2018 catholic schools week fun!...accountant st. gabriel the archangel catholic church is currently...
TRANSCRIPT
Art Competitions 2
Summer Learning 2
Composing Music 2
STREAM Corner 3
Help Wanted 3
Alumni News 5
Accreditation Update 6
Lent, Easter Schedule 6
Parish Lenten Mission 7
February Birthdays 8
Student Council 8
Inside this issue:
The Mission of Annunciation Catholic School
Within our strong Catholic community, we develop children to their fullest God-given potential -
spiritually, intellectually, morally, socially, and physically.
February 2018
Volume IX
Issue 7
IMPORTANT DATES
FEBRUARY 2 - Talent Show
Stream Event
Junior High Social
16-19 No School President’s
Day weekend
23 - Early Dismissal/End of
Trimester 2
25 - Family Mass 8:30 a.m.
MARCH 2 - Booster-thon Fun Run
Mass w/Bishop Olmsted
6 - PIE Meeting 6:30 p.m.
9 - No School Teacher
In-service
10 - Mother Son Evening
29 - No School Holy Thursday
30 - No School Good Friday
APRIL 2 - 6 Easter Break
9 - School Celebration of
Feast of the Annunciation
10 - PIE Meeting 6:30 pm
21 - Daddy Daughter Dance
24 - Grandparents Meeting
President’s Weekend
No school
Fri. 2/16 & Mon. 2/19
ACS Booster-thon Fun Run March 2
The ACS Booster-thon Fun Run, our 2nd major
fundraiser, is a 9-day program that kicks off with a
Pep Rally on February 21. Families will then gather
pledges for every lap their student runs (30-35 laps),
and we’ll celebrate at the Fun Run on March 2. With
our big goal of raising $70,000 to bridge the gap
between tuition and the cost to educate our
students, we asked the Fun Run experts at Booster-
thon to power our Fun Run and make it more
profitable, easier, and fun.
Students will also experience an amazing character theme program called
CASTLE QUEST! Students will learn lessons about being brave and living
with character. On their quest to regain Bravemore Castle, students will
learn the “SIX VIRTUES of a TRUE HERO” from a cast of colorful
characters.
So please help our school by reaching for sponsors, making pledges, and
joining us on March 2 to share in the fun as our students run the campus to
reach their pledge goals!
2018 Catholic Schools Week Fun!
Filled with crazy hats, socks and lots of STREAM!
Page 2
Excitement is building in the art room at ACS
these next few months as we prepare for four
upcoming art competitions which will showcase
the fine art talent at our school throughout the
Valley. First up is the Sonoran Arts League
Contest in February themed: "Honoring Those
Who Serve" in which several ACS students
entered with a chance to win medals and showcase
their artwork throughout the Cave Creek
community. Next is the "Pearls of Grace" Art
Contest in celebration of the 30th Anniversary of
the Crozier Gala with the themes: Truth, Beauty,
Faith and Love. The winning recipients will
represent ACS at the silent auction portion of the
gala, at the Arizona Biltmore with the Most
Reverend Thomas J. Olmsted. Later in March,
ACS students will display and/or sell their work at
The Young Artist Exhibition + Competition at the
Tempe Festival of the Arts on March 23-25, 2018
with an attendance of 225,000+ guests each year!
Finally, four of our best entries will be submitted
again this year at The Celebration of Arts Youth
Art Competition in April with the Sonoran Arts
League which provides another opportunity for
our students to showcase their work in the
community as well as earn prizes and art
education scholarships. Any parents who may
have questions about these events please contact
Mrs. Himmelein anytime!
ACS Artists Preparing for Local Art Competitions
ACS SUMMER FUN LEARNING
Plan ahead for summer fun and learning on campus at ACS.
Registration information coming soon!
June 4-8
(Half day, mornings)
Bricks4Kids
Coding /Video Game Design
for ages 8 and up!
June 9-13
(Half day, mornings)
Bricks4Kids
Jr. Robotics for kids ages 6
and up!
