Learning, Loving, and Leading through Christ | | Follow Us on Social Media! | | | |
Dear St. Alphonsus Families,
Gooooo Brewers! What a time to be a Brewers fan (and what a weekend to be a Wisconsin sports fan in general!). We can feel the excitement in the community as well as in the hallways here at school. As such, we've decided that tomorrow, Tuesday, October 6, needs to be a Brewers Spirit Day! Students can dress out of uniform and wear Brewers gear or anything blue/yellow to go along with the theme!
It's a busy week this week with Grandparents Day on Wednesday and Pizza Lunch on Friday. Grandparents Day RSVPs are due TOMORROW, no exceptions, so please get those turned in when students return to school in the morning.
Basketball Registration is closing this week, so this is another reminder to get your athletes signed up. The Athletics Association will NOT take registrations after the deadline. Find more details below.
Related, many of our fall extracurricular activities including Battle of the Books & Rosary Club have sign-up deadlines this week. Please get those sign-ups returned tomorrow!
Father Kevin Tanel will be hosting an altar serving training on two dates coming up in October, for those students in grades 3-8 who are interested in possibly becoming an altar server. Mrs. Schermetzler will send the sign-up genius out as soon as it is available.
The 8th Grade Hunger Games Food drive continues, with soup fixings as our donation items this week! Donate those cans of soup, crackers, etc. to help address hunger in our community! Thank you for your support!
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 | |
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 tracker has recently been updated! NO MORE SCROLLING! There are now tabs on the side of the document for each day. You can click the date and it will take you right to that day to see the assignments.
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 | | |
10/07
Grandparents Day
Details Below!
10/07
Dine Out Night
Cousins Subs
10/14
School Mass
Led by 3rd Grade
10/21
School Mass
Led by 5th Grade
10/21
Dine Out Night
Qdoba
10/23
Trunk or Treat
Details Below!
10/25
Student Lectors & Gift Bearers
9:00am Sunday Mass
Sign Up Below!
10/28
School Mass
Led by 6th Grade
11/04
School Mass
Led by 1st Grade
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11/04
Dine Out Night
Cousins Subs
11/06
Stuffy Sleepover
Details Coming Soon!
11/11
Veterans Day Mass
Led by 4th Grade
11/15
Student Lectors & Gift Bearers
9:00am Sunday Mass
Sign Up Below!
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 Coming Soon!
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Grandparents Day is THIS WEEK, Wednesday, October 7th. RSVPs are DUE TOMORROW, Tuesday, October 6th!
Grandparents Day is coming up on Wednesday, October 7th and we would love to have you join us! Both grandparents and grandfriends are welcome!
Please see more itinerary details below, and here is a downloadable copy of the RSVP form, which was also sent home with students last week.
Please remember that we do need to have grandparents/grandfriends' names ahead of time for our security and check-in procedures, so NO late RSVPs or walk-ins will be accepted. All RSVPs are due by Tuesday, October 6.
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Grandparents Day Itinerary - New This Year!
We are ending with Mass instead of starting with the Mass this year, so you will have plenty of time to visit classrooms and do activities with your grandchildren. We do have an elevator for those with mobility issues, and wheelchairs are also available if necessary.
8:00am: Grandparents, grandfriends, & VIPs arrive. Please enter at the church doors to check in and be escorted to classrooms. If you arrive early, please, wait for our carline to be finished at 7:45am before you enter.
8:00-9:00ish-am: Classroom activities & more! Take a scavenger hunt tour of the school, stop at our photobooth, and check out our Grandparents Day bulletin board display!
9:15am: Proceed back down to church for All School Mass. Children will sit with their grandparents for Mass.
9:30am-10:30am : Mass & Grandparents Blessing
10:30am: Students will return to their classrooms with their teacher. Grandparents depart!
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Out of Uniform Dates - October
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 October:
10/06
Brewers Spirit Day!
Wear Brewers gear or blue & yellow!
