Principal's Newsletter - November 30, 2011

Attached Files: Principal NewsletterNov302011.pdf 

Principal's Letter - October 12, 2011

Dear St. Monica Academy Families,

It is almost two months into the school year and we are off to a great start.  The students have  adjusted well to their new routines, classroom schedules, and teachers.  We are looking forward to a great year! 

Coming soon, the St. Monica Gala is only nine days away.  Do not miss this opportunity to assist us in our biggest fundraiser, but to also have the time of your life at this event.  It promises to be a very special occasion!  Congratulations to Sharon and Herb Bass for receiving the Rev. Cosmo Militello Catholic Service Award.  They have served our parish in so many ways over the years!  We are grateful to them for all they have done.  

We would also like to congratulate Lurvey’s Garden Center for being awarded the Spirit of St. Monica Business Award for their contributions over the years for beautifying our grounds around the school and church.  They have been so generous in supplying us with an assortment of plants over the years.    

Volunteering and participation for fundraisers is key to the success of each event.  If interested in volunteering for fundraising and any in other capacities, please let us know in the school office.  We can assign you to a specific fundraising event and assist you in completing volunteer forms.

High School Night will be held next week on October 19^th at 7:00 p.m. in Beyenka Hall.  We will have fifteen Catholic high schools on hand to provide information on their programs.  We look forward to seeing 6^th, 7^th, and 8^th grade students and their parents at High School Night. 

New this year, our 8^th grade students will be taking the EXPLORE test in November.  ACT, Inc. develops the EXPLORE test, and it will provide valuable information regarding academic preparation for high schools.  The Office of Catholic Schools is requiring all 8^th grade students in the Archdiocese of Chicago to take this test in the fall beginning this year.

All of us are looking forward to the 4^th Annual St. Monica Garden Day, which is scheduled for this Saturday October 15^th from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.  This is a day that all are welcome to help keep our school gardens in good shape and to participate in various outdoor activities with the family.

The children are aware that Halloween is coming soon with school celebrations to be held on Halloween Day.  Each grade level can enjoy the day in their own way by practicing some basic safety tips.  Please make costumes simple and avoid costumes that obstruct vision or breathing.  Toy weapons, masks, dyed hair, and spray cans are not allowed in school on this day.  A parade

for younger children (preschool to 2^nd grade) will begin at 9:00 a.m. and travel outside the school if weather permits at about 9:15 a.m. on Halloween day.

In sports, congratulations to the Boys Cross Country team on an excellent 2011 season.  They recently competed against 22 schools.  Junior Varsity and current 5th grader Cuyler Majcher finished in 3rd place.  He also placed in 2nd place in the City Suburban Catholic Conference Open League Meet.  Seventh graders Scott Mitchell and Michael Killion earned 2nd and 3rd place respectively in the Varsity competition of the same Conference meet.  Great Job!

With regard to parking around the school during arrival and dismissal, please make an effort to use parking zones.  We realize that it is sometimes difficult to park at busy times, so please try to park in areas that may involve walking a few blocks.  This will only make our drop-off and pick-up times safer for our children.  Please attempt to park only in designated areas and avoid parking lot entrances and the canopy area by the church.  Our first priority is to keep our students as safe as possible.

Also, remember to follow the traffic pattern outside during arrival and dismissal time.  The following is a reminder of the traffic pattern that parents are asked to follow:  South on Nottingham, West on Carmen and North on Mont Clare.  The traffic pattern is in a clockwise direction so that students can exit or enter vehicles safely on the school-side curb.

Thank you for your continued support!

Sincerely,

Ray Coleman, Principal

Principal's Letter - August 24, 2011

Dear St. Monica Academy Families,

Welcome back!  We are looking forward to another great school year with our ultimate goal of bringing the best faith-based programs to your children.  We are excited about all of the new families that have joined us as well as our two new teachers:  Gena Lupo in 4 year-old preschool and Katie Snyder in 4^th Grade. 

