Pledging remains open for St. Alphonsus Catholic School’s Glow Run!

St. Alphonsus Catholic Schools Glow Run kicked off last week and we are on our way to reach our $20,000 goal. So far, we are more than halfway there and have raised $10,400 so far! Thank you so much our families who have registered and shared their donation pages to get us to this point--keep up the great work.

Tonight’s Challenge: the class with the most new donations will earn an extra recess and their teacher a gift card from the Booster team! 

The Glow Run will take place this Wednesday, October 9th in the gym. St. Alphonsus families are invited to come out and cheer our students on. Please enter through the school doors by the gym, not the church doors. We also ask that parents stay on the bleachers at all times for the safety of our students and staff.

Grades 3K - 1st will run at 9:00am

Grades 2nd - 4th will run at 9:45 am

Grades 5th - 8th will run at 10:30am

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

If you have any questions, please contact Fun Run chair Olivia Hartley. 

Thanks in advance for your support of our school!

Why SCRIP (RaiseRight) Makes $en$e!

A testimonial from a grandparent:

We have been using SCRIP to support our grandchildren's Catholic school education since our first granddaughter was in kindergarten and now she's in grad school! At first, we only bought grocery and gas cards. After discovering how easy it was, we started buying from other retailers. Now that there is an App and reloadable gift cards, it's rare to buy something without using SCRIP.

SCRIP is so easy to use and the bonus days are especially nice when you earn so many extra SCRIP dollars for the school. The older grandchildren appreciate the Starbucks and Kwik Trip gift cards, and even the younger grandchildren are requesting gift cards now. SCRIP is so simple, and the benefits for the school are so great. A little SCRIP here and a little SCRIP there add up to a big benefit for your family and the school. Besides, who doesn't like getting a gift card?

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

Update to October Lunch Menu: please note that this Friday, October 11, there will be no hot lunch service or milk available for the students. All students will need to bring a cold lunch and drink that day. We apologize for any inconvenience this causes.

Welcome to Staff Spotlight!

Each week we will be highlighting a member of our staff so you can get to know them better. This week we are featuring Mrs. Robin Bruhn, our Director of Teaching & Learning!

Mrs. Bruhn lives with her husband, their 2 teen children, Ella Grace and Emmett, and the 2 best dogs in the world. The Bruhns are also beekeepers and share their yard with about 60,000 honeybees. Mrs. Bruhn loves reading, puzzles and board games, going for walks, and all things animals. This is her sixth year at St. Alphonsus. She loves working with small groups of students to boost their academic skills. 

Last week to sign up for Battle of the Books!

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.

Spooky season is officially here! Please join us for our third annual Trunk or Treat, on Friday, October 25th from 6:00-7:00pm!

Whether you host a trunk or not, all are welcome! If you are just attending with your children, you do not need to be safeguarded.   Safeguarding is only required for those passing out treats. 

It will be a safe, free, and family-friendly event with lots of fun activities:

• Costume parade to kick off the trunk or treating!
• Vote for your favorite pumpkin (carved by the teachers and staff of St. Alphonsus)
• Vote for your favorite trunk! The 3 trunks with the most votes will win a prize.
• Favorite trunk winners will be announced at approximately 7:00pm

Time is running out to sign up to host a trunk! Please consider hosting a trunk to make this event a huge success!

Please sign up here by Wednesday, October 16.  All those hosting a trunk must be safeguarded and signed up by Oct. 16. Please include the names of any adults handing out treats at your vehicle.

For questions, please contact Dawn Eisold or Tricia Williams, our Trunk or Treat chairs.

Dine Out Night At Cousins Subs!

This week Wednesday, October 9th is Dine Out Night at Cousins Subs and we hope to see you there! Dine in or carry out from 3:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the Franklin location, 7700 S. Lovers Lane Road. 20% of the sales will go to support St. Alphonsus. Remember to get a receipt (one per child) so that your student can be out of uniform the following day.

Come support our school and let Cousins do the cooking!

Dine Out Nights - the easiest and most delicious fundraisers around.

The St. Alphonsus Grand Raffle has returned!

If you'd like the chance to win $15,000 now's the time. 1 in 10 people will at least double their money with the opportunity for even more.

If you're interested in supporting St. Alphonsus, there are three ways to get your raffle tickets:

1. Pick them up from the raffle table (feel free to take as many tickets as you would like) after any Mass
2. Stop by the parish office and pick the up from our receptionist
3. E-mail the parish here and we will make arrangements to personally deliver them to you

The tickets can then be returned in the same three ways.

Remember, you don’t have to buy them all yourself, and for this raffle to be a success we’ll need your help selling them to friends, family members and co-workers.  The proceeds of the raffle will go directly to St. Alphonsus’ operational budget that helps us be the thriving parish and school we are. 

Please support this fundraiser as it will help us achieve a balanced budget this fiscal year--thank you!

Are you an Unconfirmed Catholic Adult? Want to prepare for this Sacrament?

We have a way to help you take this next step on your faith journey! Sister Eileen facilitates our Adult Confirmation program, which begins October 24th!

Ponder, pray, and then contact Sister Eileen via email or phone: 414-421-2442.

We are eager to assist you!

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.

Please note that any outside activities are not sponsored or endorsed by St. Alphonsus Parish or School

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

Marquette University High School - Milwaukee

St. Thomas More High School - Milwaukee

St. Thomas More is excited to invite you to our 2024 Open House!

Sign-up now as spots will fill up fast!

The 2024 St. Thomas More Open House will be on: Monday, October 21st from 4:30-8:00pm.

At the STM Open House: You will get a small group tour of the facilities from STM students, parents, and faculty. You will receive information on admissions and financial aid, and meet the faculty, staff, and athletics coaches. This is a great way for your family to see all the wonderful things STM has to offer. 

To RSVP, please click here.

St. Thomas More High School Has Also Opened 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.

Pius XI Announces Fall Information & Admissions Deadlines!

Check out the flyer below or visit their website here.

Please note that any outside activities are not sponsored or endorsed by St. Alphonsus Parish or School

The Greendale Health Department also asked all educators in the area to share some information about pertussis/whooping cough:

The State of Wisconsin has seen an increase in pertussis/whooping cough cases. In Wisconsin, it is currently ten times higher than last year at this time and is also nationally high.

Wisconsin Department of Health Services has issued a press release September 19, 2024, which you can view here. 

For detailed information on pertussis, please visit this link.

The best way to prevent the illness or reduce the severity of the disease is vaccination.

• Children should receive 5 doses of DTaP vaccine from age 2 months to 6 years
• Adolescents ages 11-12 should receive one dose of Tdap vaccine
• Adults who have never had a pertussis vaccine should receive one dose of Tdap vaccine
• Pregnant people should receive Tdap between 27-36 weeks of pregnancy, during each pregnancy, to protect the newborn before they are old enough to get the DTaP vaccine
• Check with your healthcare provider if you or your child are due for a vaccine
• Check the Wisconsin Immunization Registry using these instructions

Taking the following daily actions can also help stop the spread of germs:

• Wash hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds
• Avoid touching your nose, eyes, and mouth
• Stay home and away from others if you feel sick
• Avoid being around others who are sick
• Cover your nose and mouth when you cough or sneeze and encourage children to do the same

 If you have any questions, please call the Greendale Public Health Department at 414-423-2110.

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.