O C T O B E R 2 0 1 9 • I S S U E 2 • B A C K T O S C H O O L
M O N T H L Y N E W S L E T T E R
WITNESS WEDNESDAYS AT KA
Pope Paul VI declared clearly in Evangelii Nuntiandi that the Church “exists in order to
evangelize . ” He went on to say that , “Modern man listens more willingly to witnesses than to
teachers , and if he does listen to teachers , it is because they are witnesses . ” During Witness
Wednesday at KA , we desire that students hear the faith journey of others so that they may know
that they are not alone in following Christ and that God reaches people where they are at .
Hearing these stories is a key way of encouraging students to reflect upon their journey of faith
and to know that having questions and doubts are a natural part of faith formation . We have
brought in musicians , young adult members of SPO and FOCUS , KA faculty and staff members , a
Sergeant in the military , Ginny Gallic , and a host of others . All have unique stories of how the
Catholic faith became their own and where their encounter with Jesus has taken them . Some of
these witnesses have been faithful ‘cradle Catholics ’ while others experienced a ‘long and
winding road ’ to God . One constant seems to be the working of the Holy Spirit in the person ’s
life which most were able to pinpoint as the beginning of a new moment in their life . Another
factor is the support from a Catholic friend and community of believers who were present during
the ups and downs of their journey and accompanied them along the way . We are always looking
for joyful witnesses to come and share how their lives have been impacted by their encounter
with Christ . Feel free to contact the school if you would like to be a witness .
- Mr . Allan Wright
REVERENCE : THE
V IRTUE OF THE MONTH
The Virtue for the month of October
is Reverence : showing your deepest
respect for the things of God , Grades
K-2nd will learn about Saint Hyacinth ,
3-5th will learn about Saint Tarcisius ,
and grade 6 will learn about Saint
Margaret Clitherow .
Virtues in Practice is a program
created by the Nashville Dominicans
for children in grades Pre-K - 6 to
grow closer to Jesus by imitating His
life and virtues . The program covers
27 virtues over a three-year cycle ,
with 81 saints held up as models of
these virtues .
STAFF H IGHL IGHT :
HANK SOULE , D IRECTOR
OF FAC I L I T I ES
Why did you decide to comework at KA?I came to KA after retiring from
Lockheed Martin Corp where I
worked as an engineer designing
and testing communication
satellites . It was an exciting career
but not as exciting as the prospect
of building God ’s kingdom .
Do you have a hidden talent? Not any more . My talents are all
utilized at KA with mowing , fixing ,
climbing , singing , and praying .
If you had 1 extra hour in the day,what would you do?Relax .
If you could immediately becomean expert at something, whatwould it be?Counseling students .
Mr . Soule has been crucial to the
successful running of the school for
more than 8 years . His latest
project has been the much
admired fence around the property
that has already gained more
positive attention from parents
than any landscaping project in
KA 's 35 years .
GET TO KNOW A STUDENT :
VALENT INA VALENC IA
My name is Valentina
Valencia and I ’m a junior at
Koinonia Academy . I have
attended KA since I was a
fourth grader so this will
be my eighth year here .
Although after graduating
KA MOM 'S MORN ING
On the second Wednesday of the month , the
Bruce Weyand Gymnasium at KA acts as the
warm and welcoming home for the Koinonia
Academy Mom ’s Morning . This group was
introduced this school year . It kicks off with two
simple goals at the forefront : prayer and
fellowship . The moms in the group hope to
support our school through the recitation of the
Rosary with each mystery being offered up for
past , present , and future students ,
administration , staff , in thanksgiving for
benefactors , and asking for God ’s continued
provision . It also serves as a way for our school
community to grow in familiarity . Over a cup of
coffee while enjoying a treat , moms get to know
each other and their families . At the inaugural
meeting , local author Lindsey Schlegel was
invited to share her wisdom regarding Catholic
parenting and family life . More guests are being
scheduled for future meetings . Mom ’s Morning
meets the second Wednesday of the month in
the gym starting “after-drop off” until 9 :30am
(ish ! ) . Children welcome . Mark your calendars for
upcoming dates : November 13 , December 11 ,
January 8 .
