February 26, 2010
Dear Parents,
I was fortunate, along with about 40 other members of the Holy Family School community to witness this year’s OM competition in Masonville. This year, under the direction of Kate Conron and Melissa Lawrence, we entered two teams. In the elementary school division, fourth graders Adriana Fratini, Michael Hayes, Elijah Kwasnik, Garrison French, Michael Trevisani, Cole Olsen and Emma Blenis competed in the elementary school division, finishing first. In the middle school division, the team of Danika Tworkowsky, Anastasia Tenney, Josh Wilcox, Pablo Rojas, Ethan French and Bryan French also finished in first place. All team members should be congratulated on the amount of time, planning and effort they devoted to this event. They all represented Holy Family School well. Both teams now have one month to prepare for the State competition, which will be held on Saturday, March 27th at Binghamton University. Congratulations to all our students for a job well-done!
We have begun the enrollment process for the 2010/11 school year. Please hand in your Tuition Agreement Form with your deposit as soon as possible. If you are applying for Diocesan Tuition Assistance, your forms must be mailed in the envelopes provided and received by the Diocese by March 15th. Likewise, if you are applying for local assistance, please fill out the Local Assistance Form and return it with your Tuition Agreement Form. Please see me if you have any questions regarding assistance.
Don’t forget our Friday Fish Fries. If you haven’t savored the great food yet, please don’t miss out this Friday. Take out orders are taken from 4:30-7:00 pm and eat in hours are 5:00-7:00 pm. Also, if you have any bird feeder money that you haven’t turned in, please do so as soon as possible.
We continue to offer our students numerous field trips to extend their learning experiences. Please be on the lookout for the permission slips your child will be bringing home. We strongly encourage and invite you to join your child on these field trips when there is room. Please check the list
below and let your child’s teacher know if you plan on attending.
Gene
UPCOMING EVENTS
Friday, Feb. 26th “The Lightening Thief” Gr. 5-7 Noon
Hamilton Theatre
Tuesday, Mar. 2nd “Step Into Seuss” Gr. K & 1 9 am-Noon
St. Mary’s – Oneonta
Parents & Guests Invited to Attend
Friday, Mar. 5th 1st Friday Mass 4th Grade 9 am
Wed, Mar. 10th “Lookingglass Alice” Gr. 5 – 7 10:30-5:30
Syracuse Stage Theatre
Friday, Mar. 12th Popp Butterfly Conser. 3rd Grade 9 -11:30 am
Oneonta
Thursday, Mar. 18th Popp Butterfly Conser. 4th Grade 9 - 11:30 am
Oneonta
Friday, Mar. 19th “Little Red Riding Hood” EC – 7th 9 – 10 am
TriCities Opera – In gym
Parents & Guests Invited to Attend
Friday, February 26, 2010
Thursday, February 11, 2010
February 12, 2010
Dear Parents,
Well, the second half of the school year has begun. As a type of midyear review, I thought it would be a good time to look at the changes we have undertaken at Holy Family School this year. Too often life gets so busy and complicated that we forget to reflect on our successes and just take them for granted. So, here goes!
• We began by hiring three new staff members, Suzanne Scafidi for the Early Childhood Program, Lisa Halsteter for first grade and Sarah Mahan for art.
• We focused on expanding our Early Childhood Program to a full time program, but still allowing parents the flexibility of half days and 3 day a week options. We worked on creating a curriculum that would academically challenge our students and still create an environment where they could refine their social skills.
• We purchased a new ELA series for our students in kindergarten through 5th grade, including textbooks, workbooks and leveled readers. This is allowing us to coordinate our curriculum from one grade level to the next.
• We purchased a new reading assessment tool and tested all our students in October, sharing the results with our parents. We are just concluding retesting those students that scored below grade level to see if the supports we put in place for them are effective. We will retest all of our students at the end of the school year.
• We remodeled the kindergarten and first grade rooms, adding cubbies and more useable storage areas.
• We added reading lofts in the first and third grade rooms.
• We purchased new tables and chairs for the Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten, and first and third grade classrooms for their learning centers. We also purchased new tables and chairs for our middle school social studies room.
• We purchased Smartboards for our kindergarten and first grade classrooms. Now all our classrooms on the main floor have Smartboards.
• We purchased 16 new computers to create computer centers in our elementary classrooms for student use, as well as additional computers for our computer lab.
• We changed our webpage and grading system to Edline and Grade Quick, providing our parents, staff and the entire school with a better system to communicate with each other.
• We painted the gym/stage area and the entrance way. We also installed new lighting and ceiling tiles in the entrance way and the hallway by the library.
