SS. PETER & PAUL

SCHOOL NEWSLETTER

From the Principal: November 2019

Dear Parents,

Progress reports were sent home on October 25 for the first trimester. Many students are doing well with their school work. Some students need to put forth more effort and need to complete homework in a timely fashion. We remind parents of students in grades four through eight to utilize the parent portal. The teachers will post grades for tests and assignments a week after they are given. Parents are kept informed of their child’s grades on a regular basis. There should be no surprises when parents receive progress reports and report cards because the grades are on the Parent Portal. So again, we remind the parents to check the Portal. Education should be a priority for all of us. Students need to complete homework and do their best in the classrooms. November 1 is the Feast of All Saints when we rejoice with all the holy ones of every time and place. We, too, are called to be holy and to be a “walking Saint”. The Saints remind us that it is possible to put the Gospel into practice in our daily lives. Our students have the opportunity to learn about many men and women who have become saints. In the morning prayer, some part of a saint’s life may be shared with the students and faculty. We are grateful for Mary Jo Weiss who involves the students in hands-on learning about men and women Saints in her presentations at various times during the school year. The first of these presentations takes place on November 6. Students will learn about St. Vincent de Paul and St. Catherine Laboure. The students and faculty will be attending Mass on November 1, as we celebrate the Holyday of Obligation. Students in all classrooms are learning about their classroom Patron Saints throughout the year. At some of the weekly Mass celebrations, students may speak about the life of their Classroom Patron Saint in our Communion meditation. The Saints are wonderful role models for all of us in living the life God calls us to live. November 2 is the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed or the Feast of All Souls. We commend to God’s mercy those who have fallen asleep in the Lord. We remind everyone that any children dropped off at school before 7:50a.m. will be directed to the Before School Program. There is no supervision in the hallways prior to that time. If you need to bring your children to school before 7:50a.m., please sign your children up for the Before School Program. Registration sheets for this program are in the school office. The staff from the Just For Kids program will only allow the parents of students in this after school program into the building after school hours. Teachers working with any students after school (e.g. Math review), will walk students to the school entrance after the event. Parents are asked to wait in their cars in the school parking lot.

Continued from front page: One of the fundraisers sponsored by Parents’ Guild is the “Monday Blues”. The children may partici-pate in this for $10 and wear jeans on Nov. 4, Dec. 2, Jan. 6, Feb. 3, March 2, April 6, May 4 and June 1. Jeans must be appropriate for school with no rips or tears. If students don’t have jeans they may wear khaki pants, cargo pants, or sweatpants. Please refer to the school year calendar and to the “weekly agenda” for events taking place in No-vember. We take time during this season of “Thanksgiving” to express our thanks to God for all the gifts that we are surrounded with. Let us take time to thank God for all of our blessings. Let us also take time to say “thank you” to others that we meet. Thank you to the chair people, parent volunteers and fam-ilies who coordinated and worked at the Oktoberfest. Thank you also to the parents who helped with the “Trunk or Treat”. Thank you also to the family members who attended the Student of the Month breakfast. I would like to thank all those people who help make Ss. Peter and Paul, a Catholic Com-munity School, a place where God’s love and care shines forth: our priests, faculty, office staff, maintenance staff, School Board, Parents Guild, cafeteria staff and lunch monitors, coaches, rectory staff, all parents, and students. I am certainly grateful for all you do for our school and for our stu-dents. May your Thanksgiving season be filled with a thankful spirit for all of our blessings.

God bless you, Sister Marilyn Ann

The Christmas Concert is Coming! Parents, please mark your calendars for Wednesday, December 4 at 7:00p.m. This is our school Christmas concert. Every student in the school has a part in this wonderful evening of music and is expected to participate. More information will be coming.

Notification Regarding Asbestos We are notifying you that according to AHERA regulations we are in compliance of all laws regarding asbestos. The asbestos management report for our school is always on file in our office. If any par-ents or employees wish to see this plan, arrangements can be made with the school office. This notification is a requirement of the regulation and means that this building meets all safety standards regarding asbestos.

