God's Rosebud A new minister was walking with an older, more seasoned minister in the garden one day. Feeling a bit insecure about what God had for him to do, he was asking the older preacher for some advice. The older preacher walked up to a rosebush and handed the young preacher a rosebud and told him to open it without tearing off any of the petals. The young preacher looked in disbelief at the older preacher and was trying to figure out what a rosebud could possibly have to do with his wanting to know the will of God for his life and ministry. But, because of his great respect for the older preacher, he proceeded to try to unfold the rose, while keeping every petal intact. It wasn't long before he realized how impossible this was to do. Noticing the younger preacher's inability to unfold the rosebud, without tearing it, the older preacher began to recite the following poem... It is only a tiny rosebud, A flower of God's design; But I cannot unfold the petals With these clumsy hands of mine. The secret of unfolding flowers Is not known to such as I. GOD opens this flower so easily, But in my hands they die. If I cannot unfold a rosebud, This flower of God's design, Then how can I have the wisdom To unfold this life of mine? So, I'll trust in God for leading Each moment of my day. I will look to God for guidance In each step along the way. The path that lies before me, Only my Lord and Savior knows. I'll trust God to unfold the moments, Just as He unfolds the rose. +Dear Parents, February 2, 2015 Let me share a few lines from above that really say it all for this week: So, I ll trust in God for leading each moment of my day. I will look for God for guidance in each step along the way. What more can I say! Have a great way! God bless you! Sister Catherine Irene, IHM
Looking Ahead: February 5 Home and School Board Meeting at 7:00 p.m. in the Library Uniform Exchange, 7:00 p.m. in the Cafeteria February 12 Dress-Down Day for Donations to the Green and White Gala February 13 Faculty Meeting: No School for Students February 16 Presidents Day: NO SCHOOL ICE SKATING PARTY AT POWER PLAY - 10:15am 11:45am; please see flyer. February 18 Ash Wednesday: School Liturgy at 10:15 a.m. February 24 Stations of the Cross for Grades 5 to 8 February 25 Confirmation Practice After School for A - L February 26 Confirmation Practice After School for M Z February 28 Confirmation, 10:00 a.m. (A-L) and 2:00 p.m. (M-Z) Science Fair 2015: Congratulations to the following students who achieved honors at the St. Joseph School Science Fair: Grade 4 Grade 5 1 st Place Joey Heffern 1 st Place Gabriel Nichols 2 nd Place Elizabeth Azat 2 nd Place Corinne Shultz 3 rd Place Brett Alansky, Nick Rosfelder, Honorable Mention Victoria Butler and Gabriella Wagner and Eve Olsen Grade 6 Grade 7 1st Place Lila Ceribelli, Emma Shields, 1 st Place Jonah Messina and and Reaghan Stewart Keegan Billie 2 nd Place Kennedy Carlin and Sophie Murphy 2 nd Place Ana Quinones 3 rd Place Kelsey Dunn and Monica Morys 3 rd Place Peyton Hays Grade 8 1 st Place (tie) Gillian Porter Lauren Tokash Peter Zakreski Archdiocesan Honor Band Concert: The Archdiocesan Honor Band will have its concert on Friday, February 6, at 7:00pm at Archbishop Carroll High School. We wish the following students who will perform the best of luck on Friday: Michael Loughlin, Sydney Morisoli, and Gillian Porter. Thank you to our Home and School and All Volunteers! We thank everyone who helped in any and all ways to make Catholic Schools Week such a great success and a true celebration! From our opening school liturgy, to our Science Fair Volunteers, to all of our lunch and recess helpers during lunch in the classrooms, to the classroom Auction Helpers, to the Movie Night coordinators, and to the many behind the scenes jobs we don t even know about: We Thank You! We thank our Home and School Board for sponsoring our Volunteer Breakfast we were so happy to celebrate our Volunteers with prayer, song, and treats! Thank you to our Home and School for the excellent assembly! I think students, teachers, and visitors truly enjoyed the BRAIN SHOW! THANK YOU!!!!!