10/08
Out of Uniform with Dine Out Night purchase on 10/07 (receipt required)
10/13
Last Friday of the Month SEPTEMBER MAKEUP DATE
Out of Uniform with Purchased Pass--send in September's 9/25 Pass
10/15
August Dine Out Night Reward
(August Dine Out Receipts Only)
10/22
Out of Uniform with Dine Out Night purchase on 10/21 (receipt required)
10/23
Last Friday of the Month
Out of Uniform with Purchased Pass (see below to purchase yours)
10/30
Halloween Dress Down Day!
Help us celebrate Halloween and wear your black & orange, Halloween t-shirts, and other Halloween clothes & headbands. Sorry, no costumes this year--headbands ok but no hats or masks. Save your costumes for Trunk or Treat on 10/23!
Out of Uniform Passes Still Available!
You can still purchase Out-of-Uniform Passes from Home & School if you missed them at Meet & Greet Night. They are $20 each and good for an out-of-uniform day on the last Friday of each month for grades 5K-8th. Please send your money (cash or check; no change given) to the school office in an envelope labeled Out of Uniform pass and be sure to include your child's name. Checks can be made out to St. Alphonsus School. Passes will be sent home in backpack mail.
| | | | Lunch Menus - October & November | |
Lunch Program Reminder
The lunch program at St. Alphonsus is a pre-paid program, which means you need to add lunch money to your student's account, and balances are deducted every time your student takes hot lunch.
Lunch payments can be made online through PowerSchool. Follow these RevTrak Setup instructions to get your account set up. Please note that you can always pay for your lunch fees via cash or check by stopping in to the school office.
The hot lunch program will notify you when your student's account balance becomes low so you can replenish their funds.
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Student Council Elections Take Center Stage!
Our Student Council Elections took place last week! Our 6 candidates campaigned hard, with posters hung up around school, short elevator pitches on the morning announcements, and 2-minute speeches at lunch. On Thursday, grades 5K through 8th grade were invited to come down to the voting booths to cast their votes! Afterwards, students also got to take an I Voted sticker!
Congratulations to Noah S. in 8th grade (2nd from the right), who is our new Student Council President, and also to Sophia E. in 8th grade (first on the left), who is our new Student Council Vice President. We're excited to see what Student Council brings to the table this year!
| | Fall Extracurricular Opportunities! | |
Battle of the Books is Back!
This 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 on Tuesday, April 20 at Eastbrook Academy in Milwaukee, where we will compete against other area schools!
How It Works
Teams of three students each from Grades 4, 5, and 6 read 45 pre-assigned books (15 books each) from October to March. Titles are from varying genres with a wide range of reading levels and subjects. Teams will gather after school once or twice a month for practice battles and to determine St. Alphonsus School’s Tournament Champs (one team per grade level). The Tournament Champs will go to the program-wide tournament in April.
Practice Schedule
The practice schedule/time commitment is progressive. We will meet once per month until January, when we will start meeting twice per month to have practice battles.
Meetings will be held after school in the library from 3:00-3:30 on the following dates:
- October 19
- November 16
- December 14
Meetings will be held after school in the library from 3:00-4:00 on the following dates:
- January 18
- February 8
- February 22
- March 8
- March 22
- April 12 - finalists only
Tournament
The 2026-2027 Battle of the Books tournament will be held on April 20, 2027 at Eastbrook Academy in Milwaukee. More details will be provided as the date gets closer!
The permission slip and more info can be found here and students will also bring home a paper copy this week! Permission slips are due back by Tuesday, October 6.
Happy reading!
Mrs. Bruhn & Mrs. Schermetzler
The 2026-2027 Battle of the Books Reading List can be found here!
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Rosary Club is Back!
Students in grades 1 through 8 are invited to join Father Kevin Tanel and Karen Farrell, Director of Youth & Young Adult Ministry, to pray the Rosary two times each month.
Here is the permission slip. Please fill out and return to the school office by Tuesday, October 6.
For any questions, please contact Karen Farrell.
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Join the St. Alphonsus Childrens' Choir!
Practices resumed last week, on Wednesday, September 30th at 3:30pm, but you can still sign-up!
