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Winter is Coming!
Happy Monday, and Happy Veterans Day. We are so thankful for all the veterans in our school community and beyond. This week we will be celebrating Veterans at our school Mass on Wednesday. Please consider joining us and inviting the Veterans in your life to join us as well!
Although we don't have snow in the forecast yet, now is a great time to check that you have snow gear that fits so that you're ready to go. School policy dictates that students may NOT play in the snow without proper boots, snow pants, etc. so please get ready now so that students will be well-dressed and warm for when significant snowfall happens. Middle school parents, we know coats can sometimes be a struggle with this age group, but please be sure to send students dressed for the weather as we will go outside for recesses unless the temperatures fall below 0 degrees.
On a related note, this is how school closings work at St. Alphonsus: St. Alphonsus School follows Greendale Public Schools when closing for inclement weather. If for some reason Greendale Public Schools are not in session (ie, they have a scheduled vacation day while we do not), and there is inclement weather, St. Alphonsus will follow the Franklin School District. If both school districts are not in session, we will make the decision on our own. All announcements for such closings will be placed on local radio, television stations, and television news websites. Also, families will receive an email, text message, and voicemail message with closing information, and we will post to our social media channels and website as well. If school should be canceled, the hot lunch menu will be followed accordingly upon return to school (ie, the canceled day's lunch would be skipped).
Finally, a last weather-related reminder: Shorts season at St. Alphonsus is officially over! Per our family handbook, shorts and skorts/dresses with bare legs can only be worn between April 1st and October 31st. Opaque tights & leggings under skirts and dresses are now required, and shorts for boys are no longer allowed. In addition, as the weather gets colder, please note that only plain knit slip-overs, sweater vests or cardigans in our uniform colors OR branded St. Alphonsus sweatshirts or pullovers with or without a hood purchased through the St. Alphonsus Catholic School approved spirit wear vendor are allowed. Hoodies are not allowed on Mass days during church.
If you have any questions about the dress code, please see our dress code page on the school website here, which has helpful visuals for what is and is not allowed on Mass days. In addition, you can also check out our Family Handbook here (the dress code can be found starting on page 32).
A couple of other reminders this week:
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Friday was our Stuffy Inflatable Race to celebrate making our Fun Run goals, and oh my goodness did we have a great time! Mr. Bengs was the winner in a very tight race. Mrs. S is woefully behind on posting on social media but she's hoping to get caught up this week. Until then--you can see some photos of this fun event below!
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Conferences are coming up soon! Fall conferences are mandatory. Please find the sign-up links & more details below, and note that for our middle school families, you will only be signing up for a conference with your child's homeroom teacher.
- There are lots of events coming up in December, and Home & School also has lots going on. Please be sure to check out details & save-the-dates for the Advent Wreath Blessing, Christmas Concert, Las Posadas, the Cookie Walk, and our annual Poinsettia Sale below!
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The Stuffies also had a great time at the second annual Stuffy Sleepover this weekend! 65 stuffies joined us, twice as many as last year! They learned about the Mass with Father Kevin, visited the kitchen, the teachers lounge, the science lab, the art room, and the music room, and had some fun in the library & other classrooms too. Check out some of the cute pictures below! Each stuffy went home with a photo album and personal photo!
As always, a reminder that this newsletter is our number one communication tool to you as parents. We ask that you please read it thoroughly each week. Our school website is also a great resource for you and has lots of information available under the PARENTS tab at the top of the page. You can also always find an archive of our school newsletters on our website here.
Have a wonderful week!
Best regards,
Mrs. Sagat
Principal
| | Other Important Reminders | |
Parent-Teacher Conferences Are Coming Soon!
This year's conferences will take place on Thursday, November 19 from 4 to 6pm and Friday, November 20 from 8am to 1pm.
Please sign up with your child's Homeroom Teacher Only. If you have a student in Middle School (Grades 5-8), your child's homeroom teacher will provide feedback from your child's other classroom teachers during your allotted conference time.
Fall conferences are mandatory. If you cannot attend in one of the allotted times, please reach out directly to your child's homeroom teacher directly to reschedule. Please click the links below to sign up!
Specialists will be available but only on one day or the other. If you would like to schedule a conference with one of your child's specialists, you can also sign up below.
3K-4th Grade Fall Conference Sign-up
5th-8th Grade Fall Conference Sign-up
Specialists Fall Conference Sign-up
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Middle School Assignment Tracker
This year we have a Middle School Assignment Tracker, to help keep parents better informed on daily assignments in grades 5-8.
