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Dear St. Alphonsus Families,
We are officially back! Summer is over, at least for our teachers.
While you enjoy your last week of summer, our staff returned this morning to kick off our In-Service Week. We have meetings, professional development sessions, classroom worktime, Mass, and even a prayerful retreat scheduled to get everyone ready for the new school year. It is nice to have a full building again!
We look forward to seeing you this week at our Meet & Greet Night, which will take place on Thursday, August 27 from 3-5pm. Find all the details below.
Another reminder that due to student allergies, the Early Childhood wing will be entirely nut-free this year. This means if you have a student in 3K or 4K, NO nut products of any kind may be brought to school for snacks or lunches. We will have posted signage and our staff is also annually re-trained on epi-pen usage, so thank you in advance for helping to keep all of our students safe. Our Cougar Club program also continues to be nut-free. If you have any questions about this policy, please contact me directly.
The 2026-2027 Family Handbook is now available! You can find a link to our website as well as a PDF copy below. We will have family handbook sign-off forms at Meet & Greet on Thursday, but you can also download one from our website. All families need to read and sign an acknowledgement on the family handbook. These forms will be due September 10.
A quick note that the uniform closet will NOT be accepting new donations this year. We are full, full, full with lots of great pieces! You can still donate St. Alphonsus spiritwear, but all "regular" uniform items can be donated elsewhere. More details about this are below. The Uniform Closet will be Open during Meet & Greet and you will be able to buy Out of Uniform passes then. Note that this year you will shop the Uniform Closet in its current location outside of the school office. We will have directions and signage on Thursday!
Band & Orchestra sign-up continues this week. Mrs. Schermetzler is again learning the violin with students this year, so it's a great time to join the orchestra and learn to play a string instrument alongside her; or, try your hand at band! Find all the details below, as well as details on additional extracurriculars like Chess Club & Battle of the Books.
In addition, a reminder to always check out our website for the most up-to-date information. The "Parents" tab will have the most valuable information for you, but you can also always check our newsletter archive too.
Have a wonderful week this week. I am looking forward to seeing all of you at Meet & Greet on August 27!
Best regards,
Mrs. Sagat
Principal
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Meet & Greet Night will take place on Thursday, August 27 from 3-5pm.
Drop in ANYTIME between 3 and 5pm that works for you and your family!
Park in the main church parking lot and enter through the church doors, because the first stop is the Community Room! Here you will take your student's school picture, pick up any necessary physical forms & information, drop off tuition payments, Cougar Club calendars, and more! After that, you can head to your child's classroom to drop off supplies and meet their teacher. We look forward to seeing you all there!
You don't have to wait until now to start filling out your forms! Please see information below about filling out your forms online. You can start today--all forms are due by Monday, August 31 (PRIOR to the first day of school).
Uniform Closet Sale
Update: The Uniform Closet IS NOT accepting new donations this year. The only items being collected are St. Alphonsus spiritwear--we are not collecting regular uniform clothes. This is also when you will be able to shop the Uniform Closet ahead of school. Items are $1 a piece and we can take cash, check, and credit card.
Picture Day is at Meet & Greet Night!
School pictures will be taken during Meet & Greet Night in the Community Room. Students do not need to wear uniforms for their pictures, and may dress up however they like.
Ordering information will be available AFTER your child has their picture taken, so that you can preview their photos! Come ready to smile and the cameraman will have all the information you need.
8th Graders still need to have their photo taken on Meet & Greet Night as we use these pictures for internal student files. Formal photos take place in January.
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Health & Enrollment Forms are Available To Fill Out Now! All Forms are Due by Monday, August 31.
Instructions for how to complete the forms are attached here. Please remember that these instructions are for the website, not the PowerSchool app. Although you can fill out the forms on the app, it is easier to do so from a desktop or laptop computer. The link to PowerSchool is below.
If you need a prescription medication form for your doctor to sign-off on, you can find that here. You can also find a copy of it on our website here. It is fine to download, have your doctor sign, and then return the paper copy of this form to school. All other forms should be filled out online.
One very important form to fill out is the General Consent Form for Photo, Video & Audio use. As a a reminder, this is the photo opt-in form that gives St. Alphonsus permission to share your student's photo in our school newsletter, on our social media, and on our website. Without a form indicating YES, your student CANNOT be shown in any capacity.
For questions regarding forms, please email Mrs. Andresen in the school office. Please note the spelling of Mrs. Andresen's last name when emailing questions about tuition contracts and PowerSchool forms: it is AndREsen, not Andersen.
