ST. PAUL PAGE 1-7-1

Lent

Dear Parents,

The season of lent has started and you can already see the school community of St. Paul working together to make positive changes in our lives, as well as in the lives of those around us. We have planned a number of different service projects and activities for Lent. I am hopeful that at the end of our forty-day journey we will all have made significant changes in our lives to become closer to God. I would like to share with you the activities that will be taking place during Lent.

Stations of the Cross - We will be praying the Stations of the Cross as a school on the following Friday's: February 15, 22, 29 and March 7& 14 at 2:30 in church. We invite you to join us.

Money for the Guatemala Food Program - As a school-wide service project for the people of Guatemala we will again be collecting money for their food program. We ask that each student help out in some way around the house to earn this money. We will start collecting this money on Monday, February 18th. Watch for the weekly totals of this collection on the bulletin board by the entrance to the school.

Grade 5 - Grade 8 Meal for Guatemala - The students in Grades 5 - 8 will eat a lunch that is served in Guatemala. We hope that this experience will bring about an awareness of those that our less fortunate and an appreciation for all we have. We will be collecting $2.00 for this meal and all proceeds will go to our Guatemala meal program collection. We will be sending home a permission slip with the date next week.

Passion Play - The Eighth Grade Class will present the passion play to the entire school on Wednesday, March 19th at 1:30 in the church. We invite you to join us.

Praying the Rosary - The children from St. Paul will be meeting with their Buddies on a weekly basis to say a decade of the rosary in church.

Layette Ministry Collection - This year our service project will be collecting items for the Layette Ministry of our parish. We are asking our children to earn these items by helping out in some way around the house. You can help the Layette Ministry by collecting any of the following items. They can be gently used items you no longer need or have purchased at rummage sale or thrift shop or new items you wish to donate.

Onesies 0 to 1 year
Sleepers and blanket sleepers
Receiving blankets
Crib blankets or afghans
Towels and wash clothes
Bibs
Socks
Snowsuits, jackets, sweaters, and caps
Outfits up to 1 year
Rattles and toys
Board books

You can bring these items in to school starting Monday, February 18th and this drive will end Friday, March 14th.

During this season of Lent, I pray that we remember to take time to reflect on our lives and make the necessary changes to become better people. You will be in my thoughts and prayers this Lenten season.

Ms. Cooney

Middle School Rec Night
Basketball, Volleyball, Dodge Ball,
Pizza, Karaoke, Craft And A Movie

5th through 8th graders from our parish are invited to a Middle School Rec Night on Saturday, March 1st at the St. Paul Gym and Galleria. You may bring other 5th through 8th grade friends. They do not need to be enrolled in the religious education program or the school to participate. Open gym, pizza, karaoke, Guitar Hero, crafts and a movie will be offered. There will be a $5 registration fee at the door. If you have any questions or can chaperone, please call Anne Brockel. We will need at least nine chaperones.

Letter From The School Board

February 12, 2008
Dear Parents,

Our St. Paul School Board had its monthly meeting last night, and we had some exciting topics to discuss. We discussed the successful Catholic Schools Week, the continuing work of Anne Brockel on our Middle School rec. nights, and Home and School events that are coming up. We also talked about the discussions of the possible science lab that is being planned. There have been meetings going on with many interested parties, and the proposal is being developed. All of these items are positive conversations which make us proud to be members of the St. Paul school community.

We also began our budget discussions. This is a tough time to start these talks due to the fact that we don't have enough information, yet, about how much we will have to budget with. I know many of our parents are not familiar with the budget process and where our operating budget comes from. I know this because I had no idea until I joined the board, and I have been with our school since 1997. I imagine there are others who are in the same boat as I was.

Of course our budget comes in part from tuition. It also is supported in part by the parish. One thing many may not understand is the importance of family stewardship. When each of us enrolls our children at St. Paul, there is a standard stewardship amount each of us is supposed to pay annually. This is the stewardship amount that is placed on the book bill receipt in August. What school parents need to know is that anything the family pledges beyond that amount goes directly into our school budget. For example, if a family is required to give $468 for their annual stewardship, and they pledge on their stewardship card to give $1068, $600 will go right into the school budget.

I am writing to ask that those families, who have not turned in their stewardship cards for this year, please do so as soon as possible. I am also asking for other families to consider revising their stewardship amount knowing that the extra will help support the Catholic education of our children. In doing this, our budget will be much more accurate, and we will be able to predict what next year's budget will hold for our school.

In closing, I want to acknowledge that this is a time of transition, and we are not all comfortable in the face of change. It's important to remember that we can be support to each other, we are blessed with dedicated, knowledgeable teachers and that with each other we can continue to make St. Paul School a wonderful place to be a kid.

God Bless,
Beth McFadzen

Spanish Program - Grade 5-8

I am very sorry to have to notify you that Myriam McClellan our Spanish teacher resigned at the end of the semester. She is teaching Spanish for grades K-8 at St. Bruno's and is also employed at WCTC. Myriam took on the position here at St. Paul and was hesitant because of all the commitments she already had. She found that teaching at St. Paul was more than she could handle. I have been looking for a Spanish teacher to fill this spot and have been unable to do so. I have contacted Kettle Moraine, Waukesha, the after school Spanish Program, and all the principals at the Archdiocese with no success of finding a candidate. I am sorry to say that we will not be having Spanish in grades 5-8 second semester. Feel free to call the office if you have any questions.

