IMPORTANT REMINDERS!!!

1) Tuition agreements for the 2012-2013 school year were due last Friday.  Please submit your agreements A.S.A.P. to help us in our planning.

2) Financial Aid applications should be completed no later than May 15th – next Tuesday. Please make sure to give yourself enough time to complete all components of the application.

3) Have you heard our exciting plans for next year?  If you did not attend our information session(s) and you have chosen to enroll your child in another school, please contact the school to find out the whole story before making your decision.  Multiage philosophy and practice is so much more than “combining grades.”

4) Just a friendly reminder that when there is rainy weather during morning drop off, you may pull around to the school entrance to off-load your precious cargo.

CONGRATULATIONS 2nd GRADERS!

On Saturday, May 5th, we celebrated with our 2nd Grade students their First Holy Communion.  They were lovely in their white dresses and suits.  Thank you to Mrs. Lynch who is charged with the task of making sure they’re properly catechized for this very important sacrament.

CHESS CLUB

Thanks to the generosity of Mr. O’Connell, we will be offering students in grades 3-6 the opportunity to learn and hone their chess-playing skills.  If your child is interest in participating in this exciting club, please email me directly.  We would like to know how many students will be coming so that we may plan accordingly.

Chess Club will be held on Wednesdays from 3-4 p.m.  They will meet on 5/16, 5/23, 5/30, 6/6, 6/13.  Students should plan to attend each week in order to get the most from the experience.  The last two weeks will be a tournament.

Students who do not regularly attend ASG who wish to attend Chess Club may attend ASG on Wednesdays until 3 p.m. at no cost – provided they are promptly picked up at 4 p.m. from Chess Club.  If students are collected after 4 p.m., the daily rate for ASG will be charged to your account.

WALKATHON

Each student was given a packet of information regarding our Walkathon to be held Friday, June 1st.  We are asking each family to band together as a TEAM and help us raise money for our school.  There are many opportunities to win prizes.  For more information, please refer to the packet that was sent home, or you may visit the Walkathon Page on our website.

2012-2013 PLANS & CHANGES

Calendar:

• Our school calendar has been approved by the School Office at the Diocese.  You may download your copy 2012-2013 Academic Calendar (9).
• Please note that our 1st day of school will be Monday, August 27th.  It will be an early release day.

School Day:

• After consulting with returning parents, Litchfield SAU and the bus company, we’ve decided to amend our hours of operation to allow for more instructional time while continuing to offer Litchfield residents the option of bus transportation.
• We will continue to offer before school care from 7 – 7:30 a.m.  Regular supervision will begin at 7:30 a.m.
• The school day will begin at 7:55 a.m.  A bell will ring at 7:50 a.m. to allow students time to gather their belongings and process into the building.
• Students will be dismissed to their vehicles at 2:25 p.m.  Bus riders will wait their bus in the gathering space of the church.

Extended Care Option (ASG and Before School Care)

• We are revising the policies and fees for these programs.  More information will be coming in the next few weeks.
• We will still be offering coverage for 7-7:30 a.m. and 2:30 – 5:45 p.m.

IMPORTANT DATES

5/19 – Touch A Truck – Family Fun Day from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
5/22 – Spring Concert at 6 p.m.
5/29-6/1 – Spirit Week
6/1 –  WALKATHON – 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
6/1 – Nuttin’ But Good Times Family Night
6/7 – Talent Show – 6 p.m.
6/12 – Field Day
6/14 – 6th Grade Promotion
6/18 – Last Day !

PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE

Thank you to all the families who showed up in support of our school at last night’s State of the School Follow Up meeting.  We are looking forward to great things and a bright future here at St. Francis of Assisi.  With all of us working together, we can really make our school shine.  If you are interested in the information shared at the meeting, there will be an email summary and presentation link sent out to our current and incoming families.

May is a busy month, and before you know it, we will be at the end of our school year.  Please take time to read all of the information sent to you through your children’s white envelopes, emails, and web updates.  There are several important events that will be taking place over the next six weeks…SIX WEEKS…that’s what I said!  Can you believe it?

We have several opportunities coming up which will require extra hands.  Please consider making yourself available for some of these special events.  More information will be sent home in the next couple weeks.

Have a Great Week!

WALKATHON

We must have a fundraiser before the end of the year to assist us with budget relief.  This will be the second fundraiser that the school is sponsoring specifically for our operating expenses.  The other fundraisers that you have taken part in through the year have been for PAC and the wonderful programs they provide for our students and families.

