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From the desk of Sr. Pat |
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June 10, 2008 It doesn’t seem possible that we are bringing our 128 th school year to a close. It has been a pleasure and a privilege for the faculty, staff and myself to support you in your desire for a quality Catholic education. It is a responsibility we hold sacred. We thank you for allowing us to be partners with you in this endeavor. The cooperation between home and school is crucial for children to be successful students who use their God given gifts and talents. Thank you to all who commented on the first edition of The Gate – Access to the Future. Some have asked where the newsletter got its name. We are grateful to Christopher Donoghue, father of Aideen (soon to be grade 6) and Declan (soon to be preschool) for his creative title. We look forward to more editions of The Gate in the future. Summer reading and supply list are in this week’s communication folder. Copies are on file in the office if the lists get misplaced during vacation. The school office will be open Monday through Thursday from 9:00AM – 2:00PM. A message can always be left on the answering machine. Tomorrow, Wednesday is Family Fun Day in the school yard from 11:30 – 2:30PM. Admission is free and we hope that families will enjoy the many activities planned by our wonderful Home and School Association. I am grateful to all who have supported the many events and projects of the Home and School. The Home and School Board members are dedicated to raising funds which ultimately benefit all of our children. Congratulations to them for another successful year! Recycled uniforms will be available for the taking at Family Fun Day. If you have any uniforms that your child has outgrown, please feel free to add them to the clothes racks on Wednesday. Hopefully you’ll find something for your own child. On Thursday we will celebrate our “end of the year” school Mass at 9:00AM. In-school scholarships will be presented at the end of Mass. We are grateful to the six families who honor the memory of their loved ones in such a special way. All 2007-2008 financial obligations must be completed before Friday. Bills for various things are being sent home with the children today to some families. The 2008-2009 tuition bills for families who are paying in full are also being sent home in the communication folder. Payment is due by July 5, 2008. May the summer break provide some extra rest and relaxation to all of our school families. Our Lady, Gate of Heaven, Pray For Us!
June 4, 2008 Please remember in prayer our eighth grade students who will graduate on Friday evening at a Mass of Thanksgiving at 7:00PM. We congratulate them on their successful completion of their elementary school years and offer them our prayerful support in the years ahead. Please return all vacation raffle tickets no later than Wednesday morning, June 11 th. The drawing will take place at Family Fun Day which will be held in the school yard from 11:30AM – 2:30PM. There is NO RAIN DATE for Family Fun Day. In the event of rain, the vacation raffle will be drawn before dismissal at 11:30AM. The children in the Early Childhood Program finish up their school year tomorrow, June 5 th. My how they’ve grown in knowledge and Grace! What joy they bring to our school family. Kindergarten II will celebrate their promotion to grade one at their closing exercises on Friday beginning at 10:30AM in the upper Church. I know you will enjoy the first edition of the GATE newsletter. We look forward to additional editions. I am grateful to the teachers for their many contributions to the GATE and to Mrs. Putnam and Ellen Cashman, our School Board chairperson for the design and production of the GATE! I know you’ll agree that our Mission of providing Total Catholic Education is happening every day. Tomorrow is our last pizza lunch for this school year. Thank you to all who participated in this weekly Home and School fundraiser. I am grateful to the many parents and relatives who have been here each week. We couldn’t have done it without you! Please send in your FACTS (automatic withdrawal) contract for the school year 2008-2009 if you have not already done so. Every family who does not pay tuition in full must use the FACTS payment plan, 10 months from July 5, 2008 through April 5, 2009. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Please make note of next week’s schedule. Monday and Tuesday are regular school days. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday are 11:30AM dismissal. On Wednesday, the children will be dismissed to the yard for Family Fun Day. On Thursday, we will have our end of the year Mass at 9:00AM followed by the awarding of “in-school” scholarships. Please join us if you are able. Our Lady, Gate of Heaven, Pray For Us!
May 28, 2008 From the desk of Sr. Pat: The church calendar resumes “Ordinary Time” this week. Although there is nothing “ordinary” about our daily lives, let’s continue to find God’s love for each of us in the ordinary activities in which we find ourselves each day. The June calendar is enclosed in this week’s communication folder. It’s hard to believe that the end of the school year is fast approaching. Please keep the June calendar handy for reference. Kindergarten II parents/guardians please take note that the closing exercises for KII will take place at 10:30AM on June 6 th. There are two notices from the Home and School Association this week. One is about the “vacation raffle”. Each family is being sent four (4) tickets. Each ticket cost $20.00. These raffle tickets make great gifts for Father’s Day, graduation, birthdays and anniversaries. The winning ticket will be drawn at Family Fun Day on June 11 th. The Home and School has also planned a Gate of Heaven Day at Canobie Lake on Tuesday, June 17 th. They were able to secure a group rate for our families. The enclosed flyer has more information. The eighth graders are in the midst of their final exams this week. Please pray that they all bring their elementary school years to a successful completion. Parents and guardian of students in grades 6 and 7 are receiving their final exam schedule today. Please sign the notice and return it to school. Thank you. Tuition for next year has been set at $4,000.00 for one student. Please see the enclosed tuition scale and letter. Like yourselves, the FACTS Financial Aid Company has been waiting for the tuition rate to be set in order to award financial aid. Hopefully we will be hearing from them soon regarding financial aid allocations now that the rate has been set. Thank you for your patience. I hope that members of our school family will join us at the 9:00AM Mass on Sunday, June 1 st to bid farewell to Father Ben. There will be a reception after Mass in the lower Church. Father Ben has been assigned to St. George’s Parish in Framingham. Father Ben brought great joy to our school family over the last three years. We will miss his visits to the classrooms and his celebration of Mass and his presence in the lunchroom and yard. Let’s pray for Fr. Ben as he begins his new ministry at St. George’s. Our Lady, Gate of Heaven, Pray For Us! May 21, 2008 On Sunday the Church celebrates the Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ. For those of us who are older we grew up when this Solemnity was called the Feast of Corpus Christi. What a gift has been given to us in the Eucharist! May our frequent reception of the Eucharist sustain us on our journey of Faith. Thank you to our Home and School Association for sponsoring the Scholastic Book Fair last week. Many volunteers made the Book Fair a successful venture. If you didn’t get a chance to view our Annual Art Exhibit last Friday, please take a tour of the Art Exhibit on the School’s website www.gateofheavenschool.net. We are proud of the children and their outstanding work. Lil Caesar’s pizza orders are due on Friday. Thank you for your support of this Home and School fundraiser. Delivery will be on June 3 rd. Preschool and Kindergarten will enjoy their annual picnic at M Street Park on Friday. Please see the notice enclosed from the teachers. On Monday we celebrate Memorial Day. Let us continue to remember all those who have sacrificed their lives to keep our Nation free. Our Lady, Gate of Heaven, Pray For Us!
