PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION

MR. RIDDER’S REMINDERS

Sept 28              September Birthday Dress Down Day
Sept 30              No School – Archdiocese In-Service
Oct 13                2:00 Dismissal
Oct 14                Uganda Dress Down Day
Oct 18                1^st Quarter Ends
                          Pro-Life Day of Solidarity
Oct 19                October Birthdays Dress Down Day
Oct 20                Picture Retakes

ACTIVITY/FIELD TRIP FORMS WENT HOME SEPTEMBER 16TH– We use an annual activity fee for students rather than collecting money for each field trip or activity. On the form, we listed the grade level 2011-2012 Activity Fees explaining what is scheduled for the year. An art fee is assessed in all grades.  A technology fee is included to help defray the cost of the student computer subscriptions in kindergarten through 8^th grades. The 4^th through 8^th grades, students will subscribe to ALEKS – an online math program to compliment the curriculum taught in the classroom. The ALEKS subscription will begin for those students on Monday, September 26^th, 2011. Your youngest and/or only child from each family will be bringing home a gold 2011-2012 Activity Fees form tomorrow. Please return one form per family by clipping the bottom portion and a check to school in an envelope. The Activity Fee is due by Thursday, September 29^th, 2011.

REPORTING TO US YOUR CHILD’S ABSENCE – Just a reminder, if your child is going to be absent from school, the office must be notified by 8:30 a.m.  Please send an e-mail to Kathy Moritz kmoritz@stpatselkhorn.org and Deanna Timmerman dtimmerman@stpatselkhorn.org or call the school office 402-289-5407.

YEARBOOKS ARRIVED - The 2010-2011 yearbooks, that you ordered last spring, will be sent home on Thursday, September 29th. There are a few additional yearbooks available on a first come/first serve basis. If you are unsure if you purchased a yearbook, or if you would like to order a 2010-2011 yearbook, please contact Victoria Brichacek atvictoriabrichacek@hotmail.com.

SWEATSHIRT ORDER FORM – As the cold weather is approaching, we want to make sure we keep our students warm!  Please use the link below if you would like to order your student a sweatshirt.

LINK TO UNIFORM SWEATSHIRT ORDER FORM

UNIFORM MASS SWEATERS MUST BE WORN AFTER OCTOBER 15^TH – Should you need to order a sweater for the upcoming uniform season change, please do so now to allow for delivery. Also, shorts may not be worn after the 15^th of October.

SISTER SCHOOL/UGANDA T-SHIRTS FINAL ORDER – 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 October 5th.  This will be our last order of the year.  Students will not be allowed to wear previous year’s t-shirts on designated Uganda Dress Down Days.  If they do not have the current year, blue shirt, they will be required to dress in uniform.  Please see the attached order form.  The designated dress down days will be on the Friday following the 2^nd Thursday that we have a 2:00 dismissal. 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.

LINK TO LAST CALL FOR UGANDA T-SHIRT ORDERS

POP TOPS!!! - Please save your pop tops again this year.  Bring them to school and put them in the Ronald McDonald box on top of the "Lost and Found" cabinet.  We recently received a "Thank You" note from the Ronald McDonald house for the 60,000 pop tops I took down 2 weeks ago.  Our Grand Total is 298,000 pop tops over the past 3 years.  Great job people!!!!  They really appreciate what you do.  Thanks!!  Dan Van Anne.

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.netor402-630-8964.

COME ENJOY THE KNIGHT’S OF COLUMBUS BBQ RIB FEED
Who:      St. Patrick's Knights of Columbus
When:    5:00 to 7:00 pm, Thursday, September 29
Menu:    BBQ Feather Bone Pork Ribs, Macaroni and Cheese, Corn Fritters, Baked Beans and Cole Slaw
Advanced Tickets: Adults $10, Children 5 -12 yrs $5
At the Door: Adults $12, Children 5 -12 yrs (still) $5
Kids under 5 yrs. - FREE!
Note: We chose Thursday evening because the following day is the Archdiocesan Teacher's In-Service and the children are out of school. This is a St. Patrick's Community event and everyone is invited.

CATHOLIC 101 - The Seventh Commandment: You Shall Not Steal
Explicitly, the 7^th commandment forbids the act of taking someone else’s property.  Implicitly, it also condemns cheating people of their money or property, not paying workers a just wage, or not working in such a way that you have earned your days wages.  Embezzlement, fraud, tax evasion and vandalism are all violations of this commandment.  And all this is bigger than individuals; it also includes groups of people, corporations and even governments.  For example, the Church believes that governments have no right to seize private property or nationalize a private business.  In fact governments are called upon to protect private property.  We believe that personal property is a fundamental right, but, it’s not an absolute right.  That is to say, if I have way more food than I need, and you come to me because you have nothing, and your family is starving, it is my moral obligation to share with you.  It’s my food, in a very real way my property, but if I have more than I need and refuse to share, I have sinned, and if you take from me there is no theft because my refusal is contrary to reason and the universal destination of goods (CCC 2408).  Remember the parable Jesus tells of Lazarus and the rich man?  Governments and corporations have no right to take away someone’s inalienable right to private property.  But even though private property is indeed a right, sometimes higher values must come first, like human life and national security.  So like with all the commandments respect for God and human dignity is fundamental to understanding the broader truth being expressed.  This commandment is obviously about respect for persons and their property and possessions.  But respect for human dignity requires the practice of the virtue of temperance, so as to moderate attachment to this worlds goods, the practice of the virtue of justice, to preserve our neighbors rights and render him his fair due; and the practice of solidarity in accordance with the golden rule and in keeping with the generosity of the Lord (CCC 2407.)   And it goes even further than human rights, this commandment as we understand it also demands respect for all of God’s creation: Animals, plants, and inanimate beings are by nature destined for the common good of past, present, and future humanity (CCC2415).  Animals are God’s creatures. God cares for them.  By their mere existence they bless him and give him glory (2416).  So we owe them kindness, to cause them suffer or die needlessly compromises our own dignity.  The rest of the CCC’s treatment of the 7^th Commandment deals with justice, Social Justice, which is not, at least in our tradition, a political word, but rather a term used in Catholic Moral Teaching.  Because this term is so misused and misunderstood these days, perhaps it deserves its own 101. 

