We begin our Christmas vacation on December 20, 2013. The school will be closed from 11:30 a.m. on Friday, December 20, 2013 and will re-open on Monday, January 6, 2014. MAY YOU ENJOY MANY BLESSINGS AND JOYOUS TIMES THROUGH THIS CHRISTMAS SEASON! AND MAY THE NEW YEAR BRING YOU GOOD HEALTH AND MUCH HAPPINESS!

DECEMBER NEWS 2013 PANCAKE BREAKFAST Many thanks to the entire Family and School Committee, their families and all those (including volunteer high school students) who cooked, served and helped to make this year’s Pancake Breakfast on November 24th a success. The food was really delicious (many compliments), the decorations and atmosphere were terrific and the company was pleasant. Our thanks also to the 300 guests who came to enjoy the event! Everyone’s hard work brought a profit of $910.00 to the school. THANK YOU! FOOD DRIVE Thank you students of Annunciata School, again, for participating in the annual Thanksgiving Food Drive sponsored by the Annunciata Student Council. Thanks to your overwhelming generosity, 870 food items were collected and donated to the St. Vincent DePaul food pantry. Thank you for helping make a difference in the lives of our community residents. COLLECTION FOR TORNADO VICTIMS IN CENTRAL ILLINOIS Your compassion was evident again when you contributed to the collection for those many families in Illinois who lost their homes and everything due to the devastating tornado that demolished several areas in our state. The donation from our students collected through the Out of Uniform event sponsored by the Student Council is $335.00 We are proud of the generosity and caring that our student body and parents show for those in need. Compliments and thanks to the Student Council for coordinating the food drive and for the Out of Uniform Event. WELL DONE! ANNUAL CHRISTMAS PROGRAM—TUESDAY, DECEMBER 17TH—7:00 P.M. Parents/guardians, grandparents, family and friends are all invited to join us for an evening of musical delight. Our children and teachers are working very hard to present our Christmas Program. The school children, Pre-K—8, should wear “Sunday Best” clothing—red and/or green or Holiday dress. If a grade needs to wear something special, the teachers will inform the families. On December 17th the children should be in Church by 6:45 p.m. They are to leave their coats with their families. The children will be sitting with their classes until the end of the program. INCLEMENT WEATHER We are in the season of unpredictable weather conditions. Please listen to the weather reports on radio and TV. We will also use the School Reach phone system. That is why we need accurate phone numbers; please notify the school if you change your phone number. Children should dress appropriately for the weather.

NOVEMBER NEWS 2013 CONGRATULATIONS! This year our Fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Barbara Stahl, has been selected to be honored by the East Side Chamber of Commerce at their Annual Awards and Leadership Night that was held at the end of October. For twenty-eight years, Mrs. Stahl has worked at several Archdiocese of Chicago Schools including Annunciata, Sacred Heart in Chicago and St. George in Tinley Park. Thank you for guiding so many children in the formative years of their education. PARENT/TEACHER CONFERENCES-NOVEMBER 1ST On Parent/Teacher Conference Day we will have school in the morning. Dismissal will be at 11:30 for all students. Conferences will begin at 2:30 p.m. and continue to 7:30 p.m. They are scheduled for 10 minutes each (A bell will ring every 10 minutes as a reminder). As a courtesy to all the parents and teachers, please help us keep to the schedule. If you need a longer conference please make an additional conference at another time. There will be a request form available for you if you need to see other teachers. There will be a dinner break for the faculty/staff from 4-4:30 p.m. No one will be able to wait in the school. Therefore, do not come early for appointments beginning at 4:30 p.m. Thank you for your understanding. ON FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1ST, THERE WILL BE EXTENDED DAY BEFORE SCHOOL, BUT THERE WILL NOT BE EXTENDED DAY AFTER SCHOOL. SUPER BINGO Many, many thanks to the Bingo Team and all who helped with Super Bingo! All of your hard work provided a fun day for everyone AND VERY MUCH APPRECIATED. All proceeds from Bingo go directly to the school helping to keep the cost of tuition down. A profit of $5,500 was realized. Thanks also to all of those who came to play Bingo—without you, super Bingo would not have been such a success. We look forward to the next Super Bingo in the Spring. PANCAKE BREAKFAST/CHRISTMAS BAZAAR & CRAFT FAIR – NOV. 24TH Join us for a delicious pancake breakfast and great Christmas ideas. Tickets will be sold ahead of time through the school. If you buy your tickets through school, your child(ren) will earn an out of uniform pass (date to be announced later). ILLNESSES Recently, I have had some questions that prompted me to give families some reminders. In as much as possible, when I am made aware of contagious diseases, I try to inform the families as soon as possible. If your child has a fever, the child may not return to school until he/she has no fever for 24 hours. If your child needs an antibiotic for an illness, he/she may not return to school for 24 hours after the first dosage is taken. For contagious diseases or if your child is out of school for 5 days a doctor’s release to return to school is needed.

