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Dear St. Alphonsus Families,
We are busy getting back into the swing of things and gearing up for Catholic Schools Week! This newsletter is packed with TONS of information about our celebrations at the end of the month, including the annual Catholic Schools Week Guide for Families. Please be sure to check it out below!
We are also gearing up for Open House! Please make plans to join us on Sunday, January 25 at the 9:00am Mass for Pack the Church, followed by our annual Open House. The Open House is for new and current families, so we hope you will swing by to see what your children have been up to at school this year. You can find more details and RSVP here (best viewed on a desktop/laptop computer or tablet). Walk-ins are of course also welcome! Consider inviting a neighbor or friend!
Here are some other reminders for the week:
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Our Home & School Association Board & Chairs are meeting tonight to review & discuss plans in progress for upcoming Home & School events for the remainder of the school year. If you are interested in taking on a larger role in Home & School this year by joining a committee (outside of volunteering for events) or becoming a chair, please join them for this meeting which will take place in the Father Alan Room at 6:00pm. Please enter through the back courtyard doors A5 (the early childhood entrance).
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STAR Testing for all students in grades 1-8 is going on all week! Please have your students get a good night's rest and a hearty breakfast each day.
- Mrs. Schermetzler has been busy with tours and we are starting to plan for enrollment next year! Enrollment will formally begin February 2, and we will have more information coming for you soon.
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Cougar Carnival will be here before you know it! This fun event is a big benefit to our school but it requires a lot of volunteers. Please check out the volunteer, ticket & food information below and thank you to our amazing Cougar Carnival committee for putting this event on!
Our school would not be what it is without our family community. We hope that you will feel included in the celebrations of our amazing Catholic School during Catholic Schools Week and that you can join us for at least one event. As always, please don't hesitate to reach out to me with any questions or concerns--I am always happy to hear from parents!
Have a great week!
Megan Sagat
Principal
| | Catholic Schools Week is Coming! | |
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Catholic Schools Week 2026 takes places from Saturday, January 24 to Friday, January 30.
We are excited for another great Catholic Schools Week celebration coming up at the end of January!
This year's national theme is again United in Faith & Community, and we can't wait to focus on the community aspect of our school--one of the greatest things about St. Alphonsus! We have lots of fun activities planned all week and YOU are invited to join us!
We have made you a Family Guide to Catholic Schools Week so you can see all the amazing and fun things we will be doing to celebrate our school and students.
Check out the summary below and download the full guide here (or click the picture for a link). There are also links to some special events following this summary so be sure to check those out!
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The first Catholic Schools Week event is our Family Movie Night, presented by St. Alphonsus Home & School!
Now Showing: The Peanuts Movie!
Put on your pjs, bring your blanket and stuffy and join us for a free family movie night to kick off Catholic Schools week!
Saturday, January 24th
St. Alphonsus Community Room
The Peanuts Movie
Doors open at 5:30pm
Movie will begin at 6:00pm
Snack boxes with popcorn, candy and a beverage will be available for purchase while supplies last. $5 per box. No carry ins please.
Please use this sign up form to RSVP with the number attending. Any questions, please contact Dawn Eisold.
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Presenting the Inaugural St. Alphonsus Talent Show on Thursday, January 29!
Does your student have a special talent? Maybe they do amaizing animal impressions, sing beautifully, or can solve a Rubiks Cube in 30 seconds flat? If so, sign them up for the inaugural St. Alphonsus Talent Show!
- Acts must be appropriate for school and will be reviewed by the talent show committee
- Small group acts are allowed
- Acts do not need to just be musical. What cool skills do you have? Show them off!
- All acts are limited to a 2:00 run time and students need to provide all materials and setup needed
The St. Alphonsus Talent Show Committee (Mrs. Greco, Mrs. Schermetzler, and Mrs. Eisold) will review all acts for appropriateness, timing, etc. prior to the show. We will have more information about timing next week!
Click this link to sign your student(s) up!
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Hot Dog Lunch & Service Project on Friday, January 30
We RELISH our school families! To celebrate Catholic Schools Week, we will be hosting a community gathering with a hot dog lunch on Friday, January 30 at 10:30 AM.
There is no charge for students. Guest meals will be $5 per person, exact change only. The lunch will include a hot dog, chips, cookie, and a bottle of water. We will gather together to work on a service project at 10:30 followed by lunch at 11:00 and early dismissal at 11:30.
Please return one form for each of your children by Friday, January 23. If you plan to attend, please include your payment with your form, in an envelope marked Hot Dog Lunch. Checks can be made out to St. Alphonsus Catholic School. Forms will also come home in backpack mail this week.
We look forward to celebrating with you!
| | | | Winter Extracurricular Sign-Ups Now Available! | | |
Sign Ups for our Winter Extracurricular Activities are Now Available - Sign Ups for Chess Scholars & Smart Start Art Are Still Open!
Please check out the flyer below and click on this link to sign up.
| | Other Important Reminders | |
School Office Supplies!
The school office can always use some help keeping office supplies stocked. Please check out our Amazon wishlist to see some of the supplies that are always needed.
