St. Al's Monday News St. Aloysius Gonzaga Catholic School | February 16, 2021

St. Al's Monday News
St. Aloysius Gonzaga Catholic School | February 16, 2021

                      “I plead with you--never, ever give up on HOPE, never doubt,
                       never tire, and never become discouraged. Be not afraid.”
                                           -Pope John Paul II

Message From Principal Angie Krauss
Dear Families,

I am always humbled as Lent approaches and re ect on how I can grow closer to God. Some years I
give something up and other times I do something for others. As my daughter and I visited about this
on our walk in the beautiful snow, I believe the most important way I can be intentional about my
Lenten journey is to spend daily time with God in prayer. I urge you to re ect on ways you can
strengthen your faith as a family as we prepare our hearts for Jesus' death and resurrection.

In addition to our school wide focus on Lent, we also open registration for next year on March 1 and
we will be hosting modi ed Open Houses on February 24 & 26. Please encourage your friends and
family to attend, for each referral you can earn a $100.00 dollar tuition credit. If you have not returned
your K-8 intent form please do so this week it is critical that we have updated information from all of
our current families.

In the ELC, we are sending home our annual “intent to register” forms this week with all of our families
for the 2021-2022 program year and we appreciate these being returned by Friday. In addition, a
reminder that all accounts must be current in order to register for next school year.
I hope the beginning of your Lenten journey is blessed!

In Christ’s Power,

Angie Krauss
Principal

Important Reminders from the Principal
     If you have questions regarding our enrollment timeline or procedures, please contact Dawn
     Manfred at dmanfred@stalsschool.org for K-8 enrollment, and Julie Simmons at
     jsimmons@stalsschool.org for ELC enrollment.

     If you are a practicing Catholic family that will seek access to nancial assistance through our
     Fair Share Tuition program you must complete an online application through FACTS. The FACTS
     portal is now open and if you need assistance lling it out please contact Dena Hanson,
     dhanson@staslsschool.org

COVID-19 Protocols/Information:

                                  COVID-19 Dashboard

                        Reopening Phases for each grade:

Message from ELC Director Julie Simmons
Greetings ELC/Montessori Families:

Thank you for your participation in last week’s parent-teacher conferences-we so appreciate your
partnership and look forward to more learning and growing together this spring! If you were unable to
make your time work last Friday, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your child’s teacher(s) as we are
happy to make arrangements for an alternative day/time to meet with you.

We are so happy to celebrate Valentine’s Day and Mardi Gras today with the children...thank you for
sharing those healthy fruits and vegetables (along with a cookie or two!) with our classrooms.

The season of holy Lent begins tomorrow with Ash Wednesday, this is a day of fast and abstinence.
Father San Mai will be with us to share a special sacramental. He will place ashes on our foreheads to
remind us that someday we will die and go home to heaven. As we receive these ashes, we are
reminded that we are entering the time of preparation for Easter with prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.

We are sending home our annual “intent to register” forms this week with all of our families for the
2021-2022 program year and will appreciate your returning these ASAP. Registration for next year
opens March 1, 2021 and we will be hosting modi ed Open House events on February 24 & 26, so it is
critical that we have updated information from all of our current families. In addition a reminder that
all accounts must be current in order to register for next program year. Thanks very much for your help
with this.

Don’t forget to register for our spring session of Super Tots! Our classes will begin next Wednesday,
February 24th. Please see more information attached to this week’s Monday news on how to register
directly with Super Tots. Deadline for registration is Friday, February 19. Super Tots will also be offering
a discounted price for the upcoming summer session for those who register for both spring and
summer sessions prior to Wednesday, February 24, 2021. Thank you Super Tots!!!