Lunch Update Every so often we will send information home in regard to the average number of lunches that were purchased/given to students who qualify for free lunches. For the time period of Septem-ber 5-20, the average number of students who received lunch is 52. For the time period of Sept. 23-October 25, the average number of students who received lunch is 59. Per our finance people, we need about 80 students to receive lunches per day, to alleviate the huge dollar amount that we pay to the Hamburg School District. There are many options of food for the students to eat daily: the main lunch, sandwich choices, salad, yogurt lunch. Take ad-vantage of the discounted price of $15.00 for 5 lunches. Other options to help build our reve-nue in the cafeteria are “Field Trip Bag Lunches”, a class Pizza Party, or student Birthday treats for their class. These flyers are included in the newsletter. Parents could find it convenient to choose one of these options for birthday treats for the class. You may prepay for lunches. Send in the dollar amount you want in an envelope with your child’s name and indicate it is for lunches. Mrs. Samantha from the cafeteria manages that amount that is prepaid for lunches. She will let you/your child know when the money is used up. Some parents indicate that the money may also be used for snacks. If you send in $15 for 5 lunches, please indicate that on an envelope. The money is used for 5 lunches, again man-aged by the cafeteria staff.

Request for Parent Representation “The Foundation for Inclusive Catholic Education is seeking parent representation from each school to form a network of inclusive parents within the Diocese of Buffalo. The parents re-sponding to this request from the schools will offer a tremendous opportunity for parents to par-ticipate in the decision-making process about the resources that FICE is working hard to bring to each school, and for all of us to celebrate our collective efforts in advancing inclusive educa-tion.” We would like one or two parents from SSPP to be part of this newly formed committee of FICE. Please respond to Sr. Marilyn by Nov. 8 if you are interested. FICE has sponsored a “special education coach” through BOCES to be in Catholic Schools. SSPP had a teacher for a day in October who observed in some classrooms and worked with our faculty. She will be coming on another day in the second half of the school year.

THANKSGIVING DAY

Dear Lord, on this Thanskgiving Day,

please bring us not only good food and memories, but help us remember that it is You we are thanking.

When we enjoy our meal with our relatives, may we thank You, who brings all food from the earth. When we enjoy the company of relatives and friends,

may we thank You, the source of all life and happiness. When we pray our prayer of blessing,

may our hearts be on You, who is the source of all holiness, joy, and every blessing that is showered on us. Amen.

MISSION STATEMENT

“The mission of Ss. Peter and Paul, a Catholic Community School, is to transform the lives

of our Pre K through eighth grade students by being rooted i9n Catholic tradition and Gospel

values. In partnership with families, we promote faith, respect, charity and quality education

as we prepare students to reach their potential in a nurturing and challenging environment

“Let it be known to all who enter Ss. Peter and Paul, a Catholic Community School that JESUS CHRIST

is the reason for this school, the unseen but ever-present teacher in all its classes,

the model of its faculty, and the inspiration for its students.”

AT SS. PETER AND PAUL, A CATHOLIC COMMUNITY SCHOOL, WE… continue spiritual growth and understanding of our faith nurture students in an atmosphere of kindness, love and understanding instill respect for ourselves and others, for we are all children of God educate to the highest standards of learning develop the potential that lies within each student foster communication skills, creativity, and independence

Saints Peter & Paul Parent’s Guild October 9, 2019

Welcome: Bill Geary

Opening Prayer: Fr Art

Recording Secretary: Colleen Wheeler Vote on minutes: Janice Adams/

Leslie Brooks Attendance: Fr Art, Janice Adams, Rachel Kraatz, Nadine

Schwanz, Leslie OLeary, Leslie Brooks, Melissa Barto, Bill Geary, Colleen

Wheeler, Jacque Partridge, Jessie Garton, Katie Mika, Melissa D’Archangelo,

Joe Simon, Fr Pat O’Keefe, Kristin Galus, Madonna Rhodes, Christina Camp-

bell, Sister Marilyn, Diane Liptak, Jessica Frampton, Sheila Sampson

Co-President Report: Jessica Frampton Spreadsheet put together of all

events and projected earnings. Can fill in actuals to keep a better tally of

where we are compared to our goal.

Treasurer’s Report: N/A

Corresponding Secretary: Jessica Frampton Card to Mr T.

