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Dear St. Alphonsus Families,
Happy Monday! Thank you to everyone who joined us last week for Back to School Roundup. It was great to see so many parents. If you were unable to attend, please get in touch with your child's homeroom teacher so you can receive any missed information from that evening.
Also this week we have a bit of bittersweet news. One of our office administrative assistants, Mrs. Giovanna Rublis, is leaving St. Alphonsus in order to take more care of her family, who needs her at this time. We will miss her, but she will still be around to sub in the office if we need, so we do not say goodbye entirely! This week, we welcome Ms. Julianna Ramos to the office as her replacement, and Mrs. Warrichaiet will also still be our PowerSchool manager. Welcome to Ms. Ramos!
The first STAR testing of the year is finishing up this week, so students in grades 1-8 will be coming home with STAR test results this Friday, September 20. If you have questions about your child's test results, please contact your child's homeroom teacher.
There is a new revision of the Yearly Events calendar below and on our website here! It now includes the Home & School pizza fundraiser dates for the year. The first pizza fundraiser is coming up next week, and you can find more details below about the order forms and volunteer spots available.
Also below, find information to register for the Glow Run! Remember that the Glow Run is replacing the Fun Run this year--same concept, just a different type of run. You can now register your students and we thank you for your enthusiastic support of our school!
The pictures we are featuring today are from a recent school safety visit with Greendale High School. School safety is always at the top of everyone's mind, and even more so in recent weeks. We work closely with Greendale Public Schools as well as the Greendale Police and Fire Departments on our safety plans each year. Please rest assured that student and staff safety are always one of our top priorities and we continually train so that our staff is the most up-to-date we can be.
Related, thank you for following our directives on safety as well, especially in keeping the car line one way, with the exit onto Schoolway. Please help us to continue this by sharing our car line information with any grandparents or family members who may drop off and pick up. We know that it is easier to go out by the apartments but due to a series of near misses in recent years, we need to please ask you to keep exiting out the side gate. Thank you for complying & saving Mrs. Schermetzler from another week of wearing that neon yellow vest!
Lastly, below is important PowerSchool information. If you have not yet filled out your health forms online or been able to access your tuition and lunch balances, please do so ASAP. All families are required to fill out the online forms, even if you are paying tuition with cash or check. The office is currently contacting families who are delinquent on their forms this week.
Have a great week! As a reminder, you can always find an archive of our school newsletters on our website here.
Best regards,
Ms. Parey, Principal
Mrs. Schermetzler & Mrs. Bruhn, Leadership Team
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Important PowerSchool Information
It's a lot of words, so please bear with us!
Health & Registration Forms are being collected online in PowerSchool this year and were due on Friday, August 30.
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. 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.
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.
Lunch fees can be paid online in the same portal that you pay tuition, called RevTrak. 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 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.
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Glow Run Registration is Now Open! | |
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Registration is now open for St. Alphonsus Catholic School’s Glow Run!
The kick-off for St. Alphonsus Catholic School's Glow Run is only 2 weeks away! Parents, registration is now open on mybooster.com. All students registered before September 30th will earn an out-of-uniform day on October 1st!
Our goal this year is to raise $20,000 to cover the additional costs of the new playground structure.
Just a reminder, students will participate in a Pep Rally on September 30th and bring home materials to help you reach out to donors over the following 10 days. The Glow Run will take place on October 9th in the gym.
Thank you to our amazing Glow Run sponsors!
Platinum:
Cousins Subs
Oak Creek Wood Products
Gold:
Educators Credit Union
Silver:
Biltrite Furniture
Bronze:
Schlossmann’s Honda City
Ricely Restaurant Group
Help is Needed to Promote the Glow Run after Masses!
With the Glow Run fast approaching, we are asking for a few families to volunteer after each mass the weekend of October 5th and 6th at a Glow Run donation table that will be set up in the gathering space.
Parishioners are able to make donations to the Fun Run, and we’d love to have some families there to explain what the Glow Run is and answer any questions.
We ask that there is at least one adult, but children are welcome! Thanks for your help! Click this link to sign up.
If you have any questions, please contact Fun Run chair Olivia Hartley.
Thanks in advance for your support of our school!
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Why SCRIP (RaiseRight) Makes $en$e!
A testimonial from a St. Al’s family:
Although we have been at St. Alphonsus since 2013, we did not start participating in the SCRIP program until 2022. I was always aware of the program but never thought that the benefits of the fundraising program were going to be that impactful. However, starting in early 2022, I began purchasing gift cards every month, as a way to better budget for groceries and gas, as well as dining out. My thought was if I’m going to be spending this amount anyway on these items, might as well try to get a percentage of that spending back toward tuition cost!
