PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION

MR. RIDDER’S REMINDERS

Aug 26                Last Day to Order Uganda T-Shirt
                           Parish Golf Outing
Aug 28                Parish Carnival 1:30-5:30PM
Aug 31                August Birthdays Only Dress Down Day
Sept 1                 K & 1^st Curriculum Night 6:30 & 7:15 classroom then to church
                           PreS, K, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th & 5th School Pictures - Wear Uniform Sweaters
Sept 2                 PreK, 6^th, 7^th & 8^th Grade School Pictures - Wear uniforms w/sweaters
Sept 5                 No School – Labor Day
Sept 8                 2:00 Dismissal
Sept 9                 Uganda T-Shirt Dress Down Day

UGANDA DRESS DOWN – This Friday, August 26^th is NOT a Uganda Dress Down Day.  Please be sure your child is dressed in their school uniform.  The Uganda Dress Down Day’s are always the Fridays after the first early out of the month. 

SISTER SCHOOL/UGANDA T-SHIRTS ON SALE – Just a reminder, if you would like to order a Uganda t-shirt for your child to wear on designated dress down days, the order form deadline is tomorrow, Friday, August 26^th.  Please see the attached order form.  The designated dress down days will be on the Friday following the 2^nd Thursday of each month. Students may wear their t-shirt with jeans or shorts that are appropriate to the dress down day policy.  If a student comes to school on those designated days and they are dressed down without the sister school t-shirt then they will be asked to switch into a uniform shirt. The first Sister School Dress Down Day will be Friday, September 9, 2011.

LINK TO THE UGANDA SISTER SCHOOL T-SHIRT ORDER FORM

SCHOOL PICTURES WILL BE TAKEN NEXT WEEK BY LIFETOUCH PHOTOGRAPHY – Order forms went home with all students last week.  If you did not receive a picture envelope, you may pick one up in the office. The order with payment must accompany the student when they meet the photographer.
Thursday, September 1st, the following grades will have their pictures taken: PreS, Kindergarten, 1^st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5^th Grades
Friday, September 2nd, the following grades will have their pictures taken: PreK, 6th, 7^th and 8th Grades
All students in Kindergarten through 8thgrades must be dressed in their school uniform, including the sweater.

OPEN SPOTS IN THE SCHOOL - Even though our enrollment numbers are climbing (730 last year and 777 this year) we still have openings in most of our grades. Unfortunately for those students, most of that is due to the economic challenges that many families are facing. Therefore, at this time we have a few openings in1^st grade.We also have openings in grades 3^rd thru 8^th grade. Since our students and staff are so welcoming and adaptable it is never too late or too early to register your child (ren). Please come and check us out in person or on our web page at stpatselkhorn.org and you will be impressed with our caring and talented staff, our friendly students, and our supportive parents. We can be reached l at ridderd@stpatselkhorn.org. Also, if you refer a family to our school in a grade that has an opening then you will receive a $100 discount for every child who enrolls as a result of your referral.

TUITION ASSISTANCE GRATITUDE TOWARD YOUR CONTINUOUS HELP – In the last several weeks, many donors have come forward to provide dollars to a vital program at St. Patrick’s School.  The Tuition Assistance program allows families the ability to enroll their child in a school that offers the faith-filled education that they seek for them. As our school’s curriculum continues to step up to higher levels of expectations, we are finding more and more parents who want their children to experience the excellence in Catholic education that St. Patrick's school is providing. We continue to search for more people who have the resources to help fund our tuition assistance program. We are extremely grateful for those that have stepped forward to aid us in meeting the needs of those who would not be able to attend our school if it weren’t for their generous hearts. If you, or someone you know, are interested in supporting our tuition assistance program, please have them contact Don Ridder, Principal at ridderd@stpatselkhorn.org. Again, we thank you for your continued support of St. Patrick's Catholic School. The tremendous foundation of our parishioners and our parents are the reasons we continue to thrive on the cutting edge of excellence in education.