• We instituted many energy efficient initiatives to conserve natural gas and electricity that we use to heat and provide lighting to our facility. Although there were upfront costs to these measures, the long-term savings should be significant.
• Additional outlets were installed in many of our classrooms.
• The main fire alarm system was inspected and a new alarm installed in the elementary wing.
• New lockers have just been installed for our middle school students.
• We are in the process of purchasing 12 new computers for our middle school classrooms for student use.
I’m sure I forgot to mention some additional changes we have instituted this year, but even I’m amazed with this list! We have accomplished a lot this year, but more improvements are on the horizon.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Friday, Feb. 12th Non-uniform Day – Box Tops Reward
Feb. 13th – 21st Winter Break – No School
Feb. 15th – 19th Kids Zone is Open
Dear Parents,
Well, the second half of the school year has begun. As a type of midyear review, I thought it would be a good time to look at the changes we have undertaken at Holy Family School this year. Too often life gets so busy and complicated that we forget to reflect on our successes and just take them for granted. So, here goes!
• We began by hiring three new staff members, Suzanne Scafidi for the Early Childhood Program, Lisa Halsteter for first grade and Sarah Mahan for art.
• We focused on expanding our Early Childhood Program to a full time program, but still allowing parents the flexibility of half days and 3 day a week options. We worked on creating a curriculum that would academically challenge our students and still create an environment where they could refine their social skills.
• We purchased a new ELA series for our students in kindergarten through 5th grade, including textbooks, workbooks and leveled readers. This is allowing us to coordinate our curriculum from one grade level to the next.
• We purchased a new reading assessment tool and tested all our students in October, sharing the results with our parents. We are just concluding retesting those students that scored below grade level to see if the supports we put in place for them are effective. We will retest all of our students at the end of the school year.
• We remodeled the kindergarten and first grade rooms, adding cubbies and more useable storage areas.
• We added reading lofts in the first and third grade rooms.
• We purchased new tables and chairs for the Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten, and first and third grade classrooms for their learning centers. We also purchased new tables and chairs for our middle school social studies room.
• We purchased Smartboards for our kindergarten and first grade classrooms. Now all our classrooms on the main floor have Smartboards.
• We purchased 16 new computers to create computer centers in our elementary classrooms for student use, as well as additional computers for our computer lab.
• We changed our webpage and grading system to Edline and Grade Quick, providing our parents, staff and the entire school with a better system to communicate with each other.
• We painted the gym/stage area and the entrance way. We also installed new lighting and ceiling tiles in the entrance way and the hallway by the library.
• We instituted many energy efficient initiatives to conserve natural gas and electricity that we use to heat and provide lighting to our facility. Although there were upfront costs to these measures, the long-term savings should be significant.
• Additional outlets were installed in many of our classrooms.
• The main fire alarm system was inspected and a new alarm installed in the elementary wing.
• New lockers have just been installed for our middle school students.
• We are in the process of purchasing 12 new computers for our middle school classrooms for student use.
I’m sure I forgot to mention some additional changes we have instituted this year, but even I’m amazed with this list! We have accomplished a lot this year, but more improvements are on the horizon.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Friday, Feb. 12th Non-uniform Day – Box Tops Reward
Feb. 13th – 21st Winter Break – No School
Feb. 15th – 19th Kids Zone is Open
Friday, February 5, 2010
February 5, 2010
Dear Parents,
Congratulations to all on a very successful Catholic Schools Week! Many people pitched in to make this a very memorable week, one celebrating Catholic education in the United States. It was great to see all the moms, dads and grandparents for donuts and muffins. Once again it reinforces my belief that parents really do care – they just want to be kept informed and feel welcome in their child’s school. I thought it would be appropriate, and possibly enlightening, if I shared a brief overview of the history of St. Paul’s/Holy Family School. Before I begin, please note that all the information I am sharing was found in the documents that I reorganized when I began working here. I make no claim substantiating the authenticity of this history only that it was in a file labeled “History of St. Paul’s School.” Here is that history exactly as it was written. After you read it, please let me know of any inaccuracies. Better yet, if you have any additional information I would appreciate you sharing it with me. I’d like to compile a more complete, accurate history of our school.
Saint Paul’s School was established in 1922 with a staff of three Dominican Sisters. In 1925 a fourth Sister was assigned to the school and in 1926 another Sister. No further Sisters joined the school until 1954. The original site of the school was the Maydole (or Merritt Mansion) Mansion on the corner of North Broad Street and Mitchell Avenue. There were twelve first graders and approximately twenty-five primary students in all under the leadership of the Reverend Joseph S. Tiernan. It was a combination school and convent. The first graduating class consisted of three eighth grade students in 1927.
