Monday Morning Memo

We took second place at Science Olympiad and are headed to the state tournament!  Congratulations to all of the competitors, the sponsors (Mrs. Gruss and Mr. Stewart), the students who helped their classmates prepare for the competition, and the parents who supported and helped, too.  For pictures and more specific details, see Mrs. Gruss’ blog at http://spedsgruss.blogspot.com/.

Our Shrove (“Fat”) Tuesday Pancake Breakfast is tomorrow, Tuesday beginning at 7:00 a.m.  Come join us for pancakes, sausage, egg casserole, orange juice, coffee and milk for $5.00.  This event is a community builder and also a fundraiser for the eighth graders who donate the proceeds to a gift they establish for the school.  Please note that the later you come, the longer the lines will be, so come early and enjoy the visit!

Parents of third grade students who purchased tickets for “Wine in the Vine” will be greeted tomorrow evening at 6:00 in the Rainforest!  The Lower School faculty look forward to welcoming you with refreshments and a casual evening of conversation.

Ash Wednesday services will be held at the church at 7:00, 12:05 and 6:30 on Wednesday, Mar. 5^th.  Please know that, as always, members of the school community are welcome.

The Third Grade Rainforest Open House will be on Thursday, Mar. 6 from 11:30 – 1:00.  Come enjoy a guided tour of this special event, conducted by one of our knowledgeable third graders, and enjoy all the things the children have learned about this unique ecosystem.  It’s a popular event that is always well-attended!

We help our children celebrate their dads this Friday at 12:15 p.m. at the Kindergarten Dads’ lunch.  Dads and/or their special designees will dine on pizza, tour the classrooms, and play a game with their child.  This is a much-anticipated event for our kindergarten children.

Spring Break begins at the end of the school day on Friday, March 14.  We will offer care on March 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, and 24 from 7:15-6pm. Register by Wednesday, March 12^th.  The cost is $60 for full day and $35 for part day (4 hours).  Details about daily activities will be coming soon! We will need a minimum number of students in order to offer care so please register early! 

Parent Ambassadors are needed to welcome and support new families during their first year at St. Paul's. If you offer to help, you will be matched with a family joining one of your children's grades, so it will be easy to assist him/her assimilate into our community.  Please consider volunteering to help a new family at St. Paul's.  If you are interested, contact Jill McGee in the Admissions Office at Jmcgee@speds.org or 815-268-6542.

Planning for Great Expectations, an auction to benefit the St. Paul's Episcopal Day School, is well underway!  The annual auction will be held on Saturday, April 12 at Starlight Theater.  Your invitation will arrive after March 24 with all of the details.  Raffle items this year include an opportunity to win a diamond necklace, Chiefs' tickets, hotel stays and tuition for one year.  An annual part of the auction, Fund-A-Need, is exciting this year.  The goal is to raise $30,000 to provide an i-Pad - with training and professional development - for every teacher.  Please see the website here for details and to participate in Fund-A-Need now.  If you have any questions, please contact Mary Wetzel or Mary Morris, 2014 Auction Co-chairs.

One event is cancelled but our next Community Learning Center event is coming!

Due to low enrollment and the weather, our Lunch and Learn event for today is cancelled.

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. Prepare for Spring Break with information and solutions for keeping ourselves and our children healthy and safe.

More basketball tournament games occurred this weekend and, once again, our coaches and students did SO well!  In at least two of the games, we were very disappointed by the parents and coaches of the other teams who were yelling at the students and at the referees – and we could see the reaction that these behaviors were having on their children.  Our families and coaches continued to be positive and supportive, and our children played hard and well.  We lost a couple of the battles by very close margins, but we won in every other category – sportsmanship, heart, and commitment to the really important things:  the best for our children!

Many thanks to Ann Fasel and Amanda Durkin for dinner on Thursday night and breakfast, with the coffee girl, on Friday morning.  Several parents assisted them with these special treats and we’d like to acknowledge and thank them, too.

Polly Breitenkamp

Suzanne Raney

Mimi Langley

Lesley Friskel

Karen Seitter

Colette Fry- Williams

Courtney Fadler

Katy Platt

Jennifer Jones

Kathleen Dorris

Cameron Rostron

Katherine McLiney

Noelle Manica

You spoil us with the attention and special treats for Teacher Appreciation – and we want you to know how much we appreciate that!

MONDAY MORNING MEMO, Tuesday Edition

Welcome back! We hope you enjoyed a nice break and were able to join us at the Shrove Tuesday Pancake Breakfast this morning. Our eighth grade students and their families treated us royally, while raising money for their class gift to the school. Thanks to all who helped cook and serve, and to those who bought and ate!

Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent, and you are welcome to join us for the services at church to mark this occasion at 7:00 a.m., 12:05 p.m., and 6:00 p.m.

