Saints Speak – 10/25/18 – To Be A Servant
Yesterday, our All Saints school community celebrated a prayer service rather than our usual mass celebration due to the unavailability of all of the priests in the Joliet Diocese who had been convened for a Day of Recollection. To guide our service, we were blessed to welcome our very good friend, Deacon Bill Johnson from Marmion Academy. At Marmion, Deacon Bill is the Director of Campus Ministry, and has taught Senior Theology. He has a B.A. in Communications and a M.A. in Youth/Pastoral studies from Loyola University in Chicago. He was ordained a deacon in 1998 in the Rockford Diocese.
Deacon Bill is a true example of someone who lives out his faith on a daily basis in all that he does. Throughout his time at Marmion, he has inspired countless students through his passion of faith and service. He has been the driving force behind Marmion's partnership with Special Olympics (Marmion students work with Special Olympic athletes at several events throughout the school year), bi-weekly visits to The Grove nursing home (students interact and play bingo with the nursing home residents), the Crayons for Kids school supply drive (started 12 years ago and has grown to support over 75 schools with collections of over 35,000 supplies), and many other service and faith-based opportunities. He now continues his work of evangelization through Marmion's Parish Outreach program. This program provides teams of Marmion students to present retreats to local Catholic schools and parishes. Deacon Bill's efforts through the Parish Outreach Program strengthens relationships between Marmion and area Catholic churches and grade schools.
Deacon Bill was named Volunteer of the Year by the Northeastern Special Olympics for his outstanding work with Special Olympic athletes. He also received the following awards for his work with teens: Joliet Diocese - Pier Giorgio Frassati Achievement Award for exemplary work in the area of Faith Development with teens; Rockford Diocese -Bishop O’Neil Award in Catechetics for outstanding service in Religious Education, St. Phillip Diaconate Award for dedication in the field of evangelization to teens. He has also been a Hospice Chaplain and volunteer with the Fox Valley Volunteer Hospice in Geneva for the past ten years
Deacon Bill and his wife Carol look forward to celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary in 2019, and have two children and four grandchildren.
That is quite an impressive bio, and outstanding accomplishments to be sure. To a humble man like Deacon Bill, these works do not define or even begin to explain the depth of his heart and faith. Saint Teresa of Avila told us that Christ has no body here on earth but ours. Deacon Bill is truly Jesus’ hands, feet, and eyes – compassionate and serving others. We know that Jesus came to earth, not to be served, but to serve – to give his life. To be a servant of all. An example for all.
If you know Deacon Bill, he has a big voice and a big personality. Yesterday morning, it almost felt like we were not at a prayer service, but at an old fashioned tent revival, and Deacon Bill was the preacher, evangelizing impassioned with the Holy Spirit. The entire assembly – students, teachers, parents, and guests – was engaged, no – transfixed and transformed.
What, then, was Deacon Bill’s message?
His message was could be boiled down to one word – love. Jesus’ message and example of servant leadership was rooted in love.
Deacon Bill talked about how we treat each other. When we look into the eyes of another person, do we see the face of Christ? Do we treat others with respect, with dignity, with kindness, with tenderness, with empathy in all of our encounters? How can we call ourselves Christians when we bully each other? There are not a lot of good examples of love and so called ‘leadership’ in our world today, in the news, or even in our own backyards.
Yet, our All Saints school community was powerfully connected yesterday morning. I truly believe that the Holy Spirit was working through Deacon Bill. We were all invested in something special – a ‘God’ moment. For in the Greatest Commandment, Jesus told us to “love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” which is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Everything rooted in love. Our closing hymn, Lead Me, Guide Me, gave us the blueprint – “Lead Me, Guide Me, along the way, for if you lead me, I cannot stray. Lord, let me walk, each day with thee, Lead Me, oh Lord, lead me.”
Fall Conferences – November 1 and 2
Conferences will take place at the end of next week on November 1 and 2.
- 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.
Kindergarten – Grade 5 Conferences
Have you signed up for your conferences yet? Signups for Kindergarten through Grade 5 conferences is taking place online via SchoolSpeak through Monday, October 29. If you need assistance in resetting your password, or in making your conference appointment, please call the school! We are happy to help.
Preschool Conferences
Preschool conference scheduling has been set up by the teachers. Please be sure to make your appointment to discuss your preschooler’s progress. There has been so much growth in our youngest saints in a just a few months’ time.