The Reverend Henry L. Contois was appointed pastor in October 1951 by Bishop Foery. By that time the post-war birth rate was being felt in all schools, and St. Paul’s was no exception. The building, which was adequate in the beginning, now proved to be unsuitable to the needs of the children and the Sisters. In 1952, it was decided that a new school building was needed for the increasing enrollment. Meanwhile, a convent on Prospect Street (were our new playground is) was purchased and renovated and was ready for the Sisters in September 1953. The new building was dedicated on September 19, 1954 with nine Dominican Sisters staffing the school.
Under the pastorate of Father Robert F. Coombs, $278,000 was raised for an addition to Saint Paul’s School. The addition consisted of the gymnasium/
auditorium, the boys’ and girls’ locker rooms, the carpeted Manley Memorial Library containing two thousand four hundred books, the present sixth grade classroom and the cafeteria with a seating capacity of 250 people. The new addition was dedicated in February of 1964.
In 1971, the Dominican Sisters were unable to continue their duties at Saint Paul’s School because of increased responsibilities in New York City. Father Thomas Kiernan searched for a year until he was able to announce that the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Carondelet would assume the teaching responsibilities at Saint Paul’s School.
In 1978, the Norwich City School District included the ninth grade in the high school for the first time. It was decided to drop the ninth grade from Saint Paul’s School at this time to allow an easier transition for the students into the high school. For similar reasons, in 1983, the seventh and eighth grades were dropped from Saint Paul’s School when the new Norwich City Middle School was built next to the high school.
For the 1988/89 school year St. Paul’s became a county school under the name of Holy Family. In January, 1990, Saint Paul’s School was rededicated as Chenango County Catholic School Holy Family by Bishop Joseph T. O’Keefe. The school was not to be a parish school of Saint Paul’s Church any longer, but a county-wide Catholic school for all children of Chenango County.
There were eight Chenango County parishes that took over the financial support of Saint Paul’s School. These parishes were St. Joseph’s in Oxford, St. Theresa’s in New Berlin, St. Malachy’s in Sherburne, St. Agnes in Afton, St. John’s in Bainbridge, Immaculate Conception in Greene, St. Bartholomew’s in Norwich and St. Paul’s in Norwich.
Here are some notes of interest that I found:
• For the 1983/84 school year, the average Diocesan subsidy to schools for parishes was 42 % of their regular collections.
• I was able to find student tuition for the following years:
1983/84 $450
1987/88 $650
1988/89 $700
2001/02 $1,800
2002/03 $1,895
2003/04 $2,150
2004/05 $2,400
2005/06 $2,500
2006/07 $2,600
2007/08 $2,850
2008/09 $3215
2009/10 $3,215
That’s the information I could find on our school’s history. Enjoy the weekend.
God Bless,
Gene
UPCOMING EVENTS
Mon-Wed, Feb. 8-10 Dinner Theatre Auditions
Wednesday, Feb. 10 Kopernick Observation Day Gr. 3 & 4
Perry Browne School 9 – 11:30 am
Wednesday, Feb. 10 Fish Fry Meeting 6:00 pm
Wednesday, Feb. 10 PTO Meeting 7:00 pm
Wed & Thurs, Feb. 9 & 10 St. Bart’s Spaghetti Dinner 4:30 – 6:30 pm
Thursday, Feb. 11 “Beauty & the Beast” K – 4th Gr.
Forum – Binghamton 8:30am-12:15pm
Friday, Feb. 12 Last day of school prior to Winter Break
School resumes on Monday, February 22nd
Dear Parents,
Congratulations to all on a very successful Catholic Schools Week! Many people pitched in to make this a very memorable week, one celebrating Catholic education in the United States. It was great to see all the moms, dads and grandparents for donuts and muffins. Once again it reinforces my belief that parents really do care – they just want to be kept informed and feel welcome in their child’s school. I thought it would be appropriate, and possibly enlightening, if I shared a brief overview of the history of St. Paul’s/Holy Family School. Before I begin, please note that all the information I am sharing was found in the documents that I reorganized when I began working here. I make no claim substantiating the authenticity of this history only that it was in a file labeled “History of St. Paul’s School.” Here is that history exactly as it was written. After you read it, please let me know of any inaccuracies. Better yet, if you have any additional information I would appreciate you sharing it with me. I’d like to compile a more complete, accurate history of our school.
