12/15/23 Newsletter
September 11th, 2023
Congratulations!
The votes have been tallied and the winners of the Door Decorating Contest are...
3rd Place: 8th Grade
2nd Place: Kinderstart
1st Place: Spanish!
Thanks to all for getting into the spirit and making our school so festive!
Unclaimed Photos from Ofrenda
The photos below were left at school after our Ofrenda contest and remain unclaimed. If they are yours, please reach out to Ms. Linda at 651-777-5877 or lprazak@presentationofmary.org and she will send them home with your student.
Out of Uniform Pass Booklets
If you purchased an Out of Uniform Pass Booklet, passes may be used on Monday and Tuesday of next week. The date of the last pass has been changed to Friday, January 5th (those that purchased booklets should've received an email about this).
Red and Green Day - Wednesday, 12/20
For our last day of school before Christmas Break, all students are invited to come to school on Wednesday, December 20th dressed in a Christmas sweater or in red and green to celebrate the season!
Presentation of Mary Discovery Center Enrollment
It is that time of year when we look forward to 2024/2025 School Year Enrollment and Registration for Presentation of Mary's Discovery Center!
SUMMER WOW CAMP REGISTRATION – more enrollment info will come out in February 2024
Attached Below: 2024 PROGRAM INFO & TUITION FLIER highlights the School Year Programs Offered, Schedules/Hours, and Updated Tuition Rates.
CURRENT DISCOVERY CENTER FAMILIES PRIORITY RE-ENROLLMENT:
You are REQUIRED to fill out the Re-enrollment form below to secure your spot by January 10th for priority enrollment. Open Enrollment opens to the public on January 15th. The $200 Registration fee will be added to your billing account beginning in February 2024.
https://forms.gle/b9rJveDEDnP7yRra7
Please Note: If you are considering having your child repeat the Kinderstart program, please inform your Site Director and/or child’s Lead Teacher for further instruction on the process.
SIBLING PRIORITY PLACEMENT:
If your current student has a SIBLING who’s planning to enroll as a NEW STUDENT for 2024/2025…
1. PLEASE FILL OUT THE SIBLING INFO FORM, found here: https://forms.gle/1VnBtJZDFZtnA4nm8
2. Once we receive the Sibling Info and add him/her to your Procare Account, you may log into myprocare.com to register the sibling as a NEW STUDENT for the 2024/2025 School Year.
3. Sibling Placement is NOT GUARANTEED and depends on availability, but siblings will receive priority placement before open enrollment begins, in the order they are received.
Thank you again for choosing the Discovery Center for your family’s Early Childhood programming and care needs. We are blessed to know your children and be a partner in their educational journey.
Important Upcoming Enrollment Dates:
January 10 – Deadline for current family priority placement
January 11-15 – Priority placement for school families, parishioners, and LADC alumni. (They are welcome to apply earlier. We will pencil them into the grids and confirm their placement between January 11th and 15th before we open to the public.)
January 15 – Open enrollment to public
February 2024 – Summer registration info and enrollment available
Please contact us anytime with questions and feedback, or if you need any assistance with registering.
Blessed Advent and Merry Christmas!
DISCOVERY CENTER ADMIN TEAM
Lisa Swenson & Lynne Maurice, Main Office - mainoffice@ladcfamilies.org
Matt Lindholm & Megan Engelke, Admissions Office - admissions@ladcfamilies.org
Andrew Sullivan, Billing Office - billing@ladcfamilies.org
Join the cast of Matilda, Jr!
Again this year, in partnership with Totino-Grace High School and various area Catholic elementary schools, we are proud and excited to offer the opportunity to be a part of a full musical theatre production to our 5th - 8th grade students. This year we are doing Matilda, Jr.!
Rehearsals will start in January after the Christmas break.
Performances will be Saturday, March 23rd and Sunday, March 24th, 2024.
Rehearsals will take place at St. John‘s Catholic School in Little Canada.
Performances will take place in the Totino-Grace High School Theatre.
Thanks to a generous sponsorship from the Catholic Schools Center of Excellence (CSCOE), there will be NO CHARGE for students to participate!
To sign your child up, click on the link below.
Cheer on the Panthers Basketball Team!
The Panther Basketball team has been practicing hard and would love to have fans cheer them on to victory. Click the link below to view their schedule and come watch them play!
The next game is Wednesday, December 20th at 4pm right here at school. We hope to see you there!
Panther Pride Gala
We're looking for Live Auction Items!
