NEWS AND NOTES
November 23, 2021 Parent Newsletter
A Note from the Principal
We still have a few remaining pictures in the office from our Veterans Day.
Lunch will close today. Also if you have a MIDDLE SCHOOLER FINALS are DECEMBER 14-16TH they will be leaving at 12:30pm unless you plan on having them stay.
Third annual Wreaths for RISE! We will be at drop off at 7:30 and pick up at 2:30 Thursday, December 2nd in front of Marquette. Pre-orders are welcome at gracefulbloomsok@gmail.com, please specify boxwood or traditional wreath.
A big thank you to everyone who contributed food or monetary donations to our Thanksgiving Food Drive! The line to receive food stretched well over a mile and our donations made this holiday much for joyful for many families in need.
Our priests will be offering confessions every Friday school is in-session from 2:30-3:00pm. They will be in the confessionals by Fletcher Hall.
- As we enter the colder months and continue to have relatively isolated cases of COVID-19, it is imperative that you take the entire school community into consideration when your child is not feeling well. Keeping your child home from school can be the difference between a class quarantine. While it is often difficult to have a child home, please be cautious and keep our community healthy.
- Mark your calendars for the return of our Christmas recital for 3rd-6th grade on December 9th at 6:30!
Upcoming Dates
Monday
-Advent Prayer Service in gym at 8:05
Tuesday
-8:15 Kindergarten and 1st Grade Mass
-Kindergarten West to Purple Glaze
-Marquette Athletic Association Meeting 6:00
Wednesday
-8:15 4th and 5th Grade Mass
-Kindergarten Dowdell to Purple Glaze
-ECDC Christmas program
Thursday
-Wreaths for RISE
-ECDC Christmas program
-8:15 2nd and 3rd Grade Mass
-Advent by Candlelight
Friday
-8:15 Middle School Mass
-Spirit Dress Day
Marquette K-8 COVID-19 Data
2022-2023 Calendar
Please note our school calendar for the next school year! More details will follow later, but please see the highlights thus far.
Red Highlight-Day off School
Blue Highlight-Day in school
August 18 First Day of School
September 29-30 Parent-Teacher Conferences
October 13 Diocesan Teacher In-Service
October 14 Fall Break
February 15-16 Parent-Teacher Conferences
February 17 Diocesan Teacher In-Service
February 20 President’s Day-No School
Poetry Contest
Attention All Marquette Students:
The 8th grade Pep Squad is encouraging you to participate in our school wide Poetry Contest. Use the talents God has blessed you with and create a Christmas themed masterpiece! Prizes will be awarded to grades K-2 , 3-5, and 6-8. Everyone has special talents--- won’t you share your poem with us? Please submit your poem to your homeroom teacher by December 3. We will not accept late submissions. Homerooms will then forward their favorite to us for final selection for category winners.
Winners will be asked to read their poem at the
Christmas Pray & Play Pep Rally. Thank you and Merry Christmas!!!!
RISE Challenge Grant
The Religious Inclusive Student Education Program (RISE) has been blessed with a $50,000 matching grant for the 2021/22 school year. This year's challenge matching grant was made possible by the generous contributions of friends of RISE. Double your impact with a gift!
Needed donations:
• Two - $10,000 gifts
• Four - $5,000 gifts
• Two - $2,500 gifts
• Five - $1,000 gifts
Founded in 2007, today the RISE Program helps about 60 students with learning differences find success in the classroom through varying levels of support. If you know of any individual or company that would be interested in donating, please contact Tara Pickard or Jay Luetkemeyer.
Thank you in advance for your consideration to help our extraordinary students benefit from an inclusive Catholic education.
Cards for a Cause
Hello Marquette families!
We are so happy to bring an optional fall fundraiser to the RISE program, Cards for a Cause. Your child will be bringing home a packet today that includes details and information on the fundraiser as well as an order form. Please return your order form and payments by November 29 as our goal is to have boxes ready for distribution on December 6th! Please see this informational video here.
Any questions?
Please contact Sarah Ledbetter, 918-640-8467 or Sarah Seck, 602-320-8828
Inclement Weather
Dear Parents,
As we enter the winter months, I think it is appropriate to take some time to discuss my approach to closing school due to extreme weather before it happens.
All families handle weather differently and I strongly encourage families to make their own decisions regarding whether or not it is safe to travel to school. On a bad weather day or a potentially bad weather day, the school will make a decision to hold classes or not no later than 6:15 in the morning. The school will send a text message through RenWeb and post on the Marquette Facebook page. I always prefer to make a decision about school closure as early as possible, however, sometimes the timing of incoming weather can make the decision difficult. Often times a decision is made during overnight hours, so check your phone/email or social media early in the morning or even the night before.
Once I determine to open school, I will not close the school early barring a major catastrophe or loss of power/heat. Although the school will not be closed mid-day, we do encourage families to make their own decision on picking up their children early. Please do not delay picking up your child(ren) early if you have concerns, we will not make judgments on your personal family decision. Any child picked up after 12:00 will not have any penalties apply to their attendance. To keep phone lines open, however, please do not call ahead to check out your child. We ask that you arrive in the school office and we will call your child down with their things.
Late starts are an option the school may choose to use in the case of bad roads or the potential for bad weather hitting around arrival time. Theoretically, a late start allows families and teachers to begin driving after the sun comes up and could better allow individuals to navigate icy or snow packed streets. While we understand a late start can disrupt a parent’s ability to get to work on time, our hope is that a shorter day at work is better than taking an entire personal day to watch children. During a late start, the school will indicate through email communication what time the building will open and when drop off can begin.