The children’s choir will sing once or twice a month at the 9:00am Mass. They will also sing at the God Bless America 250th Anniversary Concert on November 8, the Christmas Concert on December 6th, and the 4:00pm Mass on Christmas Eve.
To sign up, please click this link. Questions, please contact Francis Zelinka here.
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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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Please join us for our fifth annual Trunk or Treat on Friday, October 23rd from 6:00pm- 7:00pm!
Kids are invited to wear their Halloween costumes as they go car-to-car trick or treating in our school parking lot! Siblings and family are welcome--this is a great event for the whole family!
We are SO excited to be hosting this event again and would love to have your support in hosting a Trunk! What does it take to host a Trunk?
***All adults handing out candy must be safeguarded.***
- Arrive 45 minutes before the event begins to set up
- Decorate your trunk with child appropriate decorations
- Supply and hand out candy to kids that trick or treat from your trunk
- Be able to stay the entire event 6:00pm- 7:00pm
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Remember this is a family friendly event, no alcohol please
It's going to be a great night! Please use this link to sign up a trunk.
Trunks must be signed up by October 16th. Please list all adults who will be handing out treats at your vehicle so we can check their safeguarding status.
For questions, please contact Dawn Eisold or Tricia Williams, our Trunk or Treat chairs!
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Join the Cougar Carnival Committee!
The Cougar Carnival committee is in the early phases of preparation for our annual event which this year takes place on March 12, 2027. This is a big event and we need all hands on deck to make it happen! The committee would love any help you can offer.
Please contact Cougar Carnival Co-Chair Erica Scherbarth via email if interested!
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Basketball Registration Closes Friday, October 9!
Please note that we cannot accept registrations after the deadline. Once registration closes, we must submit our rosters to the league, and no additional players can be added after that point.
Don't miss the opportunity for your child to participate in basketball this season! Register today!
Basketball is about so much more than wins and losses. It's about building friendships, growing confidence, developing teamwork and leadership skills, staying active, learning resilience, and creating memories that last a lifetime. Whether your child is picking up a basketball for the first time or returning for another season, our program offers a fun, supportive environment where every player can learn, improve, and be part of a team environment.
Don't miss out on the fun! Register today using this link.
For questions, please reach out to St. Alphonsus Athletic Director, Nick Warrichaiet. Athletics Health Forms can be found on the school website here.
| | Parish & Local Community News | | Please note that any outside activities are not sponsored or endorsed by St. Alphonsus Parish or School. | | |
Mission Trip Opportunities
St. Alphonsus has two separate mission trip opportunities available this year:
Middle School: Grades 6-8
Join us for Love Begins Here (LBH) - July 12-15, 2027 in Burlington, WI!
Love Begins Here (LBH) helps middle school preteens and 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.
We have limited space - so if you are interested please contact Karen Farrell.
If you would like more information, please come to an information night on October 7, 2026 at 6:30 in the Community Room.
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8th Graders Only
Attention High Schoolers (current 8th-12th graders)! Want to ignite the fire of Christ in your heart? Then Alive In You is just what you are looking for!
June 22-27, 2027 - Duluth, MN!
At Alive In You (AIY), teens experience the love of Christ through the Sacraments, Service, Speakers, Prayer and high energy activities.
While attending AIY, teens will work in the local community of Duluth, MN in a number of ways. Teens could be painting a house, help to maintain a mountain bike trail, and anything in between. These experiences help our faith come alive.
We also go to Mass, receive the Sacraments and have dynamic talks to help us grow closer to God. This week in Minnesota, we will be able to have nationally known speaker, Fr. Mike Schmitz join us as well.
Space is limited. If you are interested, please contact Karen Farrell.
If you would like more information, please come to an informational meeting on September 30th at 6:30 in the Community Room.
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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.
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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.
Did you read all the way to the end? Thanks for being a great patron of the newsletter!
Email Mrs. Schermetzler your student's name and grade level with the subject line GO BREWERS and your students will be entered into a drawing for an out of uniform pass on the day of their choosing!
Passes are per student, not per family, so sorry, only ONE of your children will receive the prize.
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