Website: www.stbernardtc.org
Location: 7115 Springdale Road, Cincinnati, OH, USA
Phone: 513-353-4224
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2669823963049217/

• Wednesday, October 2: Midterm Reports, Grades 5-8
  
• Friday, October 4: Pet Blessing, Back Parking Lot, 2:30pm
• Saturday, October 5: 8th Grade Confirmation Retreat
• Wednesday, October 9, and Thursday, October 10: Picture Days
• Sunday, October 13: Fall Fest for EB, Kuliga Park, 2:00pm - 5:00pm
• Monday, October 14: Columbus Day--NO SCHOOL!!
• Wednesday, October 16: Youth Ministry Meeting, St. James Church Hall (under church), 6:30pm - 8:00pm (grades 7,8,9 -- R.S.V.P. by Friday, October 11, 4:00pm)
• Wednesday, October 16: Parents Club Meeting, School Library, 7:00pm
• Friday, October 18: Grandparents Day
• Wednesday, October 18: Trunk or Treat, Back Parking Lot, 6:30pm - 8:00pm
• Thursday, October 24: Dine to Donate, Panda Express, 6496 Harrison Ave

Dear St. Bernard Parents,

Happy Feast of the Holy Guardian Angels! This time of year seems to be filled with fun memorials and feast days on the Liturgical Calendar. With the celebration of the Archangels on September 29 and the celebration of the Guardian Angels today, St. Bernard Parish made a gift of St. Michael/Guardian Angel medals to all of the students today. Father blessed these medals during Mass and so they were handed on to the students as sacramentals - with the goal of drawing the students’ hearts and minds to that which is holy. Ask your child what he/she may have learned about Guardian Angels today and take some time this month to invest in your relationship with your guardian angel and give thanks to God for the gift of these protectors. See the end of my message below for some inspiring words from our patron (St. Bernard of Clairvaux himself) about Guardian Angels!

On the note of feast days and the liturgical calendar, did you know that October is the month of the Rosary? The Rosary is a beautiful devotion (and sacramental) to the Blessed Mother that gets special attention this month. I encourage you to learn about the history of the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary (October 7) and commit to taking up this devotion with your family! Maybe you will at least consider joining the St. Bernard Community for the Public Square Rosary Rally on October 12 or the All-School Rosary on October 25 at 2:20pm in the Church.

This week we introduced the Book of Genesis in our GPS (God’s Plan in Scripture) Program. Classes will be reading parts of Genesis and the GPS Storybook and learning about: the creation of the world, the creation of angels and people, the creation of the Sabbath, the special creation of Adam and Eve, original sin, and God’s promise/plan to save His creation. As always, we encourage families to read along (in the Bible) and be a part of your child’s spiritual journey through the Bible.

One last announcement from me for this week… I am happy to introduce Mrs. Elisha Walker as the long-term substitute teacher for Music. Mrs. Walker jumped right into things last week and began leading our students in music class. Among other things, she is working to prepare grades K-4 for our Christmas Program on December 12 and grades 5-8 for our Veteran’s Day Celebration on Friday, November 8. We are excited to welcome Mrs. Walker and are grateful that she has joined the St. Bernard Team.

Have a great rest of your week! God bless!

Sincerely,

Mr. Ertel

P.S. Please remember to keep the St. Bernard teachers and staff in your prayers. We regularly gather to pray for our community and the needs of our students and their families. We ask that you do the same for us and offer us (and our intentions) up in your prayers as well. THANK YOU!

Be alert in your every action as one should be who is accompanied by angels in all your ways, for that mission has been enjoined upon them. In whatever lodging, in whatever nook or corner you may find yourself, cherish a reverence for your guardian angel. In his presence do not dare to do anything you would not do in mine. Or do you doubt his presence because you do not see him? Would it really help if you did hear him, or touch him, or smell him? Remember, there are realities whose existence has not been proven by mere sight.

Brethren, we will love God's angels with a most affectionate love; for they will be our heavenly co-heirs some day, these spirits who now are sent by the Father to be our protectors and our guides. With such bodyguards, what are we to fear? They can neither be subdued nor deceived; nor is there any possibility at all that they should go astray who are to guard us in all our ways. They are trustworthy, they are intelligent, they are strong — why, then, do we tremble? We need only to follow them, remain close to them, and we will dwell in the protection of the Most High God. So as often as you sense the approach of any grave temptation or some crushing sorrow hangs over you, invoke your protector, your leader, your helper in every situation. Call out to him and say: Lord, save us, we are perishing.