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.
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.
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.
First Quarter Report Cards
First quarter report cards will be sent home on Wednesday, October 31. You may keep the report card. Please sign and send back the report card envelope on Monday, November 5. Students in grades 3 – 8 will also be receiving copies of their standardized testing scores in the report card envelope.
Upcoming Celebrations at All Saints
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 in the Safety Drop Off Zone.
Kindergarten through Grade 5
Kindergarten and Grade 2 (Grade 2 may wear their costumes to school – THIS IS A CHANGE from what was previously communicated) students may wear their costumes to school.
Grade 3 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 historical character costume all day.
The top 8 literary characters (1 from each homeroom, voted on by classmates before the party) will do their presentations. ELA classes will vote on their favorite character presentation. All homerooms have been assigned a specific candy via the room parents. 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. We are so excited to see all of the creativity of our parents in decorating your cars! Remember to bring a bag to collect your treats. Students who are attending Trunk or Treat must be accompanied by their parent or another responsible adult.
Please note that the parking lot outside Door 1 (Welcome Desk Door) is used for Trunk or Treat. There will be less parking available for parents who park and walk to Door 1 to pick up their child. If you are not attending the event, you may want to pick up your child in the car line at Door 7 on this day. Questions about Trunk or Treat? Contact Lauren Giroux at Lauren_jackson7@yahoo.com.
All Saints Day
Our very special feast, All Saints Day, will be celebrated on Wednesday, October 31. Our school mass will be celebrated that morning at 8:15 am. All are invited to attend.
What is All Saints Day? All Saints Day is a special feast day on which Catholics celebrate all the saints, known and unknown. While most saints have a particular feast day on the Catholic calendar (usually, though not always, the date of their death), not all of those feast days are observed. And saints who have not been canonized—those who are in Heaven, but whose sainthood is known only to God—have no particular feast day. In a special way, All Saints Day is their feast.
All Saints Day is a surprisingly old feast. It arose out of the Christian tradition of celebrating the martyrdom of saints on the anniversary of their martyrdom. When martyrdoms increased during the persecutions of the late Roman Empire, local dioceses instituted a common feast day in order to ensure that all martyrs, known and unknown, were properly honored.
The current date of November 1 was instituted by Pope Gregory III (731-741), when he consecrated a chapel to all the martyrs in Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome. Gregory ordered his priests to celebrate the Feast of All Saints annually. This celebration was originally confined to the diocese of Rome, but Pope Gregory IV (827-844) extended the feast to the entire Church and ordered it to be celebrated on November 1. It is a Solemnity and a Holy Day of Obligation.
In English, the traditional name for All Saints Day was All Hallows Day. (A hallow was a saint or holy person.) The vigil or eve of the feast, October 31, is still commonly known as All Hallows Eve, or Halloween.
Bake Sale to Celebrate All Saints Day
In honor of All Saints Day, SHPP Faith Formation / Celebra tu Herencia will be holding a bake sale on Tuesday, October 30 after school at both Door 1 and Door 7. Delicious sweet treats and hot chocolate will be available. Everything will be $1.
All proceeds will be going toward the purchase of a new tabernacle for the chapel. Thank you in advance for your support.
Grandparents (and other Very Important Person – VIP) Day
Have you let us know about your grandparent or VIP who will be attending this special day on Tuesday, November 20th at 12:30 pm. If not, please contact ascagrandparents@gmail.com to let us know. We do not want to forget anyone!
If you are interested in joining the team, please go to https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70a0c4bafa62ba1f58-shpp3.
Yearbook Coordinator Needed
We are looking for a parent (or group of parents) who would be willing to serve as Yearbook Coordinator this school year. No experience is necessary. Elan Photography, our school photography and yearbook company is terrific to work with, and will help you throughout the process.
Please contact Mrs. Santos at msantos@ascacademy.org if you are interested or have any questions.
Fall Photo Retakes
Retakes will take place on Wednesday, October 31. If your child wishes to have their photo retaken, please have them bring in their proof sheet.
Move Your Feet to Give a Child a Seat
Much thanks to everyone who participated in this year’s Catholic Education Foundation (CEF) Move Your Feet to Give a Child a Seat campaign.
Through your generosity, we will be sending over $800 to the Catholic Education Foundation. This contribution will be greatly appreciated.
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. Childcare will be provided.
