General Information and Reminders!​

Reading At Home

Every year we emphasize the necessity of reading aloud to your child. Not only does it build a reading culture within your family, but it helps develop many skills necessary for the child to become an independent, life-long reader and lover of books.  Parents are often at a loss though as to what they ought to read and many of the books promoted today for young readers are banal, poorly written, loud, badly illustrated and sometimes immoral.

​The following books are highly recommended to help with the selection of good books:
Honey For A Child's Heart by Gladys Hunt
The Read Aloud Revival by Sarah MacKenzie
Books Children Love by Elizabeth Wilson
The Classical Reader by Leslie Rayner and Christopher Perrin

Although all are good, I particularly recommend the first two because the first part of each book lays out the why and how of reading to children. Homework is very limited in the lower school. In part because its effectiveness is highly debatable and also to give the child an opportunity to read and be read to.

Sweater Weather
As the weather (hopefully) begins to change and we experience cooler weather, the students will begin to don sweaters and jackets. Sweaters must follow uniform code. There are no regulations concerning jackets.
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Special Days

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Every first Wednesday of the month is Pizza Lunch Day for those who would like to order pizza. One slice is $1.50 (pepperoni or cheese) and the maximum order is 2 slices. Please try to have the exact amount as it is difficult to have enough change on hand for the increased number of students.   


Flu Season
​The last two months at the lower school have been a continuing roller coaster of illness, primarily fevers, colds and conjunctivitis (pink eye). We are strictly enforcing hand washing, as well as sending children home who exhibit symptoms. PLEASE do not send your child if he or she is coughing, has a very runny nose, has vomited in the last 24 hours or has pink eyes. We function in tight quarters, especially the second and third grade, making the spread of anything easy and rapid. Children can catch up on missed school work, but everyone suffers and misses more days when a sick child spreads an infection. 

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Lent
Father Thaddeus came on Ash Wednesday to speak to the children about Lent and to bless them with ashes. They were well-prepared by their teachers and could answer Father's questions  about  the Lenten practices of prayer, fasting and almsgiving. We will continue to encourage the children in their Lenten sacrifices and devotions at home and in school.
   
Classics Day
​March 17th, the feast of St. Patrick, is Classics Day at the upper school. Your child has been assigned to a team (Rome, Athens, Sparta, etc.) of mixed grades and will participate with their teams in the academic, artistic and athletic competitions based upon the ancient world. Each team also has an assigned color to  help the children identify their team mates. Costumes will be worn in the morning for the plays and recitations  and for the luncheon, then the children will don a t-shirt in their team color and shorts (P.E. or dark color is best) afterwards for the procession to the athletic field. The children are very excited to be a part of this grand event! We have costumes for the kindergarten and first grade, but second and third grade will need to provide their own. A simple tunic is best. Please speak to your child's  teacher if you need direction or advice on costumes.  

Reminders

 
ATTENTION 
*****Very Important****
Do NOT send your child to school with medicines/inhalers to be administered by the child.  Contact the teacher and give her the medication, along with specific dosage instructions.  Any medications and inhalers need to be in the teacher's possession for obvious safety reasons- NO exceptions!  Children love to share and sometimes do not understand why they cannot share these as well as their toys.  

LOST AND FOUND
We have a pile of dark blue, unclaimed sweaters with no names written on the labels. If owners do not claim them by the end of the month, they will be donated to the local Goodwill. ​

FIRST FRIDAY CARPOOL 

Every 1st Friday, we meet at the lower school at 11:15 to go to All School Mass, which begins at 11:40, at the upper campus.  All students are then picked up from the upper campus at 12:25-12:30.

​REGULAR SCHOOL SCHEDULE
8:30-8:45 a.m. Morning Recess
​8:50 a.m. First Bell
9:00 a.m. - 10:10 a.m. Morning Session (Language Arts and Theology)
10:10 a.m. - 11:45 a.m. Second Session (Math)   
11:45 a.m. -12:30 p.m. Lunch/Playtime
12:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. Third Session ( Science/History/Geography/Art/Music) 
2:00 p.m.- 2:10 p.m Clean Up and Dismissal