar items:

January 9^th – Pizza Day

January 10^th – Winter Ride begins

January 16^th – No School this Monday

January 17 – February 3^rd – MAP Testing

January 23^rd – Pizza Day

January 24^th/25^th – Hearing and Vision Screening Days

January 25^th – PTC meeting on Zoom 7pm

January 23^rd – Principal’s Coffee

January 27^th – Last Day of the Semester / Early Release (A) Day

January 29^th – School Choir at 10am Mass at Assumption Parish

January 29^th to February 4^th – Catholic Schools’ Week