We need 100% support to make this a successful fundraiser for our school.  My hope is that every child and family will participate to the best of their ability to pull together for the sake of our school.  By next Tuesday you will be receiving a packet of information with details regarding how the Walkathon will be run.  While you are waiting for your packet of information, please be thinking of extended family members, neighbors and friends who might be willing to support your participation in the Walkathon.

TOUCH A TRUCK

Please spread the word in your community about this exciting event scheduled for May 19th.  It will be a family-friendly festival experience.  Children of all ages will enjoy what we have to offer at this event.  If you know that you will be available for this event, please contact Christina Garand to let her know you are available to help.

UNIFORM SWAP

Have you any gently used uniforms that don’t quite fit anymore? Now is the perfect time to clean out the closets and see what items can be donated back to the school for our Uniform Swap.  Please send your good-condition, clean uniforms in to school between now and the end of the year.  We hope to continue our service of having used uniforms available for purchase or donation available to all of our families.

IMPORTANT DATES

5/5 – 2nd Grade 1st Communion at 5:30 p.m.
5/19 – Touch A Truck Family Fun Day at 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
5/22 – Spring Concert at 6 p.m.
5/29-6/1 – Spirit Week – Special themes for each day.
6/1 – Nuttin’ But Good Times Family Night
6/7 – Talent Show at 6 p.m.
6/12 – Field Day
6/14 – 6th Grade Promotion
6/18 – Last Day!!!

PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE

We are cruising to the end of April.  When we come back from vacation, we’ll be in the home stretch before summer vacation.  I pray that you all enjoy a restful and relaxing vacation next week.  Many of us will be traveling, so please be careful and come back to us safely!

Even though we can see summer peeking around the corner, there is still much to be done before we break for vacation.  Please take note of the many opportunities we will have for you to contribute your time and talent to the school.  We hope that the months of May and June will bring us closer together and further along our path to creating a new and vibrant school community.

Have a great week and a fantastic vacation!

WEEK IN REVIEW

Last week was a busy one for us.  Starting with Grandparent’s Day on Monday through to Family Game Night on Friday, we kept everyone hopping all week long.

I would like to extend a special THANK YOU to parents, faculty and staff who worked so hard behind the scenes to make these events run smoothly.

Grandparent’s Day wouldn’t have been as successful as it was if it weren’t for Mrs. Chalifour and her team of helpers who managed the refreshments after Mass.   Thank you to all the parents who went out of their way to set up, serve, and clean up the breakfast.

Family Game Night wouldn’t have happened at all if it weren’t for the effort of the Blais family. We had a great turnout and lots of fun was had by all.  I hope that we can make family nights happen more regularly.  It’s so nice to be together just to have some fun!

St. Francis of Assisi School is more than just a place to educate your child, it is also a great place to connect with one another and build lasting friendships in an environment supportive of the Catholic values we strive to uphold in our lives.  Thanks to all of you who make this a great place to be.

WEEKS AHEAD

We have some important events coming up that need your attention:

• Friday, April 20th – Earth Day
• Please watch for information from your child’s teacher regarding appropriate dress and items that should be brought from home.
• Tuesday, May 1st – 6pm –  Information Night re: 2012-2013 School year
• Please plan to attend this information night – a follow up to the State of the School presentation in January.
• Saturday, May 19th – Touch A Truck Event – 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
• Spread the word…this is a great opportunity to have a great time and fundraise for the school.
• Friday, June 1st – Walkathon – 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
• Sponsor forms and more information will be presented on Tuesday, May 1st at the parent information night.

6th Grade Wax Museum – April 19, 2012;

Little Ninja White Belt Ceremony – April 14, 2012;

Family Game Night – April 13, 2012;

Mrs. B’s Birthday Celebration – April 3, 2012;

PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE

Happy Easter!  We had a beautiful flower-filled church to greet our Grandparents and Special Friends on Monday morning.  We were amazed by the great turn-out and it seems that everyone really enjoyed their time with their grandparents.  Thank you for helping make this a special day for everyone.

This Friday, please plan to join us at school for our Family Game Night.  The games begin at 6 p.m. and we’ll play till 8 p.m.  We hope you make time out of your busy schedules to spend quality time with one another at this fun event.

I hope everyone had a beautiful Easter weekend.  Remember, April Vacation is just around the corner!

Have A Great Week!

“Like” us on Facebook and stay connected!

Family Game Night – April 13th – 6 p.m.

Join us for an exciting evening on Friday, April 13th for Family Game Night.  Learn new and exciting games to enjoy with one another.  Invite your friends, neighbors and family to this low-key, enjoyable evening.

