Saints Speak – 10/18/18 – Teamwork
Educators and parents generally agree that positive, supportive and open relationships between home and school, parent and teacher are desirable. Additionally, research has shown that parent engagement and successful parent-teacher partnerships result in improved educational outcomes for students. Cultivating this relationship is important to both teacher and parent alike in that we are all invested in the success of the ones that we love the most – our children and our students. So what can we do to help foster a positive partnership?
This school year, we have all been working as a community to outwardly express thankfulness and appreciation as we develop an Attitude of Gratitude. I personally feel that we have made progress. But just like anything else, gratitude has to be practiced continually on a regular basis not only to keep in shape, but to improve upon these expressions. It requires remaining positive and optimistic. It involves empathy and respect for others' feelings. A positive school climate can help parents and guardians, and educators and students to work constructively together to address any concerns before they become a source of conflict.
In a few short weeks, we will be meeting for Parent Teacher Conferences, which will take place as follows:
- Thursday, November 1 from Noon to 5 pm; and 6 – 8 pm (dinner break from 5 -6 pm)
- Friday, November 2 from 8 am to 1 pm.
As I touched on earlier, student success requires the committed actions of parents, students, and the school working together to support students in their academic, social, emotional, behavioral, and spiritual growth. This is a shared responsibility. I hope that you are looking forward to meeting with us as much as we look forward to meeting with you.
Fall Conference Information
Kindergarten – Grade 5 Conferences
Signups for Kindergarten through Grade 5 conferences will take place online via SchoolSpeak. We will be opening up conference sign up on SchoolSpeak by the end of this week (an email with instructions will be sent to all families via SchoolSpeak to let you know when sign ups are live). Please note that kindergarten conferences will be 20 minutes in length; Grade 1-5 conferences will be 15 minutes in length.
Preschool Conferences
Preschool conference scheduling will not be done online, but will be taken care of personally by each teacher with their school parents.
Junior High Conferences
Conferences for junior high students will be conducted in an arena style in the school gym. Parents may choose to visit with some or all of the junior high and specials teachers anytime during the conference schedule on Thursday, November 1.
How does this work? Families can choose which teachers they wish to meet with and head to their designated area of the gym. You do not need to schedule a specific time to meet with teachers. Conferences will be 5 minutes in length. They will be on a ‘first come, first served’ basis. This will give parents the opportunity to meet with each teacher their child has if they so choose, or just a few based on their child’s classroom performance.
For Junior High conferences only, please note the following important information:
- Arena style conferencing will only take place on Thursday, November 1. There will be a dinner break between 5 and 6 pm, so please keep this in mind when coming to school. Conferences must be completed before 5 pm. Conferences then resume at 6 pm. Please be respectful of the teachers’ time.
- Friday, November 2 conference appointments for Junior High will be by invitation only. There are no arena style conferences on Friday, November 2.
We hope that you take advantage of this important time to get to know your son or daughter’s teacher(s), and to dialogue with them about how we all can work together in the best interest of your student’s success at All Saints.
Also, our Junior High Student Voices will be providing child care during the November conferences as follows:
- Thursday, November 1 from Noon to 5 pm; and 6 – 8 pm
- Friday, November 2 from 8 am to 1 pm
Thank you to Student Voices for giving your time to the All Saints community on these days off of school.
How can both parent and teacher best approach these upcoming conferences?
- Take this time to meet with each other, come with an open mind, and listen carefully.
- Focus on the best interests of the student.
- Prepare, and come to the conference with questions.
- Share information about the student’s strengths and needs. Treat each other as integral parts of a planning and decision making team.
- Allow all present to express opinions and give suggestions. Approach any disagreements or differences in opinion in a manner that encourages mutual problem solving and respect.
- Concentrate on determining positive courses of action.
Another important communication that will be coming home in the next few weeks on Wednesday, October 31 is your student’s first quarter report card. Students in grades 3 – 8 will also be receiving copies of their standardized testing scores.
This is a snapshot in time, and a great opportunity for you to discuss the report card with your student, and their next steps moving forward.
Upcoming Celebrations at All Saints
This year’s calendar at All Saints - with the celebration of Halloween, All Saints Day, and Fall Conferences - has necessitated a little bit creativity in scheduling.
Halloween
Halloween will be celebrated at All Saints on Friday, October 26.
Preschool
Our preschool students will be in costume today, and may wear their costume to school. All parents are welcome to come and enjoy our Costume Parade at 8:30 am.
Kindergarten through Grade 5
Kindergarten and Grade 1 students may wear their costumes to school. Grade 2 through 5 students should wear their uniform to school, and bring their costume to school to change into.
There will be a Costume Parade for K-5 student at 2:00 pm in the gym (doors open at 1:45 pm). This parade is optional for Junior High students. Parents are welcome to attend the parade. There will be limited seating in chairs for parents on the gym floor, as well as an abundance of standing room. Following the parade, students will head back to the classrooms for their parties.