Applications for students who will be attending St. Joseph School (as well as high school applications) for the 2015-2016 school year are now available www.psas.org/blocs. Decisions on scholarships and awarding of amounts will take place after May 15th. First Step Review the list of documents that you will need to submit to PSAS. These documents include the following: You and your spouse's (if applicable) social security numbers. A complete copy of your 2014 federal 1040, 1040A, or 1040EZ form, including all schedules and worksheets and copies of all 2014 W2 and/or 1099 forms for all adults living in the household. Your Social Services Year End Statement (AFDC, ADC, TANF) and/or Food Stamp Year End Statement and/or your Social Security Year End Benefits Statement(s) for ALL adults living in the household receiving benefits in 2014. Information about child support payments or child support received. Information about the value and amount still owed on your home. Information about the value and amount still owed on any real estate investments. Information about the value of any savings or investment accounts. Special Needs Families If your student is a Special Needs Student or attends a Special Education School, this form must be printed, completed, and signed by the parent and by the administrator at the school. This should be done prior to completing the application. The form must be uploaded when you complete and submit the application. Income Guidelines Awards from BLOCS are provided through the Pennsylvania EITC and OSTC programs which carry the following income guidelines for eligibility: Household Size Maximum Income 1 $91,620 2 $106,890 3 $122,160 4 $137,430 5 $152,700 Add $15,270 for each additional dependent Income guidelines are for EITC and OSTC funding only. Income Guidelines for other funding sources are unavailable. Please Note: Qualifying for funding does not guarantee funding. Funding is distributed based upon the availability of funds.
Second Step Complete the application. As you progress through the application, if you have questions, simply click on the icon beside the question for a more detailed description of what is required. Do not leave any question blank. If a question does not apply to you, enter 0 or a similar answer. Third Step Verify the information that you entered As you progress through the application, please review each page before moving on to the next. Fourth Step Submit the $28 fee for processing your application. Payments via VISA, Master Card, American Express, Discover, or Electronic Bank Check (ACH) are accepted. All payment transactions are protected through the use of a secure server. Final Step Submit your application to PSAS for review by our staff. You must then submit the following required documentation via upload, fax or mail to complete the application process: 1. A complete photocopy of your signed 2014 federal 1040, 1040A, or 1040EZ form, including all schedules and worksheets and copies of all 2014 W2 and/or 1099 forms for ALL adults living in the household. 2. Photocopies of your Social Services Year End Statement (AFDC, ADC, TANF) and/or photocopies of your Food Stamps Year End Statement and/or photocopies of your Social Security Year End Benefits Statement(s) for ALL adults living in the household receiving benefits in 2014 Submitting Your Documents You can submit your documents in 1 of 3 ways: 1. Upload to PSAS - You can upload your documents by logging back into your account here 2. Fax to PSAS - You can fax your documents to PSAS at (440) 892-8137 or (440) 892-7727 3. Mail to PSAS - You can mail your documents to PSAS at Private School Aid Service Online Application Department 909 Canterbury Road Suite P Westlake, OH 44145
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT BLOCS When and How Can I apply for a BLOCS scholarship for my child? - Applications are accepted in the fall or spring for the next school year (Applications for the 2015 / 2016 school year are now available). Applications are online at www.psas.org/blocs What will I need to complete the application process? - You will need your most recent tax return and when available, you will need to submit documents related to your current year s income in January (W2. K1, etc ). What are the qualifications to receive a BLOCS scholarship? - Families with one dependent must have an annual income of less than $90,000. For each additional dependent, you can make an additional $15,000 per child. I have not decided which school my child will attend. Can I apply for a BLOCS Scholarship and then decide where to apply it if I am awarded aid? - Students MUST be registered before a decision on financial aid can be made. It is best to register your child for any schools that you are seriously considering. When Applying, you can choose multiple schools when asked what school your child is attending. It is recommended that you only