Saints Speak from Mrs. Marshall - 4/4/2024 - True Joy Comes from Relationship
Please take a few moments to reflect on these words from Pope Francis:
“True joy does not come from things or from possessing, no! It is born from the encounter, from the relationship with others, it is born from feeling accepted, understood and loved, and from accepting, from understanding and from loving; and this is not because of a passing fancy but because the other is a person.”
What a beautiful message and reminder we hear today! It’s so easy to get caught up in the “stuff” of our day-to-day lives, but when we take time to reflect on what brings us happiness and fulfillment, it all comes down to relationships. This Easter season is a time of renewal. May we use it to renew our promises to one another, focus ourselves on the important relationships in our lives, and find our true joy.
School Board of Directors
As we enter our last two months of the school year, we are busy planning for next year! We are also seeking new members for our Board of Directors (School Board) to replace the current members who are finishing their three-year term in May. The Board of Directors supports school administration in overseeing the school’s operations and success in specific areas. Board members meet monthly during the school year and also each serve on one of the Board’s committees (Catholic Identity & Diversity, Finance & Operations, Marketing, or Fundraising). Please contact me if you are interested in learning more about serving on the Board!
Reminder: Check your Virtus account!
All volunteers are required to have an up-to-date Virtus account in order to work with children. Each spring we are audited by the Diocese to ensure that all volunteers are compliant. As we prepare for this audit, we are seeing that some of the assurances and forms have recently been updated, and many volunteers who were compliant in 2023 are now showing as out of compliance. Please take a few minutes to log into your Virtus account and complete any areas in red. For many, this just means signing off on an updated policy. If you see all green boxes, you are compliant!
Spring Book Fair
The book fair is back and we are "Building a Foundation of Reading!" The fair will take place Tuesday, April 16 through Friday morning, April 19. On Wednesday, April 17 there will be a Literacy Night at school from 5:30 - 7:00 with fun activities for the kids, and the fair will be open to all families to shop.
We can't do any of this without your help so please consider signing up to work a shift or two. It's easy, fun and a great way to interact with the kids and other parents!
SPECIAL REQUEST!!! Do you have a high school student in need of volunteer hours? Please encourage them to sign up to help with literacy night and they will receive volunteer hour credit. They do not need to have completed any training and we would be incredibly grateful for their help!
Make shopping easy for you and your kids by setting up an eWallet. Click here to get started. Unused eWallet balances are in your Scholastic account as an electronic gift card that you can apply to your new eWallet.
We can't wait to see you at the fair!
April Updates
April showers have certainly arrived this week! As we look for May flowers, we also have begun our various April areas of focus:
- The virtue for the month of April is obedience. Click here for more information on how you can teach this virtue at home.
- Our social-emotional learning topic for April is self-esteem. Click here for more information.
- Our Catholic Identity focus for April is Laudato Si’. This is the letter from Pope Francis calling us to care for creation and our common home, the Earth. Each morning for the rest of April we will together say this short pledge in addition to our morning prayers: We pledge to take better care of creation by living more responsibly and with gratitude for all that God has given to us. Each day, I will take practical steps to live in harmony with creation by using only what I need. We will be sending home a copy of the pledge for your family to talk about how you can put this into practice at home as well.
St. Margaret Mary Blood Drive
As you know, our Athletic Director Dan Dulik continues to battle a rare and aggressive form of cancer. So many of you came out and showed your support at the Bags of Love tournament in January – thank you! Families have continued to ask how they can help support Dan, whose birthday is this Sunday. If you are able, consider donating blood for his birthday; his family encourages you to share pictures with the hashtag #Donate4Dan. St. Margaret Mary is hosting a blood drive Saturday; click here for more information. Thank you for your continued support and prayers!
Marriage Enrichment
The Inter-Parish Marriage Enrichment Team is hosting an event at St. Scholastica on April 19th. Click here for more information!
Invest in Kids Tax Credit Scholarship Program Update
Thank you to everyone who has expressed past support for this program that was allowed to sunset at the end of 2023 by the Illinois legislature. This is most certainly not the outcome we all hoped and worked so hard for; however, the folks at Empower Illinois, a Scholarship Granting Organization (SGO), continue to work toward bringing school choice back to Illinois and the opportunity for students to be able to attend a best fit school.
Since January 2024, they have been working hard to reinstate the Invest in Kids Act. This has included meeting with legislators, listening to their concerns, asking lobbyists to meet with specific legislators, working with lead sponsors, and trying to build partnerships with school choice minded coalitions. Unfortunately, progress is slow moving. Simply put, tax credit scholarships are an issue that legislators wish would just go away, and the longer they run from us, the more likely they think that will happen.
If this is a program that resonates with you personally or philosophically, you are encouraged to contact your elected representatives to make your voice known, as you are their constituents. As parents, especially those they are elected to represent, give a reason for them to meet with you. It is only through grass roots, boots on the ground activism that school choice can possibly return to the State of Illinois.
Saintly Acts
As we return from break we have just a few students to recognize with Saintly Acts today: Morgan W. (3rd grade), Henry R. (6th grade), Abby D. (1st grade), and Gus N. (Kdg). Keep being saintly!
Margie Marshall
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A Tremendous Thank You to the Diamond, Platinum, and Cornerstone Sponsors of our 2024 Dinner Dance Auction (DDA): Masquerade Gala
We hope that you will support these generous benefactors of All Saints with your business. Please thank them, and let them know that you are an All Saints school family.
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