OUR LADY of the SACRED HEART SCHOOL

PRINCIPAL'S BULLETIN for FEBRUARY 11, 2005

Monday, February 14 HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

Tuesday, February 15 NO CHOIR FOR HALF NOTES

2:30 p.m.-3:10 p.m.--Drama Club for all members

6:30 p.m-8 p.m.--"Together Tuesday" for Grade 2 students (OLSH and CCD)

Wednesday, February 16 2:40 p.m.-3:40 p.m.--Young Rembrandts Art Program

2:45 p.m.-4 p.m.--Talent Show auditions in the Community Room

4:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m.--Market Day pickup

Thursday, February 17 Beginning Band during Music Class

Advanced Band during lunch

NO CHOIR FOR UPPER NOTES

7 p.m.--First Reconciliation for Grade 2 students (OLSH and CCD)

Friday, February 18 8:15 a.m.--All-School Mass

2:45 p.m.-4 p.m.--Talent Show auditions in the Community Room

INTERIMS GOING HOME TODAY

A THANK-YOU TO MRS. ADELMANN, THE FACULTY, AND STUDENTS: Words alone cannot express my sincerest appreciation for your honoring me at the school Mass on February 4. The presentation of the St. Francis statue, the beautiful desk clock, the words to a special song written by Ms. Donna Schafer, and last but not least the heartwarming cards and notes from all the students made it a day I will never forget. Thanks a million! God bless! --Deacon Bob Glassmeyer

OPEN HOUSE: Open House was super because so many parents and teachers put forth the extra effort to showcase the school and the hospitality of our families. THANK YOU! Educational Outfitters displayed many school apparel items available with our school logo. They also previewed the plaid uniform skort (that may be worn by girls in grades 1 through 8) and displayed current uniform items. As soon as the skort becomes available, it may be worn as part of the regular OLSH uniform. Mr. Mike Hunter (owner of Educational Outfitters) will have at the store the information regarding the appropriate length of the skort. This plaid skort is different from the navy skort that is considered shorts because the plaid skort looks like a skirt from the front and back. All the girls who have seen it love it! PLEASE NOTE: Educational Outfitters is our only uniform provider. We are no longer working with Casson/Schoolbelles.

OUR GIFT TO YOU: Parents, if you did not receive a "Thank You" card and finger rosary, you should know that they went home in last Friday's white envelopes as a gift of appreciation from OLSH to all of our parents for all they do for us. However, many cards were found on the floor of the school, and some students had the finger rosaries on their fingers before the end of the school day. If you did not receive a card of appreciation and a rosary, please check with your child.

THANK YOU: Mrs. Angela Guye, coordinator of the collection drive for the Ronald McDonald House, extends to the OLSH school community her sincere thanks for all the donations that were sent in. The amount far exceeded her expectations. She will be delivering those items to the Ronald McDonald House this week.

JUMP ROPE FOR HEART: All permission slips for Jump Rope for Heart must be returned by Monday, February 14. Students who have not turned in permission slips by Monday will not be permitted to jump rope during their P.E. classes next week as part of this Heart Association fundraiser.

DRAMA CLUB: There will be a MANDATORY meeting on Tuesday, February 15 for all students involved in the Drama Club's upcoming melodrama.

TALENT SHOW AUDITIONS: Please note the two dates/times listed in the calendar above for auditions for the upcoming OLSH PTA Talent Show. All acts must sign up to audition. Sign-up sheets are in the Music Room on the cabinet doors.

SPELLING BEE RESULTS: Students in grades 5 through 8 participated in the 2005 OLSH Spelling Bee. Congratulations to Keith Kennedy (7-S), winner of this year's event. Runners up were Zach Frey (5-S) and Hannah Vogt (7-H). Keith will participate in the Cincinnati Post Regional Spelldown at the Cincinnati Union Terminal on February 23. Congratulations and good luck, Keith!

NEW A.R. TEST LIST NOW ON THE OLSH WEBSITE! In December, 2004, our school library purchased 928 new A.R. tests, bringing our total number of A.R. tests to 4,378. You can now access this updated list on our OLSH website at www.olshschool.net. Just click on A/R Tests, located under the picture of the school. This list can also be viewed on the computers at any public library. In addition to these new tests, we have also purchased many new A.R. books, which are currently being added to our library computer system by Terry Donovan, Vicki Koppenhafer, Tracy Engel, Melissa Fahr, and Tamara Anderson. Penny O'Brien and Ellen Lopez have been very busy behind the scenes getting our new books ready for entry, and Ann Hartke continues to search for additional A.R. books and tests for us. Many thanks to them and to the many moms/dads who review books for us and those who come every week and volunteer their time to help with our students in the library. Our staff and students are very fortunate to have such caring and sharing parents!

SECOND ANNUAL MINI RELAY FOR LIFE: It's time to begin planning the 2005 Mini Relay for Life hosted by OLSH. Jennifer Gallo is looking for several parents to help plan the event this year. If you are interested in helping in any capacity, please call or e-mail Jennifer (769-0602/jmgallo@fuse.net). We had an awesome time last year and collected over $1500 for the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life event in Reading. Please consider giving your time for this worthwhile cause.

NURSE'S OFFICE: Volunteers for the Nurse's Office for next Friday, February 18, are Gina Prickel (8 a.m. 'til 11 a.m.) and Nancy Murray (11 a.m. 'til 2 p.m.). Thank you, moms!

ILLNESS: Parents, we BEG you to keep your child home from school if he is not feeling well. This past week, many students have been absent with a range of illnesses (stomach virus, persistent cough, fever, headache, sore throat). Please follow your doctor's guidelines as to when to return your child to school after an illness. They would be much better off missing days in a row instead of trying to return too soon and relapsing. Keeping them home also keeps them from spreading their illness to others in their classrooms. Remember--your child must be fever-free for 24 hours without medication before he returns to school.

MENU for the WEEK of FEBRUARY 14

Monday…………chicken patty on bun, mashed potatoes with gravy, fruit cocktail, milk

Tuesday…………pizza, celery sticks with dip, pineapple, milk

Wednesday……...French toast sticks with syrup, sausage patty, hash brown, orange juice, milk

Thursday………..mini corn dogs, corn, peach cup, soft pretzel, milk

Friday…………...lasagna roll-ups, tossed salad, pears, breadstick, milk

On the back of the January 21 Principal's Bulletin, we reprinted an article from The Cincinnati Enquirer entitled "Teach Your Kids to Take Responsibility". This article and any that are reprinted in our bulletins are intended to be informative for our parents and should not be taken as a criticism of their parenting skills. We are printing the following response to the article on responsibility as a courtesy to the parents who wrote it.

THANK YOU, GOD, FOR PARENTS

We remember growing up back "in the day". Life was simple then. We could walk to school without our parents fearing abductions and drug dealers. We weren't coached on how to avoid men with leashes and sob stories about their missing dogs. We played after school with the kids on the street until dinner. We knew we were loved and cared for and protected by our parents. We also remember forgetting our lunch once in a while. The school would call our mom or dad, either at work or at home; and one of them would drive home, pick up the lunch, and bring it to school. It wasn't a matter of a "lack of responsibility"--it was a matter of love and a feeling that our parents would always look out for us. We grew up knowing that, no matter what, our parents would always support us. We grew up to be responsible adults. We take offense at being told not to raise our children the same way. We believe it is our "job" to watch our children's backs and care for them in a manner that lets them know we will always be there for them. We know they will grow up one day very soon and be more responsible than today, and they will know they are loved; and we think that is the greater lesson to be learned.

--Miriam Vuotto and Susie Winhusen