Newsletter for November 18, 2008

Saint Benedict Catholic School's WEEKLY NEWS

3100 Grove Avenue, Richmond, VA 23221

November 18, 2008

Come One! Come all to the PTO Family Dinner Wednesday, November 19th starting at 6:00pm. Dinner is catered by Cary St. Cafe and there will be many yummy desserts to choose from.  Come and enjoy a meal with friends and family! No worries if you did not RSVP--- we have plenty of food!  Tickets will be sold at the entrance. They are $6 per person and $20 for a family of 4 or more.  You can't beat the price or the meal!!

Grandparent's Day for grades K-5 will be held on Friday, November 21.  Be sure to invite your grandparents to attend.  This is always one of the most special days of the year.  Please return the RSVP form to the school by November 19.  The day will start with Mass at 9:00am at St. Benedict Church followed by refreshments at the school.  Grandparents will be able to visit classrooms and the Book Fair.  If your child is going to leave school with their grandparents at the end of the scheduled program, a note from a parent should accompany the RSVP.

This year's Saint Benedict Book Fair features books from Scholastic and Sophia Press.  The Book Fair will be open to Saint Benedict Parish on Sunday, November 16 after the 8:30 and 11:00 Masses.  School children will visit the Book Fair during the week of November 17-21.  Don't forget that parents have the opportunity to browse for books during the PTO Dinner on November 19, and we will have Grandparent's Day for the elementary grades on November 21.  You can preview some of the featured books on the school website by clicking on "Parents" then "Book Fair."  Also, we are still looking for a few more volunteers.  Please contact Melissa Whitehurst at melissa_mom2003@yahoo.com if you can help out.  Thank you!  

Mea culpa!  St. Benedict's 8th Grade Promotion will be held on Tuesday, June 2, not Thursday, June 4 as we informed you last week.  Please mark the change on your calendar so there is no confusion.

There will be no after school care (TASC) on Wednesday, November 26.  Please make arrangements to have all children picked up at 12:30.

The weather is starting to get colder.  Please make sure your student comes to school dressed warmly enough to be outside in the morning and during recess!  After Thanksgiving the summer uniform will no longer be allowed.  This means students should not be wearing shorts to school until after Easter in the spring.

The 8th Grade is sponsoring a FOOD DRIVE for the month of November!  The Central Virginia Food Bank needs our help!  Please bring ONE non-perishable item and receive a FREE TAG DAY TICKET for Wednesday November 26th!!!!

Girl Scout Troop 952 is collecting socks and gloves during the month of November for the homeless.  Drop off boxes are located at St. Benedict School or items can be brought to the school office.

The Catholic Diocese of Richmond will be conducting a diocese-wide survey about Catholic education.  If you are contacted, please answer any questions to best of your ability.  This survey should provide valuable information to improve Catholic schools throughout the Diocese.

Due to safety concerns, we have closed the front steps of the school.  As many of you know, the steps are sinking and pulling away from the building, due to a poor foundation when they were built 90 years ago.  We have contracted to have them repaired, and the construction has begun.  While the steps are being repaired, please use the ramp entrance (the handicap-accessible door closest to the alley) and be conscious of any construction-related changes.  We hope to have the project completed by Thanksgiving.

If you still need to register for a Virtus Training session so that you can volunteer in the school, there will be training here in the school library on Saturday, December 6.  There will be one session starting at 9:00am and the other at 2:00pm.  You do not need to attend both sessions.  We strongly encourage all parents to go through this training so that you can volunteer in the school building.

It is already time to look into registering children for the 2009-2010 school year.  Parents with children who will be starting kindergarten next year are encouraged to contact our parish school to start the registration process.  Please call the school office at 254-8850 or e-mail Mr. Cruess at scruess@saintbenedictschool.org for information or to schedule a visit.  We remind parents of the inspiring words of Pope Leo XIII, "For it is in these [Catholic] schools that the Catholic faith, our greatest and best inheritance, is preserved whole and entire" (Spectata Fides).

For Catholics or Non-Catholics interested in learning more about the Catholic faith, St. Benedict Parish will be hosting Exploring the Catholic Faith sessions each Wednesday evening.  Each evening a different topic will be addressed.  This week's topic will be "I Believe in the Holy Spirit."  Contact the parish office for more information at 254-8810 or e-mail Mr. Drummond at bdrummond@saintbenedictparish.org.

St. Bridget School PTO invites you to a Girls Night Out on Thursday, November 20.  More information is included in the communication envelope.

Up coming events:

Nov. 19-21      Book Fair

Nov. 19           PTO Dinner at 6:00pm in the multi-purpose room

Nov. 21           School Mass (dress uniform for middle school) and Grandparent's Day for grades K-5

Nov. 26           Early Dismissal at 12:30 (TASC is closed)

Nov. 27-28      No School - Thanksgiving Holiday

"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