Diocese of Pittsburgh Database Application - As you know, the Diocese of Pittsburgh is committed to providing a safe environment for the children entrusted to our care. The Office for the Protection of Children and Young People is continuing to make efforts to provide a safe environment for your child. In order to comply with the requirements of the USCCB's Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, Bishop Zubik and the Diocese of Pittsburgh has mandated that anyone, including both paid and volunteer staff, (parents, coaches, lunch & playground volunteers, field trip chaperones etc.) on the school level that has direct contact with minors (under 18 years old) are required to complete an on-line application that will include a national criminal background check. It is mandated that if you plan on volunteering anytime with student programs in the school or field trips including the Sports Program & Lunch/Playground Program you MUST complete this on-line application ASAP. ALL parents that have children registered for the 2011 - 2012 academic year are required to complete this application. The school computer lab will be made available upon request for anyone not having Internet service at their house or needing assistance. The application process will only have to be done once and will take approximately 15 - 20 minutes to complete. For the Protection of our Children and for providing a safe environment for our children, take time to complete this application. If you have already completed an on-line application you do not have to reapply for this school year. See the enclosed checklist for further information related to the requirements for the Diocesan Safe Environment program or go to the school website and look for the Parents Link in order to find the safe environment link. Reminder if your safe environment school file is not updated by Friday, September 9, 2011 you will not be permitted to volunteer for any school activities or school fundraising events for the 2011 - 2012 school year. You may contact Mr. Grgurich in the school office at 412-882-9900 if you have any further questions.

A Note of Welcome From Mr. Grgurich - I would like to take this opportunity to welcome back the students, faculty, staff and parents to St. Sylvester School and to another academic year. As always I am excited about the beginning of the year and I look forward to another year of our students growing spiritually, having academic and athletic success along with enjoying many fun-filled social activities. Also, I would like to note and acknowledge that our maintenance staff (Phil, Brian, Kyle, Michael and Matthew) has worked extremely hard this summer and have done a wonderful job in cleaning and making the building spotless for the beginning of the new school year. It looks SUPERB!!! Finally, when we meet during Curriculum Night on Thursday, September 8, 2011 I will have an opportunity to share with you the school goals, and any important initiatives that have been set forth this year. Until then I hope everyone has a great beginning to the 2011 - 2012 academic year.

Opening School Mass - Our Opening School Mass for the 2011 - 2012 academic year is on Friday, September 9, 2011 at 8:30am in the St. Sylvester Church. The Faculty will minister at this Mass. Come and Celebrate with us as we begin a new academic year. Please make note that school Masses will be on Friday this school year unless otherwise noted.

2011 - 2012 School Forms - Reminder to all parents / guardian to send in any 2011 - 2012 School Forms by Friday, September 2, 2011 (Catholic Memorandum, Internet Policy, Photo Release, Family Survey, Loan of Text Book, Emergency Information Card, etc.). All of these forms are important to your child(ren) having a successful year.

2011-2012 School Discipline Policy - The 2011 - 2012 School Discipline Policy is attached with this week's newsletter. The faculty has already spent time in the classroom going over the policy with their students and they have signed the Student form showing their agreement. I ask that the parents take time this weekend to review the school discipline policy, sign off on the Parent Signature form and return the form to your child's homeroom teacher. Returning this form shows your agreement and complete support of the policy.

2011-2012 Cellphone / IPOD / Digital Camera Policy - The Cellphone / IPOD / Digital Camera Policy for the 2011 - 2012school year is the same as last year. Cellphones / IPOD's / Digital Camera's will be collected daily by the homeroom teacher, placed in a box and sent to the Mr. Grgurich's office each morning. At the end of the day the Cellphones / IPOD's / Digital Camera's will be returned to the homeroom and given back to the student who owns it. If you send a Cellphone / IPOD / Digital Camera to school with your child take time to clearly mark them for easy identification. Therefore, any Cellphone / IPOD / Digital Camera etc. found on a student or being used by that student during the day will be considered a Level 2 Offense as related to the discipline policy. Any further questions can be directed to Mr. Grgurich regarding this policy.

First Full Day of School / Hot Lunch Program - Our First Full Day of school for Grades K - 8 will be on Monday, August 29, 2011. Once again the Hot Lunch Program will be served 5 days a week, beginning on Tuesday, September 6, 2011. The cost for a regular lunch is $2.35 daily, reduced is .40¢ daily and Milk is .50¢. In the meantime all students in Grades K - 8 will have to Brown Bag their lunch for the first full week of school, Monday, August 29, 2011 - Friday, September 2, 2011. Thank you for your cooperation as we begin a new academic year. The application for free or reduced lunch is attached with this week's newsletter.