June 15, 2008 With the celebration of Pentecost, the Easter Season has come to an end. The Easter candle is extinguished and will be lit only at Baptisms and funerals during Ordinary Time of the Church year. The same Spirit of Pentecost is given to all of us, the followers of Jesus. The Spirit strengthens us to go forth in the name of the Lord. On Saturday, twenty-five of our students were recognized by the Boston Public Library for their winning entries in this year’s essay and poster contest. The theme was “Choosing to Participate”. We congratulate these children and Mrs. Putnam for their fine work. One fifth of all the awards given throughout the City of Boston were from Gate of Heaven School. Today seven of our teachers will be sharing their mini-grant projects with teachers from the other schools in the Diocese who participate in the LEAF Program (Literacy Early and Forever). The gathering will be held at Mission Grammar School. Ms. Byrne, Mrs. Malloy, Sr. Eleanor and Mrs. Walpole will explain their participation in the theater performance Harriet Tubman. Mrs. Maloney and Ms. Kennedy will describe the preparation for their trip to “Boston By Little Feet” Program. Both of these literacy experiences were fully funded by the Literacy Collaborative Mini Grant Program. Pizza lunch will be held on FRIDAY this week. Mrs. Putnam will be preparing our Annual Art Exhibit in the lunchroom during the day. Children will be eating in their classroom. Coinciding with the Art Exhibit will be a Home and School Association sponsored Scholastic Book Fair. The book fair will run on Friday until 5:30PM in the lower church and after all the Masses this weekend. Students’ Summer Reading selections will be available for purchase as well as some adult titles. Please see the enclosed flyers. Grade 2 will accompany Fr. Ben to Bayview for Mass tomorrow. Permission slips should be returned by tomorrow morning. Any second grade parent/guardian who would like to walk with the second graders to Bayview is welcome. Please call the school office to let us know that you will be joining us. We will leave at 12:40PM and return at 2:00PM. Grade 7 will be at the UPS facility in Watertown on Friday on an educational field trip sponsored by the Junior Achievement Program. Permission slips must be returned by Friday morning in order for students to participate. We hope to see you at the Home and School sponsored “Disco Bowling Party” on Saturday evening beginning at 6:00PM. A great time was had by all last year. Our Lady, Gate of Heaven, Pray For Us! May 7, 2008 In this time between the Ascension of our Lord and Pentecost which the Church celebrates on Sunday, we reflect on Jesus’ words “Behold, I am with you always…” This is a message for us as well. Jesus has returned to the Father but He is always with us through his Spirit. The Middle School students are receiving their fourth term progress reports today. Please discuss this report with your child, sign the report and return the yellow copy by Friday. The white copy should be kept at home for your records. Notices are being sent home today announcing the Scholastic Book Fair which will be held on Friday, May 16th. Summer reading books will be available for sale at the Book Fair. The Book Fair will be held in the lower Church. Also on Friday the 16th, the school will hold its annual Art Exhibit in the lunch room. Once again you can take great pride in the talented work of your children. Please see the enclosed flyer concerning the Home and School Association’s Disco Bowl which will be held on Saturday, May 17th. Don’t miss out on a great evening out, hope to see you there! The Home and School Association is selling “Home Interior” candles for Mother’s Day gifts. Each candle is $7.00. The candles will be sold through Friday. Chances will also be sold for a basket of Heavenly Goddess Bath Products. Each chance is $1.00. The contents of the basket are valued at $100.00. Class pictures, Preschool through Grade 7 will be taken on Friday morning. Children should be in uniform for their class pictures. Grade 8 will have their graduation picture taken that day. Boys should wear a shirt and tie. Girls should wear a white blouse. Our May calendar raffle will continue throughout the month of May. Good luck to all! Families who did not buy/sell all twenty calendars will receive a bill for the remainder of their assessment. There is still $1,400.00 outstanding for the candy bar sale. A prompt response is appreciated. We remember in prayer all those women who throughout our lives have nurtured and cared for us. Mother’s Day Blessing to All! Our Lady, Gate of Heaven, Pray For Us! April 30, 2008 From the desk of Sr. Pat: This week we celebrate the Feast of Ascension Thursday, the fortieth day of the Easter Season. It is a day of great joy. We do not see Jesus with our eyes, but he is still with us. Or perhaps we do see Jesus whenever we look at another person. Jesus is as close to us as we are to each other. And his Spirit makes us one! Please join us for the Holy day Mass at 9:00AM tomorrow. The children will be treated to ice cream sundaes tomorrow from Bob Grasso the fundraising specialist. They will be served after our weekly pizza lunch. Any parent/guardian who would like to help serve the sundaes beginning at 12:45PM, please call the school office. The May calendar raffles begins tomorrow. Please send your raffle tickets to the office by arrival tomorrow morning. The drawing will take place each morning. The monthly May calendar went home on Monday. There are lots of in school and out of school activities planned this month. Please keep the May calendar handy. Dismissal on Friday is at 11:30AM for all students. Please continue to pray for the second grade children of our Parish and School who will receive their First Communion on Saturday, May 3rd at 10:30AM. We congratulate these children and their parents as they continue their Faith journey with the reception of the Eucharist for the first time. Class pictures will be taken on Friday, May 9th for Preschool through Grade 7. Picture payment envelopes are enclosed in the communication folder. Payment should be brought to school on or before May 9th. The Home and School is sponsoring another Lil Caesar Pizza fundraiser. Orders should be returned by May 23rd and delivery will be on June 3rd. This fundraiser is back by “popular demand”. Thanks for your support. Congratulations to St. Brigid Parish as they bring their 100th Anniversary Celebration Year to a close this weekend. May the Graces of this Anniversary Year remain with St. Brigid Parish for many years to come.
April 16, 2008 From the desk of Sr. Pat: The Scripture of the 4th Sunday of Easter gives us the image of Jesus, the Good Shepherd. It’s a good reminder for all of us to pray for our own good shepherds, our priests, and to pray for vocations to the priesthood from our Parish and School family. The May calendars are being sent home today. As stated on the tuition contract “every family must sell two hundred dollars worth of calendars a year”. Many people sold twenty calendars at Christmas time. Anyone wishing additional calendars should request them from the office. These calendars make great gifts for Mother’s Day, Graduation and First Communion. In honor of the Patriot’s Day - Boston Marathon we will have a TAG DAY in support of our Saint Vincent de Paul Food Pantry on Friday, April 18th. The food supply is very low. We are requesting that each child bring in a food item as your family’s means permit. Thank you in advance for your customary generosity for this very worthy cause. Please pray for the second grade students of our school and parish who are in the final weeks of preparation for the celebration of their First Communion. Our Parish’s First Eucharist celebration will take place on Saturday, May 3rd at 10:30AM. All are welcome. Please take note of the notices being sent home by the Home and School Association. Our school is registered to participate in the Hood’s Bottle Cap Drive again this year. We continue to collect General Mills and Campbell Soup labels. If you have a TARGET credit card or a TARGET debit card, profits can be directed to Gate of Heaven School by calling the telephone number on the back of the card and signing up. Please consider this Home and School incentive. Warm weather uniforms can now be worn. Please review the uniform policy as it is stated in the Parent/Student Handbook – cargo pants/shorts are not to be worn and sneakers are allowed only when wearing shorts. Last Thursday on gym day, two thirds of the Middle School students were out of uniform. Solid navy blue sweatpants or blue mesh shorts are permitted. Grades 4-8 students should be wearing the oatmeal colored Gate of Heaven T-shirts. As stated on the calendar, next week is the April vacation. Hopefully our school families will enjoy some extra rest and relaxation before we begin the last seven weeks of school. Our Lady, Gate of Heaven, Pray For Us! April 9, 2008 From the desk of Sr. Pat: The Gospel we heard this weekend is a very familiar one to all of us. Jesus appeared to his disciples on the road to Emmaus, only they didn’t recognize Him until he sat with them and He broke bread with them. How often in our own lives do we fail to recognize Jesus. This Gospel is a wonderful reminder to us of what happens when two or three people come together in Jesus’ name – Jesus is present. Thanks to all who supported the Student Council’s Rally Against Cancer TAG DAY yesterday. We will be having another TAG DAY this month on Friday, April 18th in support of our St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry. The shelves are in great need of replenishment. More information will be sent home next Wednesday. Grade 5 will accompany Fr. Shoemaker to Bayview tomorrow. Permission slips must be returned tomorrow