Our Wednesday Women Bible Study will resume from 12:00-1:30 pm on Wednesday, February 22 in the church Garden Room. Bring your Bibles and come prepared for lively study and discussion of the Gospel of Luke.

Calling all St. Paul’s Students: It’s time to get ready for “Extreme Spirit” week, where we support our athletes participating in the annual area basketball tournament. STUCO (aka Student Council) will kick off our “Spirit” with a 5^th-8^th grade pep assembly on Wednesday, February 22 during Middle School block. We’ll be collecting food for the pantrybeginning Tuesday, February 21 through Friday,March 2 while scattering a few all-school spirit days for everyone to enjoy. STUCO will alert the divisions regarding designated theme days. We encourage everyone to celebrate our school by bringing “extra” items for our pantry as a way of remembering that we offer our hands in service. Go Spartans!!

Sixth graders will demonstrate some of the many things they have learned in their study of Africa at 8:45 a.m. on this Thursday, Feb. 23 in the MS Commons. Come share the history, art, music, and dance they have learned.

February Service Club: All 6 year-olds through 8^th graders are invited to meet at 4:00 pm at Harvesters on Tuesday, February 28. We will be finished before 5:30 pm. Please have a snack before you come. We would LOVE to see a great turn-out so please come if you can. Those who plan to participate need to e-mail: pbauer@speds.org with the names of the adults and students attending. A follow-up e-mail with directions will be sent to everyone participating. We’ll see you there!

April 14th, it will be GAME ON here at school. We’ll have some great offerings in both a live and silent auction format. Additionally, we’ll have several opportunities to sign up for parties geared toward families, children and parents, alike. Here is a taste of one of the parties and one of the live auction offerings:

Cocktails & Coverups at the Carriage Club Cabana. Join other St. Paul's moms on the first day of school for a relaxing morning poolside! Hostesses Mary Morris, Lina Dickinson, Lisa Lantz, Megan Rupp, Heather Feagans, and Melissa Carnes will provide the celebratory snacks and Mother Nature will provide the sunshine. This party is limited to the first 30 guests that sign up, so don't delay grab your towel and sunscreen fast! The small price for relaxation and peace of mind by the pool is just $30 per mom! Join us for fun in the sun!! Click here to register online. https://stpeds.ejoinme.org/MyEvents/GameOn2012Auction/SignupParties/tabid/336181/Default.aspx

UNBELIEVABLE Lake Lotawana Experience! Get six couples together now, because this will probably be a once-in-a-St. Paul's opportunity! On Saturday, September 15, the lucky winners will be picked up in style and taken to the lake for water sports, cocktails and appetizers, dinner and dessert. Watch the sun set and stars shine while boating from one beautiful home to the next. This awesome party is offered by David and Hollie Lubchenco, David and Darlia Morris, and Jim and Michele Stowers. This item is going to be hot, so get organized and get ready!

Donate Now

Thank you to all that have donated cash and in-kind items for the auction. If you have not done so, and wish to make a financial contribution, click here to donate online. You may also send checks to Katie Gregg at school, or contact Blythe Robertson at scott.blythe@att.net if you would like to donate an item for the silent auction. https://stpeds.ejoinme.org/MyEvents/GameOn2012Auction/AuctionUnderwriting/tabid/337898/Default.aspx

Raffle Tickets

The raffle items are amazing this year – a trip for two to Chicago (Cubs and Bears and Bulls, Oh My!), a catered party by Connie Mendolia (Tailgating in your Own Home), a David Yurman Pave Diamond Infinity Necklace (Sport the Bling), and a fee-free year at St. Paul’s (Score!). Tickets are $25 each, or five for $100, and can be purchased online here, or at either front desk. https://stpeds.ejoinme.org/?tabid=336042

Family, Student and Faculty Catalog Advertising

The auction committee is offering special rates to families and groups that would like to advertise in the auction catalog. These ads are especially nice for sports teams, scout troops and classes that would like to thank a special coach, leader or teacher. Click here or contact Gina Penner, at ginaandcharlie@aol.com for more details. The deadline for reserving an ad, with your payment, is March 2, 2012. http://www.speds.org/current-parents-and-students/parents_guild/auction/catalog-advertising/

Benefit Games

Time is running out! Get your team together and sign up for Randy Kurt’s 2^nd Annual Benefit Games today! The Games will be held on Friday night, March 2nd and Saturday, March 3rd in the St. Paul’s gym. Click here to register. https://stpeds.ejoinme.org/?tabid=337672

Ellison R., an eighth grader, was awarded the Headmaster’s Scholarship at Pembroke Hill School for next year! Congratulations, Ellison!

Elie R, Third Grade, was one of the eight winners of the Young Writers’ Contest sponsored by the Kansas City Public Library and the Reading Reptile. The awards were given last week at the Plaza Library. Elie wrote a story entitled “The Pancake King”.

Stay up to date on the latest happenings with our school calendar. Bookmark the calendar page on our website and check back often to see what is going on at St. Paul's.