June 18-22
(Full day)
Camp Invention for grades
K-6
During the month of February, the middle school girls’ and boys’ music classes will begin composing
music. They will work in groups with one student acting as captain. The captains were chosen because
they are already proficient at reading music and are able to help with "trial and error" by playing back
the music their group composes. Students will use a deck of interchangeable transparencies cards that
represent measures of melodies (several on each) and then a computer program to "publish" the results.
The students have completed several projects involving
music notation that led them to this point, and the goal is
that everyone will be able to notate their own piece of
music (8-16 measures) by May 2, just in time for our
concert.
Middle School Composing Music
Page 3 February 2018 Volume IX
On January 18 and 19, Annunciation hosted our STREAM consultants
from the Diocese of Buffalo, NY. Jean Comer and Shelly Reidy spent two
full days meeting with teams of teachers to review STREAM principles
and present in depth, research based information on 21st Century Learning, Project Based Learning
(PBL), and practical strategies for tapping into technology that grabs students’ attention and redefines
learning. The teachers evaluated the training and coaching as highly valuable, describing the day as
“time well spent,” “incredible,” and “helpful for a variety of reasons, on a multitude of levels.”
Jean and Shelly also hosted a parent session to explain the principles of STREAM, summarize the ACS
STREAM journey, and highlight our goals. They also explained the importance of fostering creativity
and allowing students to experience risk-taking and even failure. It is through failure that we learn
how to solve problems and become critical thinkers. Research shows that
these are the 21st century skills that will be required in the careers of
tomorrow, most of which don’t even exist yet. Preparing our students for
the future means changing the way we teach and learn in schools, and
that is goal of STREAM.
Recommended
Book and Movie: Most Likely to Succeed. Click here for a link to a
short video clip. Additional videos can be found on Youtube.
4 copies available to borrow from the school office! Report: Creativity Hindered in the Classroom by Testing,
Mandates, Lack of Resources. Click here for a link to the online
article.
STREAM Experts Visit, Share the Principles of STREAM
2018-2019
OPEN ENROLLMENT
New student application fee of $200 is
required to hold a spot. A copy of the
students birth certificate is required with
all new student applications. A copy of
student immunizations is required for all
new students before the start of school.
Visit Applying to Annunciation to learn
more and download the application. Call
or email the office for more info or to
schedule a tour. (480)361-8234
Part-time
Accountant
St. Gabriel the Archangel Catholic
Church is currently looking for a part-
time accountant to join the
Parish/School staff.
If you are interested in applying for the
position, please contact Heather Peltier
at 480-595-0883 or send an email to
Page 4
Alumni Return for Annual Annunciation Open House
Catholic Schools Week kicked off with an all school Mass at St. Gabriel’s and we were so happy to see a large
turnout of Annunciation alumni join the celebration. Many school families turned out for the event which
featured classroom visits, pizza lunch, and the Knights of Columbus Free Throw Contest. It was a celebration of
our school and parish community coming together to celebrate our mission of developing children to their fullest
God-given potential. With so many alumni currently attending Catholic high schools we are proud to see their
faith continues to plays a role in their continuing education.
Picture above front row left to right: Dayton McCann - Brophy, Aidan Schwartz - Brophy, Lucas Hammond -
Brophy, Seth Bowers,- St. Mary’s, Qiliana Garcia - Xavier, Drew Savage - Brophy. Second row l to r: Michelle
Montalvo - Xavier, Caroline Thorpe - Xavier, Erin Hill - Xavier, James Khoury - Brophy, Megan Galbreath -
Xavier, Mark Rossbach - Brophy, Noah Lederer - Brophy, Trent Hammer - Villa de Marie, Liam McSherry -
Notre Dame, Faith Rosky - Pinnacle High School.
Congratulations to ACS 3rd graders Olivia Bax and
Jamison Jolesch for their performance in the Disneyland
Main Street Christmas Parade in November.
Spotlight on Students
In December, Olivia also performed in the
full production ballet of Adventures with
Mary Poppins with her dance studio Plumb
Performing Arts Studio. Olivia played a
pink flamingo!
Page 5 February 2018 Volume IX
IMPORTANT SCHOOL DATES
Visit the current school calendar on the website.
