Summer is upon us. This is the time of renewal, relaxation, fun, and transition. It is important for children to have a soft intermission in their learning. Not a void of learning but a chance to let the things they now know be used and reflected on. Children should continue to read and enjoy it. Find a way to make it fun; read the baseball stories in the newspaper, read a book together (alternating reading pages) have a book-on-tape in the car that you all can hear and then talk about it, write a story together and send it to Grandma. Turn the trip to the grocery store into a math refresher; guess how much the bill will be and have a prize for the child who has estimated as each item goes in the cart and gets closest to the total, figure out the distance to the store by the MPH of speed and the time it took to get there, let the children measure things for you and talk about what the unit of measure needs to be. In other words, let them see through your verbal descriptions, the way that you use what you have learned through the years. I have often said one of the most useful things I learned all those years ago was that when you need to screw in something it is “righty tighty, lefty loosey”. Share with your child your most useful piece of learning.
How can you support the teachers over the summer? Teachers have given you summer reading lists with expectations for reading through the summer (not mid-August cram!) and some classes have math packets as well. Space these out a bit each week in a positive way. Learning should be joyful; and I urge you to make that your goal in summer learning. Have a wonderful break!
TRANSITIONS
We are saying “hello” and “good-bye” this year to a number of staff. Mrs. Abrams and Mrs. Kotek are founding staff members who are leaving us. We have been so fortunate to have had them with us these last nine years and we are grateful for all that they have done to care for and educate our students all these years. Mrs. Peters and Mr. Somers are both retiring this year. Mrs. Peters has been making our prekindergarten classes fun and interesting for years, and she will be missed. We are fortunate to have had her with us. Mr. Somers is retiring from a full career in education both as a public school educator and as a Catholic school educator. What a wonderful body of work…..he has touched so many lives in such a beautifully positive way. He is so smart, and has such a great sense of humor. Learning from Mrs. Somers is fun! We wish him the very best, and look forward to asking him back as a sub when it fits in his newly relaxed schedule! Mrs. Chitwood will be leaving us as well. She has done a wonderful job of teaching sixth grade Spanish, including our recent World Cup project. We thank her for amazing love and dedication to her students.
Mrs. Ross and Mrs. Arena will be moving to third grade next year to join Jennifer Fletcher in completing the 3rd grade team. Mrs. Ross taught third grade for many years at St. Gerard in Oak Lawn. Mrs. Arena has already been busily preparing for the academic expectations of third grade in this transition. She is very much looking forward to this challenge. Ms. Fletcher has been teaching third grade for us as a replacement for Mrs. Fuzak who left us in January. She comes to us with special education endorsement as well as teaching credentials, and has had a very positive experience with third grade this year. Mr. Justin Busche will be our PE/health instructor. He has four years of experience as a PE/ health teacher, two years of which are in a Catholic school. He is a parishioner of Sts Peter and Paul. He has children attending Sts Peter and Paul but will not be a coach or athletic board member for either school. So when we see him in the stands at games we are seeing him in his role as dad. Mr. Tony Gonzales will be our grade six Spanish and social studies instructor. Tony is a 2014 graduate of Benedictine University, and completed his student teaching here at All Saints Catholic Academy. He understands and upholds our high expectations for academics and for respectful behavior.
A few other changes. We will have three sections in fourth grade and we likely will have two sections in kindergarten and grade one. This is based on enrollment and may change. We are bringing the prekindergarten program onto the main school campus this year, so we will have our preschool united at last. I know that any change always sends ripples into the status quo; but please trust that your school board and staff work hard to ensure that our mission is honored with each decision, and that we help you bring your children to Jesus Christ in the most loving environment possible while offering a developmentally correct academic program. We deeply appreciate your trust in us.
Congratulations
We graduated 64 eighth graders last Friday, and wish them the Grace of God as they enter high school. One of our 2010 ASCA graduates is the 2014 valedictorian at Benet Academy this year. We offer sincere congratulations to Ryan Wolfe. We are very proud of him. Our kindergarten year is complete now, and they are prepared to enter first grade next year. Our preschool year is also complete. We wish them all a wonderful summer of fun and adventure. These are such big changes for these little ones!
Uniform Donations
Our sincerest gratitude is extended to the All Saints community. Your overwhelming response to our Lenten Service Project has yielded a whopping 847 clothing items for the children of Hogar del Pobre orphanage! We are their sole source of clothing, and they depend on your generosity. Additionally, $285 in funds were collected to benefit the children. Mother Superior has also depended on receiving our used uniforms that have been unsold after the annual exchange. Since there is no uniform exchange this year, we are asking you to consider donating outgrown uniforms. Any and all uniform pieces (including gym) in decent condition will be accepted. We will be accepting donations from Thursday, May 29 through Tuesday, June3. Thanks so much for your support of the needy and blessing them! Psalm 140:12 I know that the LORD secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy.
