Saints Speak – 2/7/2020 – The Crystal Gala
From Mrs. Santos
Just one month from today on Friday, March 6, 2020, we will be celebrating our 15th Annual Dinner Dance Auction (DDA), The Crystal Gala. This will be my 4th DDA, and my last as your principal. I look forward to each year’s celebration. I know that the DDA folks have been working tirelessly on making this a grand, not to be missed event. Many of you may be wondering whether you should go to this year’s Crystal Gala???
I would like to share an email that one of our school parents, Christy Stephan, recently sent to fellow 3rd grade parents (son Rhett is in Mrs. Blaha’s 3A class) about her and husband Ryan’s first DDA experience; and why they (and you) might want to considering attending this year’s DDA:
Dear Parents of 3A-
In the event you have never attended the Dinner Dance Auction, I just wanted to take a minute to share our personal DDA experience.
First off, if you haven’t been, it is truly a GREAT event!
Our first All Saints DDA was three years ago. We didn’t know a lot of people and had no idea what to expect. It is safe to say, our expectations were exceeded in so many ways!
We were amazed by the effort put into the evening to make it special. From the decorations, to the raffles, food, dancing and auctioneer it was evident the evening was a very special one. Because we didn’t know a lot of people, we asked to be seated with other families in what was at the time 1st grade. Our table was fun, and it was nice getting to know families we knew we would continue to see and be connected with through the years.
But the most impactful part of the DDA for us was seeing the commitment families and friends of All Saints have in making our school the best school it can be. We learned things we didn’t know, saw a hilarious video from students asking for technological investments, and saw thousands of dollars raised for the school. It was a room filled with All Saints parents, staff and friends uniting with a common goal - to give the best to our kids. It was such a feel good!
Ryan and I both left feeling so confident and proud that we chose All Saints for our son. We also knew going forward we wouldn’t miss a DDA if we could help it!
There is no obligation to attend or to participate in the silent or live auctions - so no pressure! If you have any questions, let me know and we hope to see you there!
Christy
Thank you Christy for that beautiful and heartfelt testimonial about your DDA experience. I have found the DDA to be an Evening of Joy, where we celebrate and support our children/students, our school, and each other.
I sincerely hope that you will consider attending, and that we can share this night with each other.
March 2020 Hot Lunch Orders
The deadline for March hot lunch orders is next Friday, February 14. Please note that no late orders will be taken, so please do not be disappointed. Questions? Contact Cristine Shaw at cshaw@ascacademy.org.
Please remember to:
- Make a copy of your order form (photo on your phone works great)
- Include your payment (checks should be made out to ASCA)
Please note, we do not offer credits or refunds due to absences or illness.
Martin Luther King Day of Service Reflection Form Deadline - Friday, February 7
Today, Friday, February 7 is the deadline to turn in your MLK Reflection Form to receive attendance credit for the day. Click here for the form.
Fun Fair 2020
Just one week ago, the school came alive with excitement at our 11th Annual ASCA Fun Fair. The building was truly transformed into a Winter Wonderland (and how appropriate that it snowed
that day). It warmed my heart to see all of the students and families enjoying this special time together, making memories.
It truly takes a village to produce an event this large. I would like to recognize the fair co-chairs, Tracy Coleman and Kendra Kirchgessner, as well as the rest of the fun fair team, all of the 7th grade parents and students, everyone who so graciously donated a cake, a 2 ltr bottle of soda, concession items or any other needs, and everyone else who assisted in some way with Fun Fair 2020. Thank you to everyone!
Absence Reminder
Please remember that on days that your student is absent from school, they cannot attend after school or evening activities – practices, games, extracurricular classes, rehearsals, events (such as Fun Fair), etc.
After School Care
Please note that there will be after school care on Friday, February 14, which is a half day of school with a noon dismissal. Our apologies for the miscommunication in Sunday’s Weekly Reminders. There will be extended care from Noon to 6 pm on this day. All students staying should bring a lunch along with any snacks on the 14th. Please contact Kathy Biegalski at kbiegalski@rlstutoringinc.org with any questions.