ASCA Fall Book Fair – THANK YOU!
Thank you to everyone who visited the book fair last week, and to all of our wonderful volunteers. We would also like to recognize our Book Fair co-chairs – Kathy Kokkinos and Christine Shaw – for all of their hard work.
We exceeded our goal of $9,000, with over $9,400 in sales. Online orders that will be shipped for free to ASCA can be made until next Wednesday, October 31 at the following link- http://onlinebookfairs.scholastic.com/entrance.aspx?FID=3860717&direct=Y.
Since we have met our goal, all students will enjoy an Out of Uniform Day on Tuesday, October 30.
Saints in Service – SHPP’s Community Outreach
Thank you for all of the books you donated to Bernie’s Book Bank last week! During our fall book fair, our families donated over 1,500 books to Bernie’s Book Bank. These books will be in the hands of at-risk children in the Chicagoland area in the next few days. Thank you for your generous donations – they will make a difference!
Candy Collection
Our next school wide collection will be a post-Halloween candy collection from Monday, November 5 through Wednesday, November 7th. The candy will be collected outside of Door 1 and Door 7 from 7:30 - 8:00 am and from 3:30 - 4:00 pm on these days. This candy will be donated to the Naperville based organization, Operation Support Our Troops (OSOT.) OSOT’s mission is to support the morale and well-being of American forces by providing comfort, resources and education to them and their families.
We would like to recognize and thank our 5th graders for helping us advertise for this candy collection within the school. Our 5th graders are also making cards for the troops, thanking them for their service to our country. These will be sent, along with the collected candy, in time for Veterans Day. Many thanks also to Jackie Spencer for leading the 5th graders in this project. Way to go 5th grade!
We would like to recognize our 3rd graders this week as Saints in Service! As a part of their grade level service project, the 3rd graders decorated pumpkins for the residents of St. Patrick's Residence. St. Patrick’s Residence is a nonprofit, long-term care and short-term rehabilitation facility in Naperville, which is served by the Carmelite Sisters. The residents were delighted by our students' thoughtful and creative gifts. Way to go 3rd grade! You have made us proud!
Box Top and Pop Tab Collections
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 tomorrow, 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.
We are also collecting pop can tabs for Ronald McDonald House.
Tecuatl Family Meal Train
If you are interested in volunteering to prepare a meal, please sign up at
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0d45a5ad28a20-tecault
COMING HOME – ASCA’s 14th Annual Dinner Dance Auction
We would like to extend a personal invitation to our Annual Dinner Dance Auction, affectionately known as the DDA – Coming Home!, which will be held on February 23, 2019 at 6 pm.
We pray that you plan on attending this fun night of food, fellowship, and fundraising; and celebrate all of our blessings with your new All Saints friends.
FAQ’s
What is the purpose of the Dinner Dance Auction? This is the most important fundraiser of the year. The funds raised go directly to our school’s budget, and benefit every student and family at the school.
When and where is the auction? The auction will be held on Saturday, February 23, 2019 from 6 pm to Midnight at All Saints Catholic Academy.
What is the ticket price? Tickets to the event are $100 per person, but there will be Early Bird pricing for $85!
Can I afford this event? Absolutely!!! There is a wide variety of ways in which you can participate at the auction and support the school – from raffle opportunities that cost only $5 and up to start, to the silent and live auctions.
There are many items to bid on to fit every budget - from entertainment and dining, to lunch with the principal, to sports memorabilia and tickets, to camps and parties, to spa experiences – and so much more. The live auction offers events and experiences that are out of the ordinary like first car in line at pick up, dream vacations, and the student vs. staff basketball game.
How do I bid? Bidding for silent auction Items couldn’t be easier! You can bid throughout the night via your phone both at the event AND from home! You will receive
updates as to the highest bid for items you have bid on. If you lose your top spot you’ll receive a text message so you can submit another bid and you don’t miss out on bidding for your child’s class project or front row seats for the 2019 Christmas show!
What else happens at the DDA? We kick the night off at 6pm with a champagne reception. Then make your way to the gym for premium cocktails and an amazing spread of sumptuous hors d’oeuvres and desserts throughout the evening!
Finally, when all the bidding is done, dance the night away with DJ Chris! The fun at school might end at midnight, but your car will not turn into a pumpkin, and we guarantee that you will leave with great memories, and maybe even an auction item or two!
