$1.00 Fress Dress on Friday, October 9

Composting

all day on Friday, October 23.


Halloween
So that you can plan ahead -- all students may wear costumes to school on Friday, October 30. But, remember they must be simple so that the children can sit in their desks and can go to the restrooms. NO VIOLENT CHARACTERS; NO BLOOD AND GORE; NO CROSS DRESSING! ALL COSTUMES MUST BE MODEST (no bare midriffs) and in good taste.

No costumes are allowed which:
Show disfigurement of the human face or body
Depict boys dressed as girls or women
Imitate “heavy metal” music groups that advocate violence
All must use sensitivity towards people of other cultures and those less fortunate. No students should have “weapons” as part of their costume.

Any child who comes to school with an inappropriate costume will be sent home to change. If children choose NOT to wear costumes, they must wear their school uniform.

All parents are welcome to the parade of classes at 11:10 A.M. in the schoolyard. Dismissal is at the regular time (3:00). In the afternoon, the eighth grade will sponsor a mini Halloween carnival for Grades K-3 in the Pavilion. No money is necessary for this fun event!

10th Annual Parish Thanksgiving Retreat: November 27-29 CYO RETREAT CENTER
Contact the rectory for complete details. 415-664-8481.

Following are quotes from fellow parishioner who have attended past Thanksgiving Retreats.

Describing the natural beauty of CYO Camp:
“A feeling of peace, tranquility, and presence of God is felt in the fresh air, the sun on your face, the beautiful trees, and the starry nights.”
“CYO camp is located in the natural beauty of the redwoods.”
“Usually, wild turkeys and deer can be found wandering around the camp. There is also an quaint little lake with a beautiful reflection of the trees surrounding it.”
“The scenic surroundings of CYO Camp are a pleasing escape from the city.”

Describing the lodge and cabins & restrooms:
“The lodge is the perfect place for Mass, dining and group activities. Each family is assigned their own cabin, that are clean, comfortable, and heated. The restrooms and showers are very clean with plenty of hot water!”
“The lodge is comfortable, clean, and a fire is always burning. It is a wonderful place to gather and connect with people. I enjoy sitting by the fire with my sister and friends while listening to stories and singing.”

Describing the value of a retreat at this time of year:
“We have school-age children, so the months before Thanksgiving are filled with jobs, getting back into the swing of school, two birthdays, the Parish Festival, volleyball, soccer, and so on, ending the big meal on Thanksgiving. When we arrived at retreat we can just let it all go. I didn’t have to cook (hurray!).”
“There’s no TV or computer to distract us so we were able to recharge and focus on each other.”
“It was a lovely break. The Thanksgiving Retreat is really relaxing.”
“The retreat provides an excellent opportunity to think about God and reflect upon the blessings in my life.”

Describing how this is a real coming together of Saint Cecilia Parish Family:
“This retreat is a wonderful way to strengthen friendships outside the traditional Mass and school environments.”
“The topics encourage talking and sharing with each other but without any pressure. This closeness helps us to see ourselves as our neighbor sees us.”
“At Thanksgiving Retreat you can meet new people from St. Cecilia and get closer to God.”

Describing how this retreat deepens your spiritual life:
“This retreat allows the opportunity to spend more time in personal prayer, spiritual reading, meditation, and sharing of faith with others. There is a sense of peace with no distractions.”
“It’s spiritual to just walk the trails and take in the beauty.”
The retreat helps me step away from distractions and to deepen my relationship with God through quiet prayer.”
“I liked the focus on spirit, identifying ways to be a better person, and recognizing your own challenges. My husband isn’t Catholic, and we were worried that he’d be uncomfortable. But the focus isn’t on dogma, so inter-faith families shouldn’t hesitate to attend.”
“The retreat helps you deepen your relationship with God - and you get to play fun games!”

Additional thoughts and reflections:
“The food at retreat is delicious! My favorite was the grilled cheeseburgers with a side of fries. The salad bar and buffet meals were also excellent.”
“The cost of the retreat is very reasonable and includes the cabin and all meals.”
“Children of all ages are welcome. Child care is provided by our high school parishioners who do a great job caring and entertaining the children.”
“St. Cecilia families should share this experience with their friends and family visiting for the Thanksgiving holiday.”

