From the desk of Sister Stella
Parent infromation
PWC President
Parish News
Foundation Information
Traffic Duty Assignments
Weekly Readings/Reflections
Summer School
Students School Activities
From the School Nurse
Fall Festival
Miscellaneous

" Do not let people tempt you with false values, half-truths, the fascination of illusion, which you will later leave behind with disappointment, hurt, and perhaps with life ruined." Pope John Paul II

"Show me your friends and I’ll show you your future." Jeanne Mayo

From the Desk of Sr. Stella:

Exercise = school achievement.

An extensive California study finds a direct connection between students’ fitness and academic performance.

In the spring of 2001, the California Department of education gave standardized reading and mathematics, test as well as Fitnessfram test to 353,00 fifth graders, 322,000 seventh graders and 279.00 ninth graders. The fitnessgram developed by Cooper Institute for Aerobics Research in Dallas, assess six major areas in physical fitness, including aerobic fitness, body fat, strength and flexibility.

In all three grades, achievement scores increased with increasing levels of fitness as measured by Fitnessgram. The relationship was stronger in Mathematics than in reading.
"This statewide study provides compelling evidence that the physical well-being of students has a direct impact on their ability to achieve academically," says Delaine Eastin, California’s state superintendent of public information.

At St. Paul the Apostle School we are always observing the general health of our students. Often some children are in school without breakfast. Many students are not getting enough sleep and that is not because of overload of homework but rather too much time in chat rooms—check it out.

I would like to express the appreciation of all the faculty to parents who find very creative ways for sharing birthday treats in school. Have you any idea how many Krispy Cremes and other types of do-nuts are consumed by our students? Sugar, Sugar, Sugar, Fat, Fat!!!

Congratulations to all of our students who took part in the Los Angeles County Science Fair. We have four students out of 13 going to the California State Science Fair. Read on in this epistle for more information on the Science Fair.

We express our most sincere gratitude and congratulations to Ms. Beckett for leading our students in such a very valuable and successful endeavor.

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Parent Information

March 24, 2003

Dear Parents,

St. Paul the Apostle School in conjunction with the School Board is continually seeking ways to improve the quality of education for our children while controlling the spiraling costs of tuition.
One important way to hold costs down is through solid tuition collection that gives the school access to a regular cash flow. In pursuit of this end, we have looked into many alternatives. After much research and many recommendations, we have decided to change tuition management companies beginning with the new school year.

St. Paul’s has contracted with FACTS Management Company. FACTS Provides service to over 3500 schools nationwide with a number of those schools represented within the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.

FACTS offers a program that better meets the needs of our parents. Below are listed the different payment plan options:

1. Full Payment – Under this plan the entire amount of tuition is paid on or before June 6, 2003. This payment is made directly to the school office.

2. Monthly Payment --- This option offers 12 monthly auto-deductions
from a checking or savings account starting in June. Those choosing this payment plan need to authorize their bank to make the payment on the 5th or 20 of each month. The sign-up form will be provided by FACTS. It is important to know that neither St. Paul’s or FACTS have access to your account.

3. FACTS payments can also be made by way of a VISA , Master Card or Discover. There is a small convenience fee for this method.

Please read the brochure provided for you about how FACTS works. We think that you will find it informative and that the transition will be smooth.

Sincerely,

Sister Stella Maria Enright, DMJ
Principal

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PWC President

Dear St. Paul’s Parents,

Potlucks

We hope the 1st Grade had a wonderful Potluck on Tuesday. Special congratulations to the 2nd Grade for celebrating their Agape and Potluck on Monday.

Spring Sing II

Parents, please remember that your RSVP’s for the Spring Sing II, to be held on May 14th need to get to our Reservations Chair Susan Reed no later than May 8th. Grades K, 1, 5, & 7 will be performing.

Caroline Moynagh – PWC President

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Parish News

One, Holy, Catholic & Apostolic

Journey’s Ended, Journey’s Begun
On Saturday night, April 19, eight adults and one child nervously came to St. Paul’s. It was Holy Saturday, the night of the Easter Vigil – the most solemn celebration of the Church in the whole year – and they were waiting to celebrate the new life they would have in Christ.

Nando Anderson, one of our 6 year olds, was about to be Baptized. Gene Cox, Karen Knott, Mai Li, Jimmy Shaw, Elizabeth Wilmot were about to be Baptized, Confirmed and receive their First Eucharist after different lengths of time in the RCIA at St. Paul’s. Mark Li and Joel Svendsen were about to complete their initiation in the Catholic Church with Confirmation and Eucharist. And Jacky Choi was about to come into the Church fully with a Profession of Faith and celebration of Confirmation and Eucharist.