Inside the school, classrooms have been equipped with new computers courtesy of the Student Council and the FSA (Family and School Association).  Our transition to PowerSchool, our new School Information System (SIS), will be eased by the addition of these new computers.  This system is a web-based application that is accessed through an Internet connection.  Once you’re familiar with PowerSchool, you’ll be able to check your child’s grades and attendance with just the click of a mouse any time, day or night.  More information will be coming.

Other contributions of time and talent were made at Family Payment Day by faculty, parish staff, school board, athletic board, and FSA members.  Thank you to all of you who have helped us get off to a good start.

Of course, don’t forget to mark your calendars for the St. Monica Academy Gala on October 21^st.  Tickets can be purchased in the school office as well as the parish office.  The Gala is a great way to meet new families and participate in exciting raffles and auction items.

Lastly, the St. Monica Academy faculty formulated goals for the new school year.  The goals are listed below and will assist us in keeping our school current with a focus on improvement every year:

Catholic Identity

o  An increased focus on the fundamental and newly implemented Mass changes, prayers (with an emphasis on the Rosary), traditions, symbols, and teachings of our Catholic faith.

Academic Excellence

o   To strengthen teaching and learning methods to optimize student learning experiences through differentiation, RTI (Response to Intervention) strategies, and the implementation of portfolios.

o    Continued focus on curriculum mapping throughout all subjects.

School Vitality

o  Implement PowerSchool, School Reach, and the new St. Monica Academy website (www.stmonicachicago.com) to enhance home/school communication.

o  Increase student participation in SEEDS curriculum through year-round enrichment activities and stewardship opportunities. 

Reminder

Remember this weekend, St. Monica Parish and the FSA will be hosting an outdoor Family Welcome Mass in the Church parking lot on Saturday, August 27^th at 4:00 p.m. followed by a hot dog barbecue at 5:00 pm.  We celebrate our patron, St. Monica on this day.  Please join us for this special Mass and opportunity to socialize. 

With summer coming to an end and a new school year upon us, there is a lot to look forward to at St. Monica Academy.  Welcome Back!

Sincerely,

Ray Coleman, Principal

Principal's Letter - May 11, 2011

Dear St. Monica Academy Parents,

Another busy school year is nearing its end.  With your support, the school and students continue to move in a positive direction as you will see in this newsletter.  There have been trying times as well, and sadness with the passing of three school parents and a brother:  Mr. Chris Stamp, Mrs. Virginia Ballesteros, Mr. James Rasmussen, and Mr. Timothy Horvath respectively, all of whom we will never forget and keep in our hearts and prayers.

The month of May brings ceremonies, celebrations, graduations, farewells, prayer services, field trips, garden days, and classroom picnics.  At the same time, we are starting to think about next year (a new beginning) and the excitement of students moving to the next grade.  Regardless, we have to remain in the present, giving priority to the current school year and finishing it as strong as possible.

We can pay particular attention to a variety of competitions in recent weeks.  This past weekend, St. Monica students presented their science fair projects at the state competition at the University of Illinois in Champaign.  The competition has two components, a paper session, where student compositions are judged, and a project session, where science projects are judged.  For the paper session, Paulina Marecka (8^th gr.) earned a Gold Award, Annette Lopez (7^th gr.) earned a Silver Award, and Marin McCall (8^th gr.) earned a Bronze Award. 

In the project session, Blake Rosenbusch (7^th gr.) earned a Gold Award.  Dylan Tabang (8^th gr.) and Elijah Irizarry (7^th gr.) earned Silver Awards for their science projects.  This year, the State Science Fair included more than 1,020 projects from the entire state of Illinois and acknowledges the work and achievements of the finest young scientists in the state of Illinois.  Congratulations to all of our students for the many hours that they have invested in their projects and papers under the guidance of junior high science teacher, Mrs. Kiszynski.   

The results have also been determined for an essay contest sponsored by Holy Name Men’s Club of St. Monica Parish.  The winners are Ben Ranft (7^th gr.), Anna Natividad (6^th gr.), Vibyana Sacluti (5^th gr.) and Patrick Lambe (4^th gr.).  The essay topic for the contest was to write about, “examples of individuals who lead a faithful life as a young Catholic in the community”.  The essays will be read and a prize will be awarded this Sunday in Beyenka Hall at 10:00 a.m.  We thank the Holy Name Men’s Club for their support of our school children. 

