Summer Newsletter

Posted Friday, August 1, 2008

Dear Parents and Friends of All Saints,

Summer Greetings!

I hope this letter finds you rested and continuing to enjoy the leisurely pace of the summer months. With the month of August now upon us, thoughts turn increasingly toward the start of the new year and the excitement that surrounds the opening of school.

Plans are well underway for the 08-09 academic year. Most significantly, the parish continues to prepare for the official groundbreaking ceremony for the new church. The event will take place at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, November 1st, the Feast of All Saints. After many years of sacrificial giving, the parish community now stands on the threshold of a very exciting moment ~ the construction of our new church.

To coincide with this historic moment and with consideration of the Holy Father’s invitation for the universal church to reflect on the writings of St. Paul in the year ahead, Fr. Bob and the parish staff have selected a theme for the parish ~ Build on Christ our Hope. As in prior years, the theme will serve to unite our parish and provide a central focus for spiritual reflection.

Another area of focus for our community this year will be the reinstitution of a formal Virtues Program. Although the 55 Essentials of Ron Clark has provided motivation and meaningful reflection for us over the course of the past several years, I believe that the Virtues Program can be more effectively integrated throughout our program, particularly as it relates to the religious formation of the students. As the Virtues Program is rooted in the teachings of the Gospel, what better framework can we offer the students than one solidly grounded in the teachings of our faith? While shifting our focus back to the Virtues Program, we will continue to incorporate some of the practical strategies identified by Ron Clark on a monthly basis.

As you are already aware, the upcoming year will be particularly significant for our school as we undertake the Design for Excellence self-study process. Over the course of the next eight months, the faculty and staff will have an opportunity to reflect on all aspects of our school as we document the mission, vision and very life of our community. Mrs. Campagna, our new Assistant Principal, will serve as the Steering Chairperson, guiding us through the process in preparation for the arrival of the Reaccredidation Visiting Team on Monday, April 27th.

In order to provide the faculty with ample opportunity to complete the self-study process, school will dismiss at noon approximately two Fridays per month.

During the upcoming year, schools of the Arlington Diocese will begin the process of curriculum mapping, an enhanced method of planning instruction for students. Comprehensive in nature, the approach will enable teachers to further narrow the lense of instruction by focusing on “essential questions” which will be customized to the needs of each classroom of learners.

The launching of this program will require both time for professional development and time for teachers to design maps. To support this process, the diocese has announced that there will be system-wide work days for teachers this year with school dismissing early on the following days: Friday, August 29th; Friday, October 10th; Friday, November 7th.

A newly formed Spirit Committee, led by Mrs. Renee Wydajewski and Mrs. Holly Crocker, has created a schedule of activities and events to coincide with the half day dismissals scheduled for 08-09. Each of the activities, such as meals at local restaurants, mini-golf outings, etc. are being offered for all families as a means to further build community through fun and fellowship on days of early release. Each of the planned events will be noted in the school calendar and additional information will be available on Orientation Day.

As you prepare for the beginning of the new school year, I hope that the following information will prove helpful.

1) Orientation Day for Students in Grades K-8: Friday, August 22nd from 9:00 a.m. to noon. The classrooms will be open for visits until 11:00 a.m. while cafeteria ticket sales and distribution of information will continue in the gym until noon. This day provides you and your child the opportunity to meet teachers and visit classrooms. All visiting parents and students are asked to both enter and exit the building by way of the main entrance at the front of the school. On Orientation Day, parents/visitors are invited to park in either the front or rear parking lot of the church. During your visit you may pick up your carpool number and carpool maps. Lunch and milk tickets will also be available for purchase as well as the uniform exchange where gently worn articles may be purchased for a nominal fee. (Although the Pre-Kindergarten program will host a separate open house event, parents are welcome to visit the gym to pick-up important information.)

> New families are invited to arrive early on Orientation Day. All faculty and staff will be available to greet you and guide you through the school beginning at 9:00 a.m. Returning families are asked to begin arriving at 9:30 a.m.

>Throughout the course of the morning, you are asked to keep your children with you at all times since the teachers will be occupied with meeting their new students and will not be available to supervise children.

2) First Day of School: Grades K-8; Monday, August 25th

8:10 Tardy Bell

8:15 Classes Begin

Since you will already have had the opportunity on Orientation Day to meet teachers and visit classrooms, you are asked to drop off your children in the carpool line by 8:05 a.m. Students will enter the building via the breezeway connecting the new facility to the original wing and report directly to their homerooms. The breezeway doors will open at 7:50, at which time the cars in the front of the carpool line will begin dropping off students at the direction of patrols and the supervising staff. Any child dropped off before 7:50 a.m. must be escorted to the Extended Day Program in Father Kelley Hall by a parent or guardian.

