Ms. Monaghan's Message - February 1
Challenge, Inspire, Empower, & Serve
Important Upcoming Dates
Feb. 7: 8th grade parent meeting @ 6; Kindergarten Enrollment Night @ 6; MOST Plan presentation @ 7
Feb. 8: Lock-in
Feb. 14: Valentine's Day parties @ 2:00
Feb. 15: No School - PD Day
Feb. 18: No School - President's Day
Feb. 21: First Eucharist parent and child meeting @ 6:30
Feb. 22: Spirit Day
Feb. 23: Ties and Tiaras
Feb. 26: PTO Meeting @ 6
Catholic Schools Week
Throughout the week, our students have learned about and dressed up as Saints, they have served our school/parish and community, they have sung out in joy to the Lord, and they have worked together as a family to accomplish a goal. This week, our families and St. Patrick community donated $1,835 dollars during our Day of Giving campaign, and donated countless food and clothing items for our blessing bags for the homeless.
It's times like this when I realize just how blessed we are to call St. Patrick School our home. Thank you for making this such a special week for our school, and THANK YOU for choosing St. Patrick for your child's education. We appreciate YOU!
Save The Date!
The Snake Saturday Parade is Coming!
Your Help Is Needed!
We are asking for candy donations for the parade. If each family could donate ONE bag of candy, we will have enough to make certain we have candy to hand out throughout the entire parade. You can send your candy to the school office and we will pass it along.
For more information, contact the school office at info@stpatrickkc.com and we will pass your questions along to parade organizer, Denise Wilderson.
Birthdays This Week!
Freaky Friday Lock-In - February 8
You can reach out to Mrs. Nolan at: dnolan@stpatrickkc.com
What I'm Reading
* Reduces stress
* Increases vocabulary
* Improves memory
* Improves focus and concentration
* Helps you sleep better
* Become a better communicator and writer
I find that when I am at my most stressed, grabbing a book, sitting in my favorite chair with a blanket and a cup of coffee, and getting lost in a book is exactly the medicine I need to heal my spirit. I'm a bit of a reading snob, though. I refuse to use e-readers. I figure I spend enough of my life staring at a screen and I just LOVE the way a book feels in my hands. And, I'm kind of judgy when it comes to what books I would recommend to others. I tend to not like the trendy, hip books, especially the ones with titles that are meant to cause a reaction in you (good or bad). Yet, I'm also a sucker for a mindless fiction book with a strong female lead..or even a bit of a ditzy female lead. And...don't judge...I like to purchase books. I like reading a book and then putting it on my bookshelf, not as some sort of trophy, but as something I can pull out when a friend comes over and I think he or she'd like it. I love to share books that I love.
I am certainly not the perfect parent. I haven't sat at the table doing homework with my kids since...forever, I forget to turn in permission slips so often that the teachers at my daughter's school probably wouldn't recognize my own signature (mind you, she's a senior), and my son is that kid who shows up to school on the day its -4 degrees wearing shorts and no coat. But, I will say that my kids have always known that their mother is a book worm. Give me a free Saturday, or a football practice where I can sit in the car (or on the bleachers), a warm summer night on my deck, and I have a book in my hand. Has it made them a bunch of literary geniuses? No. But it has given them the ability to learn to use their own imaginations to entertain themselves, to create worlds in their heads where they could get lost for hours in play, and at certain points in their childhood..that came in really handy.
Our children tend to mimic what we do. If they see us read, maybe it will inspire them to pick up a book of their own. So, I thought it might be fun to share what we're reading! I will share some books with you, and I would love for you to share some books with me. I'll read anything, really, whether I like it or not, and will never feel shortchanged, so don't be shy about sharing.
I picked up a few books with my Christmas cash and read them over the last few weeks and here's my take....
Next Level Thinking by Joel Osteen was given to me by a friend. My mom is a huge Joel Osteen fan, but I have never had the opportunity to read anything he's written. This book was about remembering that we are all children of God and that no matter what we do, God wants us to have a relationship with him. In the book, Osteen reminds us that we deserve to live a good life, that God wants us to live a good life, and that we can achieve our dreams if we can change the way we think about them. This book was a great reminder to me that negative thinking can change the course of our lives just as positive thinking can. I highly recommend this book if you feel like you're stuck in a rut or you just need some inspiration!
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41002788-next-level-thinking?from_search=true
Girl, Wash Your Face! by Rachel Hollis was your typical "get your act together" book, that had many great ideas, great reminders to stick to your goals, and entertaining stories. Books like this are what I call "quick reads". I've read the same book in different titles by different authors hundreds of times. Somehow, they end up on a best seller list, the author does the talk show circuit, and maybe a TV show or movie comes out of it. All in all, it was a good book, with some good information, but was not my favorite. I honestly should know better than to choose a book that's a sudden hit. I never seem to connect with them.
Braving the Wilderness by Brene Brown was another "get our act together" book. I seem to read on a certain theme, don't I? Shockingly enough, the book had nothing to do with visiting the wilderness and actually used "wilderness" as a metaphor for learning how to stand on your own and in your own beliefs, even if no one else stands with you. There were some good thoughts on learning to follow your dreams, work for what you want, and push through hard times. I have to admit, though, I found myself skipping through some of the pages.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34565022-braving-the-wilderness
Lastly, because I'm a sucker for mindless fiction after reading a couple of "get your act together" novels, I read, Leverage in Death. If you've never read the "In Death" series by J.D. Robb, I highly recommend them, of course I love a good series. This is #47 and I've read and loved them all. Detective Eve Dallas is the kind of female hero we all need in our lives, and it doesn't help that she lives this amazing limitless life with this gorgeous husband, millions of dollars, celebrity friends, and yet she has the grace and etiquette of...say....me. These are always great, quick reads, that never leave me disappointed.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37638161-leverage-in-death?from_search=true
What are YOU reading???
Helping Children Build Grit and Perseverance
St. Patrick School
Email: info@stpatrickkc.com
Website: stpatrickkc.com
Location: 1401 Northeast 42nd Terrace, Kansas City, MO, USA
Phone: 816-453-0971
Facebook: facebook.com/St.PatrickKC
Twitter: @StPatrickKc