April 2006 Newsletter

Dear Parents,

Well, I am sure you are anxious to hear about the success of the Auction!! There are still some outstanding bills and deposits that need to be made; tentatively, we grossed around $108,000. We will let you know more of the details at the Home and School Meeting on April 27. Anyone who attended could only have had a good time at the Auction. It seemed to be a good community builder with so many parishioners, supporters, and friends of Holy Family. Each year has had its own ‘texture’, ‘specialty’ and charisma! And this year was no exception. The 50’s theme made for some really great entertainment. Only through the hard work and dedication of so many people could this be ‘pulled off’ and with such success. Everything was so well planned, thanks to many people.
The night was full of spirit, camaraderie and as always, generosity. Personally, I want to thank everyone who made this evening so wonderful. Special thanks to the chairpersons, Frank and MaryAnn Dillon. Special thanks to our fun maker duo Veronica Dunn and Sheila Reilly. One never knows what to expect when their ‘creative juices’ kick in!! Thanks also to the procurement chair, Lori Tong, Dianne Flannery, who did a wonderful job with dinner tickets and table reservations, Trish Bragano for table decorations, Diane Wilcosz, basket chairperson, and Bebe Ocano, our ‘in house’ artist. Let us not forget Tina Fink, Jo Desrosiers, Jim Fitzgerald and their team who checked us in and checked us out. Kudos to the parents who coordinated the class projects. Special thanks to Outback Steakhouse and the Columbus family and Bacardi Rum for our food and beverages
The Auction’s success took way more people than those mentioned. Many worked long and hard on the decorations, the entertainment, set up and clean up, etc. It certainly took a “village” to make it so successful. . My apologies if I missed someone! Thank you!!!
The big question now is who will co chair next year’s event? Don’t say, “Not me” too quickly. We know there is someone(s) out there. Not to worry, you will have lots of help and support!!

Let us switch gears to our Lenten resolutions. Hopefully, as we close this season and move into the glorious Easter season, you will take advantage of the final opportunities to strengthen our Faith. Palm Sunday, the students and Family Choir will be part of the prayer service beginning at 4PM - Live Stations of the Cross; immediately following, there will be an opportunity for you and your children to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Reconciliation will not be scheduled during the school day, so please consider coming this Sunday at 4PM.

Close of school is just around the corner - about six weeks away!!! Progress reports will go home at the end of this week. A tentative May calendar will be on the website followed by an updated one at the beginning of May. Please check for closing activities.

Blessed Easter to all……..

In Mary’s Immaculate Heart, I am,

Sister Flo J

CONGRATULATIONS TO: …Our 4th and 5th Grade math club participated in 5 Math Olympiad competitions. The follow students placed 1st through 4th place for Holy Family: Allison Malkiewicz – 1st place, Michael Bragano – 2nd place, Shalla Galanos – 3rd place, and Courtney Fink – 4th place. We had an end of the year celebration and renamed the math club to The MC squared club – The Magical Calculating Catholics.

… Winners for the free throw basketball contest sponsored by the Council of Knights of Columbus…Brittany Dunbar (12 year old girls)…Stephen Dillon (11 year old boys) won Council and District level…going on to Regional in Lakeland.

…Drop Saver winners: Holly McKalip (Grade 1); Rachael Renn (Grade 3); Joanne Stein (Grade 5)

…7th grade students, Ryan Rudderham, Sara Kesneck, Emily Lofton, and Serena Robertson who took the SAT’s associated with the Duke Talent Identification Program. Special congratulations to Ryan, who qualified for the State Recognition.

EVERYONE NEEDS AN EXTRA PAIR OF SUNGLASSES:
Have we got a deal for you!! For just a $5 donation you can have an extra pair of great sunglasses. We have all shapes and varieties. They are 100% UV and very durable. Stop in at the ‘SUNGLASS SHOP’ and pick out what looks good on you!!!