Saint Paul’s School was established in 1922 with a staff of three Dominican Sisters. In 1925 a fourth Sister was assigned to the school and in 1926 another Sister. No further Sisters joined the school until 1954. The original site of the school was the Maydole (or Merritt Mansion) Mansion on the corner of North Broad Street and Mitchell Avenue. There were twelve first graders and approximately twenty-five primary students in all under the leadership of the Reverend Joseph S. Tiernan. It was a combination school and convent. The first graduating class consisted of three eighth grade students in 1927.
The Reverend Henry L. Contois was appointed pastor in October 1951 by Bishop Foery. By that time the post-war birth rate was being felt in all schools, and St. Paul’s was no exception. The building, which was adequate in the beginning, now proved to be unsuitable to the needs of the children and the Sisters. In 1952, it was decided that a new school building was needed for the increasing enrollment. Meanwhile, a convent on Prospect Street (were our new playground is) was purchased and renovated and was ready for the Sisters in September 1953. The new building was dedicated on September 19, 1954 with nine Dominican Sisters staffing the school.
Under the pastorate of Father Robert F. Coombs, $278,000 was raised for an addition to Saint Paul’s School. The addition consisted of the gymnasium/
auditorium, the boys’ and girls’ locker rooms, the carpeted Manley Memorial Library containing two thousand four hundred books, the present sixth grade classroom and the cafeteria with a seating capacity of 250 people. The new addition was dedicated in February of 1964.
In 1971, the Dominican Sisters were unable to continue their duties at Saint Paul’s School because of increased responsibilities in New York City. Father Thomas Kiernan searched for a year until he was able to announce that the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Carondelet would assume the teaching responsibilities at Saint Paul’s School.
In 1978, the Norwich City School District included the ninth grade in the high school for the first time. It was decided to drop the ninth grade from Saint Paul’s School at this time to allow an easier transition for the students into the high school. For similar reasons, in 1983, the seventh and eighth grades were dropped from Saint Paul’s School when the new Norwich City Middle School was built next to the high school.
For the 1988/89 school year St. Paul’s became a county school under the name of Holy Family. In January, 1990, Saint Paul’s School was rededicated as Chenango County Catholic School Holy Family by Bishop Joseph T. O’Keefe. The school was not to be a parish school of Saint Paul’s Church any longer, but a county-wide Catholic school for all children of Chenango County.
There were eight Chenango County parishes that took over the financial support of Saint Paul’s School. These parishes were St. Joseph’s in Oxford, St. Theresa’s in New Berlin, St. Malachy’s in Sherburne, St. Agnes in Afton, St. John’s in Bainbridge, Immaculate Conception in Greene, St. Bartholomew’s in Norwich and St. Paul’s in Norwich.
Here are some notes of interest that I found:
• For the 1983/84 school year, the average Diocesan subsidy to schools for parishes was 42 % of their regular collections.
• I was able to find student tuition for the following years:
1983/84 $450
1987/88 $650
1988/89 $700
2001/02 $1,800
2002/03 $1,895
2003/04 $2,150
2004/05 $2,400
2005/06 $2,500
2006/07 $2,600
2007/08 $2,850
2008/09 $3215
2009/10 $3,215
That’s the information I could find on our school’s history. Enjoy the weekend.
God Bless,
Gene
UPCOMING EVENTS
Mon-Wed, Feb. 8-10 Dinner Theatre Auditions
Wednesday, Feb. 10 Kopernick Observation Day Gr. 3 & 4
Perry Browne School 9 – 11:30 am
Wednesday, Feb. 10 Fish Fry Meeting 6:00 pm
Wednesday, Feb. 10 PTO Meeting 7:00 pm
Wed & Thurs, Feb. 9 & 10 St. Bart’s Spaghetti Dinner 4:30 – 6:30 pm
Thursday, Feb. 11 “Beauty & the Beast” K – 4th Gr.