FAMILY FOOD AND SHOPPING DAY/NIGHT – Please look in your child’s backpack for more information on the family food and shopping day/night taking place on Friday, September 30^th.  Flyers were sent home with the students on today.  Mr. Goodcents is giving 20% of all proceeds back to St. Pat’s for lunch and/or dinner.  Fat Brain Toys is giving 10% of all proceeds back to the school.  The event goes from 10 am – 8 pm.  Both are located at Village Pointe South.  Enjoy the day off of school with your students and help out our school.

FAMILY FOOD NIGHT FLYER

SCRIP Family Food AND Shopping Day/Night at Village Point!! This Friday, September 30th, the kids are off school, so it is a great time to go out to lunch or dinner at Mr. Goodcents and do a little shopping at Fat Brain Toys! All day long, Mr. Goodcents will give 20% of purchases made (mention St. Patrick's) back to us! If you have any pre-orders for catering (think pharmaceutical reps, office meetings, party platters etc.), place them that day for a future date, and St. Pats gets 20% back! Wow!

Fat Brain Toys will feature our very own St. Patrick's ROBOTICS TEAM from 5 -7 pm that Friday night! Go grab a bite to eat and come watch the robotics team in action! Get a head start on some holiday shopping or birthday presents for the kids, and 10% of all purchases made that day will come back to St. Pats!  A fun meal and shopping...all to benefit our SCRIP program. What a great deal!

CASH FOR STUDENTS - St. Patrick’s School is once again participating in Hy-Vee’s Cash for Student program.  Here’s how it works: Send to school ALL receipts from area Hy-Vee stores, pharmacies and gas stations from September 1- December 31, 2011. Ask family members to save them…grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends and neighbors. For every $200.00 in receipts, St. Pat’s will earn a $1.00! Send in the receipts to school weekly, monthly or when the envelope is full! Whatever works for you. Contact Susan Drvol at rsdrvol@cox.net or 402-493-7000 with any questions.

SPIRIT – Need SPIRIT info?  Check out our new auction website for updates, contacts and general information:  https://stpatrickselkhorn.ejoinme.org/home

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.netor402.315.9668.

BLESSING OF THE PETS - Blessing of the Pets will be held on Wednesday, October 5, 2011 at 5:30 p.m.  Please bring your dog, hamster, pet snake, or whatever pet you may have, on the 5th for a special blessing.  The blessing will be held in front of the church.  Thanks for understanding that no pets will be allowed in the building.  Also, note that on Wednesdays, traffic flows one way and all vehicles must enter the parking lot via the Laramie Street access road.

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:
Saturday, Oct. 1^st from 9:00-11:00 am in Boland Hall A
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!

CATHOLICISM, JOURNEY AROUND THE WORLD AND DEEP INTO THE FAITH – With creator and host Father Robert Barron, you will learn what Catholics believe and why, while being immersed in the art, architecture, literature, beliefs, and practices of the Catholic tradition.  Filmed in 50 locations throughout 15 countries, the CATHOLICISM DVD series is on-location and in the streets illustrating the splendor of the global Church.  The Adult Formation Program expands and reinforces the content of the DVDs with extensive commentary and questions for understanding and application.  Father Robert Barron is an acclaimed author, theologian and podcasting priest from Chicago, and one of the world’s great and most innovative teachers of the Catholic faith.  He is the founder of Word on Fire Catholic Ministries.  Date:  1^st Session is on Tuesdays, October 4^th thru November 8^th in Boland Hall.  2^nd Session is on Tuesdays, January 10^th thru February 14^th in Boland Hall.  Cost/Registration:  Study Guide is $30.  Contact/Registration:  Beth Kathol (402) 289-4289 ext 1525 or Bud Polk (402) 289-4610.

WANT TO JOIN M.O.M.S? NEW GROUPS TO BEGIN IN SEPTEMBER - Are you a MOM looking for a little soul time every week?  Two new sessions of M.O.M.S. (Ministry of Mothers Sharing) are scheduled to begin Tuesday, September 27^th (morning group) and Thursday September 29^th (evening group).  The morning group will meet once a week for 7 consecutive weeks on TUESDAY MORNINGS from 8:45 to10:45am.  The evening group will meet once a week for 7 consecutive weeks on THURSDAY NIGHTS from 7-9pm.  Registration is $35.00 and includes a personal journal.  Childcare is available for the morning group for a small fee.  Take this opportunity to enhance your spirituality as a mother and to better appreciate motherhood as a ministry.  Please call Tracy Fernandez at (602) 578-6687 (cell) or email her at fernan52970@cox.net to register or with questions.

SAVE THE DATE FOR TRIVIA NIGHT– NOVEMBER 4^th - Start forming your dream team and get ready for St. Pat’s 1^st annual Trivia Night, Friday, November 4^th in the Parish Center.  If you would like to get involved please contact Ann Monday at annmonday@cox.net  Stay tuned for Registration information…

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