St. Cecilia School eNewsletter

SCHOOL NEWS

Minimum Day

Monday, January 23 — Teacher In-Service

The Year of the Dragon

On Tuesday, January 24, we will celebrate Chinese New Year. People born in the year of the dragon are sensitive, gentle, and born leaders, but they are often stubborn, emotional, and easily angered. They are also perceptive and brave. Dragons were born in 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, and 2012.

Yearbook Pictures

Please send in pictures of any school event for the 2011–2012 School Yearbook. We would like to include as many students and events as possible in the yearbook. We especially need pictures of athletic events. Please send pictures to: Yearbook Staff—Grade 8 Room 14. We will be collecting pictures through the end of January.

Calling All Artists

If you are an artist in Grades 4–8, then today is your lucky day! The SC Annual Art Show is coming up. The Art Show is a collection and display of in-school artwork completed by our Grade 4–8 students. The Art Show will be open to the public after the 9:30 Mass on Sunday, January 29, in our school auditorium. That is the Sunday we celebrate Catholic Schools Week.

If you would like to have your artwork displayed in the show, please make sure that you put it on Mrs. Little's shelf, on or before January 13. Include the following on the back of your art work: your first name, grade, room number, and a TITLE for your artwork. You may submit 1 or 2 pieces of art. The size of all art pieces submitted is limited to a maximum of 12 in. x 18 in. Smaller pieces are most welcome.

The Art Show Committee is looking forward to seeing your art and presenting it at the show. Remember the dates and get your masterpieces in by January 13!

Published Art And Poetry

Congratulations to our 8th Graders who have their art and/or poetry published in the 2012 Marine Science Institute calendar; the calendar is posted on and may be ordered through: www.sfbaymsi.org.

In a given year, an average of 50,000 children experience the educational programs at MSI. Each of those children is invited to enter the Translating the Tides contest for publication in the calendar; 13 pictures and 12 poems are chosen each year. Our winners entered the contest following their 7th Grade Discovery Voyage.

We are proud of our poets: Anthony Miglio, Jackson Cooney, and Matt Jereza

We are proud of our artists: Sharon Pan, Jackson Cooney, PJ Roonan, and Chris Jereza

Our winners will each receive copies of the calendar. Their art and poetry will be displayed at our St. Cecilia Art Show on January 29, in the auditorium, following the 9:30 am Liturgy celebrating Catholic Schools Week.

Computer Keyboarding

Mr. Watters will be offering his keyboarding class once again this spring. An application form was sent home to Grades 4–6 on Wednesday, January 4. This class will be offered on a first come, first served basis. The classes will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7:25–7:55. They will begin on Tuesday, January 17 and end on Thursday, April 26.

Music Department News

The window for Spring Semester registration for twice-a-week private music lessons during school hours is from Wednesday, January 4 through Friday, January 13. Lessons for new students begin the week of January 16. There is one opening for violin lessons with Ed Wilcox and openings for woodwinds (recorder/flute/clarinet/sax) and piano. Please note: If you register for piano lessons, you must have a traditional, acoustic piano in your home.

Click here for the Music Registration form, and click here for the Music Make-up Policy. Please download these forms, complete them, and send along with your music tuition check to the school office. Please download an extra copy of these forms for your reference.

Fall 2011 was the first semester ever without a single music student in the K-AM class. K-AM join in! We have room for you!

January Concerts

There were some conflicting dates published for the January Concerts. These are the correct dates! We look forward to having our student musicians play for their classmates in January. Parents, relatives, and friends are invited! Here is the schedule:

Gr. 1	10:45 am	Wednesday, January 18
Grs. KPM & 3	1:30 pm	Wednesday, January 18
Gr. 2	10:45 am	Thursday, January 19
Gr. 8	1:30 pm	Thursday, January 19
Gr. 4	10:45 am	Wednesday, January 25
Gr. 7	1:30 pm	Wednesday, January 25
Gr. 6	10:45 am	Thursday, January 26
Gr. 5	1:30 pm	Thursday, January 26

