From the desk of Sister Stella
PWC President
Parish News
PWC Function
Traffic Duty Assignments
Weekly Readings/Reflections
Playground Volunteer
Hot Lunch Volunteer
Fall Festival
SPA Chess Club News

“They can because they think they can.” – Virgil

From the desk of Sister Stella Maria, Principal:

The above quote applies to each of our students who are participating in our after school programs. We are very proud of the students and teachers who are involved in these activities.

Just to review for you:

Monday:            Chess with an enrollment of fifty students – Volunteer Parents

                            Drama with an enrollment of twenty students – Ms. Heinrich

Monday

    and

Tuesday:            Recorder with an enrollment of thirteen students – Ms. Hall

Tuesday:            Debate with an enrollment of thirty students – Mrs. Alessi

Tuesday

    and

Thursday:          Paulist Choristers with a total of thirty-eight students.

                            The choir consists of boys and girls. – Luke McEnderfer

Wednesday:       Musical Theatre with an enrollment of forty-nine students – Miss Newton

                                                                                                                            and Volunteers

                       Strings and wind instruments with a total of twenty-eight students. -
                                                                                                                             The Larry Newman School

Seasonal sports, such as tennis and golf, are ongoing for boys and girls usually starting at grade five. All of these programs will continue next year with the same instructors.

We plan to have a very organized strategy for students in our day care program to complete their homework. From 3:30 – 4:15 students in sixth, seventh and eighth grades will be required to study. While third, fourth and fifth grades will begin study hall at 4:15 and end at 5:00. We will make a special plan for the primary students of day care when the enrollment is finalized. It is important that all students have a play time and snack time immediately after school.

The following students in our eight grade: Jonathan McCullough, Michael Piechowski, and Ike Silver have won the poetry contest sponsored by Creative Communications. Their poems will be published in the anthology. According to the letter received, they were chosen from among thousands of submissions. Congratulations boys!

Patrick Sullivan in seventh grade is a Sweepstakes Finalist in the County Science Fair. He will compete at the State level during this month…more exciting news to follow.

HAVE A SAFE AND ENJOYABLE CAMP-OUT WEEKEND!

In this month of May in which the Church traditionally honors Mary the Mother of God, we offer to you a reflection by Dr. Helen Kelley, IHM. Over the years Dr. Kelley has been president of Immaculate Heart College and the Immaculate Heart Community as well as an active voice in both local and national ethics and social justice projects.

“MARY”

Mary is our patron, and if we are attentive to the scriptures, we can find that she’s a good teacher too.

What we find in the scriptures chiefly is that Mary was a good listener -- to the angel, to Joseph, to her own heart; and she was sensitive to persons and events.

She accepted the angel’s message with a
minimum of dramatics; she went across the hill country to Elizabeth simply because she knew she could be helpful.

She fled the tyranny of temporal powers and lived in exile. She must have been temperate and alert,
being the first, apparently, to notice that the wine was depleted at the wedding feast.

If we knew only this about her:
that she loved her friends;
she used her head;
and she followed her conscience –
all in good spirit –

we would have all the model we need to bring off the Christian life in America today with style.

Helen Kelley, IHM
Composed on the occasion of the Annual Alumnae Reunion
Immaculate Heart High School
May 2, 1999

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PWC President

Dear SPA Parents,

Late Day
Please remember that TUESDAY, May 22ndis a late day.  School will start at 10:20. Coaches program will be in effect.

SPA Campout Weekend
To all campers: We wish for beautiful weather, lots of fun and never-ending S’mores. Be safe out there. Don’t forget to make your family signs. Surf’s Up, St. Paul’s is the theme for the SPA Campout Family Sign Contest.  Get those “board” ideas waving at your house!   Have it in place by Friday evening. Prizes will be given for outstanding efforts and awarded at the big Campfire/Talent Show on Saturday night!  See you there!

Eighth Grade News
Wednesday, May 24th is the Eighth Grade Retreat at the Newman Center. Their Liturgy and potluck will be that evening starting at 6:15PM in the Church. Thanks to the Eighth Grade Room Parents:  Alice Ramos, Elaine Lass, Jacki Shepherd and Anne Watne, who have been working hard

Memorial Day
 Monday, May 29th, is Memorial Day. There will be a regular school day on Tuesday May 30th.

Surf’s Up St. Paul’s

Raffle tickets now on sale….which class will have 100% participation?   Read Surf Report #2 for more details.

Have a great week!

