St. Cecilia School Newsletter

School News

SEPTEMBER CALENDAR
Click here for an updated September calendar.

NEW PHOTOS
Click here for pictures of the Back To School Rally and pictures of the first School Liturgy of the year.

IOWA TESTING
On Monday, September 19, we will begin IOWA Testing for Grades 2-8. Check the September calendar for the exact dates of the testing. Students should not be leaving for appointments on these days.

EMERGENCY FOOD KITS
Each family received a brown bag at Back To School Night. Click here for a suggested list of items to fill the brown bag. Seal the bag with tape, and on the front print in large letters your child’s name, grade, and room number. Please send it to school with your child by Wednesday, September 21.

ARCHDIOCESAN MAINTENANCE PLAN
The Archdiocese of San Francisco has prepared an operation and maintenance plan intended to minimize the risk to students from airborne asbestos. As part of this plan, the Archdiocese has repaired and/or removed any damaged asbestos contained in building materials and has undertaken a long-term management program, including removal of asbestos materials. For more information on the Archdiocesan plan Click Here.

TARGET SHOPPERS

We recently received a check for $427.53 from Target which represents the support of families, teachers, and friends who participated in the Target Take Charge of Education School Fundraising. Target donates 1% of purchases using the REDcard to eligible schools designated by their customers. Take Charge of Education donations are made to St. Cecilia School each March and September. Thanks for your support of our school. This money is added to our technology fund for the purchase of additional laptop computers.

MATCHING GRANTS
Does your company offer Matching Grants? Through the generosity of our parents and their places of work, we have received matching grants from the following: Heart of the City, City and County of S.F. Combined Charities Campaign, The Clorox Company, Wells Fargo, PG&E Corporation Campaign for the Community, United Way of the Bay Area, Community Health Charities, VMware Foundation, Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund, BlackRock Matching Gift Program, C.A.R.O.N. Program, Genentech Givingstation, Bank of America Foundation, VISA, Sprint Foundation, Local Independent Charities of America, Tetra Tech, Inc. These donations are put into our technology program account that benefits all children of the school.

MOTHERS' CLUB

HOT LUNCH VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
We are in need of volunteers to assist with Hot Lunch on Tuesdays and Thursdays! It is a fabulous opportunity to be involved in the school and one that means so much to the kids. All the kids LOVE to see their dads & moms when they come through the hot lunch line! You can pick and choose the dates that work for your schedule. Volunteers are needed in the McKay center from 11:00-1:00. However if you can only make it from 11:45-1:00, just let us know as your volunteer time is wanted and appreciated. We make the shorter time work for a few volunteers who leave work on a long lunch to help.

The dates for which we need volunteers include:
October: 13
November: 3, 22, 29
December: 1, 6, 8

Simply email Kathryn_Ann@Dougery.com with the dates you would like to help! Please include your name, eldest child's grade & room number, your telephone number, and best email address. Reminders and most communication is done via email.

SCRIP CONTEST STARTS THIS WEEK!
We will run a contest for the month of September. The classroom with the highest participation will receive a free dress pass.

To place your orders, Click here to download the SCRIP order and send it with your check to the school office before Thursday morning. Be sure to indicate your preferred method of delivery. Orders will be filled on Thursday morning and delivered on Thursday afternoon.

A reminder to all Safeway shoppers, please renew or register your Safeway Club card by going to www.escrip.com

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

BOX TOPS CONTEST NOW THROUGH OCTOBER 12
It's time to start saving and turning in those Box Tops! St. Cecilia School earns $ .10 for each "Box Top For Education" clipped from participating products. Clipping box tops is an easy way to support our school. Please submit your Box Tops to your class teacher in a zip lock bag with your child’s name, grade, and room number. The class submitting the most Box Tops by Friday, October 12, will win a free dress pass and a cupcake party! There are now hundreds of products in the "Box Tops For Education" program. For a complete list, please visit http://www.boxtops4education.com.

BIRTHDAY BOOK CLUB
The Birthday Book Club has added 15 new books from which to choose. More to come! Please click here to view the list. Click here for information on how the book club works. Click here for a donation form. Thank you for supporting our library!

