Easter Joy !
In September of 2010, the Holy Father, Pope Benedict spoke to Catholic school children in the United Kingdom. His words were really to all the children in Catholic Schools worldwide. He said: “There is something I very much want to say to you. I hope that among those of you listening to me today, there are some of the future saints of the twenty-first century. What God wants most of all for each one of you is that you should become holy. He loves you much more than you could ever begin to imagine, and he wants the very best for you. And by far the best thing for you is to grow in holiness.
Perhaps some of you have never thought about this before. Perhaps some of you think being a saint is not for you. Let me explain what I mean. When we are young, we can usually think of people that we look up to, people we admire, people we want to be like. It could be someone we meet in our daily lives that we hold in great esteem. Or it could be someone famous. We live in a celebrity culture, and young people are often encouraged to model themselves on figures from the world of sport or entertainment. My question for you is this: what are the qualities you see in others that you would most like to have yourselves? What kind of person would you really like to be?”
For us, we know that being the person we want to be is a journey without end. We are always trying to improve, be kinder, be more patient. For our children, the journey is just beginning, and the first step is to decide who is worth emulation. Is it a sports figure? Is it a popular classmate who is also a bit of a bully? Is it Jesus Christ? Our children need our help in this formation, and this exercise requires reflection and conversation. This parenting thing is very hard work, isn’t it?!?
Grandparents' Day
This year Grandparents’ Day will be held on Friday morning, May 3rd. A flyer with details for this memorable event is available on the ASCA website. Please print and complete the flyer, and return it to the Main Office by Monday, April 22nd.
ASCA Geranium Fundraiser
Spring is gracing us slowly but surely! Let's add some color to our homes to brighten our landscapes! Most of us plant flowers each year; this year, please consider buying your geraniums through school to support a new fund raising initiative. Zonal geraniums, healthy and full of color will be supplied through a local grower, Lizzie's Garden in Naperville. You may mix and match your plant selection from 7 different vibrant colors which include red, white, hot pink, light pink, violet, lavender or coral. We are timing the sale so that you receive your plants right before Mother's Day weekend. Order for yourselves, neighbors, friends and family too! The geraniums will be sold for $5.00 per plant (4.5” pots). The minimum order is 6 plants, although we hope you consider ordering more. Information sheets regarding the flower sale are being sent home today, and will also be available on the school web site. The order deadline is Friday, April 26th. You will pick up your geraniums in McSherry Hall on Thursday, May 9th. If there are any questions, please contact Michelle Yacullo at (630) 416-6691, or yacullo@sbcglobal.net . Thanks in advance for your support of our All Saints students and student programs – the beautiful flowers are also an investment you can enjoy all summer long!
Kentucky Derby Theme Party
Looking for some Kentucky Derby excitement? Join us on Saturday, May 4 from 3-7 pm at the Foundry in Aurora. Ticket price is $60 per person and includes beer, wine, dessert and great food (drinks are available but not included)! Lots of other "Derby Fun" will be available! Do you have a business that needs advertising? Sponsorships are still available! Contact Maureen Juhas (mjuhas66@gmail.com), Susan Glab (ksr4glab@yahoo.com), or Chris Gambs (teamgambs@sbcglobal.net) for more information!
Junior High Musical – Flapper – Ticket Order Forms
Tickets may now be purchased for Flapper, this year’s Junior High Musical. The show is being presented on Friday, April 26th at 7pm and Saturday April 27th at 7pm by the ASCA Junior High Academy. Tickets are $8 in advance for all adults ($10 if purchased at the door), and $5 for all children and seniors. There is a Family Ticket that will admit 2 adults and all of their children for only $25. The Family Ticket is only available through advance purchase, and will not be available at the door. Ticket order forms will be sent home with all oldest/only students today, and will also be available at the ASCA website. Do not miss this family friendly musical and theatrical experience! What a wonderful way to introduce your child to the theatre, and to support our student thespians who have worked so hard.
Flapper – Ad Deadline – This Thursday, April 11
The Junior High Spring Musical is almost here! NOW is the time to advertise. The All Saints Catholic Academy Junior High is proud to present, Flapper. Show times will be Friday, April 26th at 7pm and Saturday April 27th at 7pm. Approximately 500 professionally designed programs will be distributed at the play, and these programs are sure to become a keepsake. This is an excellent opportunity to advertise your business or product, and be assured that your ads will be viewed over and over again. The Flapper Ad order form can be found on the ASCA website. Please contact Jackie Hand at MikeJackieHand@aol.com, or (630) 550-6638 with any questions.