Forum – Binghamton 8:30am-12:15pm
Friday, Feb. 12 Last day of school prior to Winter Break
School resumes on Monday, February 22nd
Friday, January 29, 2010
January 29th, 2010
January 29, 2010
Dear Parents,
Here we are at the midpoint of the school year and the end of January. Can spring be far off!? I, for one, hope not. Our Science Initiative continues to thrive at Holy Family School. Eric Diefenbacher and our staff have scheduled science experiences for our students for the second half of the school year. Below is the schedule:
Fri, March 12 Popp Butterfly Cons. 3rd Grade
Fri, March 19 Popp Butterfly Cons. 4th Grade
Thurs, April 8 Wolf Mountain 5th - 7th Grade
8:30 – 11:30 am Nature Center
Fri, May 14 Ross Park Zoo Mobile
8:45-9:30 EC , PK, K
9:40-10:25 Gr. 1-3
10:30-11:15 Gr. 4-7
In addition to these activities, Mr. Diefenbacher is scheduling additional activities. These dates have not yet been determined. I will share this information when the dates and times become available. These activities include:
Feb. – April Teddy Bear Clinic EC – 1st Grade
Feb. – April Mr. Bones 2nd – 4th Grade
March Y Fitness Center 5th – 7th Grade
On Monday, February 1st, our public schools have staff conference days. As a result, transportation will not be available on this day for those students riding a bus to school, except those students riding the Oxford school bus. Transportation will be provided as usual for Oxford students. Please try to make other arrangements for your child to attend school on this day.
The PTO is sponsoring a Family Fun Night on Friday, February 5th from
6 – 9 pm. Everyone attending is asked to bring a favorite family game to play and a snack to share. Karaoke and video games will be available for young and old alike. If you have any questions, please contact Steph Coggins.
You should be receiving the enrollment information packet for the 2010/11 school year. The packet will contain a letter from me listing the tuition rates for the next four years, the enrollment form and a letter from the Superintendent of the Syracuse Diocese Catholic Schools, Chris Mominey. Please remember that if you are requesting tuition assistance, all requests must be in writing and handed in by February 28th. Please contact me if you have any questions.
Upcoming Events
Feb. 1 – 5 Catholic Schools’ Week
Wed, Feb. 3rd Blessing of the Throats 10 am
Friday, Feb. 5th Mass 12:30 pm
Coffee/Cake after Mass
for adults
Friday, Feb. 5th Report Cards Sent Home EC – 7th
Friday, Feb. 5th Family Fun Night 6-9 pm
Thursday, Feb. 11th “Beauty & the Beast” K – 4th
Binghamton Forum
10 am performance
God Bless,
Gene
Dear Parents,
Here we are at the midpoint of the school year and the end of January. Can spring be far off!? I, for one, hope not. Our Science Initiative continues to thrive at Holy Family School. Eric Diefenbacher and our staff have scheduled science experiences for our students for the second half of the school year. Below is the schedule:
Fri, March 12 Popp Butterfly Cons. 3rd Grade
Fri, March 19 Popp Butterfly Cons. 4th Grade
Thurs, April 8 Wolf Mountain 5th - 7th Grade
8:30 – 11:30 am Nature Center
Fri, May 14 Ross Park Zoo Mobile
8:45-9:30 EC , PK, K
9:40-10:25 Gr. 1-3
10:30-11:15 Gr. 4-7
In addition to these activities, Mr. Diefenbacher is scheduling additional activities. These dates have not yet been determined. I will share this information when the dates and times become available. These activities include:
Feb. – April Teddy Bear Clinic EC – 1st Grade
Feb. – April Mr. Bones 2nd – 4th Grade
March Y Fitness Center 5th – 7th Grade
On Monday, February 1st, our public schools have staff conference days. As a result, transportation will not be available on this day for those students riding a bus to school, except those students riding the Oxford school bus. Transportation will be provided as usual for Oxford students. Please try to make other arrangements for your child to attend school on this day.
The PTO is sponsoring a Family Fun Night on Friday, February 5th from
6 – 9 pm. Everyone attending is asked to bring a favorite family game to play and a snack to share. Karaoke and video games will be available for young and old alike. If you have any questions, please contact Steph Coggins.
You should be receiving the enrollment information packet for the 2010/11 school year. The packet will contain a letter from me listing the tuition rates for the next four years, the enrollment form and a letter from the Superintendent of the Syracuse Diocese Catholic Schools, Chris Mominey. Please remember that if you are requesting tuition assistance, all requests must be in writing and handed in by February 28th. Please contact me if you have any questions.
Upcoming Events
Feb. 1 – 5 Catholic Schools’ Week
Wed, Feb. 3rd Blessing of the Throats 10 am
Friday, Feb. 5th Mass 12:30 pm
Coffee/Cake after Mass
for adults
Friday, Feb. 5th Report Cards Sent Home EC – 7th
Friday, Feb. 5th Family Fun Night 6-9 pm
Thursday, Feb. 11th “Beauty & the Beast” K – 4th
Binghamton Forum
10 am performance
God Bless,
Gene
Friday, January 22, 2010
January 22, 2010
Dear Parents,
There’s so much happening at Holy Family School, I’m not sure where to begin! The twenty-week marking period ends on Friday, January 29th. That’s right – half the school year will be officially over. Report cards will be sent home with the children on Friday, February 5th. Early Childhood and Pre Kindergarten students will be receiving their mid-year assessment. Please remember to sign the envelope and return it with your child to school. This will let us know that you received the report card.