Each of these individuals, in their own unique way did enter the Church on Holy Saturday night. Each of them has a different story to tell, how they got to the Church, what they had to go through to make sure this is what they wanted, and a raft of different issues that spiral in their life making them sure about their decision at one moment, and not sure at another.

The adults all came to us through our RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation) group at St. Paul’s. Some of them, well it took years to come to the vigil, others only months, and occasionally we have people that only take weeks. The important thing is that they are now fully with us in the Church and I hope when you see them, you will congratulate them on their achievement and the achievement God has made in each of them.

Sometimes people give me a call and ask how long the RCIA lasts. My answer is always the same, "tell me about your story."Because the RCIA adapts itself to the person. If you are already baptized, it is a shorter journey than if you are not. If you’ve been coming regularly to mass for a while, it could be even shorter – depending on your questions.

To which some people ask, "Father, why can’t you just give me a straight answer – how long will it take to become Catholic." The response is, because here at St. Paul’s we try to meet the needs of the individual. God does not always fit in the nice neat boundaries that we human beings set up – life does not always begin in September or end in May. Other parishes do run the RCIA as a program, with definite beginnings, endings and prescribed texts. What we try to do is let those who need more time in the conversion to Christ take that time, and those who need less time to take less time.

While we welcome our newly initiated, we also continue to walk with and encourage Claudia, Jana, and Johann who continue as catechumens, and we welcome our new inquirers – those trying to figure out if they want to follow that route to coming to Christ in the Catholic Church at the vigil or some other time in the Church year. What about you – do you have questions in this regard? Feel free to ask.

(BSchoeberle@sp-apostle.org)
Fr. Brad

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Foundation Information

St. Paul the Apostle School Foundation

This year’s School Foundation phone-a-thon was a magnificent success.

For more than twenty years you, the parents at St. Paul’s, have generously contributed to the success of our children’s spiritual and academic education through their support of the School Foundation. This year was the best year ever. Thanks to your involvement, we had a magnificent 74% participation in the Annual Foundation drive. This includes all families who donated at Thanksgiving and all who donated during our recent phone-a-thon.

We, the parents at St. Paul’s, have an opportunity to make a significant and positive impact on the spiritual, cultural and academic lives of our children. Thank you for participating. You will see the immediate improvements to the school that the Foundation is able to provide as a result of your generosity.

Thank you again for your support of St. Paul’s

Danny Amos
Foundation President

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Traffic Duty Assignments

For the month of May is kindergarten Traffic Duty

If you have not done traffic duty before and are still not clear on the concept- please cal me before to get direction. the first time can be confusing.

For Am positions arrive no later than 7:20.
For PM positions arrive no later than 2:45. Send cars down the driveway at 2:55 or when the gate is open.

For Substitutions call:
Thurs. Morning only; Janet Pregler

Otherwise consult your room parents or call me.

Teresa McDugald

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Weekly Readings/Reflections

Next Sunday, May 11, is the Fourth Sunday of Easter
Please read and reflect on these readings during the week (alone or with family and friends), and come to next Sunday’s liturgy prepared to listen attentively to the proclamation of the Word of God.

READING I Acts 4:8-12

Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said:
"Leaders of the people and elders:
If we are being examined today about a good deed done to a cripple,
namely, by what means he was saved,
then all of you and all the people of Israel should know
that it was in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead;
in his name this man stands before you healed.
He is the stone rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone.
There is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name under heaven
given to the human race by which we are to be saved."

READING II 1 John 3:1-2

Beloved:
See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God.
Yet so we are.
The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
Beloved, we are God's children now; what we shall be has not yet been revealed.
We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.

GOSPEL John 10:11-18

Jesus said:
"I am the good shepherd.
A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
A hired man, who is not a shepherd and whose sheep are not his own,
sees a wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away, and the wolf catches and scatters them.
This is because he works for pay and has no concern for the sheep.
I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me,
just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I will lay down my life for the sheep.
I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold.
These also I must lead, and they will hear my voice, and there will be one flock, one shepherd.
This is why the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again.
No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own.
I have power to lay it down, and power to take it up again.
This command I have received from my Father."

FOURTH SUNDAY OF EASTER (May 11)

READINGS Jesus is the way to salvation;
we have become the children of God;
we follow the voice of the good shepherd.

WHAT I HEAR What do I hear in Jesus’ voice this week?

MY FAITH JOURNEY How can I follow the shepherd this week?

FOR CHILDREN God loved us so much that he made us his children.

