February 17, 2012
Dear Parents,
We have had to endure a few very stressful months concerning the Archdiocesan mandated study of Catholic schools and churches east of 72nd Street. When the assembled information about the PROPOSED RECOMMENDATIONS was first released it was disappointing news for Sts. Peter & Paul School. Obviously since the final decision about what will become of Sts. Peter & Paul School in the year 2013-14 is still being considered, however there is no doubt that for the 2012-13 academic school year Sts. Peter & Paul School will be open under a model of “business as usual”. Our “business” is educating children up to their highest potential through 8th grade. Please remember that fact about 2012-13 as you read the next paragraph.
Next Thursday, February 23 should be marked on your calendar. As the parents/ guardians of Sts. Peter & Paul School students you should attend an Open Forum Question & Answer session in our cafeteria at 7:00 p.m. Representatives of several parish organizations will be available to field questions and provide any information that is currently available about the future of Sts. Peter & Paul School. Your attendance at the Forum would be a great indicator of support for our school. Please make sure that at least one parent is present from each family. Thank you for your support.
The business as usual theme was reinforced once again on Wednesday when the Catholic high schools awarded their academic scholarships to 8th graders. We had a visitor from Gross Catholic High School and he announced that three of our students earned scholarships based on the competitive entrance exams given at each institution. Our three winners were Jake Mach, Kristen Seidl and Connor Ryan. Much of their success is due to their parents but their teachers here at Sts. Peter & Paul contributed immensely to their achievements. Congratulations are in order for all three and they make up 20% of our 8th grade class. It is doubtful that any other 8th grade class matched that percentage of scholarship winners. The entire 8th grade class will be very successful in high school due to their preparation years at Sts. Peter & Paul.
Next week is the start of Lent 2012. We will attend Mass at 8:30 on Ash Wednesday and ashes will be distributed. Join us if you can. Your children will receive a Rice Bowl kit for their contributions for the poor throughout Lent. You can pick up a family Rice Bowl at Mass next weekend. Our school children will attend the Stations of the Cross on the Fridays during Lent at 2:15. As always, the public is welcome.
The day before Ash Wednesday is referred to as Mardi Gras in the French-speaking world. It is looked upon as a final opportunity to indulge before we begin the austerity of Lent. Our children will enjoy indulging in an ice cream sundae with a wide assortment of toppings. The Home & School provides the food and Dan & Kris Placzek and their helpers arrange for the labor. Thanks to both groups. The austerity of Lent will be evident for our children when we close down after lunch snacks in the cafeteria on the Fridays of Lent. We encourage your children to put a like amount spent on a snack in their Rice Bowl.
Monday, February 20 is a national holiday and school will not be in session. Presidents Day is a great time to talk about our history and government with your children. Starting with the lives and accomplishments of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln makes a great beginning. Enjoy the three-day weekend with your children.
Next week is shaping up to be an unusually busy week. On Saturday our annual showcase, the 10th annual Development Dinner, takes place. The time is 6:00 p.m. and the festivities continue until midnight. Tickets are reasonably priced at $ 65 for such a full evening. Last chance reservations must be made by Tuesday, February 21. Please call Mrs. Patty Rezek at 402-733-4721 to sneak in under the wire. You will enjoy an exciting evening and support our school in the process!!
On Friday we will celebrate another time-honored tradition, the casual clothes day. Please gather up anything that we can redeem for cash from our business partners and send it to school with your casual but tastefully clothed children. We accept for redemption: General Mills “Boxtops for Education”, Bag n’ Save cash register receipts and “Our Family” product barcodes, No Frills “Our Family” barcodes, Land o’ Lakes milk carton caps and empty printer ink cartridges. We are especially in need of “Boxtops for Education” at this time since we are close to sending in a substantial number for redemption soon.
Our Kindergarten and pre-school Round Ups are scheduled for Thursday, March 1 at 6:00 p.m. It is very important that you register your school-aged children at that time. Please remind your friends, family members and neighbors about the round ups. We plan to be “open for business as usual” in 2012-13 but we have to get commitments from parents for pre-school and kindergarten.
It is with great regret that I must confirm that Mr. Brian Knauss has tendered his resignation as a teacher in our Junior High program. I accepted it with mixed emotions. I know that it was his wish to finish the school year but for personal reasons he simply could not continue. His reasons will remain private and we wish him all the best. His last day is today, February 17. His plans at this time are not definite. Next Tuesday, February 21 we will welcome Mr. Knauss’ replacement, Mrs. Lori Eyth. (pronounced “ite”long i) She is very qualified to teach both math and science in a junior high setting. Please join with the faculty and staff in welcoming Mrs. Eyth to our Sts. Peter & Paul family.
On an upbeat note, Mr. Knauss has been nominated as the “Teacher of the Week” at our local Bag n’ Save store at 50th & Harrison Sts. He is now in the running to be the citywide Grand Prize winner determined by votes on line. The voting starts on February 22 and you can vote at www.bagnsave.com The Grand Prize winner gets a $ 500 gift card the school sponsoring the teacher wins an Apple Computer valued at $ 2500 and 25,000 labels for education barcodes. Let’s go for the gold and win the computer, etc.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
Feb. 20 - NO SCHOOL for Presidents Day
Feb. 21 - Mardi Gras treats
Feb. 22 - all school Mass at 8:30 for Ash Wednesday
Feb. 23 - 6th grade field trip to Fontenelle Forest
Feb. 23 - 5th grade field trip to the Circus
Feb. 23 - 8th grade bake sale
Feb. 23 - parent Open Forum discussion about school plans, 7:00 in the cafeteria
Feb. 24 - casual clothes day for labels, boxtops, etc.
Feb. 24 - Stations of the Cross @ 2:15
Feb. 25 - 10th annual Development Dinner @ 6:00 p.m. at the Livestock Exchange Bldg.
Mar. 1 - Kindergarten and Pre-school Round Up at 6:00 p.m.
May the Lord continue to Bless us,
Richard Leimbach, Principal