Visit our website at WWW.SCFESTIVAL.COM. It is filled with all the facts you need to know about the Parish Festival. Preview Raffle and Silent Auction items, be a Booth Sponsor, Volunteer to help out and Join in on the Fun! See what's new!


Silent Auction Needs Your Help!
Our donations are in a recession - just like we are. We are in need of more donations for our silent auction. You can help contribute to make this festival a success! Please consider donating an item or two. Even better, personalize and design a themed basket to be auctioned off! Please check out our "wishlist" below, (click here) for donor form or look in the festival packet, and drop off your tax deductible donations with the form to the Church Rectory. This is the perfect opportunity to clear your home of those not-quite-right gifts, never-used purchases, and miscellaneous gift cards you don't need!

Wish List:
Gift certificates to restaurants, spas, or retail stores
Tickets to movies, symphony, theater, sporting events
Wine or liquor
Coffee/Tea
Baby items
Toys/books
Coffee mugs, glassware, stemware


Raffle Items
Don't forget to send in your GRAND AWARDS TICKETS today! You can't win if you don't play! Get your chance to win $4,000, $1,000 or 3 chances to win $100 in cash! Grand Awards Tickets available at the rectory.

Other Fabulous Raffles:
Win Free Rides on All Inflatables in our Outdoor Games Raffle
Flip Video Camera Raffle
iPod Touch Raffle
American Girl Doll Raffle
Pavilion Overnight Raffle
Hand Knit Irish Blanket Raffle
Free Dress Passes for a Week
St Ignatius Pool Party Raffle

Here's a preview of what's in store:
Play BINGO in the lower church and Children's Games in the Durocher Pavilion.
Get a tattoo or your face painted by one of our very own artistic and talented SC parents!
Take a ride down our giant slide, take a run through the Adrenaline Rush obstacle course, see who's the last person standing at the Gladiator Joust.
Bid on fabulous items at the Silent Auction.
Spin one of our many wheels and see what your luck has in store!
Ring a bottle at Ring Toss!
Win a Stuffed Animal!
Browse Books & DVDs.
Take a home a gourmet dessert at the cake booth.
Get a head start with Halloween at the Candy Booth!
Spin and win at the Blue & Gold and Sports Booth!
Take a souvenir photo!
Get a sweet tooth at Sandy Candy!
Dine on delicious food at the snack bar!
Shop our Spirit Store for SC logo apparel and SC spirit items.
NEW! Soccer Kick Contest, prize awarded for making the most soccer goals over the weekend.
NEW! Win a Salami at the Salami Toss.
NEW! Chill out or warm up at the Italian Soda, Coffee and Espresso Bar!


Booth Sponsors
One of the easiest way you can get involved is to become a Booth Sponsor. The contribution you make today will help defray the cost of booth set up and maintenance, decorations and prizes. Your contribution is essential to the success of the festival.

You can contribute at the Colosseum Level for $200, at the Trevi Fountain Level for $150 or at the Spanish Steps Level for $100. All donations graciously accepted.
Please fill out the Booth Sponsor form (click here) and return it to the school office in an envelope marked "Festival", or mail it to the rectory at 2555-17th Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94116.

Please note that our Vatican Level of $400 will prominently display your business or family name on your favorite booth for the entire weekend!

Visit www.scfestival.com to download your tickets and return to school office today!

Paper Magic Booth
Want to learn how to create a boat, airplane or snowflake out of origami paper? Volunteer at the Paper Magic Booth at the Festival. Sign up now (Click here) or look for the form in the festival packet.

Questions? Please contact Stephanie Pasini 415-516-2614 or Janice Calonico 415-309-8073 or email scfestival@comcast.net.


Scrip Donations for Festival
Purchase scrip to donate to the upcoming parish festival, and your contribution will help out both the school AND the festival. Click here for the Scrip Form Questions-- contact Elaine Shanahan at Shanfam@pacbell.net. Thank you!