morning. We are delighted to join the residents for Mass each month. Please remember in prayer the ninth grade students of our Parishes who will be confirmed tomorrow evening, April 10th. Bishop Hennessey will confirm these young men and women at a Mass at St. Brigid’s Church beginning at 7:00PM. All are welcome. Grade 1, 4 and 7 will participate in a BMI screening on Friday, April 11th. If parent/guardians of those students have any questions, the public health nurse, Marge Kelly, can be reached at school on Thursday afternoon or Friday morning. Parents/guardians of the second grade children who will be receiving First Communion on Saturday, May 3rd, are requested to attend a First Eucharist Meeting next Tuesday, April 15th at Gate of Heaven Church beginning at 6:30PM. Our Lady, Gate of Heaven, Pray For Us! April 2, 2008 From the desk of Sr. Pat: It’s hard to believe that we are into the month of April! During this second week of Easter in the daily Scripture we hear about the appearances of Jesus to his disciples after his resurrection. The disciple, Thomas, would not believe that Jesus was alive until he “put his hand in Jesus’ side”. Let’s pray for an increase of Faith in our own daily lives. There is NO PANCAKE BREAKFAST on Sunday, April 6th. Please disregard that date on the April calendar. The Middle School students received their 3rd term report cards today. Parents/guardians should review their child’s card with their student, sign it and return it by Friday. Teachers have requested conferences with some parents/guardians. Please return the conference form as soon as possible. Parents/guardians can also request a teacher conference on the same form. The Student Council is sponsoring a Red Sox color TAG DAY on Tuesday, April 8th – opening day at Fenway Park. This is in conjunction with the Rally for Cancer supported by Dustin Pedroia. A donation of $2.00 is requested for this important cause. More information is enclosed in the communication folder. We still have $2,300 outstanding in candy money. Please return it to school as soon as possible. Thank you for your cooperation. Thank you to the families who have returned their re-registration/release forms. After tomorrow, April 3rd class sizes, staffing needs and the 2008-2009 school budget will be determined. If there is a reason you have not sent in your re-registration or release form, please call the office to speak with me. I realize that advance class and public school placement sites have not been determined yet, so you may not know the name of the school your child will be attending in September. If this is the case, please sign the release form and when you have been notified we can fill in the name of the school where records can be sent. Thank you for your cooperation in this important matter. There is a flyer from the Home and School Association for their Spring fundraiser enclosed in this week’s communication folder. Thank you for your customary support of all the projects of our wonderful Home and School Association. Just a reminder that Friday is a half-day with an 11:30AM dismissal for preschool through grade 8. We will be joining our Parish family at the 9:00AM Mass on Friday. Hope you can join us too. Our Lady, Gate of Heaven, Pray For US! March 26, 2008 Happy Easter Season to all! May the next fifty days of Easter be days when we recognize Christ in all those we meet along our journey of Faith. The April calendar is enclosed in this week’s communication folder. Please keep it handy throughout the month. Please also see the flyer announcing the Architectural Art Show which will be held this Friday after school. We are grateful to Mrs. Putnam for pursuing this grant from the Boston Foundation for Architecture and to the Foundation for granting our school the award for materials used in this exhibit. We hope to see you on Friday afternoon. Warm weather uniforms can be worn beginning April 1st. As always, parents/guardians should use their own discretion when the temperatures are below normal. Sneakers may be worn only when wearing shorts. Thank you to the 45 families who have returned the re-registration/release forms. The April 1st deadline is critical for our planning for next year. Financial aid forms also have a deadline of April 1st. To date only 22 families have submitted financial aid forms to FACTS. This is the only source of aid available to us at this time. Please don’t miss out on this opportunity. Money for the candy bar fundraiser is past due. There is $3,360.00 outstanding at this time. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Grade 8 parents/guardians are receiving a memo from Ms. Marshall and me regarding some graduation obligations and financial scholarship information. Please read this memo with your child and sign the statement and return it to school by Friday. The next ten weeks will be important for the graduates’ successful completion of their elementary school years. Our Lady, Gate of Heaven, Pray For Us!
March 19, 2008 The Sacred Triduum begins tomorrow evening with the celebration of the Lord’s Last Supper. The next three days leading up to Easter Sunday mark some of the most important beliefs of our Faith. Please join us in Church as our Parishes celebrate Holy Thursday, Good Friday, the Easter Vigil and the Resurrection of the Lord on Easter Sunday. Please refer to the schedule enclosed in this week’s communication folder. Re-registration for the 2008-2009 academic year begins today. The cooperation of each family is appreciated. Please have all re-registration forms or release forms returned to the office on or before April 1, 2008. We will be determining staffing needs and classrooms at that time. We have a contractual obligation to inform teachers by April 15th if they will have a job next year. Once our classes and staffing needs are determined, a tuition scale will be worked on by the School Board and announced as soon as possible. Enrollment is key to our budget. All financial aid forms are due to Facts by April 1st. According to the information we have received from FACTS Grant and Aide Assessment, less than a third of the families who received aid last year have applied this year. Please don’t miss this opportunity for financial aid. Please return the re-registration information in the same envelope you received it in. All candy money was due on Tuesday. If you haven’t sent in your money, please do so as soon as possible. Thank you. A big Thank You to the families who sold more than the requested two boxes. Just a reminder that tomorrow, Thursday, there is an 11:30AM dismissal for all students Pre-school – grade 8. Grades 1, 2, and 3 enjoyed their field trip to the Berklee School of Music today. This field trip was fully funded by the Literacy Collaborative. Parents of grade 5 and 6 students will find a notice from the school nurse regarding the Growth and Development Program scheduled for March 28th. Please respond to Marge Kelly at the school number IF YOU DO NOT WISH YOUR CHILD TO PARTICIPATE. Happy and Blessed Easter to All! Our Lady, Gate of Heaven, Pray For Us!
March 12, 2008 From the desk of Sr. Pat: This weekend we approach the holiest week of the year – Holy Week. It doesn’t seem possible that Lent -2008 is almost over. Let us be attentive to God’s word as we hear it on Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday, Good Friday and at the Easter Vigil. In the communication folder you will find a schedule of all the Holy Week Services in our Parishes. Grades K2-5 are receiving their 2nd term report cards today. Please review the card with your child, sign it and return it by Friday. We are proud of the children and commend them for their fine effort. Teachers are available for parent conferences most mornings at 7:40AM and most afternoons at 2:30PM. Please request a conference with your child’s teacher(s) if you wish. Teachers are also requesting conferences. Please respond for an appointment date and time. Thank you. Grades 2-6 are receiving a flyer regarding lessons on the “tin whistle” which will be held at Saint Brigid’s over the next six weeks. If your child is interested, please return the form as soon as possible. Some classes are participating in educational field trips over the next few weeks. Children in grades 3-4-5 are receiving a permission slip to participate in an Evacuation Day event on Friday, March 14th. The students will process from school to the “Heights” and then to the Gavin School to enjoy a play about George Washington and Henry Knox. Parents are most welcome to join the children for this event. Children in grades 1, 2, and 3 will be attending a production of Freedom Train at the Berklee School of Music on March 19th. This field trip is fully funded by a Literacy Collaborative Mini-Grant. The children continue to enjoy their Youth Retreat with the Brotherhood of Hope Brothers and Boston University student volunteers. This retreat time enriches the Spiritual life of our school family. Please take note on the March calendar that there is NO SCHOOL on Monday, March 17th as Suffolk County celebrates Evacuation Day. Thursday, March 20th there is an 11:30 AM dismissal for Preschool to grade 8. All money from our annual candy bar sale is due on Tuesday, March 18th. Anyone who wishes additional boxes to sell on the parade weekend can request them from the office. Thank you for your support. We are very proud of the students who participated in the Evacuation Day Essay and Poster Contest. We congratulate Kimberly Dargin, James Leydon, Angela Avrami and Danny Sellers who were winners in the essay contest and Joseph Maiullari and Thomas Bohan who were winners in the poster contest. These children bring honor to their families, our school and the South Boston Community. Have a safe and happy St. Patrick’s Day Parade Day! Our Lady, Gate of Heaven Pray For Us!