Dismissal will occur at noon on Monday for students in grades Kindergarten through eight. Dismissal for grades 1-8 will be at 3:00 p.m. for the remainder of the week. However, the Kindergarten program will dismiss at noon for the entire first week of school.

At 10:00 a.m. on Friday, August 29th we will celebrate the beginning of the new year with a school-wide Mass. All parents are cordially invited to join us for this liturgy.

3) Immunizations: Virginia law requires that parents of students enrolling in pre-kindergarten, kindergarten or first grade provide documentation of appropriate immunization for measles, mumps, and rubella. All children who have not received a complete series of hepatitis B vaccine will be required to receive such immunization prior to entering the 6th grade. Additionally, in accordance with the immunization requirements for the State of Virginia, all 6th grade students must receive a Tdap booster before returning to school in the fall. Please be aware that providing documentation of immunization is a necessary condition for enrollment at All Saints. Those students who have not received proper immunization will not be permitted to attend school.

4) Carpool Information: All participants in a carpool use the same number and each driver must have a copy of this number posted in his/her window when picking up riders. Parents may pick up carpool numbers at the carpool information table during Orientation on Friday, August 22nd. Please note: Every car needs a number, whether or not the parents have established a carpool with another family. The numbers are needed for the very first day of school. Re-registered families may use last year’s number, but are asked to confirm this information at the carpool information table on Orientation Day. Maps and directions highlighting the carpool route will be available as well. All parents are asked to pick up and review these items prior to the first day of school. Parents whose children will be walking to and from school are asked to indicate this on the sign-up form.

5) 2008-2009 School Calendar: New calendars may be picked up on Orientation Day. We are grateful to Mrs. Laurie Short who again this year designed the document. The calendar was printed by JM Gaske with the financial support of local businesses that purchased adverstisements included in the publication.

6) Parent/Student Handbook: Information related to the updated student handbook will be issued to all families via the website and upcoming school newsletters.

7) Supplies: Supply lists were distributed in the spring in order that you might take advantage of sales during the summer. Newly registered families received one at the time of registration. Parents who ordered supplies through the school-organized supply project may pick them up on Orientation Day. All students are asked to come to school prepared with supplies on the first day of classes.

8) Uniforms: Students in grades 1-8 are required to wear the full school uniform during the school day and at designated school functions. The following is a description of the uniform code for the “summer” months.

Summer Uniform: This uniform is worn from the first day of school through the month of October and from April 20th to the final day of school. All of the items listed below, with the exception of socks, are to be purchased from Flynn and O’Hara Uniform Company. (703-503-5966).

¨ Khaki shorts

¨ Navy blue or white golf shirts (new requirement of school logo on shirts is grandfathered through 2008-2009)

¨ White socks (Please note: Students are required to wear crew socks that can be folded over at the ankle. Ankle socks are not acceptable.)

Optional –Khaki slacks (boys and girls, Gr.1-8), Khaki skirts (girls, Gr.5-8)

Shoes: Plain black leather athletic shoes only. Shoes must not include white or colored stripes, blinking lights, etc. Hightops are not permitted.

As we begin the year, it is important that all students wear the uniform as outlined in our student handbook. Throughout the first several weeks of school, teachers will be particularly attentive to this policy in order that we may have a student population that is both uniform and neat in appearance.

9) P.E. Uniform: Students in grades 6-8 “dress out” for P.E. class. (Those in kindergarten wear the P.E. uniform every day, while those in first through fifth grade wear their P.E. uniform all day on days when they attend P.E.) Middle school students are asked to bring their P.E. uniform to school on days when they will attend P.E. class. They may also wish to bring a pair of socks and athletic shoes depending upon the style of their particular uniform shoe.

10) Cafeteria: Lunches may be purchased daily ($2.50), monthly ($50.00) or yearly, based on 164 lunches ($410.00). The price of milk this year will be $0.16. The cost for adults will be $0.25.

11) Extended Day: Our child care program will be in operation beginning at noon on the first day of school. If you wish for your child to attend the program, please send him/her to school with a bag lunch on the first day of school. The Extended Day Program will be available beginning at noon for kindergarten students throughout the first week of school.

12) Bookbag Policy: Students may use wheeled bookbags on their way to and from school. However, for the safety of all students and staff, once inside the building students must carry their school bags. With this in mind, students may use bookbags with or without wheels provided they fit inside their locker space. The size of lockers is indicated below.

Grades 4-5
Height – 35 in.
Width – 12 in.
Depth – 17 in.

Grades 6-8
Height – 35.5 in.
Width – 12 in.
Depth – 11 in.

13) Family Directory and Ad Book: The family directory will be printed and distributed during the month of September.

In the days preceding the opening of school, should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at 703-368-4400.