Junior High Musical – Flapper – Flower Bouquet Order Forms
Presentation flower bouquets for your junior high academy actor/actress may be purchased for $10, and are now on sale until this Friday, April 12. Please do not miss this opportunity! The form can be found on the web.
Kindergarten Round Up
All Saints will be holding a Kindergarten Round Up for students new to ASCA tomorrow, Thursday, April 11 from 9 – 10:30 am. If you know anyone who is interested in enrolling their child in kindergarten for the 2013-2014 school year, please invite them to join us to find out more about the kindergarten experience at ASCA. Students need to have turned 5 years of age on or before September 1, 2013 to begin kindergarten this fall.
Pre Kindergarten Open House
All Saints will be holding an open house for our Pre Kindergarten program on Sunday, April 21 from 9 am until Noon at our St. Elizabeth Seton Satellite Campus, located at 2220 Lisson Road, Naperville, 60540. This program meets 5 days per week, Monday through Friday, from 8:30 am-12:30 pm. Openings are currently available for students who will be 4 years old on or before September 1, 2013.
Spring Portrait Packages
Spring Portrait packages were sent home last week. Please return any unpurchased photo sheets and/or payments to ASCA by this Friday, April 12rd.
No Cookin’ In the Kitchen - Culver's
April’s No Cookin’ in the Kitchen fundraiser to benefit the Class of 2014 will be on Tuesday, April 16, 2013, from 10 am until 10 pm at Culver’s located at 509 S. Route 59, Aurora. A flyer will be going home with all oldest and only students and will also be available at the ASCA website. We look forward to seeing everyone there for lunch or for dinner on the 16th. If you have any questions, please contact Alison Pechnik at asabug78@aol.com, or Andrea Howard at nucvet@sbcglobal.net.
Hot Lunch Ordering Deadline
The deadline to place your May hot lunch order online is this Monday, April 15. Please visit https://fspro.orderlunches.com. All Saints’ school password is allsaints136.
ASCA Feed My Starving Children Packing Session, Saturday, April 27
We still have a few slots available for this packing session. Share some quality time with your family, friends, scout troop, etc. while making a difference in a child’s life. To register your family for this 11:30 am -1:30 pm session, follow the instructions below:
Visit www.fmsc.org/volunteer. In the upper right-hand corner select Volunteer Registration. Select Permanent Sites – Register Online. Select JOIN an existing Group or Family. Enter Join Code 257187 and click Search. Click Confirm. Log in or Create a New Account. Once you have entered your information, you can click Add Member Names to add your children.
Feed My Starving Children packaging sessions are held at 555 Exchange Court, Aurora, IL 60504. Children in grades 3 and up are welcome to participate. Please contact Michele Klein at mklein511@comcast.net with any questions.
April Used Gym Shoe Collection
Ready, Set, Go …run your old gym shoes to ASCA
We are once again collecting adult and child used gym shoes for School & Community Assistance for Recycling & Composting Education (SCARCE).
Then what…
- If shoes are Gently-Used they will be given to local organizations, such as PADS in Glen Ellyn or the Midwest Shelter of Homeless Veterans.
- If the shoes are not in good condition, they will be Re-Used and Recycled in Nike’s Reuse-A-Shoe Program which turns worn-out gym shoes into sports surfaces, playgrounds and Nike products. Shoes are delivered to Nike, where they will be demanufactured so that the recycled “Nike Grind” material can be used to make new products. By recycling old gym shoes, Nike decreases the environmental impact of using new raw materials and saves used shoes from being sent to landfills.
- Since 2003, SCARCE has diverted a TOTAL of 76,962 pairs of gym shoes from landfills. Of those, 57,706 pairs of shoes were recycled with Nike's Resuse-A-Shoe Program and SCARCE donated 19,256 pairs.
All donations can be brought into the ASCA Office April 10-30th. Stinky and holey shoes are encouraged! If you have any questions, please contact Ann Zediker at jazediker@comcast.net.
Thanks
A huge thank you goes out to all the kind children and generous teachers in Preschool, Kindergarten, and 1st grade that made Easter cards for Spring Meadows assisted living facility and the Edward Hospital pediatric care center. All cards were taken with much appreciation from these organizations!