2011 - 2012 Curriculum Night On Thursday, September 8, 2011 - St. Sylvester School will hold Curriculum Night for parents who have enrolled their child(ren) in our K - 8 program. The parents of students in Grades K - 8 will meet at 7pm in the St. Sylvester Parish Church Hall for a presentation about the new school year along with faculty introductions. After the presentation the faculty will hold individual classroom sessions for the parents. These sessions are an opportunity to listen to the explanation and general overview of the curriculum your child(ren) will be learning this year. Also, this evening gives each faculty member an opportunity to explain the curriculum and your child's schedule, discuss their homework policy, and classroom expectations. Mark your calendar now and remember this is the first step in establishing an open line of communication with your child or children's teachers in order to have a successful academic year. We look forward to seeing you.

Visitor Sign - In / Out Procedure - A reminder all Visitors are welcome in the building but upon entering you MUST first report to the school office. At that time Mrs. Long will have a Sign-In binder ready to be signed by all visitors along with a Visitor Name Tag to be worn on your person when in the building. The person will sign their name, state the reason for being in the building along with writing their time in and then out. If you have not signed in and do not have a Visitor Name Tag you are not permitted to be walking through the building. This procedure has been put in place for the safety of the students, faculty, staff and visitor. Once again all visitors are welcome but for safety reasons we have to keep track of who is in the building. In advance thank you for your cooperation and support of St. Sylvester School.

Dropping off your Children in the Morning - Just a reminder that our children are precious gifts of God, please be careful when dropping off your child or children. Be careful to watch out for all children as well. If a parent needs to come into the school building when dropping off you MUST find a parking place in the parking lot. This will keep traffic flowing freely and make it easier for the buses to get to the school entrance and drop off students without too much confusion. Remember to slow down your speed when pulling in and pulling out from dropping off. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated.

Family Survey - St. Sylvester School participates in several Federal Programs that provide your children with a variety of materials and services. This is one of the few ways in which your children receive benefits from your tax dollars. Take time to review the attached survey and simply answer Yes or No to the questions. All information will be kept in confidence. Return the Family Survey to the school office by Friday, September 9, 2011. Every family is expected to participate and complete the survey.

St. Sylvester Sports Club Physician/Parent Release Form - Parents are reminded that all students participating in any sport this year will need a completed Physician/Parent Release form prior to the start of their respective season. This form is available in the school office and on the school website. One completed form per student is required.

School Bus Transportation - Just a reminder if your child is a bus rider send in a note to the teacher as to what bus your child is riding. It will help to cut down on confusion at dismissal. Also, if you are having busing issues contact the school office first before contacting the bus garage.

BACK TO SCHOOL COOK OUT - To celebrate the start of a new academic year - All St. Sylvester School students including preschool students and their families along with faculty and staff are invited to a BACK TO SCHOOL COOK OUT. The Cookout will take place on the St. Sylvester School grounds on Monday, August 29th from 6:30pm - 8:30pm. We are asking each family to bring their favorite side dish or desert to share with everyone; we will provide the beverages, hamburgers and hotdogs. We look forward to seeing you there!!

Market Day 2011 - 2012 - It's the start of a new academic year and time to continue one of our most popular fundraisers, "Market Day". All Market Day order forms are due to the school office on Thursday, September 1, 2011. Internet orders are due on Friday, September 2, 2011 by 10pm. Pick up is scheduled for Thursday, September 8, 2011 from 4:30pm - 5:30pm in the Church Hall. The Market Day program runs September - June and requires a few hours of your time one Thursday a month. As always we are in need of volunteers to help on Market Day, consider giving 1or 2-hours. If you would like to volunteer, please contact our chairperson Mary Gasiorowski at (412) 884 - 7165.

Fourth of July Hot Dog Sale - Thank you to everyone who participated in the school's marketing efforts at the Annual Brentwood Fourth of July Parade! As a result of the donated baked goods and cookout held in front of the church by the Marketing Committee, $384.19 was raised for our school. This was our second year for the cookout, and we hope to make this an annual event for the school.

Calendar Party Update Due to the increased interest in our Annual Calendar Party, the event venue has been moved to Salvatore's on Curry Road in Baldwin. The deadline to reserve a space to host a table is September 1st. Hostesses will receive information on ticket distribution and the meeting time for set up from Dawn Ziegler. Tickets for the event are $20.00, and include, soft drinks, dessert and 5 table auction tickets. Lunch will be your choice of a chicken salad with French fries or a croissant sandwich of chicken salad or tuna salad with pasta salad. Doors will open for guests at 12:00pm and lunch will be served at approximately 12:45pm. Hostesses will receive 100 Fundraising points for each themed table, and 5 points will be credited for each ticket purchased. Any questions or interest in hosting a table should be directed to Dawn Ziegler at 412.352.4653.

St. Sylvester Sports Club Meeting - The St. Sylvester's Sports Club will meet on Tuesday, September 6, 2011 at 7pm in the Church Hall. Board members are asked to make this meeting date a priority. We look forward to seeing you there.

