Principal Notes 01/16/2015
St. Cecilia School
Notes from the Principal
Preschool Round Up
Please note that due to a conflict, we have moved our Preschool Round Up to Tuesday, January 20th starting at 6 p.m. in the social hall. This is a meeting for parents only. If you have a child who will be eligible for 3-year-old or 4-year-old preschool next fall, we hope you can make it to this meeting. Please contact the office if you have any questions.
Catholic Schools Week: Communities of Faith, Knowledge and Service – Agenda and We Need Your Help!!!
The last week in January we will be celebrating Catholic Schools Week. Also see Mrs. Walker's write up below.
See the attached agenda for all the faith, knowledge and service projects we have planned…Author Day (see attached book pre-order forms from Sue Stanton and Tim Read), Volunteer Appreciation, Science Center of Iowa Assembly and so much more! Please feel free to join us for any of our activities this week.
This year we will continue with many of the same traditions that have occurred in the past with a variety of events that recognize the people that make our school succeed. We would like to invite you to join us for Mass. We will have a reception after Mass for those able to attend to say thank you to our parents, volunteers, and those that have made St. Cecilia School a success.
I hope that you will use this week as a chance to say thank you to all of those that work with our young people at St. Cecilia School and Parish. Please join us for a part of the various activities that we have to celebrate Catholic Schools Week.
Thank you for Tiffany Walker, FSA Chair and all of our wonderful parent volunteers for making this week so special for our students and staff!
We need you, so please take the time to review the help we’ll need to make our Catholic Schools Week a success, sign up at
http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0d4ca9ab2ea2f85-catholic
Illness
We have not had a confirmed case of influenza, however, the stomach bug has decided to visit our school. If your child has had a fever, vomited or had diarrhea, please keep them home for at least 24 hours after their last incident. We appreciate your assistance.
No School – January 19, 2015
There are no classes on Monday, as the teachers will have a workshop day. As a parent, these days are sometimes inconvenient as you work to find day care arrangements for your children, but they are very important for our staff. Each month we dedicate one day for faith development of our staff. This is critical for us to continue to grow in our faith as we work with your children. A second topic is our continued work on reading and implementing our reading curriculum. This includes finding the best way to incorporate the materials and strategies into the classroom. We continue our efforts on implementing the Iowa Core. The Iowa Core goes beyond Standards and Benchmarks and includes strategies used to improve all parts of the instructional process. This includes using data to determine the needs of the students and classroom, as part of this strategy we are spending in-service time to review this data and improve the instructional strategies in the classroom. The fourth strand of our work is to implement Learning Communities in the building. We are working with small groups that work in teams to identify issues from student concerns to teacher-identified problems or learning possibilities. As you can see, we do use the full days and early outs as a critical component of our ongoing improvement process. Our goal is to improve our skills so we can improve the learning opportunities for your children.
Tuition Tax Credit Information
The State of Iowa provides tax credits to parents who send their children to private schools. The following summary from the Iowa Catholic Conference gives the background of the law and explains the Tax Credit Program and how to take advantage of it. Please review the attached form. If you would like to use this form, please complete the form by January 30th and send it into the school office for the principal’s signature. Thank you.
Catholic Schools Week Family Project – Due 01/23
During Catholics Schools Week we would like for you to complete as a family a getting to know you sheet. We will then display all of them during the week-long celebration of Catholic Schools Week. This year we would like for your family to showcase how your family demonstrates your Communities of Faith, Knowledge and Service.
We would like for each family to decorate the piece of cardstock paper that is in your Friday folder - of things that you do within your family to practice your Faith, Knowledge and Service. You can include pictures, drawings, articles - basically decorate it in any way that tells us a little about your family.
Unfortunately, we will not be returning these pages so please
don’t put on pictures or items that you would like back. Please return the sheet by next Friday, January 23rd, so we can have them all posted in the multi-purpose room for the pasta lunch and Talent Show on the 25th.
Have fun and be creative! -
Don’t forget to include your family name on it!
