From the Desk of Mrs. Wolfe

Many thanks to our tremendous volunteers who helped in so many ways during this busy month!  Our Advent Store was a huge success, thanks to the efforts of Mrs. Youngren and Mrs. Shetler and their bevy of helpers on shopping day!!  The prices were so right that they made an additional run for more merchandise between the morning and afternoon shopping times!  To those who donated items, treats, and time…thank you so much!!!

We are also thankful for the many contributions we received toward a new Mary statue for the garden.  You gave a total of over $1200 to the cause!  We are still in the process of locating a statue that will be the right size and price for our beautiful garden!

The results are in for the VFW essay contest entered this fall by our students in grades 3,4, and 5; of the 11 winners, 7 are from our school!!

In third grade, Alaya Browne placed first, Bryan Mortimore placed second, and Aliyah Morga placed third. 

In fourth grade, Maddie Shetler placed second, and Shen Stewart placed third.  In fifth grade, Eddie Chavez placed first, and Connor Youngren placed second.

Congratulations to you all for your accomplishments – we are very proud of you!  You can see their essays on our “Wall of Fame” showcase in the hallway outside the second grade classroom.  This will be an area where exceptional student work will be displayed, so please make sure you stop by occasionally to see the latest additions to the showcase.  We are very proud of the high quality work our students produce, and want to honor their achievements.

Speaking of achievements, you will see that the Friday Folder this week contains the names of students in grades 3-8 who made the Honor Roll this trimester.  Congratulations to all who achieved the levels of “Principal’s List,” “First Honors,” and “Second Honors.”  These students will receive their certificates in January when we get back to school. 

On behalf of Mrs. Panuco and her Kindergarten class, many thanks to all who contributed to the Corazon relief effort to help the children in Baja, Mexico.  The class was able to assemble 18 hygiene kits, and filled 2 more boxes with hygiene items and over the counter children’s medicine that will be much appreciated by the recipients!

I would like to leave you with an Advent Prayer that I love.  My prayer for you is for a blessed Christmas season for you and your family!

Dear Father in heaven,

Our hearts desire the warmth of your love and our minds are searching for the light of your Word. Increase our longing for Christ our Savior, and give us the strength to grow in love, that the dawn of his coming may find us rejoicing in his presence and welcoming the light of his truth.We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord. Amen.

From the Desk of Mrs. Wolfe

Dear OLSOS Families,

I wish to thank all the students for participating in our first classroom competition with the Box Tops for Education!  I am happy to report that as a school we collected over $291.00 worth of Box Tops.  Way to go!!!

However, only one class gets to win the Free Dress Day! The class who collected $67.70 worth of Box Tops and winners of the classroom competition is……Mrs. Pierce’s 1^st grade class!!  Congratulations!! Just to prove to you that every single Box top counts, the 1^st grade class just edges out the 2^nd place class by only $1.80!!  1^st grade will find out from Mrs. Pierce when they will get their Free Dress day. 

Everyone, please continue collecting your Box Tops!  We will have another class competition sometime after the Christmas break.  Thank you again for your participation!

Tracy Hogg
Box Tops for Education Coordinator

Too Important To Miss

• Fri. Dec. 9 – School Mass at 9:00 a.m.
• Fri. Dec. 9 – Jr. High Faith & Fun Night
• Sat. Dec. 17 – “Best Christmas Pageant Ever” performance, 3:30 p.m. in the gym
• Sun. Dec. 18 – “Best Christmas Pageant Ever” performance, 12:30 p.m. in the gym
• Dec. 19 – Jan. 2 – Christmas Break
• Tues. Jan. 3 – Back to School

 

From the Desk of Mrs. Wolfe

Thanks to everyone who made my birthday such a special day yesterday!  I am truly blessed to part of such a supportive community of students, parents, and staff!  From the cards and gifts presented to me at the morning assembly, to the many birthday wishes I received all day long, the day was one I will long remember!  I found out that it was also Catholic School Principal Appreciation Day, so that was an added bonus!!

