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Set of weekly School Newsletters

St. Henry School Newsletter

February 8, 2008

“Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness.

In the greatness of your compassion,

wipe out my offense.” Psalm 51: 3

Lent is upon us! A special time of the year for all sorts of growth. You probably read about many of the ways the teachers encourage the youngsters spiritually during this season in one of the articles in the recent parish Bellringer mailed to all your homes. The memory verses during Lent will all be from Psalm 51, one of the great repentance psalms – a beautiful prayer of contrition, humility, and confidence in God’s mercy and saving grace. We hear parts of it all year long, but especially during Lent. It’s often called “The Miserere,” and the Bible itself states that it is a “a psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came to him after his sin with Bathsheba.” Adults, to read the background to THAT statement, look up the Second Book of Samuel in the Old Testament and read chapters 11 and 12. It is a fascinating piece of Biblical history, and it makes you realize that Jesus had quite an ancestor in King David!

On Tuesday Father Brian spoke with the youngsters about the meaning, the gestures, the vessels, and the vestments used in the beautiful devotion our Bishop Morlino calls “the Mass in Meditation,” the Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. During Lent, instead of just during the morning of each First Friday, our parish will have this privilege every Friday morning. Teachers will see that their classes have a chance to pray before the Lord a number of times during Lent, and they really appreciated Father speaking with the children about it so their visits will be a more meaningful experience.

The youngsters heard a presentation on Monday by a truly great human being from India who is one of the founders of an organization called Prerana. As its brochure relates, it “is a civil society organization that has pioneered several pathbreaking interventions” to combat the horrible abuse and exploitation of desperately poor children and women in India. The youngsters heard about children like themselves being forced to work sixteen and eighteen hours a day, with no breaks and for the pay of one meal at day’s end. What cruelty is perpetuated for the sake of greed! No wonder Prerana has earned recognition from around the world and is supported by numerous sponsors like our own Catholic Relief Services, the Global Fund for Children and the US State Department.

Just a reminder for everyone to not overlook the Box Tops for Education label you see on many products you use often during your week. Please take the time to tear those off the packaging and send them periodically to school. Last year that program alone netted over $1100 for the Home and School Association. The price is right: a couple of seconds of your time to retrieve the symbol.

Speaking of HASA, there is a meeting Monday the 11th at 6:30. Attendance is always counted as valid for service hours, and any HASA member at a meeting is automatically a voting member. The more input, the better!

Seventh and eighth grade parents, please look for a little leaflet in your family folder today. Mrs. Oestreicher is doing some education with the older children in her music classes on the ethics of downloading music over the Internet. The material she has included for you parents summarizes the main points of that presentation but also includes an “Internet Safety Checklist: Keep Your Family Safe Online” that you will most likely find worthwhile. Have a good weekend and God bless.

FOURTH GRADERS IN THE NEWS

Greetings! What a couple of weeks we have had!

We are having quite the start for third quarter. We are still working on multiplying two digit numbers by bigger digits. So please keep working on those math facts. Next, we will be starting long division.

We are looking at different ways animal are classified and what the major groups are. What is the purpose of the backbone? The answer to that will soon be known by fourth graders, if they haven’t discovered it already. They need to be ready for a science test soon.

We have just finished reading one of our fourth grade literature books From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E Frankweiler, by E.L. Konigsburg. This was a great read and comes highly recommended by the fourth graders. It spurred a lot of serious discussion. Does having a secret make you special? What would you do to have your plan work out? What length would you go to in order to have someone remember you?

Have a great weekend!

Mrs. Anderson

BOWLING WITH ST. BERNARDS KIDS WAS FUN

With our basketball unit winding down we took a couple of days to relax, and went bowling in gym class. All classes got a chance to fine-tune their bowling skills, using plastic bowling balls and pins. It was a good introduction for some and a great warm-up for others before the fun bowling day with the St. Bernard students down at Watertown Bowl 18.

We have now changed directions and have started up our badminton unit. The younger students will work on the basic skills like serving and hitting over and underhand shots, while the older students develop their skills in some fun one on one and partner games of badminton.

Mr. Messmann

Dates to Mark on Your Calendar

FEBRUARY

Sunday 10 Second Graders and Families attend 8:30 am Mass followed by breakfast in cafeteria.

Monday 11 HASA meeting, 6:30 pm in Rectory Hall

Tuesday 12 Special Magician Jim Mitchell writing presentation for grades K-5; 9:00 – 9:45 am

in PC. Education Commission, 6:30 pm in Rectory Hall

Wednesday 13 Grade One students fill some liturgical roles at 8:15 am Mass

Dress in Honor of St. Henry Day

Band/choir dress rehearsal for students in PC

Thursday 14 St. Henry/St.Bernard Choir and Band Concert; here at St. Henry; 6:30 pm

Friday 15 Stations (Way of the Cross) devotion in church, 2:30 pm for Grades 1-8

Market Day

Monday 18 Grade 8 students to Golden Living 12:45 to play “Do You Know Your Presidents” with residents

Wednesday 20 Grade Eight students fill liturgical roles at 8:15 Mass

Morning retreat for grades five and six at St. Henry in AM with Camp Gray personnel

Thursday 21 First set of third quarter AR points due today for grades 4-8

Grades 1-4 attend Maranatha College’s “Young People’s Concert in the afternoon

Friday 22 NO SCHOOL (Same as Watertown Public Schools)

Monday 25 First Communion orders due in to the Religious Education Office

Thursday 28 SET ASIDE NOW! St. Henry HASA PARENTS ONLY Free Homemade Chili or Soup Supper

with “hotlunchmade” Italian bread, drinks, and brownies. In PC Serving 5:45 --6:15 pm

Speaker will start after most served. Topic: Common Sense Approach to Discipline at Both

Home and School. Presenter former teacher, principal, superintendent William Anderson.

Friday 29 Stations (Way of the Cross) devotion in church, 2:30 pm for Grades 1-8

Mid-quarter progress reports go home.

HASA sponsored “Open Gym,” 6:30 – 8:00 pm

MARCH

Saturday 01 School Children’s Cantor Choir lead congregation at 4:30 pm Mass

Monday 03 NO SCHOOL -- Staff Development Day (Same as Watertown Public Schools)

Memory verse for week of February 11-15

“Thoroughly wash me from my guilt and of my sin cleanse me.” (continued from last week ) Psalm 51: 4

Mt. Olympus (Treasure Island)

Reminder: Have you made your reservations for Mt. Olympus (Treasure Island) for St. Henry School Families Dells Weekend of May 16-18? Call 800-800-4997 and ask for Beth at extension 601. See October 5 newsletter. Available in school section of parish website: sainthenryparish.org