ASCA NOW News
Click here for this week’s 2/5/2020 edition of the ASCA NOW News, produced by our junior high academy students.
Friday, February 14 – Half Day of School – Noon Dismissal
Please note that there is a half day of school on Friday, February 14 due to a teacher in service, with dismissal at Noon. There will be no busing home on this day. There will be after school care available from Noon to 6 pm.
Things to Do and Upcoming Events
The Crystal Gala News – this year’s 15th Annual Dinner Dance Auction
The Crystal Gala is just 1 month away! The RSVP deadline is Friday, February 14th (Valentine’s Day), and the preferred RSVP method is online. CLICK HERE for the invitation was sent home in backpacks last week. Please CLICK HERE TO RSVP.
Thank you to those who purchased a Tuition Credit Raffle Ticket by the Thursday, February 6th deadline. The Fees and Forms Drawing was held earlier today; and the winner is............... (drum roll) ........................................ Megan Thies!!!!! CONGRATULATIONS!
Even if you didn’t purchase a ticket for the Fees and Forms Drawing, you can still purchase a ticket for the BIG PRIZE!!! There are only 59 lucky tickets left. Make sure to purchase a ticket for a chance to win $5,000 toward your tuition for the 2020 – 2021 school year. Please note only 150 tickets will be sold, and they are moving fast! Click here to purchase your ticket.
DDA Classroom Project Fundraiser: Luminaries!
Luminaries in the Roman Catholic Church were created to help guide the spirit of the Christ child into people's homes during the Christmas season. Often, they are lit in remembrance of someone in prayer. Our students have been hard at work creating their own beautiful luminaries in memory of a special loved one! These luminaries will light our way during the Crystal Gala and will be available for you to take home for a donation! More information will be sent home regarding the luminary fundraiser.
WE ALL LOVE TO BRAG ABOUT OUR KIDS - HERE’S YOUR CHANCE TO MAKE THEM FAMOUS!
LAST CALL to Purchase a Saintly Spot Ad! CLICK HERE to print a form. Return it school with payment and your submitted photo will be featured in the auction catalog and on the ASCA TV at school! Multiple families can participate together. A terrific way to celebrate your child’s Birthday, Graduation, First Communion, or School Musical is with a Saintly Spot Ad in the auction catalog. Is your child part of an ASCA sports team, Club, Brownie, or Girl Scout Troop? Or you can just celebrate your child(ren) or family with an ad! Turn in your forms ASAP to guarantee yourself a spot in the catalog!
We Need Volunteers!
DDA is quickly approaching! We encourage everyone, not just 5th grade parents, to get involved. Believe it or not, it’s fun! This auction benefits the entire school and we need all hands on deck. We STILL have many volunteer opportunities for helping, including at masses selling tickets, pre-event prep and night of helpers. There are many choices and we are asking that you try to choose just one! Every shift counts!
Please see the below links for sign up opportunities- there are many choices and we value any help we can get to fill these spots and keep things moving smoothly and advantageously for the DDA and our fundraising efforts!
To volunteer to help, please click here.
To sell 50/50 raffles at St Elizabeth Seton or St Thomas the Apostle masses, please click on the two links below, one for each parish as listed:
Please contact Gina Ratini at ginaratini@att.net with volunteer questions.
A HUGE thank you to all of the families who have donated and provided support to date!
The DDA Committee, dda@ascacademy.org
2020-2021 Financial Aid Applications
Please do not wait if you are interested in applying for financial assistance for the 2020-2021 school year. Click here to start your FACTS application (must be completed by all families seeking assistance). All applications and supporting information must be completed by Monday, March 2, 2020 for consideration. This is a hard deadline for funding consideration. Questions? Please contact Patty Bajek at pbajek@ascacademy.org.
Statements of Tuition and Fees Paid for Calendar 2019
Many of you may be in the process of preparing your taxes for 2019. All school families can log in to their FACTS agreement and print out a statement of tuition and fees paid in 2019 for tax purposes (note that these statements will not be sent home in hard copy).
To print out your statement, see the following steps:
- Log into your FACTS account
- Click on View Details in the Payment Plan and Billing box
- Click on the View Payment Summary link/box
- Select 2019 in the pull down menu if it does not already appear.