Enrollment materials will be sent home through the mail at the end of next week. You will notice that the tuition rates for the next four years have been established. The purpose of this was to hopefully allow parents to see that a Catholic education is affordable, not only now, but also in the future. If you have any questions concerning the enrollment information, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Catholic Schools’ Week is January 31st – February 6th this year. Many activities are planned for this event. The Catholic Identity Committee has spent many hours planning for this event with the assistance of several staff members and parents. I’d like to thank all of them, especially Nikki Strano, Dianne Fiorina and Paula Trevisani for planning the exciting activities. Your child will be bringing home a booklet listing the activities and dates. Please refer to this booklet when necessary. The culminating activity for the week is a Mass on Friday, February 5th at 12:30 pm. The Mass will be co-celebrated by the priests of our supporting parishes. A coffee and cake reception for adults attending the Mass will be held in the basement of the church after Mass. We encourage all our parents to attend this important event.
The PTO Lenten Fish Fries will begin on Friday, February 19th and run for six consecutive Friday’s. The committee has been meeting regularly to get ready for this important event. Workers are needed for this event. Please contact Kate Conron if you can help us out.
I’d like to remind parents to please be careful in our parking lot. With the snowy conditions that prevail here, the parking lot can become very dangerous for our children. Please drive slowly and shut your cars off when you leave them. Thanks for putting the safety of our children first.
We are once again collecting Box Tops. The contest has taken a different turn this time around. Instead of it being a competition between grades, we have made it a team competition. As we reach each level of 1000 Box Tops, all our students will earn a reward. The rewards are a well-kept secret. As an added bonus, if we reach the 6000 and 7000 level, there will be an exciting event that all will enjoy (except possibly the four male staff members). That’s all I’ll share for now. Bring in your Box Tops and let the fun begin. The last date to hand in Box Tops is April 9th. Let’s see how many prizes our students can earn!
I’d like to thank all those parents/staff who volunteered to serve on Commission Committees. I have met with four of the five committees. The last meeting is scheduled for next week. From my perspective, it’s great having the opinions of many of the parents when decisions have to be made. It also reinforces the fact that we are truly a “community” school, where our parents take an active role in the educational process.
Have a great weekend!
Gene
Dear Parents,
There’s so much happening at Holy Family School, I’m not sure where to begin! The twenty-week marking period ends on Friday, January 29th. That’s right – half the school year will be officially over. Report cards will be sent home with the children on Friday, February 5th. Early Childhood and Pre Kindergarten students will be receiving their mid-year assessment. Please remember to sign the envelope and return it with your child to school. This will let us know that you received the report card.
Enrollment materials will be sent home through the mail at the end of next week. You will notice that the tuition rates for the next four years have been established. The purpose of this was to hopefully allow parents to see that a Catholic education is affordable, not only now, but also in the future. If you have any questions concerning the enrollment information, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Catholic Schools’ Week is January 31st – February 6th this year. Many activities are planned for this event. The Catholic Identity Committee has spent many hours planning for this event with the assistance of several staff members and parents. I’d like to thank all of them, especially Nikki Strano, Dianne Fiorina and Paula Trevisani for planning the exciting activities. Your child will be bringing home a booklet listing the activities and dates. Please refer to this booklet when necessary. The culminating activity for the week is a Mass on Friday, February 5th at 12:30 pm. The Mass will be co-celebrated by the priests of our supporting parishes. A coffee and cake reception for adults attending the Mass will be held in the basement of the church after Mass. We encourage all our parents to attend this important event.
The PTO Lenten Fish Fries will begin on Friday, February 19th and run for six consecutive Friday’s. The committee has been meeting regularly to get ready for this important event. Workers are needed for this event. Please contact Kate Conron if you can help us out.
I’d like to remind parents to please be careful in our parking lot. With the snowy conditions that prevail here, the parking lot can become very dangerous for our children. Please drive slowly and shut your cars off when you leave them. Thanks for putting the safety of our children first.
We are once again collecting Box Tops. The contest has taken a different turn this time around. Instead of it being a competition between grades, we have made it a team competition. As we reach each level of 1000 Box Tops, all our students will earn a reward. The rewards are a well-kept secret. As an added bonus, if we reach the 6000 and 7000 level, there will be an exciting event that all will enjoy (except possibly the four male staff members). That’s all I’ll share for now. Bring in your Box Tops and let the fun begin. The last date to hand in Box Tops is April 9th. Let’s see how many prizes our students can earn!
