Number 12

Almighty Father,

You sent forth your Son as a beacon of hope for all people.
As Teacher, he has given us the prime example of the importance of education.
As disciples, we look to him for inspiration and strength.

Thank you for the many sisters, brothers, priests, and laypeople who have dedicated their lives in service to our Catholic schools.
Thank you for the teachers and administrators who sustain our schools today.
Thank you for the parents who have given support and witness to the importance of Catholic education in their daily lives.
Thank you for the students who work hard to further their education.

Bless All Souls Catholic School and the many people who advance our mission.
May our building be a home for those who seek to grow in faith, knowledge, and service of others.
May our community always support one another and exhibit hospitality to newcomers.

Fill our minds with knowledge and wisdom.
May our understanding of the world help us to grow in appreciation for it.

Fill our hearts with gladness.
May we always turn to you in times of need.

Fill our hands with the tools we need to serve others.
May we show them your unceasing love through our actions.

Dear Parents/Guardians,

This week we have been celebrating Catholic Schools Week 2017. We started it off with a lovely Mass on Sunday followed by Open House and the Science Fair. I wish to thank everyone for choosing All Souls Catholic School for the education of their children. While it can be a financial burden for many of our families, we thank you for your efforts in supporting our school community in the many ways you do.

There is a School Family Mass on Sunday at 9am. Our 5th grade class is preparing the Mass. It will be nice to see as many families as possible at this Mass on Sunday.

With the beginning of the third quarter I would ask that everyone check in with your child to see what short-term goal they have chosen to work on for the quarter. By now everyone should have accessed the online report cards to view your child's results. During the week we have been working with SchoolSpeak on some glitches in the reporting of progress in student performance, and now those glitches have been rectified. As with any new system it takes a little time to work out all the nuances.

I am proud of all our students from the 6th through 8th grades who worked on their Science Fair projects. We had judges form Mercy High School San Francisco, and I wish to extend my gratitude to Mr. Nicolas for arranging this. The winners have been announced, and you can see the results in the latter part of this newsletter.

Kindergarten Testing:

On Saturday, February 4th we will be conducting Kindergarten testing as well as testing for other grades. We still have vacancies for the Kindergarten class and for other various grades. If you know of anyone who wishes to join the All Souls community we'd ask you to please notify them.

Re-Enrollment

The re-enrollment process begins for the rest of the school families from March 1st. Please be aware it is important to complete this online re-enrollment at that time. A reminder that the fee of $305 is due at the time of completing the forms. There will be a slight increase in tuition for the coming year due to a new salary increase and health care increases for all staff.

Student Free Day - February 3rd.

Tomorrow is a Student Holiday for students only. Staff will be attending the Archdiocesan Curriculum Conference in the city. The office will be open form 8am to 2pm.

Principal's Awards:

The Principal's Awards Ceremony will be held on Monday, February 6th at 9am in the Church followed by morning tea in the cafeteria.

Zoo Mobile Activity:

Our students from from K to 3 will have a visit from the Zoo Mobile on Monday after the Principal's Awards with an additional visit for 4th grade on Monday, February 13th.

Rite of Enrollment for Confirmation

The Rite of Enrollment for our 7th graders will be held at the 9am Mass on Sunday February 12.

Animals on Campus

I do wish to remind everyone that dogs are not permitted on the school grounds. The reason for this is to protect students and adults form a dog that may become unruly. There have been situations when a dog has turned and bitten a child in other schools. We would not like this to happen.

End of Day Dismissal

By now you would have noticed that the clinic and the school have implemented a new system in the afternoon whereby cars are not permitted in the driveway that leads up to the school fence. Thanks to parents and guardians who have been respectful of this decision. The decision for this action was made with the clinic, SSFPD, and the school.

Crab Feed

Many thanks to the Athletic Board parents for organizing the Crab Feed for this Saturday night. A lot of planning an work has gone into this evening. I believe there are still a few seats available but I suggest registering on line as soon as possible.

God Bless,

Vincent Riener

Principal

“It is not only for what we do that we are held responsible, but also for what we do not do.” - Moliere

In our school philosophy, it is stated, in part, that “We acknowledge that parents are the first and primary educators of their children. . .” and “. . .we must create a spirit of understanding and cooperation in which teachers, students, and parents can grow and learn together.” Those words are indicative of the partnership necessary between home and school to successfully educate a child.

What does it say, then, when on this last Monday morning (following the previous Thursday’s publication) that over 20% of parents had yet to view their children’s report cards? And that of those parents who did view report cards 40% did not sign them? As of this morning, a full week later, close to 40 report cards still have not been viewed.

Our Mission Statement and Schoolwide Learning Expectations profess the hope that our graduates go on to become responsible citizens. It would be hoped that all of our school parents would set an example of this for their children. Most of you do, and for that we thank you.

All the best,

Miss J

At All Souls School, we believe that parents are role models for love, and we encourage students to appreciate their families on St. Valentine's Day. If students wish to celebrate with their friends they should do so outside of school. We do not hold classroom parties due to the loss of instructional time, and we do not encourage exchanges at school between students as children can be easily excluded and feelings can be hurt. We ask parents to be respectful of the school's position for Valentines.

2 - 8th Grade Dance

3 - Archdiocesan Curriculum Conference - Student Holiday

4 - New Student Testing - 9am

4 - Athletic Board Crab Feed

5 - School Family Mass - 9am

6 - Faculty Meeting - 2:30pm Early Dismissal

6 - Principal's Awards Ceremony - 9am

8 - Athletic Board Meeting - 6:30pm

12 - Rite of Enrollment for Confirmation - 9am Mass

17 - Semester Holiday - 20- Presidents' Day Holiday

21 - School Board Mtg. - 6:30pm - Annex Meeting Room

22 - Spring Picture Day

23 - First Communion Parent Meeting - 7pm

25 - School Board Parent Event

27 - Archdiocesan Staff Dev. Mtg. - 12:20 Dismissal - Athl. Board Hot Dog Sale

24-25-26 - LA Religion Congress

The school calendar has been updated to reflect changes in January through June 2017. Please replace old copies you may have.

As you are looking for a perfect birthday or special occasion gift, don't forget your shopping options that will benefit All Souls Catholic School!

Our in-house Scrip program is back in business after the summer break, and you can always shop online at the eScrip Online Mall, which has many of your favorite online shopping sites.

Amazon shoppers please remember to use the handy Amazon link at the bottom of our web page. This link will take you directly to your personal Amazon page, shop as you normally would, and the school will earn a percentage of your purchase. There is no cost to you!

Email: info@ssfallsoulsschool.org
Website: www.ssfallsoulsschool.org
Location: 479 Miller Ave, South San Francisco, CA, United States
Phone: (650) 583 3562