“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)
In this week’s newsletter you will read about Calendar changes for 2023-24, the FUN RUN and sponsorship opportunity extended, class pictures next week, Track and Field schedule, Playground Angels for April, a mountain bike club, the saint of the week, Auction Co-Chair needed for next year, Volunteer of the Year Award, Father/Daughter(s) Dance ‘Under the Stars’, our ACS “Year of the Arts” and Multicultural Potluck in May, PTC General meeting has a guest speaker, last chance for yearbooks, employment opportunities at school, upcoming events and much more!
Thank you for reading.
PLAYGROUND ANGELS NEEDED!
Our children’s safety is a top priority! Thank you for your help in keeping recess fun and safe!
Calendar change for 2023-2024
Please see the updated/revised calendar in this week’s envelope for the 2023-2024 school year. The first day of school has not changed, but we had originally reserved instructional hours that were needed for projected snow days. We have been given permission to have fewer than 180 instructional days for the upcoming year. Therefore, we are decreasing the days from 180 to 176 and taking four instructional days off of the current calendar.
You will notice that conferences have been moved from November 2nd and 3rd to November 20th and 21st, and November 22rd is now a holiday the week of Thanksgiving break. We have also moved February 9th to February 16th as a professional development (non-instructional day) and added February 20th as a holiday for a long five-day weekend (Feb. 19th is President’s Day). Finally, we added a non-instructional day on Friday, June 7th for teachers to work on report cards, and moved the last day of school from June 13th to June 12th. Whew! If you have any questions on this, please contact the office.
Please note for the 2024-2025 school year, that the school may take a mid-winter (full week) break during the third week of February instead of the current changes to Thanksgiving accommodate four fewer instructional days. We didn’t make this change this year since some parents have already set their vacation calendars with employers for 2024.
Daddy Daughter Dance – Under the Stars
We are just days away from our first Daddy-Daughter Dance. Put on your Sunday best and join us for a night under the stars at the Assumption Catholic School Gym this Saturday at 6:30 -8:30 pm*. We will be selling tickets at the door as well as selling raffle tickets and boutonniere and corsage sets (use link below to pre-order). The evening will include dancing, refreshments, a photo booth, and many memories.
To make this night even more special, we will be selling boutonniere and corsage pairs made by our own, very talented, Veronica Vincent. If you are interested in ordering a set for your Daddy/Daughter duo, please click on the link and fill out the form. Each set (includes 1 boutonniere and 1 corsage) is $15. Additional corsages can be purchased for $5 each. The flowers will be available for pickup right before the dance (Saturday, April 22nd at 6:30) in the Assumption School Gym. Payment is due at the time of pickup (accepted forms of payment: cash or check made out to “Assumption PTC”).
Daddy-Daughter Boutonniere and Corsage Order Form
We are still in need of some more refreshments. If you are able, please sign-up to bring a treat or baked good.
Daddy-Daughter Volunteer Sign-up
Thank you for all your support! If you have any questions or trouble ordering, please contact Lisa Twining at vonskirch@gmail.com or 360-393-5004
*The school calendar has the dance times incorrect, please note
that the dance will begin at 6:30 and end at 8:30.
Class Pictures Next Wednesday!
Today in your Wednesday envelopes, look for the forms to purchase pictures. April 26th is Picture day for K-8 and PreK. Then April 27th is Picture day for preschool.
ChatGPT and AI-generated work
ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence “chat bot” owned by Open AI that students are using to complete their class assignments since it came out in November of last year. We’ll be including a policy statement in next year’s parent handbook under the plagiarism section. Right now, all middle school teachers are reminding students that assignments will be run through an AI-generated checker, and if the work is not theirs, they will be asked to re-do it the first time. The second time may be a call home and time to re-do the assignment. However, by the third reminder, the student may receive a zero on the assignment and not receive credit for it. Students will not necessarily receive a zero on the assignment the way they do with plagiarism from the first assignment, but they will be consistently checked and re-done for original work. Please talk with your child about the importance of doing their own work based on their own reading and research.
Volunteer of the Year, Eighth-Grade Parent Awards, and Servant Award
On May 26th at 9:15 am, we will be honoring the Ellen Anderson Volunteer of the Year Award and celebrating the efforts of our PTC Executive Board. We would like your help in ensuring that we recognize ALL VOLUNTEERS (including those who are not parents at the school) and finding the most appropriate recipient for this distinguished award.
