Monday Morning Memo

Parent Teacher Conferences will be held on Thursday and Friday of this week.  This is not occurring at the end of a quarter so there will be no grade cards to share at this time.  However, teachers will have students’ progress to date to report.  This earlier conference time was requested by some teachers and parents in order to allow more time for corrective action, if such were deemed necessary.  The schedule is:

            12:00 noon until 8:00 p.m. on Thursday

             7:30 a.m. until 12:00 noon on Friday.

We look forward to the opportunity to discuss with you your child’s progress to this point in the year.  Remember that we welcome and encourage Middle School students to attend and participate in their conferences.

Tomorrow is our last “dress up” day for the Extreme Sports Challenge!  The dress is defined as:

Tues., Feb. 25 - 80’s Workout Day (Bring an item for the food pantry and dress in 80’s workout clothes such as leggings, leg warmers, sweat bands, and neon colored clothing)

Our food drive will end this Wednesday.  Right now, the primary needs of the pantry are canned meats (tuna, mackerel, spam, Vienna sausages, etc) and canned meals (spaghetti-o’s, ravioli, chili, etc).  However, any food items are welcome.  Thank you to all who have participated.  The church pantry patrons and volunteers are very grateful for your generosity.  Thanks also to our Student Council representatives and their sponsors, Mrs. Willets and Mr. Nerstheimer, for creating spirit, fun, and food for the pantry!

Child care is available for enrolled students in the school at no charge for the duration of the conference and for a fee for the entire day for those needing this care.  Those requesting care for the full day are asked to contact Karen McDonald at kmcdonald@speds.org as soon as possible to arrange care.  This will allow her the time to ensure that sufficient coverage is available.

LAST CHANCE to purchase an ad in the Auction Catalog -- Celebrate your child’s milestone, recognize a team, promote your business to over 300 St. Paul’s families, or thank a teacher.  Submit your advertisement to Melissa Hendricks at stpauls2014@yahoo.com. All ads are due this Friday, February 28.

Wine on the Vine will be hosted on Tuesday, March 4^th for parents of our current third graders.  This was an auction item last year but it’s not too late to purchase your ticket.  Tickets are $25 per person and can be purchased from Katie Gregg at kgregg@speds.org or at 816.268.6541.  We hope you’ll join us in the St. Paul's rainforest for hors d'oeuvres and wine from 6-7:30 that evening.

Ash Wednesday Services at our church will be on March 5 at 7am, 12:05pm and 6:30pm.  Please know that you are always welcome at these or any of the other services at St. Paul’s.

The CLC (Community Learning Center) has offered several great events so far this year and we are pleased by the number of families taking advantage of the learning opportunities. There are a few great events scheduled for the remainder of the school year and we hope you can join us. Our current calendar of events is available below so that you can plan ahead and make arrangements to join us. You may reserve a seat for any of the following events by contacting Linda van Thullenar at Lvan@speds.org.

Love and Logic Classes

Becoming a Love and Logic Parent is easier then you might think. Three Love and Logic modules remain and it’s not too late to sign up even if you haven’t attended the previous ones. Modules are taught by our very own Cristi Williams. These classes are conveniently offered from 4:00 to 5:30 PM on a Thursday afternoon and for a small fee, child care is available for children of all ages through our Extended Day program. Each module costs $25.00 per participant. These modules are open to St. Paul’s families as well as our surrounding community.

·         March 13^th – Setting limits, thinking words vs. fighting words, and setting enforceable limits

·         April 10^th – Consequences vs. punishments, using empathy, and constructing logical consequences

·         May 8^th – Final thoughts on applying the Love and Logic strategies

Lunch and Learn – Monday, March 3^rd, 12:00 – 1:00 PM
Communicating With Your Child – Tech Free Car Rides! Join other parents as we learn ways to connect and engage with children of all ages, without the use of technology in the car. We will provide refreshments, sandwiches and chips. Child care provided upon request for a small fee.

Sun Safety and Healthy Nutrition – Thursday, March 6^th, 4:00 PM
St. Paul’s ECC parent and pediatric dermatologist, Amy Nopper, will provide helpful information about how we can protect our children from the damaging effects of the sun and still be able to enjoy outdoor activities. Protective and attractive hats and swim shirts with the St. Paul’s logo will be on display for purchase. Margo Humenczuk, a pediatric nutritionist, from Children’s Mercy Hospital will also be here to share nutrition information and resources to help our students develop lifelong healthy eating habits. Head into Spring Break armed with information and solutions for keeping ourselves and our children healthy and safe. 

Technology and Your Child – ECC-3^rd grade parents, Tuesday, April 22^nd, 6:30 PM; 4^th – 8^th grade parents, Tuesday, May 6^th, 6:30 PM

During these events Drs. Kevin and Natasha Burgert will address the challenges of parenting in the online space.  They will describe sites commonly used by our children, discuss health consequences that arise from unrestricted or unmonitored internet use and finally, suggest practical ways to guide and monitor your child's online life.

St. Paul's church is sending a group of parishioners to Holy Cross School at Ravine a l'Anse, Haiti over spring break.  The group includes 6 former day school students. They are collecting new toothbrushes and new school supplies to give to the 300 students at the school.  Items needed include toothbrushes, pencils, rulers, and notebooks.  There will be a box in the school lobby marked "Supplies for Haiti" where you may leave donations through March 12th.  Thank you!

I had the pleasure of attending several of the championship basketball games this weekend and every single one of them made me so proud!  There was not a student who did not try his/her hardest, while still being a good sport; there was not a coach who didn’t stay calm and positive with the students; and the support from the stands by parents and students was terrific.  In Friday night’s 7^th/8^th grade girls’ game, two boys led cheers and even a patriotic song to support the girls!  Randy Kurt's and Mr. Ward's 5th grade boys’ basketball team (the blue team) was given the 2013-2014 season team sportsmanship award by the Great American Basketball League, an award which also included recognition of Mr. Kurt’s and Mr. Ward's coaching! It was based upon the voting of the coaches in the league for the team that demonstrated the best sportsmanship.  Congratulations to them!  I would award it to each of the teams I saw because they are not only great athletes, but also very good human beings who play with heart, determination, and skill.  The games continue today and win or lose, these students and their coaches are winners!