Patty Bajek / Thursday, September 29, 2022

Saints Speak from Mrs. Marshall - 9/29/2022 - Brick by Brick

Our quote from Pope Francis today is incredibly fitting as we prepare for Grandparents Day tomorrow:

“The family is where we are formed as people. Every family is a brick in the building of society.”

I appreciate the image of each family as a brick. You rarely see just one brick; they are typically joined together to create a structure. We all come together, joining our many bricks to make a community. Additionally, a brick is solid and difficult to break. Our family is truly where we are formed. They know are strengths, our flaws, and are often the people we can truly rely on to be there for us no matter what. Our family is our foundation. Tomorrow is a beautiful day as we welcome our students’ grandparents. We celebrate those who have helped form us and honor their role in our families and our societies.

Grandparents Day:

We are very excited to welcome nearly 350 grandparents and special guests tomorrow! We are expecting a beautiful morning with our visitors, and the students are very excited! Guests may park in any available space in the parking lot but should all enter at Door 1. We will have maps and additional information available upon arrival to help the grandparents find the appropriate classroom or space. If your grandparent/special guest is being dropped off, please drop off by Door 1 following the same procedure we use for morning arrival. While we usually welcome parents to join our Friday Mass, given the number of grandparents joining us, we ask that parents consider not attending this week so we have enough space for our students and visitors.

Fun Run Update:

Last week’s Fun Run was a huge success!! The day was a ton of fun, and we have surpassed our goal of $60,000 in pledges! Tomorrow is the last day for pledges and donations. Currently Mrs. Cappetta’s class is in the lead (and very excited to pie me), but we’ll share the final winner on Monday. Look for more a detailed financial update on the event in next week’s Saints Speak. Thank you to Amy Bono and all our volunteers for helping put together a phenomenal event!

Parent-Teacher Conferences:

As a reminder, next week is a short week. Wednesday is 1pm dismissal (after care is available 1-4pm) for professional development, Thursday is Parent-Teacher Conferences, and Friday is a professional development day for teachers. If you haven’t already done so, please sign up for conferences via SchoolSpeak. We will close sign-ups Tuesday evening to give the teachers time to adequately prepare for conferences.

Scholastic Book Fair:

Tomorrow is the last day of the Scholastic Book Fair! After yesterday’s sales we were very close to our goal, so I expect we’ll have reached it by the end of the day today. Remind grandparents that they can shop the Book Fair tomorrow as well. Thank you to Laura Blackwell, Lisa Hajek, and all our Book Fair volunteers!

Bernie's Book Bank Drive:

As you’re bringing home new books, have your children clean their bookshelves and make a donation to Bernie’s Book Bank! There are bins available at all main school entrances throughout next week. Thank you to Anne Soto and Vinita Ramnani for leading this collection!

Social-Emotional Learning:

As we enter October, our social-emotional learning topic is using our social filter to avoid unkind comments. Click here to read more from Mrs. Magana about the social filter lessons that will be taught in our classrooms next month.

Parking Lot Safety Reminders:

I have had a few concerned parents reach out recently about parking lot behavior. As a reminder, please use caution in the parking lot and entering/exiting the school campus. Refrain from using your cell phone while driving, maintain a speed of 5mph, follow our arrival/dismissal procedures, and be aware of your surroundings (especially pedestrians and bikers) when entering and exiting at Aurora Ave. Thank you for practicing caution!

Attendance Reminder:

If your child is going to be absent, please don’t forget to report it to our welcome desk by calling in or emailing attendance@ascacademy.org before the start of the school day. This helps us streamline the attendance process to ensure each child is accounted for and safe.

Cultural Celebration:

We are looking forward to our Cultural Celebration on Tuesday, October 11th, from 6-8pm! This is a family event and all are welcome. The committee is looking for donations of a few items. If you are in a position to contribute, please click here for the wish list. Thank you in advance!

Saintly Acts:

Congratulations and thank you to the students who received Saintly Acts this week: Owen S. (4th grade), Lucas J. (7th grade), Chloe S. (7th grade), Liam H. (7th grade), Natalie T. (7th grade), Reagan M. (7th grade), Piper C. (6th grade), Alexa L. (2nd grade), Olha T. (2nd grade), AJ H. (2nd grade), Zayna A. (5th grade), Anthony C. (5th grade), Britta H. (7th grade), Izzy F. (8th grade), Hannah N. (8th grade), Audrey M. (8th grade), Clementine H. (3rd grade), Ashlyn K. (3rd grade), Chloe S. (1st grade), Noah B. (3rd grade), Parker J. (3rd grade), 8H Homeroom, Clare H. (6th grade), Rose T. (6th grade), Matthew G. (5th grade), Will T. (3rd grade), Bella B. (6th grade), Amelia J. (6th grade), Bianca B. (6th grade), Eain S. (5th grade), Norah G. (5th grade), and all the students who have been helping in the lunch room. Keep being saintly!

Margie Marshall