Dear Families:
Welcome to October! We have a very busy week of activities ahead.
All are welcome to the Blessing of the Animals that takes place on the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, this Thursday, October 4th. The “zoo” begins at 8:30am in Banchero Hall and all pets are welcome as Ron Ryan leads us in a special blessing. If bringing a pet to school is too difficult, your child is welcome to bring a photo or a favorite stuffed animal. They will receive the same blessing. The playground will be available for parking beginning at 8:10am allowing you to bring your pet directly into the gym. Students will go straight inside the building at drop-off time. Following the blessing, all live pets need to return safely back home. If your child has an allergy to pet dander or is uncomfortable with the level of activity, he/she is welcome to relax in the Kindergarten room during the time of the blessing.
This Friday, October 5th our Accreditation site visit team will be here to begin work on their report. The chair, Janet Nagel, from Fair Oaks, CA along with four additional educators will receive our 123-page self-study document and begin their month-long review of the document. They will return for three days on November 7th, 8th and 9th to verify information contained in self-study and write a report of their findings. They will also recommend to the WCEA a term of accreditation, anywhere from no accreditation to six years. Their report will be forwarded to the accrediting commission and after review we will be informed of our term in early July.
Don’t miss the parish Harvest Fest this coming Saturday, October 6th. The forecast calls for sunshine and nice fall temperatures. There will be pony rides, arts and crafts, face painting and hot dogs all happening on the playground or in Banchero Hall. It is a fun family event, especially for the younger ones. The fun gets underway starting at 1:30pm.
If you have not already done so, please plan to take the Safe Environment class, “Protecting God’s Children for Adults” next Wednesday evening, October 10th from 6:00-9:00pm. This class is a requirement for all who plan to volunteer in the school or parish, whether to work in classrooms, coach for CYO, drive on field trips or chaperone events. The class only has to be taken one time with follow-up online updates (approx. 25minutes each) taken every three years. You must sign-up in advance for the class and attendance is capped at 60 participants.
Finally, the Move-a-thon is only a little over a week away! Yesterday morning at the Prayer Assembly, Miss Grelle and Mr. Haffey shared tips for Move-a-thon success. Mr. Haffey promised the students that no friend or relative will ever say no to their request for support! Miss Grelle reminded the students that one of the most important vitamins for health is vitamin C. With cold season already upon us she stressed the importance of eating foods rich in vitamin C. We all want to be healthy for Move-a-thon Day!
Have a great week!