Field Day – Thursday, May 29
Grades 1-4: It you volunteered for this event through Mrs. Abrams, please arrive at the school at 8:30 am, and proceed to the gym.
Grades 5-7: It you volunteered for this event through Mrs. Abrams, please arrive at the school at 12:00 pm, and proceed to the gym.
Final Reminder: May 30th is This Year's Deadline to Purchase a Brick or Select Another Naming Opportunity!
There is still time for you to commemorate a special person or a special occasion, such as a favorite teacher or a team effort or graduation.
With Brick Sponsorships for $175, $250 or $500, as well as Other Naming Opportunities, you can give a gift that will last a lifetime, while making a tax-deductible donation to All Saints Catholic Academy.
Please go to www.ascacademy.org for an order form, or contact Tim Traynor at ttraynor@ascacademy.org for more information. All St. Therese order forms are due by Friday, May 30th.
Raising Respectful Children in a Disrespectful World
Our meeting to look at blending our handbook language to reflect this initiative is scheduled for June 11th at 7PM in McSherry Hall. I hope you can join us.
Fun Fair 2014
Please contact Christi Kluzak at dkluzak@comcast.net if you can co-chair the 2014 Fall Fun Fair! We look forward to building a fun, enthusiastic team to put on a great event for ASCA. Thank you in advance!
Summer Reading List
The summer reading lists (Gr. K-5 Summer Reading List and JH Summer Reading List) are available at the school website. Each class has a reading expectation for the summer. Please have your child read regularly ….as opposed to waiting till the weekend before school starts! And don’t limit yourself to the requirements.
Summer Spanish Enrichment Academy
All Saints Catholic Academy is excited to offer a Spanish enrichment program designed to prepare junior high students for the start of the school year. Small group instruction and enrichment activities will be presented by Mrs. Maria Kazlauskas.
Who: Junior High Academy - Incoming 6th graders through graduating 8th graders
What: The focus will be on Vocabulary, Pronunciation, Grammar, Verb Conjugations and Conversational Phrases
When: Monday, July 28th through Thursday, July 31st, and
Monday, August 4th through Thursday, August 7th
Time: 9:00—10:15 am
(15 minute outdoor break)
10:30—11:45 am
Where: All Saints Catholic Academy
Cost: ASCA students: $170.00 (Non-ASCA students: $195.00)
The Summer Spanish Enrichment registration form can be found at the school website. Please direct any questions or concerns about the Spanish Summer Enrichment Academy to Mrs. Kazlauskas at mkazlauskas@ascacademy.org.
School Supplies for the 2014-2015 School Year
Order on line at www.shopttkits.com, and use the school's account number which is 33770. Orders will be accepted until Friday, June 13. This is a firm date and no exceptions can be made. So, if you wish to avoid the crowded aisles come July/August in Target and Walmart, do not delay, sit down today to order your school supplies! The school supply lists can be found at the school website. Ordering instructions and cost are being sent home with students today.
For all orders completed by June 13, supplies will be shipped to the school and distributed to each student’s classroom later this summer. When you arrive at the Meet and Greet event prior to the first day of school, you will find the supply box with your child's name in their homeroom. You may choose to either leave the box there for the first day of school, or bring the box home with you.
Special School Supply Information for Jr. High Students
There is a required TI-30X IIS calculator for 6, 7 and 8th graders. If you need to purchase one, it is listed as a separate item from the grade level school supply kits. Scroll down the page until you find it and add it to your order.
District 203 Busing
Please be sure to note that Naperville School District 203 will be providing busing for All Saints students through our 9:30 am last day of school dismissal on Tuesday, June 3.
2014 G.L.O.W. 5k Run for Reading
Have you seen the colorful 2014 G.L.O.W. 5k signs along the Naperville streets lately? Have you wondered how you could be part of this fun run? We want YOU to join our Shining Saints ASCA team for the 2014 G.L.O.W. 5K Run/Walk for Reading! We are looking for runners and walkers of all ages and abilities to join us for a fun-filled evening of exercise and community sprit! (We hear that there are many walkers at this event.) All proceeds from this event go to the Jeanine Nicarico Memorial Fund for Literacy, which enhances literacy programs throughout District 203, District 204 and area private schools. Over the past few years, ASCA has received approximately $7,000 in grants from this Fund! We recently found out that we have been awarded a grant of $2,000 for the 2014-2015 school year for professional development and to purchase sets of fiction and non-fiction books to use in guided reading groups. We would love to see you support this wonderful organization that has been so generous with ASCA!