I’d like to thank all those parents/staff who volunteered to serve on Commission Committees. I have met with four of the five committees. The last meeting is scheduled for next week. From my perspective, it’s great having the opinions of many of the parents when decisions have to be made. It also reinforces the fact that we are truly a “community” school, where our parents take an active role in the educational process.
Have a great weekend!
Gene
Friday, January 15, 2010
January 15, 2010
Dear Parents,
Have cabin fever yet? I have a solution. Wolf Mountain Nature Center in Symrna is sponsoring a “Full Winter Wolf Moon Howl Night” on Saturday, January 30th and Saturday, February 27th from 7-9pm. It involves hiking up the mountain on their new snow shoe trail (or walking up the long driveway for those who don’t have snow shoes) and gathering around a camp fire with hot chocolate. Pre-registration is required. Call 607-627-6784 for more information and to register. Wolf Mountain Nature Center is one of the field trips we conducted this summer as part of our summer Science field trip endeavor. It’s a great place to experience wolves in their natural habitat.
Great news! The new lockers have arrived and are being installed as I write this letter. The students are excited to actually have a locker that their books fit into. Thanks go to the Knights of Columbus and one of our many generous families for donating the funds to pay for these lockers.
Just a reminder that your child will be bringing home a cafeteria statement on the second and fourth Thursday of each month. It will show either a balance due or a credit. Please try to pay any balance you may have in a timely fashion. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.
Please remember that school will be closed on Monday, January 18th for Martin Luther King Day. On Tuesday, January 19th at 9:00 am, the Tri Cities Opera will be performing at our school. All are invited to attend. Our students will be participating in several of the songs. They have been practicing with Ms. Buckley in Music class for this production.
I hope everyone has an opportunity to enjoy the long weekend with their families. Hope to see everyone at the Tri Cities assembly on Tuesday!
Gene
Have cabin fever yet? I have a solution. Wolf Mountain Nature Center in Symrna is sponsoring a “Full Winter Wolf Moon Howl Night” on Saturday, January 30th and Saturday, February 27th from 7-9pm. It involves hiking up the mountain on their new snow shoe trail (or walking up the long driveway for those who don’t have snow shoes) and gathering around a camp fire with hot chocolate. Pre-registration is required. Call 607-627-6784 for more information and to register. Wolf Mountain Nature Center is one of the field trips we conducted this summer as part of our summer Science field trip endeavor. It’s a great place to experience wolves in their natural habitat.
Great news! The new lockers have arrived and are being installed as I write this letter. The students are excited to actually have a locker that their books fit into. Thanks go to the Knights of Columbus and one of our many generous families for donating the funds to pay for these lockers.
Just a reminder that your child will be bringing home a cafeteria statement on the second and fourth Thursday of each month. It will show either a balance due or a credit. Please try to pay any balance you may have in a timely fashion. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.
Please remember that school will be closed on Monday, January 18th for Martin Luther King Day. On Tuesday, January 19th at 9:00 am, the Tri Cities Opera will be performing at our school. All are invited to attend. Our students will be participating in several of the songs. They have been practicing with Ms. Buckley in Music class for this production.
I hope everyone has an opportunity to enjoy the long weekend with their families. Hope to see everyone at the Tri Cities assembly on Tuesday!
Gene
Monday, January 11, 2010
Happy New Year
January 8, 2010
Dear Parents,
Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a safe and holy Christmas and was able to spend quality time with their families. The tradition for the New Year is to make resolutions, which often go unfulfilled. Personally, I am not in the habit of making New Year’s resolutions. However, this year I am making an exception to this. I’d like to make a resolution concerning Holy Family School. My resolution is to try to create an atmosphere/environment in our school whereby every student is provided the opportunity to be successful and be valued. Although you may say that every person deserves this (and I would agree), it doesn’t always happen. You can rest assured that I will do everything in my power to fulfill this resolution. Remember, I am always available to discuss any concerns/issues/questions you may have.
The enrollment process for next year will begin at the end of this month. You will be receiving a letter which will include the tuition rates for the next four years, along with the Tuition Agreement Form. If you are applying for tuition assistance, please notify Mrs. Hose. She will provide you with the forms when we receive them from the Diocese. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions concerning the process.
