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Set of weekly School Newsletters

St. Henry School Newsletter

May 22, 2009

“This is what the Lord asks of you, only this:

to act justly, to love tenderly, and to walk humbly with your God.”

St. Henry School’s Guiding Scripture from Micah 6: 8

The eighth grade trip to Notre Dame, Gettysburg, the National Shrine, Washington, D.C., Mount Vernon and Monticello was truly awesome. Thank you so much to all who made this trip possible in any way. The youngsters (and Mrs. Harms and I) will never forget it. This IS a great county in so many ways. Which, of course, leads us to wish you a lovely Memorial Weekend. While on the trip, seeing the many memorials at Gettysburg and D.C., it was brought home time and time again how much we owe to people who gave so much on behalf of all of us. May they truly rest in peace.

If you are a parent of any middle or high school students or ones in college for just a year or so – or possibly interested in going back to school yourself – we have a terrific opportunity for you to get valuable FREE advice this coming Tuesday evening in our Parish Center at 6:30 pm. American College Planners is a non-profit group whose mission is to give parents and students advice that even most high school guidance counselors either aren’t aware of or don’t have the time to share. These folks have NO connections with any colleges or loan companies but just want to help make more possible the choice of a college that best fits a person’s dreams with the least possible amount of money owed at the end of the experience. Please sign up for the evening at their website www.AmericanCollegePlanners.org so they will bring enough materials for all the participants. If you don’t have Internet access you could call their executive director, Anne Doyle, at 608-628-9909. We are grateful they are willing to come out here. Edgewood High School in Madison had them come out three times because the word spread how useful the information shared was.

Just so you won’t spend too many evenings home next week watching TV, we want to also invite you to a very important Diocesan Strategic School Planning meeting at St. Bernard School next Thursday between 6 and 8 pm. If you have been reading Diocesan Superintendent of Schools Michael Lancaster’s articles in the Catholic Herald you know what great work has been done so far in working to assure the vitality and affordability of Catholic grade and high school education for our children in the future. We have all been asked for our input. Next week is a time to do that. If you can’t make that meeting, there will be a similar one at St. Joe’s in Fort Atkinson on Tuesday, June 2, also between 6 and 8. No sign up necessary. Just come. Please!

In case you are wondering, the Parish Council directed that we continue to study in depth the feasibility of offering extended care here at St. Henry School for next year. If you didn’t respond to the survey sent out a few weeks ago but think you might make use of that if offered, please contact the office soon with that information. Those who responded with an indication of interest but didn’t give information regarding when you think you would need coverage and how often, you will probably be getting phone calls asking for that. We certainly will get information to those who expressed interest as soon as we know more but it may be mid summer before all decisions are made. But we will get information to you, one way or the other. In the meantime, if you need summer coverage, you do know that St. Bernard School does offer daycare for that.

We received a lovely gift the other day from Mr. Bud Gussel of Holiday Wholesale of Wisconsin Dells.

He is a patron of wildlife art and has been a supporter of the well known Wisconsin (and wider) artist, Owen J. Gromme. I noticed an article in Madison’s State Journal a number of weeks ago that he had an original painting of Gromme’s “Passenger Pigeon (Extinct)” and was willing to donate some prints of it to interested schools. Since Mr. Gussel was a friend of my parents for many years, I figured I had a shot at a “yes” to my request. Having connections worked. It has arrived. Mrs. Kemp, our art teacher, is so pleased to have it in our art appreciation collection. The fourth graders just learned about the disappearance of the passenger pigeon in their Wisconsin studies last week– so talk about good timing.

Today you should be receiving the copy of the contracts for K-8 families for 2009-2010. Sure would appreciate your reading them through, filling in the needed information, and returning them Tuesday. Thank you.

Next week we will be sending home a request for some help with the St. Henry/St. Bernard picnic the last afternoon of school on Friday, June 5th. We are hoping for at least 12 parent helpers. More would be fine. Thought I’d let you know now in case you wanted to do some shuffling at work. I’m guessing, in order to eat with us, you might want to be free from 11:30 on. Mrs. Poth, St. B’s phy ed (retiring) teacher who is organizing the activities, did write that she would need all the volunteers by 12:30. More info coming.

We still have a few volunteer openings for next year’s HASA. We need a treasurer (Judy Cole promises to give good training), and representatives for next year’s fourth grade and 4K. Those who haven’t taken a turn yet on one of our committees like HASA or Ed. Commission or Athletics, here’s your opportunity to contribute your share.

Dates to Mark on Your Calendar

MAY

Saturday 23 Fr. Brian’s sixth anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood

Monday 25 NO SCHOOL – Memorial Day

Tuesday 26 FREE College Planning meeting in P.C. at 6:30, recommended for middle and high school parents and

Students

Wednesday 27 May Crowning after 8:15 Mass – Second Graders do the honors, wearing their First Communion clothes.

Grade 2 to Golden Living after Mass to visit residents and bring them flowers.

Grades 1 and 2 on field trip to Ebert’s Garden in the late morning and afternoon.

Thursday 28 Diocesan School Strategic Planning meeting at St. Bernard School from 6-8 pm. All parishioners

interested in the future flourishing of Catholic schools invited to the discussion.

DARE Graduation for the Fifth Graders at the High School, 7 pm.

Friday 29 4 K (preschool) children to the public library for a field trip this morning.

All AR points for fourth quarter (4-8) must be earned by today.

Saturday 30 Last day for getting any registrations done for public school’s summer school.

Madison’s Diocesan Choir here for 4:30 Mass and concert in church at 7 pm.

JUNE

Tuesday 02 Grades 1 and 2 visit the public library in the afternoon.

Wednesday 03 St. Henry/St. Bernard’s Play Group meets in the PC from 9:30 – 11:00 am

4K families have a picnic at Riverside Park from 5-7 pm.

Athletic Association mtg. at 6:30 pm in the computer lab.

Thursday 04 Eighth Grade Graduation, 7 pm, St. Henry Church followed by

reception hosted by Grade Seven in the Parish Center

Friday 05 Last school day of the 2008-2009 school year for St. Henry and St. Bernard Schools

Grade Six will fill liturgical roles at the 8:15 All School Mass.

School awards assembly to follow shortly after in the PC.

Joint St.Henry/St. Bernard cook out lunch (weather permitting) at Lincoln Park

followed with games for K-7. Dismissal from the park at 2:55! School bus will pick up there.

Sunday 14 Obligatory for any school or parish volunteer: “Protecting God’s Children” workshop, at Christ United

Methodist Church, 7 pm. (Usually lasts about 2 hours.) Please sign up at Virtus.org. Look for Diocese

of Madison. It’s at the Methodist Church this year because of the ecumenical Vacation Bible School.

Mon-Thur 15-18 Sports Life Camp (Vacation Bible School); contact Mr. Weissenborn at 261-7273.

Tuesday 30 All 2008-09 tuition obligations need to be fulfilled by this date, including un-served service hours tuition.

JULY

All month For those who pay the 2009-2010 tuition in full – it is due into the school office by the end of this month.

AUGUST

Saturday 22 Home and School Association “Back to School Family Picnic” after the 4:00 pm Mass.

Back-to-school packets will be available in the back of church after all weekend Masses.

SEPTEMBER

Tuesday 01 First day of school year 2009-2010