FESTIVAL

Fall Harvest at St. Cecilia October 21, 22, 23
Come on by and enjoy a good old-fashioned “Fall Harvest Festival”. The festival will be a very fun weekend for young and old alike. You’ll enjoy events and children’s games and our famous snack bar! We have several new features this year including our “Ice Cream Parlor” & “Pumpkin Patch”. Please join us! Enjoy yourself, and accept our many thanks for all your kind support. Watch for upcoming raffles items in the future eNewsletters. By now, you should have received the Grand Award tickets in the mail. So send those in for a chance to win $4,000, $1,000 or three shots at $100!

BOOTH SPONSOR
An easy way to get involved is to become a Booth Sponsor. The contribution you make today will help defray the cost of booth set-up, maintenance, decorations, and prizes. You can contribute at four levels: Harvest Moon Level at $400, Pumpkin Pie Level at $200.00, Falling Leaves Level at $150, and Carmel Apple Level at $100.00. All donations are graciously accepted, and it’s a great way to show your support or advertise your business. Click here for the Booth Sponsor Form.

BOOTH VOLUNTEER FORM
Please be generous with your volunteer hours as we have a lot of fun booths this year. Remember, the festival benefits all the children of the parish, and we need your help to make this a successful weekend. Click here for the Booth Volunteer Form.

If you have any questions or other ways to get involved, please contact any of the Festival’s Executive Committee:
Michelle Mikovich, Co-Chair 415-999-2466
Donita Murphy, Co-Chair 415-239-5887
Grace Monares, Publicity and Communications 415-260-6424

You can also reach us via e-mail at harvestfestivalsc@gmail.com Also check out our web-site at www.scfestival.com Tell your friends and family!

STUFFED TOY COLLECTION

Please bring in new and used stuffed animals/toys that you wish to donate to the festival. This is one of the most popular booths at the festival, and all donations are welcome. All donations are professionally cleaned by Coit Cleaners. The collection begins Friday, September 16 and ends on Friday, September 30. Leave your donations on the bench by the office. For questions or for anyone wishing to volunteer to help in the booth, please contact Siobhan Orford at siobhanorf@sbcglobal.net or barbaraoneill123@yahoo.com

SILENT AUCTION
This year we are again seeking your donations for our Silent Auction including new items, gift certificates, services, vacation rentals, etc. Click here for the Silent Auction Donation Form, and return it with your Silent Auction donation to the school office or the rectory.

Please make sure to sign up and volunteer for the silent auction (festival shifts, set-up, basket-making). If you can only donate a couple of hours of your time, we will be glad to have you! We look forward to another successful parish festival in October! If you have any baskets to donate or if you have any questions, please call Tanya Aloise at 650.270.7961 or jtaloise@comcast.net

OTHER

ATHLETIC BOARD—GENEVIEVE’S GIFT WRAP FUNDRAISER
Time is running out to participate! Order forms are due back to school no later than Tuesday, September 20. There are prizes based on the number of items ordered. We also have the pizza/bowling party for those students within the same family who sell the following:

One student sells 30 items—one student goes to pizza and bowling
Two students sell 40 items combined—two students go to pizza and bowling
Three students or more sell 45 items combined—three or more go to pizza and bowling

The net proceeds of the fundraiser help our parish athletic program. The program relies on Participation Fees, our two fundraisers, and the snack bar to fund our athletics program. The Athletic Program is responsible for expenses such as Participation Fees to enter teams in CYO and the Parish Baseball League, tournament entrance fees, uniforms, equipment, gym use fee, Athletic Directors’ salaries, student sports awards, etc. Thanks for your support! Keep selling until the September 20th deadline!

ATTENTION FANS OF ST. CECILIA ATHLETICS

The volleyball season kicks-off on Friday, September 16, and the Snack Bar will hold its Grand Re-Opening for 2011-2012. Everyone is encouraged to support our teams and the Snack Bar on Fridays and Saturdays during the school year. This year the Snack Bar will feature "Friday Night Specials" which, at times, will include Fish 'N' Chips, BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches, our "World Famous" Bacon Cheeseburgers, and other specials throughout the year! All profits from the Snack Bar go directly to the Athletic Department in support of our student athletes.

Events & Reminders