Monday Morning Memo

Thank you so much to April Bier, Tracey Weisenfels, and Kelly Groebl for their great work on the ABC Sale!  They garnered help from many volunteers, including Melissa Skeens and others from the church, but these ladies dedicated themselves to this project for a several weeks.  We sincerely appreciate your management of this community outreach project.

The Search Committee invites all parents to meet the remaining two finalists, Byron Lawson on October 21^st and Gray Smith on October 28^th. You will be able to meet them informally between 2:25 and 3:15 in the South Multipurpose Room. The sessions will allow an opportunity for open discussion with the finalists, and parents should feel free to come and go as their schedules allow.  We welcome Byron Lawson on campus today and tomorrow.

Tuesday is Picture Make-up and Retake day -- between 9:30 and 10:30 a.m.  To have a retake, parents need to contact Ms. Shirley Laird and the first photo must be returned.  The retake or make-up picture will be the one used in the yearbook.

The First Grade Music Program will be this Wednesday, Oct. 23, at 9:00 a.m. in the north wing multipurpose room.  Come enjoy these darling performers, under the direction of Mrs. Haskamp, as they will bring a smile to your face and a song to your heart!

Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held this week on Thursday and Friday.  Conferences are scheduled from 12:00 noon on Thursday, Oct. 24 until 8:00 p.m. and on Friday, Oct. 25 from 7:30 a.m. until noon.  Parents of middle school students are encouraged to bring their children with them to the conference.  Child care is available at no charge for St. Paul’s students during the parents’ conference time.  There will be a charge for those needing full day care, so please make arrangements in advance with Mrs. McDonald at kmcdonald@speds.org. 

We have had a few random cases of head lice in school and want to offer some advice in dealing with these pesky creatures from our nurse, Catherine Kuhls.  Please see the message here.

St. Paul's Book Fair is November 4-6.  On Monday, November 4, from 3:30-6:00, families can shop at the book fair.   On November 5 and 6, each student will visit the book fair with his or her class and have the opportunity to shop from a vast assortment of books supplied by The Reading Reptile.  Opportunities to help are available and much appreciated.  Please open this link to sign up:  www.SignUpGenius.com/go/20F044DAEAD283-book

Applications are now being accepted for the 2014-15 school year.  Siblings and Church Member applicants will receive priority consideration if their applications are received by Friday, November 8^th.  Current students do NOT need to re-apply for the 2014-15 school year.  Re-enrollment agreements will be mailed for our current students in January.  If you have any questions about sibling application, please contact Jill McGee in the Admissions Office at 816-268-6542 or Jmcgee@speds.org. 

St. Paul’s is hosting “Exploring Kindergarten” on Thursday, November 14^th.   Teachers, Students, Administrators and two of our “new” Kindergarten parents will be on hand to discuss our kindergarten program and how it fits into the “big picture” of a St. Paul’s (and beyond) education.  If you know of families with Pre-school and/or Pre-K students who have not yet discovered St. Paul’s, please invite them to contact Jill McGee in the Admissions Office for an invitation to this event.  Current St. Paul’s Pre-K parents are also invited to this event.

Exploring Kindergarten

Thursday, November 14^th

8:45 (if interested in joining ECC Chapel)

Presentation will begin at 9:30am

Tours will be available following the presentation.

RSVP:  Jmcgee@speds.org   or 816-258-6542

Updates from the Community Learning Center!

     Just Finished

Love and Logic Module #1 was well attended and brought together parents interested in learning more about the four steps to responsibility and preparing children for the real world. A combination of video presentations, group discussions and anecdotal stories created an energized environment for learning.

The Community Builder at Carolyn’s Country Cousins Pumpkin Patch in Liberty could not have been on a prettier day. The sunshine and gentle breeze made it a great setting for our St. Paul’s families to spend time with each other and their families gathering pumpkins, playing, riding the train, watching pig races, and much, much more. Thank you to all of the families who were able to attend! Come take a look at our bulletin boards in the ECC and main hallways for photos of this event.

     Coming Up

6PM Tuesday, November 12^th – Bully Nation Book Club

With the rise in bullying and the zero tolerance policies so many schools and districts are establishing, you may be asking yourself is there another option… Come and talk with other St. Paul’s parents, teachers, and administrators about the book Bully Nation by Dr. Susan Eva Porter. Copies of Bully Nation are available for check out through the front desk.

4PM Thursday, November 14^th – Love and Logic Module #2

Focus: Sharing control, opportunities for thinking and decision-making; empathy and consequences. $25 Come join us! Child care will be available through Karen McDonald.

11-1 Saturday, November 16^th – Unconventional Lunch and Learn – Communicating with your Child   The focus this year for our Lunch and Learn classes is Communicating with your Child(ren). This unconventional Lunch and Learn is actually designed for parents and children both. We will be offering parents time to ‘hang out’ one-on-one with your child before things get too crazy with the approaching holidays. We’re providing the turkey; work together with your child to make one of your family’s traditional side dishes to share with others while building memories.  Fun, hands-on projects and craft stations will be offered for quality child/parent interactions. This event is ideal for children ages 3-10.

Please register for any or all of these events with Mrs. van at Lvan@speds.org so we can provide adequate seating, materials, and/or food.

     Plan Ahead

4PM Thursday, January 9^th – Love and Logic  #3

6PM Thursday, January 16^th – Technology and your child seminar

12-1 Tuesday, January 28^th – Lunch and Learn – Communicating with your Child (Love Languages)

Recently some of our teachers and administrators participated in a webinar titled "Will Power: Grit, Self-Control, and Achievement." This webinar was hosted by Independent Schools Association of the Central States (ISACS) and was purchased for teachers, administrators, and parents in our community who might be interested in this topic. If you would like to view this webinar please visit http://www.isacs.org/page/472128_Learning_Bridge_Webinar_Login.asp. Scroll down to the bottom of the page, select “10/9/13 Will Power: Grit, Self-Control & Achievement” and use the password humid. The webinar is one hour long, will be available until November 7, and provides information on what grit and self-control are and how these two variables affect achievement even more than intelligence or academic ability. Helping our students to develop grit and self control are two of the most important things we can do as their role models, educators, and parents. If you're interested in learning more about Mrs. Duckworth's research you can visit her website at https://sites.sas.upenn.edu/duckworth/pages/educators and even take a survey to see your personal grit score.

Congratulations to Becky Nash, fifth grade teacher, for completing the Kansas City Marathon this weekend in the time of four hours and 29 minutes!  Great job, Mrs. Nash!