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St. Henry School Newsletter

January 22, 2009

“Catholic Schools Celebrate Service”

What a week we have had and what a week we will begin. This weekend begins the national celebration of Catholic Schools and there is much to tell you about. But first . . .

NO SCHOOL TOMORROW, Friday!

It’s a traditional Watertown District Day for faculty meetings and teacher workday as we end the first semester of our 2008-2009 school year. Your youngsters will be receiving their report cards to take home next Friday. May you all be pleased at the fruits of their honest and hard work.

We just received a calendar from Society’s Assets with one of our students art entries featured as the illustration for January, 2010. Congratulations, fourth grader Karli Kohls, on that honor. Mrs. Lemminger’s fifth grade class also received a special “Poetic Achievement Award” from Creative Communications because they had so many entries to their poetry contest that were of “exceptionally high merit.” Well done.

On to the many events coming up over the next week or so.

The eighth graders are hoping that many of you will be able to enjoy the Knights of Columbus chili supper on behalf of their fund-raising efforts for their spring trip to Notre Dame, Gettysburg, and Washington, D.C. this spring. It’s in our Parish Center THIS Saturday, the 24th from 5:00 pm to 8:00. Adults are $6.00 each; children 5-12, $3.00 each, and little ones under 5 are free. Besides chili there will be hot dogs, baked goods, milk, soda, and coffee. Hope you can partake of that!

Sunday morning, as you know from the half slip sent home yesterday, the Home and School is sponsoring a free breakfast in the Parish Center after the 8:30 am Mass. If you forgot to send the slip back but are reading this before Saturday, please just call and leave a message on the school’s answering machine on your preferences for coffee – regular or decaf – and milk – chocolate or white. HASA felt our gathering of families at our opening of school picnic was so nice they wanted to provide another opportunity to do that and the opening of Catholic Schools Week seemed perfect timing.

Of course, a number of the youngsters offered to help with some of the liturgical roles at our weekend Masses so you will see them as cross-bearers, petitions readers, and offertory gift bearers. A number of them regularly serve the parish at weekend Eucharists as Mass servers and choir members.

The Diocese has asked that we encourage everyone in every parish in the diocese to participate in an important survey from the Catholic Schools Planning Committee. The church bulletins will have an insert sheet about it and we are sending the same information home to you parents in this week’s envelope. The online version – in both English and Spanish -- will open on Sunday, January 25th and be available through Monday, February 9th. They only take about five minutes to do, according to our Superintendent of Schools, Michael Lancaster. We also have printed versions in both languages available in the office if you do not presently have internet access. Please take the time to make this out. More information is so much more valuable than less. Thank you!

On Monday, we are having a special treat. St. Bernard School is going to be joining us for three presentations of “Living Roots, a World of Music.” Let me share the description of this: “Lauren Pelon traces the story of music and instruments throughout history and performs on approximately 25 instruments and voice. The program incorporates music and instruments from ancient Greece and China, through medieval and Renaissance times, to 19^th century America and on to contemporary times. Japanese, Arabic, American Indian, European and South African cultures are represented. Songs are in English, Italian, Spanish, Zulu, Greek, and Provencal.” Poor lady sounds like she has no talent – not! The preschoolers through second graders’ performance is at 9:15; grades 3 to 5 will be at 10:05; and grades 6-8 at 11:05. All are in the Parish Center. Come and enjoy, if you possibly can. We would love to have you.

By the way, on Monday, check out the full page ad celebrating our two Catholic schools in Watertown in the Daily Times. God bless the sponsors who paid for it! You should be seeing us in a few places in the Catholic Herald next week as well.

As you will see from the included permission slip, we will be going to St. Bernard’s on Tuesday afternoon to enjoy our two schools’ joint band and choir concert. Mrs. Oestricher, the band and music teacher, asked me to remind band and choir members that at the evening concert Tuesday night they should be dressed in their church clothes or better, being sure to follow the school’s dress code. That concert for parents and families begins at 6:30 but St. Bernard’s Church doors will be open at 6:00. We are all looking forward to seeing the fruits of all their practices and lessons these past months.

As always, we would love to have you join us for our 8:15 all school Mass on Wednesday. Grade 6 will be taking on some of the liturgical roles. That day the teachers plan on doing some little exchange activities among the students. I’m sure they will tell you all about it Wednesday after school.