March 5, 2008 From the desk of Sr. Pat: We have reached the half-way mark in our Lenten journey! The readings of the 4th Sunday of Lent invite us, in the words of Scripture, “to live as children of light”. Let’s pray for the Grace to always live in the light of Christ. On Friday, a notice was sent home regarding a change in our WEBSITE address. Please take a moment to change it in your own computer address book – www.gateofheavenschool.net. Thank you to all who have requested additional boxes of candy. Your support of this annual fundraiser is appreciated. The Home and School is sponsoring a Bowling Party on Friday beginning at 11:30AM. A flyer went home yesterday with the details. It should be a fun time for all! The school will be participating in the 9:00AM Parish Mass on Friday. Everyone should be in uniform on Friday. Four students will be participating in a leadership program at Boston College on Friday. Ms. Keating will be accompanying Jake Thomas, Emily Nagle, Lorraine Cox and Elaina McCarthy to this day long event. Just a reminder that there are two opportunities available to address your questions or concerns to the School Collaborative Board. Meetings will be held this evening, March 5th at 6:30PM in the Gate of Heaven School Chapel and on Sunday, March 9th after the 10:30AM Mass in Cushing Hall. All are welcome! We are looking forward to our Youth Retreat next week with the Brotherhood of Hope brothers and volunteers. This retreat takes place in school during school time. The 8th graders in the Confirmation I Program are also required to attend a special class on Monday evening as part of their Confirmation preparation. During the week let’s pray that the children will be open to God’s Grace as we approach the holiest days in the Church year, Holy Week and Easter. Our Lady, Gate of Heaven, Pray For Us! February 27, 2008 From the desk of Sr. Pat: I hope the vacation week provided a change of pace for our school families with lots of extra rest and relaxation. The Scripture for the third week of Lent reminds us that God is present to us in the ordinary things of life if we are open to the Grace of God. The March calendar is enclosed in this week’s communication folder. Please keep it handy. Middle School students received their third term progress reports today. Parents/guardians should review the report with their child and sign and return the yellow copy by Friday. The white copy should be kept at home for your records. Parent/teacher conference request forms are enclosed for teachers requesting a conference or for parent/guardian to request a conference. These requests should be returned as soon as possible in order to schedule appointments. Our Annual Candy Bar Sale begins tomorrow. Each family is requested to sell two boxes ($80.00). Families wishing more boxes can request them from the office. Each bar costs $1.00. Children are not expected to go door to door. Many families sell the candy bars at work or to relatives who are visiting during the parade weekend. The sale ends on March 18th. As always your continued support is appreciated. Our Parish Mission continues this week. It is a special time of Grace in our Parish. The children will have their own Annual Youth Retreat with the Brotherhood of Hope during the week of March 9th. Please check the March calendar for the Youth Mission schedule which is held during the school day. Grade 5 and 6 will be visiting the Christa McAuliffe Space Center on Friday, February 29th. They will not be returning to school until 2:30PM. Families should make arrangements for younger siblings to be picked up at the regular dismissal time. From all reports, the Home and School sponsored Coco Key experience was enjoyed by all who attended. The Leydon family was the winner of the Wii raffle. Over the weekend we will be welcoming Father David Shoemaker to our Parishes. We look forward to his ministry not only in our Parishes but also in our school. Our Lady, Gate of Heaven, Pray For Us!
February 13, 2008 From the desk of Sr. Pat: As we continue our Lenten journey, let’s take some time during the week to see how we are living out the Lenten practices of prayer, fasting and almsgiving. We hope that parents/guardians and parishioners will take time to address their concerns and questions regarding the 2010 Initiative to the Collaborative Board. Thank you to the forty-seven families who participated in the Little Caesar Pizza drive. We far exceeded our goal of $1,000 profit. The orders will be delivered on Thursday, February 14th. Orders may be picked up at the school from 2:00PM – 5:00PM. Grade 7 will participate in our Parish outreach to the residents of Bayview on Thursday. Permission slips to participate in the Mass at Bayview must be returned by Thursday morning. Tomorrow is the deadline for the purchase of tickets for Coco Key Water Park. The Wii that is on raffle chances will be drawn at the park. Winner does not need to be present. We have finalized the milk order for the remainder of the year. We have an increase in chocolate milk takers from February – June. I hope the February break provides some extra rest and relaxation for our school families. Hopefully everyone will return on February 25th healthy and happy to be back in school. Our Lady, Gate of Heaven, Pray For Us! February 6, 2008 Today we begin the holy season of Lent, a period of forty days we set aside for extra prayer, fasting and almsgiving. We join Catholics all over the world in receiving a cross of ashes on our foreheads. This is a sign of sorrow for sin. It is a sign that with God’s help and with our Lenten practices of prayer, fasting and almsgiving we are going to try to be better people. Let’s pray for each other on our Lenten journey this year. Little Caesar pizza orders are due tomorrow. By placing the order tomorrow we are assured of a delivery before the February vacation. Please see the enclosed flyer. Students in grades 5-8 will have their scoliosis screening this Friday, February 8th. Please refer to the notice from the nurse for proper attire for the screening. Thank you. Enclosed in this week’s communication folder is a list of the January calendar winners. Congratulations to all! Many families sold their twenty calendars in December. There will be another opportunity in May to finish the calendar requirement. Milk order forms for the rest of the year are due by Friday. This order will provide white or chocolate milk until June. Please take note of the flyer regarding the Home and School sponsored Coco Key event. The deadline for ticket purchase is Wednesday, February 13th. Thank you for your generous response to the St. Vincent de Paul food drive yesterday. The shelves of the food pantry were actually empty so this replenishment is a great help to the families in need. Our Lady, Gate of Heaven, Pray For Us!
January 30, 2008 From the desk of Sr. Pat: Gate of Heaven School is saddened by the sudden death of Father Daniel Kennedy this week. The children in grade 2 and their families had the opportunity to meet Father Kennedy at their celebration of First Penance. We pray in thanksgiving for Father Kennedy’s life among the people of God in the Archdiocese of Boston. At this time we also pray for God’s peace and consolation for his parents, his brother and his sisters. May he rest in peace. Just a reminder that Friday is a half day with dismissal at 11:30AM for Preschool through Grade 8. We hope to see everyone at the Home and School sponsored Valentine Dance at the Walsh gym Friday evening from 5:30 – 7:30. (time is incorrect on the February calendar) Registration packets are available for siblings, relatives, etc. for NEW students. Please call the office to request an application. Thank you. To dispel any rumors in the neighborhood, there is no waiting list at Gate of Heaven School for any grade - All are welcome! Milk forms for the second half of the year are being sent home today. Please check with your child/ren regarding the purchase of white or chocolate milk for the rest of the year. Some children change their minds and choose not to have milk. Milk order forms are due back by February 8th. There are a few announcements from our wonderful Home and School Association regarding Shaw’s receipts and the Little Caesars’ pizza fundraiser enclosed in the communication folder. As always, we are grateful for your support. Congratulations to Matthew Flaherty (5) who was the winner of the hockey tickets raffle. One thousand dollars was raised for our family who lost their belongings in the Hotel Eaton Fire. Thank you for your generosity. Any family who would like to request a Financial Aid packet (Catholic School Foundation) for the 2008-2009 school year can call the office and an application will be sent home. We encourage families to apply for this financial aid. We will be joining our Parish family at the 9:00AM Mass next Wednesday, February 6th for the celebration of Ash Wednesday. The children will receive ashes at this Mass. Preschool and Kindergarten I children will receive ashes at a brief prayer service held in school. We invite all to join us at Mass as we begin the Holy Season of Lent. Please join us for our monthly Pancake Breakfast on Sunday after the 9:00Am Mass. It’s a great way to celebrate the end of Catholic Schools Week. Our Lady, Gate of Heaven, Pray for Us! January 23, 2008 From the desks of Sr. Pat: During this second week in Ordinary Time the Scripture reminds us that we are all sent to witness to Jesus and the Kingdom. In our daily life where is God asking each of us to go and give witness to the Kingdom of God? At the end of each Eucharistic celebration we hear “Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.” This is a good place to begin. Congratulations to the 41 children of our Parish and School who celebrated the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the first time last evening. It was a time of Grace for our Parish. Middle School students will be attending the Symphony on Thursday, January 31st. Permission slips are enclosed in the communication folder. Please return the permission slips and $5.00 by Monday, January 28th. Raffle tickets are still available for the Boston Bruins tickets. The proceeds will benefit our schools’ family who were part of the Eaton Hotel fire. The drawing will take place on Friday, January 25th. Thank you for your support. The February calendar is enclosed in this week’s communication folder. Please keep it handy throughout the month for reference. Students who took the Boston Public Schools Exam test in November are receiving a Grade Point Average/School Preference paper. This is time sensitive information. All signed forms must be returned by Monday, January 28th, so that we can prepare them to be mailed by January 30th. Next week Catholic schools across the nation will celebrate Catholic Schools Week. Gate of Heaven School continues its rich tradition of educating the whole person by provided Total Catholic Education. We provide both an excellent education in human knowledge (Math, English, Social Studies, etc.) and in divine truth (teaching Scripture, virtue, morals and religion); as well as our participation in the Sacramental life of our Parish. Gate of Heaven School “Lights the Way” for all of us on our journey of Faith because our school helps students, parents, guardians, faculty and parishioners to follow Jesus and put our Faith into action. We invite you to join us at our Catholic Schools Week Mass on Monday, January 28th @ 9:00AM as we pray in Thanksgiving for our school. We pray as well for all those in our 128 year history who have been part of the Gate of Heaven School Family. Please see the special Catholic School Week calendar that has been prepared by the Student Council. Our Lady, Gate of Heaven, Pray For Us!