OCTOBER NEWS 2013 SUPER DABBER BINGO—SUN. 10/13/13 Are you looking for something fun to do? Why not go to the Super Dabber Bingo? It’s a relaxing, fun time, several chances to win prizes, great dinner buffet and only $26 per person. Another good reason is that all proceeds from Bingo go directly to the school and help to keep your tuition cost down. Doors open at 12:30 p.m. Dinner is served at 2:00 p.m. Bingo games begin at 3:15 p.m. The Bingo committee is waiting to serve you! Have a great time! For tickets call Ron Sellers (773) 734-3934 CASH “WIN” FALL RAFFLE Don’t forget to buy your $100 raffle ticket (or more). Only 500 tickets are being sold; SO DON’T WAIT TIL THE LAST MINUTE! You have a great opportunity to be a winner if you buy tickets. Maybe the $15,000.00 will be your “Win Fall”. THIS RAFFLE COUNTS TOWARDS YOUR $300 FUNDRAISING OBLIGATION. Drawing takes place Saturday, October 26th in the School Hall at 8 p.m. The Annunciata Human Concerns Committee will sponsor the dinner at 6 p.m. immediately following the 5 p.m. Mass on Saturday, October 26th in conjunction with the raffle. This year the chef Gloria Hafer will cater the dinner that includes baked chicken, tossed salad, green beans Lyonnais, potato casserole, Mud Pie dessert & coffee. Dinner tickets are on sale after the Sunday masses. UNIFORMS FOR OCTOBER Beginning Tuesday, October 1st, students in grades 1 through 8 must wear their regular dress uniforms on days that they do not have gym and gym uniforms on gym days. For the month of October only and on days when the weather is warmer, students have the following options: On gym days students may wear either gym shorts or sweatpants. On days when dress uniforms are worn the students may wear their dress shorts, dress slacks, skirts or jumpers. Please remember that solid black shoes are to be worn with the dress uniforms for grades 1 through 8. Also, boys must wear a black or brown belt with their dress pants or shorts and their shirts must be tucked in. Please refer to the Uniform Dress Code revised 6/13/13. It was distributed 3 times and is in the Handbook on our website. PARENT/TEACHER CONFERENCES Please plan ahead for the annual Parent/Teacher Conferences to be held on November 1st from mid-afternoon to early evening. Dismissal on November 1st will be at 11:30 a.m. There will not be Extended Day after school on November 1st. Remember that all students in grades 3-8 are required to attend the conference with their parents/guardians. Information regarding scheduling appointments will be sent home later in October. Sports schedules are not to interfere with the conferences.

SEPTEMBER NEWS 2013 WELCOME TO THE 2013-2014 SCHOOL YEAR! All of the faculty and staff welcome our Annunciata School Families back for another great academic and spiritual year. In addition to our PK to 8 classroom programs we are proud to maintain music, art, computers, P.E. and Catapult (Title I). Very soon our Keyboard and Band programs will also resume. In fact, band recruitment was on August 26th, but there is still time to join. You can sign-up on line at www.bandfortoday.com. As you can see, we have a full staff that will provide a complete and well-rounded curriculum for our students from PK through grade 8. Why not help us celebrate the New Year by joining us at the “Back to School Mass” on Friday, September 6th at 8:00 a.m. Grades 1-8 will attend, the students should go directly to the church at 7:50 a.m. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to serve your children and for your support! MANY THANKS TO THE ANNUNCIATA SUMMER FEST COMMITTEE AND ALL OF YOU THAT HELPED!! THE WEEK-END WAS TERRIFIC! THE HUGE CROWDS OF PEOPLE HAD A GREAT TIME. WE APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT IT TOOK TO MAKE IT SUCH A SUCCESS. UNIT MASSES Unit Mass will begin Thursday, September 12th. The schedule will be the same each week: grades 2, 3, 4, 5—Thursdays; grades 6, 7, 8—Fridays. The children should go directly to church at 7:50 a.m. Their teachers will meet them there. When there is an all school mass scheduled, no unit masses will be attended that week. BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT SAVE THE DATE! Thursday, September 5th at 7:00 p.m. the Family and School Association and the School will host a “Back to School Night”. Come out to meet your child’s teachers, see the school and ask questions! We look forward to seeing you! BOX TOPS UPDATE Just a friendly reminder! Summer collection sheets for the months of June, July and August are due by September 13, 2013. Once turned in, students earn an out of uniform day in September, date to be announced. In addition, September’s collection sheet will be due on September 26, 2013. This earns students a homework pass!! Last year’s Box Tops collection earned enough to get each classroom an electric pencil sharpener—Teachers, students and I THANK YOU SO MUCH!

