NewsletterSchool_10_03

ebook History of Watertown, Wisconsin

St. Henry School Newsletter

October 3, 2008

“Lord God, heavenly king, almighty God and Father, . . .”

from the Gloria of the Mass

Tomorrow is the official feast day of St. Francis of Assisi. Some of you, I’m sure, will be attending today’s afternoon “Blessing of Pets” in his honor. I happened to catch a part of a program the other night about what a blessing the town of Assisi was to Jewish people fleeing Nazi persecution in the 1940’s. The bishop, the mayor and religious superiors in monasteries and convents in Assisi successfully hid a large number of people in those monasteries and convents during World War II despite great danger to themselves. None were lost. A number of these Catholic people were honored later by a grateful Jewish organization. St. Francis must have been pleased. God too! It also mentioned in this program that when Pope Pius XII spoke publicly against some the Nazi atrocities against the Jewish people in the early forties, the Nazi’s responded with roundups of thousands of Jews to concentration camps in reprisal. After happening twice, the Vatican felt that they had to work very quietly to aid in whatever way they could to help the persecuted. Such an evil and yet heroic time.

The next two weeks will find the children in grades 3, 5, 6, and 7 working occasionally on diocesan mandated Iowa Tests of Basic Skills. Teachers spread the tests out over a number of days so the youngsters don’t get too burned out, but they still are a challenge both physically and mentally. We are including a nice sheet with this week’s materials on tips for parents on how to help their children with test taking. It’s both in Spanish and English, a nice feature. Hopefully, you will find it useful. You will notice it that it refers to all kinds of test-taking so the topic covers more ground than just standardized test taking, but this seemed like a good time to send this home for your reading enjoyment.

Hopefully, many of you will be able to participate in some way in the Bike-a-Thon tomorrow to support our Josh O’Brien and his family. Looks like it’s going to be a nice autumn day. It begins at 10:00 am up at the High School. For all the work that went into it and because it’s a cause very dear to all our hearts, may it be a smashing success.

Also tomorrow morning the winners of the Athletic Association fund-raising raffle will be picked at the conclusion of the upper grade girls’ volleyball game in the Parish Center. I’m sure those lucky folks will be contacted by phone over the weekend. We’ll share their names here next week as well. THANK YOU, all who participated.

Finally a note from Brenda Linskens: “I just wanted to thank all of the people who helped at the Sock Hop this last Friday night. We had lots of fun dancing the night away. Thank you also, everyone who attended.” (And God bless you, Brenda and the Home and School Association, for all your work to provide this fun activity for so many. What a gift to have these parents who give so generously to provide extras for all our children.

Dates to Mark on Your Calendar

OCTOBER

Saturday 04 Joshua O’Brien Bike Rodeo Event, 10-2, High School

Athletic Assn. Raffle Drawing at Volleyball Tournament

Older parish youth (grades 6-8) invited to participate in

Scarecrow Activity at Fall Festival

Tuesday 07 Grade One field trip to Glacier Rock and Honey Acres

4K Preschool to the Fire House

Wednesday 08 Grade Two fills many liturgical roles at the 8:15 All School Mass

Friday 10 Mid-quarter reports go home.

Market Day

Open gym for Parish Youth in grades 6-12, 6:30 – 9:00

Monday 13 11:30 am early dismissal for all public and Catholic schools in the city.

Home and School Association meeting, BEGINS in cafeteria at 6:30 pm

for SMART BOARD presentation and then moves to rectory hall at

approximately 7:00 pm for rest of meeting.

Tuesday 14 Education Commission meeting, rectory hall, 6:30 pm

Wednesday 15 Grade Seven fills many liturgical roles at the 8:15 All School Mass

Friday 17 Grades Seven and Eight to Camp Gray for a retreat.

Kindergarten to Ebert’s for field trip.

Grade 5 to Golden Living in the afternoon.

Saturday 18 Bonfire and Hayride for Parish Youth (grades 6-12)

Monday 20 Book Fair week

Red Ribbon Week

Memory verse for October 6-10

“ . . . we worship you, we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory.” (from the “Gloria”)

Peace Prayer* of St. Francis of Assisi (c. 1182 – October 3, 1226)

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.

Where there is hatred . . . let me sow love.

Where there is injury . . . pardon.

Where there is doubt . . . faith.

Where there is despair . . . hope.

Where there is darkness . . . light.

And where there is sadness . . . joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek

To be consoled . . . as to console.

To be understood . . . as to understand.

To be loved . . . as to love

For it is in giving . . . that we receive.

It is in pardoning . . . that we are pardoned.

And it is in dying . . . that we are born to eternal life.

* Our fifth graders memorize this prayer during the school year. It’s a lovely one, worth having in one’s repertoire of memorized prayers!