October 3, 2005

Dear Parents and Guardians,

You would be so proud of the children! They have adapted so well to coming back to school. They have worked very hard, have adjusted to the changes in their schedule and locations of their activities and have tried to do their very best. It is amazing to see staff members and students in action during the school day. You almost forget the events of the past month. Our staff has done an outstanding job in trying to respond to the children and to their needs. Please let us know how we might help you with your child.

Our October calendar is rather sketchy, to say the least. Other than Band/Violin lessons and Spanish classes, we have not begun any of our after school activities. Parent meetings for the Sacramental Programs have been postponed for a few weeks to give everyone a little more time to get situated. We will continue not assigning homework and/or special projects at least for the next few weeks. If you are comparing the original school calendar to the October calendar you will notice that the end of the first quarter has been moved to later in the month and report card conferences are postponed until after the end of the quarter. Finally, we are still awaiting word from the State Department regarding make-up days.

Once city streets are cleared more of debris and traffic patterns settle down, we will resume our custom of having one class a week walk to the Cathedral (Marian Chapel) for morning Mass. Also, later in the year, we will schedule a monthly school Mass at the Cathedral. For the time being, we will not be able to use our school gym for prayer and assemblies due to hurricane damage.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS! Our annual Nativity BVM Halloween Carnival is set for Saturday, October 22 from 4:004:00 p.m. on our school grounds. We just could not cancel this traditional event. It will be a time for children and adults to gather, talk, enjoy some food and have some fin. We will have some of our traditional game booths, including the Cakewalk One new booth this year will be a COSTUME BOOTH. People from many places have agreed to donate costumes and costume items so that you can outfit yourself or your child right at the Carnival (at no cost to you!) Kelly McGill and the NPA officers will be sending out a note in the next few days inviting you to participate in some way if you are able. I understand that Mercy Cross High School has rescheduled its Homecoming weekend to the same weekend. Hopefully, you will be able to enjoy both events!

If you haven’t had the opportunity to stop in and “shop” in our Resource Room please try to do so. People from all over the country have sent clothes, toys, shoes, bedding, school supplies, household items, toiletries and much more to help us out at this time. Several staff members, parents and friends have kept the room (and hallway) organized so that you can find items that you can use. Truly, something new arrives nearly every day! We plan to keep this room going for as long as is necessary. We are grateful to our friends in California, Florida, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin for their generosity.

The Nativity BVM School Katrina Relief Fund continues to grow thanks to the generous donations that we have received from all over the country and Canada. The fund will be used to assist you with any family needs, for tuition assistance for those in need and for needs of the school. Please contact me if you would like to apply for help from this fund. We thank our generous donors from California, Florida, Ohio, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia and Canada for their help to us.

Please consider joining us for prayer on Tuesday morning, October 4th at 8:30 a.m. We celebrate the Feast of St. Francis with a brief prayer service held in our “southern playground” (the previous Chamber of Commerce parking lot). Mrs. Lyons and her class along with Ms. Jackie/Ms. Jenny and their preschool class will lead the prayer service.
Little did we know on August 11 that our school year would develop in this way. Our school theme: “Come follow me” has challenged us to follow Jesus despite the difficulties and heart ache. We have felt the love, compassion and support of so many from around the world as we have made this journey of faith. May we continue to hold one another in prayer throughout this new month. God bless!

/s Sister Mary Jo