"Catholic Schools Light the Way"

Dear Parents,

The community of St. Paul did an outstanding job showing that we are committed to our faith and lighting the way to show our community what a wonderful school St. Paul is. Catholic Schools Week is a time set aside each year to celebrate what makes Catholic education special. During this week, we focus on the high-quality, faith-filled education our school provides. The week started off with our children reading their class thank-you notes at all the masses. The children did a wonderful job and the parish community appreciated the recognition and the beautiful bookmarks that were handed out at the end of each mass. A big thank-you goes out to the moms/families that set-up the tables in the gathering space that highlighted the various programs we offer at St. Paul. Ms. Heiman spent many hours developing the video that showed the activities that take place throughout our school year and the values we integrate in our daily curriculum.

This week was also a time to recognize and honor all the people that make Catholic education possible for our children. The children made cards, and gift baskets were given to Fr. Ralph, Deacon Larry, and Peggy Kolonko for the guidance they give us to live our faith. We also recognized all the community helpers that contribute to St. Paul School. Our wonderful Home & School representatives planned a week of daily recognition for our teachers, staff, and maintenance crew. I know the faculty will agree that we were given many thoughtful gifts of appreciation. The week ended with our annual talent show that truly expresses the "gifts" our children have been given. Lastly, our outstanding teachers were given notes/gifts of appreciation from their students. We are so fortunate to have a faculty that gives countless hours in and outside of school to make an impact in your child/children's life.

I realize that St. Paul School is experiencing some changes in the coming school year, but I am so confident that we have a school community that is strong both academically and spiritually. I know that St. Paul will continue to provide an environment that nurtures each child to live their faith and recognize the values that are important to live a life like Jesus. I pray each night that we will trust in God and continue to support our school, children, parents, and faculty. Thank you for your prayers and support.

Ms. Cooney

Celebrate Catholic Schools Week! January 27 - February 2

This time each year, during Catholic Schools Week, we celebrate what makes Catholic education special, and honor those who contribute to our school's excellence. This year's Catholic Schools Week theme is "Catholic Schools Light the Way". How true! Do they ever!

Catholic schools instill in young people the Christian values our world so desperately needs. The teachers and staff lead by example each and every day by living their faith, through their words and actions, both in and outside of the classroom. If you want your child's education to reflect your faith and values, I encourage you to consider a Catholic school. Your choice will send the message that you value an education that is grounded in the Gospel Message - a message that is woven into every aspect of the school day - from the curriculum to spiritual formation to extracurricular activities. Christ's presence is evident in our Catholic schools.

It is also no secret that Catholic schools offer a comprehensive, rigorous curriculum. Teachers set high expectations for academic excellence and achieve it, which is evidenced by a 99% graduation rate and the fact that 96% of Catholic secondary students go on to pursue higher education. Catholic schools are safe, supportive, and are a place where teachers and parents work together for the benefit of each child.

Visit a Catholic school and spend time with the staff, students and parents. I know you will discover the Catholic school advantage. God bless you and your family as you consider this important decision for your child.

Faithfully in Christ
Most Reverend Timothy M. Dolan

Talent Show Date Change!!!

Due to the set up for our Parish Auction/Dinner, we will be changing the date of our talent show. The talent show will now be on THURSDAY, JANUARY 31ST AT 1:00PM. Just a reminder, that music being used for this performance MUST be reviewed by Ms. Cooney or Mrs. Roteik. If you have any questions, please contact the school office.

Thank - You

St. Paul's Science classes wish to express a big thank you to Giles Engineering. We have received a donation of hundreds of dollars worth of glassware/beakers for our Science program. We appreciate the generous gift.

Middle School Rec Night

OPEN GYM, PIZZA, KARAOKE, CRAFT AND A MOVIE - 6th through 8th graders from our school and our religious education program are invited to a Middle School Rec Night on Saturday, January 26th from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm (after the 5 pm Mass) in the St. Paul Gym and Galleria. You may bring other 6th through 8th grade friends. They do not need to be enrolled in the religious education program or the school to participate. Open gym, pizza, karaoke, crafts and a movie will be offered. There will be a $5 registration fee at the door. If you have any questions or can chaperone, please call Anne Brockel at 392-3533. We will need at least four chaperones.

National Geo Bee

The Geo Bee school level competition was held on Wednesday, January 9th. The results were:

Ben will now take a 70 question written test which will go on to the state level. If Ben scores in the top 100 scores in the state, he would compete in the state level competition on April 4th. Congratulations also to the other top ten finalists that competed: Josh Kinsey, Connor Alba, Sara Connell, Jake Zach, Brayden Modjeska, Hannah Haluska and Kim Stalbaum.

New Baskets In The Gym!

Thanks to Matt Zach, Steve Strelka, Terry Reno, Dave Haluska, Mike Croal, Pat Connell and Larry Brockel who labored many hours this past Friday evening installing two new basketball baskets in our gym. The new baskets have been a goal of the St. Paul Athletic Association for several years. They will be used by our basketball teams to become more proficient in their shooting and by all school children in gym class. Thanks to the families who donated the additional monies needed to make this dream a reality.

New padding has also been installed on the two main baskets. Helpers in that project were: John Kavan, Ed Gehl and Larry Brockel. Thanks for your hard work, time and effort.

Parent & School Board Meeting

The School Board is holding a special meeting for you to speak directly with us about the qualities you would like in our new school administrator.

Thursday January 10th at 6:30 in the Cafeteria

The focus of this meeting will be to move forward, gather information, and provide it to our search committee. They will then be able to look for the best candidate for the position.

Please plan on attending this very important meeting. This is your opportunity to have your voice heard. Any questions email Beth McFadzen at bpmc90@wi.rr.com or phone at 968-9083.

We look forward to hearing from you,
St. Paul School Board

Faith/Learning/Value Awards

Congratulations to the winners of November's Faith, Learning and Value Awards! The Value the students worked on in November was Citizenship. Each winner received a certificate good for one Casual Day of their choosing. Great job students!