What can you do this week to show that you are one of the children of God?

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Summer School

Summer School Update

Acceptance notices for summer school registration will be sent home around May 15.

These notices will be delivered to the homeroom if your student is currently here at St. Paul's.

Notices for students not presently going to St. Paul's will be mailed to the home directly.

Please remember that classes were filled on a first come, first served basis.
Students were given their second choice if classes were filled.

Sincerely,Gina Buchanan

Summer School Coordinator

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Students School Activities

2003 Los Angeles County Fair Results

On Thursday , May 1st, thirteen St. Paul the Apostle students were selected as finalists and were given medals during the awards program.

Congratulations to:

Alia G 8th grade- First Place Pharmacology
                            First Place Award form the American Scientist Organization
                            Sweepstakes Finalist
                            Invitation to the California State Science Fair

William H. 7th grade – First Place animal Biology
                                     Los Angeles zoo Award
                                     Sweepstakes Finalist
                                    Invitation to the California State Science Fair

Chris B. & Ryan J. 8th grade - Second Place Physical Science teams
                                                 Invitation to the California State Science Fair

Jimmy D. 8th grade- Third Place Social Sciences
                                 Invitation to the California State Science Fair

Marisa L. 8th grade- Honorable Mention Physics
                                 Health Physics Organization Award
Claire K. 8th grade- Honorable Mention Plant biology
Jessica T. 8th grade- Honorable Mention Plant Physiology
Chris G. 7th grade- Honorable Mention Animal Physiology
Erin P. 7th grade – Honorable mention Microbiology
Jessica R. 7th grade – Honorable Mention Microbiology
Richard R. 7th grade- Honorable Mention Mathematics
Kyle S. 7th grade- Honorable mention Behavioral Sciences

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From the School Nurse

FROM THE HEALTH OFFICE:

RE: EXPIRED TB MANTOUX TESTS FOR VOLUNTEER WORK AT SPA THE FOLLOWING PARENTS NEED TO SUBMIT A CURRENT TB TEST TO THE HEALTH OFFICE. YOUR TB RESULTS ON FILE HAVE EXPIRED. THE TEST IS GOOD OR FOUR YEARS. REMEMBER YOU MAY NOT VOLUNTEER WITH AN EXPIRED TB TEST.

MADELYN BAILEY - 11/O2
BRIDGET CONLEY - 10/02
MARGARET GRANT - 1/02
CRISTINA MARTINEZ - 02/02
CLAUDIA RYAN - 09/02
KELLY WORKMAN - 10/02
SUSAN KAHN - Expired 9/02
MARGARET GRANT - Expired 10/02
LYNN DAVIS - Expired 12/02

THANK YOU FOR KEEPING OUR CHILDREN SAFE.
MISS ANDERSON/RN

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Fall Festival

ALOHA, ST. PAUL'S FESTIVAL 2003
SILENT AUCTION CONTEST
May 5-23, 2003

The Silent Auction Committee is proud to announce a STUDENT CONTEST to be held May 5- 23rd. Families are asked to bring in donated auction items ( listed below ). A FREE PIZZA party will be awarded to the class who brings in the most items! For families that have children in more than one class, each class will get credit for a donation.

Please consider soliciting your favorite businesses, or friends and family members, to donate items for the Silent Auction. All items, large and small, will be appreciated. (We can group smaller items together to make our "baskets".) Here are a few suggestions:

       Gift certificates for shops, restaurants, hair salons
       Tickets for theater, sporting events, airlines
       Vacation "Getaways"
       Entertainment industry "goodies"
       Services, like interior design, tax consultation
       Small items, like new DVD's or best-selling books

All students have been given a contest flier and donation form. Donations should be brought in, along with the forms, by May 23rd. Auction Committee members will be on hand after school in the pavilion to take donations every Thursday during the contest, (May 8, May 15 and May 22). You may also follow the directions for submission at other drop-off locations, which are written on the donation form.

If you have any questions, call Brigid Heaney. Thanks in advance for your great support of our Silent Auction fund raiser!

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Miscellaneous

ATTENTION 8TH GRADE PARENTS AND STUDENTS

8TH GRADE RETREAT AND POTLUCK
Has been Re-Scheduled to Wednesday, MAY 28th
Please mark you calendars.
Room Moms

___________________________________________________________________________

SPA MUSIC DEPARTMENT
Attention Theater Goers
"The Producers" Tickets have been mailed
We have (7) Seats Available
Sunday, May 18th
2:00pm performance
$46.00
Call Jackie Brooks if interested. First come first serve.

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