In this week’s newsletter you can read about FUN RUN news, March and April playground angels, PTC news, ordering yearbooks, Middle School Spring Fling, School Commission openings, Staffing updates, Variety Show practices, coffee hour sign ups, class pictures in April, tamale orders, student ambassadors, Lenten trivia, new women’s prayer event, and much more. Thank you for reading!
Playground Angels Needed!
There is always a need for help on the playground. Thank you for supervising and keeping our kids safe!
Staffing for 2024-2025- Job Postings
Visit the Employment Opportunities link at the school’s webpage to see postings for current positions. We always get the strongest candidates through referral, so if you know someone who might be good for any of these roles, please send them our way:
Elementary Principal
Sixth/Seventh Grade Humanities
First Grade
Counseling
Statement from Fr. Moore on the March 26th Showstoppers Performance
Our school has had a long-term relationship with the Bellingham High School Showstoppers – a vocal performance group of BHS students that tour around the community, including local schools, to awe and inspire with the fine arts. We have been thankful for their willingness and generosity to visit our school each year and to inspire our students.
Unexpectedly, this year’s performance included students in cross-gender uniform and others using gender non-conforming pronouns, and that has led to some confusion from our students and consternation from our parents. We do not believe this was intentional on the part of BHS, especially since the group went out of their way to feature and discuss church music and themes. The director was likely just respecting the policies of the Bellingham School District regarding gender and sexuality, and it would have seemed inappropriate to reverse those policies to sing at our school.
Nevertheless, our school’s teachings do not align with those of the Bellingham School District, and we try hard to reflect God’s plan of sexual binary and complementarity in our presentations and practices. I am sorry that we did not catch this before it happened, and I am sorry that you may have been surprised by hard questions from your children last night. I know that, living in Whatcom County, this will not be the last time our students are presented with gender non-conformity, so I would encourage parents to use this as an opportunity to discuss this event with your children and to communicate your family’s values around the issue. If you need help on how to discuss questions of gender and sexuality with young children, I highly recommend the book “Made this Way” by Leila Miller and Trent Horn, which you can purchase here: https://madethiswaybook.com/.
Thank you for your understanding,
Student Ambassadors
We had sixteen applications for Student Ambassadors for the 2024-2025 school year and narrowed it to six students who interviewed last Friday and this past Monday. Mr. Anderson and Mrs. Eusebio would like to thank all the students for their interest and hard work in preparing. Congratulations to Julia Wu and Collin Dennis who will join Erick, Robby, Hailey, Morgan, Ilse, and Finley as Student Ambassadors for next year.
Welcome, Damerious Sabbath!
We have a new custodian, Damerious Sabbath, who will be starting on Monday, April 1st to begin training with Mr. Partlow in the transition. Mr. Sabbath is originally from Riverside, California but has been working in Bellingham since 2018. He has a variety of experience from groundskeeping/maintenance to office and house cleaning. Please join us in welcoming him to Assumption.
School Commission Discernment 2024-2025
Each year, one third of our School Commission members complete their term and we are looking for new members to join the Commission. We look for people in career fields such as law, real estate, education, finance, and maintenance to provide expertise to Mr. Anderson around school-wide decisions. The School Commission meets the third Wednesday of every month, and members of the Commission meet all their volunteer hour requirements by participating. If you are interested in considering this for the 2024-2025 school year, applications will be due April 11, 2024. Applicants are invited to the School Commission meeting on Wednesday, April 17th. (Include application)
Get Ready!
Assumption’s Ellen Anderson Fun Run is happening on May 2nd!
It is that time of year to get ready for our annual Ellen Anderson FUN RUN led by Jen Sheafor and Jhoanna Antonio. This year our Fun Run will take place on Thursday, May 2nd on the school grounds from 1 pm to 3 pm. Two pages of information will be coming home in today’s Wednesday Envelope. This includes a pledge form(s), sponsorship levels, and a letter from Mr. Anderson. The flyer with event introduction is in a link HERE.
We wanted to make sure you had all the information before Spring Break so you can hype up our event with family and friends.
Our event relies heavily on pledges. We hope you will talk about and share the information with friends and family near and far. We have included a QR code on the pledge form that links to the school’s PayPal account. If you have family or friends that would like to use this, please have them indicate what student under (+ Write Note within PayPal) when donating. This greatly helps Angie King credit the correct student.
Each pledge earns raffle tickets for a chance to win some super great prizes so start early! If you know of any businesses that might be interested in sponsoring our FUN RUN, please feel free to share the sponsorship form with them. Please feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions. acsfunrun@Assumption.school
We also need additional help during and before the event. These hours count toward fundraising hours! Sign up to help with the event on Thursday, May 2nd by clicking the link here: Fun Run Help
https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=P37FBHGHKJ7KQ
If paying by PayPal, please remember to make a note of which student the money goes to. Thank you.
Variety Show Practices
We had a great turnout for our Variety Show Auditions!
These rehearsals will help students build confidence in their routine and give feedback when needed.
Monday and Tuesday rehearsals will be from 3:15 – 4:15 pm (latest), and Wednesday rehearsals will be from 2:15 – 3:15 pm.
They may end sooner, so be aware of this timing.
Parent supervision is recommended for these practices. If you can help with these, please email Mrs. Creech at ccreech@assumption.school.
Finally, we need students to help work the lights, change stage sets, and ushers to welcome people to the Variety Show. Please email Mrs. Creech if your student is interested.
Thank you!
Mondays – Instrumentalists (piano, violin, clarinet, guitar, recorder, etc.)
- April 8th(4/8)
- April 15th(4/15)
Tuesdays – Gymnastics/Cheer, Taekwondo, Jump Rope, Dance, etc.