Archdiocesan Family Grants

The Archdiocese has chosen a new company this year, TADS, to process all applications for the Archdiocesan Family Grant tuition assistance program. In the past, parents filled out a paper application and then mailed it to a company back east. This year, all families will now fill out applications on-line. To apply for an Archdiocesan Family Grant, parents should go to the TADS website, www.tads.com. Once on their homepage click the link “Apply for Financial Aid” on the right side of the page which is under the “Parents & Families” heading. Once you have completed filling out the on-line form, submit it on line and your application will be processed. The deadline for completing the application for elementary school assistance is April 15, 2012. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to give the school office a call.

Pertussis (Whooping Cough) Immunization Requirements for Students

Recently, Pertussis (Whooping Cough) has been widespread in California. If your child 10 years and older has not yet received the “Tdap” Pertussis booster shot, please contact your doctor or health department. Getting a booster shot now will protect your child against the ongoing threat of Pertussis and meet the new school requirement. Please continue to update your child’s immunization record in the school office.

Adults are also advised to get a Pertussis booster shot if they haven’t already to protect themselves and their families.

For the 2012-13 school year only, all students entering 7th grade will need proof of a Tdap booster shot before starting school. This requirement:

• can be met by receiving one dose of Tdap vaccine on or after the 10th birthday
• applies to all public and private schools
• does not affect students enrolled in summer school

This means that all students entering Grs. 7 in the fall of 2012 MUST have proof of the Pertussis booster shot. Check with your doctor to make sure your child’s Tdap booster is not current. Our school office must have proof of current immunizations on or before Friday, May 4, 2012!

SCHOOL SPIRIT DAYS

Annual Boys' Basketball Tournament

The St. Cecilia vs. Holy Name Annual Boys’ Basketball Tournament (Grades 6, 7, 8) on Saturday, January 14 in the St. Cecilia Pavilion.

To show our school spirit for all of our boys’ basketball teams we will have two spirit days and a rally!

Wednesday, January 11: 7th vs. 8th Grade Boys’ Exhibition Basketball Game

The game will be held in the Durocher Pavilion, from 1:30–2:00. All classes will attend to cheer for our boys!

Thursday, January 12: Comfy Clothes Day

Students may wear free dress as long as they wear “comfy clothes”. Comfy clothes include clothes you are comfortable wearing around the house — a pair of sweats, pajama pants, sweat shirts, etc. (No pajama tops!) Clothes should be appropriate for school. Students should wear closed-toed shoes and socks.

Friday, January 13: Blue and Gold Day/Rally

Students may wear free dress as long as they wear Blue and/or Gold to show our school spirit. At the rally, all boys’ basketball teams (Grades 3–8) will be introduced. All team members are asked to have their basketball uniforms here at school so they can be introduced to the school in their basketball uniforms at the rally. The rally will begin at 1:45 in the Durocher Pavilion.

Tickets for the tournament will be on sale each morning ($2.00 per ticket) beginning Monday, January 9 through Friday, January 13. Please put your money in an envelope and include the student’s name, grade, room number, and the number of tickets ordered. All players, cheerleaders, and spectators need tickets for the tournament. The proceeds from the tickets sold at school go directly to the St. Cecilia Athletic Program. Proceeds from the tickets purchased at the door ($3.00 per ticket) are split with Holy Name. So please buy your tickets at school. Let’s have fun and show that S.C. Spirit!

Game Schedule

9:00 am	Gene Ide / Greg Porter
9:45 am	Ed Del Carlo
10:30 am	Mary Ann Paul
11:15 am	Jim Garcia
12:00 am	John Connolly
1:00 pm	Darren Nocetti
2:00 pm	John Calonico/Phil Monares
3:00 pm	Gaetano Caltagirone
4:00 pm	Cheerleaders
4:30 pm	John Buckley/Brian Franceschi
5:30 pm	Combo John Calonico/Phil Monares /Gaetano Caltagirone
6:30 pm	Chris Pollino

Snack Bar Volunteers Still Needed!

