Dear Families,

Last week I mentioned the postponement of Fun Fair, but this week I can tell you that we will now be holding this event on Friday,  May 12th! There will be a committee of parents who will be meeting on Tuesday, January 31st at 6pm in the Fr. Alan Room at school. All parents who are looking to get involved in the Fun Fair are encouraged to attend this first planning meeting.

Also coming this Spring will be a musical theater program for our middle school students! This program will run from March 21st through May 19th, ending with performances on May 19th and 20th. There will be more details to come about how to sign up and the cost of this exciting opportunity will be coming next week!

I know by now you all know, but another reminder: Please join us for the 9:00 am mass on Sunday, January 29th.  Our students will be the lectors and gift bearers at mass.  Afterwards,  join us for our School Open House.  The Open House will feature the grand re-opening of the Science Lab and the Library, as well as a scavenger hunt, raffle, food, and more. This is a great community event and a chance to see what your child and their classmates have been up to this year.  Please consider inviting a new family to join us for a guided tour of the school.  If every St. Alphonsus Catholic School family invited just one new family to tour, imagine the impact it would have!  Invite your friends and neighbors to see our amazing school.

Finally, please remember that today is the last day to vote for Mrs. Kathy Ramion in the Catholic Financial Life Give Back Contest. The link to vote is here.

Stay safe and have a great weekend!

Russ Johnston

Volunteer Sign-Ups are Now Open!

You will help us by greeting visitors, running the register, reminding customers about Literati Kids book clubs, helping students and visitors find books, and restocking products and displays. All volunteers will receive a 20% discount at the fair.

Here is the class schedule for shopping so you can volunteer during your students' classes if you'd like:

Monday, January 30

8:00 - 8:30 6th Grade

8:30 - 9:00 5th Grade

9:00 - 9:30 7th Grade

10:30 - 11:00 8th Grade

11:00 - 11:30 3rd Grade

Tuesday, January 31

8:00 - 8:30 1st Grade

9:00 - 9:30 2nd Grade

10:00 - 10:30 5K

10:30 - 11:00 4K

11:00 - 11:30 3K (Shop with Parents; more details to come)

Monday and Tuesday are preview days. On Wednesday, students will shop and teachers will be signing up for those times next week. We also need help selling after weekend masses! Those shifts are only about 45 minutes long, and you can attend mass before or after.  Click on this link to sign-up to volunteer.

Our Online Fair is already open!

The online link to our new school book fair from Literati is now open! You can check it out here to preview & purchase some of the titles that will be available at our fair. You can also purchase digital gift cards if you would like your student to shop cashless at the in-person book fair.

A new offering at our fair this year are Kids Book Club memberships. These are personalized book boxes that help kids build vocabulary, confidence, and a love of reading. It’s like getting a book fair in a box, every month!

• Get a monthly selection of five books, handpicked for your child’s reading pace and preferences.
• Buy what they love. Return the ones they don’t for free.
• 10% of every dollar spent on kids book clubs will always come back to St. Alphonsus.

Kids book club membership starts at just $9.95/month; and you can check them out here!

The 5th grade Girl Scouts are collecting supplies for the Wisconsin Humane Society's Wildlife Rehabilitation Center!

There will be a box in your child’s classroom to collect donations. Here are the items they are looking for:

• Pumpkin seeds, almonds, walnuts, pecans, peanuts (all unsalted)  
• Canned plain pumpkin  
• Wet or dry cat food (dry cat food minimum crude protein 32% or higher)
• Wet or dry dog food (dry dog food minimum crude protein 26% or higher)
• Black oil sunflower seed  
• Finch bird seed  
• Critter Crunch Wild Bird Food and Critter Food  
• Wagner’s Deluxe Wild Bird Food
• Frozen berries
• Timothy Hay
• Unflavored Pedialyte
• Latex-free disposable gloves (size small or medium)
• Paper towel  
• Facial tissue  
• Disinfecting wipes  
• Disposable pee pads  
• Dawn dish soap  
• Unscented baby wipes
• Gift cards to wildlife supply stores (such as Mike's Falconry and Chris's Squirrels & More)

And if your student's class brings the most items for donation, they will get a PJ and Movie Day with an educational animal movie!

You can learn more about the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center here. Thank you in advance for your support!

It has been so fun having Mrs. Ramion be nominated for the Catholic Financial Life Give Back Contest this week. Winners will be announced during Catholic Schools Week, and we will keep you posted. In the meantime, Marquette University Athletics is hosting a Superstar Educator Contest with some great prizes as well! Check out the flyer below and then go ahead and click on it to nominate a favorite teacher.

Franklin High School Freshman Preview Night

Franklin High School Saber Center

8222 S. 51st Street

Monday, January 30

6:30pm

This program is for both students and their parents/guardians! Join us for a preview of Franklin High School Academic & Career Planning and get information and materials on choosing courses for next year. We will also give an Athletics and Activities Overview, building tours, meet the teachers & counselors, and more!

Kinship Food Pantry Volunteer Opportunity

Join Christian Formation on Saturday, February 11 from 7:30 to 11:30am as we volunteer at the Kinship Community Food Center! Children are welcome to volunteer with an adult, and kids 13 & older can volunteer on their own. Check out our sign-up for more details.

Steubenville Youth Rally in Minnesota

The Archdiocese of Milwaukee will be taking a group to St. Paul, MN from July 28-30 for a Steubenville Youth Rally presented by the Franciscan University of Steubenville. These events have greatly helped to shape the faith of countless teens.

Youth Ministry Director Karen Farrell would like to know if there is a group interested in attending alongside the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. Going with the Archdiocese of Milwaukee allows us to be able to spread the cost of transportation over a larger group of people.

If you are interested in learning more specifically about the Conference, please check out the video below or the Conference website. Please email Karen Farrell with questions or to express your interestt!

Love Begins Here Service Opportunity

Love Begins Here (LBH) helps middle and high school teens encounter Jesus Christ through a week of local service lived in a joyful, Catholic community. Inspired by the life and witness of St. (Mother) Teresa of Calcutta, LBH invites teens to serve those in need in their own homes and communities, thus continuing Christ's work on earth.

Help out at a food pantry, paint a fence, or plant a garden during the day. Follow that up with ice cream, swimming, prayer, and a ton of fun while making friends with teens from all over the Archdiocese of Milwaukee.

There are four spots available on June 20th-23rd for middle schoolers and four spots available high schoolers on July 16th-21st. Students who are going into ninth grade can choose to go to either the middle school mission trip or the high school mission trip (since they are on the cusp).

Hours of service gained do work towards Confirmation Service hours. If you are interested in learning more, please email Karen Farrell.

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 5:00pm Wednesdays.

If you "won" the newsletter prize last week, your kids will get their prizes next week. :)