Please follow the guidelines below in choosing your costume and make good choices:
- No Masks
- No Makeup
- No Weapons
Junior High
Junior High students will be dressed in their literary character costume all day.
ELA classes will vote on their favorite character presentation. All homerooms have been assigned a specific candy via the room parents.
The top 8 literary characters (1 from each homeroom, voted on by classmates before the party) will do their presentations. Junior High will trick or treat in the gym.
Trunk or Treat
We hope that you are planning to attend Trunk or Treat after school on Friday, October 26 from 3:30 – 5 pm.
What is Trunk or Treat? For anyone unfamiliar with Truck or Treat, it is a great alternative and safe way to enjoy the Trick or Treat experience with friends. Families park their cars in a parking space, and then open their trunks which are decorated with a fun theme. For amazing and creative examples of how you can decorate your trunk, simply search Trunk or Treat online. Our students then walk around the lot with their friends, trick or treating at each car. Remember to bring a bag to collect your treats!
More information on this event can be found at https://ascacademy.org/Forms-Flyers. Please note that there is only a total of 45 spots available, and they are going fast! Registration is only $10 per car. No spots will be sold after Tuesday, October 23. There will be prizes for the top three decorated cars.
Trunk or Treat will be held rain or shine! Please note that the event will be in the school gym if it rains. Questions? Contact Lauren Giroux at Lauren_jackson7@yahoo.com.
All Saints Day
The Feast of All Saints will be celebrated on Wednesday, October 31.
All are invited to attend our school mass at 8:15 am. Students are expected to be in Perfect Uniform.
Parent Teacher Conferences
Conferences are on Thursday, November 1 and Friday, November 2. There is no school on these days.
Move Your Feet to Give a Child a Seat
In support of the Catholic Education Foundation (CEF) of the Diocese of Joliet, we will once again be participating in the Move Your Feet to Give a Child a Seat campaign THIS FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19.
On Friday, October 19, students will have the opportunity to be out of uniform in support of the CEF. It will cost $1 to wear an out of uniform top; and $1 to wear an out of uniform bottom. If a student wishes to be totally out of uniform on the 19th, it will cost $2.
Please bring your money on the 19th. All monies collected will be sent to the Catholic Education Foundation. Know that these resources are put to good use both here at All Saints and throughout the diocese. You are most welcome to donate more than $2 to this worthy cause. Each contribution will be greatly appreciated.
November Hot Lunch Order Deadline
The deadline to turn in your order forms and payment is THIS MONDAY, OCTOBER 22. Late orders will not be accepted. Order forms can be found at https://ascacademy.org/Forms-Flyers.
Directory Spot Has Been Launched
Our electronic school directory via Directory Spot was launched last Friday, October 12. A SchoolSpeak email was sent to all school families with instructions on how to download the app and log in. Brand new users also received an email from Directory Spot with a link (this link expires in 7 days from launch) to set your password and instructions on downloading and launching the app.
The electronic directory is a wonderful way to keep our All Saints school community close by.
All Aboard SHPP
Please mark your calendars for the November SHPP meeting which will be held on Tuesday, November 6 at 6:30 pm in Café 1. Child care will be provided. We look forward to seeing you there!
ASCA Fall Book Fair – October 15 – 19 - THIS WEEK
The book fair takes place in McSherry Hall.
Remaining book fair hours are as follows:
- Thursday, October 18 - Open from 7:45 am - 5 pm.
- Friday, October 19 - Last Call. Book fair closes at 10 am.
Book Drive October 15 – 19 – THIS WEEK
Bring your gently used books to the book fair, where we will have collection bins for your donation. Then, you can shop the Book Fair knowing you have plenty of room on your newly cleared shelves!
All of the donated books will go to Bernie’s Book Bank. This Chicago area organization is committed to providing books to at-risk children. Their goal is to provide 12 books each year, for 12 years, to all of the children they serve. Thank you for donating your books to this wonderful organization!
Box Top Collection
Did you know that ASCA collects Box Tops for Education? Please have your student bring all of the box tops that you have been collecting in to their homeroom by Friday, October 26. The homeroom with the Most Box Tops Collected will win an out of uniform day.
If you have not been collecting box tops, start now! Our next submission deadline will be in March, 2019. Questions? Contact Gretchen Muller at bandgmuller@comcast.net.
Grandparents (and other Very Important Person – VIP) Day
First of all, a very big thank you to everyone who has volunteered to help! If you are interested in joining the team, please go to https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70a0c4bafa62ba1f58-shpp3. We will be welcoming our grandparents and special guests into our school on Tuesday, November 20th at 12:30 pm.
COMING HOME – ASCA’s 14th Annual Dinner Dance Auction
DDA NEWS
DDA, past and present, has had an incredible positive impact to the function and future of our school. DDA makes a significant contribution to the financial wellbeing of our school from technology to infrastructure to operating costs. DDA helps keep tuition down and academics up! Help us make DDA 2019 a HUGH success! We need your time, talent and treasure to make it happen. Please donate generously!
SAVE THE DATE FOR COMING HOME!
