Next week is Catholic Schools Week, a national celebration of our wonderful Catholic schools!  I’d like to begin by thanking you for your commitment to your child’s Catholic education.  You make sacrifices for your children to be part of this education and faith community, and this week we celebrate all that makes us special.  In their 2005 statement on the role of the Catholic school in building our church, the U.S. Bishops wrote, “As we, the Catholic bishops of the United States, and the entire Catholic community continue our journey through the twenty-first century, it remains our duty to model the person of Jesus Christ, to teach the Gospel, and to evangelize our culture.  We are convinced that Catholic elementary and secondary schools play a critical role in this endeavor.  Thus, it follows that the work of the school is irreplaceable and the investment of human and material resources in the school becomes a prophetic choice…it is still of vital importance even in our time.”  At the end of each weekly letter to you, I sign off “with gratitude for all you do.”  It is my way of thanking you every week for your investment of human and material resources in the work of St. Lucy School, and, ultimately, in your children.

Please be sure to join us for our annual Open House this Sunday right after the 9:00 mass.  At mass, we will be recognizing the recipients of the Bennie Montalbano, Anna Mae Miller, and Shining Light service awards for those who have gone “above and beyond the call of duty” in service to St. Lucy School. After mass, we are open from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. for you to enjoy your children’s classrooms, art, and projects.  We’ll be serving refreshments as well, so be on the lookout doughnuts in the Annex!  Our many visitors and those with children applying for next year will begin with an orientation in the PAC.  If you do not have a child applying for next year, please proceed to the Annex or school.  In the foyer, look for the new plans of the EDC/Pre-K project!  We have made an exciting change that I ask you to stop and take a look at!  We will also be closing the library to current families at 11:30, when I will offer a brief session for our transfer applicants.  Thank you in advance to the many volunteers who make this fun event run so smoothly! 

Next Monday, we will be celebrating Catholic Schools Week by honoring our parish clergy and religious, as well as by honoring our community partners (fire, police, library, community center, etc.) with baskets of goodies to thank them for their support of the school.  On Tuesday, we celebrate Parent Appreciation Day by having the children focus on all that you do for them.  On Wednesday, we celebrate Teacher Appreciation Day.  Thursday is Student Appreciation Day, celebrated with free dress, extra recess, and doughnuts, plus a no-homework night.  Friday is Grandparents (and Grandfriends) Day, when we welcome our precious grandparents and special friends to campus for tours by their grandchildren and a beautiful mass in their honor, followed by a 12:30 dismissal.  While the morning program is for grandparents and grandfriends only, you are all welcome to join us for 11:00 mass, followed by dismissal.  At the mass we have grandparents stand to be applauded, and I encourage you to attend so you can see them beaming with pride in your children!

Remember to submit all applications by next Thursday the 2nd, since Kindergarten Testing day is next Saturday, February 4th.  Also, if you plan to request financial aid, be sure you are working on your 2011 tax returns, which are due to Mrs. Sutton along with your application by February 13.

Thank you for your continued commitment to your child’s Catholic education!  We look forward to celebrating it in many ways in the coming week!

With gratitude for all you do,

Jennifer Martin

• Parents – Give the teacher’s a break at yard duty on Wednesday 2/1!  In order to celebrate Staff Appreciation Day of Catholic Schools Week, the staff is scheduled to enjoy a lunch together on Wednesday, 2/1.  If parents could sign up for yard duty on that day to ensure that it’s fully staffed and SLS staff doesn’t need to be present, it would make their day that much more special.  Thanks for all of your support of our teachers and staff.
• Our 6th grade girls are playing in our home basketball tournament next weekend and we're in need of help staffing the snack bar and admissions table.  If you'd like to earn a fun volunteer hour or two, click to sign up!
• Bakers are still needed for Catholic Schools Week!  Click here to help with Community Appreciation Day or Grandparents Day.Thanks so much to everyone who has offered to volunteer for the many events in the coming weeks.