Newsletter for February 3, 2010

Saint Benedict Catholic School's WEEKLY NEWS

3100 Grove Avenue, Richmond, VA 23221

February 3, 2010

Report cards will be going home today because of the weather this week.  Please remember that if there is any question about the weather, you should check the local news networks before leaving in the morning.  We also post closings and delays on the school web site in the box on the right side called "Upcoming Events."  Always make sure your child is let into the school building before driving away.

Anyone who has a rising kindergarten student should contact the school office as soon as possible.  Our next kindergarten screening is February 20 at 9am.  Contact Mrs. D'Aria in the school office to sign up!

There has been interest expressed about starting a Band Program at St. Benedict.  Colleen Crafton, one of our parents, has put together a proposal for the band program, which was included in last week's communication envelope.  If you are interested in participating in the program, please fill out and return the form.  If there is enough interest, we will move forward and work on implementing the band program in the fall.

The information night on our "Formation in Christian Chastity" program will be part of the PTO meeting on February 24.  If you would like an overview of the program or have questions about what is taught, please make plans to attend. 

Reenrollment contracts for next year will be coming in February.  If you have questions about reenrollment, please contact the school office.  If you are looking for new uniform items for next year, Rose Uniforms is currently offering 15% off through March 10.

It is not too early to apply for tuition assistance for next school year.  FACTS is now accepting applications for 2010-2011 at http://www.factstuitionaid.com/.  Anyone seeking tuition assistance must apply through FACTS.  There will be no paper applications this year; all applications should be completed online.  If you plan to apply for financial aid, please start the process now, and don't wait until the last minute!

Chess Club is held after school on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month.  If you are still interested in participating, it is not too late to sign up.  Ask for a sign up form in the school office.

Join us at Benedictine High School for Youth League Night on Friday, February 5th at 6:00 pm for The Rut Classic against Woodberry Forest School.  All youth league basketball players in grades 5th-8th who wear their jersey will be admitted free to the game.  The free admission is for youth players only.  Come out and support the Benedictine Cadets next Friday night!

Anyone who wants to place a personal order from Original Works can go to the website, http://www.originalworks.com/ and click on "personal orders."  Thank you so much for your enthusiastic support of the program and our school!

The St. Benedict Institute invites you to a seminar featuring Dr. Elizabeth Schiltz, Law Professor at the University of St. Thomas on Wednesday February 10, 2010 at 7 PM at Virginia Commonwealth University in the Life Sciences building in room 151.  The building is located at the corner of W. Cary St and Harrison St and room 151 is across the courtyard.  The title of the seminar is:  "Taking Complementarity Seriously: A Catholic Approach to Gender Differences, Feminism, and Public Policy.  The seminar is free and open to the public.

The Catholic Diocese of Richmond has sent us some Guidelines for Social Networking that they would like us to share with parents.  Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, and others have been an exciting new way for students to share information.  However, students are often not aware that social networking information is public information.  The Diocesan guidelines may give you some ideas of things to share with your students.

Benedictine and St. Gertrude High Schools will host their 2nd Annual 5K Challenge on March 13, 2010 at 9:00am.  The Catholic school that sends the most runners/walkers to the race will be awarded the Challenge Trophy.  Please see the enclosed flyer for more details.

As part of Engineers Week, there are a number of student contests being hosted by the Science Museum of Virginia on Sunday, February 28.  Contests include an egg drop and a popsicle stick bridge-building competition.  For more information, visit http://www.rjec.org/index%1fPage493.htm.

We are in the process of planning a St. Benedict School Golf Tournament for the spring.  The date has been tentatively set for April 26, 2010 at The Crossings Golf Club.  There is still much more planning to do!  If you are interested in helping, please contact Dean Berger at 314-0997 or dfberger@dynamicmobileimaging.com. 

The Knights of Columbus and Lilies of the Holy Trinity of St. Benedict Parish are planning a Carnivale dinner and dance the evening of February 6.  Proceeds will be given to our school, to continue improvements to the school building.  There will be music, food, and masks!  To learn how you can purchase tickets, please contact the school office.

Up coming events:

Feb. 3              Report Cards

Feb. 4              Early Dismissal at 12:30

Feb. 5              School Mass w/BHS at 8:55am in the church (dress uniform for middle school)

Feb. 12            School Mass w/BHS at 8:55am in the church (dress uniform for middle school)

Feb. 15            No School - Presidents Day

Feb. 17            School Mass for Ash Wednesday at 1:30pm in the church (dress uniform for middle school)

Feb. 20            Kindergarten Screening at 9:00am

Feb. 23            Interim Reports

Feb. 24            PTO Meeting at 6pm in the Science Room

"Everyone who listens to the word of God and acts on it will be like a wise man who built his house on rock."         

-Matthew 7:24