REMINDERS FOR MORNING TRAFFIC - Thank you for following the rules and procedures that our safety committee put into place for morning drop off. You realize how IMPORTANT it is to follow these procedures and the problems it causes when you don't. I have listed a review so that 100% of our parents will follow the procedures every morning.

• Entering through the north entrance
• Following the traffic all the way without pulling out unless you park in Lot #2 so you can walk your child to their line
• Understand that if you park in any other parking lot, you are putting your children in danger while trying to cross the traffic and it slows down the traffic. This inconveniences everyone in line and can cause students to be late for class
• You also know that you need to pull up all the way to the Maple tree in the south end of lot #5.
• I appreciate it when all the hugs and kisses are over before you stop your car to drop off your children. If you wait until you stop to do this, it holds up the entire line, and I know that is not your intent.
• If you have someone other than yourself dropping off the kids, make sure they understand the importance of following the traffic procedures.
• Lastly, thank you for making the safety of all the children a top priority for you and/or the person you have designated to drop off your children.

AFTERNOON PICK-UP REFRESHER - Once again, thank you for going to your assigned parking lot to pick up your children after school so the teachers and children know where you will be when we bring them to you.

• You understand that if you park somewhere other than where you are assigned it creates problems for others.
• You know that you should be parked in the lot so that you can drive out instead of backing out and that you should be here by 3:20.
• On early out Thursdays, the lots close at 1:50pm for 2:00 dismissal.

POLICY REGARDING ORGANIZATION/CLUB HANDOUTS – If you would like the office/teachers to pass out registration or any type of flyers to students for an organization or club, they must be delivered to the office no later than Thursday mornings.  We will only pass out these types of items on Thursdays.  If you bring them to the office after Thursday or any other day of the week, they will be held until Thursday.  This will help all parents to know that all of these types of materials will only come home on Thursday and know that they need to look for them in backpacks then. This applies to kindergarten through 8^th grade. PreS and PreK will receive their papers from the office on the next day of class.  Thanks for your help with this.

IT’S CARNIVAL TIME THIS SUNDAY - Plan to stop by the St. Patrick’s Parish Carnivalon Sunday, August 28th from 1:30 – 5:30 PM (rain or shine!!). We are asking all families with last names A-G to please bring (2) 2 liters of pop & last names H - Z to bring a cake or 24 cookies by Friday, August 26th.You can drop those off outside the school office or parish entrance. We will be selling carnival tickets on Friday afternoon at pickup and after Saturday night’s 5PM mass. Tickets will be sold at the carnival too! Don’t forget about raffle tickets – we are raffling off 3 BASKETS—FAMILY, BOY & GIRL BASKET and 2 LARGE STUFFED ANIMALS—DRAGON & BARNEY. You pick the prize you want to win! The carnival will have great food,SNO CONES, games, and inflatable!! Also don’t miss Amazing Arthurs Balloon Brigade from 2-4pm, the Cheerleaders performance at 3pm and Dachshund Races all day. Questions - contact Jacquie Schumacher @ 201-1183 or email jacquieschumacher@cox.net. See you on Sunday!

3RD PARKING SPOT OUT BEING RAFFLED OFF - Would you like to be the 3rd person out of the parking lot after school for the entire school year? Stop by the parish carnival this weekend, purchase a raffle ticket, and be the BIG winner!

BIRTHDAY DRESS DOWN DAYS – Since students are not allowed to bring any type of treat to school this year for their birthday, we are giving each student a designated dress down day in the month of their birthday or ½ birthday!  The dress down day for all August birthdays is Wednesday, August 31^st.  We will be setting the days for the rest of the year shortly and will post all of those once they are scheduled!

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR LUNCHROOM DUTY - Each month we need to fill 100 volunteer positions in the lunchroom to help serve and clean up after the students. Whether your child buys their lunch at school or is a cold lunch kiddo - they utilize the lunchroom. Parents (or grandparents) are needed from 10:45 - 12:50 each school day. We need help every day of the week, but specifically we could use additional volunteers on Mondays and Fridays. Please call or email Kris Morrissey if you would like more information or are willing to help: krismorrissey@cox.net or 402-630-8964.