The assignment tracker can be found by clicking the link below. It is also posted on the school website under the Parents tab. This link will take you right to the assignment page.
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Reporting Absences & Appointments
Student absences & appointments can be reported in two ways:
- Call the office directly at 414-421-1760. Listen for the prompts and leave a message.
- Email our Attendance Secretary. The email address is attendance@st-alphonsus.org.
Emailing a student's homeroom teacher is NOT sufficient notice of absence or tardiness. All absences, early dismissals, or tardies need to be reported to the office.
Please note that per our handbook, any child who has a fever or has been vomiting or experiencing diarrhea should not return to school until 24 hours after that particular symptom is gone in order to avoid a relapse or spreading illness to others.
When reporting a student tardy for purposes of a morning appointment, please indicate in your email or phone message if your child will be having HOT lunch for that day. Thank you!
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Cougar Club Calendars for the entire school year are now available online!
Calendars are always due mid-month for the following month. You can find calendars on our website on the Cougar Club page here. Please also refer to the 2026-2027 Cougar Club packet here so that you understand our late calendar fees. Scheduling staff is difficult when calendars are not submitted in a timely fashion, so please be sure you get those submitted on time in order to avoid late fees. Thank you!
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The Student Lector Program Returns!
We are happy to announce that our Student Lector program is returning again this year! Do your students in grades 3-8 love to read at Mass? Consider signing them up to lector on select Sundays!
Our fall dates are now available here. We will also need gift bearers!
Students practice with Mrs. Schermetzler on the Thursday before weekend Masses.
| | | | Important Dates to Remember | | |
11/11
Veterans Day Mass
Led by 4th Grade
11/15
Student Lectors & Gift Bearers
9:00am Sunday Mass
Sign Up Below!
11/18
School Mass
Led by 7th Grade
11/18
Dine Out Night
Panda Express
11/19
Parent/Teacher Conferences
4-6pm
11/20
No School
Parent/Teacher Conferences
8am-1pm
11/23 - 11/28
No School
Gobble Gobble! Happy Thanksgiving
11/30
Advent Wreath Blessing
Details Below
12/02
School Mass
Led by 3rd Grade
12/03
Christmas Concert
Details Coming Soon!
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12/04
Poinsettia Sale Pickup
More Details Below
12/05 & 12/06
Cookie Walk
More Details Below
12/09
School Mass
Led by 6th Grade
12/09
Dine Out Night
Cousins Subs
12/16
School Mass
Led by 2nd Grade
12/17
Las Posadas
8:00am
More Details Coming Soon
12/18
Early Dismissal
11:30am
No Cougar Care Available
12/21 - 01/01
Merry Christmas and
Happy New Year!
No School
Christmas Break
01/04/27
Welcome Back!
School Resumes
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Out of Uniform Dates - November
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 November:
11/13
Last Friday of the Month
Out of Uniform with Purchased Pass
11/19
Out of Uniform with Dine Out Night purchase on 11/18 (receipt required)
| | | | Lunch Menus - November & December | |
Our Next Pizza Lunch Fundraiser of the Year is Thursday, November 19!
Order forms will go home in backpack mail next week and are due back to school by Friday, November 13. Please note that there is NO HOT LUNCH OR MILK served on this day, so if your students are not ordering the pizza lunch you will need to send a cold lunch. LATE ORDER FORMS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED--NO EXCEPTIONS. We are held to tight deadlines by the vendor and must have the order forms by Friday morning!
A copy of the order form is attached here. Return forms by November 13th with cash or check for payment. Exact amounts only, no change will be given. One form per child but families can use one envelope.
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The Hunger Games Food Drive Was a Big Success!
Thank you to everyone so much for contributing to our Fighting Hunger Food Drive this year! We were able to — with the help of parish donations — take two massive deliveries to the St. Alphonsus food pantry. This is immensely impactful for the members of our community who are most in need, and we couldn't have done it without you.
And congratulations to Mrs. Frank's 2nd grade class on bringing in the most donations! They will receive their prize in the upcoming weeks.
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Mr. Bengs Takes the Inflatable Race Crown!
On Friday we had our rescheduled Inflatable Race to celebrate reaching our Fun Run goals! Mrs. Sagat, Mrs. Bruhn, Mrs. Schermetzler, Mrs. Domzil, Ms. Gehrke, Mr. Bengs, and Miss Temple all participated. There were two heats, with Ms. Gehrke, Mrs. Schermetzler, and Mr. Bengs advancing to the finals. Mr. Bengs took the crown in a photo finish!