Please let Tiffany Walker (mom@walkerkids.com) know if you have any questions.
Thank you in advance for all your help and support with our daily challenges - all of these organizations are so grateful for all we donate.
FSA Could Use Your Help
Once a month each grade will be sponsoring the all school mass. After each mass there will be a reception hosted by that grade’s students. We are looking for a couple of volunteers to help get the reception set-up and help the students, if needed. Basically you would just show up for Mass about 15 minutes early, stop by the office where Mrs. Vidimos or Mrs. Thompson will have everything ready for you to take to the social hall. Then you can attend mass, make coffee, help host at the reception and a quick clean up after the reception.
Please click here if you would like to sign-up to help:
http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0d4ca9ab2ea2f85-after
Thanks for your help.
Tiffany Walker mom@walkerkids.com
Spelling Bee
The local Knights of Columbus will be hosting our annual Ames Area Spelling Bee on Sunday, February 8, 2015, for students in grades 4 through 7. Detailed information--including registration form, date, location, rules and word lists--are available at the following web site: http://stceciliaparish.org/ameskoc/spelling.html
Key information:
- Free to all Ames-area 4th-7th grade students.
- Registrations due by Wednesday, February 4, 2015.
- Spelling Bee at 1pm on Sunday, Feb. 8, 2015, at St. Cecilia School, 2900 Hoover.
- Entry form, word lists, and additional information available at:
http://stceciliaparish.org/ameskoc/spelling.html
The attached single-page registration form also includes the key information and web address.
Tim Simodynes
Knights of Columbus, Council 2230, Ames
Coat Drive and Hot Cocoa Service Projects - Thank You!!!
Thank you all for your outpouring of kindness to these service projects!
Mrs. Thomas Miss Anderson
Mrs. Fletcher Mrs. Brink
Mrs. Weary
Early Dismissals, School Closings, and Late Start Procedures
St. Cecilia Catholic School follows the Ames School District regarding school closings due to inclement weather. However, based on local conditions, St. Cecilia Catholic School may elect to close due to bad weather. Please watch for the closing on WOI(Channel 5), KCCI(Channel 8) and WHO(Channel 13), on WHO(1040AM ) radio, via email/text alerts and our St. Cecilia School website.
If late start, no Preschool classes will be held.
Owls Club is cancelled as well if there is a late start or early
dismissal.
If there is a late start on Fridays, there will not be band
rehearsal.
Upcoming Events
- Monday, 01/19: NO SCHOOL – Teacher In Service
- Tuesday, 01/20: 6 p.m. Preschool Round Up in Social Hall and 7 p.m. School Dress Code Meeting in Education Center Library
- Wednesday, 01/21: 9 a.m. All School Mass
- Sunday, 01/25 to 01/31: Catholic Schools Week(CSW): Communities of Faith, Knowledge and Service
- See the attached agenda (under Principal Notes) for all the faith, knowledge and service projects we have planned…Author Day, Volunteer Appreciation, Science Center of Iowa Assembly and so much more! Please feel free to join us for any of our activities this week.
- Sunday, 01/25: 11 a.m. CSW Pasta Lunch followed by Talent Show
- Monday, 01/26: 6:15 p.m. Marketing Meeting
Other Events
Ames High Winter Cheerleaders
On Saturday, January 24th from 12:30-3:45pm the Ames High Winter Cheerleaders are hosting their annual cheerleading clinic for Ames students (preschool-8th grade). We are inviting all boys and girls within the Ames Community School District, Ames Christian School, and St. Cecilia to attend.
After School Art
See the attached sign up form for the After School Art classes which run from January 28-March 4, 2015.
Ames Foreign Language Program-Spring 2015
See the attached registration form. If interested, please complete the form and mail it directly to the coordinator’s address listed on the form.
St. Cecilia School
Website: www.stcames.org/school
Location: 2900 Hoover Avenue, Ames, IA, United States
Phone: (515) 232-5290
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stceciliaschoolames?