Can I advertise my business? As an advertiser, your ad and business will be seen by hundreds of loyal All Saints parents, faculty, staff, alumni, friends and benefactors.
How else can I help? Volunteer! Donate! We invite you to get involved! There are plenty of opportunities at different levels of involvement, and we welcome everyone to join us to plan this great event, and watch it come to life!
I’m new to the school, and feeling a bit overwhelmed after reading this! It’s ok; we’ve all been there…… being the new kid on the block. The DDA is an awesome party, and a way to raise money for the school. We want you to attend!
So, what are the next steps? Talk to your friends and put together a group, line up a babysitter, and put a hold on Saturday, February 23. Don’t worry if you would like to come but don’t know others who are going -- simply let us know, and we will connect you with families from your grade level. The evening really is a wonderful way to meet new All Saints friends! Mingle, bid and dance………you’re sure to meet some other amazing ASCA parents. Everyone leaves as friends!
We will be communicating with all of our school families over the next few months with information on ticket purchases, donations, raffles, and more via –
- Saints Speak from Mrs. Santos on Thursdays
- the Tuesday DDA Update via SchoolSpeak
- the Weekly Reminders on Sunday
- the ASCA and DDA websites
If you have any questions, please contact us at dda@ascacdemy.org. We are happy to help!
The DDA Forms Finder
Looking for a form? Please see the following forms and links below:
Fundraising Corner
Butter Braids and Wooden Spoon Cookies – ORDER DEADLINE IS THIS MONDAY, OCTOBER 29
The Butter Braids and Wooden Spoon Cookie Dough fundraiser ends MONDAY, OCTOBER 29th. This is a delicious way to earn FFO credit. There is still time to start selling.
We are so pleased to partner with Hesed House again and offer you the opportunity to purchase Butter Braids or cookie dough for Hesed House. They will use them for the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. You earn FFO credit for your Hesed House purchase and we take care of delivering it over to them!
Yankee Candle Update
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 Christmas Wreaths are coming soon. Stay tuned!
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 ALL SCHOOL FAMILIES to take advantage of each fundraiser that is offered that goes toward your FFO. For more information on fundraising opportunities at ASCA this year, please go to https://ascacademy.org/Portals/0/ASCA%20Fundraising%202018-2019.pdf.
Remaining fundraisers currently available that count toward your FFO include:
- Butter Braid and Wooden Spoon Cookies (deadline this Monday, October 29)
- Yankee Candles – online ordering available until 12/31/18
- Lynch Creek Farms Christmas Wreaths – stay tuned for more information to come
- Scrip – orders are placed each week. Orders made through the end of February will count toward the 2018-2019 FFO. Orders placed after February count toward your 2019-2020 FFO.
- DDA donations - cash and item donations. See the DDA Forms Finder for more information. Note – ticket/raffle purchases do not count toward the FFO.
If you have any fundraising questions, please contact fundraising@ascascademy.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/1rGbBZVuzE0trb7Hs1Mv68kfDTRbgnUkM/view?usp=sharing.
News from All Saints Athletic Association
Volleyball News
Congratulations to our Girls 6A, 7A, 8A & Boys 7A1 teams who have made it to the next round of the league playoffs. Good luck boys and girls, may you have a memorable end to your season!
Playing for the DPL Championship title:
- Boys 7A1 vs. St. Scholastica @ St. Francis – Saturday @ 4:30 pm
- Girls 7A vs. St. James @ St. Francis – Saturday @ 6:45 pm
Semi-finals:
- Girls 8A vs. St. Joseph @ All Saints – Saturday @ 5:00 pm
- Girls 6A vs. St. Michael @ St. Pius – Saturday @ 7:00pm
**Upon winning the Semi-final round, league Championship games for 8A & 6A will be held as follows:
- Girls 6A – Sunday @ 1:00pm at St. Francis H.S.
- Girls 8A – Sunday @ 6:30pm at St. Francis H.S.
Be sure to come cheer our players on to a strong finish!
IMPORTANT & UPCOMING NEWS
Fall Sports Banquet will be held on Thursday, November 8, 2018 at 6:30 invitations were sent via SI Play and can be accessed at https://asca.siplay.com/site/ClientSite/article/3220796
Basketball practices will begin on Monday, November 5th. Your player’s practice time will be communicated by your head coach. There will be NO practices on Thursday, November 8th due to the Fall Sports Banquet.
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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