We are also pleased to announce that 8^th grader, Paulina Marecka was selected as a winner in the 2011 Cook County State’s Attorney’s Anti-Drug Poster Contest.  Paulina’s poster will be featured in the 2012 Anti-Drug Poster Calendar.  She has been invited to attend the Awards Ceremony at the National Museum of Mexican Art in Chicago to receive recognition for her efforts.  Congratulations! 

Our St. Monica Academy Student Council serves as role models to others throughout the school year.  The following students have participated and showed great initiative throughout the year as members:  Cato Newell (President), Maddie Abbatacola, Claire Conroy, Lexie Ippolito, Paul Saad, Annie Valenziano, Joey Lynch, Nicole LeBoeuf, Anna Natividad, and Jeremy Donohue-Wach.  All of these students are developing into fine leaders in addition to balancing their academic responsibilities. 

We would also like to take a moment to thank Tom Becker (President), Robin Liesz (Vice President) and Ronna Atlas for their dedicated service as members of the St. Monica Academy School Board.  We appreciate their time and effort as school board members for the benefit of our students! 

In a fundraiser to benefit children with cancer, St. Monica Academy raised $7,160 this year for St. Judes Children’s Research Hospital.  The Math-A-Thon program, which is headed by Mr. Haruska has raised more than $35,000 for St. Judes in the last six years!  Dylan Tabang ($620.00) and Sophia Acevedo ($454.00) raised the highest dollar amount this year.  Great Job!

In other news, the FSA (Family & School Association) donated an electric piano to the school to be used in our music program and talent show performances.  We also received a donation of 24 computer tables courtesy of Newedge, USA LLC.  The pick up and delivery of the tables was made possible by Golan’s Moving & Storage, Inc.

In the St. Monica student gardens around campus, classrooms are beginning the process of preparing the soil after weeks of planning.  In the next few weeks, the gardens will be planted, but will have to be maintained through the summer.  If you’re interested in helping during the summer months, please attend the garden training session at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, June 1^st at the Carmen Street Garden. 

We also would like to thank Lurvey’s Garden Center in Des Plaines for their yearly donations of plants for our gardens.  They have been very generous to our school in providing needed shrubs, flowers, and plants.  Fittingly, Lurvey’s Garden Center was recently selected as the recipient of the “Spirit of St. Monica Outstanding Business Award” for the St. Monica Gala in October 2011.  Parishioners, Sharon and Herb Bass were selected for the Cosmo Militello Service Award, and no one is more deserving of this award.  They are true stewards of their faith in all that they do! 

Tickets are on sale now for the 2011 St. Monica Gala, which will be held Friday, October 21^st at Beau Jolie Banquets in Schiller Park on Lawrence Ave.  The Gala is a wonderful opportunity to meet and celebrate St. Monica Academy with other families.  Buy tuition raffle tickets, and you may be the lucky winner of ONE YEAR’S FREE TUITION!

In sports, the junior varsity boys track team earned first and second place trophies in their first two meets of the year in addition to numerous individual medals.  In volleyball, the 6^th grade boys team finished as division champions in the City Suburban Catholic Conference.  Great Job!

As we look forward to the next school year, it is extremely important that we have an accurate student number count to properly plan for the new school year.  Therefore, if you have not registered, please do so as soon as possible.  If your child is not returning, please inform Mrs. Pellegrini in the school office.  Of course, we want to give our current families the first opportunities to register before classroom space fills up.  Please send in your registration as soon as possible to guarantee a spot.

Reminders:

State Required Examinations

§         Every student entering Preschool, Kindergarten, and 6th grade is required to submit a complete physical exam and immunization record by the first day of school in order to begin school.  This is a requirement of Illinois State Law.  We encourage you to beat the rush and make your physical appointments now.  Here are additional requirements for children entering preschool, kindergarten, 2^nd grade, and 6^th grade.

o       Preschool – completed physical examination when entering for the first time.

o       Kindergarten – completed physical examination, vision examination, and dental     examination.

o       2^nd Grade – completed dental examination.

o       6^th Grade – completed physical examination and dental examination.

