November 1, 2005

Dear Parents and Guardians;

Today and tomorrow are special days of remembrance in the Catholic tradition and in other Christian churches. The Feast of All Saints (today) and the Feast of All Souls (Nov. 2nd) are days on which we remember those who have gone before us in faith. We reflect on their lives and ask God's help that we, too, might live lives of goodness. These feasts take on a special meaning this year. In the last weeks we have witnessed the actions of "living saints" -- those who have given of their talent, time and treasure to be with us and help us. May we reflect on the lives of these "saints" as well as in the coming days.

Thank you , thank you for ALL that you did to make our Halloween Carnival such a success! What a wonderful time of gathering, talking, eating and enjoying one another's company. I think we were all pleasantly surprised at the crowd! We are so appreciative of those who helped to make it possible -- our own parents/friends of the school and the many others around the country who supplied cakes, treats, decorations, costumes and prayerful support. It felt so good to gather and celebrate!

Report cards for the first marking period will be sent home next Tuesday for students in Kindergarten through Grade 6. Because so many families are still displaced and travel and childcare are still so difficult for many, we will hold formal  report card conferences following the end of the semester (early January.) However, if you would like to meet with your child's teacher at this time, simply send a note and she will arrange a time that is convenient for both of you.

You may notice that several activities are beginning to appear back on our school calendar. Mrs. Nanette Burke has begun the school choir (open to students in grades 3-6) and our Cub Scouts are back in session as well. We appreciate the efforts that these adults are making to provide these programs for the children. Please call the school office for further information.

Lunches for the month of November continue to be free of charge under the guidelines of our Federal Government. However, please return the completed Federal Lunch Program application if you have not already done so. That application not only qualifies families for free and reduced lunches (beginning December 1st) but also determines the amount of federal funds that are available to our school through other programs. You will notice that there is no separate lunch menu in this month's packet. Our cafeteria staff is making wonderful use of donated items and so advance planning of a menu is difficult. However, menu items are listed on the events calendar for the first few days of the month.

Our school and its surroundings are gradually returning to "pre-Katrina" days. We will continue to use the door by the office as our drop-off/pick-up point until we are directed to use a different traffic pattern. Like you, we are dealing with insurance adjusters and repair schedules. We are so fortunate that we can really work around most of the damage to our school. Of course we miss the use of our gym but hope to reclaim a portion of it so that we can use it on rainy/cold days.

If you know of anyone who may be interested in purchasing the school bus located at the north end of our playground, please contact me. I am sure the price will be right!

WATCH FOR A SPECIAL INVITATION -- JUST FOR PARENTS/GUARDIANS!  We are planning a special event just for you on Friday evening, December 2nd and /or Saturday morning, December 3rd. A special letter will be sent out to you this week with further details!

People all over the country have been incredibly generous to us. Useful items, monetary donations and prayers have been showered upon us. An up-to-date list of the donors may be found on our school's website. If you haven't visited the Resource Room, please plan to do so! Each day, as we conclude our morning prayer, we pray for "those who are so good to us and so good to our school."

Thank you for all of your help and support these last weeks. Despite your own personal challenges, you have ensured that your child has come to school prepared and ready to learn. I am so proud of our students and our staff members and the ways in which they have worked together during these weeks. May God continue to be with us and bless us as we continue our journey together.

/s Sister Mary Jo