I am pleased to announce that Elaine Genute has been hired as an aide in our 1st grade classroom. Elaine has a Bachelor’s and Masters’ Degree in education. Elaine and her husband Mike have two sons that attend HFS. Lex is a first grader and Athen is in Pre Kindergarten.
Our next Box Tops challenge will begin on Monday. Several goals for the entire school will be set and awards/prizes given to all our students upon reaching these goals. We just received a check in the amount of $679.22 from our last challenge. In addition to the Box Tops, we are also collecting Campbell’s labels for classroom equipment.
Pleases remember that our Lenten Fish Fries will begin on Friday, February
19th. Volunteers are still needed! Please contact our chairperson, Ann French (afrench@syrdiocese.org) or our volunteer coordinator Kate Conron (kconron@syrdiocese.org).
Lastly, we have two Odyssey of the Mind teams this year under the direction of Kate Conron and Melissa Lawrence. One team consists of 4th graders, while the other team consists of students in grades 5 – 7. Both teams are working on the Balsa Wood Project. The project involves building a balsa wood support whose mass is no greater than 18 grams that will support the greatest weight. Each team is also working on a skit for the competition which is scheduled for February 20th in Sidney.
Listed below are the events for the next five weeks:
Friday, January 8th Mass – Gr.5-7 responsible 9am
for liturgy
Wednesday, January 13th Fish Fry Meeting 5pm
Wednesday, January 13th Commission Meeting 6pm
Wednesday, January 13th PTO Meeting 7pm
Monday, January 18th Martin Luther King Day No School
Tuesday, January 19th TriCities Opera Assembly 9am-Gym
All families are encouraged
to attend
Friday, January 29th Non-Uniform Day
January 31st-February 5th Catholic Schools’ Week
More info to follow
Friday, February 5th First Friday Mass/Catholic 12:30pm
Schools’ Week Mass
Dress up day similar to Christmas Mass
Dear Parents,
Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a safe and holy Christmas and was able to spend quality time with their families. The tradition for the New Year is to make resolutions, which often go unfulfilled. Personally, I am not in the habit of making New Year’s resolutions. However, this year I am making an exception to this. I’d like to make a resolution concerning Holy Family School. My resolution is to try to create an atmosphere/environment in our school whereby every student is provided the opportunity to be successful and be valued. Although you may say that every person deserves this (and I would agree), it doesn’t always happen. You can rest assured that I will do everything in my power to fulfill this resolution. Remember, I am always available to discuss any concerns/issues/questions you may have.
The enrollment process for next year will begin at the end of this month. You will be receiving a letter which will include the tuition rates for the next four years, along with the Tuition Agreement Form. If you are applying for tuition assistance, please notify Mrs. Hose. She will provide you with the forms when we receive them from the Diocese. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions concerning the process.
I am pleased to announce that Elaine Genute has been hired as an aide in our 1st grade classroom. Elaine has a Bachelor’s and Masters’ Degree in education. Elaine and her husband Mike have two sons that attend HFS. Lex is a first grader and Athen is in Pre Kindergarten.
Our next Box Tops challenge will begin on Monday. Several goals for the entire school will be set and awards/prizes given to all our students upon reaching these goals. We just received a check in the amount of $679.22 from our last challenge. In addition to the Box Tops, we are also collecting Campbell’s labels for classroom equipment.
Pleases remember that our Lenten Fish Fries will begin on Friday, February
19th. Volunteers are still needed! Please contact our chairperson, Ann French (afrench@syrdiocese.org) or our volunteer coordinator Kate Conron (kconron@syrdiocese.org).
Lastly, we have two Odyssey of the Mind teams this year under the direction of Kate Conron and Melissa Lawrence. One team consists of 4th graders, while the other team consists of students in grades 5 – 7. Both teams are working on the Balsa Wood Project. The project involves building a balsa wood support whose mass is no greater than 18 grams that will support the greatest weight. Each team is also working on a skit for the competition which is scheduled for February 20th in Sidney.
Listed below are the events for the next five weeks:
Friday, January 8th Mass – Gr.5-7 responsible 9am
for liturgy
Wednesday, January 13th Fish Fry Meeting 5pm
Wednesday, January 13th Commission Meeting 6pm
Wednesday, January 13th PTO Meeting 7pm
Monday, January 18th Martin Luther King Day No School
Tuesday, January 19th TriCities Opera Assembly 9am-Gym
All families are encouraged
to attend
Friday, January 29th Non-Uniform Day
January 31st-February 5th Catholic Schools’ Week
More info to follow
Friday, February 5th First Friday Mass/Catholic 12:30pm
Schools’ Week Mass
Dress up day similar to Christmas Mass
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