Monday Memo

We have one of our favorite events scheduled this week: the annual pet blessing in honor of St. Francis of Assisi's feast day! On Friday morning, we will gather at 8:40 AM in the north parking lot. Parents are welcome to bring pets of any type (on leashes, in a carrier, etc) for a blessing from Father Rob. St. Francis is the patron saint of animals - great and small!

Friday is also an early release day. We will release at 1:20 PM ahead of fall break. EDM will be available until 6:00 PM as usual.

Parent-teacher conferences are scheduled for October 19th and 20th from 1:45 PM to 5:45 PM. Please sign up for a time below. The schedules are arranged by the teacher and then by date.

• PS - 5th Grade: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090f4ba8ab2aa7fb6-parent3
• Middle School: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090F4BA8AB2AA7FB6-parent4

Mrs. Kristin Roman, our PTA President, is working on a meal for our teachers during conferences. If you are interested in helping out, please contact her at kristinroman2007@yahoo.com.

The October Menu is at the bottom of this newsletter.

God bless,

Janet Abdoulaye, Principal

Wednesday, October 5th

• Early release - 2:50 PM for all students. EDM is available until 6:00 PM.
  

Thursday, October 6th

• All School Mass hosted by 3R
• 4th Grade Field Trip

• Pet Blessing at 8:40 AM in the north parking lot
• Spiritwear for students and staff

Future Dates

• Fall Break - October 10th - 14th
• Parent/Teacher Conferences - October 19th and 20th
• Jamboree - Chili Cook-Off and Raffle, October 22nd
  

*note the updated start time - 6:30 PM in Zore Hall

Kindergarten enjoyed a fall field trip to Appleworks. They learned how apples are picked and processed. It was a great trip and we are grateful for the chaperones who accompanied us!

Prekindergarten is practicing letters - with Play Doh!

Our third graders practiced color words outside on a beautiful fall day!

Cardinal Ritter High School will hold a parent preview night on Monday, October 17th at 6:30 PM in Mrs. Wooden's fifth grade classroom. All are welcome to attend and learn more about our Catholic West Deanery high school. Eighth graders who are planning to take the placement test at Ritter (November 5 and December 3) are invited to a Placement Test Workshop, starting next week. See this flyer for more details.

All students are invited to the CYO Youth Night Ritter vs. Cascade football game at Marian University on October 14th. See this flyer for more details.

Please feel free to share the following with anyone who might be interested and qualified.

The School Social Work Program of Catholic Charities Indianapolis has a part-time opening for a School Social Worker at St. Susanna School for the 2022-23 school year. A master’s in social work is preferred, but a master’s in counseling will also be considered. Candidates must have or be eligible for a social work license or a school counselor license in the state of Indiana. The job description is available below. Please send resumes to sjohn@archindy.org

As a School Social Worker, you will assist the school in meeting the needs of its students, parents/guardians, and teachers. The goal of all direct and individual services is to help students fully develop their potential… socially, emotionally, physically, and intellectually. This goal will be accomplished by working alongside school staff and serving as a liaison between the school, families, and community organizations.

Responsibilities:

• Accept student referrals and assess psychosocial factors interfering with a student’s adjustment to or success in school.
• Develop and implement a plan of intervention based on the assessment.
• Provide individual and group counseling to students.
• Implement preventive classroom and school-wide programs teaching life
  skills and coping strategies.
• Consult with teachers and administrators in planning strategies for change.
• Facilitate a teamwork approach in planning and developing student services.
• Provide brief family counseling and parent education dealing with expectations, behaviors, and family relationships.
• Provide crisis intervention and referral services.
• Serve as a member of the School Crisis Response Team as needed.
• Maintain accurate and complete service delivery records that are relevant to planning, management, and evaluation of services provided.

Requirements

• Possess knowledge and understanding basic to the social work/counselor profession.
• Ability to identify a professional interest and commitment to school social work practice.
• Display effective communication skills in relating to children and families.
• Master of Social Work Degree. Meets Social Work Licensing requirements of the State of Indiana. Master of Counseling Degree. Meets Licensing requirements of the State of Indiana. Experience working with children and families, school experience preferred.

Ladies of Saint Susanna School: our parish ministries are open to all of you, whether you are a Saint Susanna Parishioner or not! Mrs. Ellice Bedel, our parish youth minister, also heads up our Girlfriends in God group. This fabulous, friendly group of ladies is always welcoming to new participants. Their upcoming events include a number of fall events and regular faith sharing on Friday mornings. Please click on the pictures below for more information. If you have any questions, please contact Ellice at ebedel@saintsusanna.com

The Archdiocese recently changed their safe environment training provider to Safe Parish, from the previous Safe and Sacred system. In the new system, all volunteers are monitored quarterly. As long as you have a previous background check, your background check will be monitored on an on-going basis and it will not expire after five years as it did in the previous system. All volunteers must be registered in the Safe Parish system before they can volunteer. Instructions for registering and training are in the newsletter each week (see below).

In order to volunteer in our school building during the day or attend field trips as a chaperone, you must have a current safe environment training on file with us. This requirement includes safe environment training and a basic background check through the Archdiocese. The training and background checks are good for five years from the time of completion.

To check your current expiration date, contact Mrs. Carson at kcarson@saintsusanna.com

To obtain a new training and background check:

1. Go to the website www.archindysafeparish.org
2. Create an account as this is a new system. Previously the Archdiocese used a system called "Safe and Sacred."
3. You will need a passcode in order to create an account. The passcode is Archindy2021
4. Complete the background check for school or parish VOLUNTEER and select Saint Susanna as a recipient of your information.
5. Complete the training video and questions.

Please allow up to two weeks for this process to be completed.

The service hour tracking form can be found here and a copy will be sent home in the back-to-school packets. We ask that each family complete five service hours this school year. These hours can be completed during school or parish events.

Box Tops for Education

Here’s how it works:

• Step 1: Download the new Box Tops App (iTunes or Google Play) – it’s free
• Step 2: Create a username and connect it to your child’s school
• Step 3: Scan your grocery store receipt. Items with the new Box Tops label will be automatically credited to your school

Does this mean I should stop sending in my paper Box Tops that I have already clipped? No! Continue to send those to the school!

Kroger Community Rewards

Information on the Kroger Community Rewards program can be found here on their website or under the "rewards" tab in your Kroger app. You will need to search for the exact name of our organization as SAINT SUSANNAS SCHOOL PTP . From there, you can link your Kroger card with our organization and a portion of your spending at Kroger will come to us.

St. Susanna Catholic School's mission is to provide a Christ-centered, quality education that prepares and inspires its students to excel as they progress in their scholastic careers. Based on Catholic teachings, our students and staff exemplify the value of faith, service, love, and respect in all situations and with all people.

Email: jabdoulaye@saintsusanna.com
Website: www.saintsusannaschool.com
Location: 1212 East Main Street, Plainfield, IN, USA
Phone: 317-839-3713
Facebook: facebook.com/stsusannaschool