Patty Bajek / Thursday, January 12, 2023

Saints Speak - 1/12/2023 - A Fresh Start and A New Beginning

Please take a few moments to reflect on today’s quote from Pope Francis:

“To protect creation, to protect every man and every woman, to look upon them with tenderness and love, is to open up a horizon of hope; it is to let a shaft of light break through the heavy clouds; it is to bring the warmth of hope!”

We talk a lot about hope in Advent as we await the birth of Christ, and it is such a powerful word as we continue into the new year. Hope brings us a fresh start and a new beginning. It allows us to let go of past sufferings and find solace in our Lord. It does, as Pope Francis says, bring us warmth. Take a moment to pray today about what brings you hope. If you’re struggling to find something in your daily life, remember that our hope is always in Jesus, our Savior.

We’ve had a great first week back it school! I love seeing your children again and hearing about their Christmas celebrations. They have worked hard this year as they adjusted back to the routine of getting up early and doing homework. I know they are ready for the long weekend!

MLK Day

As a reminder, we have no school tomorrow (Friday) for staff development and no school Monday in recognition of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Monday at ASCA is our MLK Day of Service. We ask each student/family to do service Monday or during the month of January. A reflection form has been sent home with each child that should be completed and returned to your homeroom/religion teacher. You may participate in one of our ASCA-sponsored service opportunities or find your own opportunity. We encourage you to participate in something that you are passionate about or that is especially meaningful to your family. School-sponsored activities have been listed in Mrs. Bajek’s Sunday reminders and are on the ASPA Facebook page. Please sign up by the deadlines noted, as the organizations need to know how many people to expect.

We hope your MLK Day is meaningful and thank you for your service to our community!

Facilities Update

This fall, the Diocese of Joliet was approached by a broker who had a client interested in purchasing the field to the east of our school building. The client intends to use the fields to build retirement housing. As a school within the Diocese of Joliet, our property is owned by the Diocese and the ultimate decision on an offer like this lies with the bishop.

This offer was shared with the Executive Board (pastors of our supporting parishes) and our School Board of Directors, who discussed the impact on ASCA and our school community. The fields are rarely used by our students, and any events held on the field could be moved to other locations on campus without negatively impacting the event or the students. While the fields officially belong to the Diocese, all are in agreement that the proceeds would go to ASCA, to be used for a mutually agreed upon purpose. Likely uses include repayment of the school’s debt from the original purchase of the land as well as much-needed capital improvements.

At the recommendation of ASCA’s Executive Board, School Board of Directors, and administration, Bishop Hicks accepted the offer and is moving forward with the sale. We are currently in the due diligence period. Please note that no sale is guaranteed until it has closed. I will share more information with you as it is made available to be shared with our community.

January Updates

Our virtue for month of January is gratitude. We did not have Faith Buddy time this week because of the shortened week, but students will meet with their faith buddies next Friday and begin to learn more about gratitude. Click here for some ideas of how you can focus on gratitude as a family this month.

January is Poverty in America Month. Our Person of the Month will be St. Teresa of Calcutta, who dedicated her life to serving the poor. We will be learning more about St. Teresa, as well as Catholic teachings related to poverty, throughout the next few weeks. Click here for more information.

Our Social-Emotional Learning topic for January is the first of the 5 SEL core competencies, Self-Awareness. Click here to learn more about self-awareness.

Catholic Schools Week

Looking ahead, Catholic Schools Week begins Sunday, January 29th, with our Open House! If you have a loved one, friend, or neighbor considering Catholic education for their child, encourage them to visit us! They may click here to sign up for a tour and learn more about ASCA.

Catholic Schools Week is a time to celebrate all that makes All Saints special. We’ll have presence at our supporting parishes in the next few weeks; look for a separate email about when you can earn an out of uniform pass by showing your ASCA spirit at Mass soon! We will also be planning fun activities for the week (Jan. 30th-Feb. 3rd); more information coming soon!

Scholarship Opportunities

As preparations for the 2023-2024 school year are underway, I want to share information about several scholarship opportunities available through the Diocese of Joliet. Click here for more information.

Chess Scholars

A new session of Chess Scholars is beginning! You can still register – click here for more information!

Golf Outing

Please also mark your calendars for the 2nd Annual All Saints Golf Classic – Monday, May 15th, at White Eagle. The planning committee is also looking for a few more members. Please contact Wayne Klein (WKlein@kleinconstruction.net) if you are interested in joining.

Saintly Acts

Congratulations to the following students who earned Saintly Acts this week: Noah H. (1st grade), Liam K. (1st grade), Mason E. (6th grade), and Joe C. (4th grade). Keep being saintly!

Margie Marshall