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Weekly Notes from the Principal's Desk. . .

January 10, 2005

• It appears that we are in for a very wet winter. Here are a few suggestions to help your child stay as dry and safe as possible:
  • Avoid the area between the south building of the elementary school and the retaining wall around the Parish Center. That area floods in even small amounts of rain.
  • Children walking to the elementary can keep their feet relatively dry if they enter the sidewalk from the parking lot directly in front of the School Office door. They can then walk along the wall under the awning to the 4th and 5th Grade classrooms or go around under the side awning to the north building of the elementary school.
  • If your child does not have rain boots, put an extra pair of shoes and socks in your child's backpack if you can. It's hard to work if your feet are wet and cold.
  • Encourage your child to walk, not run, even if it is raining. Getting wet is preferable to slipping and falling.
  • If your child does not have an umbrella, invest in the small, portable rain gear made to fit into a pocket or purse. Write your child's name on it in waterproof or permanent ink.
• Saint Ann School will be starting a new Study Hall Program this week. Students in Grades 2-8 who need to complete both class work and homework will be sent to Study Hall by their teachers during the lunch period. These students will eat their lunches in Study Hall during the first 10 minutes as they work, and the rest of the period will be devoted to getting caught up under the supervision of a member of the faculty. We hope this will be helpful for students who, for whatever reason, are failing to get their work done at home and in class.
• This week is National Vocation Awareness Week. Students will be participating in various activities that explore God's calling each of us to our special vocation. This would be an ideal time for families to discuss the special gifts of each family member.
• Students in Grades 5 and 8 will participate in the ACRE testing next week. This test evaluates the students' understanding of their faith and the teachings of the Catholic Church.
• Jan. 30 - Feb. 5 is Catholic Schools Week. During this week we celebrate Catholic Education and particularly Saint Ann School. The week will begin with a paraliturgy on Monday, Jan. 31, and we hope you will join us. It will be preceded by a Principal's Tea for parents. The week will be full of activities for the students, and as we did last year, we will hold our Open House on Thursday, February 3. Please encourage friends and acquaintances to come to the Open House and see what Saint Ann School has to offer. More details about Catholic Schools Week will be included in upcoming newsletters.
• Join us as we give our best wishes to our school spelling bee winner, Austin Blubaugh, as he travels with alternate winner Sean Walkling to Bakersfield on Jan. 18 to compete in the Region #16 Spelling Bee. We would like to congratulate them and all our classroom winners - Neal Kollman, Jessie Vigil, Katie Anders, Jenny Stenger-Smith, Kelly Linck, Audry Blubaugh, Samantha Harrison, and JJ Lichtenberg.
• We were all deeply saddened by the terrible tragedy of the earthquake and tsunami in Southeast Asia. Our students are working on a variety of projects to bring aid to the victims. For example, the SASSY group will be selling a DVD of their music. Another class is planning to hold a yard sale. Students may also purchase special items that reflect our Catholic faith during lunchtime this Friday. The proceeds from these efforts will be forwarded to Catholic Relief Services (see reverse for more information).

Upcoming Events:

Mon., Jan. 18              Martin Luther King's Birthday
                        No School

Jan. 18-21      ACRE Testing
                Students in Grades 5 and 8

Tues., Jan. 18  Region #16 Spelling Bee
                Bakersfield

Jan. 30 - Feb. 3        Catholic Schools Week