Important Dates

4/11 – No School – Teacher Inservice
4/13 – Family Game Night – 6 p.m.
4/14 – Little Ninja Graduation – @ Granite State American Kenpo 1:30-2:30
4/23-27 – April Vacation!

Prayer Opportunity

Don’t miss out on an opportunity to pray for our school.  Each Friday morning we gather in the church to pray a rosary for the school.  Please join us after drop-off.

PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE

Thank you to all the families who attended the Raising Responsible Children workshop given by Jack Agati last week.  Thanks to your support we were able to raise money for our cafeteria program.  Additionally, we all can benefit from the wisdom that Mr. Agati imparted to us.  For those who were unable to attend the workshop, please consider purchasing the comprehensive CD set from Jack Agati’s website.

I would also like to thank you for being so accommodating last week with the PSNH transformer upgrade.  I know how difficult it can be to coordinate childcare coverage for early release days, and it becomes even more challenging when the date of the early release changes unexpectedly.  Thank you for making last Friday run smoothly for all of us by picking up your child(ren) promptly.

This week is Holy Week, the most somber time in our church calendar.  During this week we recall the amazing sacrifice Jesus made for us so that we might have eternal life.  Each week during Lent we have gathered as a school community to reflect upon this season and to examine our own lives for ways in which we can draw closer to Christ.   I pray that your family has taken the time this Lent to prepare for the Easter celebration.

Thursday night begins the Sacred Triduum with a special Mass commemorating the institution of the priesthood.  Good Friday is the only day in the liturgical year during which no Mass is celebrated – instead we have the opportunity to gather as a community and venerate the cross, pray for our world and receive communion.  Saturday night is the Easter Vigil when we welcome those who will be receiving the sacraments of baptism, confirmation and holy communion.  I pray that we all have meaningful and memorable experiences this Holy Week and Easter.

Please see below for more important information.

Have a great week!

“Like” us on Facebook and stay connected! - See pictures from today’s celebration.

Pennies for Patients

Information was sent home last week regarding our Lenten fund drive.  Please send in your pennies for the Pennies for Patients drive by this Thursday before Easter. Thank you for your generosity!

Grandparent’s Day

Grandparents and Special Friends are invited to join us on Monday, April 9th for the 8:15   a.m. Mass with a continental breakfast and visit to the classrooms immediately following.  In order to help us prepare, please R.S.V.P. to your child’s teacher or the office by this Thursday.

Family Game Night – April 13th

Join us for an exciting evening on Friday, April 13th for Family Game Night.  Learn new and exciting games to enjoy with one another.  Invite your friends, neighbors and family to this low-key, enjoyable evening.

Please see the flyer in this Tuesday’s envelope for more information.

Why I Love St. Francis of Assisi School…

Have you benefitted from the education your family has received at St. Francis?  Are you willing to write a blurb about why you choose St. Francis of Assisi School to educate your child(ren)?

We are working to promote our school to families like you who may not be aware of all that St. Francis of Assisi School has to offer.  We would like your help in creating that message.  We will use your blurb(s) on our website and other promotional materials to share the gift we have in our school with others.  Blurbs may be short (a sentence) or long.  How or if you are identified is up to you.  By default, we will identify the writer in a generic fashion, such as “G.M. – parent of a pre-k student” If you have a preference on how you are identified, or if you would like to remain completely anonymous, please let us know.  You may send your blurbs electronically to principal@stfrancisschoolnh.org.

We appreciate any help you can give us in this matter.  Thank you for helping make St. Francis of Assisi School a great place to be.

Important Dates

4/3 – 3rd Quarter Report Cards Distributed; Mrs. B’s Birthday Celebration
4/4 – Wednesday – School Mass at 8:15 a.m.  Dress Uniforms
4/6 – Good Friday – No School
4/9 – Grandparent’s Day – Mass at 8:15 a.m. (Dress Uniforms)
4/11 – No School – Teacher Inservice
4/13 – Family Game Night – 6 p.m.
4/14 – Little Ninja Graduation – @ Granite State American Kenpo 1:30-2:30
4/23-27 – April Vacation!

Prayer Opportunity

Don’t miss out on an opportunity to pray for our school.  Each Friday morning we gather in the church to pray a rosary for the school.  Please join us after drop-off.

PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE

Our third quarter will be ending next week and then we begin our final grading period of the year.  Where has the time gone?  I guess time flies when you’re having fun!