I have a few cards that are reloadable and those that have to be replaced after the balance is used, however the ease of reloading/purchasing new cards is seamless. By participating in SCRIP we saved over $400 dollars last year on tuition, and look forward to seeing how much we can reduce our tuition costs this year just by purchasing gift cards for stores that we would have otherwise paid cash. Join us today and give SCRIP a try!
Stop at the SCRIP table at church and chat with us, or check out these videos for How to Get Started:
Learn more about the SCRIP program
Learn how to download the app and get started
Learn how to shop with the app
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Important Dates to Remember | |
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09/25
Pizza Fundraiser Lunch
Details Below
09/25
Dine Out Night
MOD Pizza
10/03 & 10/04
No School
Teacher In-Service
10/09
Fun Run
Details Below
10/09
Dine Out Night
Cousins Subs
10/09
Pizza Fundraiser Lunch
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10/12
Pack the Church
4:30pm Mass
10/16
Grandparents' Day
Details Coming Soon
10/23
Dine Out Night
Qdoba
10/25
Trunk or Treat
Details Below
11/4
Home & School Meeting
6:00pm Community Room
11/6
Dine Out Night
Cousins Subs
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Our First Pizza Lunch Fundraiser of the Year is Wednesday, September 25!
Order forms went home last week and are due back to school by THIS Wednesday, September 18th in the morning. 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 Wednesday morning!
A copy of the order form is attached here. Return forms by September 18th with cash or check for payment. Exact amounts only, no change will be given. One form per child but families can use one envelope.
We also need volunteers to help serve the pizza lunch to students. This is an easy one hour commitment! You can sign up here.
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Picture Retake Day is Friday, September 27
School pictures came home this week! If you decide your student needs a picture retake or if they did not have their picture taken at our Meet & Greet Night, the picture retake day will be Friday, September 27. Students having their picture taken may be out of uniform that day to wear their picture clothes. If you are having your student retake their photo, they should bring their package or proof you receive this week and return it to the photographer on Retake Day.
If you still need to order, you can do so at this link or by printing this flyer.
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Save the Date for Grandparents' Day!
If you haven't already told them, have your grandparents and grandfriends save the date for our annual Grandparents Day on Wednesday, October 16!
We will have more details and an RSVP form for you soon!
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Out of Uniform Dates - September
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 September:
09/19
Summer Dine Out Night Out of Uniform Date with purchase at Cousins Subs in August (receipt required)
09/26
Out of Uniform with Dine Out Night purchase on 09/25 (receipt required)
09/27
Last Friday of the Month
Out of Uniform with Purchased Pass
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September & October Lunch Menus | |
The School Store Remains Open!
We are so pleased to be able to offer you a new online school store! Here, you will find everything from uniform shirts to spiritwear and more. All the items listed in our school store are uniform-code approved, and the school store will stay open all year long, with some new items being added throughout the year!
If you have not yet purchased your Mass Polo (grades 5K-8) or required gym uniform (grades 5-8), please make sure you do so ASAP. These are required items for the dress code this year.
The store has a fast turnaround and will be open all year. Orders will turn around within two weeks and always be dropped off at school for you to get. St. Alphonsus Catholic School will also get $1-$2 per item for anything you purchase from the school store (except on the required items) so it's an easy way for you to support our school! Visit the store at this link.
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Staff Spotlight: Miss Peacock, 5th Grade | |
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Welcome to Staff Spotlight!
Each week we will be highlighting a member of our staff so you can get to know them better. We thought it would be great to start off with some of our new staff, so this week we are featuring Miss Grace Peacock, our new 5th Grade teacher!
Miss Peacock recently graduated from Valparaiso University with a degree in elementary education. She has a dog named Russell, and loves coffee & trying new coffee shops! She also joins Mrs. Gutche as another huge Disney fan on our staff! Her favorite movies are Lilo & Stitch and The Emperor's New Groove.
Her primary goal in education is to make learning fun and exciting for each of her students. Miss Peacock is teaching 5th grade this year but in addition is also our 6th grade religion teacher. Welcome, Miss Peacock!
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Battle of the Books is Back for Grades 4, 5 & 6! | |
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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 Wednesday, April 9, 2025 with other area Catholic Schools. This year, St. Alphonsus is HOSTING the tournament, so even if your students don't end up being our tournament battle team, they will be actively involved in helping us put on the tournament. It is a great time to join!