--St. Bernard of Clairvaux

Thanks to those who have already responded to the Homework Survey that was sent out on Monday. I have received about 40 responses at this time. The survey takes about 5-10 minutes (per child) to complete. Your feedback is very much appreciated and will be reviewed/assessed by teachers and administration. Below is the survey description and a link to complete (only for those in grades 4-8 who haven’t yet contributed). Please be sure that only one parent is completing this survey for each child - as the responses are anonymous we can’t tell if duplicates are submitted. Thanks!

Survey Description: Our goal at St. Bernard is to provide the best Catholic Liberal Arts education possible. As we continue to grow and make changes that better align with the classical/liberal arts approach we want to better understand certain elements from the standpoint of the families and students. Much information has been shared informally in conversations over the recent past, but this anonymous survey (no names or email addresses are collected) will provide the school with some helpful data/information to know what changes (if any) should be made. Thank you for your time!

https://forms.gle/kWZhr1FZHH39gfL79

Please R.S.V.P. by Friday, October 11 at 4:00pm using the email link below.

More and more students are bringing in lunch materials/supplies that are not ready-made. This has been manageable so far for students in grades 3-5 and grades 6-8 because these students are more independent and have fewer overall needs during the lunch period. It IS NOT manageable for us (the volunteers/staff) to heat up and/or prepare lunches for students in grades K-2. The volunteers and staff of the K-2 lunches only have enough time for the essentials: opening packages and milk cartons, peeling fruit (this CAN be done at home too!), and opening straws/etc. Because students require so much help on these fine motor tasks we cannot afford to dedicate time to heating up meals, mixing mac n’ cheese packets, etc. The exception to this rule is when the parent volunteers for the day take care of this for their own children. With that said… We would sure be happy to welcome more lunch volunteers! If you are able to do this or would like more information, contact Mr. Glassmeyer! Also, there’s always the tried and true Thermos which can keep a lunch hot from the time you heat it in the morning until our scheduled lunch times! These are worth the investment!

We need help facilitating the distribution of lunches for the students. On normal days, we need one extra adult per day to help our staff. On pizza lunch days, we need three adults to help distribute the meals. Thank you in advance for any help you can offer!!!

***Please note, all school volunteers must be current and compliant with Safe Parish. (see below)

Sacrament Preparation for Children

The parish staff would love to assist your child in their faith journey! If your child would

like to catch up on the sacraments of Reconciliation or First Holy Eucharist, please

contact Barb Yoder at 513-353-4207 x 5 for more information.

Children’s Liturgy of the Word

All children ages 5-9 are invited to pray and learn together at the Children’s Liturgy of

the Word on Sunday’s during 10:30 AM Mass at St. Bernard’s.

Hi Families! See below for a list of upcoming events! Thanks to everyone that has already volunteered for trunk or treat and Spirit of St. Bernard Day breakfasts. We also have a new fundraiser later this month listed below as well.

• Trunk or Treat will be on Friday, October 18th in the back parking lot. All are welcome to attend this free event! We are looking for volunteers to decorate their trunks/vehicles and pass out treats. If you’re interested, please sign up here https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090A44ACAC28A5F94-51736313-stbernard. You can also reach out to Sarah Ross (sarahross09@gmail.com) for more information. We’ll send a flyer home with more details next week!
• Spirit of St. Bernard Day – Each month on Spirit of St. Bernard day, we provide breakfast goodies for the teachers and staff, like coffee or bagels. If you’re interested in helping out with this initiative, please sign up here or reach out to Sarah Ross – https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090A44ACAC28A5F94-51736678-spirit
• Panda Express Dine to Donate - On Thursday, October 24th the new Panda Express location on Harrison Ave will donate 50% of sales to St. Bernard! Please encourage your friends, family and neighbors to show the St. Bernard fundraising flyer and 50% of their purchase will come back to the school! Copies of the flyer will come home in next week's blue folder and we'll share electronic copies as well.

Our next Parents Club meeting is Wednesday, October 16th at 7pm in the school library. Hope to see you there! Thanks!

We look forward to hosting grandparents for a light breakfast, prayer service and

conversation. RSVP using the linked photo above.