ODYSSEY OF THE MIND COMPETITION:
Holy Family has three teams participating in the state Odyssey of the Mind competition on April 8, 2006. The state competition is in Orlando at the University of Central Florida. Our 1st and 2nd grade team coached by Heather Womersley will compete in Space Trek, the 6th grade team coached by Fletcher Dunn will compete in Jungle Bloke, and the 7th grade team coached by Abby Rudderham will compete in Geometry Structure. Good Luck Holy Family!

TUITION FEES for 2006-07
Tuition fee for this coming year will be in your Friday folders. We apologize for not having it done sooner but the SAC was trying to keep it below 6% and still balance the budget. They have kept it below the 6% mark and for that we are grateful. We are also joining in the VPK program for our 4 year old program, so it has taken some planning adjusting. We thank the committee for their diligent work.

Remember, you are our best PR; so toot our horn to your friends and co workers who are looking for an excellent school for their children.

PRE REGISTRATION FOR 2006-07
For those who have not registered yet for the next school year, please be aware that new families have been accepted and some of the classes have reached the class limit. If you have not registered, please call the school office to see if you might be on the waiting list.

For those who requested financial assistance, your FACTS application must be completed by April 10 and the other information given to you must be in by April 10. For those who did not request financial assistance, but might need it, you must call the school office immediately to receive this information.

HOME AND SCHOOL MEETING
Last meeting of the year will be on Thursday, April 27 at 7PM. Father Tapp will be our main speaker. He expects that at least one parent from every family will be present.
We will share the fundraiser successes that have been accomplished this year. Also, there will be a discussion regarding new Board members for the Home and School Association and the School Advisory Commission.

FROM THE GUIDANCE COUNSELOR’S DESK:
Guidance classes will be finishing up for Grades K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 8. Soon Grade 6 will be studying about the importance of reputation. Through the video program Your Reputation: Make It, Change It, they will learn how hard one can work to earn a good reputation and how one can lose that good reputation with one poor choice. They will learn that sometimes human beings judge one another harshly, use offensive terms, and alienate others based on appearance. They do this without taking the time to get to know the individuals. Grade 7 will be studying a program called Drugs, Your Friends and You: Handling Peer Pressure. This video and discussion program show how peer pressure works externally and internally, explains how we have the basic right to do what’s best for us, models techniques for assertive behavior, and models alternatives to using drugs and alcohol. Many of the videos used in the Guidance Program throughout the various grades are purchased through Sunburst Visual Media. For years this company has produced excellent, award winning, age-appropriate guidance related products.

LifePath Hospice and Palliative care is offering its 14th annual Camp Circle of Love. This is a weekend camp for children who have experienced the loss of a loved one. It takes place May 5-7, 2006. The Registration Deadline is April 21, 2006. If you would like more information regarding this camp or other programs for grieving children please visit their website. http://www.lifepath-hospice.org/ On the Menu, click on Upcoming Events and/or Children’s Grief Center for more information about their services. There are also some flyers in the office describing the camp.

Hospice of the Florida Suncoast also offers counseling for children and families who have experienced grief. Their website is www.thehospice.org. The phone number for information is 727-523-3459.

FROM THE LIBRARIAN:
Seems like the year is just flying by and we have been very busy these last few months. The Kindergarten is working on finding books in the Easy section of the library using the shelf markers, as well as reviewing the parts of a book. The first grade got to listen to several Irish folktales and made leprechaun finger puppets this month. The second grade has been working on reviewing the parts of a title page, parts of a book, and how to locate a book in the “Readers” section of the library. I have also encouraged these children to pick out beginning chapter books.