We have a busy end to the month coming up.  Our students in grades 2-6 will be taking the Terra Nova tests during the last week of March.  We will be hosting a guest speaker on Tuesday, March 27th to speak to us about raising responsible children.  On Wednesday, March 28th or Thursday, March 29th (depending upon weather) we will be having an early release at 11:30 to allow PSNH to upgrade our transformer.  You should have received information flyers in your Tuesday envelopes regarding the workshop and early release.

Another reason March is so busy is that we are in our “crunch time” with our budgeting process with the diocese.  We are hoping to have an education plan and tuition rate for you within the next two weeks so that we can move forward into the next academic year!  Please keep us in prayer through this process.

Please see below for more important information.

Have a great week!

“Like” us on Facebook and stay connected!

Raising Responsible Children

DON’T MISS THIS VALUABLE AND INFORMATIVE EVENING! RSVP FOR BABYSITTING!

On Tuesday, March 27th from 6-7:30 p.m. you are invited to attend an entertaining and informative talk with guest presenter, Jack Agati.  We are very pleased to offer this opportunity to parents, caretakers, teachers, babysitters and anyone who works with children.

Please spread the word your neighbors, friends and family – anyone you think might benefit from this evening.

Why I Love St. Francis of Assisi School…

Have you benefitted from the education your family has received at St. Francis?  Are you willing to write a blurb about why you choose St. Francis of Assisi School to educate your child(ren)?

We are working to promote our school to families like you who may not be aware of all that St. Francis of Assisi School has to offer.  We would like your help in creating that message.  We will use your blurb(s) on our website and other promotional materials to share the gift we have in our school with others.  Blurbs may be short (a sentence) or long.  How or if you are identified is up to you.  By default, we will identify the writer in a generic fashion, such as “G.M. – parent of a pre-k student” If you have a preference on how you are identified, or if you would like to remain completely anonymous, please let us know.  You may send your blurbs electronically to principal@stfrancisschoolnh.org.

We appreciate any help you can give us in this matter.  Thank you for helping make St. Francis of Assisi School a great place to be.

Important Dates

3/15 – Mass (offered for the Knights of Columbus) – Dress Uniforms
3/16 – $1 Non-Uniform Day (Wear your green for St. Paddy’s Day!); PSNH Presentation to grades 2-4
3/20 & 21 – Family Fun Day / Touch A Truck Organizational meeting
3/22 – Mass (offered for the intentions of Fr. Ray) – Dress Uniforms
3/26-30 – Terra Nova Testing
3/27 – Raising Responsible Children 6-7:30 p.m.
3/28 OR 29 – Early Release at 11:30 a.m. due to PSNH upgrade
3/16, 23, 30 – Little Ninjas for 3 & 4 year-olds
4/3 – 3rd Quarter Report Cards Distributed
4/11 – No School – Teacher Inservice

Prayer Opportunity

Don’t miss out on an opportunity to pray for our school.  Each Friday morning we gather in the church to pray a rosary for the school.  Please join us after drop-off.

PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE

Dear Families,

Welcome back from February Vacation! I hope that everyone took the time to rest and relax.  Lucky for us, the snowstorm didn’t impact our school day count, so we are still on track to end school on June 20th as long as the weather holds out.

I’m looking at the calendar and can hardly believe that we are already at the beginning of March.  Our school year seems to be flying by!  This month we have a very special event planned for parents.  Please see below for details regarding an entertaining and informative evening with guest speaker, Jack Agati.

Our students and teachers returned to school this week to see our conference room transformed into a chapel.  Our parish is upgrading the flooring of the sanctuary.  This 3-week process began during our vacation week and have continues into this week.  The first week our halls were packed with pews.  Thankfully, they no longer need to use our space to store pews, but we do have to work around daily Mass.  Due to the fact that the chapel can only seat about 24 adults, our school will not be able to attend Mass on Thursday as we normally do.  Therefore, students may wear regular uniforms instead of dress uniforms this week.

Finally, now that we have returned from break, we will begin a weekly prayer service with the school to help us get into the mindset of Lent.  The students will be encouraged to find ways that they can grow closer to Christ in preparation for the Easter celebration.

Have a great week!

Raising Responsible Children

On Tuesday, March 27th from 6-7:30 p.m. you are invited to attend an entertaining and informative talk with guest presenter, Jack Agati.  We are very pleased to offer this opportunity to parents, caretakers, teachers, babysitters and anyone who works with children.

