Please check back here regularly for updates from:

Mrs. Therese Hayes
Principal

MAY  NEWSLETTER 2010

First Communion   Please join us on Sunday, May 2 at the 8:00 a.m. Mass to celebrate our 2nd graders’ reception of their First Holy Communion.  This is a very special day for our Church and for these young members of our parish, so do consider joining us because it is a celebration!   Our First Communicants are Mason Burling, Claire Koechle, Jonathan Manka, Alexis McIlmoil, Anna Walker, and Brady Boyer.  Let us pray that our Eucharistic Lord bless each child and remain in their hearts all the days of their lives.

WELCOME!  We have two new students as of April 6th.  We welcome Allison (4th) and Jonathan (2nd) Manka, children of Glen and Tina Manka, grandchildren of Cynthia and Jerome Manka.  It is good to have you with us!

ARK  Normally ARK t-shirts are presented at the first Friday of the month Mass.  However, next Friday will be May Crowning and our 5th & 6th graders will be on a field trip, so we will wait until May 14th.  (That way we can also draw one more winner!)  Our last group to receive t-shirts for their Acts of Random Kindness are Tommy Caruso, Colton Durand, Rand Palmer, Isabella Poppe, Riley Long and Matthew Sinele.  Thank you to everyone who thinks of others . . . because that’s what Jesus would do!!  Thank you, Outlaw Tee’s for printing our shirts each year!!

CAN CONTEST  Have you been saving cans?  Have you asked your neighbors and friends to save cans?  We are all called to be good stewards of our earthly home.  Our last contest of the year will be the first two weeks of May.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY  On May 5th we will celebrate May birthday day with a small, select group of people:  Susan Knipe and me!  No students this year!  On May 12th we will celebrate with those born in the month of July:  Sean Lynch (14), William Finch (18), David Richards (31) and Shanna Long.

ACCELERATED READER  A.R. will end on Wednesday, May 19th.  Please check at home to see if there are any library books that might be hiding under the beds, in the closets, behind the couch or wherever books like to go.  Thanks for your help!

TUITION RAFFLE   Don’t forget about the raffle tickets that were sent home awhile back.  We would like each family to sell (or buy) at least 20 tickets.  Please write your name and phone number on each ticket along with your child’s name.  You can either send the tickets and money back to school or drop them into the collection basket at church.  We will gladly send home more tickets if you need them; call school or send a note with your child.

GOD'S PORTION DAY   Mark your calendar for SUNDAY, JUNE 6th – our 11th annual God’s Portion Day!!  Auction starts at 10 a.m. this year.  Your support and attendance are expected and greatly appreciated!

YEARBOOK  We are having a yearbook made again this year. 

EDUCATION COMMISSION In our search for new Education Commission members, 2 people have stepped up to the plate.  They will automatically fill the 2 vacancies unless someone else comes forward.  At this writing, Angee Sinele and Margaret Schneider are your new representatives.  We thank Lora Taylor and Shelly Kraus for their years of service on the commission.  They have served us well! 

USBORNE BOOKS   I was very impressed with the amount of reading that the kids did during the Usborne Challenge!!  3rd & 4th – WOW!!  Fr. Szydlik almost had to shave his head!!  Thanks to all who participated!

Thank you to everyone who supported our Usborne book challenge.  Besides the free books that the students and teachers got, the school library received $558 in books and $277 to purchase AR tests.  That is very exciting!!

A BIG THANKS FROM MAGGIE KELLY AND LINDA FASCHING

We would like to express our thanks to everyone for their support for our no-cost fundraiser.  This year we raised $677 in Box Tops for Education!  That’s equal to 6,770 box tops.  This is a totally free fundraiser.  All we have to do is clip the labels off what we buy.  For next year our goal is $1000.  We know we can do this.  Check your boxes, cans and containers!

Campbell labels are adding up in a hurry also.  We are approaching 20,000 points banked.  Soon we will be able to choose something out of the Campbell rewards catalog.

Thank you for your support!!

We thank Maggie for all of her cutting and counting this year!!  Please make her day by saving as many labels as you can over the summer!  She has been a tremendous help to us!!

