Monday Morning Memo

Tomorrow Mr. van Thullenar, Mr. Stewart, Ms. Glass, Mrs. Gruss, our eighth grade students and I leave for the YMCA Camp of the Ozarks (formerly known as Potosi) trip.  Mrs. Willets will join us on Wednesday.  We will be gone through the end of the day on Friday, experiencing challenges on the ground and on high elements, goal setting activities, orienteering, an excursion to Elephant Rocks and Johnson Shut-Ins, a dance, and three nights in cabins by the lake.  It will be a memorable time for all of us!

The first Parents’ Guild meeting of the year will be this Wednesday, Sept. 11, at 8:30 a.m. in the Garden Room of the church building.  All parents are members of the Parents’ Guild and are invited to attend this and all other meetings of the group to hear what is happening in the organization and find out ways in which you can be more involved, if you’d like.

We are very concerned about the parents who are walking their children between parked cars and through carpool traffic in the parking lot each morning.  This puts both adults and children in danger and we want to ensure your safety.  Security officer Aaron Braun is located near the north playground to assist those crossing the street and there is a striped crosswalk closer to the school.  PLEASE use one or the other of these to cross, if you do not join the carpool line (which is, of course, our preference) so we and your fellow carpoolers can know where you’ll be! On another carpool note:  We are also very concerned about parents parking south of 41^st street and walking their children across all of the oncoming and turning traffic at the corner of 41^st and Walnut.  Please use the carpool line.  If your children have after school appointments, please arrive early to be one of the first to have your child load into your car.

Lifetouch Photos will be taken on Sept. 17^th for students in grades 1-8 and the Tuesday Toddlers and Sept. 18^th for ECC.  We use Life Touch Studios for individual and class photos.

(Your child will be in the yearbook, even if you choose not to order any of the photo reprints.)

There are three ways to order. With this format there are more options, such as your choice of backgrounds, personalizing the photos, and so on.

a)      Pre-order on-line

b)      Pre-order using the payment envelope attached to the flier

c)      Wait until there are proof photos and order from those (Please note:  This choice has fewer options and the cost is a bit more).

o   If you pre-order, PLEASE return either the order envelope or the on-line receipt (Picture Pass) to your homeroom teacher prior to picture day.  The photographer needs this information to process your order.

·         Please keep the Lifetouch flier handy - it has the information that you will need to complete the ordering process. These went home on Thursday, September 5^th.

·         Class photos will not be printed until after make-up day, so the plan is for no one to be missing from the class photos.

·         Please feel free to contact Shirley Laird if you have questions:

o   slaird@speds.org or slaird@kc.rr.com

o   816-268-6507 school or 816-363-2998 home

o   You can also contact Lifetouch at 816-300-4022.

Our first session of the Becoming a Love and Logic Parent Curriculum will be on Thursday, September 12^th from  4:00-5:30 in the ECC commons.  Love and Logic facilitators Cristi Williams’ and Lynnette Rempel’s Introduction to Love and Logic session will include: The Two Rules of Love and Logic, Delayed Consequences, Empathy, and Love and Logic One-Liners to Neutralize Arguing.

• Designed for families with children of all ages and will address topics including discipline, chores for all ages, tantrums, and much, much more

• Session fees are $50 per family (includes all adults wishing to attend) or $25/person.  Financial assistance is available.

• Sign up for the introductory session and receive 50% off the next class you attend

• Sign up for all 8 sessions and get $50 off your total

• Contact Linda van Thullenar at the ECC office to sign up today! Lvan@speds.org

• Childcare is available through our Extended Care Program for a small fee

·         Sessions can stand alone so you can sign up for individual sessions, if you cannot commit to the whole program

• Questions about the sessions on Love and Logic? Mrs. Williams can be reached at cwilliams@speds.org or 816-268-6534

Introducing the SPEDS 13-14 Annual Fund Five-Week Pledge Drive Team

Coach – Casey Simmons

Toddler Captain – Katherine Coughlin

Pre-School Captain – Polly Breitenkamp

Pre-K Captain – Laura Brooks

Kindergarten Captain – Micah Hobbs

First Grade Captain – Suzanne Raney

Second Grade Captain – Courtney Angilan

Third Grade Captain – Felicia Bondi

Fourth Grade Captain – Mary Kennedy

Fifth Grade Captain – Audrey Chinnock

Sixth Grade Captain – Lina Dickinson

Seventh Grade Captain – Jeanne Bolinger

Eighth Grade Captain – Melanie Bolin

New Families – Brittany Harris

Grandparents – Ann Long

Get ready to Get Your Groove On ... The Buddy Run is coming.  The October 4th Buddy Run is quickly approaching.  Remember this is the Parents’ Guild's only fundraiser until the spring auction.  Families or companies donating at the Gold ($500), Silver ($250), or Bronze ($150) level make it possible for every St. Paul's student to receive a t-shirt to wear the day of the run.  Families or companies donating at any of these three levels will have their names on the back of the t-shirt.  The deadline for names on the back of the t-shirt is September 16.  Please help us make the 2013 Buddy Run a success by following this link to make a donation.  https://stpeds.ejoinme.org/MyEvents/BuddyRun2013/Registration/tabid/484794/Default.aspx  Thank you for your support.  Please note that preschool through eighth grade students participate in the Buddy Run.  The toddler classes will have a special buddy activity on this day, but they will not attend the Buddy Run as a class. 