I want to send another big THANK YOU to all who attended our Veteran’s Day assembly last week, and especially to our Ms. Jordan, who was the “Director and Producer” of the event!  Our students were outstanding in their performances, whether they were singing or featured in the video, and we had an excellent group of students who decorated, met guests at the door, set up chairs, ran the equipment, etc.  But most of all, our thanks goes to you, our veterans, for your years of service to our country.

You will be receiving your student’s ITBS scores in the envelope along with your child’s report card when it comes home.  Students in grades 3, 5, and 7 also took the CogAT test during the testing window, and those results will come home as well.  The school’s overall results are on page 2 of this newsletter.

Too Important to Miss:

• Friday, Nov. 18 – end of First Trimester
• Sunday, Nov. 20 – Solemnity of our Lord Jesus Christ the King
• Wednesday, Nov. 23 – Dismiss at noon for Thanksgiving Break
• Sunday, Nov. 27 – First Sunday of Advent
• Monday, Nov. 28 – Back to School
• Friday, Dec. 2 –Report Cards go home
• BOX TOPS FOR EDUCATION -CLASS COMPETITION CONTINUES THROUGH  NOVEMBER!!

Dance Ensemble Northwest
Presents

The Nutcracker

North Kitsap Auditorium
Friday, Nov. 25 at 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 26 at 2:00 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 26 at 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 27 at 2:00 p.m.

Presale Tickets Available:
$15 Adults  $10 Students & Seniors
www.DENinmotion.org
InMotion Studio
Or a cast member

Ticket Prices at the Door:
$20 Adults   $15 Students & Seniors

360-779-7090
InMotion Performing Arts Studio

ANNOUNCING OUR NEW, IMPROVED, SCHOOL WEBSITE!!!!

 WE ARE VERY PLEASED TO INTRODUCE YOU TO OUR NEW SCHOOL WEBSITE AT    http://school.starofthesea.net

Please note – there is no “www” in the new address.

We hope you will find the site easy to navigate, and informational.  It will continue to be updated on a regular basis, and you should notice improvements in accessing more of our forms on line, locating current events on the main page, and seeing important links to other sites.

We value your comments, so please let us know what you think!  You can contact Jeannette Wolfe at jwolfe@sosbremerton.orgwith your feedback.  Thanks!

FALL, 2011 ITBS Scores

Score Type: National Percentile Rank 

	Reading Total	Language Total	Math Total	Core Total	Social Studies	Science
Grade 3	82	70	62	75	84	81
Grade 4	76	87	72	80	83	83
Grade 5	89	87	53	86	88	85
Grade 6	83	86	87	87	84	85
Grade 7	88	83	87	88	75	95
Grade 8	85	86	84	87	80	87

Analysis:                       3% of scores 90+ NPR
                                    47% of scores 85-89 NPR                80% of scores above 80^th 
                                    30% of scores 80-84 NPR                            percentile
                                    14% of scores 70-79 NPR
                                      3% of scores 60-69 NPR
                                      3% of scores 50-59 NPR

  

From the Desk of Mrs. Wolfe

Have you enjoyed the beautiful fall weather we have been having?  I am so in awe of the myriad of colors I see on the trees as I drive to and from work each day, take a walk at home, or walk over to the church from the school.  It is so easy for us to take the beauty for granted, isn’t it?  I hope you have, or will, take some time to look around at your surroundings before that first really strong wind comes along and our leaves become “raking material!”

For the last several months we have been learning about and practicing the new responses in the New Roman Missal that will officially be in place as of Nov. 27 in every parish in the U.S.  I am so impressed with how well our students are learning the music and words, and I especially love the way our older students help the younger ones find their place in the booklet or the hymnal during Mass.  You are to be commended as well, for bringing your children to Mass regularly, and supporting the changes we are all experiencing!

Each year during this month, we become especially aware of the many blessings we receive, not just in November, but throughout the year.  Beginning with All Saints Day on Nov. 1, and continuing on through Veteran’s Day and into Thanksgiving, we realize how very much we have here in the U.S., thanks to our faith, our veterans, and our families.  In all circumstances, let us remember that Jesus is with us, and that the kingdom of God is among us. 