The third grade has been very busy in both Library class as well as Computer class. They have been learning about Biographies and Autobiographies and where to find them in the library. They have also written and illustrated their own biographies of classmates and this will soon be a book that they may check out. In Computer class they have been introduced to Microsoft Word and how to write a simple paragraph on it, as well as how to use editing tools and spell-check. They were also introduced to Encyclopedias and taught how to find data for a report on their favorite animal. They have since written and illustrated the report, which will also be a book soon! They have been introduced to Excel, which is a spreadsheet program, too. They are continuing to work on entering data and how to find data in cells. The

Fourth grade have worked with their Thesaurus, researched a famous woman on line and are currently working on writing up a fact sheet for that person. They have been introduced to reading a Bibliography and how to use it when doing research. They are currently also working on putting together a PowerPoint presentation to “sell” me a vacation to an attraction in Florida. They are almost done with their shows and I will choose some to air on HFS News. Finally for this month, the Fifth grade have been busily working on research skills with Encyclopedias, making their own Excel spreadsheet and learning how to put formulas into the sheet, they have also researched countries from around the world and are currently working on putting together a PowerPoint presentation. I will be choosing some of these to show on HFS News as well. I will be updating you on the middle school in next month’s newsletter!

PE NEWS:
JV basketball is off to a running start. The players are improving with each game. Thank you to Mr. Metz, Mr. Dillon and Mr. Dunn. The middle school will be participating in the President’s Fitness testing this month, there are several sets of standards; we use the national averages. There are five areas covered: upper body, abdomen muscle strength, agility, stamina and flexibility. There are two that pose problems, the upper body strength and flexibility. So work on those pull-ups, push-ups and stretch!!!! Congratulations to Steve Rudderham and his soccer team as they go to the state tournament after winning the region. Also, congratulations to Liz Prather and her team as they advance.

The Northeast Bandits Football/Cheerleading program is holding signups; I have the fliers if your child is interested. Now for some family fun and exercise….the Festival of States is in May, there will be a one mile and a 3 mile walk/run on May 12 at 6:15. This will be followed by the parade and fireworks. Since child health and exercise are so important, they are making the fee for students only 5 dollars; the 5 schools that have the most participants will get monetary rewards. So, let’s get the children signed up to join me and bring all the family for a nice walk/jog/run along the waterfront on Friday evening, May 12!! I have fliers; please have your child pick one up for more info. Come on out for a fun, healthy, family time.

ENTERPRISE VILLAGE AND FINANCE PARK:
Thanks to the Home and School Association, the Fifth and Eighth grades attended Enterprise Village and Finance Park. This is a great program offered by the County Schools System. It is well worth the cost. Thank you to the many volunteer parents who help on these days.

LAST ‘FUN’RAISER OF THE YEAR
GOLF TOURNAMENT FRIDAY, JUNE 16 1PM SHOTGUN!
This will be our last fundraiser for this year. It is always one that is enjoyed by our golfers and non golfers as well. Look forward to receiving more information in the near future.
Women are encouraged to join. Each year we have had a few more brave souls. Let’s give the men a run for the money!!!!

PREPARING FOR THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR:
Calendar for the 2006-2007 school year. We have some confirmed dates that you might need to begin to plan. A full calendar will be sent before the end of the year.

August 10	Orientation for new families
August 14	School begins
Nov 20-24	Thanksgiving vacation
Dec. 20-Jan 2	Christmas vacation
Jan. 3	Resume classes
April 5-13	Easter vacation
May 31	Last day of classes (tentative)

--HEADS UP--

UNIFORM ADJUSTMENTS FOR 2006-07
Fontaine Apparel will be here to do uniform measurements on April 6 from 9:30-12:30PM in Room 121. Forms went home on Friday of last week. Remember the white and red (KDG) school logo shirts are purchased through the school. Order forms for shirts, PE clothes, and sweatshirts will be going home at the beginning of May.

Remember, only a Falcon sweatshirt will be allowed to be worn inside as well as outside. We will continue to investigate offering a HFCS outer wear jacket if more clothing needs to be worn due to colder weather.