Principal Report: Sister Marilyn -Thank you for attending Meet the Teacher

night. -Stream Academies began. -Art teacher was hired on 10/9, now a part

time position. -Handbook sent through email. Please sign the back sheet and

return to office. -Jeans Day Tuesday the 15th.

Old Business: Meet the Teacher Night: Leslie Brooks Night went smooth .

Parent attendance was very low. Only two time slots was very tough for par-

ents with multiple children. Middle school portion went great.

Dine Around: Jacque Partridge Panera - October 17th from 4-8 Information

sent out

Chipotle - November 18th - waiting on confirmation

Main St Ice Cream Station - after Christmas Concert

Pierogi Sale: Leslie Brooks

Great success! Should make around $2,2oo.

Pick Up Wednesday October 16th from 4-6pm.

Two families sold $500 each!

New Business:

Alumni Extravaganza: Jessica Frampton and Joe Simon Push to get the alumni

to come back. Hold an alumni event- Classroom Crawl. Open up the school for

the alumni to see all the great things that are going on. Diane Liptak to help look

for the old alumni lists.

Apparel Sale: Joe Simon 8th graders will be running an apparel sale. Online

store will be set up in 1-2 weeks.

Oktoberfest: Melissa D’Arcangelo and Jacque Partridge - October 20th Current-

ly at 732 tickets. Emails sent to families who haven’t turned in tickets yet. 7th

grade and 4th grade low in ticket sales. Will reach out to the homeroom an-

gels. Need volunteers for the day of the event. About 35 more especially in the

kitchen.

Monday Blues: Christina Campbell $1,070 made! Great and easy success!

Trunk or Treat: Melissa Barto and Christina Campbell - October 25th Sign up go-

ing out tomorrow. Performance from 6:15-7:00. Pizza for sale to those who

are setting up a trunk. Voting for the best trunk!

SCRIP: Leslie O’Leary Simplest fundraising! Buy Gift Cards!! Want to bring

back after mass sales. Panera is 8%, Chipotle is 10%- Dine out events… hint ..

hint..!

Paint Night: Jessica Frampton - November 6th Link on Facebook page.

Lottery Calendar: Kristin Galus - Will do in February.

Delta Sonic: Melissa Barto & Sheila Sampson - Will do again in November and

December

For The Good Of The Order: Leslie Brooks- Ministry Fair in November. Sign

up Genius going out to work at table.

Christina Campbell - Possible new idea for Santa’s Secret Workshop, ability to

“buy” gifts and wrap for family.

Melissa D’Arcangelo - Adopting a family through outreach at holiday by each

grade. Fr. Art spoke about the magic of hand written gift cards as well.

Katie Mika - Advancement Updates:

-Farmer’s Market onSaturday the 12th. Still need volunteers.

-Reaching out to neighboring parishes to see if we can do an insert into their

bulletins.

-Postcard mailing to advertise Open House.

-Hamburgh Holidays parade, November 30th.

-Next Advancement meeting on Nov 6th at 6pm.

Closing Prayer:

Next Meeting: November 13th @ 6:30 pm

Parent’s Guild Message: ___________________________________________

Jessica Frampton and Bill Geary - Co Presidents

We are off to a great start to this school year! Let’s keep it up!

The pierogi sale was a huge success! Thank you to those who helped make this first time fundraiser great! A big thank you to Leslie Brooks for chairing! This school would not be what it is today if it weren’t for the families, especially the parents that give so much of their time and energy.

This dedication is seen in the amazing effort it takes to coordinate the Oktoberfest Sweepstakes dinner and drawing. We had impressive ticket sales and turnout due to the unwavering efforts of Melissa D’Arcangelo, Jacque Partridge and the rest of their planning committee. A special thank you to all who helped out in any way! This event would not be successful without you; all the parents and staff. Whether you sold tick-ets after mass, sent in a baked good, helped with setup or volunteered the day of --We cannot say thank you enough for all of your help! We’d like to congratulate all of the winners and we hope everyone had a great time!

Thank you to Melissa Barto and Christina Campbell for chairing Trunk or Treat! This is one of the student’s favorite events and was successful once again because of all of the help and donations! With the new addition of the performers and the “Best Trunk” contest, this year was our favorite one yet!

The next DINE AROUND is right around the corner. Watch email notifications for the next date. These are a great fundraiser for the school, even more exciting, a night you don’t have to cook!!! More information to come soon.

