Number 16

When Jesus receives the news that his good friend Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha, is sick and near to death, he does not rush to see him and comfort his family. He takes his time getting there.

However, on arriving, Jesus found that Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days already. As he approaches the house, Jesus is met by Martha who is less than happy to see her friend. Instead, she starts to give out to him! Even in the midst of sorrow and bereavement, she clearly says to Jesus, ‘if you had been here, my brother would not have died.’ And then she continues with deep faith and belief in Jesus and says, ‘but I know that, even now, whatever you ask of God, he will grant you.’ Even though she is angry with Jesus, she hasn’t given up on him completely. Jesus assures her that her brother will rise again and then he proclaims clearly, ‘I am the resurrection and the life, if anyone believes in me… will never die.’ After saying this, he looks directly at Martha and asks her, ‘Do you believe this?’ Without any hesitation, she replies, ‘Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God.’ Despite her loss, grief and pain, Martha is still able to have faith and confidence in Jesus as the resurrection and the life who has come into the world.

The gospel is like a sign-post that points and leads us to Holy Week. On Holy Thursday we will be asked to stand with Jesus as he is betrayed, denied. On Good Friday he will be condemned, beaten and crucified and he will die. There is no way of ignoring or avoiding the reality of the death of Jesus. But the cross is not our final destination. It is only a stage on our journey, not only through Lent, but in our lives too. With the women who stood by him, we too have to stay at the cross before we experience the joy of the resurrection. On Good Friday, we are asked to experience the fact and reality of death. But we are also asked to have faith in Jesus as Martha did. As we take another step on our Lenten journey Jesus says to each of us, I am the resurrection and the life, do you believe this? Through this gospel, Jesus offers us the promise and hope of new and everlasting life.

Difficult as death and the loss of a family member or a friend is, we are asked not to lose faith in God. God will not abandon us at our time of need. We have this assurance in the first reading; I will put my spirit in you and you will live.

As we face the reality of Good Friday, let us also look towards the new life of Easter Sunday. Jesus is still the resurrection and the life; if we believe in him, we shall not die.

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Re-Enrollment 2017-2018

As you are all aware we are in the final day of the online re-enrollment process. It is very important that you complete the on-line enrollment form on SchoolSpeak. If you have any problems with this please contact Mrs. Cierra immediately. We have some families on a wait list, and we will need to notify them shortly if we have a space for them. If you are not intending to return please let the school office know immediately.

Thanks for your cooperation with this matter.

Tuition Increase

We recently announced that tuition had to increase due to a 3.5% to 4.5% increase in staff salaries as well as an increase in benefits. Unfortunately we have no other means to cover this continued increase until our enrollment is higher. Along with this problem our parish subsidy was not available due to poor revenue from Bingo. We are hoping that Bingo will pick up in numbers and will get back on track.

There has been a question regarding field trip costs. Field trip costs are not calculated into the tuition, but are a separate fee if a teacher decides to go on a field trip. Lately teachers have been conscious of the financial situation of many of our students, and teachers are choosing in-school type field trips, assemblies, and guest speakers where possible to alleviate the cost for families.

Assessment

Our Leadership Team reviewed school-wide assessment procedures and has put in place guidelines for student assessment. There are two types of assessment, namely Formative (ongoing) and Summative (evaluating student learning, skill acquisition, and academic achievement at the conclusion of a defined instructional period - typically at the end of a project, unit, course, quarter etc..) With that said, our assessments for subjects are put into categories (classwork, homework, tests and quizzes, etc.) and these categories are weighted. Generally speaking the guideline is for a minimum of two items for each category. When this does not occur the computer software makes adjustments for all students so that no one is disadvantaged. Please be mindful that at the elementary school level we hope to foster the love of learning and that assessment is only one aspect of this.

High School Placements

We are very happy with the high school acceptances received by our 8th graders. For those students who applied to Catholic high schools, students were accepted into Saint Ignatius Prep; Sacred Heart; Mercy B; Serra High School, and Riordan High School. Congratulations to these students.

Slime Alert

Thanks to one of our parents for alerting us to a problem of "Homemade Slime Kits". I am attaching a link for parents to review in the event your child wishes to experiment with this. http://www.livescience.com/58460-homemade-slime-borax-burn.html Slime is not to be brought to school or extended care.

God Bless,

Vincent Riener

Principal

“If you can’t say something nice, don’t say nothin’ at all.” – Thumper, in Disney’s Bambi

Crushes are a natural part of growing up. Liking someone who likes you in return can be wonderful, and the heartbreak when that ends can seem devastating. Liking someone who doesn’t return your interest can be equally painful. But, it is the teasing and gossip that seem to swirl around such situations that are potentially the most harmful and hurtful.

I cannot tell you how many times I have mediated a problem between two classmates during which one of the students has said, “But I was only teasing.” Many other misunderstandings between classmates have turned out to be based on gossip spread by other students who have nothing to do with the actual situation. Now, with social media and access to a wealth of digital devices, teasing and gossip can spread like a wildfire.

Add to this the fact that we live in a media culture that thrives on and actively promotes gossip about entertainers, politicians, athletes, and other celebrities. We need our children to know that gossip is not entertainment. We need to teach our children the importance of kindness and compassion and set that example for them with our own words and actions. Please take the time to talk to your children, no matter how young, about the dangers of teasing and gossip and about how words can hurt.

All the best,

Miss J

31 - Cesar Chavez Day - Regular School Day!

2 - School Family Mass - 9am

3 - Faculty Meeting - 2:30pm Early Dismissal

6 - 3rd Quarter Report Cards

12 - Athletic Board Meeting - 6:30pm

13 - Holy Thursday - Prayer Service 9am (Full School Uniform) -12:20 Dismissal

14 - Good Friday - No School

16 - Easter Sunday

17 - 21 - Easter Vacation

24 - Classes Resume

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

26- Principal's Awards (Please note this change of date!)

28 - Athletic Board Jamboree

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