Julie Chait

PWC President

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Parish News

FAITH IN THEIR OWN WORDS

A child is born. There is no greater day than the day a child comes into the world safe and sound and brimming with possibility. This is miracle day. Something that “wasn’t” now inexplicably “is,” and like ripples in the water, the people whose lives are intertwined with this child are transformed and awed.

Happy Mothers Day . . . to new moms and old moms . . . to single moms and married moms . . . to women (and men) who have filled the role of nurturer in another person’s life . . . who have fed, supported, encouraged, educated, nursed and disciplined children through all their stages of growth and development. Catholic parents also take on the somewhat daunting task of being the first to communicate the faith to their children. As the bishops said in their 1971 message on Catholic education, “In the family, children learn to believe what their parent’s words and example teach about God, and parents enrich their own family by participating in the formal religious education of their children.”

I interviewed some of our school children a few years ago and asked them several questions about their own faith. I though that on Mothers Day we all might enjoy hearing some of their responses. Here’s a sampling of questions and answers.

Who or What is God?
“I think God is our Father – everybody’s . . . and he made everything. He was the first thing to live. God’s like a spirit. He’s in all of us. He wants us to be really nice to each other and not fight. But if we fight, like a little bit, that’s o.k. – he’ll forgive us. That’s all I know. But Mary married another person and they stayed in a table. And Jesus – when he died – he suffered on the cross for us . . . the people on earth. And that’s all I know.” 7 year-old girl.

Does God Talk to You?
“Sometimes I feel like God talks to me through my Dad, and through people around me. Answers me personally? Like the saints? That hasn’t happened yet. Then again, I don’t expect it. And if I’m not expecting it, maybe I’m not listening hard enough. So you have to wonder if he talks to us every single day, but we just can’t hear him.” 11 year-old girl.

What Do You Think God Thinks About You?
“He thinks I am sort of like him … because he created my Mom and I was born from her. He knew that I was going to do good things, and he knew that we had a free will to make choices and some of them aren’t right. He thinks that I’m not always right…but he’s not that mad at me.”

What Do You Talk to God About?
“First I say, ‘Hi God.’ how are you doing up there with my old pets and with my old Grandpa who died. And then I pray that we get past the Big Blue Bus ‘cause we always get late for school.” 7 year-old boy

What Does It Mean To Be A Catholic?
“Go to church. Watch the bread and wine turn into the body and blood. Celebrate Easter and Christmas…not just to get candy and not just to get presents, but to remember he rose from the dead and to remember he was born. You get rewarded for what he did…but you have to reward him too.” 11 year-old boy

Parents, I invite you to ask your own children some of these questions. You may be surprised at the conversation that it starts.

Claire Henning
Pastoral Coordinator

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PWC Funtion News

7th GRADE PARENTS

The time-honored tradition of assisting with 8th Grade Graduation continues! Please see the attachment included in this week's Epistle for what you have been assigned to do or bring.  Should you have any questions or issues, please contact the Graduation Committee - Anita, Kelley, Terri, Sue and Susan

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Traffic Duty Assignments

For the month of June, 2006  All  Grade Parents

Parents:  Please arrive by 7:20 a.m. for morning duty and 2:30 p.m. for afternoon traffic duty. Should you have questions about your particular traffic duty contact Mary Ann McQueen 839-1020.  If you can serve in one of the empty slots please sign-up!

Thank you again to kindergarten parents who have been doing a great job with traffic!

I am endeavoring to cover the June traffic assignments.  Should you be able to help, please phone Mary Ann McQueen.  The slots that are not assigned on the table below are available.  Thank you, Jean Markarian, who phoned last week to volunteer after reading my request in the epistle.  I need your help.  Please phone and let me know your preference, etc.  I will phone you back to confirm the assignment and will print an updated schedule in next week’s epistle.

Thanks!

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Weekly Readings/Reflections

READINGS FOR SUNDAY MAY 21

Reading 1
Acts 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48

When Peter entered, Cornelius met him
and, falling at his feet, paid him homage.
Peter, however, raised him up, saying,
“Get up. I myself am also a human being.”

Then Peter proceeded to speak and said,
“In truth, I see that God shows no partiality.
Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly
is acceptable to him.”

While Peter was still speaking these things,
the Holy Spirit fell upon all who were listening to the word.
The circumcised believers who had accompanied Peter
were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit
should have been poured out on the Gentiles also,
for they could hear them speaking in tongues and glorifying God.
Then Peter responded,
“Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people,
who have received the Holy Spirit even as we have?”
He ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.