**March 2 - School Mass with Bishop Olmsted**
April 17 - last day to apply to CEA round 1 for 2018-2019
June 29 CEA award letters mailed from CEA
2018 - 2019 Start and End Dates
1. Aug. 6 - Open House and New Family Orientation
2. Aug. 7 - First day of school, Early dismissal at noon
3. May 23 - Last day of school
As we close our celebration of Catholic Schools Week, we are ever grateful for the privilege of serving
our parish community through the ministry of Catholic education. A rigorous academic curriculum
infused with the solid, life-affirming values of our Catholic culture and spirituality is at the heart of
Annunciation Catholic School. Our Self Study this year is helping us to strengthen our school and
renew our commitment to serving our students and families. Thank you to all who are contributing to
this process toward our re-accreditation!
All sections of the Self Study Chapter 3 document have been drafted and are undergoing edits. We are
on track to begin submitting them to the Commissioner of Accreditation at the end of this month for
review. Below is the timeline for the remainder of the Self Study process.
Complete first draft of Self Study Jan. 31
Send draft to commissioner Feb. 28
Revise Self Study March 31
Action Plan Draft April 30
Action Plan Revised May 31
Onsite Visit Nov. 28-30
Survey Results
The parent survey yielded 109 respondents. The feedback has helped us identify our schools strengths
and set goals for improvement. A summary of parent responses appears below.
Communication
98% stated that administration and teachers are approachable
98% state that the school newsletter & weekly updates are both appreciated and effective
STREAM
Although only 25% stated that STREAM was a factor in choosing ACS, 90% stated that STREAM
benefits student learning.
Catholic Identity
99% state their children are receiving a solid religious education.
Order of importance for sending children here: Catholic Values, Academics, Catholic Faith
Formation
Academics
At least 94% state that their children are receiving effective education in each of the core curricular
areas.
SCHOOL ACCREDITATION UPDATE – February 2018
Page 6
Feb. 12 7:00pm Parish Lenten Mission Journey of Conversion: Why God Isn’t Finished With You Yet!
Feb. 13 7:00pm Parish Lenten Mission Journey of Conversion: Why God Isn’t Finished With You Yet!
Feb. 14 ** 8:15am Ash Wednesday Mass
7:00pm Parish Lenten Mission - Journey of Conversion: Why God Isn’t Finished With You Yet!
8:00pm Distribution of Ashes
Feb. 15 7:00pm Parish Lenten Mission
7:00pm Reconciliation during Mission Journey of Conversion: Why God Isn’t Finished With You Yet!
Feb. 16 * 4:30pm Soup Supper hosted by TGIF
7:00pm Stations of the Cross
Feb. 23 * 4:30pm Fish Fry hosted by Knights
7:00pm Stations of the Cross
March 2 * 4:30pm Soup Supper hosted by TGIF
7:00pm Stations of the Cross
March 9 * 4:30pm Fish Fry hosted by Knights
7:00pm Stations of the Cross
March 16 * 4:30pm Soup Supper
7:00pm Stations of the Cross
March 23 * 4:30pm Fish Fry hosted by Knights
7:00pm Stations of the Cross
March 29 7:00 pm Holy Thursday Mass
March 30 ** 3:00 pm Stations of the Cross
7:00 pm Good Friday Service Church Office Closed
March 31 11:00 am Blessing of the Food Baskets
7:00 pm Holy Saturday –Vigil Mass
April 1 7:00 am Easter Mass (in tent)
9:00 am Easter Mass (in tent)
11:00 am Easter Mass (in tent)
April 2 Church office is closed
April 8 Divine Mercy - Abstain from meat, Fa
* Abstain from meat
**Fast and abstain from meat
Here are the rules for fasting and
abstinence on Ash Wednesday and Good
Friday: Fasting consists of eating only one
meal, with the possibility of two smaller
snacks that do not add up to a single full
meal. Catholics in good health ages
eighteen to fifty-nine are required to fast
and to abstain from meat on Ash
Wednesday and Good Friday and to
abstain from meat all other Fridays in
Lent. Youth thirteen and older are to
abstain from meat on these days.