Please consider registering with your family and friends (the flyer is on the school website). If we are the school with the highest percentage of participation, Anderson’s Bookshop will award an author visit to All Saints! Come on Saints! A prize will be given for Best “GLOWING” Individual. Go to www.naperglow5k.com for more information.
Zip Zap Zop
Samaritan Interfaith Counseling Center is presenting Zip Zap Zop, a Social Skills Summer Camp for grades 3-5 and 6-8, in partnership with Artful IMPACT! at the School of Performing Arts. Students will dive into the art of social thinking through improvisation, acting and movement. Learning “in the moment” is an excellent confidence builder, promoting life-long skills and building healthy and rewarding social relationships. Zip Zap Zop information is available at the school website.
Community Outreach
Dreading Desk and Locker Leftovers – Donate to SCARCE
What do you with all the used school supplies the kids come home with as the year starts winding down? Toss most of it out? Wouldn’t it be great to spare our drawers and closets from overflowing, and instead donate these items to be reused and recycled?
Please join ASCA in supporting the School and Community Assistance for Recycling and Composting Education (SCARCE) – Tools for Schools Program (TFS). SCARCE is dedicated to educating students, teachers, residents, businesses, and the general public to conserve natural resources and energy, prevent pollution, reduce waste, recycle, and compost organic materials, so that together we can make a difference; we can protect the environment and work toward a sustainable future for our community.
What do I need to do? Fill out the school supply donation form for SCARCE (a copy of the SCARCE school donation form is attached to this newsletter, and is also available at the school website). The form designates what items your child should bring home vs. keep at ASCA for donation to SCARCE. Send this form to your child’s teacher. Each classroom will have a collection box. Or if you have a simple request of either sending all the items home or ASCA keeping all of them for donation feel free to e-mail your teacher.
Once collected, these items will be taken to SCARCE. Then what… 75% of the donated items are distributed to low income schools, alternative schools, and special education programs in Illinois. The remaining 25% of items are sent to schools, orphanages, hospitals, libraries and youth centers around the world. – including Ghana, Kenya, China, India, Ethiopia, Lithuania, Columbia, Honduras, Costa Rica, Rwanda, Uganda and many more. Since its inception in 2002, SCARCE’s Tools for Schools Program has diverted over 1,000,000 supplies from the landfill. Even crayons have a special purpose! SCARCE will peel, sort and melt the broken and used crayons in a crock pot. They will then be poured into special molds to form large crayons to be used by children with special needs. Any whole crayons received will be sorted into sets for underprivileged children. If you have any questions please contact Ann Zediker at (630) 544-1767, or jazediker@comcast.net.
A Day Without Hunger – Celebrating 30 Years of Loaves and Fishes
Come celebrate 30 years of Loaves and Fishes at this event located at 1871 High Grove Lane in Naperville, 60540, on Friday, June 13 from 11 am – 7 pm. There will be a free community BBQ, children’s activities, exhibits a book fair and raffles, as well as live entertainment. Day Without Hunger information can be found at the school website.
Shipping Container for Haiti
News from Bob Larkin, who is a SES Parishioner and Diaconate Candidate: I am seeking items that you’d like to donate to Haiti. A 40 foot cargo container will be sent to Haiti in early July which will contain a variety of medical equipment and supplies as well as other items that’ll prove very useful in Haiti. I also want to send many, many items that will assist Fr. Dorcin in furnishing his new rectory. As many of you know, I work closely with a Haitian priest, Fr. Ernst Dorcin who is the eyes and ears for our non-profit group – Haiti Marycare. (more info at www.haitimarycare.org) Since being assigned to his new parish over two years ago, Fr. Dorcin has worked diligently to build a new rectory near his church in Pilette while living 40 minutes away. In Haiti, when a priest leaves one parish to go to a new parish he leaves behind everything he has managed to obtain for the parish and rectory where he had lived. Thus, Fr. Dorcin has nothing to furnish the new rectory once it is completed. There are no beds, no linen, no plates, no lamps, no kitchen table or chairs; so anything you could imagine, he could use. If you have old dishes in a box in the attic, he could use them. Are you moving or remodeling? He could use bathroom or kitchen fixtures, cabinets, shelves, almost any type of furniture, etc. And if anyone has a contact for flooring (specifically tile) or paint that can be obtained for free (or at least a big discount), please pass along the information. Of course, we also can always use cash to purchase new items.
A receipt as evidence of a tax deductible contribution can be provided upon request.
Last date to donate items is July 6th. If you have any questions, or have items you’d like to donate, please contact Bob Larkin at: Robert_D_Larkin@ML.com, or (H) 630-961-8256 /(W) 630-505-3434.