Thank you for your donations!
| | | | Important Dates to Remember | | |
01/12
Home & School Meeting
6:00pm, Father Alan Room
01/12 - 01/23
STAR Testing
Grades 1-8
01/14
Dine Out Night
Cousins Subs
01/24
Catholic Schools Week Kickoff: Family Movie Night
Details Above
01/25
Pack the Church & Open House 9a Mass, 10a to 12p Open House
01/28
Dine Out Night
Red Robin
01/25 - 01/30
Catholic Schools Week
Details Above!
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01/30
Early Dismissal 11:30am
02/06
No School
02/09
No School
Teacher In-Service
02/11
Dine Out Night
Cousins Subs
02/20
Pizza Fundraiser Lunch
02/20
Cougar Carnival
Details Below
02/23
No School
02/25
Dine Out Night
Panera
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Out of Uniform Dates - January
We thought it might be easier for you to have a list of days that are Out-Of-Uniform either with a pass or with special circumstances for the whole month, so here are the Out-of-Uniform Days for January
01/15
Out of Uniform with Dine Out Night purchase on 01/14 (receipt required)
01/23
Last Friday of the Month
Out of Uniform with Purchased Pass
01/26 - Catholic Schools Week
Wear Unity Shirts & Jeans/Joggers!
01/27 - Catholic Schools Week
CRAZY DRESS DAY!
Let's see that crazy hair, socks, and clothes!
01/28 - Catholic Schools Week
Mass Celebrated by the Archbishop
Wear Embroidered Mass Polos and Uniform Bottoms
01/29 - Catholic Schools Week
MONOCHROME DAY!
Pick a color and wear it from head to toe!
01/30 - Catholic Schools Week
COZY FRIDAY!
Wear your flannels and pajamas!
02/02
Out of Uniform with Dine Out Night purchase on 01/28 (receipt required)
Please note the date change on this Dine Out Night Reward due to special dress down days for Catholic Schools Week all week!
| | | | Lunch Menus for January & February | |
Our Next Pizza Lunch Fundraiser of the Year is coming up next week on Friday, January 23!
Please remember that NO hot lunch or milk are served on pizza lunch days. Order forms went home last week and are due back by Friday, January 16. You can find a copy of the order form here.
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Get ready for an evening of family fun at the annual Cougar Carnival to support our school!
Friday, February 20th, 2026
5:30-8:00 pm
at St. Alphonsus School
Ticket and Food Pre-Orders:
Order forms will be sent home soon. Please return these by Friday, February 6th. An order form is also included here.
Volunteers Needed!
In order to make an event like this run smoothly we need help from all families! Please consider helping set up, or help during or after the carnival to ensure the evening runs smoothly. All adult volunteers must be safeguarded. Thank you for your support! Sign up here!
Prize Room Donation Information:
As a reminder, all families are assigned a specific donation based on their grade to help fill the prize room. Below are the details by grade level.
- 7th Grade: Baked goods including cakes, cookies, bars, etc. These can be baked or store bought. All items can be dropped off Thursday, February 19th during the morning car line.
- 3K-6th and 8th Grade: $15 monetary donation so the committee can purchase specific prizes at the levels most in need. Please send in your $15 donation by Friday, January 16th (checks can be made out to St. Alphonsus Home & School), in an envelope marked “Cougar Carnival Prizes.”
Blue and Gold Raffle Items Still Needed:
If you or anyone you know would like to donate items for the Blue and Gold raffle prizes, please contact Corey Radulovich. Blue and Gold raffle examples include sporting event tickets, golf packages, electronics, getaway/entertainment packages, etc.
All raffle donations are greatly appreciated!
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Wednesday, January 14 is Dine Out Night at Cousins Subs!
We hope to see you there! Dine in or carry out from 3:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the Franklin location, 7700 S. Lovers Lane Road. 20% of the sales will go to support St. Alphonsus. Remember to get a receipt (one per child) so that your student can be out of uniform the following day.
Come support our school and let Cousins do the cooking!
Dine Out Nights - the easiest and most delicious fundraisers around.
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Box Tops is an Easy Way to Earn Cash for Our School!
Check out the flyers below and scan the QR code to get set up to earn money for St. Alphonsus. Even small bits really add up each month!
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Volunteer Opportunity at Kinship Community Center
Want to see how people of faith transform the world? Then join Karen Farrell and come to the Kinship Community Food Center! It is a place where lives truly are transformed. This food center is able to do something a lot of food centers are just not equipped to do - and that is to help provide pathways out of poverty. This helps to end the cycle within many inner-city communities.
And... this has all grown out of the Catholic Church and her desire to serve those on the margins. This is a place where faith is made real!
This opportunity is one for the whole family. Kids ages 4 and up are recommended (volunteering time is about 3 hours long).
We have two dates:
Saturday, January 24, 2026
Saturday, March 21, 2026
While there, volunteers help shoppers with grocery selection, carrying bags, with hospitality and in other various ways.
Check out the Sign-Up here!
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Join the St. Alphonsus Women's Group!
So... who is in your tribe?
We all need one! Why not make St. Alphonsus' Women's Group YOUR tribe?
This group is a little different than the Moms Group. This group is comprised of women of all ages and backgrounds. We meet to pray, discuss and enjoy life! Contact Maggie Ensing for more information!
Check us out:
- January 24, 2025
- February 14, 2026
- March 21, 2026
- April 25, 2026
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Do you have items for the newsletter? To submit them or for questions and submission guidelines, please contact Amy Schermetzler.
Please note that submissions are due by 12:00pm Fridays.
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