CATHOLIC 101: Fourth Commandment – by Fr. Rodney Adams The first three commandments are all about our relationship with God, the last seven are all about our relationship with others.  These commandments are about honor, respect for human life, sexuality, other people’s property, and the truth.  To Honor thy Father and Mother, is a way of speaking about our obligation to show respect for our parents, both as children and adults.  As children we obey our parents, well in the ideal world anyway, and as adults we care for our parents when and if they need our help as they age.  Fr. Gary and I are very blessed to be able to offer mass regularly at five different assistant care facilities.  I can’t help but get to know some of the wonderful people who live at these facilities.  Some of them have children who are very active in their lives, but for some, I’ve learned not to even ask about their families because it just upsets them.  For Catholics, this commandment advocates the beauty and necessity of family; that the family is like a microcosm of society, and basis for the community of faith, the Church.  So as we tease out the implications of respecting our parents we see that this commandment is about much more than a relationship between three individual people.  According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) parents teach their children respect, that is to say, how they should show respect, what the parents expect.  And from there it grows.  When we look at our grandparents we see the parents of our parents, in our sisters and brothers we see the children of our parents (CCC, 2212), in our aunts and uncles and cousins we see the descendents of our ancestors, in the baptized we see the children of our mother the Church, in other citizens we see the children of our nation, in every human person we see a son our daughter of our Father, God the almighty.  So this commandment informs not only how we see and treat our parents, but from that. How we see and treat all people.  The CCC also explains some of the duties of parents, 2221-2223, if you are interested.

7^TH & 8^TH GRADERS TRY OUT FOR THIS YEAR’S SCHOOL MUSICAL - We are pleased to announce thatOnce Upon a Mattress Jr.will be our fall musical. All 7th and 8th graders are invited to participate in the musical. There are many opportunities to join in from making sets to designing programs and much more! Auditions for speaking and singing parts will be Monday and Tuesday, August 22 & 23at 7:15am. You only need to attend one of the days. Please prepare a short (1 minute) song for the audition. Contact Mrs. Ackerman with any questions!

DESTINATION IMAGINATION – NEW TO ST. PATRICK’S SCHOOL - We invite you to join Destination Imagination, an after school program for students emphasizing Creativity, Teamwork and Problem Solving! Every year, 100,000 students across the U.S. and in more than 30 countries complete the challenges and present their solutions at Tournaments.  Students are able to select from one of 7 challenges to complete: Technical, Scientific, Fine Arts, Improvisational, Structural, and The World is My Canvas, or Rising Stars (1st-2nd only).  For example, one team will make costumes, build sets, and write a play showcasing their musical or artistic talents.  Other students may build a structure using Balsa wood earning points for the weight it can hold.  Teams will be formed in September and work together until their first tournament in March. The program is truly amazing!  We would love to have a large group of students represent our school.  All interested Parents and Students in grades 1-8 are invited to an Informational Meeting on Tuesday September 27 at 3:45pm at St Patrick’s School.  Contact Person: Kate Hough - I have been a Team Manager for 12 years and would love for you to please contact me with any questions!  My phone number is 402-861-9922 or emails me at mailto:bkhough@cox.net.  You can also check out the website at idodi.org.

REMINDER FROM HOME & SCHOOL OFFICERS - We would love to have 100% participation in Home & School for the 2011-12 school year. Please get your membership form and dues in as soon as possible. We are preparing the school directory so in order to have yours reserved, you must have your form and dues in. Deadline is 8/31. If you need a form, please contact the school office or email Shelley Weeks at shel5@cox.net. We'd love to have your help and support so we can continue to make a difference for the students and staff at St. Pat's!