The ASCA 14th Annual Dinner Dance & Auction will be held on Saturday, February 23, 2019 from 6 pm to midnight at ASCA! Join us for a great night of food, music, celebration and fun while helping our school!
ASCA TUITION CREDIT RAFFLE IS BACK! $5000!!!! TICKETS ON SALE NOW!
Win a $5,000 ASCA tuition credit for the 2019-2020 school year!
Simply purchase a ticket for the All Saints Catholic Academy 2019 Tuition Credit Raffle and you could win a $5,000 tuition credit for your family or the ASCA Scholarship Program. Tickets are $100 and only 150 tickets will be sold.
Please see the ASCA website at https://ascacademy.org/About-ASCA/Support-Our-School for more information, as well complete rules and restrictions. You can also visit the DDA website at https://ascacademy.ejoinme.org/MyEvents/ComingHome/tabid/997391/Default.aspx for additional information.
Remember to buy your ticket early. Tickets purchased before December 21st are also eligible to win a Fees and Forms credit for the 2019-2020 school year…an additional $155 - $390 value!
Cash, Check (payable to ASCA) or FACTS (must be set up for auto-pay) will be accepted. If you have any questions, please contact Erin Bayer at dda@ascacademy.org.
The DDA Forms Finder
Looking for a form? Please see the following forms and links below:
Fundraising Corner
Out of Uniform Fundraiser Update!
The deadline has been extended to Monday, October 22. Let's see if we can get to 100% participation this year! For more information, go to https://ascacademy.org/Forms-Flyers.
Butter Braids and Wooden Spoon Cookies
This an optional Family Fundraising Obligation (FFO) opportunity. You could earn 40% toward your FFO! Order Forms have been sent home this week. Check your child's backpack. Orders are due Monday, October 29. We will also be offering the opportunity to order for Hesed House to feed families over the Thanksgiving holiday. Look for the flier included with your order form for details.
- Click here for the Butter Braid / Wooden Spoon Fundraising Information Form
- Click here for the Butter Briad / Wooden Spoon Order Form
Yankee Candle Update
Orders have arrived!! We delivered all of the donations to Hesed House. They were very appreciative and said they would be given to families moving into permanent housing. Thank you for your generosity. Don't forget you can still place orders online through January 1 and still receive FFO credit. Go to http://www.yankeecandlefundraising.com, and enter our GN 999983478. Remember to set up a student account to receive FFO credit.
Upcoming FFO Opportunities
Lynch Creek Farms - Details coming soon!
Are you wondering - What is this FFO???
Remember that all families are responsible for their Family Fundraising Obligation (FFO - $250 for preschool only families; $500 for K-8 families). We encourage you to take advantage of each fundraiser that is offered. For more information on fundraising opportunities at ASCA this year, please go to https://ascacademy.org/Portals/0/ASCA%20Fundraising%202018-2019.pdf.
If you have any fundraising questions, please contact fundraising@ascacademy.org.
This week’s ASCA NOW News
To view this week’s News You Can Use produced by ASCA’s 8th grade Honors ELA students, go to https://drive.google.com/file/d/1iyl7t22ay6q0i0fH2ZohObrsQj4swOw3/view.
News from All Saints Athletic Association
CORRECTION…. TCBY HOME ATHLETE OF THE WEEK…..Last week’s TCBY Athlete of the week was printed incorrectly. The TCBY HOME Athlete for the week ending 10/7/18 was Kelsi Marriot. Congratulations Kelsi on a great week of play!
Volleyball News
Last week’s winning teams included Boys 7A1, Girls 5A, 6A, 6B & 7A! Our Boys 7A1 and Girls 6A teams both finished the regular season in 1st Place with the Girls 7A team securing a 2nd Place finish. Congratulations to all of our teams! We couldn’t be more proud of all our Saints!
This week starts our league playoffs. Be sure to load up the car and come out to support as many of our teams as you can! To see where our teams will be playing on the road this week, be sure to watch for the “Weekend Sports Report”!
Fall Sports Banquet will be held on Thursday, November 8, 2018 at 6:30 invitations are available via SI Play!
SHOUT-OUTS now available! Does your athlete have a birthday to celebrate? Do you want to recognize your son/daughter’s team or your son/daughter for their academic/athletic performance? SHOUT-OUTS are now available for $25 through the Athletic Association. Shout-outs will be placed on the digital scorekeeper’s table at all HOME games for one weekend. Be sure to purchase a shout-out to recognize your child’s special moment! Contact Keith Glab at kglab@ascacademy.org
UPCOMING DATES:
November 5 Basketball practices begin
November 8 Fall Sports Banquet for Volleyball and Cross Country
November 30 Basketball games begin
Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter (@ASCA_Athletics) and Instagram (@allsaintsathletics)!
GO SAINTS!!
Check Us Out on Social Media
A Tremendous Thank You to the Cornerstone Sponsors of
A Green Tie Affair, ASCA Dinner Dance Auction 2018
For more information, please click on the Cornerstone Sponsor logos above. We encourage you to patronize these generous sponsors.
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