O C T O B E R 2017 I N S I D E T H I S E D I T I O N : Principal Welcome Important Dates Parish Reminders School Reminders Grade 4 News Home & School 1 2 3 4 5 6-7 Dear Holy Name Families, As we pray in gratitude for our many gifts, we are often reminded of how fortunate we are. Over the past few weeks we have prayed in particular for those whose lives have been so sadly affected by the natural disasters in the United States, Caribbean, and Mexico. In an elementary school setting, we do our best to foster global awareness in an appropriate manner. Our new Student Government members are working with us in finding the most effective ways to give support and encouragement to families, and in particular, to the children and students in dire need. I could not be more proud of these efforts by our Holy Name students and their stated commitment to do the right thing. What a great school opening we had! The children have established their routines and we are fully engaged in the business of teaching and learning. Walking through classrooms, I am delighted to witness the efforts of our educators in creating an environment of encouragement and depth. Pursuing the skills of Growth Mindset, the students are being guided to embrace challenges, to give their best effort, to believe in themselves, to understand the value of hard work, and to give it another go whenever possible. Our Kindness matters initiative centers on another part of the Holy Name mission. Children throughout the school have been thinking, digging, and engaging in deep dialogue to identify why kindness matters and what it truly means to be nice. Good things are happening at Holy Name. May the upcoming crisp days of fall invigorate us all as we enjoy the weather, the foliage, the opportunities of a new school year and the anticipation of good things to come. We all Shine On! Warm Regards, Kathleen J. Caulfield
Important Dates OCTOBER 2017 October s Value of the month Kindness October 1 Family Mass and Mass with 100 Singers at 9:00 a.m. in the Upper Church (hosted by Gr. 3) Blessing of the Animals at 12:30 p.m. on the Church Grounds October 2 Bertucci s Dine Out Event (sponsored by Home & School) from 11:00-9:00 p.m., 683 VFW Parkway October 3 Student Council meeting from 2:35 3:00 p.m. in the Library Home & School Association meeting at 7:00 p.m. in the Library October 4 Curtain Up! Productions from 2:30-4:00 p.m. in Finn Hall October 6 Saint Francis Prayer Service (at 9:00 a.m. in the Upper Church (hosted by Gr. 3) October 8 Family Mass at 9:00 am in the Upper Church (hosted by Gr. 4) October 9 October 10 Columbus Day No School Paul Effman Band begins ECC Field Trip to Franklin Park Zoo October 11 Curtain Up! Productions from 2:30 4:00 pm in Finn Hall Jr. High Dance Ticket Sales from 6:30-7:30 p.m. in Finn Hall October 12 Grandparents /Special Persons Day for Nursery and KI from 9:00-10:30 a.m. at the ECC October 13 Marks close for Progress Reports Jr. High Dance from 7:00-10:00 p.m. in Parish Hall October 14 Protecting God s Children VIRTUS Program from 9:00 am noon in Finn Hall October 15 Family Mass at 9:00 a.m. in the Upper Church (hosted by Gr. 5) October 17 Character Kindness and Anti-Bullying Enrichment Program at 1:00 p.m. (Nursery-Gr. 6) Student Council meeting from 2:35 3:00 p.m. in the Library Consultative School Board meeting at 6:45 pm in the Library October 18 Curtain Up! Productions from 2:30 4:00 pm in Finn Hall October 20 Progress reports distributed October 21 Family Halloween Costume Bash from 5:00-7:30 p.m. in Parish Hall (Sponsored by the Bernadines) October 22 Family Mass at 9:00 am in the Upper Church (hosted by Gr. 6) October 23 October 23-26 October 24 October 25 October 26 October 27 October 29 October 31 Open House at the Early Childhood Center from 10:00 11:00 a.m. First Penance meeting (Gr. 2 parents only) at 7:00 p.m. in the Lower Church Grade 6 Pumpkin Poetry Display in the Corridors Peter Lynch Scholar Mass Curtain Up! Productions from 2:30 4:00 pm in Finn Hall School Tour Day, 1:00-2:00 p.m. No School for Students Teacher Professional Development Day Mass of Enrollment for First Penance (Gr. 2 parents and students) at 9:00 am in the Upper Church Family Mass at 9:00 a.m. in the Upper Church Student Council meeting from 2:35 3:00 p.m. in the Library
Parish Reminders Holy Name Parish Family Liturgy Every Sunday 9:00 a.m. Upper Church The Family Liturgy is held each Sunday at 9:00 a.m. in the Upper Church. We hope all parents will try to attend the Family Mass and worship together. As in the past, we are anticipating that each Holy Name student will participate with his or her family and/or class at the Family Liturgy. The continuing participation of our children at Mass involves assisting with music sheets, the offertory collection and presenting the offertory gifts. The schedule of grades to assist at the Family Mass is as follows: October 1 100 Singers and Family Mass hosted by Gr. 3 The Blessing of the Animals will be celebrated at 12:30 p.m. on the church grounds. Please join us and bring your leashed or caged pet and/or a picture of your pet to this special event. October 8 Family Mass hosted by Gr. 4 October 15 Family Mass hosted by Gr. 5 October 22 Family Mass hosted by Gr. 6 The Bernardines Calling all ghosts, goblins and little creatures of the night The Bernardines are hosting a Family Halloween Costume Bash on Saturday, October 21st, in Parish Hall from 5:00 p.m. till the Mummy says it s over... at 7:30 p.m.. Come play some tricks and have some treats (pizza and drinks will be served)! Remember to wear your scariest costume for the costume contest, but please no swords or play guns! Cost is $10 per person; advanced ticket sales only. Look for an order form that will be sent home in backpacks. Return ticket orders to school in an envelope marked Halloween Party before October 18th. No tickets will be distributed, but there will be a check-in list at the door. Questions? Contact Mary Beth at 617-327-9698 or Melissa at 617-469-6484.