We need volunteers for the Snack Bar during the tournament. If you can help, please email schnhoops@yahoo.com with your name, phone number, and shift(s) you can work. The shifts are listed below. Each shift needs at least three people. Thank you!

3:00 pm – 5:00 pm

5:00 pm – 7:00 pm

MOTHERS' CLUB FUNDRAISER

The Mothers’ Club Fundraiser Totally Awesome 80’s Bash on Saturday, March 24, in the Durocher Pavilion

Our next planning meeting is Wednesday, January 11, 7:00 pm, in the Collins Center. We need your support for our biggest fundraiser of the year! Here are a few ways you can get involved and make our event successful:

Donate to the Auction

We need your donations! Did you get something for Christmas or your birthday that’s taking up space? Something that's not your size? Something you already have? Or a gift certificate you know you’ll never use? Donate them to our auction or even better, check out our Auction Wish List below and see if you can donate or connect us with a vendor who will donate something totally awesome. Your connections and contributions will directly benefit the children of St. Cecilia School. And if you’re at your favorite restaurant or hotel or have a favorite vendor, please ask them for a donation for our auction!

Auction Wish List

• Airline miles
• Hotel certificates
• iPad, Kindle, Wii, Nintendo DSi
• Signed sports memorabilia

Do you have connections to:

• Las Vegas hotels for lodging, a show, club passes or restaurant gift cards
• 49ers, Sharks, Giants, or Warriors tickets, luxury box or field passes
• Ski resorts for ski passes
• Golf courses
• Hollywood contacts for American Idol, tween concert tickets, or taping for a popular TV show
• Vacation homes in Lake Tahoe, Palm Springs, Colorado, Hawaii, etc.
• Giants’ spring training tickets
• Surf/gymnastics/karate/sailing lessons
• Athlete who would teach a training session or two

For the wine lovers:

• Contacts at wineries for private, behind-the-scenes tours
• Best in class varietals (pinot, cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, sparkling)

To donate or for information on donating contact Karin Haskell at scspringfundraiser@gmail.com.

Sponsorships & Advertising

Become a sponsor of the Totally Awesome 80’s Bash in honor of our children and one of the best decades ever! There are some new and fun sponsorship opportunities this year. Or consider purchasing an advertisement for your company or business in our program. You may also send a special tribute to your future graduate, your Confirmation or First Eucharist candidate, your husband, your child's teacher, sports team, your friend — anybody! Click here for details about sponsorships, ads, and dedications. Your contributions will benefit the children of St. Cecilia. If you have any questions about sponsorships or ads, please contact Barbara Bonilla at 650-255-0857 or at the email listed below.

Attend a Meeting and Get Involved

Our next meeting is Wednesday, January 11, at 7:00 pm, Collins Center.

Here is a full list of our Wednesday meeting dates, all meetings begin at 7:00 pm, in the Collins Center: January 11, January 25, February 15, February 22, February 29, March 7, March 14 and March 21. If you are unable to attend meetings, but are interested in getting involved, please contact us and we will be back in touch with you soon.

Thank you! Lisa Presta (lisapresta@yahoo.com), Randa Ghnaim (jrluppino@comcast.net), Barbara Bonilla (ggnallstars@yahoo.com).

P.S. If you have connections to a vendor who could provide lighting, table linens, or printing for free or at a reduced rate, please let us know!

MOTHERS' CLUB

Save the Date for Multicultural Day

Multicultural Day is Thursday, March 8. Make adjustments at work, and plan a fun day to help! Encourage your children to perform in our International Talent Show! Make plans to send in a cultural dish! Any questions, please email:

Talent Show: Lilly Angelopoulos at clasangelopoulos@hotmail.com or Claudia Granucci at claud_gran@yahoo.com
Food Fair: Sandy Jadallah at sjadalla@pacbell.net

New Scrip Order Form As Of January 11

We have removed Chevys, Toys 'R' Us, and Nordstrom from the order form. To place your orders, Click here to download the order form and send it with your check to the school office by Thursday morning. Be sure to indicate your preferred method of delivery. Orders will be filled on Thursday morning and delivered on Thursday afternoon.

