St Sylvester School

Parent Newsletter

Friday, January 6th, 2012

A Thank You from Mr. Grgurich to the Parents of St. Sylvester School - I would like to take this opportunity to thank the families of St. Sylvester School for the various Christmas gifts & gift cards I received before the Christmas Break. As always I am very humbled by your thoughtfulness, kindness and generosity. I wish you and your family a very Happy and Prosperous New Year.

Early Dismissal / Faculty Meeting - The students in Grades K - 8 will have an early dismissal at 11:30am on Friday, January 13, 2012. Preschool 4 year old morning and 4 year old full day programs will dismiss at 11am. The 4 year old afternoon program will not meet on Friday, January 13, 2012. The faculty will use the afternoon for a faculty meeting and a SMARTBoard Professional Development session.

Spring Spectacular Dress Down Day - On Friday, January 13, 2012 the students in grades K - 8 will have a $1.00 dress down day to help defray costs for the Spring Spectacular fundraiser. Students will be permitted to wear jeans or sweatpants (NO SHORTS) and gym shoes. Any type of long or short sleeve shirt may be worn with exception to decals, sayings or symbols that go against the Catholic nature of our school. As always Mr. Grgurich reserves the right to deem what is appropriate and what is not. If you are not sure if something you might wear would be considered inappropriate call the school office. Absolutely no face painting or hair coloring is permitted. Keep it fun and simple.

Next BAKE SALE - Our next Bake Sale will be on Friday, January 13, 2012 hosted by the 6th Grade! All bake sale items are .25¢ with a .50¢ purchase limit! All proceeds benefit class field trips unless stated otherwise. The Bake Sale will start at 10:00am by the big bulletin board on the main floor of the school building.

January Market Day Pick-Up - Pick up is scheduled for Thursday, January 12, 2012 from 4:30pm - 5:30pm in the Church Hall. 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.

Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday - The students in Grades PreK - 8 will have the day off on Monday, January 16, 2012 in observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.

No School Teacher Clerical Day - There will be No School on Tuesday, January 17, 2012 for the students in Grades PreK - 8 the faculty will use this day as a Clerical Day to prepare report cards for the end of the second nine weeks. School resumes on Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 8:10am.

Report Cards for Second Nine Weeks - On Thursday, January 19, 2012 your child(ren) will receive their report card for the second time this academic year. Take time to sit down with your child(ren) and review their grades they have received for each academic area. Also, this is a good time to have your child(ren) set goals for the third nine weeks in all academic areas and to let your child(ren) know you are very interested in how they are behaving in the classroom as well. If you would like to schedule a phone conference with a teacher to discuss your child's report card call the school office @ 412-882-9900 and leave a message or email the teacher through the RVS Gradebook messaging system.

January Lunch and Playground Duty Volunteers NEEDED - Lunch and Playground Duty Volunteers are needed for Monday, January 9, 2012, Wednesday, January 18, 2012, Monday, January 23, 2012 and Wednesday, January 25, 2012. Call Mrs. Long @ 412-882-9900 if you are able to volunteer. Your help is greatly appreciated and thank you for volunteering!

8th Grade Parent Meeting - There will be an 8th Grade Parent Meeting on Thursday, January 12, 2012 at 7:00pm in the Teachers Lounge. The purpose is to continue the discussion about the end of the year trip, the musical and fundraising that will be necessary to get us there. The expectation is that one parent for each student in the class is in attendance. We look forward to seeing you there.

Catholic Edition of Silver Ring Thing - The Catholic Edition of Silver Ring Thing will take place on Friday, January 13, 2012 for students in grades 8 - 12 and their parents. It will be held at Seton LaSalle Catholic High School from 6:30pm to 9pm (registration begins at 5:15pm). The cost is $5 for students and adults (the ring is an additional $20). Registration is limited, so we suggest that you register early online at www.silverringthing.com. Silver Ring thing is a multi-media program that includes skits, videos, music and witness talks. It is a high tech, fast-paced and fun-filled presentation that captures the imagination and attention of the audience while reinforcing the message of Catholic Vision of Love and the importance of embracing a life of chastity. Also the presentation includes activities and information relating to the sacraments and Catholic Church teaching regarding chastity. During the event participants may choose to receive a silver ring as a symbol of their commitment to chastity. We look forward to seeing our 8th grade students in attendance.

Catholic Schools Weeks Primary Department (Grades K - 3) Project "Ponds" - The students in Grades K - 3 will be learning about the "Ponds" during Catholic Schools Week. During this time the students will listen to stories and participate in many activities correlating with this theme. Each child in these grades will be responsible for creating a 3-D replica of a plant or animal from the pond habitat along with stating 2 or 3 facts about their research choice. The students in Grades K - 3 are asked to bring their project to school on Thursday evening, January 26, 2012 from 5:30pm - 7:30pm. Parents are asked to join us with the set up of this project. Come armed with creative ideas on how the hallway can be magically transformed into the ponds!