2011 - 2012 St. Sylvester School Sports Club Registration - Attention to all parents/students, it's that time again, time to sign up and become a member of the St. Sylvester School Sports Club Program. The programs available for the 2011 - 2012 school year are: Volleyball, Basketball, Soccer, Cross Country, Track and Cheerleading. If you are interested in joining our sports program this year you may contact Tricia Cerro, Sports Club Secretary at 412 - 315 - 8040 or tricia-cerro@comcast.net for more information. Forms to register can be requested through the school office or the sports club.

Calling All Interested Band Students - All interested students in grades 4 - 8 will have an opportunity on Thursday, September 2, 2010 to see various instruments from the brass and woodwinds family and try them out. As a follow up there will be a Parent / Student meeting on Thursday, September 1, 2011 at 7pm in the School Library. At this time Mr. Tom Booth, our instrumental band instructor, will explain in detail the Diocesan Instrumental Program to the parents of the interested students. This is a great opportunity for our young aspiring musicians to develop their musical skills. I hope our students take advantage of this experience.

St. Sylvester School Extended Day Program - Once again St. Sylvester School will offer the Extended Day Program to students in Preschool 3 & 4 yr old PM, 4 yr old full day, and Grades K - 8. Our rates for Extended Day Program will stay the same for the 2011 - 2012 academic year. The rates are as follows: an annual $25.00 registration fee, $6 an hour for 1 hour of care, $5 an hour for 2 hours of care and $4 an hour for 3 or more hours of care. The hours for the Extended Day Program are as follows: 2:45pm - 6pm every full day school is in session and from 11:30am - 6:00pm on early dismissal days. The first day for the Extended Day Program will begin on Monday, August 29, 2011. Anyone still considering the Extended Day Program after this date may contact the school office at 412 - 882 - 9900 on an as needed basis throughout the 2011 - 2012 academic year.

Allegheny Intermediate Unit (AIU) Developmental Guidance Program - At St. Sylvester School, we value the social and emotional development of your child as much as their academic growth and success. Throughout the 2011 - 2012 academic year, Anna Marie DiCesare the school counselor from the AIU will be visiting classrooms to present lessons on topics including character education, conflict resolution, anger management, feelings, social skills, etc. The topics and grade levels chosen will be based on the needs of the building by Mr. Grgurich and Mrs. DiCesare. If you have any further questions, feel free to contact Mr. Grgurich at (412) 882 - 9900.

School Value for the 2011 - 2012 Academic Year - Every academic year each Catholic School chooses a gospel value to work on as a school. This year St. Sylvester School has chosen Hope. Throughout the 2011 - 2012 academic year we will focus on the gospel value of Hope through our liturgies along with our continued efforts in the area of service, both locally and globally. Also, the students will focus on the 7 Gifts of the Holy Spirit. The main bulletin board in the school building will relate to the gospel value of Hope each month and one of the 7 Gifts of the Holy Spirit. In addition, the Student Council is working on providing service projects for the entire school community to work on throughout the 2011 - 2012 academic year. Look for details in future newsletters.

Scrip News - Attention Seton LaSalle Parents Effective Monday, August 29, 2011 St. Sylvester Parish will begin participation in the Seton LaSalle Catholic tuition credit program in partnership with GLS Scrip. Any parishioner that has children attending Seton LaSalle Catholic High School will receive tuition credit on a quarterly basis towards their tuition based on their Scrip purchases. In order to be eligible for this credit, you will need to complete a Scrip Retail Rebate form. The credit that retailers provide will be divided equally towards your tuition and St Sylvester School Angel Fund. This is a great way to assist you in continuing Catholic education while supporting St. Sylvester School. When completing order forms for Scrip, please complete your family name and indicate in capital letters on the top of Scrip order forms "SETON LASALLE". Our rectory hours are Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday 9:00am until 4:00pm; Tuesday 9:00am until 8:00pm; Saturday and Sunday 9:00am until 1:00pm. Scrip cards may also be purchased before and after our Saturday evening (4pm) or Sunday (8am, 10am 12pm) masses from a school representative. If you have any question, please contact Christine Saitta at 412-719-6549.

Shop n' Save SEED Program - The Shop n' Save SEED Assembly Program is made possible through a unique partnership with the Carnegie Science Center and Carnegie Museum of Natural History. In order to qualify for an assembly our school is required to collect $250 per student in Shop n' Save register tapes for each participating student. St. Sylvester School will be collecting Shop n' Save register tapes to receive an assembly through the Carnegie Museum. Our goal is to collect $43,750.00 in register receipts. Start saving your register tapes and bring them to the school office and deposit them in the three drawer collection box throughout the 2011 - 2012 academic year!

Boxtops for Education and Campbell's Soup Labels - Remember to continue to save Boxtops for Education and Campbell's Soup Labels during the academic year. These are yearlong programs that earn valuable merchandise for our school. These Boxtops and Campbell Soup Labels can be deposited in the three drawer collection box just inside of the school office throughout the 2011 - 2012 academic year. Thank you for your continued support of St. Sylvester School and Catholic education.