Do you have a cabin or vacation home? A connection to a fun destination or lots of unused flight miles? Want to host a fun themed party or dinner? We are collecting items for our silent and live auctions. Put together a fun theme basket or donate tickets to a fun event. Do you have a special skill such as cooking or woodworking? Donate a cooking lesson or a few hours of carpentry assistance! The options are limited only to your imagination! If you have anything you'd like to donate as a "big ticket" Live Auction item or as a Silent Auction item, contact Gala Chair, Linda Charnowski, at lprazak@presentationofmary.org today!
Gala Shirt Update
Due to an issue with the shirt printer, Gala shirts will not be here before Christmas Break. They will be arriving to school after the break and will be sent home with students as soon as we get them. We apologize for any inconvenience!
Lunch Menus Due 12/18
All January hot lunch menus are due to Ms. Linda by Monday, December 18th. Either circle the days your child wants to get hot lunch and return the menu to her (with your child's name on it) or email her and tell her your child wants hot lunch every day. Late orders will not be accepted.
Ways to Give this Christmas Season
The Giving Tree
The Giving Tree is a Presentation of Mary ministry designed to help make Christmas special for those in need. We are honored to be able to offer this assistance again this year. Gift suggestions are hung on our giving tree at the Kennard Street Entrance of church, along with instructions on how to return your gifts to the parish. With any questions about the Giving Tree, please contact Kay Mottaz at 651-842-6022 or kmottaz@presentationofmary.org.
Baby Items / Advent Collection
The Respect Life Committee is sponsoring a baby drive for Options for Women East Life Care Center. From December 2 through January 7, we will collect baby items for moms in need and their infants, sizes newborn to 2T. We prefer that all donations be new, but we do accept gently-used clothing. Items can be placed in the creche in the Kennard Street entrance of church. You may also call the parish office if you need to drop items off outside of church times.
Candy Cane Grams
Candy Cane Gram sales will go through Wednesday, December 20th. They will be for sale outside of the art room from 8:15-8:30am each morning and cost $1 each. Students can purchase them to send to a favorite teacher or friend!
All-School Mass and Coffee Sunday
Join us this Sunday, December 17th at 9:30am for an All-School Mass followed by donuts, juice, coffee, and conversation with friends in Kenney Hall! Free will offerings accepted. Any student that wears their uniform to Mass will receive an Out of Uniform Pass.
Advent Lessons & Carols Service
Invite your family, friends, and neighbors to join us on Wednesday, December 20 from 7-8pm in the Church for an inspiring candlelit service to prepare our hearts for the birth of the Christ Child. This simple and beautiful service, in which readings from sacred scripture alternate with sung meditations, illuminates a season of joyful expectation. This service will feature Donna Stoering, renowned concert pianist and our parish music director; concert violist, Erin Nolan; tenor Chidi Ohammah; and our Choir and lectors. A light reception will follow in the church Narthex. With questions, contact mail@presentationofmary.org.
Winter Break Events at St. Thomas Academy
SKATE WITH THE CADETS
Thursday, December 21, 12:30-2:30 p.m. at the St. Thomas Ice Arena.
Skate with the Cadets promises an unforgettable experience for kids as they get the unique opportunity to skate with the Cadets Hockey Team! The Varsity players will spend time on the ice with skaters doing engaging drills and activities. In addition to time on the ice, the event will include lunch, and a whole lot of fun! Register at cadets.com/winter.
DONUTS & DRILLS
Wednesday, December 27, 10:00-12:00 p.m. at the Sjoberg Flynn Gym at Saint Thomas Academy.
You're invited for Donuts & Drills on Wednesday, December 27 with the Cadets Basketball Team! Coach Jacob Sand and the team will guide you through basketball drills to sharpen your skills while Strength & Conditioning Coach Steve Rosga will provide strength & mobility sessions too. After the drills, indulge in some donuts! Donuts & Drills is for boys and girls. Register at cadets.com/winter.
Looking Ahead
December 11-20: Candy Gram Sales, 8:15-8:30am (outside Art Room)
Friday, December 15: Christmas Concert, 6:30pm (Church)
Sunday, December 17: All-School Mass and Coffee Sunday, 9:30am (Church & Kenney Hall)
Wednesday, December 20: Wear Red & Green to school; Basketball Game vs Holy Spirit, 4pm (Presentation of Mary Gym)
December 21-January 2: No School, Christmas Break
Protection of Youth: All employees, and volunteers who interact with minors, are required to complete and maintain safe environment credentials (E3) through the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. To ensure successful completion of these requirements or if you have any questions regarding our safe environment practices or would like more information on what is needed to volunteer, please contact our Safe Environment Coordinator: Kay Mottaz @ 651-842-6022 or email kmottaz@presentationofmary.org.
To learn more about reporting suspected abuse, please also visit: www.safe-environment.archspm.org/report-abuse/Report.