§         Please remember to pick up student medication in the school office by the end of June.  Medications not claimed will be discarded.

§         Remember to purchase gym uniforms through the Athletic Board for the coming school year.  Orders are due in early June and will be delivered on Family Payment Day (August 13^th 10:00 – 1:00 p.m.)  Order forms are in today’s communication folder and are also available in the school office or printed from the school website.

§         School office hours for the summer:

                  June        9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.      Monday – Thursday

                  July         Closed                            Phone calls will be returned

                  August     9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.     Monday – Friday

This year’s 8^th grade graduating class is a special group judging by the number of academic scholarships and acceptances to the following schools:  St. Ignatius, Fenwick, Guerin Prep, Notre Dame, Resurrection, St. Patrick, St. Benedict, Loyola, Maine South, and Lane Tech.  Congratulations to all of our graduates as they prepare for their graduation ceremony on Saturday, May 28^th.  We wish them great success as they enter high school and a new phase in their lives.

Lastly, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mrs. Sharon Sholtus for her 39 years of service to St. Monica Academy and to Catholic Education.  Mrs. Scholtus began this school year as one of our 1^st grade teachers, but has since decided to retire.  She has been an important part of the St. Monica community for many years, and we want her to know that we will miss her.  Thank you Sharon for your professional service and dedication to the children of St. Monica!

Sincerely,

Ray Coleman, Principal

Principal's Letter - February 23, 2011

Dear St. Monica Academy Families,

As the month of February comes to a close, the St. Monica students have accomplished so much.  They won’t have much time to reflect on the past because there is so much to do and to look forward to in the coming months.  As Lent approaches, we must however reflect on our faith during this special season.  We will increase our vigilance by participating in weekly “prayer assemblies” in the gym and school masses. 

Regarding Sunday participation, the new monthly classroom masses have been a success.  Classrooms have been hosting these masses on Sundays at 10:30 a.m. since the beginning of the school year.  Each grade level has or will help to prepare and participate in a Sunday liturgy celebration.  Increasing attendance at Sunday Mass is an important goal that we want to emphasize and continue for the future.  Spiritual development is essential as our students grow in so many other areas through opportunities in the classroom, clubs, activities, and sports.  Here are examples of the success of our students in recent weeks.  

Last week, 8^th grader Marin McCall was announced as a winner in the “Scholastic Writing Contest”.  She was awarded a Gold Key Writing Award and was nominated for an American Voices Award.  This is a huge honor.  Gold Key Awards are the highest level of achievement at the regional level.  Marin’s writing entitled, “Lord of the Flies:  The Prequel” has been forwarded to the national level of the Scholastic Writing Awards.  She is also invited to attend the Chicago Regional Awards Ceremony on March 26^th at the University of Illinois Chicago campus.  Great Job!

Winners of the “Keep Christ in Christmas Poster Contest” were announced and celebrated last month.  The winners were Thomas Robaczewski (Kindergarten), Juliana Gisler (2^nd gr.), Kailey Kraft (3^rd gr.), Alexander Skokan (5^th gr.), Jonathan Stevens (6^th gr.), Brian Guratowski, (7^th gr.), and Dylan Tabang (8^th gr.)  In another contest, the “Drug and Alcohol Awareness Art Contest” the following winners were announced:  Shannon Daniels (8^th gr.), Daniel Nieves (7^th gr.), Joey Lynch (6^th gr.) and Sean Neace (6^th gr.).  Congratulations to all of the winners.  Thank you to art teacher, Marlene Power, for her guidance and to Grand Knight, Greg Repta and the St. Monica Knights of Columbus for taking an interest in our students and sponsoring these contests.