- April 9th(4/9)
- April 16th(4/16)
Wednesdays – Singers, Comedy Sketches, everything else!
2:15 – 3:15 (Early Release Schedule)
- April 17th (4/17)
PTC News
Chipotle:
PTC would like to express our appreciation to those who came to support the Chipotle Fundraiser last Saturday. Together we raised a total of $305 for Assumption School. A special thank you to Jessie Lane for putting this together and to everyone who supported this fundraiser!
Movie Night:
We also had our final movie night for the year. PTC would like to thank Holly and Brad Kerstiens. You both have been especially gracious with your time by helping PTC this year with the movie screening as well as other busy events such as our Harvest Festival. We sincerely thank you for your dedication to our school.
Variety Show – April 26th is our upcoming Variety Show. PTC would like to make this an extra special event for the performers by putting together a team of parents to help decorate. If you are a parent who has skills with balloon arches or other decorating ideas in this area, please email our volunteer coordinator, Tia, at volunteer23@assumption.school.
Auction News:
Seeking Auction Co-Chair Position: Do you enjoy planning large events and possess excellent communication skills? We are currently looking for a co-chair for the Growing Great Kids Auction and Gala on March 1st, 2025. This two-year commitment involves first learning the auction planning process and assisting in duties this coming school year, and then you will take the lead while coaching a new co-chair the following year. Duties include recruiting and managing several volunteer teams, giving reports at PTC meetings, overseeing the creation of marketing and communication materials, coordinating with internal school staff and external vendors, updating and managing an auction website, and managing financial details and budget for this important school fundraiser. For more information, please email growinggreatkidsauction@assumption.school
Co-Curricular Activities
Track and Field
Thank you to Mr. Costanza and Mrs. Rush for coaching this spring sport for our middle schoolers. Practices are after school and for more information please contact Marc Costanza at mcostanza@assumption.school.
Track Meet Schedule Coming Soon- Stay Tuned
Yearbook Orders Due Soon!
Please follow the directions carefully below to order your copy of the 2023-2024 yearbook. All books are $30 each. And you will need to purchase by April 19th, 2024. Please order as soon as possible. If you want to purchase one for each child in your family, you can do that, too.
This is the link that will take parents to the online pay site: https://shop.memorybook.com
School Code: 189029M
All users will have to register the first time they access the site.
Please send your photos or questions to: acsyearbookphotos@gmail.com
Thank you, Emily Hoza, for helping work on this for the school students and community.
Class Pictures in April
Yes, it is that time of year when we take a snapshot of each class! April 16th, Tuesday is for all classes K-8 and preschool. On April 17th, Wednesday, pictures will be for PreK students. Each student should wear dress uniforms except for the 8th graders. The 8th grade students may choose to wear free dress following the guidelines in the parent/student handbook. If you have questions, please contact the office.
Parish Job Opportunities:
Assumption Parish has several part-time job openings that will be starting soon.
Communications Coordinator, Director of Children’s Faith Formation and Marriage Coordinator
Please see the description and more information on the church website.
A link is here if interested: Job Openings
Coffee Hour Training
Needing to still fill your church volunteer hours? Would love to receive training to help with Coffee Hour but can’t yet commit to a full morning?
Signup for a couple hours at one of these training sessions on either April 7th or 14th here: Coffee Hour: Coffee Hour Training (signupgenius.com).
For more information, please contact Holly Zech at hkzech@gmail.com.
Missed Photos of your child at the Auction?
Available photos are located near the office for parents to come in and look. Check out all the many cute faces on the wall too! $15 each cash or checks only.
Tamale Orders Due Friday, March 29th
If you like tamales, then this is the fundraiser for you! Two 8th grade parents will be making pork or chicken tamales to delight your tastebuds. More order forms are in the office and due on March 29th. Cash or check to Assumption School. Thank you for helping the 8th grade go to Washington D.C.
Middle School Spring Fling
Join us at Assumption’s first school dance in many years. Prepare for a night of fun, dancing, and joy. There is a $5 entry fee. Please pay cash or check to Assumption school. Money raised helps go towards snacks and drinks provided.
Women Connect in Whatcom County
Lenten Question of the Week!
If you think you know the answer to the question below, then write your name, grade, and guess on a piece of paper and turn it in to Mrs. King in the office. We are lifelong learners of our Catholic faith. There is so much to learn!
Last Week: B Lily and the student winner is Abril Diaz Vargas!
Question of the Week: What does the Latin phrase “Agnes Dei” mean?
- Communion begins
- Passover Lamb
- Lamb of God
- Passover Sacrifice
Bonus Question:
What does Triduum mean or refer to in the Catholic Church? Send your answers into Mrs. King in the office by this Friday before school is over!
Upcoming calendar items:
March 29th – Good Friday, Early Release @ 11:45am NO EDP TODAY AFTER SCHOOL
March 29th – 6th and 7th grades Prayer in the Garden and Stations of the Cross starting at 10 am
April 1st to April 5th – Spring Break/Easter Break
April 8th – Pizza Lunch
April 10th – Casual Uniform Day (ACS t shirts and jeans)
April 12th – Tamale Fundraiser Pick Up 3-4pm
April 13th – Middle school dance 6pm
April 16 – Class pictures with dress uniforms for preschool and K-8 (8th grade has free dress: see guidelines in handbook)
April 17th – Class pictures for the pre-K class
April 18th – Fun Run Sponsorships and Tshirt orders Due today
April 22nd – Pizza Lunch
April 24th – PTC General Meeting 7pm
April 26th – Variety Show 7pm
April 29th – Teacher Appreciation Week Begins