Lucky S.H.A.R.E.S. Cards

Help our school earn 3% when shopping at Lucky Supermarkets. We just recently received a check for $475. Simply swipe the S.H.A.R.E.S. card before paying for your groceries (whether you pay by cash, check, credit, debit or gift card). If you do not have a Shares Card, contact Lynda Buckley at padrondar@sbcglobal.net who will send one to you via your oldest child. Thanks for your support of our school!

Attention eScrip Registered Families

Use the Online Mall at www.escrip.com before going to your favorite online merchant's website. A generous percentage goes to our school. Please remember to use the eScrip online mall before large purchases such as airline tickets, computers, or anything you purchase on Amazon.com. Hundreds of online merchants are represented at www.escrip.com.

Lunch Volunteers Needed for Jan—May 2012

Lunch Volunteers Needed for January through May 2012. We need 8 volunteers each Tuesday and Thursday to assist students in picking up their meals. There is NO COOKING OR FOOD PREP! Volunteers are needed in the McKay Center from 11:00 am until 1:15 pm. Please mark the days that you are able to volunteer. If you work and need to arrive at 11:30, just make a note of it. We would still LOVE to have your help!

The days for which we need volunteers are:

January: 12, 19, 26, 31

February: 2, 7, 9, 14, 16, 21, 23, 28

March: 1, 6, 8, 13, 15, 20, 22, 27, 29

April: 3, 17, 19, 24, 26

May: 1, 3, 8, 10, 15, 17, 22, 24, 29

Please email Kathryn Ann with the dates you would like to volunteer at kathryn_ann@dougery.com. Please include a cell phone number and your eldest child’s name, grade, and room number. You will receive confirmation notices via email. So please include the email address that we should use.

Box Tops

We recently received a check for $1,477 from our last Box Tops collection! Thanks to all who contributed! Please continue saving your Box Tops for the next contest that will end on Wednesday, February 22. Again, we will be offering a cupcake party and a free dress pass to the class that brings in the highest number of Box Tops! We can also help the school earn more money by shopping at Box Tops for Education where you can find over 175 retailers!

Birthday Book Club

Click here to view the list of books for the Birthday Book Club. Click here for information on how the book club works. Click here for a donation form. Thank you for supporting our library!

ATHLETICS

Online Athletic Experience Survey

(Formerly known as the “Coach Evaluation”)

In support of the SC spirit of going green, the Athletic Board now uses the online Athletic Experience Survey to hear players’ as well as parents’ feedback on our Athletic Program! Sport participants and parents have the opportunity to complete surveys for each sport season throughout the school year at links below. It takes only 5-10 minutes to complete! Please participate to help improve the Athletic Program! If you have any questions regarding this online survey, please contact John Calonico, President of the Athletic Board at John.Calonico@compass-usa.com. The survey is open from January 14 to February 19 to accommodate boys’ basketball and girls’ soccer seasons.

Click here for the players' survey.
Click here for the parents' survey.

MEN'S CLUB

MOSC Crab Feast on Saturday, January 21

Gentlemen, time for the Crab Feed. Much good fun will be had, but alas, we need to do a little work to make this another success. Some of you have done this event for years; some never before. Bottom line, we have a blast!

Gaetano Caltagirone and his crew (these guys rock!) are masters of the menu, preparation, and presentation of an amazing dinner event. Rick Ragusa is managing the front of the house (restaurant speak for the bar and dining room). We've got crews behind three bars.

If you haven't already signed up to help or can't remember if you did, please email Rick Ragusa at rick.ragusa@hotmail.com. He will be sending a follow-up email to all those who have signed up regarding help assignments. If you've helped before, let us know what you'd like to do. If you're new, welcome aboard. You'll learn from the pros. Here's the schedule and what we need help with: