PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION

MR. RIDDER’S REMINDERS

June 25                Elkhorn Days Parade – St. Patrick’s Entry

June 25-July 4      Men’s Club Fireworks Stand 144^th & Center 10:00am-10:00pm

July 30                  3 X 3 Basketball Tournament

Aug 7                    Get Set for School 1:00 – 5:00pm Parish Center

Aug 15                  Back to School Night Kindergarten – 8^th Grades

                             5:30-6:00pm Last Names A – H

                             6:00-6:30pm Last Names I – P

                             6:30-7:00pm Last Names Q - Z

Aug 17                  First Day of School for Kindergarten – 8^th Grades

                            Kindergarteners Attend 8:05 - Noon with Lunch thru Aug 19^th

Aug 18                  PreS Open House

Aug 19                  PreK Open House

Aug 22                 First FULL Day of School for Kindergarteners

                            Boo Hoo/Whoo Hoo Kindergarten Parents Breakfast 8:15am

                            PreK First Day of School

Aug 23                 PreS First Day of School

                            5^th – 8^th Grade Curriculum Night

Aug 25                2^nd – 4^th Grade Curriculum Night

Aug 26                Parish Golf Outing

Aug 28                Parish Carnival

DEANNA TIMMERMAN HIRED AS OFFICE ASSISTANT – After reviewing many applications and interviewing several great candidates, we are thrilled to announce that we have hired Mrs. Deanna Timmerman for the Office Assistant position. Mrs. Timmerman will begin in the office on July 1^st. Read below what Mrs. Timmerman has to say about joining St. Patrick’s.

I am so excited to join the wonderful team at St. Patrick’s.  I thrilled that I will get to use not only my business degree, but also my teaching degree.  I feel that this position will give me the best of both worlds and let me use my talents to the fullest. 

I earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Southwestern Oklahoma State University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from the University of Nebraska at Omaha.  I moved to Omaha after graduating from college and have had the chance to work in the field of business for about 10 years.  While I have enjoyed all of those wonderful opportunities, I have missed being around children.  I am looking forward to the new experiences I will gain at St. Patrick’s. 

In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with my husband, Richard, and our 8-month-old son, Andrew.  It is truly amazing what kind of joy a child can bring to your life!  In addition to family time, I enjoy playing volleyball, working outside, and cheering on the Boston Red Sox.

 SCHOOL OFFICE SUMMER HOURS - The school office will be open from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. throughout the summer months and closed on Monday, July 4^th.  

ARE YOUR KIDS “BORED” ALREADY WHILE ON THEIR SUMMER BREAK? – We can use their help!  If your child is a responsible, hard worker, give us a call!  We have many projects going on around the school getting ready for the fall. We ask that the students that volunteer be going into 6^th, 7^th, 8^th grade or above.  We do ask that you call first to make sure that we need that type of help on a day that they are available. Do not drop them off without talking to the office first.  This can count for service hours at their various high schools or for part of the sacrament requirement. This is also a great way for them to take ownership of their school. Call the school office at (402)289-5407 if your kiddos can help.

PAPERWORK NEEDED - Health information listed below for students should be turned into the school office by August 1, 2011 if you have not previously submitted it. Please refer to the Family Handbook for additional information.

• PreS and PreK - Birth Certificate & Immunization Record
• Kindergarten – Birth Certificate, Physical Exam, Visual Exam, & Immunization Record if you have not submitted this already.
• 7^th grade- Physical Exam and Immunization Record
• Out-of-State Transfer Students - Physical Exam and Immunization Record that meets Nebraska requirements.
• ALL STUDENTS – Verification of 2^nd Varicella (Chicken Pox) vaccination if the School Nurse, Mrs. Friedt, notified you that your child needs it.

We MUST have a copy of each child’s Birth Certificate, Immunization Record and Baptismal Certificate (if this sacrament took place at another Parish) before your child(ren) can attend school. 

***The above documents are required by the state of Nebraska for school attendance.  These documents must be turned in, signed off as complete and accurate by office staff and the school nurse before your child is allowed to attend school at St. Patrick’s School in August.  Please plan ahead and get this information into the school office so your child will be able to start school on August 17th. 

FIRST PAYMENTS OF TUITION WERE DUE JULY 20^TH, 2011.

AUTOMATIC WITHDRAWALS FOR THE MONTHLY PAYMENT PLAN WILL BEGIN THAT DAY

“Principal’s Notes” will resume on a weekly basis beginning on Thursday, July 21, 2011. Please refer to the school website as it is being updated throughout the summer.  If you have any questions, feel free to email Mr. Ridder or Mrs. Moritz or call the school office.

PRES/PREK MORNING OR AFTERNOON – Parents will hear via email by Monday evening, June 27^th what their child’s class assignment is for PreS or PreK.  If you do not receive an email, please contact the school office Tuesday and let us know. Please understand that every attempt is being made to meet the preference for morning and afternoon sessions but is NOT guaranteed in order to balance out the class sizes. Thank you for your flexibility and support.

SUMMER ALEKS LAB - The computer lab will be open for summer ALEKS on Tuesday & Thursday mornings from 9 AM to noon beginning June 28th. Each session will be 45 minutes in length & will be supervised by a math teacher. Please use the calendar system on the technology page: http://stpatselkhornschool.org/technology/ to register your child/children into the timeslot desired.

CATHOLIC 101 WITH FR. RODNEY – Six Precepts of the Church

When I was growing up, my parents had certain “house rules;” for example, if you didn’t like what my Mom made for dinner, you didn’t have to eat it, but there were no substitutions, and after dinner, the kitchen was closed.  My Dad would not allow us to refer to him or my Mom in pronouns, she, her, his, wasn’t allowed, and “you guys” was considered the worst offense; I can still hear my Dad saying “you guys?  Who do you think you’re talking to?”  I’m sure your family had its own set of house rules too.  Well, the Church has some “house rules” as well; we call them the Six Precepts of the Catholic Church.  Now keep in mind, this is just the absolute minimum of what is required of every Catholic, and all of us most certainly try to strive for more.  So the six things that are binding to all of us are the following.

1. Going to mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation.  This is based on the Ten Commandments.  We have committed ourselves to worship God, come to know God through the proclamation of the Word and celebrate the sacrament of the Eucharist, together as a community.  Illness and bad weather are exceptions, but to just arbitrarily choose to not go is a mortal sin.  2. Receive Holy Communion at least once a year during Easter.  At the turn of the last century, Pope Pius X (1903-1914) began to encourage Catholics to receive communion every Sunday.  Many of the faithful felt too unworthy to receive, and even though they went to mass, they would not go to communion.  This is still true in some parts of the world.  So Pope Pius explain that the Eucharist was so absolutely essential to conversion mandated all Catholics to receive at least once a year during Eastertide.  Actually the liturgical reforms of Vatican Two facilitated regular communion greatly.  3. Go to confession at least once a year which actually only applies to those who have committed a mortal sin.  Unfortunately, and this could just be me, we don’t take sin as seriously as we used to; when we think of mortal sin (it is of a grave matter, you know it’s a sin and chose freely to do it) as including only things like murder, but just using the Lord’s name in vain, which is blaspheming God’s name is a mortal sin.  4. Fasting and abstaining on the appointed days. Fasting is required on only two days out of the whole year for people over 18, and only if it’s not a health risk, so, come on.  Abstaining from meat is required on Ash Wednesday and the Fridays of Lent, both of these are a communal discipline/penance, something we all do on a global scale.  5. Observing the marriage laws of the Church; just like every single other sacrament, marriage requires both freedom and preparation. 

6. Finally stewardship, the sixth precept.  Just like in a family, everyone is expected to contribute to the best of their ability by giving of their time, maybe cleaning the church or serving a funeral lunch or selling fireworks.  By sharing their talents, maybe singing, or playing the piano, or teaching RF, or coaching, we all have something to contribute.  And finally tithing at least some portion of our income, some can afford to give a lot, others only a little, but we can all afford something.

PART TIME CUSTODIAN NEEDED – This year-round, evening position will be responsible for helping with the overall maintenance and custodial tasks of the facilities of St. Patrick’s School and Church. Applicant must be dependable and an independent worker. This job promotes cleanliness through hard work and Christian values as well as handling other responsibilities assigned when unforeseen custodial and maintenance tasks arise. All employees are required by the Archdiocese of Omaha to take a Safe Environment and submit to a background check. If interested in this opening, send a letter of application and a resume to our Maintenance Director, Craig Billings at cbillings@stpatselkhorn.org.

TWO PART-TIME EXTENDED CARE ASSISTANT POSITIONS NEEDED – We have two openings for part-time positions in the Extended Care Program for the 2011-2012 school year. If you or someone you would recommend would be interested in this position, please contact Dana Gerten, Extended Care Director at dgerten@stpatselkhorn.org.

USED UNIFORM DONATIONS – The next Used Uniform sale will be, Sunday August 7^th.  If you have uniforms in good condition that you would like to donate, please contact Suzanne Kahnk at skahnk@otcvs.com or 402-289-5420 to arrange pick up or drop off prior to the sale.   We currently have a waiting list & are in need of size 14 plaid, sweaters both medium & large & short sleeved shirts in good condition.

SUMMER SCHOOL REGISTRATION BEGINS - Summer School will be August 1^st – 5^th from 8:00am until 11:00am. Dress is summer casual. This class is intended to be a brush up to get the students ready for the upcoming school year. Emphasis will be placed on reading, writing, and grammar, as well as the review of math concepts. Parents should register for the grade their child will be entering in the fall of 2011.  The list below tells what teachers will be teaching and to the right you can find a link to their registration form.  Please make checks payable to the teacher. 

Ms. McGinty       Kindergarten Summer School Form

Mrs. Kill             1ST Grade Summer School Form

Mrs. Hotovy        2ND Grade Summer School Form

Mrs. Peal           3RD Grade Summer School Form

Mrs. Miller          4TH Grade Summer School Form

Mrs. DeWald      5TH Grade Summer School Form

SCRIP gift cards will be available for purchase after all masses during the weekend of June 25^th/26^th.  You can also purchase gift cards throughout the summer in the school office during the week.  If you have any questions please contact Amy Hansen at 402-689-4141 or Juli Drueke at 770-833-6517.

SHOW YOUR SCHOOL SPIRIT AT THE ELKHORN DAYS PARADE - Everyone loves a parade!  So join us and show your St. Patrick's spirit in the Elkhorn Days Parade.  It is Saturday, June 25th.   Line-up is at 9:00am and the parade starts at 10:30am.  Please come follow our own St. Patrick's Cheerleaders and wear your favorite St. Patrick's attire.  Pull out those soccer jerseys, Uganda T-shirts, anything that shows our St. Patrick's spirit!  See you there! See the link below for the parade route. 

See the link below for the parade route. You will find the map of the parade route below and St. Patrick's is in line as participant #67. Please try to car pool as much as possible so there is less congestion. There are 86 entries in the official lineup and more will enter up until the day of the parade! Just a reminder -- this line-up will not change, any late entries after this line-up was completed will be automatically placed at the end of the parade. The Parade will start promptly at 10:30am. Line-up is scheduled to begin at 9:00am along Elkhorn Drive. The judges’ stand will be located at the corner of 206th & Glenn Streets.

CLICK HERE FOR PARADE ROUTE INFORMATION

MEN’S CLUB FIREWORKS STAND – A good portion of the money raised from this funding raising event goes the school for supplies and tuition assistance. I am asking you to please frequent our Men’s Club stand on 144^th and Center for all of your fireworks needs.  Please pass this information on to your friends and family.

CLICK HERE FOR PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION OF FIREWORKS FLYER

BUSINESS OWNERS, GET YOUR NAME OUT THERE - The St. Patrick's Athletic Committee is planning for its 10th annual 3-on-3 basketball tournament to be held on Saturday, July 30th.  Last year this tournament had 125 teams registered and brought over 1000 people to St. Patrick's.  If you or your business would like to be a sponsor of this year’s event please contact Mike Meyer at mrmomm@cox.net or 402-965-4231. Sponsors will be featured on the event website, on the t-shirts, and will have a variety of other promotional opportunities.  See more details at the event website at:  www.elkhorn3on3.com.

SOCCER DEADLINE FAST APPROACHING - The deadline for regular CYSL soccer registrations is Thursday, June 30th, after that date all registrations will be assessed a $20 late fee and there is no guarantee a spot will be available.  Avoid the uncertainty and late fees by registering today athttp://leagueusa.com/registration/index.jsp?SportsOrganizationId=240.  For questions with online registration contact Brent or Katie L'Heureux at lheureux03@yahoo.com.  For questions about CYSL Soccer contact Julie Wigdahl at njwig@cox.net.

RETREAT OPPORTUNITY

July 25-29, 2011: Annual Silent Retreat for the Members of the Pro Sanctity Family and Friends

with Retreat Director, Fr. Paul Hoesing, 

Vocation Director of the Archdiocese of Omaha.

St. Benedict Center, Schuyler, Nebraska.

Total retreat cost: $300 - The retreat is a first come, first basis. Let us know if you wish to attend, starts Monday evening to Friday morning.

CONVENTION

July 29-31, 2011: National Pro Sanctity Convention, Friday Evening to Sunday Afternoon

St. Benedict Center, Schuyler, NE and closing at Pro Sanctity Retreat Center, Elkhorn, NE.

Featured presenters include: Msgr. Andrew Vaccari, National Pro Sanctity Spiritual Advisor; Fr. Timothy Gallagher, OMV,  Author and National Speaker; Deacon James Keating, Ph. D., Director of the Archdiocese of Omaha Permanent Diaconate Program and Director of Theological Formation at the Institute of Priestly Formation; and Mr. Omar Gutierrez, Special Assistant for the Archbishop of Omaha; Mr. Jim Carroll, Executive Director of Spirit Catholic Radio.  Final Registration Cost: $230 Double; $245 Single. Early Bird Special by June 1, 2011: $210 Double; $225 Single.

For on-line registration:

WWW.PROSANCTITY.ORG

or contact Teresa at psm@prosanctity.org or 402-289-2670

CARNIVAL NEWS - SAVE THE DATE – St. Patrick's Parish Carnival is set for Sunday, August 28 from 1:30-5:30 PM. We are still in need of some "carnival" type toys and trinkets. ! Look around your house - we would love them for the carnival!  One mom's trash is another kid's treasure at the carnival!!!! A box marked “carnival” donations will be placed in the entrance of the school for you to deposit your items. If you have questions or would like to volunteer, contact Jacquie Schumacher at 201-1183 or email jacquieschumacher@cox.net or Tammy Olson at olsonp1@cox.net.

Principal's Notes Deadline:

Please submit all items/information in final form.

Principal's Notes deadline is Tuesday by 8:00am to the school or email to

ridderd@stpatselkhorn.org or kmoritz@stpatselkhorn.org

Archived Principal's Notes