Gospel
Jn 15:9-17

Jesus said to his disciples:
“As the Father loves me, so I also love you.
Remain in my love.
If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love,
just as I have kept my Father’s commandments
and remain in his love.

“I have told you this so that my joy may be in you
and your joy might be complete.
This is my commandment: love one another as I love you.
No one has greater love than this,
to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
You are my friends if you do what I command you.
I no longer call you slaves,
because a slave does not know what his master is doing.
I have called you friends,
because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father.
It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you
and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain,
so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you.
This I command you: love one another.”

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Playgound Volunteer

Help our coaches supervise our children during lunchtime recess! We need two parents each day. Questions? Contact Kathleen Felesina

KINDERGARTEN: 11:45-12:15
MAY

 THIRD GRADE 12:10-12:40
MAY

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Hot Lunch Volunteer

HOT LUNCH NEWS

THE HOT LUNCH COMMITTEE for 2006-2007 NEEDS YOU!!!

PWC Hot Lunch Committee is seeking Hot Lunch Parent Coordinators (1 per grade) for the next school year.  The primary role of these individuals is to help coordinate the volunteers for their grade’s assigned hot lunch months.  The Coordinators are responsible for reminding parent volunteers about their shifts.   IT IS FUN and EASY! 

We appreciate all you do and the commitment to keeping this lunch program alive and well.  If you are interested, please contact Jill McMillan – Hot Lunch Program (in the directory) as soon as possible.   
_____________________________________________________________________  

Remember to sign up by NOON on Wednesdays in order for your student to receive hot lunch during the following week.  Cancellations need to be made 48 hours prior to the hot lunch date.  Go online to www.bethskitchen.com.  Please call either Beth’s Kitchen or Mayora Hiney, Hot Lunch chairperson, with questions

 

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Fall Festival

Surf’s Up, St. Paul’s is the theme for the SPA Campout Family Sign Contest.  Get those “board” ideas waving at your house!

A HUGE THANK YOU to all the booth captains who attended the meeting in the JCPC on Wednesday, May 10th.  We so appreciate your willingness to renew or take on this responsibility, to generously give of your time, talent, and ideas!  Your leadership and participation in carrying through the responsibilities that come with leading a booth endeavor make a real difference in the spirit of the festival!  If you have any questions about any of the forms in the packet please contact your festival co-chair liaison and we will be happy to help you in any way!  Special emphasis was placed on getting you all of the information that you need to prepare for the big three days – October 6-8 – so let us know anything else that we can to help you at this point.   Those leaders who are involved in other areas of the festival will be contacted shortly re: planning for your area. 

The Red Envelope Please!!!  Surf Report #2 was sent home on Friday, May 5, 2006.  We hope that you have had a chance to read the contents!  We look forward to hearing from and know that this is a busy time of year.  We know that your efforts now will surely pay off in September when you will feel ahead of the game having completed so much that relates to the Festival in advance.  We know that May is a busy time and we thank you for any time and/or thought that you have given to auction ideas that you have.

Raffle Tickets are currently being sold!  Students are eagerly selling in order to be one of the super sellers whose names will appear on the Surf Board wall of fame and who will be in line for possible big prizes!  Class contests and prizes are in process as well.

Patronage seeks your participation.  The form is attached to this week’s epistle.

Auction has presented their spring incentives in the auction attachment.  Please read to see the dates and details. 

Rash guards, fanny packs and beach tote bags are still for sale.  See the red envelope for ordering information!

Mary Ann McQueen

Festival Chair

Co-Chairs:  Marcie Newby, Julie Murphy, Janet Feeley, Katie Lewis, Nancy Cooper

Auction Co-Chairs:  Molly Harrigan and Michelle Boydston

Festival Treasurer:  Marchell Hilliard\

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SPA CHess Club News

Bake Sale Friday May 26th

Chess Club is hosting a school bake sale on Friday, May 26th at recess.  This is a fundraiser for our Chess Club so please remember to send your children with some “dough” to buy a donut and milk.

Chess Club families, remember to drop-off a dozen donuts at drop-off.  We will have volunteers standing by to receive your goodies.

__________________________________________________________

 

 

Chess Club Awards Ceremony

Monday, June 5th

Chess Club will hold its annual awards ceremony on Monday, June 5th at 3:15 p.m. in the JCPC.  Chess Club students in the Beginning, Intermediate and Advanced classes (grades 1-8) will be honored.  Parents and siblings are encouraged to attend.  Refreshments will be served following the awards.  Contact Mark Raineri for details or to volunteer.

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