January 16, 2008 From the desk of Sr. Pat: Having celebrated the Baptism of the Lord on Sunday, the Church return to Ordinary Time. May we have the Grace to see God in the ordinary moments of our day. The Little Caesars pizza order forms received last week are due back by February 7th. This will assure us of a delivery before the February vacation. Thank you for your support of this Home and School activity. The Home and School is holding a raffle of four Boston Bruins tickets with parking included. This raffle is in support of our school family who lost their belongings in the New Year’s Eve fire. This sports package is valued at over $300.00 dollars. Your support is appreciated. Raffle tickets are enclosed in the communication folder. Middle School students are receiving their second term report cards today. Students in K2 through grade 5 are receiving second term progress reports. Parents/guardians should review these reports with their child. If teachers have requested a conference, please respond with a day and time which is convenient for you. Any parent or guardian, who would like to meet with the teachers, should also request an appointment. Report cards and Progress Reports should be signed and returned by Friday. Thank you. Enclosed with your child’s report card or progress report (Grade 1-8) is the HOME REPORT from the Terra Nova Standardized test the children took in October. On the back of the Home Report is an explanation of the Report. If you have any questions about the Report, please do not hesitate to contact your child’s teacher or me. We will be happy to assist you. We are happy to report that once again the children have consistently scored above the national average. Grade 8 will be accompanying Fr. Ben to Bayview on Thursday. They will be dismissed from Bayview. Permission slips must be returned tomorrow. Our second graders will be celebrating the Sacrament of Reconciliation on Tuesday, January 22nd. Please keep the children and their families in prayer. Thank you. Registration and Open House for new students will be held on Tuesday, January 29th from 8:30 – 11:00AM. We look forward to seeing younger siblings of our present students and their neighbors and relatives. As noted on the January calendar, there is NO SCHOOL next Monday, January 21st as we join the Nation in celebrating the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. Our Lady, Gate of Heaven, Pray For Us!
January 9, 2008 From the desk of Sr. Pat: On Sunday the Church celebrates the Baptism of the Lord and the Christmas season ends. In the Baptism of the Lord we hear the voice of God the Father calling Jesus his beloved Son. Through our Baptism we became daughters and sons of God. God says “Here is my beloved daughter, here is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased.” We pray that our words and action will always demonstrate that we, too, are children of God. Thank you to the parents/guardians of the second grade children who participated in the First Penance meeting last evening. We continue to pray for our children and their families during these final weeks of preparation to receive the next Sacrament in their journey of Faith. The 2010 Initiative surveys were due back on Monday, January 7th. As of this morning 100 out of 152 families have responded. If you haven’t returned your family survey, please do so as soon as possible. Thank you to the 100 families who have taken the time to give their honest and candid opinion about Gate of Heaven School to the Strategic Study Committee. Another general meeting will be held at the end of February by the representatives from the Strategic Study Committee to report their findings from the anonymous surveys and the facilities assessment from Suffolk Construction. Omitted from the January calendar is a Middle School field trip to the Symphony on January 31st. More information will be forthcoming. Pizza lunch resumes tomorrow. Our thanks to all who support this Home and School program. The Home and School is beginning a Little Caesars fundraiser this week. See the enclosed flyer. This fundraiser is being repeated by popular request. As always your support is appreciated. We look forward to our annual Registration and Open House for NEW students on Tuesday, January 29th during Catholic Schools Week. Any parent or guardian who wishes registration information sent home before visiting on the 29th, should call the school office. Our Lady, Gate of Heaven, Pray For US! January 3, 2008 From the desk of Sr. Pat: On Sunday we celebrated the Feast of the Holy Family. Let’s pray for all of our Parish and School families that through the intercession of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph we will be blessed throughout the year. The January calendar raffle began today. Drawings for January 1st, 2nd, and 3rd were drawn late this morning so we could include the late returns. Good luck to all! Thank you to all who attended last evening’s school collaboration meeting. Your presence at the meeting and input to the process through the survey are crucial as we continue forward providing quality Catholic education here in South Boston. Family surveys not picked up last night are being sent home today. Your cooperation in returning them no later than Monday, January 7th is appreciated. These are anonymous surveys and your candid responses will be helpful as we move ahead in the collaborative process. Parents and guardians of second grade students are invited to a First Reconciliation meeting on Tuesday evening, January 8th at St. Brigid’s Church. As noted on the January calendar the Sacrament of Reconciliation will be celebrated on Tuesday evening, January 22nd at 6:30PM at Gate of Heaven Church. Let’s continue to pray for the children and their families during these final weeks of preparation for the next step on their journey of Faith. We hope that many of our school families will join us at the 9:00AM Mass on Sunday, January 6th as we bid fare-well to Father Flynn. There will be an opportunity after Mass to thank Fr. Flynn for his ministry to us here at Gate of Heaven at a reception in the lower Church. Our Lady, Gate of Heaven, Pray For US! December 19, 2007 Advent is a time our Church gives us so that we remember what it is like to anticipate. We look for the signs of something different that is about to happen and we sense those differences this third week of Advent in the color of our Advent candles and vestments. That attentiveness is not just for a season, however, we are called at all times to look for the signs of God’s action in our lives. Happy Third Week of Advent. The January calendar is enclosed in this week’s communication folder. Please take special note of the 2010 Initiative Meeting that will be held on Wednesday, January 2nd at 6:30PM in the Gate of Heaven Church. We request that a representative of each family be present for this very important collaborative meeting. Please see the enclosed flyer for more information. School resumes on the 3rd of January. Both Thursday and Friday are FULL days of school. There is a meeting for all second grade parents and guardians on Tuesday, January 8th at 6:30PM in preparation for the children’s celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation on January 22nd. We hope that many families will join the children of our Parish and School at the 4:00PM Christmas Eve Mass where the Gospel story of the birth of Jesus will be portrayed by the children. Just a reminder that the Christmas break begins at the end of the school day on Friday, December 21st. There is NO AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM that day. All January raffle calendars should be returned to school by Friday. The raffles will be drawn beginning on Thursday, January 3rd when we return to school. After consulting with Father Casey, we determined that we would not go to Saint Brigid’s for Mass on Friday. Considering the conditions of the sidewalks and roads, we felt the children’s safety would be jeopardized. We look forward to joining Saint Brigid School Community for Mass at a later date. May the Peace of Christ be with all of our school families now and throughout the coming year. You will be remembered in prayer at my Christmas Masses. Our Lady, Gate of Heaven, Pray For Us!
December 12, 2007 From the desk of Sr. Pat: In the Gospel of the Second Sunday in Advent, John the Baptist tells us to “Prepare the way of the Lord… At our Friday morning prayer, Fr. Flynn asks us “How are we preparing for the birth of Jesus?” A good question for all of us to reflect upon during this Second Week of Advent. Middle School students are bringing home their second term progress reports. Please review the report with your child, sign the YELLOW copy and return it to school by Friday. The WHITE copy is for your records. For some students, a parent/guardian conference is requested. Please notify your child’s homeroom teacher of a day and time (7:30AM/2:20PM) which is convenient for you. Thank you. We will not be going to St. Brigid’s for Mass on Thursday because of the predicted weather of rain or snow. The children’s safety is our primary concern. However, Grade 3, 4, and 5 will be attending a program at the East Broadway Branch of the Boston Public Library on Thursday morning. Grade 5 will be accompanying Fr. Ben to Bayview for Mass later in the day. Permission slips are enclosed for these grades. We will cancel our participation in both these programs if the weather on Thursday deems it necessary. Many of the children are preparing for the Christmas Eve pageant. Thank you to all parents/guardians who are getting them to rehearsals. All January raffle calendars should be returned by the Christmas break. There are still some available if families want to sell more than ten at this time. The monthly calendar for January will be enclosed in next week’s communication folder. Our Lady, Gate of Heaven, Pray For Us!