Additionally, this year we would like the help of our school community in selecting the recipients of our two, eighth-grade parent awards. These will be given at graduation on June 8th. Please help us by including the names of these individuals in the attached Microsoft Form and a description of the things they’ve done to support our school in their time here at Assumption. If you have any questions about how to do this, please contact the office. https://forms.office.com/r/z61HrsXpAR
Finally, the Servant Award is given as a cumulative award for volunteers who are not eighth-grade parents but who have given multiple hours over many years at Assumption. This award is given at the prayer service on the last day of school. Thank you for your help with this.
“Year of the Arts” and Multicultural Potluck
On Friday, May 19th, the school will be celebrating this “Year of the Arts” with a visual art show and performances by the students.
At the same time, the Parent Teacher Club is organizing a multicultural potluck to celebrate the cultural diversity we have as a school community. Both will give us a chance to bring families together and to sample different types of food.
The food will be served from 5:00 to 6:30 pm, and we encourage all school families to bring in dishes from or inspired by their culture and heritage. Students will perform from 6:30 to 7 pm on the stage. Walk through the gym with your plate of food and admire the artwork that has been produced by students and creatively displayed by their teacher, Mrs. Carolina Santos.
Please sign up to bring food/drinks or help with set up and clean up by clicking the Sign-Up Genius link here: Potluck
Get your Yearbooks Now!
ASSUMPTION CATHOLIC SCHOOL Yearbook Online
Step 1: Visit www.memorybook.com/online-pay/parent-pay/
Step 2: Enter your school code 189029 then click “Go to your school account login”
Step 3: Click on the link below your school’s name.
Step 4: Login if returning or new users click Register
Step 5: Buy a yearbook for $30.00 through April 21, 2023
**If you did order a yearbook, you should have gotten a confirmation email immediately after purchase. Again, it would be from “authnet” and please check their Spam folder or Junk folder for confirmation.
Also, you can ask questions directly to our Co-Chairs of the yearbook, Kelly Segel and Emily Hoza at acsyearbookphotos@gmail.com
Thank you, Soy House Restaurant!
It has been a tradition each year that Soy House Restaurant on Holly St. donates their proceeds from Easter Sunday to Assumption Catholic School. We are so grateful for their donation this year of $5,487 which will go to help pay for our new windows. Soy House is owned and managed by school parents, Tony Nguyen and Angie Huynh (children Hy and Dy), with the help of his sister (and school parent), Tam Bratt (children Caroline and Alison). The school is blessed to have these wonderful families as a part of the community, and we are thankful for their ongoing generosity!
FUN RUN 2023!
We are off to a great start with all the t-shirt orders and pledges coming in! Our goal is $20,000! Keep those pledges coming in and remember students can bring in the pledge money at any time and the office will return the collection envelope.
The class with the highest dollar amount raised wins a Subway lunch for the whole class!
Raffle boxes outside Mrs. King’s Office.
$10 raised = 1 raffle ticket
- We have extended the deadline for sponsorship to Friday, April 27th. We have included an additional sponsorship form in today’s parent envelope for your convenience. Please have them send in their forms and payment by April 27th. Thank you.
- T-shirt Order deadline is also next Friday, April 27, 2023. Parents are also welcome to order tshirts to wear proudly supporting our school!
Use the link here if you need another form. If funds are tight, we have some wonderful sponsors that would like to make sure every student has a shirt! Just fill out the order form indicating you would like a scholarship shirt and how many! We are looking forward to seeing everyone in their beautiful colors!
T-Shirts earn 2 raffle tickets.
Pledges earn 1 raffle ticket for every $10 raised!
- Need fundraising volunteer hours before the May 31st deadline? There are plenty of volunteer opportunities throughout the day to help this event run smoothly. Please sign up if you can help: sign up genius here
Please use the QR code below for those that want to pay online with PayPal or credit card/debit card. Remember to note which student the funds go towards for the different contests. Thank you!
CO-CURRICULAR PROGRAMS
Track and Field
The team is off to a great start. Good luck to everyone at the meet today.