This program will help participants develop practical management techniques to deal with children’s misbehaviors. It will help us teach children how to make better decisions and become more accountable and responsible for those decisions. This approach will help us to avoid raising a generation of “house guests” in our homes and schools. The goals of this session are to help the participants distinguish between logical outcomes and punishment as disciplinary tools and to gain a working knowledge of the process of setting up logical outcomes for specific misbehaviors.

We are so convinced that you will benefit from this opportunity that we are offering supervised childcare for up to 30 children.  Spaces are limited, so please contact the school via email, note or phone to reserve your space.  A flyer will be sent home next week advertising the event, but you can reserve your babysitting spot as soon as you’d like.

Please spread the word your neighbors, friends and family – anyone you think might benefit from this evening.

Why I Love St. Francis of Assisi School…

Have you benefitted from the education your family has received at St. Francis?  Are you willing to write a blurb about why you choose St. Francis of Assisi School to educate your child(ren)?

We are working to promote our school to families like you who may not be aware of all that St. Francis of Assisi School has to offer.  We would like your help in creating that message.  We will use your blurb(s) on our website and other promotional materials to share the gift we have in our school with others.  Blurbs may be short (a sentence) or long.  How or if you are identified is up to you.  By default, we will identify the writer in a generic fashion, such as “G.M. – parent of a pre-k student” If you have a preference on how you are identified, or if you would like to remain completely anonymous, please let us know.  You may send your blurbs electronically to principal@stfrancisschoolnh.org.

We appreciate any help you can give us in this matter.  Thank you for helping make St. Francis of Assisi School a great place to be.

Important Dates

3/8 – No Mass – Regular Uniforms
3/16 – PSNH Presentation to grades 2-4
3/26-30 – Terra Nova Testing
3/27 – Raising Responsible Children 6-7:30 p.m.
3/9, 16, 23, 30 – Little Ninjas for 3 & 4 year-olds

Prayer Opportunity

Don’t miss out on an opportunity to pray for our school.  Each Friday morning we gather in the church to pray a rosary for the school.  Please join us after drop-off.

PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE

Dear Families,

Thank you, thank you, thank you to all the families who made the extra effort to come to the 11 a.m. Mass last week and the Mardi Gras celebration.  I was so impressed by the quality of our students’ voices and their behavior.  We were so blessed to have Bishop Libasci join us for the Mardi Gras celebration and for those who stayed, perhaps you were as moved by his genuine interest in our families and school.  He made a point to say how sweet the spirit is in our school and how different his experience of Catholic education was as compared to our welcoming and joyful environment.

You can see pictures of the event in our photo gallery under February Photos.

Today we begin our lenten journey.  This season is a time of prayer, fasting and almsgiving.  We pray to be enlightened of any areas of our lives which hold us back from God.  We fast from things that draw our hearts and minds away from God.  We give alms (money) to those who are less fortunate than us to help us see and love each person as God does.  This season of Lent I would like to challenge our school community to find time each day to sit and be still with the Lord.  Even if for only 5 minutes – just turn off the noise and relax in God’s presence.  I pray that you all have a fruitful and meaningful Lenten journey.

Have a great week!

Penny Sale – IMPORTANT REMINDERS

Thank you to those who have volunteered to bake cakes for the Penny Sale. Please make sure to deliver your cake to the school by Friday morning.

Everyone is asked to bake for the bake sale at the Penny Sale.  Information was sent home this Tuesday regarding what we are looking for.  On Friday morning there will be parents helping to unload baked goods from the cars during drop-off.

Most of all – Have you purchased your tickets?  Please purchase your tickets and plan to attend this awesome fundraiser.  The money raised during this weekend will be shared with the school.  Your support increases our share.

We have 2 stuffed animal door prizes that are for the school only.  If you would like to use your door prize tickets to try for our door prizes, please make sure you bring them into school and place them in the appropriate box.

Prayer Opportunity – Make it a Lenten Sacrifice!

Join us each week on Friday mornings after drop-off to recite the Rosary.  We pray for the needs of our school, its faculty, staff, students and families.  Please consider joining us as we storm heaven for God’s grace and blessings.

Friday – Celebrate Reading

This Friday, the day before our February break, we will be celebrating reading throughout the day.  Classroom teachers have instructed students about special dress-up options as well as other items that should be brought from home that day.

IMPORTANT DATES

2/23 – No School Mass – Regular Uniforms
2/24 – Little Ninjas (3 & 4 year-olds) at 10:30 a.m.
2/25-26 – St. Francis of Assisi Parish and School Penny Sale
2/27-3/2 – February Vacation – NO SCHOOL!

Mardi Gras & Bishop Libasci,