St. Patrick Catholic School

Principal's Weekly Newsletter

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Thanks to parent Rachel Mueller for leading our new Rosary Prayer Group after-school enrichment activity. Two teams played a trivia game and then prayed the Rosary, discussing it along the way.

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March 9, 2023

The passing of the Every Student Counts Law in January is an impactful piece of legislation that will positively impact families wanting to attend St. Patrick Catholic School. The legislation will provide parents with Educational Savings Accounts (ESAs) to attend private schools. However, it is still critical that parents submit their Student Tuition Organization (STO) applications for tuition assistance.

The STOs will continue to help the families with the most need regardless of the amount of Educational Savings Account (ESA) money available to them. Families planning to utilize an ESA should still also fill out the application for STO assistance if they are close to 400% of the poverty line or below.

ESAs will be implemented gradually. In 2023 ESAs will help students and families up to 300% of the federal poverty level along with any student new to private schools in Iowa. The STO covers up to 400% of the federal poverty line (FPL) helping families that are not included in the first round of ESA benefits.

2023 federal poverty guidelines are shown here. Contact the school office if you have any questions on how ESAs and STO assistance work. Remember the deadline for the STO application is April 15.

Tell any friends who might be interested in St. Patrick to remember that if their child is starting kindergarten or coming from a public school, they will be eligible for an ESA for the fall. They have a wonderful opportunity for Catholic education.

Blessings,

Mr. Wiebers

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FAITH

If you attend the Fish Fry on Fridays, don't forget that you are invited to Stations of the Cross in the church from 5:15-6 PM. Both continue during spring break. Fish is served from 5-7 PM. Thanks for supporting the Knights who are big supporters of our school. $16 adults and $5 children.

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EXCELLENCE

Thank you to our Lighthouse Team for leading activities for Pi Day. This has become such a fun tradition at our school.

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SERVICE

Thank you to parent Wendy Funk for coaching our MathCounts group for over a decade. We appreciate this ongoing service to our school! The science lab is filled on Wednesday afternoons with students who enjoy sharpening their math skills and having fun together. The students shown recently represented us at the Northeast Iowa Chapter MathCounts competition.

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Book Fair Open Until 2PM Thur, March 9, and Continues Online

Stop in after school or remember you can shop at our school’s Online Book Fair.

All online orders ship directly to your home, and shipping is free for book orders over $25. Your online orders will benefit our school just like your in-person purchases do. Visit our Book Fair homepage to learn more and get started with online shopping:

https://www.scholastic.com/bf/stpatrickschool16

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Almsgiving for Lent

Our collection for the Northeast Iowa Food Bank will continue after spring break. Another opportunity for you to participate in is the parish's collection for the people of Ukraine. They suggest a jar or envelope to periodically add a little money to.

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Fine Arts and Leadership Showcase

Save the date! Our annual Fine Arts and Leadership Showcase will be Wednesday, March 29, from 6 to 7 PM!

Join Our Team

We are in need of temporary help in Clover Patch Day Care through the end of the school year. The position could be split by more than one person. If you can help certain days or mornings or afternoons etc., contact the school office or Mr. Wiebers for details. The hours we need to cover are M-F 8AM-3PM on days school is in session.

The kindergarten associate position is available as well. Tell your friends!