School Reminders Communication During School Hours During the school day, classroom teachers have limited access to e- mails due to their responsibilities and schedules. Please call the Office with any changes to your child s daily routine. Parking on the Parkway Please be aware of our neighbors when dropping off and picking up your children and make sure your vehicle isn t blocking any driveways or intersections near the school. Box Tops for Education Parents, don t forget to continue clipping Box Tops for Education from the tops of your favorite General Mills and Betty Crocker products. Box Tops are worth 10 cents each for our school. Our first collection for the year will be Friday, Oct. 13 th, so continue clipping to maximize the funds coming back to Holy Name. The Box Tops Team thanks you! Gr. 2 Parents and Students have Special Events this Month. There will be a First Penance meeting for parents on Monday, October 23 rd, at 7:00 p.m. in the Lower Church. Also, Sunday, October 29 th, at the 9:00 a.m. Family Mass, parents and students will participate in the Rite of Enrollment Mass in the Upper Church. More information will follow. Grandparents /Special Persons Day at the ECC Students in Nursery and KI will be inviting their Grandparents/Special persons to the ECC on Thursday, October 12 th, for a morning that will include an activity and light refreshments. An email invitation will be sent soon. Please note: Grandparents'/Special Persons Day for KII-Gr. 6 will be held on Friday, April 13, 2018, at 9:00 a.m.. It will be a half day.
News from Fourth Grade The students in Grade 4 have been very busy. We have learned about the Beatitudes in Religion class and Jesus Sermon on the Mount. We have also learned that we are disciples of Jesus and our mission is to spread the Good News to others through our words and actions. In Reading, we have read stories that are all about diversity, opportunities, and exploring new places. We are also mathematicians. In Math class, we started the year with place values and now we can write and recognize numbers in the millions! You probably won t believe this but, we have become scientists too. In Science class, we learned that in the scientific method, experiments take time and sometimes revisions. We found that out when we had to make a cleaning solution that was eco-friendly. In Social Studies, we are learning all about the five regions of the United States with their different landforms, climates, and resources. All of this in the first few weeks of September!! Now you know we have been very busy!! Some coming attractions for October will include our first book reports. They are on a sports book. We will continue our role as mathematicians and budding scientists with learning more about algebra and the scientific method and how important safety is in the Science Lab. In Religion class, we will soon begin our study of the Ten Commandments. It looks like October is going to be REALLY busy!!
Home & School Update Home & School Association A big thank you to all the families that came out on Friday, September 15 th for the Back to School ice cream social. The rain could not have been any heavier that evening, yet it didn t stop the kids from having a great time running around the playground, jumping in puddles and getting soaking wet. Thank you also to the Boston Police Department for donating the ice cream, and to Deb Barrett for making the arrangements. Bertucci s Dine-Out Monday October 2 nd Our first Bertucci s Dine-Out event of the new school year will be on Monday, October 2 nd. Between 11:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. that day, 25% of whatever you spend on dine-in, carry out or delivery orders from the Bertucci s located at 683 VFW Parkway will be donated back to Holy Name School. Home & School Membership Dues Monday October 9 th All students and families are kindly asked to pay a $35 Membership Dues fee by October 9 th. Please make checks payable to Holy Name Home & School. You may also pay on line. Go to our school website www.holynameparishschool.org > Parent Tab > Home & School Membership Form. As a dues paying member of Home & School, you are in integral part of our school community. Without your participation and dues support, Home & School would not be able to fulfill its commitment to raise $30,000 in support of Holy Name. These funds go directly back to the school each year and help support improvements in the school s technology program. Last year, for example, your contributions helped fund the purchase of projectors that interact with the school s Smart Boards and Mimio systems, as well as new equipment for enhancing student engagement in the language lab and media/research room. On line form www.holynameparishschool.org/home-school-membership-form Monthly Raffles New this year, we will be holding monthly raffles throughout the school year, offering up exciting prizes each month. If you have tickets to sporting events, signed sports memorabilia, electronics or other items you would like to donate as a raffle prize in exchange for volunteer hours, please contact Kate Plunkett-Tobin at katieplunk@me.com. 1 Volunteer Hour will be awarded for every $5 worth of donated items.
Home & School Association Christmas Market Place - Saturday, November 11 th Home & School will be hosting its annual Christmas Market Place on Saturday, November 11 th from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. In addition to crafters, we are inviting various Parkway community and home-based businesses such as Top It Off, Stella & Dot, Fabutique, etc. to participate and help ensure a wonderful Christmas shopping experience for everyone. There will also be plenty of great food items, raffle prize opportunities, fun children s activities and games, and of course our annual Cake Walk and Basket Raffles. Anyone wishing to participate in the Christmas Market Place as a vendor should contact Kate Plunkett-Tobin at katieplunk@me.com for more information on how to rent a table. Santa s Workshop Tuesday December 5 th and Wednesday December 6 th On December 5 th and 6 th, Home and School will be hosting its annual Santa s Workshop. This is a fun opportunity for students to do their own Christmas shopping and purchase gifts for their families and friends. Parent volunteers are needed to help the little ones shop for the special people on their lists. Please contact Kristin Hurst at tjrocks24g@gmail.com with questions or to sign-up to be a volunteer. Volunteers will receive 2 Volunteer Hours for every 1 hour of time donated (Please note, you must have a 2017-2018 Holy Name Parish School Volunteer card in order to be eligible to volunteer at this event). Kindness is the Virtue of the Month for October Be the living expression of God s Kindness; Kindness in your face, Kindness in your eyes, Kindness in your Smile. ~Saint Theresa of Calcutta