Festival Volunteers Needed
It’s that time of year again when we ask all of you to work a shift at the St. Cecilia Festival. It won’t be a success without your help so please volunteer today! Back by popular demand, we are offering one SC FREE DRESS PASS to each adult that works three shifts. You must sign up for your three shifts before Thursday, October 15, to be eligible. If you have already signed up to volunteer with a Booth Chairperson directly, please do not sign up for the same shifts on this form. Return your completed Volunteer Form to the school office.

Click here to download your volunteer form.

**Reminder: Children are not allowed behind the booths, so please choose times appropriately**


Cake Booth
Attention all cookie, cake & brownie bakers! It’s Festival time once again, and we’re asking for donations to the Cake Booth. We ask that each family donate three items. These may be home baked items or purchased items (no items that require refrigeration, please). If you are not a baker, a $10 donation is welcome.

Please complete this form (click here) and return it to the school office. If you have any questions, just contact us-- Elaine Shanahan at Shanfam@pacbell.net or Susan Dal Porto at sdalporto@astound.net or Ann Hildula at annhildula@yahoo.com.


Book and DVD Booth
The Festival's Book and DVD Booth is looking for your donations of new or used books in good condition and DVDs. Clean out your bookcases and closets of those books you're never going to read or have already read, and donate them to the SC Festival! You can leave your donations on the bench in front of the school office. Although we greatly appreciate all your donations, we will not take any VHS tapes, cassettes, or computer games this year.
Thank you very much for your consideration!
If you have any questions, please call Luana Letele at 415-682-3610 or Mona Burke at 650-755-6281.


Candy Booth
It’s time again to begin collecting candy for the festival Candy Booth. The class who donates the most candy will be the WINNER of a fabulous pizza party with all the trimmings. Please mark donations with your child’s name and room number. We appreciate your support in making this year’s festival a huge success!

Should you have any questions, please contact Mary Laffey at 415-310-8068 or Laura Marchini at 650-994-6681.

Altar Servers
Click here for the Altar Server that has information on Service Hours for Grades 7 & 8, substitutes, scheduling, make-ups, appropriate shoes, training for 5th graders, and serving weddings and funerals.


Pavilion Reminder
ATTENTION PARENTS: This is a reminder that there is NO FOOD OR DRINKS especially coffee in the pavilion during game days. Thank you for supporting all the volleyball teams.


Snack Bar Sign Up Dates
The Saint Cecilia Athletic Board fundraising activities help to defray many of the costs for our sports programs. We need your help. We are asking that each volleyball athlete’s parent sign up for ONE THREE HOUR SHIFT serving in our snack bar during volleyball season. A similar sign-up sheet will go out for boys’ and girls’ basketball seasons. It is really fun and serves a great cause.

Click here for schedule and sign up sheet. Return the completed form to the school office. Our snack bar coordinator will call you to confirm the date on which you will work.

Thank you in advance for your support and time.
-John and Janice Calonico


Boys' Basketball
Click here for a list of boys’ basketball coaches who have turned in coaching applications. If you would like to be in the pool of coaches for the upcoming season, please download an application found in the Athletic Program Guidebook found at http://www.stcecilia.com. Return the completed application to Pete at the school office by Tuesday, October 13.

Player evaluators: Pete is looking for potential evaluators for tryouts. If you would like to help, please contact Pete at (415) 250–6800.

Important dates for the upcoming season:
Mandatory St. Cecilia Coaches Meeting: Thursday, October 15 @ 7:00, Collins Center
Pre-season Tournament: Monday, November 23- Saturday, November 28
Coaches Clinic (3rd-5th): Sunday, November 29 @ 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm & Monday, November 30 @ 6:30 – 8:30
Coaches Clinic (6th-8th): Sunday, November 29 @ 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm & Tuesday, December 1 @ 6:30 – 8:30
Regular Season starts: Friday, December 4
Christmas Break: No games scheduled between Sunday, December 20 – Sunday, January 3
Regular Season ends: Sunday, February 7
Post-season starts: Monday, February 8
Post-season ends: Sunday, February 21