All Souls Catholic School

Newsletter No. 3

In this Sunday's Gospel we read strong words from Jesus. If we are ever tempted to label Jesus as "Mr. Nice Guy", reading texts such as this will remind us that he can also be quite demanding. On Sunday we hear Jesus teaching his followers about the danger of sin. As great teachers sometime do, Jesus makes his point with a technique called hyperbole. His intentionally exaggerated words drive home a powerful message but are not meant to be taken literally: "if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off" and "if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out." Of course the God who created us does not want us to harm our own bodies - although he does want us to control them. Identifying Jesus' teaching technique as hyperbole or exaggeration does not mean we are "off the hook." It does not mean that Jesus didn't really mean what he was saying. Rather, Jesus felt so strongly about what he taught that he wanted to make his point very clear. His message is simple: There are some behaviors that should be avoided at all costs because they endanger you - body and soul. Yes, Jesus is merciful, and God loves us unconditionally, but because he loves us so much, he also expects a great deal from us. We must listen and heed the challenging words of our teacher. This is how we follow him through the narrow gate into the kingdom of God.

Greetings...This is our new Newsletter format.

Pope Francis Visit

This week is a historical week with the visit of Pope Francis to the United States. We at All Souls have been following the Pope's visit, and classes have been exposed to the visit of the Pope. The children have received a Holy Card to remember his visit to the USA.

Staff Update:

Over the past two weeks we have employed new staff to fill open positions and replace positions. I received sad news from Mrs. Mathisen about the sickness of her mother and she requested a leave of absence. We wish her and her mother the best during this time of sickness and recovery. We welcome Mr. Wright who will be the homeroom teacher for Grade 7, science teacher for Grades 5 - 8 and Language Arts for Grade 7.

We welcome also Mr. Mauricio Ponce who will be working as our School Counselor for three days a week. (Mon - Wed). He will be a great asset for our students and will be available to parents in the event you need assistance. His email is mponce@ssfallsoulsschool.org.

In the reception area I welcome Mrs. Roque and Miss Hamilton who will welcome you and our visitors.

IOWA Testing

IOWA testing has been taking place this week, and the students have been performing their best on these tests. The results of these tests will assist the teachers in planning for individual student academic needs. Parents will receive the results at Parent/Teacher conferences in November.

New Newsletter Format

As you can see we have moved to an online newsletter presentation, and I hope you will like the new look.

Cornerstone Email Issues

We have discovered that some parents are not receiving the bulk emails that have been sent recently. When we send emails to parents, Cornerstone indicates to us in a report whether the email was sent successfully or not. What has been happening is that we are getting successful transmissions but in some cases this is not true. Be aware we are looking into this issue with the Cornerstone staff. We are looking into an alternative School Information System for the future.

Guatemala Appeal - Thanks

What a wonderful outpouring of generosity from our school community for the "Help the Children Appeal" for the needy children of Guatemala. At this stage we will be able to send 7 boxes of gifts and supplies to Guatemala. Thanks to the families and staff who contributed financially to cover shipping costs. I can assure you the children will be very grateful for your generosity. Those items which we are unable to ship will be taken in suitcases when my wife and I go back to Guatemala in December. Remember this is an ongoing project, and you can always drop items at the office through the year. God Bless you all.

Fire Appeal

Once again our school community rallied together last week to raise funds for the victims of the recent wildfires in the Lake County area. $1300.00 was raised. Thanks to Mrs. Stergion for purchasing needed supplies and making several trips to the fire affected areas and distributing directing to needy families. Thanks to So. City Grocery Outlet and Big 5 Sporting Goods for giving generous discounts on the price of groceries, tents, and other supplies.

School Family Mass

Our first SchoolFamily Mass will be celebrated on Sunday, October 4th in our Parish Church. We look forward to seeing many families and children at this Mass. As a Catholic School we see that our Mass attendance is very important as part of being a Catholic Christian.

Progress Reports

Monday, September marks the middle of the quarter. Progress reports can be viewed on Cornerstone. For Grades Kindergarten to 2nd, your teachers will contact you if there are any concerns at this point in time. A reminder to all families that grades can always be viewed on Cornerstone 24/7.

Great Shake Out - Earthquake Preparedness

On Wednesday, September 30th California will be having an earthquake awareness day. As part of this day, schools, businesses and organizations will conduct earthquake drills and check earthquake supplies. I would ask that you discuss earthquake awareness with your children and especially discuss your family plan for what to do when an earthquake occurs. In the event of an earthquake at school, your child will be in good hands until you or a designated person can collect your child.

Athletic Board Picnic

On Sunday, October 4th the Athletic Board has planned its annual picnic at Alta Loma Park. This is a great family day with wonderful food and games for the children along with watching our baseball teams play. Enjoy!!

World Day of Bullying Prevention - Monday, October 5th

October is designated Anti-Bullying Month, and on Monday, October 5th will be recognized as a day of bullying prevention. Our student council will be involved with activities to assist students with the understanding of bullying in our society and how to deal with such situations. Our school counselor will be conducting Anti-Bullying sessions with our Junior high classes.

Fire Prevention Display and Activities

On Monday, October 5th, representatives of the SSF Fire dDepartment will be here at school helping our Kindergartener through third graders learn about fire prevention. This is a great morning for the students.

High School Information Night for Grade 7-8 Students and Families

On Tuesday, October 6th representatives of local Catholic high schools will be at the school from 6pm to 8.15pm to talk with parents and students about their respective schools. It is important that all the students and families attend this evening to learn about Catholic high school options.

Picture Retake Day

On Wednesday, October 7th there will be a picture retakes. This is for students who may have missed the first picture day. Students need to be in full school uniform.

Parish Festival

The Parish Festival will be on Friday, October 9th - 11th. On the Friday we have half a day. The carnival rides will be coming to the Parish grounds on Wednesday afternoon. There will be alternate drop off and pick up for students. More information will be given out as the time gets closer.

Vincent Riener

Principal

All Souls Catholic School participates in the National School Lunch Program by offering healthy meals every school day. Students may buy lunch for $4.50. Your children may qualify for free or reduced-price meals. Eligible students may receive meals at the reduced-price rate of $.40 for lunch or for free.

All information and the necessary application may be found on the school website (look for School Lunch Program under the About tab). Enrollment is on a yearly basis, so you do need to complete a new application for this school year even if your child(ren) qualified for the program last year. All applications are due by September 30th.

Let's show Preschool our support on their first fundraiser of the year!! Next Friday, October 2nd from 7:45 -7:55am you can get a chocolate milk and a donut for just $2.00.

Congratulations to Angela Vaquerano who has been accepted to Sonoma State University.

4 - School Family Mass - 9am

4 - Athletic Board Family Picnic

5- Faculty Mtg. - 2:30pm Early Dismissal

6- High School Information Night

7 - Picture Retakes & Group Photos (Full School Uniform)

9 - Minimum Day - 12:20 Dismissal

9-10-11 - Parish Festival

12 - Columbus Day - Holiday

14 - Athletic Board Meeting - 6:30pm

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

21 - School Board Mtg. - 6:30pm - Parish Office

22 - First Communion Parent Meeting - 7pm

24 - Confirmation - 10am

30 - Halloween Parade and Celebrations

30 -Women's Club Halloween Festival - 6:30-9:30pm

31 - Halloween

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