Too Important to Miss:

• Veteran’s Day Assembly – Nov. 10 at 2:30 p.m.
• Friday, Nov. 11 – No School in observance of Veteran’s Day
• Saturday, Nov. 12 – First Reconciliation Retreat, 9-12
• PICTURE RETAKES, TUESDAY, NOV. 15 in the morning; JUST BRING IN THE ORIGINAL PACKAGE
• Friday, Nov. 18 – end of First Trimester
• Sunday, Nov. 20 – Solemnity of our Lord Jesus Christ the King
• Wednesday, Nov. 23 – Dismiss at noon for Thanksgiving Break
• Sunday, Nov. 27 – First Sunday of Advent
• BOX TOPS FOR EDUCATION -CLASS COMPETITION CONTINUES THROUGH  NOVEMBER!

Check out these resources available in our school office:

• November Newsletter from the Missions Office of the Seattle  Archdiocese – contains a lovely Thanksgiving Prayer Service for families
• Maryknoll magazine for Fall, 2011
• Kitsap County Kids’ Directory

From the Desk of Mrs. Wolfe

This last week has been a busy one for our students and teachers as the annual Saints Museum Event approaches next Tuesday, Nov. 1!  The Museum will be located within the school this year, and you will receive a program when you arrive that will indicate what room each student will be in for their presentation.  Students in grades K-7 will be paired with a student from their “Buddy Classroom,” and our 8^th graders will serve as greeters and tour guides for our guests.

We are looking forward to many visitors that morning!  Please plan on attending Mass at 9:00 a.m. with our students!!

We will also provide refreshments in the cafeteria between 10:30 – 12:00.

We have now completed our ITBS testing for grades 3-8.  Our school has joined a Consortium with the Archdiocese that will not only allow us to compare our scores with those of other Archdiocesan schools, but will also provide us with data interpretation tools that we can use to get at the heart of each student’s areas of strength and areas that need increased focus.  The goal, of course, is to be able to help each child reach his/her full potential academically.  Remember that in addition to being Active Learners, our students also spend time daily learning to be Active Catholics and Active Citizens.

Too Important to Miss:

NO LUNCH SERVED ON TUESDAY, NOV. 1, DUE TO NOON DISMISSAL

• All Saints Party & Trunk or Treat – Oct. 31, 6-8 p.m.
• Saints Museum, 10:30-12:00, Tuesday, Nov. 1, following 9:00 a.m. Mass
• Shriners Hospital Screening Clinic – 9-Noon, Nov. 5 at Harrison Hospital, 2560 Cherry Ave., Bremerton
• Veteran’s Day Assembly – Nov. 10 at 2:30 p.m.
• PICTURE RETAKES, NOV. 15 JUST BRING IN THE ORIGINAL PHOTO PACKAGE

LOOK WHO HAS ALREADY DONATED!!

Many thanks to the following families who have already met their SCOPE donation obligation:
Hernandez Family
Hofer Family
Jackson Family
Pauly Family
Pirak Family
Read/Tucker Family
White Family 

From the Desk of Mrs. Wolfe

One of the joys of holding our Book Fair here at OLSOS School was to find several shelves of books that were spiritual in nature, written just for kids.  That was not allowed to happen at my previous school!  As I perused the shelves, I found a book called, “Jesus Calling; 365 Devotions for Kids.”  As I thumbed through the pages, I quickly decided this was a purchase I needed to make. I’d like to share the thoughts contained within that book for today, Oct. 21.  It begins with a reference to Job 1:21; “The Lord gave me what I had, and the Lord has taken it away.  Praise the name of the Lord!”  The reflection then states,

‘You don’t like it when your plans are messed with.  You planned to go to the movies, but your parents said no.  You wanted to spend the summer goofing off, but you ended up babysitting instead.  You had a goal in mind, but I said, “Not now.”

When you don’t get to do what you want, you feel like stomping your foot and yelling, “No!”  But instead, you push your anger and frustration down inside you.  I want you to let that frustration out– to Me.  I’ll understand, and I’ll help you sort through it.  Then – and this is the really tough part – praise Me.

Remember that all good things – your possessions, your family and friends, your health and talents, even your time – are gifts from Me.  Thank Me for the good things I give you, but do not cling to them.  Be willing to let go of anything I take from you, including your plans.  But don’t ever let go of My hand!’

