Saint Ann School News

• Mrs. Theresa Gutierrez will no longer be working as Extended Day Program staff. We very much appreciate her years of service, and we will miss her gentle, smiling presence. Please join us in welcoming Mrs. Rochel Bussell, who will be filling the position left vacant by Mrs. Gutierrez. Mrs. Bussell and her husband Steve have two children attending Saint Ann School.

• I am looking for volunteers to serve on a task force to plan for the addition of a preschool here at Saint Ann. This is seen as a very important step in increasing and stabilizing enrollment and keeping costs down. You do not need experience in this field. You just need to be willing to do a little research and be a sounding board for ideas. If you are interested, please contact me. This offer is also open to parishioners, so if you know people in the parish who might be interested, please invite them to contact me also.

• Parent – Teacher Conferences are March 23-26. Please sign up for your conference by this Thursday! If you don’t sign up by Friday, we will select a conference time for you (Middle School conferences are optional). You may call the School Office to sign up, and we will check if your requested time is available and then reserve it for you.

• As you know, the Extended Day Program is open to families who need to make special arrangements for their child(ren) during the four days of Parent–Teacher Conferences, which are early dismissal days (11:30 AM). The special cost for non contracted families is $7.50/day (from 11:30 am to 2:40 pm). Please let us know in advance if you’re not already on a contract and are planning to use the EDP during our minimum days next week.

• Registration Information will be coming out in the Monday Envelope on March 22. Registration fees will be due by Tuesday, April 20 (the Tuesday after Easter vacation).

• Gesell Testing appointments for next year’s Kindergarten (and for newly incoming 1st Graders) will take place during our Parent-Teacher Conference week (March 23-26). If you have an incoming student or know a family who is interested in enrolling, please contact (or have that family contact) the School Office immediately to select an appointment time.

• Tuition Assistance Applications must be mailed to FAIR by April 6 (in order to be received by April 15) or submitted online by April 15. Please call or come by the School Office for an application form if you are mailing the application. As I mentioned in my newsletter last week, all families seeking tuition assistance for the next school year must submit an application. In order to get funds from the Diocese’s Our Faith, Our Family and Our Future capital campaign funds, our families must submit an application to FAIR—the third-party rating service – which then provides the Diocese and us with the information that we need for distributing tuition assistance funds. Please remember that Fr. Paul and I are committed to making it possible for any parish family to choose a Catholic education for their child(ren) – so even if the diocesan assistance funds do not cover your needed assistance, we will also be evaluating the applications for our local school assistance funds. With this assurance, there is no financial reason a Catholic family cannot choose Saint Ann School for their child(ren).

• Remember that tomorrow is the collection day for our Book Swap. Have your child bring in up to five new, or gently used books to “swap” out for books brought in by other students. Once the books are sorted, we will have our swap.

• We are going to try something new with the Saint Ann yearbook this year. We are going to produce a digital yearbook, which will present several advantages. The yearbook will be less expensive for families. You will be able to view it as a slide show and have the option to print it yourself.

• The Ridgecrest Regional Hospital Foundation is hosting its annual golf tournament on April 24. In the past, a Saint Ann parishioner has sponsored a hole for this golf tournament in our name which is good advertising for our school. Would any of you like to donate toward a sponsorship in Saint Ann’s name this year? The cost is $100 for a hole sponsorship. Other higher-dollar sponsoring opportunities are also available. Please contact the School Office if you are interested.

• Do you need Parent Participation Hours? May 1st is the deadline for logging all of your hours for this year. Our only big events for earning hours between now and the deadline are the three remaining Fish Frys.

• I am looking for a video that I loaned to a family. If you have the Common Sense Parenting Video #3, please return it to the School Office.

• Please join us this Friday for Mass (8:15 AM) and Stations of the Cross (2:00 PM).

• We hope to see you this Friday for the Fish Fry hosted by the Grades K, 3 and 6.

• Just a reminder that this coming weekend we set our clocks forward for Daylight Savings Time. To make it easier on your family, you might follow a suggestion from Mrs. Veit. Each day between now and the weekend, set your going to bed and waking up time ten minutes earlier. Then the change won’t be so drastic or noticeable.

• Tuition and EDP Contract Payments are due by Wednesday. Remember that payments not delivered or postmarked by the 10th of each month are subject to a $20.00 late fee.

Upcoming Events:

Tues., March 9
PTG Meeting, 7:00 PM, School Library

Fri., March 12
School Mass, 8:15 AM, 2nd Grade
Stations of the Cross, 2:00 PM
Fish Fry, 5 PM - 7 PM, Grades K, 3 and 6

Mon.-Thurs., March 23-26
Parent-Teacher Conferences, Minimum Days, 11:30 AM Dismissal