Abstinence from meat on Fridays: Canon
1251 specifies that Catholics refrain from
eating meat on all Fridays, as an act of
penitence. In the US, Catholics are
permitted to substitute another penance
outside of the season of Lent. During Lent,
however, all Catholics are obliged not to
eat meat on Fridays. Penance during
Lent: The season of Lent is a penitential
time and should also be marked by some
additional form of self-denial.
St. Gabriel Catholic Community Lent and Easter Schedule 2018
Page 7 February 2018 Volume IX
Lego Classes - Minecraft Engineering
Using Lego Anthem Community Center
41130 N Freedom Way, Anthem
March 10, 2018
10:00 am - 1:00 pm
AGE RANGE: Age 5 - 8
COST: $40 (additional fee for non-residents)
CALL: +1 (623) 879-3011
Register online
Bring Minecraft to life using Lego parts! Build motorized
creepers, a portal to the Nether, and a moving minecart!
Create your favorite Minecraft objects with the guidance of
an experienced Play-Well instructor. Whether you are new
to Minecraft and Lego materials or a seasoned veteran,
you'll be hooked on the endless creative possibilities.
St. Garbriel’s Lenten Parish Mission
Why God Isn’t Finished With You Yet
with Fr. J. Patrick Foley
February 12-15, 2018 • 7:00-8:30pm
Suitable for the entire family! When is the last time you thought about your personal faith journey? Maybe it isn’t even a topic you bring up to yourself. In our journey of faith, we encounter all kinds of road blocks; that is why we need guides for the journey. Night two our parish mission will focus on the guides for the journey. Don’t miss it! Fr. J. Patrick Foley is our Mission leader. He will explain why our path of Continuing Conversion is so im-portant, and why God’s Not Done With You Yet! This is one of those missions you really don’t want to miss. Fr. Foley is a featured presenter of retreats and missions throughout the country and was recently at the Casa for an Advent retreat. The people loved him! We think you will, too. Please clear your calendar and plan on attending all four days of this opportunity. All other parish meetings are cancelled for the week. There will be refreshments each day.
Save the Date
Mother Son Evening
Saturday, March 10
More info coming soon
Save the Date
Daddy Daughter Dance
Saturday, April 21
More info coming soon
&
School Hours
8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Office Hours
8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Annunciation
Catholic School
School Administration
Headmaster
Fr. Dennis O’Rourke [email protected]
Principal
Dr. Sharon Pristash [email protected]
Dean of Students
Ms. Lynne O’Keefe [email protected]
Development/Marketing
Mrs. McCann [email protected]
Office Administration
Mrs. Schwartz [email protected]
Office Support
Mrs. Hammond [email protected]
School Nurse
Nurse Dionne Poole [email protected]
For the complete staff directory visit
http://acsphx.org/about_us/
staff_directory
Riley O’Dell
Domenic Paluscio
Sofia Pulcini
Isabella Slepak
Warren Snook
Ella S.
Emma Wicker
Mrs. Kasper
Mr. Fernandez
Aidan Brittain
Drake Beffort
Enzo Cannizzo
Hayley Carrillo
Isabella C.
Cameron Garrity
Noah Gonzalez
Samantha Harrod
Samuel Hudson
32648 N. Cave Creek Road
Cave Creek, AZ 85331
Phone: (480)361-8234
Fax: (480)207-6730
All School Mass
We ask all school families to
attend school Mass on the
following dates. All masses 8:30
a.m. Mass at St. Gabriel’s on:
Sunday, Jan. 28 (10:30)
Sunday, Feb. 25
Sunday, March 18
Sunday, April 15
Sunday May 13
Student Council
Student Council Takes on
Catholic Schools Week
The ACS Student Council took on the
planning and execution of many of the
events of Catholic Schools Week. Highlights
included the Pep Rally to kick off Catholic
Schools Week and the annual Talent Show
that closed out the week. Our student
leaders demonstrated their creativity and
public speaking skills, which correlate with
our Schoolwide Learning Expectations to be
Resourceful Learners and Strong
Communicators.