December 5, 2007 From the desk of Sr. Pat: To prepare fully for the birth of Christ this Advent season let’s continue to pray for openness to God’s Grace in our lives. Just a reminder that Friday is an 11:30AM dismissal for all students Preschool – 8. Report card conferences for K2-5 will begin at 1:00PM. Any parent/guardian who is unable to meet on Friday should request a conference on the appointment form enclosed in their child’s report card. Faculty members not involved in conferences will be working on our NEASC Re-Accreditation report. Report cards should be signed and returned by Friday. The Christmas Concert will be held on Sunday at 1:15PM in the upper Church. Children should meet their teachers in the lower Church at 1:00PM. Mrs. Moguel has prepared the accessories the children will be wearing. Each class knows which colors they should wear to compliment the accessories. Friday is a Student Council sponsored TAG DAY. Christmas colors may be worn with a donation of $1.00 which will be used to purchase Christmas toys for TOYS for TOTS. Your customary generosity is appreciated. There is a mistake on the December calendar regarding Mass at Bayview. Grade 5 is scheduled to visit Bayview on the 13th. Permission slips will be sent home next Wednesday and should be returned on Thursday morning. Also on Thursday, December 13th, we will be joining St. Brigid School Family at a 9:00AM Mass in honor of St. Lucy. Weather permitting, we (K2-8) will be walking to St. Brigid’s for Mass. Permission slips will be sent home next Wednesday. We look forward to the Christmas Eve Mass when the children of our Parish and School will present in pageant form the Gospel story of the birth of Christ. A special thanks to the parents and guardians who make sure the children participate in the weekly rehearsals. Our Lady, Gate of Heaven, Pray For Us!
November 28, 2007 From the desk of Sr. Pat: This weekend we welcome the month of December and the beginning of the Liturgical year, Advent. The Scripture of the four weeks of Advent invites us to prepare our hearts and souls for the coming of Christ at Christmas. Advent is a season of HOPE, a time of “active waiting” for the celebration of Jesus’ birth at Christmas. Happy Advent! Enclosed in the communication folder is the December calendar. Please keep it handy for reference. Please note that next Tuesday, December 4th, the teachers will be participating in a Religious Professional Day from 8:00Am – 2:30PM at Our Lady of Comforter of the Afflicted School in Waltham. There is NO SCHOOL for students. Please also note that there has been a change of date in the Mass at St. Brigid’s. It was originally scheduled for the 6th of December and will now be celebrated on December 13th the Feast of St. Lucy. Permission slips for the children in K2-8 to walk to St. Brigid’s Church will be given out next week. Thank you for your support of the Silver Bells Auction and Art Exhibit which was held last weekend. A special thank you to the “Friends of Gate of Heaven” and the Gate of Heaven Home and School Board who worked tirelessly over the last few months in support of our School. Words cannot express my own personal gratitude for all who so generously gave their time, talent and treasure to make the gathering a successful event. The “flu mist” will be distributed on Thursday, December 6th. Release forms were due back earlier in the month for those who wished to participate in the program. Our Second Annual Christmas Concert will be held on Sunday, December 9th at 1:15PM in the upper Church. This is a school sponsored event in conjunction with the music curriculum. It is expected that the students participate. Thank you for your cooperation. Our Lady, Gate of Heaven, Pray For Us!
November 20, 2007 From the desk of Sr. Pat: During this Thanksgiving week 2007, we give thanks to God for the many blessings we have received in our Parish and School family. Please consider joining our Parishioners at the 9:00AM Mass on Thanksgiving Day. The Eucharist is the greatest celebration of thanksgiving we can participate in. The Silver Bells Auction/Art Exhibit will be held on Saturday. This exciting new venture is sure to have something planned for the whole family, children in the afternoon and adults in the evening. Looking forward to seeing everyone there. Christmas card raffles are being sent home today. As part of the tuition contract each family is required to sell $200 (20) seasonal calendars each year. Some families choose to sell all twenty (20) at this time. Others choose to sell ten (10) now and ten (10) in the spring. Each family is given 10 calendars at this time. If you wish to sell all twenty (20) now, please call the school office and an additional ten (10) will be sent home with your child. If you wish to sell all twenty (20) in the spring, please return these calendars to the school office. Families, who do not sell their required twenty (20) calendars, will receive an additional tuition bill for $200.00. As always we are grateful for all you do in support of our school. Our Second Annual Christmas Concert will be held on Sunday, December 9th at 1:15PM in the upper Church. Preschool through grade 8 will put us in the Christmas spirit with their song and instrument concert. Don’t forget to pick up your pies at Joseph’s today! Thank you for your support of all of the fundraising activities of both the Home and School Association and the Friends of Gate of Heaven. We are fortunate indeed to have such wonderful parents, grandparents, guardians and parishioners supporting the Mission of Catholic education here at Gate of Heaven. From all of us here at Gate of Heaven School we wish you a Blessed Thanksgiving and a special remembrance at Mass on Thanksgiving Day! Our Lady, Gate of Heaven, Pray For Us!
November 14, 2007 School pictures that were taken in October were distributed today. Please read the instruction on the package if you are not satisfied with your child’s picture. A retake day is schedule on Tuesday, November 27th for children who were absent on October 12th or anyone who desires a retake. Grade 6 will be visiting Bayview for Mass tomorrow. Permission slips must be returned tomorrow. The first project of the newly elected Student Council will be the Annual Oxfam Bread and Soup Lunch. This symbolic lunch of bread and chicken broth will be held on Friday, November 16th. For a $1.00 donation, students can have a cup of broth and a roll. All donations will be sent to Oxfam America to support their efforts to eliminate world hunger. The Silver Bells Auction/Art Exhibit will be held on Saturday, November 24th. Thank you for your support of the classroom themed Christmas tree project. Volunteers are needed throughout the weekend for setting up, during the event, and cleaning up. Any time you can volunteer is appreciated. On Friday the school nurse will be doing vision screening in grades K1, K2 and grades 5 and 7. Notices were sent home to these classes last week. If your child wears glasses, please make sure they have the glasses with them on Friday. Thank you. Friday is the deadline for the Home and School fundraisers: Thanksgiving pies, gift cards and Christmas wreaths. Thank you for your support. The 8th graders who are applying to Catholic High Schools will be taking the entrance exam on Saturday, November 17th. Please remember them in your prayers this week. Gate of Heaven Parish will have its monthly Pancake Breakfast after the 9:00AM Mass on Sunday, November 18th. At this Mass our new altar servers will be installed. We congratulate Aidan Brock, Chessie Cox, Molly Cox, Michael Bolstad, Ryan Collins and Patrick Morris and their parents for their commitment to their Faith and our Parish. Our Lady, Gate of Heaven, Pray For Us!