- Print out your statement.
If you have any questions, please contact Maryanne Higdon at mhigdon@ascacademy.org, or (630) 961-6125.
New Spirit Wear Offerings
Do you need to freshen up your ASCA spirit wear? We have some exciting new offerings from JemHedz that are available for ordering until Friday, February 14. Click here to take a look and to place your order.
All Saints Parents Association (ASPA)
Fundraising Corner
Scrip (counts toward FFO)
Sixteen families have fully met their Family Fundraising Obligation (FFO) using Scrip; and an additional 48 families have earned at least $200. If you are wondering what your Scrip fundraising credit is you can follow these steps to find out:
- Go to: Shop.shopwithscrip.com
- Select Dashboard
- Select Family Functions (left side menu area)
- Select Reports
- Select the Family Order History Summary report and run for the date range of 3/1/2019 to today's date. This will include all processed orders that qualify for this year's FFO to date.
You have until the end of February to reach this school year’s FFO. Please note that All Scrip purchases after February 29, 2020 will count towards the next school year’s 2020-2021 FFO.
Simply click here to enroll. Please contact the Scrip coordinators for the school’s enrollment code. Need more information? Contact scrip@ascacademy.org.
No Cookin’ in the Kitchen – Noodles and Company
Have you saved the date for our next No Cookin’ night at Noodles and Company – Wednesday, February 19! Click here for more information.
News from All Saints Athletic Association
From the Saints Sidelines . . . The sun was shining outside, and courts were hot, hot, hot inside as our Saints played to win this past weekend! Closing out Catholic Schools Week with wins were – Girls 5A, 6A, 6B, 7A and 8A; Boys 6A, 7A, 7B1, 8B1 and 8B2. Only two more weeks in the regular season, and we have several Saints teams on top in their respective division! Keep up the good work Saints!
To keep up with schedules and current standings check the league website at http://www.dplbba.org/standingsresults.asp.
BLUE OUT is BACK! Be sure to wear your BLUE, and come out to the ASCA gym on Saturday, February 15th for a SPECIAL evening honoring our 8th grade players and their parents!
We have some fun things planned as we host our 8th graders one last time on HOME court. The schedule for the evening is as follows:
- 5:00 pm Girls 8A vs. St. Pius X
- 6:00 pm Boys 8B1 vs. St. Scholastica
- 7:00 pm Boys 8B2 vs. SS Peter & Paul
- 8:00 pm Boys 8A vs. SS Peter & Paul
Mark your calendars, and be sure to come celebrate your team successes at the end of season banquet for basketball on Thursday, March 19th!
There is still time to register for Track & Field. Students in grades 5-8 are welcome to join Track & Field! The 2020 T&F season will be underway soon with practices starting late March. Register your athlete now at https://allsaintsathletics.sportngin.com/register/form/480300249
ASAA Looking for Secretary/Communications Coordinator…Interested in getting involved in the Athletic Association? We are currently looking for a parent to join us on the Board. The primary responsibility of the secretary is to manage annual sports registrations and rosters and keep/publish meeting minutes. The secretary will also be responsible for communicating concession schedules, creating/updating the Athletic calendar, coordinating athletic team photo sessions and creating the weekly sports report for inclusion in the weekly school newsletter. Additionally, this position is responsible for communications via the sports website.
The person chosen for this position will shadow the current Secretary/Communications Coordinator for the next 9 months to learn the role before taking over. Individuals interested should contact Erika Baka (jnebaka@gmail.com ) or Keith Glab (kglab@ascacademy.org)
GO SAINTS!!
Did YOU know that All Saints is on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Check Us Out on Social Media - We welcome all of our new followers!!! Click on the icons below to take a look.
A Tremendous Thank You to the Cornerstone Sponsors of
Coming Home, ASCA Dinner Dance Auction 2019
For more information, please click on the Cornerstone Sponsor logos above.
We encourage you to patronize these generous sponsors.
Please share with them that you are an ASCA family, and thank them for their support of All Saints Catholic Academy.
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