DIRECTORY FAMILY INFORMATION AND ADS - Everyone should have had the opportunity to verify their directory information by now, either via email or at Get Set For School. If you have NOT done so or if you have any last minute modifications, please contact Jaymie Oehler at jaymie@jaymie.net. The directory is also a great place to advertise! Rates are reasonable and it is great exposure for your business. If you have advertised with us before, we can reuse your ad from last year or you can provide updated copy. If you are a new advertiser, we would be happy to help with the ad design work. All ads and payment are due by August 31st in order to make the printing deadline, so don't delay! If you have any questions or would like a New Advertisement Form, please contact Betsy Ramm at bestyramm@cox.net.

COPY MOMS - The St. Patrick’s School Copy Mom Team is searching for volunteers for Monday mornings and afternoons, every other Tuesday morning and afternoon starting August 30th,  and/or Thursday afternoons.  If you are interested in this fun and helpful volunteer opportunity please contact Deb Strumberger at dstrumberger@cox.net. 

MCS (MUSIC IN CATHOLIC SCHOOLS) MEETING – Parents and prospective band students (grades 5-8) band information and registration nights are quickly approaching.  The locations for registrations are held at various Catholic Schools and are held from 7:00-8:30 pm in August and September.  All 5-8 grade teachers have the informational flyers with the dates and locations and will be sending them out to the students.  Please check with your child’s teacher if you have not received it via e-mail.

USED UNIFORM SALE A MAJOR SUCCESS - Thank you to everyone who donated or purchased uniforms at the Used Uniform Sale!Home & School appreciates your support as well as all the school children who ultimately benefit from your purchases of you have picked up Used Uniform orders, please be sure to pay at the office. Checks payable to Home & School with used uniforms in the memo. If you still have uniform orders in the tote in the lobby, please be sure to pick them up or return them as soon as possible. Plaid waiting list is currently for size 5 jumper or skort, size 6 skort or skirt,size 7jumper,size 10jumper, size 12 ½ or 13 skort,&size 14 or 16skirts or skorts. If you have any of these sizes and wish to donate or sell directly, please contact Suzanne Kahnk at skahnk@otcvs.com. Thank you to everyone for all your donations.

SCRIP NEWS - We need you!!  Here is how you can help with St. Patrick’s Scrip fundraising program for the 2011-2012 school year.  Send your completed order form and payment to the school in your child’s backpack. Orders received by 8:00am on Tuesday mornings will be returned by the following Tuesday.

• Purchase Scrip gift cards after all Masses in the back of church by the elevators – volunteers will be selling at the podium – Starts up again on Sunday, August 21^st
• Do you need Scrip gift cards for same day shopping or are picking up a last minute gift? Stop in the school office Monday through Friday to see what cards are in stock and available for immediate purchase.
• Scrip is implementing returnable envelopes in an attempt to limit paper waste. Please help us in “going green” by returning these envelopes to school with your child. You can send it in with your next order for Scrip!
• Sign up to order online at ShopWithScrip.com – use enrollment code D6693A9234L6

Scrip Back to School Promotion:
Educational Outfitters has joined our SCRIP program just in time to purchase school uniforms. They are offering $20 gift cards with 5% going back to the SCRIP program. Anyone who redeems an Educational Outfitters gift card before August 31stwill be entered into a drawing to win a $50 gift card.

HELP A FAMILY IN NEED - Tony Grasso and his wife, Wendi, worship with us here at St. Patrick’s and next door at Bethany Lutheran; Tony is Catholic and Wendi is Lutheran. They have a baby boy named Jaden.  They traveled to Colorado for a weekend getaway, when Wendi went into labor sixteen weeks early.  Jaden was born weighing less than two pounds, and his little heart and other organs were not yet properly developed. As a result, the family of three has been in Colorado for about five weeks waiting for Jaden to be healthy enough to travel back home to Elkhorn.  As you can imagine the medical costs are immense not to mention the costs of being away from home.   Bethany Lutheran is hosting a benefit for the Grasso family on October 15 from 2:00 – 6:00.  It will be a Fall Festival with food and games and hayrack rides and music and a silent auction.  I would love for us to help in any way we can.  If you have or could get silent auction items, if you would like to help sell food, or set up or clean up, or run a game booth please let us know, contact Fr. Rodney at 402-289-4289 x1522 or radams@stpatselkhorn.org if you would like to help or want further information.  Thank you.