I 'm still not 100% sure what I want to do , I 'm
looking into biomedical engineering as an
option . KA has helped me grow both as a person
and in my spiritual life . Before coming to KA , my
family and I always attended mass and I grew up
knowing that faith was very important . However
this new school has helped me make my faith my
own . It has taught me ways to grow and helped
me become who I am today . The unity of KA is
seen nowhere else and it is something that I am
so incredibly grateful for . KA holds a dear place
in my heart and I genuinely don ’t know what I
would have done without it .
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) is not merely another
teaching of our beautiful faith , it is an extraordinary
experience where our students will have the opportunity to
live out their faith in real , concrete ways . We have createdthe atrium, our sacred space, which will be a place ofsilent wondering . The children will be invited to “work” with
the presentations that will be given to them . They will
experience and meditate about the practical life of the
Church , and about all the amazing Mysteries of our faith . This
will all be done with age appropriate catechesis . Our hope at
KA is to bring the children into a deeper relationship with
God and a greater participation in the liturgy .
We look forward to beginning CGS with the Pre-K,Kindergarten, and 1st grade classes. I am humbled and
honored to be able to walk with the children on this journey
of faith . Please pray for us and the children . Check out thisarticle to learn more about CGS:http : //bit .ly/KAgoodshepherd If you have any questions or
concerns please feel free to contact me .
- Cristina Imparato , Cimparato@koinoniaacademy .org
EXTRACURR ICULAR : DANCE CLASSES
KA ’s latest extracurricular activity is as sweet as it is graceful ! Dance classes are the
newest offering for girls starting in Pre-K and take place after school . This is yet anotherway that KA seeks to form the whole person! Ballet offers an opportunity for the little
girls to recognize and appreciate God ’s beautiful design in each of them . It allows them
to exercise the creativity and the freedom of their imagination that God has
wonderfully bestowed on this age group . The expressions of the tiny ballerinas beam with
eagerness to learn the fundamentals of dance . Girls will learn ballet positions , exercises ,
steps , technique with lyrical and contemporary movement , and choreography . This
blessing comes by way of Mrs . Joanna Velazquez who will be the instructor on Tuesday
afternoons . “Miss Joanna,” as the little girls call her, hopes to instill a basicfoundation of ballet technique to the students at KA and spark a joy andappreciation for the art of dance! She is a local , Catholic , homeschooling mother of five .
Currently the dance teacher at Little Way Homeschool Co-op , Joanna has taught at many
other schools over the years and has been trained at local dance institutions , Rutgers
University , and the New Jersey School of Ballet .
CATECHES IS OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD
Witness Wednesdays: Come
share with the students at KA
how you have encountered
Christ . Contact Mr . Wright if
you 're interested :
principal@koinoniaacademy .org
Supplies needed forCatechesis of the GoodShepherd: Check out this signup link: http : //bit .ly/CGShelp to
see what you can give
STAY I N TOUCH WITH KA
marketing@koinoniaacademy .org
www .koinoniaacademy .org
OCT
Ways to get involved in
CELEBRAT ING 35 YEARS
OF KA AT OUR 9TH
ANNUAL GALA
Email gala@koinoniaacademy .org if you 're
interested in getting involved or including
an ad in our Gala Journal . Learn more and
purchase tickets at www .koinoniagala .com
FALL FEST
FUNDRA ISER SUCCESS
The KA Fall Festival was held on Saturday
October 5 and was a huge success ! The
weather was perfect for the occasion :
crisp and sunny ! There were plenty of
activities for the children , the most
popular of which were face-painting and
a bouncy house . Everyone enjoyed the
variety of flavorful Latino foods , including
carne asada , empanadas , papusa 's , and
more ! There was even a soccer game
that saw KA 's 4th-6th grade team take on
North Plainfield . Although Coach
Ramos 's team was not victorious , they
displayed their skills and courage to all !
The event raised over $2 ,000 for KA ! A
special thank you to Luisa and Sergio
Muz , who organized the event !