If you have any questions, please call the office, or contact Mr. Costanza at mcostanza@assumption.school
Meet dates:
- April 19 at Lynden Christian
- April 25 at Lummi Nation (Assumption co-hosts and needs volunteers!)
- April 27 at Meridian (Assumption co-hosts and needs volunteers!)
- May 2 at Mt. Baker
- May 9 at Meridian
PTC CONNECTIONS
OPEN POSITIONS – Do you LOVE TO BE INVOLVED & want to have a bigger impact on the events here at ACS? The following volunteer positions are open for the 23-24 school year.
- 2024 Auction Co-Chair Position
Do you have excellent communication skills and enjoy planning large events? We are currently looking for a co-chair for the 2024 Growing Great Kids Auction and Gala. This is a two-year commitment and reports to the Parent Teacher Club. You will learn the process and assist in duties this coming school year, and then lead while coaching a new co-chair the following year. Duties include assistance in recruiting and managing several parent volunteer teams covering procurement and sponsorship, attending PTC meetings, assisting in the creation of print design, marketing and communication materials for Wednesday news updates and the Auction tab of the school website, creating and managing a separate auction website, working closely with school staff, parent volunteers and outside vendors, and overseeing all financial details and budget. The selection process for this role will include an interview with the selection committee. To find out more information, please email Torry Dechert at tdechert@outlook.com.
** PTC VICE PRESIDENT: This is a 2-year commitment. The first year you are vice president and assist the President in anyway and with all functions. The following year you are the president of the PTC and train up your replacement. Qualities we are looking for in a candidate include organization, dedication, leadership, and creativity.
** PTC SECRETARY: This is a 2-year commitment. You keep and organize all records of the PTC, record all meeting minutes, and share via email with the PTC executive board, complete PTC newsletter as requested by the President and/or Vice President, maintain all meeting notes, bylaws, amendments, rules, membership lists, and any other necessary supplies, and bring them to meetings.
** PTC DEPOSITOR: This is a 2-year commitment. You make bank deposits of PTC funds (the Treasurer may also make deposits in lieu of the Depositor) & you train new depositor(s) on office procedures, cash handling/recording and bank deposit procedures.
- We invite interested parents to attend our monthly May 9th Executive PTC Meeting at 3:30pm at the school. If you have interest or questions please feel free to email Jennifer Harbick jrharbick@comcast.net or Susie Anderson susiemoore18@hotmail.com
PTC General Meeting on Wednesday, April 26th at 7 pm
Mark your calendar for the General PTC Meeting on Wednesday April 26 at 7pm. We will have guest speaker Patti Hoelzle, as well as fun snacks & drinks. She is an author, para-educator and counselor in the Ferndale School District. She will talk about post-pandemic issues we may be dealing with in our children. Topics we will touch on include anxiety, unconditional positive regard, and transitioning into teenage years. There will be childcare provided by EDP. We look forward to seeing you there!
Help us out and use this link for Childcare for the evening.
Patti Hoelzle is a National Board certified professional school counselor working in school districts for the last 16 years. She specializes in parent and teacher coaching on social emotional skills and supporting kids with trauma specifically. She has had two children gifted to her through foster care to adoption and has experienced firsthand the different needs of children in their daily functioning after experiencing trauma. She loves learning about and collaborating with hard working parents and educators to create safe and loving environments for all children in our schools and homes.
Yearbook Committee Needs Your Photos by Friday!
Greetings to all families! If you have taken photos from the beginning of the year, we would love to compile them for the yearbook! If you have sibling photos, too, send them our way!
Thank you to all parents and teachers who have submitted photos for the yearbook! At this point we are specifically in need of additional, high-quality pictures from the Auction, Christmas Program, Holy Hoops, and the Variety Show.
If you have any to contribute, send them by the end of this week.
Please… Please send them in jpeg format to ACSyearbookphotos@gmail.com
Thank you from the Yearbook Committee!
Kelly Segel & Emily Hoza
OTHER NEWS
Need work? Employment opportunities for 2023-2024!
