Weekly School Broadcast Fourth grade students imagined themselves as a priest or sister after Mass on Tuesday.
2020-11-20
A Message from the Principal
This month of November we have been focusing on gratitude, our virtue of Courtesy and Vocations. Each day we have reflected on a question about some specific thing we are grateful for - from places to textures to challenges, traditions, people and more. This simple exercise allows us to focus on something good and see the many blessings God has made available to us. One of the things I am most grateful for is the privilege to have attended Catholic elementary and high school, and then teach in Catholic Schools. I grew up with church being the center of family life, and priests and sisters who were my mentors, then colleagues and ultimately friends. Being able to absorb faith by walking and working alongside these holy men and women helped me discern how God was calling me to marriage and ultimately to continuing His work in education. Our vocation discernment begins at a young age. We pray and LISTEN to God's voice - often coming through other people. We need religious vocations! As many religious orders are dwindling, there are several attracting young men and women. I remember walking through the Holy places in Rome and Assisi and being struck by the large number of young Franciscans all around me. The Dominican Sisters in TN and MI are other orders that are growing. Are we continuing to invite our young people to this discernment as we educate? Do you know a young person who might be a candidate for priesthood or the convent? Invite them to consider it!
Respectfully,
School News We want to encourage our young scientists to explore their questions, form hypotheses and complete research to prove the hypothesis right or wrong. We have modified our Science fair to allow this process to continue. Projects are required at some grade levels and encouraged at all. We will also provide opportunities for our participants to share their findings with their classmates. Please click here for details. There will be extra copies of the packet in the school office if needed. Please join me in thanking Mr. Jake Kostel for his 2+ years of service at St. Francis. Jake has accepted another position and his last day with us will be November 24th. We wish him well. Please keep the interview process in your prayers! Each year the HSA offers families a way to recognize all the adults who work with your children at school - and still stay within your budget! Please click here for the flyer describing this collection. The first Sunday of Advent is Sunday, November 29th. As we begin this time of patient waiting, we light Advent candles, say specific Advent prayers, look for ways we can serve others and pray for Jesus coming again. Click here for a family advent calendar. Please donate your nonperishable food items for Operation One More on or before December 11th. Items will be taken to the Church of the Resurrection on that day for sorting and packaging for family pick-up. Our Used Uniform donations have exceeded our storage space! We will be putting racks of used items in the school vestibule for distribution on Monday, November 23 through Wednesday, November 25 from 9:15 am to 3:15 pm. Calling all students in grades 3-6!! Rochester GATEway is proud to announce the 32nd Annual GATEway Science Fair. This is a great chance to be a scientist! Registration for the fair is open through Rochester Community Education. If you need a little help getting started or are curious about how to put a science project together, then sign up for one of our “How-To” Workshops. Workshops are open to students in grades 3-6 and their parents and, due to COVID-19, the workshops will be offered via Zoom this year. The workshops are free, but pre-registration is required to receive details and the Zoom link. Choose between two available times: Tues., Dec. 1, 2020, 6:30-8:00 PM, or Sat. Dec. 5, 2020, 1:00-2:30 PM. Sign up online at www.rochestergateway.com and click on “Workshops” under Hot News. We were notified by the Lion’s Club that this year’s winners are: 3rd Place: Stella Beatty, 2nd Place: Aidan Carnell and 1st Place: Kian McMenomy Sixth grade students from around the region participated in the VFW Post 1215 Patriots Pen Essay Contest. St. Francis of Assisi students earned 4 out of the 6 awards. Congratulations to Dane Van Gompel on his first place tie, Aubrey Lawler on her 4th place award, Caitlin Carnell on her 5th place award, and Finn Eckerman on his 6th place award. We are so glad we can offer our young people the opportunity to express themselves through contests like this.
System News Your gifts on this year's RCS Day of Giving, in addition to your contributions leading up to the event, totalled more than $137,000! Of this amount, more than $73,600 was designated to the new RCS Fund for Academic Excellence in support of our teachers and staff. We are extremely blessed and grateful for your generosity and dedication. We thank YOU - our devoted community - for supporting our students as well as our amazing educators who lead our classrooms and inspire us all! Read more The RCS Director of Admissions position is currently open and seeking applicants. Please click here for full job description including how to apply. With the busiest shopping days ahead, be sure to pre-order your gift cards! By using Scrip you not only reduce your tuition but help raise funds for Rochester Catholic Schools! Gift cards make great stocking stuffers and small gifts for friends, teachers, coaches, mail carriers, and more. You have three more opportunities to submit online orders before Christmas Break. Read more Activities News Registration for winter sports is now open. A valid sports physical must be on file in the Activities Office prior to registration. If one is not on file, please email it to activities@rcsmn.org. Click here to register. Calendar
St. Francis of Assisi School |