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Lunch Account Set-up
Lunch fees can be paid online in the same portal that you pay tuition, called RevTrak. RevTrak is accessed through PowerSchool. On a computer or laptop: to access, you need to click on the BALANCES button, not the Tuition button. Please note that we do NOT utilize EduTrak, which is what the Tuition button at the bottom of the desktop screen in PowerSchool will take you to.
From the BALANCES page, you will see both tuition & fees listed as well as Meal Transactions. Click on the Make a Payment button on the right hand side of the screen to access RevTrak and set up your account/pay online. Please remember that you can always pay with Cash or Check by stopping in to the school office to make your payments. Online payments are not required, and everything will still be tracked in your PowerSchool account.
Instructions for getting your RevTrak account set-up are here and can also be found on our school website here.
Please remember that it is always optional to pay online, for both tuition and lunch. Families are ALWAYS welcome to bring a check or cash into the school office and we will write you a receipt for payment, for both lunch and tuition.
| | | | Dress Code/School Store Information | |
Dress Code: The School Store is Open!
Our school store is open with some new products and old favorites as we get ready for the upcoming school year. As a reminder, here are the items that must be ordered from our school store:
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First, we will again be wearing embroidered sky blue polos for school Mass this year. ALL students in Grades 5K-8 must purchase a Mass polo. You have a couple of different sizing options, but the Mass polo MUST be the sky blue color with St. Alphonsus embroidery and will be worn every Wednesday. Mass polos are not eligible to be personally embroidered with student names. Mass polos are optional for students in 3K & 4K.
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Second, for Grades 5-8, a gym uniform is also required. Only one gym uniform purchase is required, but students will be required to wear the uniform each time they have gym. You may purchase as many as you'd like for your student to be able to wear the uniform to gym class each time they have it. In addition, the store also offers a cute drawstring bag which many of our students like to use to carry their gym uniforms!
You will find both of these required uniform pieces in the Required section of the school store.
Please note that the rest of our dress code is NOT changing. You can continue to order khakis & pants, shirts, etc. in our regular colors. You can see more about our dress code on our website here!
Again, you only need ONE embroidered Mass polo to be worn every Wednesday. All other uniform pieces can be generic polo shirts in either navy, sky blue or white, along with navy or khaki pants/skirts/shorts. Polo dresses for girls are also OK. Middle school students in Grades 5-8 may wear RED polos as well. For further questions regarding uniforms, please contact Mrs. Schermetzler.
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Family Handbook Sign-Off
The updated family handbook is here! We have put a copy on the school website in the Family Handbook section. A PDF copy is also available here.
The handbook contains our school's important procedures & policies. All families are required to read and sign-off on the handbook each year.
We will have paper copies of the acknowledgement form available for Meet & Greet. You can also download one from our website at the link above. Completed forms are due by Thursday, September 10.
| | | | Important Dates to Remember | | |
08/27
Meet & Greet Night
School Pictures, Drop Off Supplies, Meet Your Teachers & More!
3-5pm, Community Room
08/27
Popsicles on the Playground
New Family Welcome Event
Details Below
08/29 & 08/30
Back to School Blessing
After All Masses
Details Below
09/01
First Day of School
School Hours are 7:45am to 3:00pm
Drop Off Begins at 7:30am
09/02
First Mass of the School Year
Led by 8th Grade
09/07
No School
Labor Day
09/09
School Mass
Led by 5th Grade
09/09
Dine Out Night
Cousins Subs
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09/10
Back to School Roundup
Parents Only, 5-7pm
Details Coming Soon!
09/16
School Mass
Led by 4th Grade
09/17
June Dine Out Night Out-of-Uniform Day
Details Below
09/23
School Mass
Led by 7th Grade
09/23
Dine Out Night
Portillo's
09/24
School Picture Retake Day
09/25
Fun Run!
09/30
School Mass
Led by 6th Grade
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Back to School Blessing - After All Masses on August 29 & 30!
Father Kevin will offer a Back to School Blessing after all Masses the weekend of Sunday, August 30th (including after the Saturday Mass).
All students are encouraged to bring their backpacks with them for the blessing!
Please join us!
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Time to Think About Safeguarding!
If you are new to Catholic Schools or St. Alphonsus: You are REQUIRED to be safeguarded if you would like to volunteer for St. Alphonsus School events or in your child's classrooms, AND if you would like to attend field trips as a chaperones. There are NO exceptions to this rule, so get your Safeguarding requirements done now! This includes grandparents and any other family members who may want to volunteer or help at school, as well.
In addition, as a reminder, all families who want to host a trunk at our annual Trunk or Treat in October are required to be safeguarded. Adults cannot host a trunk if they are not Safeguard-certified, so take care of it now so you are not disappointed!