SCHoOL  pIcNiC  Our school picnic will be on Thursday, May 27th at the Nauvoo State Park starting about 11:30 a.m. (eat at noon).  The students will walk down to the park with their class.  If it rains, we will picnic in the gym.  Our committee is Tonya & Joe Scheetz (chair), Susan & Tony Knipe, Sara Crozier and Chris Crozier.  Please arrive early at the park to secure the shelter house.  Students need a sack lunch and a drink.  Adults, if you would like to be part of our potluck, bring a dish, table service, and a drink to join in the fun!

GRADUATION MASS  Our final Mass for the 6th graders will be on Saturday, May 29th at 5:30 p.m. at Sts. Peter & Paul Church.  We will be celebrating with Colton Durand and Allen Tebbs.  GOOD LUCK IN 7th GRADE!!

CATHOLIC YOUTH CAMP  Our annual Catholic Youth Camp will be held the week of June 21 – 25. 

SCRIP  Don’t forget about ordering scrip in the summer, too!  If you are planning any summer projects, think ahead and get some cards! 

ThE  CouNTDown  iS  oN . . . .

MAY 2   First Communion

MAY 3   Can Contest begins  /6:30 p.m. Catholic Women’s Club Salad Supper MAY 4   $1 no dress code

MAY 5   Birthday Day

MAY 7   8:45 Mass & May Crowning  /5th & 6th Gr. to Kibbe Conservation Day

MAY 11  $1 no dress code

MAY 12   July Birthday Day  /  1st & 2nd Grade to “Down on the Farm” Day

MAY 14   8:45 Mass & ARK t-shirts given  /  Can Contest ends

MAY 18  $1 no dress code

MAY 19  Last day for A.R. / Library closes – all books need to be returned                     OPEN HOUSE for Prospective and Current Students  5:30 – 7 p.m.

MAY 20  Last school day for preschool                           

            4th graders will perform as a group for the school (10 or 10:30?)

MAY 21  8:45 Mass /Preschool party day /6th Gr. Visiting Day @ HTC 1-2:30

MAY 25  $1 no dress code  /  8th Level A.R. Pizza Party for lunch       

             We will be going to NCES for their music program at 8:30 – our                    Cadet Band students will perform.

MAY 26  Last day for hot lunch

MAY 27  8:45 Mass  /10:30 Report Cards & Awards  /School Picnic /Sack 

             Lunch /Bring shorts for the picnic  (Nauvoo buses will only run in the

             morning. SPPS bus will run in the afternoon if we have enough

             students riding.)

MAY 28   NO SCHOOL   Teacher work day

MAY 29   6th Grade Graduation Mass at 5:30 p.m.

JUNE 6   GOD’S PORTION DAY  (Class projects and many other great things

             to be auctioned!)

     Our time in May will go very quickly.  Let us remember that it is the month of Mary, our Blessed Mother, and to ask her help in dealing with the busy days ahead.  You are the “open Bible” from which your children learn.  May our Mother Mary always be with you to guide you in her Son’s ways as you make daily choices for yourselves and your family.  Have a safe and rewarding summer!  MAY GOD BESTOW HIS MANY BLESSINGS ON ALL OF YOU!  

How you can help . . . .

SCRIP  The scrip program is a very easy way of raising money for our school without costing anyone anything extra.  Our money comes from a percentage of the retailers’ profit.  As an example – if you buy a $50 Hy-Vee card from us, you get a $50 card and Hy-Vee gives us 5% of the $50 card or $2.50.  That may not seem like much, but if every family at SPPS bought a $50 card that would be $100 profit in just one week (not counting all of the other cards that might be purchased). 

MAX DOLLARS  If you shop at County Market, this is an easy way to help us earn money.  County Market gives us a percentage of your purchases if you use a Max Card.

BOX TOPS & CAMPBELL’S LABELS  We do collect Box Tops for Education and Campbell’s Labels for Education.  This is another easy way to help us!  Just clip the box tops or the UPC from Campbell’s and send them to school with your child. 

TARGET CREDIT CARDS  If you often shop at Target, a percentage of your purchases will be sent to us periodically throughout the year, if you use their credit card.