Between the Lions - February 18, 2010
CALENDAR REMINDERS- FEBRUARY
NJHS Pennies for Patients Service Activity All Week
| Monday | 22 | L | 3-4pm-Winter/Spring Chess Club-Parish Hall-Matthew & Mark Rms |
| Tuesday | 23 | I | 3:15-4:15-Mad Science of Washington Begins Gr.3,4,5, rm.22 |
| Wednesday | 24 | O | Diocesan Curriculum mapping Team Meeting Instructional Seminar Student-Faculty Dress Down Day $1 donation Pennies for Patients |
| Thursday | 25 | N | HS Decisions Mailed to Elementary Schools Foreign Language In-Service 2pm-Stations of the Cross –gym (tentative)-Fr. Baez 3-4:15pm-Adv.Drama Club–Gr.3,4,5-St John rm-Parish Hall 3-4:15pm-Beg.Drama Club-Gr.3-4-5-Music rm 3-4pm Yearbook Club-computer room 7-8pm-Science Fair set-up-Daniel & Lorraine Sprissler Gymnasium |
| Friday | 26 | L | 3PM DISMISSAL TODAY HS Admissions Decisions mailed to 8th gr. students 3rd Qtr. Progress Reports Distributed Grs.1-8 NO LUNCH PROVIDED TODAY LUNCH IN CLASSROOM TODAY! NO PM EXTENDED DAY TODAY AM EXTENDED DAY IN MUSIC ROOM 10-11:30am-Open House-St. John’s rm-Olde Parish Hall, Principal Welcome at 10am followed by tour of school. 3-4pm-Math Mania Activity Begins, Gr. 4&5-rm 20 & 21 7pm-Science Fair Awards-Daniel & Lorraine Sprissler Gymnasium |
PRINCIPAL'S REFLECTION
It’s good to be back! I’m sure you would agree it has been quite some time since we have been in session. Students, faculty and staff seem to have adjusted very quickly to our usual routine. At this time Saint Leo the Great has not made any final decisions on our snow make-up days/times. We will probably make some of our half days into full days (like tomorrow) and add some additional days at the end of the year. I am waiting for guidance from the Office of Catholic Schools, Father Whitestone and other Diocesan principals. Please note that the Virginia Legislature is considering a possible waiver on the number of make-up days/times. We will follow the decisions of the Office of Catholic Schools of the Diocese of Arlington and the Virginia State Department of Education’s requirements. Thank you for your patience.
Third quarter progress reports will be sent home Friday, February 26th, for all students in grades 1-8. Please review these with your children and return the signed report by Tuesday, March 2nd. A reminder…progress reports are not report cards but a way for teachers to communicate the accomplishments and areas of needed growth for our students. If needed, parents should contact individual teachers via email or voice mail to discuss their child’s progress. Together we can help our students to continue to succeed and “Grow in Grace and Wisdom.”
As you know the Science Fair Awards are scheduled for Friday, February 26th at 7-8pm in the gym. Students should come by 6:55pm in their school uniform to prepare for the evening—students should stay with their projects the entire evening. K-6 grade students will be visiting during the morning from 8:30-11:30am. Judges should meet Mr. Abraham and Mrs. Gormley in the gym at 12 o’clock for lunch and instructions for judging which begins from 1-2:30pm. Awards will be presented in the evening as scheduled at 7:30pm. Thank you in advance to Mrs. Gormley, and all the judges who have volunteered to take their personal time to help us with such an important part of the curriculum.
As Always, for the children,
Mr. David DiPippa, Principal
THANKS & PRAISE
- To Mrs. Weigand, Mrs. Cate and Mrs. McSoley for volunteering to be our Drama Club moderators for the winter/spring session.
- Mrs. Ferlotti for organizing our annual “Strive for Five” healthy eating week. Special thanks to the parents, faculty and students for their participation.
- To Mrs. White for volunteering to take over the childrens’ choir at church.
- To Fr. Baez for taking time out of his busy schedule to come and bless throats of our students.
FUTURE OPEN HOUSES
are going to be held at Saint Leo the Great School on the following days:
- THIS Friday, February 26th - 10am in the Guadalupe Room with Principal’s Welcome
- Wednesday, March 17th - 10am in the Guadalupe Room with Principal’s Welcome
A tour of the school will follow all presentations. Please call 703-273-1211 x645 for a reservation. Please let your friends and neighbors know our new dates.
The Diocese of Arlington is please to provide a Tuition Assistance Program for parents of students attending our Diocesan Catholic schools. Interested parents are asked to submit the student aid application form, as well as a processing fee of $25 to FACTS Management Company. FACTS is the company contracted by the Diocese of Arlington to provide a confidential and objective financial analysis in determining a family’s ability to pay for Catholic School education.