St. Alphonsus is offering TWO August & September Safeguarding sessions. They will be here at St. Alphonsus in the Community Room on the following dates:
August 26 at 6:00pm with Karen Farrell
September 9 at 5:30pm with Rachel Kroes
To register or learn more about the Archdiocese Safeguarding Program, please visit their website here. Registration is available on the left hand side of the page, and instructions are attached here. You can also reach out to Christine Gozdowiak in the parish office for any questions or assistance needed with registering.
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Drop Off & Pick Up Line Procedures
3K, 4K, & 5K students AND THEIR SIBLINGS should be dropped off and picked up in the school courtyard car line. Enter via Loomis Road and proceed past the parish house. Exit will be on to Churchway. For the first few days of school, our early childhood staff will be outside in the courtyard to meet your children and help with separation anxiety.
All other grades, 1-8, should use the main car line by the gym doors. Enter from Loomis Road by the apartments and proceed up the fence line. Please do not try to enter the car line from Schoolway or Churchway. The exit for this car line is out the gate onto Schoolway or Churchway. Please also do not cut back through the parking lot to exit on Loomis. Car line traffic moves ONE way. As always, please be mindful of parishioners leaving Mass each morning. As a reminder, parents should NOT park and walk their children into school.
Please do not park your car on Churchway or Schoolway for pickup. This is a violation of our agreement with the village. In addition, please do not park in the main school parking lot and cross the car line in order to pick up your younger students. This presents a major safety concern, as the car lines move quite quickly, and cars may not always see you as you're crossing. Thank you for helping us to keep our students safe and our neighbors happy!
| | Morning Care & Cougar Club Information | |
Morning Care with Mrs. Ramion
St. Alphonsus Morning Care is available for students in grades 3K - 8th each day that St. Alphonsus School is in session.
It opens at 6:45 am and closes when the morning bell rings at 7:30 am. At 7:30 am, the students walk to their classrooms.
St. Alphonsus Morning Care is held in Room 330 and lead by our first grade teacher, Mrs. Kathy Ramion. Parents may park their cars in the parking lot on the east side of the Parish House and enter via the 'back porch" of the school that is across from the Parish House garages. Please walk your child up the stairs and ring the doorbell. Mrs. Ramion will come and open the door for your child. Please do not leave your child unattended while waiting for the door to open.
While in Morning Care, students may draw, play games, play with Legos, do puzzles, read, study, and talk with one another. Breakfast and snacks are not served and may not be consumed during Morning Care.
The fee is $2.00 per student per day and is due each day when you arrive with your child. For questions, please contact Kathy Ramion.
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Cougar Club Information
Cougar Club Calendars for September are due Thursday, August 27. You can also turn your calendars in at Meet & Greet that night!
Just as a reminder, St. Alphonsus offers Cougar Club at the end of each school day!
Cougar Club is an after school program open to all students in grades 3K-8th. Each day the students will have the opportunity to participate in outdoor playtime, gym time, arts and crafts, toys, games, and reading. They will also have the opportunity to work on their homework. The St. Alphonsus Catholic School Cougar Club is open every school day from 3:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Please note that Cougar Club is closed on Early Release Days and days when St. Alphonsus Catholic School is not in session.
There is no fee to enroll in Cougar Club. Simply return a monthly calendar to Stacey Pagac, our Cougar Club Director, at cougarclub@st-alphonsus.org. The September calendar is available to download here. The October calendar is due September 11 and is also available to download now.
The 2026-2027 Cougar Club Parent Information Packet is also available to download here. Please review all information in the packet if you plan to have your child attend Cougar Club. Please also note that Cougar Club is a NUT FREE environment at our school.
For any questions, please check out the Cougar Club page on our website or email our Cougar Club Director, Stacey Pagac, here.
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St. Alphonsus School is Hiring for Cougar Care!
We are currently hiring a Care Adult Assistant - Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 3:00pm to 6:00pm
This role is for adults age 21 or over and employees will need to be safeguarded. For more information, please check out our website!
Interested candidates should submit resume & references to Principal Megan Sagat at msagat@st-alphonsus.org.
| | Art Room Home Supplies Wanted! | |
Mrs. Hoeppner is collecting the following items for the art room this year:
- Toilet paper tubes
- Paper towel tubes
- Cereal boxes and 12-pack soda boxes--or any similar weight of cardboard
- First Day School Supply Kit boxes
- Paper egg cartons
Supplies may be dropped off at the school office to Mrs. Hoeppner's attention. Thank you!
| | | | Fall Extracurricular Opportunities! | | Please note that where referenced below, "K" refers to 5K. 3K & 4K students are not eligible for these extracurriculars. Click the flyer below to be taken directly to the registration website! | |
Gateway Organization Milwaukee is again offering band and orchestra lessons at St. Alphonsus this year!
