Saints Speak from Mrs. Marshall - 8/29/2024 - Curriculum Night and More

It was great to see so many of you for Curriculum Nights this week. I hope you enjoyed visiting the classrooms, meeting with the teachers, and learning more about what to expect throughout the year. As always, please reach out with questions and concerns so we can partner with you to ensure your child has a great experience this year.

This week we began our first saint of the week, St. Francis of Assisi! St. Francis heard God’s calling and had to make the difficult choice to give up his family’s wealth and prestige to follow God. He preached about true equality and demonstrated a love for all of creation through his daily actions. He is the patron saint of animals because he loved nature and treated every living thing with respect. I picked St. Francis for our first week because in his prayer he reminds us to be peacemakers:

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
 where there is hatred, let me sow love;
 where there is injury, pardon;
 where there is doubt, faith;
 where there is despair, hope;
 where there is darkness, light;
 where there is sadness, joy.
 O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
 to be consoled as to console,
 to be understood as to understand,
 to be loved as to love.
 For it is in giving that we receive,
 it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
 and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Amen.

In your prayers today, ask God to help each of us be an instruments of peace, bring faith, hope and love into the world.

School Mass

I was very proud of our students last week as they practiced reverence at our first school Mass. In his homily, Fr. Alex reminded us of WHY we are quiet and reverent during Mass. It is during this time that God can talk to us in our hearts. If we’re too busy having our own conversations, we can’t hear His voice!

This week, I talked to the students about how God speaks to us through the readings. The first reading is typically taken from the Old Testament, or before Jesus was born. In these stories from our early ancestors we can learn about how God communicated with his people many years ago and apply those lessons to our own lives. As we reminded the students, at the end of the first reading we all say together “Thanks be to God!”

All are welcome to join us for Mass tomorrow at 8:15am. Thank you for helping model reverence for our students when you join us at Mass!

ASCA Routines

Much of the start of the school year is spent on practicing routines. We practice what to do so expectations are clear and students understand what procedures should look like. In classrooms, and especially in the younger grades, it’s important to spend time practicing early on to save time throughout the year. I have been so impressed by our students’ quiet lines in the hallway and respectful behavior during lunch and recess so far this year. I’ve attached a few photos of our Kindergarten & 1st grade students demonstrating great routines! Throughout the year I will be trying to share more photos and stories of what's happening in the building so you can see all the great things our students are doing and learning!

Family Directory

Our school directory is now available via DirectorySpot! See below for information on how to access the directory. If you would like to make a change to your family’s entry, please contact Patty Bajek (pbajek@ascacademy.org). All accounts are set up with your email addresses that are in FACTS, so if this changed from last year your login may have changed as well. If you have trouble, please contact Patty.

For Smartphone Users:  Download the DirectorySpot app by going to your app store and searching "DirectorySpot" or by clicking on the appropriate link here: iPhone - http://goo.gl/5U2Tzq or Android - http://goo.gl/iBK9lY.  To launch DirectorySpot, enter your email address as your Username, and click on "Reset Password."  Click on the link in your reset email to set your password, relaunch the DirectorySpot app, and login with your username and password.

For Tablet, Mac, or PC Users:  Go to directoryspot.net and click on "Login" in the upper right hand corner.  Enter your email address as your Username, and click on "Reset Password." An email will be sent to you with a link to set your password.  Click on the link in your reset email to set your password and login.  Note – if downloading to an iPad, just search for “iPhone apps” and you will find DirectorySpot.

September Updates: Virtues & Social-Emotional Learning

This year we will continue our study of the virtues during our weekly meetings with our Faith Buddies after Mass. September’s virtue is charity. Click here for some ideas of how you can practice charity at home as a family.

In September we will also begin our monthly social-emotional learning lessons with our social worker Mrs. Magana. Click here for more information on these lessons.

Saintly Ballers 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament

Our second annual Saintly Ballers 3-on-3 basketball tournament is scheduled for Sunday, September 15^th. All are welcome for this family event, which will begin with Mass at 11am in McSherry Hall with Fr. Alex followed by friendly competition for all ages! Please visit the Saintly Ballers website for all the details (website password is StaySaintly). The deadline to register a team, donate, or sign up to volunteer is next Friday, 9/6. We still have slots available for 1^st grade teams, 5^th-8^th grade teams, and adult teams! If you have already signed up a team in Sign-Up Genius, please be sure to fill out the online registration form as well and submit your Hold Harmless waivers to ascasaintlyballers@gmail.com. 

Lastly, there are special Saintly Ballers t-shirts available for purchase whether or not you’re playing! T-shirt sales and at noon on Tuesday 9/3, so order yours today! All students who have a t-shirt will have the opportunity to wear the shirt for a BONUS out of uniform day on Thursday, 9/19!

Save the Date: ASCA Fun Run

Mark your calendars for our annual Fun Run on Friday, September 20th! All students will participate in this fun event during the school day to help raise money for All Saints. Look for more information in the coming weeks, and consider volunteering to help out at the event as well. Click here to sign up!

From our Parishes

The Knights of Columbus from St. Margaret Mary are in the midst of their 2024 Tootsie Roll campaign to raise funds for individuals with intellectual disabilities. They are looking for volunteers to collect funds and distribute Tootsie Rolls at the following days and locations:

• Saturday 8/31 @ Jewel in Bolingbrook

• Friday 9/20 at a street corner in Naperville

• Saturday 9/21 at a street corner in Naperville

• Saturday 9/28 @ Jewel in Bolingbrook

If you are able to help please contact Ken Peluso at kpeluso01@gmail.com. Thank you!

Saintly Acts

Lastly, we celebrated our first round of Saintly Acts this morning! Congratulations and thank you to the following students who earned Saintly Acts for demonstrating virtuous behavior these first few days of school: Rishan M. (3^rd grade), Nathaniel T. (8^th grade), Kayden K. (8^th grade), Ella S. (6^th grade), Maya S. (6^th grade), Brooks W. (2^nd grade), Blaise Z. (1^st grade), James C. (3^rd grade), Wesley A. (1^st grade), Gabby C. (1^st grade), Russell D.C. (3^rd grade), Tallula M. (8^th grade), Noah B. (5^th grade), Michael B. (6^th grade), Zachary L. (6^th grade), Jaxson R. (6^th grade), Brady B. (4^th grade), Charlotte H. (3^rd grade), and Harrison P. (4^th grade). 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.