May you remember to hang on to Jesus’ hand as you receive what He has to offer you in this coming week, and encourage your children to do the same!  Our hope is truly in the Lord, isn’t it?

Ever Been to a Flashlight Corn Maze?

Make sure to visit Sunrise Farm in Kingston on Saturday, Oct. 29, from 7:15 – 8:45 p.m. for an opportunity to find your way through the maze with only a flashlight to help you out! 

Sunrise Farm is located at 11033 NE Tulin Rd, Kingston, WA, 98346.  Cost is $8.25/person: Parents are welcome to stay as there are many other activities at the farm.

Parents interested in arranging a carpool can contact Josh at 627-8925, or josh@starofthesea.net for a list of attendees.

Introducing electronic labels for education!!

Register your Albertson’s Preferred Card at www.eLabelsAddUp.com.  The school will earn 100 extra points as well as points from your everyday shopping!!

Get 500 Labels for Education Bonus Points when you buy 15 participating Labels for Education products  OR  Get 250 Labels for Education Bonus Points when you buy 10 participating Labels for Education products.

Too Important to Miss:

Please take a look at the following attachments included in this Friday folder:

• All Saints Party & Trunk or Treat – Oct. 31, 6-8 p.m.
• Box Tops for Education Contest
• Shriners Hospital Screening Clinic – 9-Noon, Nov. 5 at Harrison Hospital, 2560 Cherry Ave., Bremerton
• Veteran’s Day Assembly – Nov. 10 at 2:30 p.m.
  

We will soon introduce our updated website!

In the next few weeks we will be unveiling our new and improved website!  Our hope is that it will be easy to navigate, and very user-friendly, as well as informational!  We appreciate all who currently rely on our website to get the most current information about what is happening at school.  Many thanks to Andrew St. Hillaire for all his work on the website, and to Martha Groneman for her work to keep the site up to date!

From the Desk of Mrs. Wolfe

Well, we did not qualify for the photo contest during our “Walk to School Day,” but it was definitely a fun way to focus on pedestrian safety with our students! Thanks to Darcy Hemmingson for putting that program together – better luck next year!

You will soon be receiving this year’s copy of the Family Handbook, along with a sign-off page to indicate that you and your child have read and understand our school policies. I want to emphasize the importance of following the “General Dress” guidelines with regard to hair. The policy states, “Hair must be neat, clean, and combed. The hair length must be above the eyebrows….The principal has the final word in determining which hairstyles are distracting and must be changed.”

Star Sibs is up and running! Please take advantage of our Star Sibs program, which is located in the preschool room on Fridays from 1-3 p.m. This is a great opportunity for you to get some volunteer hours in and have your young children taken care of right here on campus.

Room Parents still needed ~ We still have need of a couple of room parents for classrooms, but don’t think you have to do it all yourself! This is a great chance to team up with another and share the responsibilities. Please check the Volunteer Book on the counter in the office to see which rooms could still use your help. Thanks!!

Library News

Curious as to how your student is doing in Accelerated Reading? Please visit the Library Page on the School Website (first go to “Meet the Staff,” then to the Library Page). From there go to “Home Connect,” and have your student enter their user name and password. You will be able to view their “Bookshelf,” which shows all the quizzes they have taken and how well they scored on each quiz. You can also visit the A.R. Bookfinder website to check on other books that are part of the Accelerated Reading Program. If you have any questions regarding this program, please contact Carol Kennedy in the Library, or your student’s teacher.

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO SUPPORTED THE BOOK FAIR!!

Our online Book Fair continues through Oct. 28 here:
www.scholastic.com/schoolbookfairs/2875551

The One for Books classroom coin challenge raised $153.18 – WOW! Eighth grade raised the most money with $53.28. Congratulations to the 8th graders and Ms. Walker, and to all who participated. Scholastic books will now donate 153 books to a non-profit literacy program in our name.

Many thanks go to Carol Kennedy and Cecelia O’Connor, and their group of volunteers, for making this year’s Book Fair such a huge success!

From the Desk of Mrs. Wolfe

We had a very successful Picture Day on Wednesday! We had a day of perfect attendance, and help from Mrs. Shetler, Mrs. Bishoff, and Mrs. Schweiger to get classes where they needed to be on time!

Wondering how best to serve the church and our faith community?