Lego-Engineering On-Site Field Trips are scheduled for Thursday and Friday in the school cafeteria. According to the information we received, “This class harnesses the motivational effects of LEGOs to teach math and science (simple machines, forces in motion, gear ratios), learning mechanical vocabulary, 3 dimensional shapes, comparing and contrasting objects, extending patterns, and listening and following directions. . . . Students work in small groups of 2 students per team and follow detailed instructions designed by a LEGO engineer . . . to build a race car and add an electric motor to race them!” If you would like to peek in on this in the cafeteria, Thursday the classes will be at 9:15 for the kindergarteners, 10:35 for grades 4 and 6; and 1:05 for grades 3 and 5. On Friday, the 7^th and 8^th grades will participate at 8:10 and the youngsters in grades 1 and 2 at 9:30. We do have to ask your help in bearing some of the cost of this activity. There will be a half slip included asking for that. It’s $6.75 per student but the Home and School will take care of $2.75 of that so we will need $4.00 per K-8 student for the rest. The sessions go for at least 85-90 minutes each so hopefully we will all agree the money was well spent!

Thursday night, the 29^th is for you, Moms and Dads! You received a full sheet on the wonderful evening we have planned for you starting at 5:45 in the Parish Center. Our great ladies in the kitchen are making their wonderful homemade chili and chicken soup – both delicious/hard to choose! – with their scrumptious bread and dessert and it’s FREE, thanks to Home and School. Just please get the slip back on Monday about your probable soup preference so we have plenty on hand. And the speaker . . . well, he certainly is one of Wisconsin’s best. We had him here a number of years ago and people loved him – felt bad for anyone who missed him. I know the public school is hoping to get him in the spring. My teachers, if and when they see him at a convention as one of the many possible workshop presenters they can choose, flock to him even if – especially if – they have heard him before. Dr. Gasser is truly entertaining – very practical – and really is a believer in the Love and Logic philosophy, principles, and techniques. Guaranteed – you’ll have a great evening. He’ll begin speaking about 6:15 while people are finishing up their dessert and coffee. All takes place in the Parish Center. We’ve invited St. Bernard School parents to join them so please make them feel welcome.

The families of all St. Henry School preschoolers (4K) through fifth graders are, in turn, invited to a special Friday nights sock hop there from 6-8 pm: “Under the Sea @ St. B’s.” I hope many of you can enjoy that. There will be a DJ, food games, raffle prizes, and the entrance fee is a whooping $3.00 per family!

The weekend ends with the eighth graders having a “Super Bowl after Masses Emil’s Pizzas Weekend Sale” on January 31 and February 1^st. They will be selling directly from their truck on the playground. If you buy frozen pizzas, please consider supporting this venture. They’re working hard to finance their big trip.

If you know anyone interested in attending our school next year, please remind them to inquire at the office about registration. We are such a good school – truly – and parents are always the best and most effective marketing agents. Know that we are counting on you! And God bless you for all you do on behalf of not only your own children but for all the school families and staff.

Just a few things going on!

Dates to Mark on Your Calendar

JANUARY

Friday 23 NO SCHOOL – Teacher workday

Sunday 25 Catholic Schools Week begins!

Special HASA School Families breakfast gathering in PC after 8:30 Mass

Monday 26 “Living Roots: A World of Music” assemblies in PC (St. Bernard School joining us; you’re welcome too!)

Watch for specific times in upcoming newsletter.

Tuesday 27 Grades 1-8 attend St. Bernard/St. Henry Band and Choir Concert at St. Bernard Church at 1:00 pm

Concert in the evening in St. Bernard Church at 6:30 pm

Wednesday 28 Grade Six fills liturgical roles at 8:15 Mass

Teachers arrange special activities in their classrooms in celebration of Catholic Schools Week

Thursday 29 Lego Engineering on-site field trips for K-8 classes; spread out for 2 days!

HASA Chili/Chicken Soup Supper and Speaker – details to follow next week.

Friday 30 Student Council Crazy Day

Report cards go home.

FEBRUARY

Sunday 01 New registrations for 2009-2010 should be in to get “privileged status” according to Education

Commission policy

Monday 02 Six Flags Six Hour Reading forms (K-6) must be turned in today.

Saturday 07 Bi-annual St. Henry Dinner Auction today. Set the evening aside!