Community Outreach – Upcoming Events In Our Community:
Hopping for Hope – Saturday, April 13th
Calling all moms....are you looking for something to do the night of the Daddy-Daughter Dance (4/13) with your son? Airtastic in Aurora is hosting a fundraiser night "Hopping for Hope" to support the 2013 Naperville Pancreatic Cancer Research Walk. The event is from 6-9 pm. There is a $15 donation for one jumper, $25 donation for a family of jumpers. Parents are FREE! There will be a kids raffle: $5 for 6 tickets or $1 each, but the first ticket is FREE. Drinks and light snacks will be available. To register, go to http://13NapervilleWalk.kintera.org/airtasticapril13. Please contact Ann Zediker at jazediker@comcast.net with any questions.
360 Youth Services Spring Ahead – Sunday, April 14
360 Youth Services has served the western suburbs for 42 years, and provides life-changing services to youth through prevention education, counseling and shelter. 5K, 10K, and Kids Fun Run registration now open. $30 for 5K, $35 for 10K, $15 for Kids Fun Run. To register, please go to www.360springahead.com.
Lego Collection - ongoing
All three branches of the Naperville Public Library are collecting used Lego and Duplo blocks for a summer class. Feel free to drop off at any of the 3 locations in the Children's Department. For more information, contact a library Children's Supervisor.
Little Friends / Step Up for Autism Walk
Sunday, June 23, 2013 – Downtown Naperville Riverwalk
8:30 a.m. Registration
10:00 a.m. Step Up for Autism Walk & Fun Run
Designed to raise awareness about autism, a complex developmental disability that affects an estimated 1.5 million Americans, the Step Up for Autism walk was the first of its kind to be held in Naperville. Funds that are raised from this annual event benefit children and adults with autism right here in our community served by Little Friends and the Little Friends Center for Autism. This family-friendly event promises to be a morning of fun for walkers and runners of all ages. Festivities will include a 2.5-mile walk and fun run and a one-mile kid-friendly route. This year’s event will also feature a fun-filled Kids Area, complete with interactive displays, moon jumps and entertainment. Get involved today by forming a Team of Walkers/Runners, Making a donation, or volunteering on the Day of the Walk! Register at www.stepupforautism2013.kintera.org or call Little Friends at (630) 355-6533.
Save the Date: Parenting Kids in Today’s Techie World –
Wednesday, May 1; 7:00 – 8:30 pm (Please Note Time Change)
Nancy Kratz, Ph.D. from Samaritan Interfaith will present ways on how we, as parents, deal with our “wired children” in this new digital age. Her talk is recommended for parents with students from pre-school through Jr. High. She’ll touch upon what parents really want to know about video gaming along with the effect of technology on your relationships and ourselves. She’ll also discuss how we can be good digital citizens regarding privacy and safety and she’ll help us to make a parent-child technology contract. Lastly, Dr. Kratz will talk about how we balance technology in our lives. All parents are welcome to join Dr. Kratz in McSherry Hall on Wednesday, May 1st from 7:00 – 8:30 pm.
Do you need help Monitoring Smart Phones?
Investigate www.covenanteyes.com. It is a website that helps parents monitor phones, iPads, iPods, and computers!
Plunge into Fitness
Raging Waves Waterpark “Plunge Into Fitness” sheets are due this coming Monday, April 15, 2013, and turned into Mrs. Abrams. At a later date there will be a special bonus for school staff, students and families who wish to purchase additional tickets at 25% off online with a special promo code. More information will follow. So, get your child moving and earn a free Raging Waves Waterpark pass for the summer! If you have any questions, please contact Carla Griffin at Carla_griffin@ipsd.org.
D203 Busing Changes
Please make a note on your upcoming calendars. There will be no busing home from school on Friday, May 3. Please make alternate arrangements home for your D203 bus rider on this day. All other buses will be running on the 3rd.
Wednesday Rosary
Our Rosary has resumed in the Our Lady of Perpetual Help Reflection Chapel (located across from the school gym) at 7:50 am before Wednesday school masses. All are welcome! Praying the rosary is a great way to receive additional graces, to meet other parents, and to honor Mary, our spiritual mother.
Instruction sheets and extra Rosaries are always available. Kids (even noisy ones) are welcome! For questions contact Felicia Egan at (630) 357-6869, or blueirises@wowway.com.