choose three possible schools when applying. If I am applying for a BLOCS Scholarship, why must I apply through PSAS? - The Commonwealth of PA requires that a third party qualify families for eligibility for need based scholarships. PSAS is who BLOCS uses for this qualification process. How can I check the status of an application for a BLOCS scholarship? - Once you apply at www.psas.org/blocs, you will create an account. The status of your application can be checked by logging into your account. Decisions on aid will come from your school. Any questions about awards, amounts, and decisions on aid should be directed to your child s school. I have children at different schools. Do I need to do an application for each of them? - No, one application can be completed for your family. Who can I call if I have questions about the application process? - Questions about the application process should be directed to PSAS. They can be reached at (866)424-6443 or by emailing blocs@psas.org
How are BLOCS scholarship awarded? - Once you have filled out your application, PSAS will decide if your family qualifies for need based scholarships. The list of qualified students is then sent to each school. The school then decides who will receive a BLOCS scholarship. How much money does my child s school have to offer in BLOCS scholarships. - For the 2014 / 2015 school year, schools received $10,200,000 in scholarships. BLOCS funding comes from the generosity of our donors as well as local businesses who participate in the Pennsylvania EITC and OSTC Tax Credit Programs. When a business or person makes a donation to BLOCS, they have the option to designate that money to a particular school. Because of this, scholarship dollar amounts differ from school to school. Why did I not receive a BLOCS scholarship even though I qualified? - Because each school has a limited amount of funds available for scholarships, some schools are not able to offer aid to every qualified student. If I receive a BLOCS Scholarship, when will my tuition statement be credited? - Schools use individual timelines on crediting a student s account. For specific questions, please contact your student's school. If my child changes schools, can I take a BLOCS scholarship with me to the new school? - BLOCS Scholarships are specific to each school and therefore cannot be transferred if you decide to move your child. I started my application, but the school said that it is not listed with their applicants. - The application MUST be completed in order for the schools to see your information. Parents should check their online application to make sure that it is marked submitted. PSAS will not contact you about unfinished applications. Re-Registration: The 2015-2016 Tuition Rates and a letter from Monsignor McLoone were sent home last week and are now posted on the website. As I wrote last week, we are in the process of streamlining the re-registration process. We should have this finalized later in the week. Thank you!
Over the last couple of years, students were given a Dress-Down Day if a family sent in a donation for Night at the Races. We will continue this tradition with the GREEN AND WHITE GALA. Even if families didn t attend the Movie Night, you can still send in a donation. The purpose of the donation is to help create the gift baskets that will be part of the Green and White Gala. The gift baskets are very popular and profitable. WHAT TO DONATE? This year each grade level has been assigned a suggested theme for donations. If you prefer a monetary donation, we can always do the shopping for you! + Pre-K & Kindergarten Gift Cards + 5th Grade Dining out + 1st Grade Movie Night + 6th Grade Arts & Crafts + 2nd Grade All About MOM + 7th Grade Outdoor Fun/Game night + 3rd Grade All About DAD + 8th Grade It s Your Lucky Day! + Any donation questions email Melissa Foy at melissamfoy@gmail.com We know that asking for donations and awarding a Dress-Down Day can be challenging. Perhaps it is difficult financially or perhaps you will not be attending the Green White Gala on March 7. We do not require a large donation. Some children contributed from their own piggy banks in the past. I had suggested the idea of a Dress Down in the past as a way to create some spirit and generate enthusiasm. If you cannot contribute at this time, and your family wants to be included in the Dress-Down Day, it is still be possible. All you have to do is send me an email, and I will include your family name on my donation list. You could also submit an envelope with your family name on note inside. I will provide the donations to the Green and White Gala committee. (You see, I have received nice donation and I have a few gift cards I had purchased before that I can use for the Green and White Gala.) Please don t hesitate to call or email me if you have any questions. Thank you very much for your support of the Green and White Gala!