Newsletter for June 2, 2009

Saint Benedict Catholic School's WEEKLY NEWS

3100 Grove Avenue, Richmond, VA 23221

June 2, 2009

Thank you to those who were able to come to Arts in the Alley, and a special thank you to all of our volunteers!  Everyone had a wonderful time!!

It is time to begin looking into summer camps and programs.  Don't forget that St. Benedict Catholic School will be offering a Summer Academy this year in July.  There are many exciting course options to choose from.  Classes fill up, so please sign up as soon as possible if you plan to enroll your child.  More information is available on the school website or by contacting the school office.  The enrollment deadline is June 12.

Please make sure that all past-due payments for the Morning Supervision Program and TASC are paid as soon as possible.  Students who have an outstanding balance at the end of the school year will not receive their report card until it is paid.  Thank you!  Starting on May 26th, Morning Supervision must be paid on a daily basis through the end of the school year.  The last day of TASC will be Friday, June 5, 2009.

Field Day is Friday, June 5.  It is a free Tag Day to wear PE type clothing.  Please keep in mind that T-shirts should contain appropriate messages, tank tops are not acceptable, and shorts need to be an appropriate length.  Please wear athletic shoes, not sandals or flip flops.  All students must bring a sack lunch on Friday.  Students who forget their lunch will have to call their parents to bring a lunch.

Our Principal for a Day, Miss Gabriella Unger, is offering a free Tag Day on Monday, June 8.  See the school handbook for the regular Tag Day rules.  Dismissal on Monday is at 12:30pm, and there will be no TASC on Monday.

For June 9, the last day of school, students may dress in church clothes or wear their regular uniform.  Church clothes for boys would be dress pants, dress shoes, and a polo or oxford shirt tucked in.  A tie is recommended.  Girls may wear a dress, skirt with a nice top, or pant suit.  The skirt or dress should be no shorter than 2 inches above the knee.  Please avoid any clothing that is low-cut or tight.  Strapless dresses or spaghetti straps are not acceptable.  Students must have someone to pick them up at St. Benedict Church no later than 11:00am.

The PTO is looking for parents to volunteer!  If you are interested in being a co-classroom rep or coordinator for the Comet Shop, please email Lisa Merriman at lisa.m.merriman@altria.com  or call her at 335-2386.

At this time, there are still openings in all grade levels.  If you know of anyone who is interested in having their children attend St. Benedict Catholic School, please encourage them to contact the school office.

Ukrops Golden Gift Certificates will be mailed soon.  Please submit them to the school as soon as possible.  The PTO is collecting Campbell Soup Labels and Box Tops for Education.  Please turn them in to the school office as soon as possible.

We are planning to start a "Family to Family" program at St. Benedict to help welcome new families into our school community.  The program would partner current families with a new family.  We would ask that you contact the new family, welcome them, and answer questions that they have about the school.  Ideally, you could find a time over the summer to meet.  We will try to match families that have children of similar ages.  Because of the number of new kindergarten students each year, all families currently in kindergarten will be automatically asked to participate.  Any other families that are interested in being ambassadors for our school, please contact Mr. Cruess at scruess@saintbenedictschool.org or call the school office.

Yearbooks are now sold out.  We hope that everyone who wanted one was able to purchase a yearbook.  Thank you to Mrs. Eliasek and the 8th grade yearbook class for their work in putting together a very nice looking yearbook.

The St. Benedict Parish/School Corpus Christi Celebration will take place Sunday, June 14 after the 11:00am Mass.  There will be food and games for everyone at St. Benedict School. 

The 2nd annual Saint Joseph Italian Festival hosted by St. Joseph Catholic Church will be held Saturday & Sunday, June 13th & 14th, 2009 on the church grounds at 828 Buford Road (Bon Air) Richmond, VA.  Hours are 11am - 8pm.  The event is held rain or shine and admission and parking are free.  There will be Italian Food - Live Music - Italian Cultural Area - Bingo.  More information is available on the Festival website at http://www.sjfestival.com/.

Congratulations to Geordan Colden, John Paul Nyunt, and Noah Madel who all won Lego sets from the Arts in the Alley Lego contest.  The count was 1192, and these boys guessed 1215, 1249, and 1093.

Please take note of these dates that are different from those printed in the school calendar:  8th Grade Promotion will be held Tuesday, June 2 after the 5:30 Mass.  Monday, June 8th will be an early dismissal day, and the Closing Mass will be Tuesday, June 9.  There will be no school on June 10.

Up coming events:

June 2              8th Grade Graduation at 5:30pm in the church (reception to follow at the school)

June 4              7th Grade Retreat at St. Michael's Catholic Church

June 5              School Mass at 9:00am in the church

June 5              Tag Day for Field Day in the afternoon (please bring sack lunch)

June 8              Early Dismissal at 12:30; Tag Day

June 9              Closing Mass at 10:00 in the church (students must be picked up at the church by 11:00)

June 14            Corpus Christi celebration and Parish/School Picnic

"Do you not know that the runners in the stadium all run in the race, but only one wins the prize?  Run so as to win the race."            -1 Corinthians 9:24