Families Last Name A-K: Coffee & Donuts starting at 8:30am

Families Last Name L-Z: Coffee & Donuts starting at 10:00am

Grandparents of students with differing last names can select a time. We will coordinate schedules to allow all grandchildren to meet together. Please indicate families with your selected time when you RSVP.

*Students without grandparents in attendance will be paired with another family.

Volunteers are needed to help with set-up, food prep/serving, and clean-up. Use the RSVP link to volunteer for this event.

If you need assistance to RSVP, please contact Mr. Glassmeyer in the school office.

Sign up here.

Payments can be made here.

Players who withdraw after being assigned to a team will be refunded the player fee minus a service charge.

2024-2025 Fees

Grades: 2 thru 4: $55 per player

Grades: 5 thru 8: $85 per player

Grades: High School: $55 per player

Register for Mercy McAuley’s Open House!
Grade school parents and girls of all grade levels are invited to see all that Mercy McAuley has to offer at the Open House on Sunday, October 27, from 1 – 3:30 p.m. Meet our school leaders, teachers, coaches, and staff, take a student-led tour, and enjoy refreshments and giveaways! Registration is strongly encouraged so that we can personalize your tour as much as possible. Register today at www.mercymcauley.org/OpenHouse.

Register for Wolf Walk & Talk on October 8
Grade school parents can learn more about Mercy McAuley while touring the campus at the school’s first “Wolf Walk & Talk” event on October 8 from 6:30 – 8 p.m. This session will provide general information about the school and its programs, and it will also focus on academic support/intervention and counseling services offered at Mercy McAuley. Register at www.mercymcauley.org/wolfwalk.

Schedule a Shadow Day at Mercy McAuley!
There are five Shadow Days remaining at Mercy McAuley! Mercy McAuley’s Shadow Days are full school days to provide eighth graders with a real day in the life of a Wolf! Eighth graders will be paired with a Student Ambassador for the day and will attend classes, tour the school, meet teachers, students and school leaders, and will experience the Mercy McAuley school spirit! Eighth graders will also enjoy lunch in the cafeteria, a sample from White Oak Coffee House, and giveaways. Parents are encouraged to stay for coffee and discussion with Mercy McAuley leaders when dropping their daughter off to shadow. Registration is required at www.mercymcauley.og/shadow.

Register for HSPT Prep Course
There are only a few spots left for Mercy McAuley’s High School Placement Test (HSPT) Prep course! This four-week course, open to 8th grade girls, reviews academic content, teaches study skills, and helps ease any test anxiety. Taught by Mercy McAuley math teacher, Mrs. Samantha Duncan, the class is offered from 9 - 11 a.m. on the four Saturdays before the actual test (October 26, November 2, 9 and 16). There is a $100 fee for the four-week course, which includes a copy of the study book. Registration is required at www.mercymcauley.org/hsptprep.

Mrs. Grosick has worked hard to help the school develop its presence on social media, specifically Facebook. The correct school page is listed under:

St. Bernard of Clairvaux Catholic School - Cincinnati, OH

Please make sure to follow us and share with any friends and family to help get the word out about the great things that happen in our school! Thanks in advance for your support.

Mrs. Yoder shared a list of adults that are behind on Safe Parish requirements. Please make sure you are keeping your account current so that you are able to coach and volunteer around the parish and at school. Anyone not up-to-date will not be allowed to be in contact with children. Thank you for your diligence!

Please use the link below to register with Safe Parish in order to be able to volunteer around the school and parish! Once your registration is complete, you'll login quarterly to keep your certification up-to-date.

THE PASSCODE YOU NEED TO START REGISTRATION IS: protectcincy

If you have any questions or problems, please contact Barb Yoder in the Parish Office at:

yoder@stbernardtc.org

513-353-4207 x5

Please return all blue folders to school each week.

This week's contents:

• Pet Blessing Flyer
• Rosary Rally Flyer
• Midterm Progress Reports (grades 5-8)
• Picture Day Order Envelopes (1 per student)

Blue folders will go home with the OLDEST student in each family on Wednesdays, as needed, throughout the school year. These will contain any important handouts or forms that need to be submitted in paper form. Anytime we can share documents in a digital format to provide information or link you to online resources, we will do so instead of filling your home with papers.

For information on joining Cub Scouts, please contact:

Rebecca Schmidt

513-245-1566

rebeccajschmidt@yahoo.com