The school has been interviewing for some of the following positions, but they haven’t been filled yet. Please continue to pass the word during Spring Break if you know anyone qualified and interested in: Spanish K-5, Physical Education/EDP Director or Library Media Specialist. LINK HERE
Mountain Bike Club
Enrollment is now open for parents to enroll their kids into the after-school spring mountain bike club. Enrollment can be found on the webpage for Whatcom Mountain Bike Club (WMBC) (link is below). The page takes you to 6crickets and you can click on Roosevelt’s bike club (we are teaming up with them). It may just say “Roosevelt” for now, which might be updated to Roosevelt/Assumption soon. Enrollment for each kid is $60 and we can take up to 30 kids, shared with Roosevelt’s enrollment. Each group is led by a certified ride leader, through the WMBC. All of the rest of the requirements are on the 6crickets page.
The club will begin on Thursday, 4/20 and go for five weeks. It meets every Thursday from 3:30-5:30. Drop off for the rides will be at 3:30 pm on the Galbraith south side parking lot near Lake Padden. Parents will pick up at the same location at 5:30 pm. The club has 3 ride leaders volunteering that are parents of Assumption kids: Sean Veldman, Chris Abbey, and Chad Perrin. If any of the parents want to volunteer as “sweeps” on ride days to follow the groups and make sure there’s no stragglers, they always welcome that! We are hoping for a great biking season and excited to kick this program off! If you have any questions or concerns feel free to contact parent, Sean Veldman, at: (360) 305-4722 or at SeanV@soundbeverage.com
https://www.wmbcmtb.org/elementary-school-bike-club
Preschool Auction Project Opportunity (picture here )
With all the interest and love for our first preschool auction project, Prayer Hands, our wonderful photographer, Lee Eberhardt, created a print that is similar to the artwork created by the preschool class. These prints are 20 x 30 and would be a great addition to anyone’s home. Each print is $25.
If you are interested or have any questions, please contact Lisa Twining at growinggreatkidsauction@gmail.com.
WALKING 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. Please remember that your name and guess of each week’s saint needs to be in by Tuesday afternoon. The drawing of all correct answers happens on Wednesday morning. Thank you to all the students submitting their answers.
Last week: St. Teresa of the Andes
Congratulations to Evelyn White
New Saint:
In less than 40 years, this great woman became a pediatric physician, a wife, a mother and a saint! She was born in Magenta near Milano, the tenth of Alberto and Maria Beretta’s 13 children. An active member of the St. Vincent de Paul Society and a leader in the Catholic Action movement, she also enjoyed skiing and mountain climbing. She earned degrees in medicine and surgery from the University of Pavia, eventually specializing in pediatrics. In 1952, Gianna opened a clinic in the small town of Mesero, where she met her husband, an engineer.
Shortly before their 1955 marriage, Gianna wrote to Pietro: “Love is the most beautiful sentiment that the Lord has put into the soul of men and women.” In the next four years the couple had three children: Pierluigi, Mariolina, and Laura. Two pregnancies following ended in miscarriage.
Early in her final pregnancy, doctors discovered that she had both a child and a tumor in her uterus. She allowed the surgeons to remove the tumor but not to perform the complete hysterectomy that they recommended, which would have killed the child. Seven months later in April 1962, a baby girl was born at the hospital in Monza, but post-operative complications resulted in an infection for her mother. The following week Gianna Molla died at home and was buried in the cemetery of Mesero.
The child, Gianna Emanuela, went on to become a physician herself. Her mother was beatified in 1994 and canonized 10 years later. Her liturgical feast is celebrated on April 28.
Reflection: With great faith and courage, she made the choice that enabled her daughter to be born. We can often wish that we were in different circumstances, but holiness frequently comes from making difficult choices in bad situations.
Patron Saint of: Doctors/Unborn Children/Wives
Who is this saint? ________________
UPCOMING CALENDAR ITEMS:
April 20th– Choir practice 3-5pm
April 22nd– Father/Daughter Dance 6:30-8:30pm in the Gym
April 23rd – 10am Mass with School Choir
April 26th – Class picture days PreK – 8th grade
April 26th – PTC General Meeting @7pm in the GYM with speaker
April 27th – Class pictures Preschool only
May 1st – Pizza Lunch Day
May 1-6th – Missoula Children’s Theatre
May 3rd – School Mass @ 8:15am Dress Uniform (WEDNESDAY)
May 5th – May Crowning for Blessed Mother Mary- Prayer Service 8:15