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 16
- November 13
- December 11
Meetings will be held after school in the library from 3:00-4:00 on the following dates:
- January 22
- February 5 & 19
- March 5 & 19
- April 2 - finalists only
Tournament
The 2024-2025 Battle of the Books tournament will be held on April 9, 2025 here at St. Alphonsus. More details & an opportunity to join the planning committee will be provided soon!
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 Friday, October 11. Because we are hosting this year and need to have our teams set, late permission slips will not be accepted.
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Please join us for our third annual Trunk or Treat, on Friday, October 25th 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
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Decorate your trunk (check out Pinterest for some fun ideas!) 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! Use this link to sign up to host a trunk. Trunks must be signed up by October 16. 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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The St. Alphonsus Athletics Association is excited to announce that basketball sign-ups are now open!
Sign-ups will continue through the end of the month. If your child in grades 5-8 is interested in participating in basketball this year, please make sure to complete the registration process by October 1st.
You can sign up via this link.
Don’t miss out on this great opportunity for your child to stay active, learn teamwork, and have fun!
For any questions, please contact Athletic Director Nick Warrichaiet or check out the Athletics page on our website. Go Cougars!
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Sister Eileen can be reached at eileen@st-alphonsus.org or via phone at 414.421.2442. | |
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Join the St. Alphonsus Parish Moms Group!
Looking for other moms to share in your journey of faith and motherhood? Come to the Wiggle Room above the church on Tuesday, September 24, at 10:00am. Moms are welcome to bring their little ones with them!
We would love to get to know each other better and help one another grow in our faiths. Motherhood isn't easy. Let's share the load! For questions, contact leader Maggie Ensing.
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Kinship Food Pantry Volunteer Opportunity
Join the parish Director of Youth & Young Adult Ministry Karen Farrell at the Kinship Food Pantry on October 26, 2024 from 7:30 to about 11:30am.
We will be gathering cooking oil for this date. If you are able to, please donate cooking oil (canola, olive or avocado cooking oil in a medium or small size bottle). Please bring your donations to school (there will be a box outside the office for collection).
If you are interested in learning more, or to sign up, please check out the sign up genius.
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It's Open House Season for Catholic High Schools! | |
Please note that any outside activities are not sponsored or endorsed by St. Alphonsus Parish or School | |
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It's Open House Season for various Catholic high schools in our area. Be sure to check out the following flyers from our local Catholic high schools:
Catholic Memorial High School - Waukesha
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Marquette University High School - Milwaukee | |
Catholic Central High School - Burlington | |
St. Thomas More High School - Milwaukee | |
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Join Thomas More for a Shadow Visit Day!
St. Thomas More’s shadow visit program gives prospective students the opportunity to experience a day in the life of an STM student. For an entire school day, interested students shadow a current STM student, learning more about the typical day at St. Thomas More. This is a great way for students to interact with their potential classmates and teachers!
To schedule a shadow day, please visit this link and complete the Campus Visit Request Form. If you do not receive a confirmation email with the scheduled date, your student is not signed up to shadow.
***Note: On the Campus Visit Request Form, you will be asked to select three dates from the list provided. Available dates are on the form. Please make sure your student would be able to visit on all three dates as we cannot guarantee the first/second choice will be available. ***You must select from the available dates!***
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St. Thomas More High School Also Opens Applications for 2025-2026 School Year!
STM is excited to announce that they are now accepting applicants for the 2025-2026 school year. Please click here to start your application now.
Applicants can track their admissions progress in real-time using the STM Admissions Checklist. In order to receive an admission decision, applicants must complete the following steps on the STM Admissions Checklist:
- Request sixth and seventh-grade report cards from your current school
- Request sixth and seventh-grade standardized test results from your current school
- Request the Teacher Recommendation Form from an English, Math, Science, or Social Science teacher
- Take the High School Placement Test (more information to come on the test)
- The STM Admissions Committee will not make a decision until all paperwork is submitted on behalf of the student
Report cards, standardized test scores, and the Teacher Recommendation Form can all be requested online. Simply go to this link and click "Start" next to each item on the student's Checklist. You will be asked for the name and email address of the teacher or staff member who you would like to submit the requested information on your students behalf.
FINANCIAL AID APPLICATIONS ARE ALSO OPEN
Families may also fill out the application for financial aid now. To begin the financial aid application, please visit this link. Students who do not complete this application are not eligible to receive scholarships from St. Thomas More. This financial aid application is separate from applications for Milwaukee/Racine and Wisconsin Parental Choice Programs, which will be available in February 2025.
If you have any questions about St. Thomas More, the application process, or anything else admissions-related, please contact Tony Mane, Director of Admissions, at 414-481-8370 x127 or via email.
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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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