May 1, 2006
Dear Parents and Guardians,
Can you believe that this is the last month of school? What a year we have had! Our invitational to "Come, follow Me" has certainly taken on so many different meanings throughout this past year. How challenged we have been and how blessed we have been!
It is amazing to me how donations continue to arrive here at Nativity School. So many people around the country continue to hold us in prayer and help us with practical, every day items. A semi truck loaded with household items, cloths, shoes and toys arrived the afternoon of Holy Thursday from St. Joseph School, just outside of Detroit. If you haven't come to shop recently, you may wish to do so! We have received items, gift cards and donations from former families who now live in New Hampshire, Virginia and Florida and friends of the school who live in Ohio. We also received a "basket of prayers" from Resurrection School/Parish in Evansville, Indiana. Please feel free to invite your friends, family members and neighbors to visit our "Resource Room" and school day during our regular hours of operations.
The good news continues! Our school has been selected to participate in the Cities United for Science Experience (CUSP) on Thursday, May 4th. The experience, co-sponsored by Dupont Corporation and the United States Council of Mayors, has been in schools across the country for the last five years. Third and fourth grade students will participate in this hands on opportunity to learn more about science and cooperative learning techniques. We are grateful to our mayor, Mayor AJ Holloway, for encouraging our participation in this event and for planning to be present with our children for some science fun.
PLEASE REVIEW THE MAY CALENDAR CAREFULLY. Due to Hurricane Katrina, our final day of school has been moved to Friday, May 26th (instead of the previously scheduled May 25th). Because of this, our PreSchool/Kindergarten celebration will be on Wednesday and our Sixth Grade celebration on Thursday. Families with children in those grades will receive more specific information about those particular events.
You will notice that the annual Diocesan Track Meet, sponsored by Nativity School, will be held on a MONDAY evening. We have had to do this because of the involvement of so many students in weekend sports activities/tournaments and because of the high school track schedules. Our track meet has had a long tradition and we felt that we would rather change the day of the event than eliminate it altogether. We are grateful to the Biloxi City Schools for allowing us to use their facility for the meet. As always, we will need help with the various aspects of the meet. Please let Coach know if you are interesting in helping.
Registration for our next school year is continuing. If you have not completed and returned your forms please do so as soon as possible. We have one class of each grade for the 2006-2007 school year (our 50th year!) and so space is limited. If you are aware of a family who is considering enrolling children in our school, please have them contact me as soon as possible.
Several months ago we announced that we, along with the other nonpublic schools, were receiving a large amount of federal "restart" funds to use in our rebuilding efforts. Unfortunately, we have still been unable to spend these funds because of questions/concerns that have been raised about the procedures and actual use of these funds by nonpublic schools. We hope that this will be resolved shortly so that we can take advantage of this one time benefit. We have received, however, word that our school will receive a substantial amount of insurance money. This money will allow us to continue to do some of the refurbishing that we had hoped to do for so many years. Work continues on the restoration of the gym...if you haven't taken a peek recently, you need to do so! It is looking so beautiful!
Each day is certainly a challenge but it is also an opportunity to see God's presence in others and in our world around us. Knowing that you are remembered in prayer each day by the children and staff of our school. May God continue to bless you very specially.
/s Sister Mary Jo