In another important event, the St. Monica Speech Team competed at the West 40 Speech & Poetry Competition at Elmwood Park High School on February 12^th.  St. Monica Academy entered two teams and both teams were awarded 2^nd place trophies out of 17 teams.  Our students competed against mostly public schools and performed very well. 

Here are the individual results with the following students earning perfect scores:  Sydney Ryan, “Oh the Places You’ll Go” in Humorous Poetry;  Dylan Tabang, “Let America Be America Again” in Serious Poetry;  Dylan Tabang in another performance, “JFK Inauguration Speech” in Oratorical Declamation;  Ryan Pesole, Lucas Krysten, Paul Saad “Episodes from the 3 Stooges” in a Trio Presentation; and Joey Hilger, Anthony Mitchell, “The Golfer” in a Humorous Duet.

Students who were one point short of a perfect score were Elijah Irizarry, “Selection of Robert Frost Poems” in Serious Poetry;  Kevin Mack, Lexi Ippolito, Julia Swider, Anna Natividad, Scott Mitchell, Michael Ghiloni, Sydnee Brown, Cristina Gamboa, “To Kill a Mockingbird” in Dramatic Performance;  Ryan Ranft, “The Dentist” in Humorous Presentation;  CheChe Sinfuego, Maeve Swan, Sophia Acevedo, “How to Dump a Dip” in a Trio Presentation;  and Anthony Mitchell, Joey Hilger in an Extemporaneous Duet.  Congratulations to all of these individuals and to the entire team of 54 students who participated.  Our speech team continues to excel in front of an audience and judges.  Thank you to the Speech Team coaches, Lindsey Bornholdt and Michael Sheehan, for all that they do to prepare and guide our students!

In the Sciences, twelve of our 7^th and 8^th graders will participate in the Regional Science Fair Project Competition on Saturday, March 12^th at the Museum of Science and Industry:  Zachary Becker, Liam Herrin, Raquel Gonzalez, Joey Hilger, Leanne Mordan, Erica Skibicki, Elijah Irizarry, Theresa Romano, Blake Rosenbusch, Lexi Ippolito, Dylan Tabang, and Maddie Larsen.  The Paper Session of the competition will be held this Saturday with the following three students advancing:  Michelle Kubala, Marin McCall, and Paulina Marecka.  Good luck to all of them!

In other news, the Scholastic Book Fair was another success.  We will be able to purchase more than $2700 in books with the proceeds.  Thanks to Monica Brunell, who organized the book fair for the fourth year in a row, to all the volunteers, and to those who supported the book fair during Catholic Schools Week. 

In Sports, both the 6^th and 7^th the St. Monica Academy Boys Basketball Team finished the regular season as conference champions and earned 2^nd place in the City and Suburban Catholic Conference Playoffs respectively.  Go Mustangs!

Important Notes and Reminders

§  At the end of the school year, two snow days will be added to our school calendar, which will extend our school year to Tuesday, June 7^th.

§  Virtus Training will be held at St Monica Academy on March 27^th in Beyenka Hall from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. for all volunteers.  Please register at http://virtus.org

§  Thank you to all the families and vendors who have assisted St. Monica Academy in donating materials and “regift” items.  These items have been sold at the Holiday Fair and will be used at the Mardi Gras Celebration for prize redemptions (increasing funds for the school).

§  Remember to attend, volunteer, or purchase raffle tickets for the Mardi Gras Celebration scheduled for March 4^th 5:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

§  The next Family & School Association (FSA) meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, March 23^rd at 7:00 p.m. in Beyenka Hall.  Let’s all plan on attending the meeting to see how we can help and become involved in our school through this important parent organization.

§  Terra Nova Testing will be starting with practice tests tomorrow in grades 3, 5, and 7.  You can help your child to do his/her best on the test by making sure your child gets a good  night’s sleep the night before testing, providing breakfast on the mornings of testing, reminding your child to ask the teacher questions if he/she does not understand the test directions, letting your child know that you have confidence in his/her ability to his/her best, and advising your child not to worry about the test and just do his/her best.

May the season of Lent be a time of blessing upon all of you.

Sincerely,

Ray Coleman, Principal