SAFE ENVIRONMENT TRAINING – ALL staff and volunteers must be Safe Environment Trained as required by the Archdiocese of Omaha to be around children in any capacity. This includes but is not limited to volunteering in any way around the school, coaching, sponsoring clubs, etc. The following information will tell you when, where and how you may take the training classes.

Initial Training
The next trainings at St. Pat’s for Safe Environment Initial Certification are in Boland Hall on:
Thursday, Sept. 8^th from 6:30-8:30 pm in the Parish Center
Saturday, Oct. 1^st from 9:00-11:00 am in Boland Hall
To register, contact Jenni Vankat, Safe Environment Coordinator, at jvankat@stpatselkhorn.org or 402-289-4289 x1527.

Recertification Online Training
The Archdiocese offers a Safe Environment Online Recertification program.  This online program was created so individuals may complete the training at their convenience. The training takes approximately 60 minutes to complete.  Below are the steps to access the online recertification and other key points to acquire recertification.

• Go to the Archdiocesan website -  www.archomaha.org
• Select the “Safe Environment” tab.
• Click on "Recertification Online Training" to get started.
• Follow the instructions.  Note:  You will have to create a login and password for yourself.
• When the training is finished, you must print out and fill out:  1) the Online Recertification Registration form, and 2) the Notification, Authorization and Screening form.  Mail the two completed forms to the Safe Environment Records Office along with the fee (see step 6).  The address is noted on the Recertification Registration Form.
• The training fee is $12 for volunteers and $15 for employees.  If you need reimbursement, print out and complete the SE Reimbursement Form found on the Safe Environment page of the parish website (www.stpatselkhorn.org) and turn it in to the Parish Office.  A reimbursement check will be mailed to you.
• You will receive an LMS email report of your recertification session with LMS and an Attempt % in the subject line.  Please forward this email to safeenvironment@stpatselkhorn.org so we can update your certification status.  Thank You!

COME JOIN THE WALKING CLUB - Looking for a fun way for you and your child to be healthy? Join Walking Club! We meet every Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 7:40am to 8:00am at the soccer field. Our first meeting will be August 30th. Please fill out the permission form and bring it to the first meeting. If you have questions, please contact Christina Diers at acediers@cox.net. See you then!

CLICK HERE FOR WALKING CLUB PERMISSION SLIP

LITURGY OF THE WORD FOR CHILDREN - LWC is offered to children in Kindergarten through 5th grade during the 5:00 p.m., 9:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. weekend Masses.   PLEASE DO NOT SEND YOUR PRESCHOOLERS TO LITURGY OF THE WORD FOR CHILDREN. In September, we will begin using new materials for LWC.  The materials offer personal reflection on the scripture readings you will be sharing with the children, as well as offer discussion questions to share with the children.  If you would like to find out more information about our LWC program, we will have an in-service on September 11th from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.  Please contact Chris Else at celse@stpatselkhorn.org or call the RF Office to RSVP for the in-service or inquire about LWC.

THE ADVENTURE STARTS NOW!!  Pack #650 Cub Scouts would like to invite all 1st  through 5th grade boys to join Cub Scouts. If your son enjoys camping, swimming, hiking, field trips, and having fun with friends, then Cub Scouts is for you! Cub Scouts is a year-round family program designed for boys in the 1st through 5th grades, or ages 7 to 10 years of age. The program emphasizes faith, shared leadership, learning about community, family understanding, character development, citizenship and personal fitness. Young boys grow up fast. Give your son a valuable gift by encouraging him to join Cub Scouting. The time you invest in him today will make a difference in the person he becomes tomorrow. Join us for the first Pack Meeting/Parent Night on Tuesday, August 30^th at 6:30pm in the Parish Center to register. Please contact Andrew or Amy Wilson at afwilson@creighton.edu  or (402) 917-4350 with questions.