Students in grades 3-8 are eligible for Orchestra. Students in grades 4-8 are eligible for Band.
The registration timeline is as follows:
- Signups for band/orchestra lessons is open now and closes September 2.
- Scholarship applications will be emailed to you and will be due by September 4.
- Lessons will tentatively begin the week of September 14.
You can get more information from the flyer below, read their informational letter here, and check out their website here.
Online registration is available via the links below. Registration is due by Wednesday,
September 2. The annual fee for lessons this year will be $520. Scholarship information is available at the sign-up links below.
Orchestra registration is here
Band registration is here
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Battle of the Books Returns This Fall!
When school resumes in the fall, we will again be inviting students in grades 4, 5, and 6 to participate in Battle of the Books!
Battle of the Books is a lively academic competition that improves reading comprehension, builds vocabulary, introduces students to new books & authors, and teaches teamwork, commitment, & sportsmanship. The program culminates in a tournament in April with other area Catholic Schools. It is a lot of fun!
If your child is interested in joining, they can get a head start by reading a few of the books from this list. We will have registration information and meeting dates available once school starts.
Happy reading!
Mrs. Bruhn & Mrs. Schermetzler
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Our First Pizza Lunch Fundraiser of the Year is Friday, September 18!
Order forms will go home after school begins, but we are collecting volunteers to help serve the pizza lunch to students now! This is an easy one hour commitment and you can sign up for all the dates you are available at one time.
The sign-up genius can be found here.
All volunteers must be safeguarded.
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Dine Out Nights Are Back!
Back by popular demand are St. Alphonsus Dine Out Nights! These are specially designated nights at local restaurants who then give a portion of their sales back to our school, which helps to fund projects that directly benefit our students. In the past these funds were used to resurface the playground, help to buy new smart boards, and assist in remodeling the science lab.
How does it work? On the evening of each Dine Out Night, go to the restaurant during the designated time and make your purchases (be sure to watch the newsletter for any special instructions, like showing a flyer or using a code) and then our school will get a portion of the proceeds. Be sure to get a receipt (one per student) and your child can out of uniform the following day!
Dine Out Nights are one of our most popular fundraisers - you get a night off from cooking, our school raises funds to do special projects and your students gets to be out of uniform. Everyone wins! Be sure you mark your calendars with the dates of this year's events and watch the newsletter for reminders and instructions the week before each Dine Out Night.
If you have any questions, please contact Dine Out Night chair Margaret Fieldbinder via email here.
Dine Out Nights - the easiest and most delicious fundraisers around!
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Did you participate in our Dine Out Nights this summer? We hope you saved your receipts!
Our Summer Dine Out Night Reward Dates will be as follows:
- June Dine Out Night Reward - Thursday, September 17 (June Dine Out Receipts Only)
- July Dine Out Night Reward - Thursday, October 1 (July Dine Out Receipts Only)
- August Dine Out Night Reward - Thursday, October 15 (August Dine Out Receipts Only)
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Calling All FUN RUN Sponsors!
Our only fall fundraiser—the Fun Run—will be back this fall! In order to make this Fun Run the best one yet, we need your help getting T-shirt sponsors this summer. There are four levels of sponsorship: $100, $250, $500 and $750. All sponsors receive their logo on the official Fun Run T-shirt and recognition in the weekly school newsletter throughout the fall.
Sponsors can be the company you or a family member works for, or a local business that you frequent. Not sure about making the ask yourself? Send us your ideas and we’ll do the legwork!
Please contact Olivia Hartley or Dawn Eisold with your donations and ideas, and thank you in advance for your support!
| | Join us for Popsicles on the Playground to welcome our new families to St. Alphonsus! All families are welcome to join us! | | |
Join Greendale Cub Scout Pack 596!
Is your child interested in adventure, learning new skills and having fun? Join Greendale Cub Scout Pack 596! Pack 596 is open to boys and girls in grades 5K through 5th grade.
Join us for New Scout Night on September 10th at 6:00pm in the St. Alphonsus School Multi Purpose Room/Cafeteria.
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For more information about Cub Scouts or Pack Registration, please contact Pack Committee Chair, Chelsea Gates via email here or by phone at 414-731-5238. You can also visit beascout.org. To register, simply scan our QR code to fill out our pack's pre-registration form!
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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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