In order to become eligible for receiving funds from this program, K-12 students (preschool is not eligible) must satisfy all of the criteria described below:
- A baptized Catholic or convert officially received into the Church
- Family resides within the boundaries of the Diocese of Arlington
- Family is registered and an active member of the parish or
- Family belongs to a military post parish
- Student attends or is accepted by a Catholic school in the Diocese of Arlington.
The funds from the program will be paid directly to the school that the qualifying student attends. Schools will then credit the tuition accounts for those families who have been approved to receive aid for that school year. When submitting your application, please be sure to answer all the questions on the student aid form and include all the documentation requested in the instructions. Applications can also be completed online (www.factstuitionaid.com). The deadlines for filing applications are January 22, 2010 for high school tuition and grant program, and March 5, 2010 for elementary tuition and grant program. A packet of information and its program is also available in the front office.
Got Milk?
Apparently not for many students. We are noticing 30-40 bottles of milk leftover after each lunch period daily - this means 90-120 students who have purchased milk are not picking it up. Milk is provided everyday for those who have purchased, regardless of having purchased the hot meal. Please remind your student to pick up their milk and to select the correct flavor- too many chocolate milks are being taken that have not been ordered. Contact the kitchen (please NOT between 11:30 AM and 1 PM) if you need a reminder of what you have ordered or if a change is needed: kitchen@saintleothergreatschool.org or 703 359-6650.
FROM THE LIBRARY
Spring is almost here!! The Spring Bookworm Plantation Book Fair will be held in the school library on Sunday, March 7 (10-1) through Thursday, March 11th (Monday-Thursday hours are from 8:30 -3:00). Please stop by and support the library!!
EXTENDED DAY
Bills for January went home on Thursday 2/4 and are due on or before 2/20. Since the due date (2/20) falls on a Sunday, late fees will be posted on Monday 2/22 at 3pm.
PRESCHOOL
We still have some openings for 2010-2011 School year. If you or a friend need an application, please, contact Mrs. Figueiredo at 703)273-12-11 ext. 652 and we will mail you one.
BOX TOPS
I am sure that you had plenty of time to clip coupons during this surprise vacation we had. Please send them to Mrs. Figueiredo in care of the preschool so she can get them ready to mail. We are getting closer to our goal...one coupon at a time!
STRIVE for FIVE CHALLENGE
February 8-15th -- It's time for our annual Strive for Five School Wide Challenge! In order to encourage our students (and their families) to increase fruits and vegetables in their diet, Saint Leo the Great School is focusing on the importance of eating fruits and vegetables. Any five days between February 8th and February 15th that a student eats five fruits and vegetables will count. All forms of beans, though technically a legume, will count for this challenge as a vegetable. Fruits and vegetables provide vitamins, minerals and fiber and should be a part of everyone’s daily diet. This is a great time to get in the habit of sending in fruit or vegetables for snack in grades K-5and pack extra fruit or vegetables in all student lunches. When: The Strive for Five focus will occur between February 8th and February 15th. All forms are due to the homeroom teacher (not middle school science teacher or advisor) on or before Thursday February 18, 2010. No late forms will be accepted . Please see the Health and Wellness site for additional information and extra forms. If you have any questions please email me at tferlotti@saintleothegreatschool.org
Strive for Five Challenge will be extended through Friday the 19th and forms will be collected through Monday the 22nd. Forms are not available on line but as long as the information is written on a sheet of paper with the date, fruits and vegetables eaten and signed by the student and parent, the information will be accepted. Any questions? Please email Mrs Ferlotti at tferlotti@saintleothegreatschool.org.
QUIZ BOWL
Get ready for an evening of fun!! Come to St. Leo's Annual Quiz Bowl, Saturday, March 6th from 7-9:30pm. If you are new to school or have never played Quiz Bowl; this event involves groups (teams of 8-10) completing against each other to answer trivia questions. Coffee and dessert are provided - players are invited to bring their own food and drinks. Doors open at 6:30pm. Tickets are $100 a table or $14 a person. Individuals will be placed on a team with other individuals. For more information or to help out please contact Kristin & Evan Bolster - 703-569-1830 or jacksmom@teacher.com
FROM THE PTO
Do what you would normally do and help out the PTO! There are several ways you can help! Did you know that you can help the PTO and St. Leo's simply by doing what you are already doing? So far, this year, we have earned $190 from Chick-fil-a, $220 from Fuddruckers, $90 from Let’s Dish and $160 from Five Below...simply by families shopping or eating at these local businesses. Here are some other ways for you to help:
-Buying Groceries: Every early-dismissal Friday, a Knight from the Knights of Columbus will be available during afternoon carpool for you to purchase "scrip" from your favorite grocery stores, like Giant, Safeway, Bloom and Shoppers. The Knights get part of the proceeds of these sales and generously donate some of their portion to the PTO. Bring your checkbooks to carpool or pay cash! Use the handy order form on the St. Leo’s web site under PTO > Forms. Using grocery scrip can also help you budget your grocery dollars better since you can time your purchase to when your paychecks come in and better track how much you're spending!
