Newsletter- February 18, 2019

Dear St. Francis School Families,                                 
 
Please join us in prayer for our St. Francis Students
We all need to seek God in prayer with our joys, worries, and thankful moments.  Thank you for being a prayer partner  for our school.   This week we will be lifting up all of our St. Francis Students in prayer. 
 
This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.   1 John 5:14
 
PRAYER PARTNERS:  Next week we will join together in prayer for our Community.
 
REGISTRATION FORMS FOR NEXT SCHOOL YEAR:   Please send in your registration forms and tuition payment plans as soon as possible.  There is tuition assistance available to help those in need of financial support.  An anonymous donor does not want the cost of tuition to inhibit your child from attending our school and may be able to help cover part of your tuition amount.  Please contact Mr. Buckel for more information about tuition assistance for next year; all inquiries will be kept confidential.
 
JANUARY AND FEBRUARY VIRTUE AWARDS - WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27:  Due to the weather, we have had to make many changes to our schedule.  We have decided to present our January Virtue Awards with our February Virtue Awards on Wednesday, February 27.
 
GR. 5 PARENT & STUDENT MTG - “GROWING IN LOVE” - FEB. 20:      Wonder how you’ll talk with your child about his/her body changes as he/she approaches puberty?  Alice Heinzen and Jeff Arrowood, of our diocesan Office of Family
Life, have a presentation, entitled “Growing in Love”, for fifth grade parents and their child that conveys the information children need to know, integrated with appropriate humor and a deep respect for God’s gift of sexuality.  Fifth grade
students and their parents will meet for this presentation on Wednesday, February 20 at 6:30 p.m. in the parish hall.  Because of the sensitive nature of the puberty topics that will be covered, no child may attend without his/her parent present.

GR. K-5 ROLLER SKATING TRIP – FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22:  Our skating party has been set for Friday, February 22 for Kindergarten–Fifth Grade at Wooddale Recreation Center in Woodbury!  As always, we need the help of many parents to make this activity possible!  The sign-up sheet for parent chaperones and the student permission slips were due back last week.  If Safe Environment forms are needed to chaperone, they will be included in your weekly envelope today.  Please return the forms no later than Wednesday, February 20.
 
CARNIVAL NEWS FROM OUR CARNIVAL COMMITTEE:
The Carnival is this Sunday, Feb. 24th from 11 AM to 3 PM. Please join us for lunch, games, raffles and fellowship!
 
Carnival Raffles: Carnival Grand Raffle tickets should be returned by today. If you can sell or want to purchase another, please inquire at the office. A big thanks to the many families that participated in this fundraiser. May a win be coming your way! We’re looking forward to giving away the great prizes on Sunday!
 
Carnival Workers: All families are required to participate in a volunteer position. Please sign up here: http://signup.com/go/dRjkVDB  If you have questions, please contact Lisa Olson: larayolson76@gmail.com Thank you for your help! The Carnival would not happen without these 100+ volunteers.
 
Cakes, Cupcakes and Cereal ~ Needed For Cake Walk:  Donations of cakes, cupcakes, and cereal are needed for the cake walk.  Thank you in advance for your donation!
 
Carnival Decorating: If you can help with decorating for the Carnival, please sign up here or stop in on Thursday evening! http://signup.com/login/entry/627017465948378013 
 
Advance Sale Game Tickets:  Game tickets are enclosed if you have pre-paid and placed your order. Enjoy and Thank You!
 
We received an order without a family name and cash taped to the order form.  Please contact the office if this was your order so we can get your tickets to you.  Thank you!
 
Pop Donations For Carnival:  The kitchen committee is asking each family to donate pop for the carnival.  If you have more than one student, please choose a grade level, you do not need to buy more than one 2 liter bottle of pop.
4YK....................Root beer
Kindergarten......Coke
1st grade...........Orange
2nd grade..........Sprite
3rd grade...........Diet Coke
4th grade...........Mountain Dew
5th grade...........Coke 
 
D.A.R.E.  Police Officer Chad Koranda, Pierce County D.A.R.E. School Resource Officer, began teaching the D.A.R.E (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) curriculum at St. Francis last week. 
 
The primary goal of D.A.R.E. is to teach effective peer resistance and refusal skills, so that adolescents can say “no” to drugs and to their friends who may want them to use drugs.  The secondary goals of the program are to build students’ social skills and enhance their self-esteem, as these are believed to be linked to adolescent drug use.
 
The curriculum is concentrated in the fifth grade with a 45 minute class once a week for 10 weeks.  Grades K-4 will meet with Officer Chad as time permits.
 
DR. SEUSS DAY – FRIDAY, MARCH 1:  We will celebrate Dr. Theodore Seuss’ Birthday on Friday, March 1.  Please wear comfy clothes or pajamas.  We will read together as a school at 8:30 a.m.
 
SPRING BREAK – MARCH 4-8:  Students will not have classes during the week of March 4-8 due to Spring Break.
 
NEW DATE: GR. 5 - MUSIC CLASS – FOLKTALE – THURSDAY, MARCH 14:  Due to the weather and lack of class time we have had to change the original date of our folktale.  Thank you for your understanding!
 
As part of our music curriculum, our fifth grade students study a folktale, and incorporate a variety of musical instruments into the telling of the tale.  Fifth grade parents are invited to attend one or both of the presentations of the folk tale in the lunchroom: Thursday, March 14 at 8:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.  The presentations will last approximately 15 minutes. 
 
DATES TO REMEMBER:
Feb. 20 - Screening Day - No School for 4YK ONLY
Feb. 20 - “Growing in Love” Grade 5 and parents (6:30 - 8:30)
Feb. 22 - Roller Skating Trip (Grades K - 5)
Feb. 24 - St. Francis School Carnival
Feb. 27 - Virtue Awards for January (Honest & Helpful) and February (Patient & Kind)
Mar. 1 - Celebrate Dr. Seuss
Mar. 4-8 - Spring Break
Mar. 14 - Fifth Grade Folktale
 
 
May God’s Grace Be With You! Please call or e-mail if you have questions: 715-273-4391 or cbuckel@stfrancisellsworth.org
 
Chuck Buckel
Principal