Elementary K-3 Campus Newsletter
January 25, 2008
Catholic Schools Week -January 28- February 1
Monday- Grandparents Day- Program at 12:30 at Our Lady of Lourdes Church
Tuesday- Fun and Faith Day
Wednesday- OCS Mass- 10:00- Sportscenter
Thursday- Staff Appreciation Day
Friday- Student Appreciation Day- Get in the ACES Spirit! Wear your ACES apparel- shirts, hats, socks, go all out!
Please sign and return the Permission Slip to attend the CSW Mass at the Sportscenter. Thank You!
Happy Birthday this week to: Daniel Steitler, Phil Roach, Brittany Ebelhar, Housten Riney, Liza Vinson, and Mrs. Cheri Hayden.
Congratulations to Molly Payne and Meredith Grant for reaching Accelerated Reader Milestones! Molly reached the 300 Point Club and Meredith the 50 Point Club! AWESOME!
The K-3 Campus will be a Recycling Drop Off Site for all of your old telephone books. The Environmental Club at Catholic High is collecting books between January 28 and February 8. You may send yours to school with your child.
Important Dates:
• January 28- Grandparents Day- 12:30
• January 30- 10:00 System Wide Mass at Sports Center
• February 6- Ash Wednesday
• February 7- Eye Exams for 1st and 3rd Graders
• February 8- Mid-terms go home
• February 11- 2nd Grade Field Trip- RiverPark- “Super Scientific Circus”
• February 13-6:30- PTO Meeting at 4-6 Campus
• February 14- 9:00- Confessions- 2nd & 3rd Grade Students
Grandparents Day is this Monday- January 28, 2008 at 12:30. The children will sing a song for their grandparents in the Church and then all grandparents are invited to visit the school and the classrooms. For those students who do not have grandparents that can come, a parent is more than welcome to “fill in” as a grandparent!
Grandparents Day & Student Early Dismissal- After Grandparents Day is over many grandparents check their grandchild out and take them home. If you do NOT want your child to go home with their grandparent, please send a note to school, otherwise we will allow grandparents to check out their grandchildren that day.
January 23, St. John the Almsgiver- John was a dedicated Christian nobleman. He used his wealth and position to help poor people. After his wife passed away, John became a priest and bishop. He devoted two days each week, Wednesday and Friday, to making himself available for anyone who wished to see him. People lined up and waited patiently for their turn. Some were rich. Some were homeless and destitute. All received the same respect and attention. When he found out that the church treasury had eighty thousand pieces of gold, he divided it all among the hospitals and monasteries. He set up a system so that poor people received adequate money and means to support themselves. Refugees from neighboring areas were welcomed warmly. When people wanted to know how St. John could be so charitable and unselfish, he had an amazing answer. Once when he was very young he had a dream or vision. He saw a beautiful girl and he realized that she represented "charity." She told him: "I am the oldest daughter of the King. If you are devoted to me, I will lead you to Jesus. No one is as powerful with him as I am. Remember, it was for me that he became a baby to redeem humankind." St. John never tired of telling about that vision. He gently led the rich to be generous. He helped the poor trust that God would always be there for them. St. John died peacefully on November 11, 619. Because of his great charity, he is called "the almsgiver."
January 24, St. Francis de Sales- Francis was born at the de Sales castle in Savoy, France, on August 21, 1567. His wealthy family provided him with an excellent education. By the age of twenty-four, Francis was a Doctor of Law. He returned to Savoy and led a hard-working life. He did not seem interested in important positions or a social life. In his heart, Francis was listening to a call that kept coming back like an echo. It seemed to be an invitation from the Lord to become a priest. Francis finally tried to explain his struggle to his family. His father was very disappointed. He wanted Francis to be a great man of the world. Instead, Francis became a priest on December 18, 1593.
Francis eventually became the bishop of Geneva, Switzerland. Francis wrote wonderful books about the spiritual life and the way to become holy. The books, Treatise on the Love of God and Introduction to the Devout Life, are still in print today. They are considered spiritual "classics."
Bishop de Sales died on December 28, 1622, at the age of fifty-six. He was declared a saint by Pope Innocent X in 1665. Because of his heroic dedication to the Church, he was given the special title "Doctor of the Church." He is also the patron saint of journalists.
January 27, St. Angela Merici- Angela was born in the small Italian town of Desenzano, Italy, around 1474. Her parents died when she was ten. She and her only sister, who was three years older, loved each other very much. A wealthy uncle took the girls into his home. When she was about twenty-two, Angela began to notice that the children of her town knew little about their religion. Angela invited some of her girlfriends to join her in teaching religion classes. Angela's friends were anxious to help her with the children.At that time there were no religious orders of teaching sisters. No one had ever thought of such a thing. St. Angela Merici was the first to gather together a group of women to open schools for children. On November 25, 1535, twenty-eight young women offered their lives to God. It was the beginning of the Ursuline order. Angela placed the congregation under the protection of St. Ursula. This is how they got their name. The Ursuline Sisters have spread to many countries. The order continues its works for Jesus and his Church, especially in the education of children and young adults. Angela was proclaimed a saint by Pope Pius VI in 1807