The staff had so much fun in the inflatable race that we're already making plans to bring the inflatables back during Catholic Schools Week for some other fun and surprising activities!
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First Grade Celebrates All Saints Day!
Last week our First Graders did their Annual All Saints presentations! Classes from around the school were able to sign up to hear the students present. Everyone did a great job, and you can see a video of them giving their presentation below!
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Use RaiseRight for All Your Gift Card Needs This Holiday Season!
Are you looking for a thoughtful gift for staff, volunteers, or someone special as the gifting season approaches? AnyCard gift cards are now available as physical cards, making them easy to present for any occasion.
Recipients can choose from over 350 participating brands by exchanging their card for an e-gift card they’ll enjoy. AnyCard cards never expire and have no inactivity fees, and bulk orders can be delivered digitally or shipped as physical cards. Plus, purchases through our school fundraising program help support our school.
Consider AnyCard for your next celebration or thank-you gift—and spread the word! As always, thank you for your support.
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The Poinsettia Sale is Back!
It's the mooooost wonderful time of the year! Aka time to think about purchasing your poinsettias in the Home & School Poinsettia Sale to benefit our school. Check out all the details below and print an order form here. A printed copy of the order form will also be sent home this week.
Poinsettias make beautiful gifts for neighbors and friends. Consider taking your order form to your office to see if your colleagues would like one! Thank you in advance for your support!
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It's time to think about Cookie Walk!
Cookie Walk is a beloved St. Alphonsus School tradition. School families bake & sell cookies after all Masses on the weekend of December 5 & 6. You can find more details below.
We ask ALL school families to participate by committing to bake at least 4 dozen cookies or holiday treats. Forms will go home this week OR you can print out the form below, also linked here. All families who return a form will be entered to win an Out-of-Uniform pass for their child, and if you are a preschool family, you will be entered to win a St. Alphonsus swag bag!
Check out the information below and look for our volunteer sign-up genius next week!
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Make Advent Special with Our New Family Advent Kits!
We’re excited to introduce something NEW this year at St. Al’s! We’re offering Advent Take-Home Kits for families with children in 5K through 5th grade.
Advent is such a special time in the Church, and we want to help your family slow down amid the holiday hustle and bustle to focus on the true meaning of Christmas: the birth of Jesus!
Each kit will include most of the supplies you need, along with simple, easy-to-follow directions so you’ll know exactly what to do and when. You can look forward to one or two fun, faith-filled activities each week that your family can enjoy together as you prepare your hearts and homes for Christmas.
Whether you have a busy schedule or are looking for new ways to bring your family’s faith into everyday life, these kits are designed to make celebrating Advent easy, engaging, and meaningful for everyone!
Ready to join the fun? Look for the purple sign-up sheet to come home with your child, or complete the linked form to reserve your family’s kit.
We can’t wait to help your family make this Advent season extra special as we prepare together for the joy of Christmas!
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Youth Ministry Looking for Social Media Help!
St. Alphonsus Youth Ministry is seeking to create a new Instagram page specifically for our middle and high school aged youth. The content is geared to young people who are interested in learning more about their faith and seeing ways God works in the lives of normal, everyday people.
And... you get to help make a little corner of the social media world a little more faith filled all at the same time!
If your eighth grader is interested, please take time to look more at what it entails and apply using this form.
Please note, parents need to sign off on their son or daughter's application.
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Join the St. Alphonsus Women's Group!
The dates for the rest of the year are as follows:
November 14
December 5
January 9
February 6
March 6
April 3
May 2
Consider contributing some refreshments each month! This is not a requirement to attend the group, it is just there as a tool to organize refreshments each month. Use this Refreshment Sign Up to let us know if you'd like to bring something.
For questions, please contact Maggie Ensing.
| | Please note that any outside activities are not sponsored or endorsed by St. Alphonsus Parish or School. | | |
Scholarship Opportunity for Students in Grades 5-8!
The First Catholic Slovak Union (FCSU) is proud to support Catholic education and the academic success of young people in our communities. As a fraternal organization rooted in faith, family, heritage, and service, we offer scholarship opportunities designed to help make a Catholic education more accessible and affordable.
Through the FCSU Scholarship Program, eligible students in grades 5 - 8 may receive a one-time scholarship award of $500 toward their education. High school and college scholarships are also available.
For more information, please visit their website at Scholarships - FCSU.
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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.
Mrs. S's Thanksgiving Hot Take: Turkey is objectively bad. Gimme all the sides please!
Agree or Disagree? Send Mrs. S an email with one or the other in the subject line
for a chance to win your student an out-of-uniform pass!
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