A look at what is coming up…

November

Friday, November 1st – Monthly Parent’s Night Out

Minimum $30 donation per family

Wednesday, November 6th – Paint Night (6:00PM - 9:00PM Adults Only)

Join us for a super fun, crafty night out! Prior registration required

Monday, November 11th – Veterans Day...No School

Wednesday, November 13th – Parent’s Guild Meeting (6:30PM)

Please attend if you can! All parents get a jeans day pass for kids to use the next day! Child-care is provided. The kids love to run around in the gym with their friends. We encourage all parents to join us for these informational meetings.

Wednesday, November 27th through Friday, November 29th – No School

Thursday, November 28th – Happy Thanksgiving!

Friday, November 29th – Monthly Parent’s Night Out

Minimum $30 donation per family

December

Wednesday, December 4th – SSPP Christmas Concert (7:00PM)

Thursday, December 5th – Santa’s Secret Workshop

Monday, December 9th – Parent/Teacher Conferences...No School

Friday, December 20th – 11:20AM Dismissal

Friday, December 20th – Monthly Parent’s Night Out

Saturday, December 21st through Sunday, January 5th – No School

Wednesday, December 25th – Merry Christmas!

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM THE SCHOOL NURSE

RE: Vision, Hearing and Scoliosis Screenings in November 2019

ATTENTION PARENTS:

I will be doing my annual Vision, Hearing, and Scoliosis Screenings

throughout the month of November. New York State requires that All Stu-

dents in Grades PreK, K, 1 3, 5 & 7 be screened for Vision and Hearing within

6 months of school. This is a minimal screening for near, far, and 20 db hear-

ing only—NOT a full eye or hearing exam and does NOT replace seeing a

doctor. For Scoliosis, only GIRLS in Grades 5 & 7 are required to be

screened based on NYS law. They will be screened during gym class fully

clothed. Screenings will be scheduled with the individual teachers and will

take place over the course of several weeks.

Parents will only be notified if your child does NOT pass the screening.

If a child falls outside the “passing” range, I will rescreen them within a week

to verify that the results are valid (and not due to extenuating circumstanc-

es). If the child does not pass the second screening, then Parents will be No-

tified via letter, phone or email depending on the severity of symptoms. “No

news is good news”.

If you would like to know when your child will be screened or what their

results were, feel free to contact me in December. As always, if your child is

having difficulty with vision or hearing, and/or you have concerns…Parents

can always contact me to have their child screened at any time, regardless of

their grade.

Sincerely,

Andrea Gordhamer, RN, BSN SSPP School Nurse

National Junior Honor Society –

Needs your help!

The National Junior Honor Society is collecting small toiletries to stuff Christ-

mas Stockings for girls and boys in the Perry Housing Project. They have re-quested 100 stockings to be filled. This is a BIG project and we appreciate any help you can give us.

Donations of the following items are requested:

Travel size toothbrush, tooth paste, mouthwash, floss Travel size shampoo and conditioner Travel size hand cream/lotions Travel size body wash Deodorant

*NO opened or used items will be accepted*

Please assist us with our mission and send in donations to Mrs. Jurkowski (Room 208). Donations will be accepted from Monday, November 4 – Wednesday, De-cember 4, 2019.

Thank you in advance for your generosity!

May God Bless you always,

Mrs. Jurkowski and the National Junior Honor Society Members

Little Flowers Girls Club

Our parish Little Flowers Girls' Club will be meeting the first Sunday of the month from 1:30-2:45 in the Parish Meeting room. All girls ages 5 and up are invited to come and learn about the lives of the saints through crafts and games. We will also be carrying out acts of service throughout the year while contemplating virtues such as acceptance, unselfishness, kindness, confidence, and more. Mark your calendars for meetings on the following Sundays: Nov. 3, Dec. 1, Jan. 5, Feb. 2, March 1, April 5, May 3 and June 7. For more information, please contact JoAnn Thomasson (joannduffythomasson@gmail.com) or come to a meeting to learn more!