Peace and blessings,
Julie

Mark Your Calendars
        Feb. 16th: K-4 Valentine Free Dress; class parties
        Feb. 17th: Ash Wednesday
        Feb. 18th: 9:00am Fire Drill
        Feb. 24th and 26th: Open House

March 1st: Current Families registration opens
  March 5th: K-8 no school; inservice day
  March 11th: All School Mass
  March 17th: St. Patrick’s Day; Green free dress; Parent Advisory @ 5:30pm

Mission Advancement - Friendraising & Fundraising:
  NEW Promotional Video!: Please click the link below for our brand new, awesome promo video.
  Please share this video with friends and family who might be interested in enrolling their children
  at St. Al’s. IT’S SUPER FANTASTIC!!!
  Annual Auction: Mark your calendars now for our 29th Annual Auction on Saturday, April 24,
  2021! You should have received a SAVE THE DATE postcard. Remember to send us a photo
  (pictures@stalsschool.org) of you or your family with the postcard, and we’ll enter your name in
  a drawing for $100 auction bucks (to be used as a credit toward your auction bill, no cash value)!
  We might even use your photo in our social media promotions!
           Auction Donations Drop off: If you have auction donations to drop off, please bring
           them to Aleisha Webb in the Garco Gym until 8:40 each day.
  Social Media and Website:
           Please share student photos with us so we can share how we are “Leading with HOPE.
           Email your pics to pictures@stalsschool.org.
           Remember to “like” and “share” our Facebook and Instagram (@st.alsgonzaga) posts!
           Also, be sure to tag your posts of your students with the hashtag #wearestals. Thank
           you!

Saint Aloysius Gonzaga Promotional Video

Community Spiritual Reflection
The Ashes We Receive
By Nancy Small
My preparation for Ash Wednesday most years begins with clearing my
calendar for that day. I look at the list of people I accompany as a
hospice chaplain and begin making phone calls. “Would you like me to
come by with ashes on Ash Wednesday?” I ask. The answer is never no. “Oh, that would be
wonderful,” they say, and in no time, my schedule is full.
There’s something mysterious and mystical about the ashes we receive on Ash Wednesday. That
dark smudge on our foreheads connects us to something deep within us and beyond us. We are
reminded that we are dust, but not just any dust. The dust of our humanness is blessed by the
holiness of our Maker. The ashes we receive are like a divine magnet drawing us toward the earth
from which we’re made and the eternal for which we long.
The earthiness of ashes speaks to those who are dying, of their lives and what they’ve made of
them. Ashes symbolize parts of their lives they’ve had to let go due to illness and paths left
untraveled. They symbolize regrets, repentance, and the need for reconciliation. Ashes remind
them of their mortality and connect their dying with the death of Jesus. They are a sign of their
belief in the Paschal Mystery, weaving together their living, their dying, and their hope of rising to
new life.
And what about us who are not on deathbeds? What might make the ashes we receive more
meaningful this Lent?
Maybe we’ll take an interior look at where God may be nudging us toward growth or change. Are
there patterns of behavior that may be ready for the ash heap? Has dust settled on our souls,
because we’ve been lax in tending to our spiritual practices? Do we carry within us ashes of loss or
regret? Are there areas where repentance or conversion is needed? Is something preventing us
from blossoming into the fullness of who God calls us to be?
Maybe we’ll extend our Lenten gaze outward as well. Can our ashes connect us more deeply with
the cruci xion of Christ in our world today? Could we hold in prayer the human deaths brought
about by illness, injury, and injustice this past year? Can we include in our lament places reduced to
ash by natural disasters and a planet in peril? Can we consider how our action or inaction
contributes to societal suffering and connects us with it?

As Ash Wednesday draws to a close, I look at the thumb I’ve used to distribute ashes and notice the
ashes have found their way into the grooves in my skin. I smile, knowing it’s a mark of the work that
has given meaning to this day. The ashes of this day want to linger a little longer and go a little
deeper into the crevices of my soul. They are the holy dust that fertilizes the humus of my being for
Lenten growth in God.

STAG Pride/Kudos/Prayers
    As we begin the season of Lent, may God help to prepare our hearts for this 40 day journey.
    Heavenly Father please bless our school during the season of enrollment, help us to remain
    fruitful and welcoming.
    Thank you for the gift of partnership with our parent community, and the time to meet with ELC
    families this last week.

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           February 14th Parish Bulletin.pdf
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           Incoming Kindergarten Letter of Interest.pdf
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           DOH-OSPI-DYCF-SchoolsChildCareGuidance update Feb                              Download
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           Saint Aloysius School Early Learning Center Super Tots                         Download
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