While the school will not ever close early once the day has begun (barring a major catastrophe), the school may choose to close Extended Care early. In the event of bad weather or potentially bad weather later in the day, Extended Care may be closed early. In the event that Extended Care closes early, we ask families to make every effort to pick up their children as soon as possible so that our employees can drive home safely. We will do our very best to make an announcement about extended care as early as possible.
Decisions on canceling school are always incredibly difficult. Living in Oklahoma, we know that the weather can change quickly. Likely, many of us can remember times that the forecast was wrong and fears of inclement weather never materialized. In my experience, most principals have called off school before only to feel foolish later in the day. In times when I am most uncertain, however, I often think of the quote, “I would rather be foolish 99 times, than deadly wrong once”. While to some, the decision to remain in school or not does not seem one of life and death. Ultimately, however, I cannot risk the potential of a family or teacher being injured in a car accident or slipping on ice when we still have room in our calendar to close without impact on our last day of school. In this situation, the health and well-being of our community outweighs the costs of inconvenience.
If you should have any questions about our winter weather closing, please contact me at jluetkemeyer@marquetteschool.org or simply call the school office. The decision to close school is not made easily and I will always try to make a decision that is in the best interest of all of our students, families, and staff. I implore you to never go against your better judgment when making a decision to bring your child(ren) to school. I am making a decision that meets the needs of all our students and families, you must make the decision for your specific family.
Sincerely,
Mr. Luetkemeyer
Holiday SCRIP Orders
Volunteering and Virtus
What you need to do:
- First, VIRTUS Child & Youth Protection Requirements have three components: 1.) the background check submission 2.) adherence to policies, procedures, and ethical standards, and 3.) the child & youth protection education training. Each component needs to be renewed every five years.
- Registration for First-time Users:
- Visit www.virtusonline.org.
- Select “First-Time Registrant” to create an online VIRTUS account.
- Follow the onscreen step-by-step instructions for completing the process (PDF instructions attached as well). We require all volunteers to start this process no later than two week before the date of volunteering.
OR
- Update Existing Account:
- Registered volunteers are encouraged to login at the beginning of every school year to ensure that all personal information is correct. Upon login, your account will prompt you to complete any necessary requirements. Automated emails are sent through VIRTUS approximately one week before they expire. Please ensure that the registered email address is correct.
Yearbook Picture Submissions
2021-2022 Calendar
NOVEMBER
November 23 KINDERGARTEN THANKSGIVING FEAST
November 23 THANKSGIVING PRAYER SERVICE
November 24-28 THANKSGIVING BREAK--NO SCHOOL
November 29 ADVENT PRAYER SERVICE 8:05
DECEMBER
December 6 ADVENT PRAYER SERVICE 8:05
December 6 JINGLE BELL SHOOTOUT FOR CHRISTMAS JARS
December 8 ALL SCHOOL MASS FOR FEAST OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION
December 9 MUSIC PROGRAM
December 13 ADVENT PRAYER SERVICE 8:05
December 13 CUP OF CHRISTMAS TEA
December 14-16 MIDDLE SCHOOL FINALS: 12:30 DISMISSAL (MIDDLE SCHOOL ONLY)
December17 CHRISTMAS PRAYER SERVICE
December18-JAN. 3 CHRISTMAS BREAK--NO SCHOOL
JANUARY
January 3 TEACHER CURRICULUM DAY
January 4 CLASSES RESUME
January 6 ALL SCHOOL MASS
January 7 KINDERGARTEN OPEN HOUSE 11:30 A.M.
January 17 MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. DAY--NO SCHOOL
January 30-Feb. 4 CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK
FEBRUARY
February 14 VALENTINE’S DAY PARTIES 2:15
February16 &17 PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES
(2:15 DISMISSAL ON FEB. 16; NO SCHOOL ON FEB. 17)
February 18 DIOCESAN INSERVICE--NO SCHOOL
February21 PRESIDENTS DAY--NO SCHOOL
MARCH
March 2 ASH WEDNESDAY MASS
March 11 KINDERGARTEN Q/U WEDDING
March 12-20 SPRING BREAK
March 25 STATIONS OF THE CROSS
APRIL
April 8 STATIONS OF THE CROSS
April 14 HOLY THURSDAY/LIVING STATIONS OF THE CROSS 2:00 P.M.
April 15 GOOD FRIDAY--NO SCHOOL
April 18 EASTER MONDAY-NO SCHOOL
April 25-29 SPRING BOOK FAIR
MAY
May 6 MAY CROWNING
May 13 FIELD DAY
May 16-18 8TH GRADE FINALS: 12:30 DISMISSAL FOR 8TH GRADERS
May 19 8TH GRADE GRADUATION
May 20 FIELD DAY MAKE UP DAY
May 24-26 6TH AND 7TH GRADE FINALS: 12:30 DISMISSAL
May 27 KINDERGARTEN GRADUATION
May 27 LAST DAY OF SCHOOL: 12:00 DISMISSAL / NO AFTERCARE2021-2022 Marquette School Theme
“Joy, with peace, is the sister of charity. Serve the Lord with laughter.”
– SAINT PADRE PIO
Marquette Saint of the Year-St. Joseph