- Preparing Freezer-Ready Meals in Advance for those busy nights: Prepare homemade meals ahead of time at Let's Dish! This fundraiser has been extended through April, simply by using promotion code F9-SLTG when you sign up at www.letsdish.com. Making meals at Let's Dish is fun, and the more the merrier, so feel free to share the promotion code with your friends and family. The "Parent and Kid" sessions are a great way to involve your children in meal preparation and planning and a wonderful activity for Scouts. You can also enjoy some adult time with friends and make it a “Mom’s Night Out!” Please contact Suzanne Dowd with any questions or if you are interested in planning a group session. Forms are available on the school website.
- Eating out and socializing with your St. Leo's friends: What could be easier or more fun? Be on the look out for Dinner Out events coming soon at Baja Fresh, Coyote Grill, Fuddruckers, Chick-fil-a, and Ledo Pizza!
Inclement Weather/School Closings
When the Fairfax County Schools are closed because of hazardous road conditions, Saint Leo the Great School is also closed. If Fairfax County makes a change in the opening or closing of school due to weather conditions, Saint Leo the Great does the same. It is the parent/guardian's responsibility to consult first the school website, or listen to the radio or TV for this information. PLEASE DO NOT CALL THE SCHOOL. In cases of inclement weather, or other non-weather related emergencies, and the cancellation of classes once school is in session, calls from the children to the parents/guardians will be discouraged. Since our school is air-conditioned, we DO NOT FOLLOW Fairfax County School closings due to intense heat.
If Fairfax County Schools are not in session and Saint Leo the Great is in session, first consult the school website or listen to WMAL 630 AM or WTOP 103.5 FM, channel 4, channel 8, channel 9, and channel 7 for any school closings or adjustments in opening times.
Kindergarten through Grade 8
- If there is a ONE HOUR DELAYED OPENING ON ANY 11:30AM OR 12:10PM DISMISSAL DAY, classes are dismissed at 12:10PM.
- If there is a TWO HOUR DELAYED OPENING ON ANY 11:30AM, 12:10PM, or 1:40PM EARLY DISMISSAL DAY, classes are dismissed at 3:00PM. Please be sure to send a lunch and drink with your child if it would have been a regular 11:30AM or 12:10PM dismissal day since neither lunch nor milk is provided on those days.)
The Extended Day Program always opens one hour before school:
- Delay of one hour: open at 7:50AM
- Delay of two hours: open at 8:50AM
When school closes early all children must be picked up from the Extended Day Program within two hours of dismissal. Parents/guardians are responsible for listening to the radio or T.V. for announcements.
If Fairfax County cancels after school activities, the Extended Day Program will close within two hours of dismissal.
- THIS WEEKEND FEBRUARY 21 –First ever Girl’s & Boy’s one day Hip Hop Clinic – separate classes for boys and girls. 12 noon – 4pm. $45. fee includes t-shirt, snacks and pizza. Call Mrs. P at 703-250-5711 to register and receive application. Grades 1 to 8. Taught by PVI Dance Team seniors and local Hip Hop Instructor.
- FEBRUARY 23 – PVI HIGH SCHOOL PTO Parent-Student Roundtable Forum: Bullying, Cyber-bullying & “Sexting” 7:30pm in the auditorium. Several officials and speakers will be in attendance to provide valuable insight into these important and timely issues, as well as deterrent and preventive measure. All are welcome.
- JUNE 21-25/JULY 26-30 - Paul VI Boys & Girls Basketball Camp $190.00 per camper -- Camp is for rising 3rd - 9th graders. Please contact Scott Allen at coachsallen@aol.com for further information and registration. Camp discounts available per camper for attending two or three camps.
- JUNE 28-JULY 1/JULY 19-22 - St Leo the Great Basketball Camp for Boys & Girls – Mini Hoopster Camps: Boys 9 am - 12 pm - Girls 1 pm - 4 pm....$100.00 per camper. Camp is for rising 1st - 3rd graders from all schools. Please contact Scott Allen at coachsallen@aol.com for further information and registration.
- JULY 12-16 – St Leo the Great Basketball Camp for Boys and girls rising 3rd grade to 9th grade from all schools. $190 per camper. Please contact Scott Allen at coachsallen!aol.com for further information and registration