November 7, 2007 From the desk of Sr. Pat: The Scripture of this past weekend both in the Old Testament Reading and the New Testament Reading, reminds us of the mercy and compassion of God. Like Zaccheus, we are all beneficiaries of God’s mercy and compassion. Last week students who are 5 years old and older received an invitation from the school nurse to receive the flu mist which helps prevent the flu. A response is required no later than Friday, November 9th. Thank you for your prompt response to this important matter. Plans for the Auction/Art Exhibit are moving right along. Each classroom will be decorating a tree with a special theme. The classroom reps are contacting each family. Your response to the representatives is appreciated. Like the Home and School, the Friends of Gate of Heaven work tirelessly on behalf of our children and their families. The deadline for ordering Thanksgiving pies, Christmas wreaths and gift cards is November 16th. These fundraising events are being repeated by request. This is a great opportunity for “one stop shopping” for the holidays. Middle school students are receiving their first term report cards today. Please review your child’s card, sign it and return it by Friday. Teachers have requested some conferences. Please return the teachers’ request form with the signed report card. Any parent/guardian who wishes to meet with the teachers should send in the request form enclosed in the report card. As stated in the Parent/Student Handbook – duplicate copies can be made for non-custodial parents – by contacting the office. The winner of the “Red Sox/Patriot Build-a-Bear” was Harry Cully in grade 2. Thank you for your support. The Grade 5 and 6 trip to the Christa McAuliffe Space Center is paid for. In February the only cost will be the bus. The Fall Fundraiser orders were distributed on Friday. Please report any missing or damaged items to the office so that replacement can be ordered. We are grateful to the 107 families who participated in this fundraiser. The election for Student Council Officers took place yesterday. We thank all who ran for office and congratulate them on their school spirit and leadership. Officers are: Samantha Moccio, President - Hayley Nee, Vice President - Jake Thomas, Treasurer and Joseph Provenzano, Secretary. Classroom representatives will be elected very soon. On Friday, November 9th, we will have a Veteran’s Day ceremony included in our morning prayer. Weather permitting, we will gather in the East Fifth Street yard at 8:00AM. We are updating our prayer page on the School’s Website; please submit the names of any family member, relatives or friends who are in the military. Thank you. Our Lady, Gate of Heaven, Pray For Us! October 31, 2007 From the desk of Sr. Pat: Happy “All Hallows Eve” to all of our school families and happy Feast of All Saints tomorrow! On the Feast of All Saints the Church honors those who lived before us and now live in the company of all holy people in heaven. In our prayer let us remember all those whose holiness has touched our lives. The Halloween Dance last week was enjoyed by all. The winners of the black cat Webkins were Kaleigh Flaherty, Linden Cox and Julia Casper. The I-Pod shuffle winner was Brendan Boynton. Our thanks to all who participated in this Halloween Raffle. The Hood bottle cap drive is over. Over 3,600 caps were collected. We are grateful to all who collected the bottle caps. The Shaws receipt incentive continues - we are not aware of an ending date for this project. The Fall Fundraiser orders will be delivered tomorrow (Thursday). If you prefer to pick up your order rather than have your child bring it home please call the school office and we will hold your order aside. Friday is a half day for students. Dismissal for Preschool through grade 8 is 11:30AM. We will also enjoy a RED SOX TAG Day to celebrate the team’s World Series win. Red Sox colors, T-shirts or uniform shirts may be worn for a donation of $1.00. The Red Sox/Patriots Build-a-Bear kit raffle will also be drawn on Friday. As always, we are grateful for your support of the children. Please take note of the flyer from the Friends of Gate of Heaven Auction Committee regarding each class’ participation in the “Silver Bells Christmas Festival”. Classroom reps will be contacting you for your help. As we prepare for Veteran’s Day, we would like to update our Prayer Page on the school website. If you have any relatives or friends who are serving in the military and would like us to remember them in prayer, please send their names to school and they will be prayed for each day. We continue to pray for all veterans both living and dead. Please join our Parish and School family at the 9:00AM Mass tomorrow as we celebrate the Feast of All Saints. Our Lady, Gate of Heaven, Pray For Us!
October 24, 2007 From the desk of Sr. Pat: The month of October is quickly passing by! Thank you to all who helped make our week of standardized testing go so smoothly. Attendance was wonderful! Students, parents and guardians should be proud of themselves for making it such a productive week. The test booklets and answer sheets are being packed for pick up and the results should arrive to school in early December. The Home and School is enclosing a packet of fundraising opportunities for the holidays. Please read the cover letter which explains the fundraising events. As always your support of the Home and School fundraising is appreciated. Children in Kindergarten II through grade 5 are receiving their first term Progress Reports today. Please review the report, sign it and return it by Friday. If you wish to meet with your child’s teacher, please send in a note requesting a meeting. If your child’s teacher has requested a meeting, please note a day and time which is convenient for you (7:30AM or 2:20PM) on the signed progress report. Grade 7 is accompanying Fr. Flynn to Bayview tomorrow. The school permission slip in today’s communication folder must be signed and returned tomorrow morning. Please note that dismissal will be from Bayview. Although the students will not be having gym, they may wear their gym uniforms. On November 1st, the Feast of All Saints, some students from grades 3, 4 and 5 will be joining Father Casey at the TV Mass. Those students have a permission slip to participate in the Mass and travel by bus. Please return the slips as soon as possible. The Halloween Raffle of three black cat Webkins and an I-Pod Shuffle will continue through tomorrow. Chances are $1.00 or 6 for $5.00. The winners will be drawn tomorrow night, October 25th at the Home and School sponsored Halloween Dance at the Walsh gym from 5:30 – 7:30PM. Come and join us in this fun-filled evening. Our Lady, Gate of Heaven, Pray For Us!
October 17, 2007 From the desk of Sr. Pat: The Gospel of last Sunday was the familiar parable of the curing of the ten lepers who believed that Jesus could heal them. Only one leper returned to thank Jesus for his healing. May we always be steadfast in our Faith and forever grateful for the blessings in our lives. The children in grades one through eight are participating in the Terra Nova standardized test this week. Thank you for your encouragement to the children for good attendance and a good night’s sleep. Please take note of the date change of the Home and School’s Halloween Dance. It will be held on THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25TH at the Walsh gym. There will be a raffle on sale from today until the 25th for an I-Pod and a black cat webkins. Chances are $1.00 a piece or six for $5.00. The raffle drawing will take place at the Halloween Dance. The winner need not be present. There will be one lucky winner of the I-Pod and three lucky winners of the Black Cat Webkins. Thank you for your participation in this Home and School raffle. I am grateful to the 106 out of our 155 families who participated in the Fall Fundraiser. The anticipated delivery date will be noted on the November calendar. Thank you to all who took note of the uniform policy reminder. As stated in the Parent/Student Handbook, parents/guardians should always use their own discretion regarding the use of the warm weather uniform (shorts and polo shirt) and the cold weather uniform (navy blue slacks and polo shirt). Your child’s health and well-being should be your guide. Grade 8 will be measured for their graduation caps and gowns on Monday, October 22nd. Eighth graders should also be visiting the high school fairs and high school open houses being offered. Students must register to take the Catholic school entrance exam on November 17th or December 8th. Just a reminder that the VIRTUS program for all Parish and School volunteers will be held tomorrow evening at St. Brigid’s School and Saturday morning at Gate of Heaven School. This is the last week for collecting Hood Bottle Tops. Please send in by October 23rd all that you have collected. Thank you for your support. Our Lady, Gate of Heaven, Pray For Us!
October 10, 2007 From the desk of Sr. Pat: I hope the long weekend provided some extra rest and relaxation to all in our school family. Fundraiser orders are overdue. In order to have the orders delivered before Thanksgiving, we must have them in the mail by tomorrow. Thank you to all who have returned the order forms. I would appreciate hearing from 68 more families. Thank you to all who responded to the Home and School Association’s request for classroom representatives. You will soon hear from the Home and School. Pizza lunch is going well. We are looking for people who would be able to purchase soda and teenies for pizza lunch on a monthly basis. Please call the school office if you are able to assist us. Thank you. Just a reminder that all who wish to volunteer in our Parish or School must participate in the Archdiocesan sponsored VIRTUS program and complete a CORI form. This one time requirement will be offered in our Parish on October 18th at St. Brigid’s School and October 20th at Gate of Heaven School. Individual school pictures will be taken on Friday. Each child received a preprinted envelope in last week’s communication folder. Please return the envelope with your child/ren on picture day. Part-time preschool students who usually do not attend on Friday may come in at 8:30AM to have their picture taken or wait for the make-up date which is scheduled for Tuesday, November 27th. Next week we begin our annual standardized testing week. Daily attendance is important. Students should get a good night’s sleep and eat breakfast before coming to school. Testing takes place during some part of each day. In order for your child/ren to do as well as they are able, being present each day, well rested and fed is important. There is no preparation for the Terra Nova test. This test assesses what a student has already learned but being well-rested is an advantage for the children. I realize that we will be in competition with the American League Championship Series but the students’ physical and mental preparedness is important. Thank you for your cooperation. Middle School students are receiving their first term progress reports today. We are proud of their accomplishments thus far. Please retain the white copy for your records and sign and return the yellow copy to school by Friday, October 12th. Our Lady, Gate of Heaven, Pray For Us!