For the majority, the shoe and sock policy was followed this year. Thank you! You are reminded that athletic shoes are not acceptable shoes.
At the January meeting, some parents offered to be on the uniform committee. Unfortunately, I misplaced the list. May I ask that if you volunteered, will you please call the office to confirm your offer.

--IMPORTANT--

FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS:
Before you know it, it will be the end of the year. You are reminded that all financial obligations need to be completed BEFORE the last day of school – hopefully by May 27.
Parents of 8th grade students: Your financial obligations must be completed before the class trip, May 12.

FROM THE OFFICE MANAGEMENT:

Returned checks: please note school’s policy
Any/all checks that are returned to the school will be charged $15.00 each by the school. If three (3) checks returned (during a school year) family must pay with money order or cash.
Please do not bring in forgotten things -- Don’t bale your child out – it’s a learning experience and then we move on!! A lunch might need to be shared or purchased with the child’s card; or forgetfulness might involve a warning or referral. It’s not the end of the world.
IMPORTANT DATES FOR THIS YEAR: Please check the April and May calendars on the website. At the beginning of May, check the website calendar again. There will be updates on this calendar.

HEADS UP -- A FEW EVENTS AND PROGRAMS:
SCHOOL SUPPLIES FOR NEXT YEAR
Innisbrook will again be boxing up school supplies from our school supply list; orders will be taken after Easter and will be ready for you to pick up the week before school begins. It is good quality and most of the items are included (except for a few they prefer not to deal with and what needs to be purchased from the school supply store).
CLASS PICTURES:
Class pictures were taken and given out to students. We have one or two extra for some of the grades. If you wish to purchase, we will give them out on first come basis. Cost: $10; if you wish to purchase a banner, it is $6.00. Put the money in an envelope with child’s name and grade.

CHICK FIL A NIGHT – Wed., April 6
PAPA JOHN’S NIGHT – Wed., April 12

SCRIP PROGRAM -- Purchase gift cards or gift certificates for a variety of retailers, restaurants, etc.
We order monthly. Updated order form is on the school website – www.holyfamily-school.com. The form is due April 24. If you are looking for a gift for Easter, etc. some cards are available in the office. Don’t forget your college students, graduation, Mother’s and Father’s Day. Plan ahead.

LOOKING AHEAD:
TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK – MAY 7-14: Take time to show your appreciation during National Teacher Appreciation Week. Make a card, write a note, send an e-mail. I’m sure you and your child can think of something nice to do or say!!

Enclosures:
• Monthly calendar – on the School Website April - May
• Summer tutoring opportunity
• SCRIP form

HELP: New 8 1/2x11 paper and recycled paper is always appreciated. Old company stationery is great for recycling Donate reams of paper and you can earn service hours.

JOBS FOR IN SERVICE:
• You can purchase cases of copy paper for donation. For every $20 spent, you receive 1 service hour.
• Computers that have been used all year need some ‘maintenance’. Taking the cover off, removing the dust, doing some lubricating of the fans, etc. If you are not sure, you can be trained.
• Need to have recyclable newspapers picked up on a weekly basis at a Condo area on 1st Street. Contact Oscar Estrada at 515-9508

POSITIONS OPEN FOR NEXT YEAR:
Several positions will become open for both the Home and School Association Board and School Advisory Commission. Think and discern about sharing your talents for your children

LAST CALL FOR CAMPBELL LABELS:
The labels for this year will be sent in at the end of May; therefore, we need all labels sent in by May 12.

OFFICE DEPOT – EVERYTIME YOU SHOP AT OFFICE DEPOT, GIVE THE SCHOOL ID NUMBER -- 70023863 (OR JUST SAY IT IS FOR Holy Family Catholic School). 5% of the sales come back to the school!!

OVER THE SUMMER:
CONTINUE TO SAVE CAMPBELL LABELS FOR EDUCATION BOXTOPS AND CARTRIDGES AND CELL PHONES.

SUMMER CAMP APPLICATIONS: now available at extended day or in the school office.