Mr. Simon's 6th and 7th grade Social Studies students were recently visited by a "mystery guest." Students had to act as journalists to find out as much as possi-ble about their visitor and then write a newspaper article detailing what they found out. Student questions led to the discovery that the mystery guest was an English teacher from France named Florent Tekieli who is visiting Hamburg as part of an exchange program with his students. Mr. Tekieli talked about the city he comes from, the typical school day in France (it lasts from 8:00-5:00!!), his hobbies, and some of his favorite foods. He also talked about his impressions of Hamburg and his favorite American foods. The students did a great job asking appropriate questions to find out about their mystery guest. Mr. Tekieli's visit was arranged by Mr. Simon and 6th grade parent JoAnn Thomasson,

a French teacher who organizes the exchange with the school in France.

If you plan to attend Dine out

at Chipotle please buy scrip

gift cards ahead of time. They can be purchased by contacting Sarah Friedrich or sign up online https://shop.shopwithscrip.com/.

The activation code with

69AA83L25636, it takes a few minutes but is totally worth it and tells you how much money is coming back to you and school!

ATTENTION PARENTS AND GRANDPARENTS

VOLUNTEER LUNCH MONITORS NEEDED

DAYS AND TIMES VARY

MONITOR AT YOUR CONVENIENCE

CALL LISA BOW AT 553-0680

FOR MORE INFORMATION

HOW CAN YOU SAY NO TO THESE FACES?

Party Time Celebrations! SS Peter and Paul School Cafeteria Staff would like to help Parents and Teachers celebrate student birthdays and other special oc-

casions!

We have two packages to choose from; however, we can customize to meet your needs.

Call the SSPP office at 649-7030, ext. 410 or talk to your school’s Cafeteria Manager, Mrs. Samantha.

We’re happy to help!

Package 1 - $1.00 per person

Choose one drink: ________ 100% apple juice -OR- _____________8 oz. water

-AND-

Choose one item: _________ *Birthday Cupcake - Please Circle Choice

Vanilla - Chocolate

_________ *Fresh Baked Cookies (2 ea) – Please Circle Choice

Chocolate Chip - Sugar - Double Chocolate

_________ *Danimals 4 oz. Nonfat yogurt - Please Circle Choice

Strawberry - Vanilla - Strawberry Banana

_________ *Rice Krispie Treat

_________ *Ice Cream Cup - Please Circle Choice Please Note: 2 weeks’ notice to ensure availability

Vanilla - Chocolate - Cotton Candy - Birthday Cake

__________ *Polar Blast Frozen Fruit Punch Bar (gluten free) Please Note: 2 weeks’ notice to en-

sure availability *All items pre-packaged except Cookies

Add an additional snack item: + $.50 each

*Peanut free product; However, manufactured in plant that also processes products containing peanuts and tree nuts.

Fill out form and return with payment to your child’s teacher with

minimum ONE WEEK notice before party date to ensure availability

Checks can be made payable to SSPP School

Quanity needed: _____________ X $1.00 = ___________ Total Due

Student Name: Date of Party: (min. ONE WEEK notice)

Teacher’s Name:

Parent Name: Parent Phone #:

TEACHERS: - Please pick up items with class after lunch or coordinate time w/kitchen manager

Party Time Celebrations! SS Peter and Paul School Cafeteria Staff would like to help Parents and Teachers celebrate student birthdays and other special occa-

sions!

We have two packages to choose from; however, we can customize to meet your needs.

Call the SSPP office at 649-7030, ext. 410 or talk to your school’s Cafeteria Manager, Mrs. Samantha.

We’re happy to help!

Package 2 - $2.50 per person

A class Pizza Party at scheduled lunch time!

Includes:

A slice of Big Daddy pizza, fresh apple, baby carrots,

100% juice slushie cup, milk, and fresh baked cookie

Plates-napkins-spoons-straws provided

Fill out form and return with payment to your child’s teacher with

minimum ONE WEEK notice before party date to ensure availability

Checks can be made payable to SSPP School

Questions? Please call the Cafeteria Manager at 649-7030 ext. 410

Thank you for allowing us to celebrate with you!

Quanity needed: _____________ X $2.50 = ___________ Total Due

Student Name: Date of Party: (min. ONE WEEK notice)

Teacher’s Name:

Parent Name: Parent Phone #:

*TEACHERS – Please pick up items with class after lunch or coordinate time w/kitchen manager

Attention SSPP Parents….