October 3, 2007 From the desk of Sr. Pat: Tomorrow we celebrate the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi. St. Francis is the patron of Peace and Creation. Please join us at the 9:00AM Mass when we join with our Parishioners and St. Brigid School Family to pray for peace and unity in our world, our Country and our community. As stated on the October calendar, there will be a special blessing of pets on Sunday at St. Brigid Courtyard. On Friday, dismissal for Pre-school through grade 8 will be at 11:30AM. Our monthly Faculty Meeting will be held following dismissal. Just a reminder that there is No School on Monday, October 8th as we observe the Columbus Day holiday. Fundraiser orders and payments were due on Monday. As of today we have only received forms from forty-eight (48) of our 155 families. I respectfully ask that all orders and payments be returned as soon as possible. We anticipated the delivery of items in November. Thank you for your cooperation. Individual school pictures will be taken on Friday, October 12th. Picture order envelopes are enclosed in the communication folder this week. Your child’s name is pre-printed on the envelope. Please use this pre-printed envelope when ordering your child’s pictures. Thank you for your response with the Hood Red Sox Tops. The deadline is October 23rd. Milk caps (rinsed, please) should be sent as soon as possible to allow time for Mrs. Maguire to count them and prepare them for mailing. So far, we have collected 2,297 caps. Caps without the Sox Tops logo may also be redeemed provided they are from Hood milk in the “light block” bottles. There is a flyer enclosed regarding Campbell Soup labels and other products. An order is being placed for gym equipment with over 10,000 points collected last year. Please continue to collect Campbell Soup labels and General Mills labels. Thanks for your continued support. Just a reminder regarding uniforms. Warm weather uniforms are in effect until October 31st. Girls should not be wearing navy blue slacks until November 1st. Grey polo shirts are worn with shorts or slacks. White blouses are worn with the plaid jumper. Middle School girls only should be wearing navy blue skirts. If anyone needs polo shirts, plaid jumpers or navy blue slacks, I have a supply of used items that are available for the taking. Sneakers are worn only on gym day or when wearing shorts. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Our Lady, Gate of Heaven, Pray For Us!
September 26, 2007 From the desk of Sr. Pat: Last weekend’s Scripture, especially the reading from the prophet Amos calls us to be generous to the poor. At our Friday morning prayer, Fr. Flynn reminded the children that on this Friday, we have an opportunity to reach out to the poor of the Parish by supporting our St. Vincent de Paul Feast Day food drive. Please be as generous as your means permit. Children bringing in a food item will enjoy a TAG DAY. The October calendar is enclosed in the communication folder. Please keep it handy during the month. Thank you. Our Fall Fundraiser ends on Monday, October 1st. All orders and money are due on the first. It is our hope that each family will sell at least one hundred dollars of merchandise for this fundraiser. We hope to raise $10,000. Thank you for your customary support. Congratulations are in order for Mrs. Putnam who has been recognized by Artsonia for her outstanding leadership in the area of Arts Education at Gate of Heaven School. According to Artsonia – “Gate of Heaven School’s on line art gallery ranks #10 in the State” (www.artsonia.com/schools/heaven1). We are proud of Mrs. Putnam for her many accomplishments and the honor and recognition she brings to our School and the South Boston Community. In the Parent/Student Handbook which you received last week there was a typographical error regarding tardiness for children through grade 5. Children entering the building after 8:10AM are considered TARDY and must stop in the office for a tardy slip. Middle School students are considered tardy after 8:00AM. Please make the correction in your Handbook. Thank you. Next Thursday, October 4th we will be celebrating the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi. The children will be participating in the 9:0AM Mass with our Parishioners and the students from St. Brigid’s School. As you know, St. Francis is the patron Saint of animals. Any child who has a favorite stuffed animal (of a reasonable size) may bring it to school on Wednesday and itwill be brought to Church on Thursday. Our first Pancake Breakfast of the new school year will take place on Sunday, September 30th after the 9:00AM Mass. Tickets are $4.00 for adults and $3.00 for children. We hope to see you there. Please continue to pray for the 10th grade students of the South Boston Parishes who will be confirmed on Tuesday, October 2nd at Gate of Heaven Church. We pray that the Holy Spirit will continue to guide and support these young people on their journey Faith. Our Lady, Gate of Heaven, Pray For Us!
September 19, 2007 From the desk of Sr. Pat: The Scripture of the weekend included some Parables which portray the great love, forgiveness and compassion God has for each one of us. May we always exemplify these same virtues in our lives. Pizza lunch begins tomorrow. Order slips are in the communication folder. Children in Preschool through grade 2 may order 1 slice of pizza and get a teenie drink for $3.00. Children in grades 3-8 may order up to 2 slices and a can of tonic for $4.00. Pizza lunch is an optional Home and School sponsored project for the enjoyment of the children and the convenience of parents. Any parent/guardian who is interested in helping with pizza lunch, please call the office. Volunteers who have submitted a CORI form and participated in the VIRTUS class are most welcome. All milk order forms and payment should be returned by now. We are submitting our milk forms to the State on Friday. Grade 8 will be accompanying Fr. Flynn to Bayview tomorrow. Signed permission slips should be returned by tomorrow morning. We are delighted to have grades 5-8 participate in this Parish Outreach Program again this year. Grade 4 and 5 will be visiting the Science Museum on Friday, September 28th. Parents/guardians need to sign the permission slip and return it to school by Monday, September 24th with five dollars to cover the cost of admission and the bus. Any parent/guardian who has participated in the VIRTUS program and filled out a CORI form is eligible to volunteer as a chaperone. On Thursday, September 27th the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Vincent de Paul. We celebrate this feast each year with a food drive for our Parish St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry. This year we are doing our feast day food drive in memory of John Finn, a member of the St. Vincent de Paul Society for 47 years who passed away earlier this month. Help us to honor Mr. Finn’s memory by supporting the food drive as your means permit. Please see the enclosed flyer for more information. Thank you in advance for your generosity. The Parent/Student Handbook was not available at the time of Open House last week. Each family is receiving a copy in the communication folder this week. Please take the time to read this with your child/ren and return the signed agreement to school as soon as possible. All policies and procedures described in the Handbook are for your child/ren’s safety and protection and contribute to the educational and orderly environment of our school. Please take note of the uniform section of the Handbook. Some students are not wearing the required uniform for their grade level. Thank you for your cooperation in this matter. Just a reminder to parents/guardians of students in grades 6 and 8 that all exam school registration forms are due back by Friday, September 21st in order to prepare them for the mailing deadline. The form must be filled in with pencil and requires a parent/guardian signature as well as a student signature. Our Lady, Gate of Heaven, Pray For Us!
September 12, 2007 From the desk of Sr. Pat: Our school family is now complete – the Early Childhood Program children arrived on Monday. They amazed us all with their enthusiastic and joyful arrival! We’ve had a wonderful beginning with 100% attendance almost every day. Milk forms should be returned as soon as possible. Please request a FREE MILK form is your family is eligible. This documentation is necessary if children are to receive FREE MILK. Today’s communication folder is full of information. Our Fall Fundraiser begins today – please see the white fundraiser envelope in this week’s folder. Your support of this fundraiser is appreciated. We depend on raising $10,000 for the Fall Fundraiser. Money is collected when people place their orders. All orders are due back by Monday, October 1st. Grades 6 and 8 have received the form for taking the exam school test on November 3, 2007. You can see on the envelope that this information needs to be in the mail by September 26th. In order for us to prepar | |
