July, 2007

Dear St. Paul ’s Parents and Guardians,

          On behalf of the faculty and staff of Saint Paul ’s Catholic School , I want welcome you and your children to a new and exciting school year.  I also want to thank you for exercising your choice to have your children educated in the faith-filled tradition of the Catholic education, a tradition that demands and strives for excellence in all areas of school life.  The Second Vatican Council applauds your efforts when it states that the Catholic school “retains its immense importance in the circumstances of our times” and recalls the duty of Catholic parents “to entrust their children to Catholic schools, when and where this is possible, to support such schools to the extent of their ability, and to work along with them for the welfare of their children.”

As of July 2, we expect to start the 2007-2008 school year with 212 students.  Our goal is to reach maximum capacity of approximately 250 in the immediate future and we need you to be ambassadors for public relations in the community for our wonderful school.  Let other parents, especially Catholic parents who do not have their children enrolled at St. Paul ’s Catholic School , read the above citation from Vatican II.  Let them know about the quality faith-based education we offer and inform them of the projects and programs planned. 

There is a popular quote concerning teachers that I would like to cite, “Teachers affect eternity.  They never know where their influence ends.”  Our teachers welcome parental involvement and will be “encouraged to keep in close contact with you and to jointly monitor the progress of your child.  It is through this cooperative effort that children learn that adults love them and strive to provide them with the best available education.  Teamwork and mutual concern are evident in a Catholic school (Gary Sparks in Why Choose a Catholic School ?).”  Below is the list of teachers and grades taught:

            PreK                                        Mrs. Elaine Sopko       

            PreK aide                                 Mrs. Sonia Nikolai

            Kindergarten                            Mrs. Angela Wilkerson             

            Kindergarten aides                    Mrs. Doreen McDonnell; Carolyn Fazekas

            1^st grade                                   Mrs. Virginia Doucette

            1^st grade aide                            Mrs. Michele Pinder                 

            2^nd grade                                  Miss Monica Giannini               

            3^rd grade                                   Mrs. Christine Mathews                        

            4^th grade                                   Mrs. Pamela Saucier

            5^th grade                                   Mrs. Sue Ane Stumpo              

            6^th grade/Science                      Mrs. Lynn Greene                    

            7^th grade/Social Studies            Mrs. Barbara Miller                  

            8^th grade/Math              Mr. Keith Wagner                    

            Library/Religion            Mrs. Sissy Revord

            PE/Health                     Mrs. Christine Marsella

            Computers                   Mr. Darren Thornton

            Music                           Mrs. Sharon Jones

            Title I                           Mrs. Nancy Kertz

            Spanish                        Mrs. Sonia Nikolai

            Transportation              Mr. Tom Diemer

         There are some important dates that you need to mark off on your calendars: August 9 and 10 and August 16^th.  On August 9 and 10, there will be the uniform sale in the Social Hall from 12:00 Noon to 6:00 PM.  There will be a used uniform sale at this time.  Please consult the school website (www.saintpaulschool.com) to know what to order.  You can call 1-800-621-8263 to order by telephone or go to our website, click on “General;” then click on “Uniforms,” and then click the link to go directly to Sir Walter Uniform Company website. 

            Parent Orientation is Thursday, August 16^th, from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM, in the Social Hall. This is not for students.  This orientation is mandatory and at least one parent/guardian must attend.  Please make sure that you have read the 2007-2008 online Parent/Student Handbook and have downloaded and signed the last two pages of this handbook (pages 42 and 43).  We have included these forms on a single page for your convenience.  You can also mail in the signed forms before August 16^th.  If you need aftercare, you can sign up for it before or after the orientation. 

Fingerprinting is required for all parents/guardians who wish to chaperone on field trips or assist the school in any way. As per Diocesan policy, parents will not be allowed to participate at the school if their fingerprints are not on file. Also, all parents who were fingerprinted five years ago must be fingerprinted again.  We are organizing a day for fingerprinting, which will be on September 5, beginning at 9am. Please call the office to make an appointment.  We need parent/guardian volunteers to work in the office, assist sick children in the health clinic, help distribute/supervise the hot lunch program, etc.

            The PTO will be available that evening to enlist your support.  We need a vibrant and active PTO in order to grow as a Catholic School community.  The PTO needs your involvement in our First Annual Golf Tournament on November 16, 2007, at Harbor Hills Country Club and your support for other important fundraisers.  The PTO wants to form other committees to enhance school life so please be generous with your time and talent and sign up on August 16^th.

 Regular classes begin Monday, August 20^th at 7:55 AM with Before and After School Care operating as usual.  The hourly rate for these two services is $2.50 per hour per child.  Important to note: Every Wednesday we will have dismissals at 1:50 PM with after care available.  This early dismissal is important in order to allow teachers to meet frequently, be available to assist students after school or to schedule parent/guardian conferences, have time for professional and spiritual developments, etc.  The educational and spiritual environment St. Paul ’s Catholic School will be more effective and influential if there is more time for communication and professional development amongst the teachers, students, and parents/guardian.

 Students will need to bring in lunch during the first week of school, August 20^th to the 25^th.   We will be having a new Lunch Program beginning August 27^th.  A sample Hot Lunch Order Form has been included with this mailing.  The Hot Lunch  for a given week would have been pre-ordered the previous week and returned to the Main Office by the Wednesday of that previous week.   Please contact Mrs. Cathy Doyle if you have any questions.  Basically, the ordering format is the same as last year but instead of Vic’s Embers proving the lunch, various local vendors will be providing our lunch.  We are indebted to Vic’s Embers for his years of service to our school and parish.

Just a reminder, if you have not paid your instructional fees, they were due July 1^st.  They are as follows:

            PreK                                                    $225

            K – 5                                                   $300

            6 – 8                                                    $350

            Grade 8 graduation fee                         $40

Finally, your children will start off the year in refurbished classrooms.  Mr. Randy Lee and the Parish and School Maintenance Staff have worked diligently to rip up old carpeting, put down tiling, repair air conditioning units, have working heating elements in all rooms, install new bulletin boards and white boards, paint every classroom, etc.  When you see Fr. John Giel, please thank him for his approval and financial support of this major facelift for our school.  These improvements will be greatly augmented by our new building (Science Lab, Cafeteria, Library, and Multipurpose Room), scheduled to break ground in mid-September of 2007.

      I want to thank you for your attention to this letter.  May God continue to bless you and your loved ones with health and happiness.  Please pray for the intercession of St. Paul the Apostle for our school and parish.

Sincerely,

Lynn Greene

Principal

PS Any families that are new to St. Paul’s for 2007-2008 and plan on taking the Clermont bus, please contact Mrs. Paula Quintanilla at 352-787-4657.

Click here for the 2007 - 2008 School Year Calendar!