Catholic Schools Week Brunch - Why fight the crowds at other eating establishments after church when you can enjoy your family and friends in the welcoming surroundings of our very own Church Hall. On Sunday, January 29, 2012 St. Sylvester School is sponsoring a Catholic Schools Week Brunch from 8:30am - 1pm in the St. Sylvester Parish Church Hall. The cost for Adults is $9, Seniors $7 and $5 for Children (12 and under). Brunch will include: scrambled eggs, potatoes, sausage, bacon, pancakes, toast, muffins, fresh fruit, orange juice, apple juice, coffee, tea, and made to order omelets by Chef Steve-O. For tickets contact the school office at (412) 882 - 9900. We look forward to seeing you for brunch.

St. Sylvester School 6th Annual Monte Carlo / Night at the Races - The Sixth Annual Monte Carlo / Night at the Races will be held on Saturday, February 4, 2012 at 5:00pm in the Church Hall. Dinner will be served at 5:30pm. Tickets are $15.00 per person (only 200 tickets will be sold). You must be 21 to attend. Please send requests for tickets and horse names into the school office with payment made to "St Sylvester School". If you have any further questions or can volunteer, please feel free to contact Anastasia Herk at 412-605-4827. See the attached flyer with this week's newsletter. Don't forget to purchase your horses. We look forward to seeing you there.

South District Honors Band - I am pleased to announce that Jimmy Lydic, an eighth grade student, has been selected to participate in the South District Honors Band. This concert will take place on Sunday, February 19, 2012 at Seton La Salle Catholic High School at 3pm. You are invited to attend this outstanding concert. Congratulations Jimmy!

2011 Christmas Musical, "Super Gift from Heaven" - Well the reviews are in and this year's Christmas Musical performed by the students of St. Sylvester School in grades K - 4 did an Awesome job. The Kindergarten students truly brought the Christmas spirit to each of us through their singing of both secular Christmas songs and traditional carols. The performance of "Holiday in Bethlehem" by the students in grades 1 - 4 was Spectacular. What a Marvelous performance by all of our students. Thank you to Mrs. Julie Sexton for preparing our students for this performance. Happy New Year to all!

Parent Meeting for First Reconciliation and First Communion - For parents and guardians of all First Communicants enrolled in the Religious Education Program or in Saint Sylvester School. There will be a meeting on Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 7pm in the Church Hall to cover the requirements for both the Sacrament of First Reconciliation and the Sacrament of First Eucharist. This meeting is for Parents only. Any further questions should be directed to Carolyn Eisenbarth, D.R.E. at 412-882-8593 extension 219 or ceisenbarth@saintsylvesterparish.org. Make this meeting a priority.

Spring Spectacular - Mandatory Meeting There will be a mandatory meeting for all committee members and anyone who would like to help for the Spring Spectacular on Wednesday, January 11, 2012. This is a great way to earn some points and there are many tasks to be done even from home. Come bring your talents and help to make this the best fundraiser ever. Meeting time is 7:30pm in the Teachers Lounge!!!

Football Mania Week 9 - We had 4 winners. The winning tickets were sold by the following families: Cerro, Facchiano and Moon (2). One ticket won $100 and the remaining tickets won $25. Week 10- We had 6 winners. The winning tickets were sold by the following families: Meador, Darkowski, Kirchner, Gasiorowski, Jackson and Mingrino. All these tickets won $25.

Superbowl Mania - $5 tickets for the Superbowl went out before the holidays. Each ticket gives you numbers for each quarter, like buying a square on a traditional "squares pool". Prizes range from $10 up to $5,000 depending on how many quarters you match. If you didn't receive tickets and want some or need more, please contact Jennifer Darkowski at (412)310-1819 or jenniferhannemann@hotmail.com.

Box Tops Contest Winner Congratulations! - To the 3rd grade who won the recent Box Tops Contest. For winning the 3rd Grade earned a Pizza Party. Please continue to bring in your box tops.

From the Box Tops Team - Start the New Year by collecting Box Tops for Saint Sylvester's. Our team will be sponsoring more contests for the classroom bringing in the highest number of Box Tops. Box Tops are everywhere ! Once, you see one, you will start seeing them everywhere. Some varieties of Progresso Soups have Box Tops on them too. More details will be included in next week's newsletter. Happy New Year!

From the Souper Bowl Squad - We are gathering Campbell's Soup Labels too. The Squad is busy planning incentives for the classroom that has the largest number of labels. Look for them and see how many you can find !! This helps our school with products we can earn and you have the pride of participation too!"

Giant Eagle Apples for the Students Program - The Giant Eagle Apples for the Students Program began on Saturday October 1, 2011 and continues until Saturday, March 17, 2012. Again this year, you will not need to send in receipts from Giant Eagle. All you need to do is be a registered supporter. If you registered last year, you are automatically registered for this year. If you are not a registered supporter, it's very easy to become one. Take a moment to register. You will need your Giant Eagle Advantage card handy then call 1-800-474-4777. An automated system will talk you through the process. Our school ID number is 1176. You can also register by visiting the Giant Eagle website at www.gianteagle.com/about/apples-for-students and click on the Apples for Students icon. Each time registered supporters shop at Giant Eagle using their Giant Eagle Advantage Card; they earn points for our school. These points are redeemed for great educational tools. The points are automatically credited to our school through the Giant Eagle Advantage Card.