Please stop by the Ministry Fair this weekend after any of the masses! You will be amazed at the information available, the food, and the prizes that will be awarded throughout the Fair. I will be there at the School Booth, so stop by and say hi!

Thanks also to Mrs. Hemmingson, for organizing our first, “Walk to School Day,” on Thursday. We had many students wearing their stickers and wristbands at our morning assembly. Special thanks to Mr. Carpenter for being our official for the event, and to Mrs. DeBenon for passing out stickers and to Mrs. Usman for taking pictures.

Now our school has a chance to win a $5,000 prize and a visit from Sesame Street’s walkaround Grover as part of Safe Kids’ photo contest!

We will submit our best photo taken the day of the walk. Then, on October 10th, a panel of judges from Safe Kids USA and FedEx will determine the top 10 photos and post them. 
From there, fans on Facebook will vote by ‘liking’ their favorite photo and the winning photo will be announced on October 21st.
 
Everyone can vote, including those that did not participate in Walk to School Day!

Middle School Youth Retreat

Saturday, Oct 15, 9:00am-8:00pm
“Are You Ready for a New Adventure of Faith?”

Join us for a day of fun and challenge! Our kickoff retreat will be led by the Archdiocese Young Adult Service Team. These recent college grads give a year of service to youth through retreats and other ministry offerings in the Archdiocese of Seattle. Meet at parish for 9am Mass, then carpool to Camp Calvinwood, 6838 Calvinwood Rd, Port Orchard. Pickup at camp at 7:30pm or at parish at 8pm. Register online: http://bit.ly/MSStarRetreat.
Cost: $25. Open to Grades 6-8.

Library News

The Scholastic Book Fair is coming to our school next week! Hours of operation will be:

• Wednesday, Oct.12 – 11:30-4:30 pm
• Thursday, Oct. 13 – 11:30-7:00 pm
• Friday, Oct. 14 – 11:30 – 1:00 pm

All proceeds from the Book Fair go toward purchasing new books for our library. You can visit www.bookfairs.scholastic.com/homepage/olsos to preview our Book Fair.

Also, due to restrictions placed on us contractually by Scholastic, we are not able to host the Religious Store in the same location as the Book Fair. You will find the Religious Store located in the Conference Room downstairs, across from the lunchroom.

After-School Clubs to begin Oct. 17!!

Enclosed in the Friday Folder you will find the list of clubs we are offering this fall, and permission slips (required). Permission slips are due by Friday, Oct. 14.

Hope to see you at the Kitsap Way McDonald’s for our McTakeover on Wednesday, Oct. 12, from 6:00 pm -8:00 pm. Remember, SCOPE receives 40% of the sales from the event!!

Oops – please make this calendar correction!

The wrong dates were listed on the monthly calendar for SEP (Safe Environment Program) training. The correct dates are:

• Mon. Oct. 17 @ 7:00 pm, St. Cecelia Parish.
• Tues. Oct. 18 @ 6:30 pm Holy Trinity Parish.

Hospitality Hour is ours!!

Remember that Our Lady Star of the Sea School is hosting the Hospitality Hour all weekend, Oct. 8th and 9th.

Please help out by heating up, serving, or cleaning up while parishioners attend the Ministry Fair after all masses.

Please contact Darcy Hemmingson, 373-6042 or 473-9998, or at
bdhemfam@aol.com to find out how you can help.

Heard around school this week

“My students were enthusiastic about hearing another “Strega Nona” story.”

“When I opened my classroom door this morning to invite in the students, they cheered…I felt like a rock star!!

“Several students said “please” and “thank you” when I helped them with something.”

“Some of the 8th grade students helped out with younger students after our morning assembly.”

“A second grader came into the library and said, “I just love books!”

“The Sounders won their third U.S. Open Cup and I was there!!!”

Magazine Sale Thanks

Many thanks go to Heather Werdal and Mary McKee for heading up this year’s magazine sale! They have had to deal with many technical difficulties this year, but have stayed positive and encouraging with all of our students. The students have done their part as well in making the sale a big success! We will find out in the near future just how much was earned from this Parent’s Club fundraiser, and all that you have done to support your child’s sales is certainly appreciated.