 REMINDER: Tuesday is SPIN donation day.  Print the flyer and 10% of your bill will go back to the school.   http://www.speds.org/file/download/SPINSept2013_sm.pdf

50th Anniversary Endowment Campaign

Monday Morning Memo

The trip to the YMCA Camp of the Ozarks was tremendous, thanks to wonderful, courageous, energetic, cooperative students and chaperones!  The program offered by the camp was also very well done, as usual.  We are so proud of our eighth graders and look forward to the rest of the year with them!

Picture days with Life Touch will be tomorrow (Tuesday, September 18^th) for grades 1-8 and Wednesday, September 19^th for grades T-K.  Please remember that picture day is the deadline for pre-orders.  Students will need a “Picture Pass”, if they have pre-ordered.  This is the receipt from the on-line ordering or a check in the envelope that was attached to the flyer that went home.   The teachers will give the receipts to the photographer.  Students do not need to order to be in the yearbook.  Ordering pictures is an option for families.  Class pictures will not be ready until after make-up day so we won’t have missing children.

            Parents:  Please remember that the students must not share combs or brushes so, if you want your child to brush or comb his/her hair before the pictures, please send something just for him/her!

This Friday one of the favorite events of our students is scheduled to happen:  The Family Fun Fest!  Barring unforeseen and unpredicted weather complications, we will meet after classes are dismissed to share in a carnival-like atmosphere with our families.  This is a very special event for our students that seems to be worth the challenges it brings to the adults.  We urge your cooperation in making it the most fun!  Some reminders:

            - No students are to be unsupervised at the FFF, so, if your children are in after care, they must be checked out with a parent who has your permission to be the supervisor of the children.

            - Students are not to leave the FFF and go to Starbucks or anywhere else.  This is a safety issue.

            - Faculty and administration will not be supervising the children for this family event so please know that we need your attention to the children.

            - Please do not park at Starbucks during the FFF as we have been called by them in the past to remove the cars so patrons can park in the lot!

            - Carpool will be a little more crazy but if you will stay in the car pool line to pick up your child and then park to go the FFF, you will find more parking available as faculty and others vacate their spot.  

            - Please do not park on Walnut Street at any time during the day as we have a permit from the city to have this area "car free" during the hours of the FFF for food, preparations and games.

Lastly to pre-purchase your ticket (and receive extra bonus tickets), please click on the link https://stpeds.ejoinme.org/MyEvents/FamilyFunFest2012/Purchaseticketshere/tabid/409494/Default.aspx  Thank you for your help!  And those who can keep it from raining – your help is very much appreciated!!

Friday is also Spirit Day and the day we greet the return of a very special guest.  Wear your Spirit Wear to show you have the St. Paul’s Spirit this Friday.  Also, help us welcome the return of the Rev. Murray Trelease.  Murray was the rector of our parish about 20 years ago and he has fond memories of his time here, including his connection with the school.  He will speak at the beginning of our all-school chapel, tour the school, talk to the eighth graders about the YMCA Camp trip (since he and the Head of School at the time were the ones to move the eighth grade trip to this location and he accompanied them one year), and visit with old friends.  Please help us welcome him.

On your mark, get set and sign up for the 3rd Annual Buddy Run coming on Friday, October 12th!  This fun FUNdraiser celebrates our Buddy Program while emphasizing the importance of fitness and friendship. There are many donation levels - families who donate at a higher level will have their family name on the back of the Buddy Run T-shirt. To have your family name appear on the t-shirt you must donate by Friday, Sept. 28th. With the $25 registration per child, students will receive a St. Paul's water bottle and be entered in a raffle to be the Master of Ceremonies the day of the Buddy Run! All students will participate in the buddy run and receive a Buddy Run t-shirt.  Click here to donate: https://stpeds.ejoinme.org/?tabid=387225.

On Tuesday, October 2nd at 7:00 pm in the north wing Multipurpose Room, St. Paul's Episcopal Church with Rainy Day Books is presenting Ayad Akhtar, playwright, actor and author to discuss his first novel, American Dervish.  This is a compelling coming-of-age story set in the 1980s.  Akhtar's novel adds to a classic American storyline the complexities of ethnic, cultural, and religious dimensions that are a growing part of the American landscape.  This is a ticketed event.  You can contact Father Stan at srunnels@stpaulskcmo.org for tickets or Rainy Day Books.  20% of the proceeds of the sale of books from this event will go to the school library.

President’s Volunteer Service Award Program:  It’s time to enroll students in this year’s President’s Volunteer Service Program.   This program encourages students in k-8^th to offer a minimum of 50 hours of community service during the June 2012-May 2013 year.  Those students who complete 50 hours or more are presented with a certificate, a signed letter from the President of the United States and a pin.  Awards are received over the summer and are presented in all-school chapel the following fall.   We are asking every student who would like to participate in the program to officially enroll.  To enroll, print and complete the enrollment form and turn in to Chaplain Nolan’s office.  Link:  http://www.speds.org/about/community-outreach/