TASTE OF BRIX – If you have enjoyed St. Patrick’s TASTE in the past, you are going to loveTaste of Brix……..a new tasting experience!  Join us on Sunday, September 25th from 6:00 – 9:00pm at Brix, Village Pointe. It’s not just wine anymore!! We will sample 10 wines, 5 spirits, 5 beers, fabulous food, coffee and desserts all sponsored by Brix! Registration includes a complimentary Riedel tasting glass.  Look for registration forms.  Questions, please call Kristen Panowicz #289-4961 or Michele Zadalis #965-8449.

SPY YOUTH GROUP NEWS –SPY Grill Raffle –Interested in a new grill? SPY is raffling off a Weber Spirit E210 Gas Grill worth $400 to raise $$ for NCYC, the National Catholic Youth Conference in Indianapolis. Tickets are $5/1 or $10/3.Tickets sold after masses Aug. 20/21, and Aug. 27/28 or contact Jenni during the week. Winner announced at 5:00pm at the Carnival on Aug. 28th!

Teen Choir– Youth in grades 6-12 are invited to help with music ministry for the 5:00pm mass Saturday, August 27^th.Practice is at 4:00 in the Family Room. Just show up at practice to join in! A cantor is currently needed!

2011 FALL BASKETBALL SESSION - Registration is now open for the 2011 Fall Basketball Session for parish youth grades K-4. The grades will be separated as the following: Kindergarten, 1st/2nd grade boys, 1st/2nd grade girls, 3rd/4th grade boys, 3rd/4th grade girls. The season runs October 22nd - December 10th. For any questions regarding this session please contact Scott Kubicek: carrie.kubicek@cox.net. For questions regarding online registration please contact Katie & Brent L'Heureux at lheureux03@yahoo.com. Cost is $30 for YMCA members, $60 for Non-YMCA members. Registration will end September 17th and late registration fees will apply after the 17th. To register please go to:http://new.stpatselkhorn.org/athletics/athleticsindex.cfm.

GIRL SCOUTS – Girl Scout Troops are now forming for the 2011-2012 school year. Take the Girl Scout Journey!!! Make new friends, try new things, and explore the world! Contact Cindy Blumenkemper at blumenkemper@cox.net or 402.315.9668.

THAT MAN IS YOU! - “Men mark your calendars. That Man is You! begins Friday September 9^thin the Parish Center. Modeled on some of the country’s leading men’s programs, That Man Is You! combines Scripture, solid secular research and a little fun to address the pressures and temptations facing men in our modern culture. It seeks to form authentic leaders who will be capable of transforming homes and society.

The program will be hosted every Friday. We gather at 6:00am for breakfast, coffee, and some entertaining videos. Then there’s a presentation at 6:15 that combines the best scientific research with the teachings of the Church and wisdom of the saints. It’s followed at 6:45 with breakout groups that provide the opportunity to discuss what’s been presented. Finally, we’re on the road around 7:15 so everyone can get to work. Registration is available on line at www.thatmanisyou.org or by contacting Mike Rasmussen 402-677-2991or mikejrasmussen@cox.

GET READY...THE SPIRIT IS GONNA MOVE YOU! - 2012 SPIRIT is officially kicking off after every mass the weekend of September 10th! As summer draws to a close it is time to get in gear for our next dinner auction. We will be passing out save the date and wish list cards.  We'll also have a table for you to sign up to help, turn in your Bag of Booze and Class Basket donations and order your family’s "SPIRIT NOTE".  Stop by the table and ask a volunteer about our new sponsorship, underwriting and catalog ad opportunities.  We look forward to meeting with you!

Principal's Notes Deadline:

Please submit all items/information in final form.

Principal's Notes deadline is Tuesday by 8:00am to the school or email to

ridderd@stpatselkhorn.org or kmoritz@stpatselkhorn.org

Archived Principal's Notes