Dear Families,

2023-2024 Requests

In May, teachers will get together to create next year’s grade Pre-K-8 homeroom class lists. Teachers create new rosters for next year by mixing up the current group of students in each grade and adding any newly admitted students. A friendly reminder to parents that as you are trusting the teachers this year with caring for and teaching your children, I hope you can trust them in making decisions next month on which children to place in which classrooms. Current grade level teachers will get together and decide how best to create the next grade level’s class placements for the fall. They consider many things such as: making sure there is a balance of boys and girls; kids with strong academic skills and those that need extra help. They also know which teacher would be the best fit for your child and take into account students who would be best served by being separated from certain classmates or grouped with certain others. 

If one little change is thrown into the mix, such as a parent requesting that their child be in a specific class, a “domino effect” takes place and more changes need to be made to keep the balance mentioned above. It’s not an easy task to create new class rosters for the succeeding school year. Therefore, I need you to trust the knowledge of our teachers in choosing the class placement that will be best for your child and best for the entire class of students.

However, should you have an important point you want us to consider for the best learning-atmosphere placement for your child next year, you have an opportunity to send me this information in writing no later than April 28th. Please do not talk to a teacher about this, as all requests must come through me, and I will then work with the teachers to do our best to meet your request, assuming we agree and we’re able to work through the “domino effect.” Additionally, I ask that your written request focuses on what type of "learning atmosphere placement" you want us to consider; please don't just name the "teacher" you want your child to have. I do keep track of the number of requests a parent has made for a child's class placement request, as it would be too complex to accommodate a family's multiple requests during their one child's K-8 era. Thanks for your understanding, trust, and support.

Walk-A-Thon Coming in 3 weeks!

The countdown is on to this year’s Walk-a-Thon! This awesome fundraising event begins with “Spirit Week” May 8-12th leading up to the actual walk on Friday, May 12th.   

We will have a fun-filled week including free-dress theme days and other exciting activities. Look for all the details of how to participate in the bulletin and red envelope next week!

Nominations Needed – Volunteer Extraordinaire

We have wonderful volunteers at St. Louise School, and each June we honor three of them with the Volunteer Extraordinaire Award. I am asking both you and the faculty to nominate volunteers to be considered for this award. Nominees should have a history of dedicated, positive volunteering for the St. Louise School community. Past recipients of the award (who are still current school parents) include: Rebecca Nightingale, Joni Hoffman (not a parent anymore), and Ingrid Flaat (not a parent anymore). Do you have a fellow parent(s) to nominate? If so, please send your nomination to Mr. Fuerte, along with an explanation of why the person deserves to be considered. Thanks for your help! 

Auction November 2023 Kickoff – Tomorrow in the Main School Lobby

Please join us tomorrow morning in the Main School Lobby at 8:30am as we reveal the theme for the November Auction. Have some refreshments, sign up for volunteer opportunities, win a raffle, and more! We look forward to seeing you there. 

Continued Prayers

Please continue to pray for Dr. Liz Cruickshank as she continues with her treatments. Also please pray for our Instructional Assistant and Recess Supervisor, Ann Marie Sweeney as she is recovering from knee surgery. During her absence, we have instructional assistant substitutes that will rotate throughout the week to help in the classrooms and on the playground. 

Mr. Mike Fuerte

Announcements

Auction Kickoff Party

FRIDAY, APRIL 21

SCHOOL LOBBY

8:30 AM

Mark your calendars! Join us at 8:30 AM in the school lobby for refreshments, volunteer sign-up opportunities, free raffles and more!

Fundraisers

Parish

Dear Friends at St. Louise, 

Everyone wants to do all that they can to protect children from harm, and especially from the harm that comes from sexual abuse. As you probably know, every employee of the Church is deemed to be a mandated reporter of abuse under Washington State law. This includes priests, with one exception – when the priest learns of abuse from an individual confessing their sins in the context of sacramental reconciliation. And in fact such disclosures are absolutely prohibited under canon law: “[t]he sacramental seal is inviolable; therefore it is absolutely forbidden for a confessor to betray in any way a penitent in words or in any manner and for any reason.” (Can. 983 §1) Most know this as the “seal of confession” or as the “clergy-penitent privilege.”

. . .

-Fr. Gary Zender 

Hello St. Louise School Families,

I am Fr. Nehnevaj, and I have been at St. Louise for almost 10 months now. I have greatly enjoyed getting to know your children this school year. Recently, one of the school families had me over for dinner – and it was a really great experience. So, as part of an invitation to the larger parish, if you would like to have me over for dinner, simply click on this link here: https://calendar.app.google/NuGJVieLqEECDrW37 (a permanent link is also available on the parish website under About > Events and News > Messages from Fr. Nehnevaj) and choose one of the available dates. I would also encourage you to invite at least one other family over, to help me efficiently meet other school families. Looking forward to getting to know you and your family a little bit better!

-Fr. Nehnevaj

“Give something, however small, to the one in need. For it is not small to one who has nothing. Neither is it small to God, if we have given what we could.”

-St. Gregory Nazianzen

8th grade performed stations of the cross for the entire school the day before Easter break.

Five Guys lunch in the school office!

8th grade took serious and silly class pictures.

Widodo Karli Family

Morris/Herber Family

Antezana Garvizu Family



Coles Family