MAY NEWS 2013




FIRST HOLY COMMUNION

On Saturday, May 11, 2013 our second graders will receive communion for the first time. They have been working very hard in preparation. Please keep them in your prayers at this very special and exciting time. A photographer will be available in the school hall for individual communion photos from 9-10:30 a.m. and after mass until about 1 p.m.



RIBBON DAY/MAY CROWNING

On Friday, May 17, 2013 at the 8 a.m. mass our eighth graders will receive their first ribbon acknowledging the academic progress they have made over the last nine years. Later in the evening they will be honored at a dinner. We pray for them as they begin their journey to higher education and prepare for their future. The second grade Communion class will participate in the May Crowning at the same mass.



UNIFORMS

Beginning May 1st all students may wear their uniform dress or gym shorts on appropriate days.



SAVE THE DATE FOR A WALK-A-THON

The Student Council scheduled this Walk-a-Thon in the interest of Annunciata’s fine arts and P.E. classes. All proceeds will be used to support our art, music, computer and P.E. programs. Reminder: Volunteers must comply with the Child Protection requirements including attending Virtus class, completing an online Criminal Background Check and filling out any other required forms.



THANK YOU FOR CARING-LENTEN MISSION/LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

Thank you for your participation in the Holy Childhood Mission collection during Lent. We will be sending $300 to the Holy Childhood on behalf of our students.



The toiletry collection was a huge success. We have hundreds of items to send to the Little Sisters for the elderly and handicapped seniors in their care.



TUITION AND ALL FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS

The May tuition is due by May 1st. All financial obligations for this school year need to be paid or up-to-date by May 15th. Failure to bring your outstanding debts up to date may change your tuition status, jeopardize records from being forwarded, prevent students from receiving his/her final report card or diploma (including participation in graduation activities and ceremony) and/or prevent us from reserving a place for a student for the next school year. Any payments for this school year made after May 15, 2013 must be in cash or money order—no checks will be accepted.



CONTRACT SIGNING (ALL FAMILIES MUST COME IN TO SIGN CONTRACTS)

The first tuition installment for the 2013-2014 school year is due on June 13, 2013 (All first payments must be made on June 13th, not online). Contract signing is scheduled from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the small lunchroom. If payment is not made on June 13th, a late charge of $25.00 will be assessed beginning June 14th. All previous financial obligations (including church contributions/fundraising/Extended Day/library fines/NSF checks, Bingo, etc.) must be paid in full before any payment for the next school year will be accepted.

ANY STATEMENTS MADE ABOUT FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS ARE SUGGESTED AND SUPPORTED BY THE ARCHDIOCESE OF CHICAGO OFFICE OF CATHOLIC SCHOOLS.

APRIL NEWS 2013






CONGRATULATIONS!

Our seventh and eighth grade students participated in an Americanism essay competition sponsored by the American Legion Auxiliary. Three of the students had winning essays, and the first place essay has been sent on to the Third District Americanism Chairman for further competition. The winners are: 1st prize–Alexander Omelanczuk, grade 7; 2nd prize–Desiree Vega, grade 7; 3rd prize–Karina Rivera, grade 8.



Eleven Annunciata sixth graders are having their poetry published in The Anthology of Poetry. They are: Marco Braschi, Alvaro Gallegos, Arturo Haro, Jaden Keating, Sergio Mendieta, William Mullen, Evelyn Padilla, Megan Perez-Milhouse, Phoenix Orozco, Alejandra Wedryk and Radovan Tomovic.



Annunciata is proud of you!



FAMILY LIFE

This year we updated our religion curriculum by purchasing the new Benzinger Family Life Series. It is part of the prescribed Archdiocese religion curriculum, and it also includes child safety.



When we return after Easter Vacation and during the month of April children from K through 8 will be using the Family Life series.



MORNING DROP OFF/AFTERNOON PICK-UP

Throughout this year I have been trying to encourage you to use the morning drop off plan on the parking lot. With the Wal-Mart, the traffic on 112th has increased both in volume and speed (many times without regard for the stop signs). NO ONE SHOULD PARK ON THE EAST SIDE OF AVENUE H BECAUSE TRAFFIC IS CONGESTED AND STOPS MOVING. Please USE the safest plan to drop off children in the morning. Use the Avenue H driveway to enter and the Avenue G driveway to exit. If the children exit the cars on the passenger side they NEVER WILL BE IN FRONT OF A VEHICLE. If you do park the car to walk your children to the building, PLEASE DO NOT PARK ON THE SIDE OF THE STREET THAT THE SCHOOL IS ON.



GIVE THIS INFORMATION TO THOSE WHO DRIVE YOUR CHILDREN TO SCHOOL!



For the after school pick-up, drivers need to be cautious, as well. PLEASE DO NOT DOUBLE PARK, ESPECIALLY ON 112TH STREET; AND BE ALERT WHEN YOU PULL AWAY FROM THE CURB!

BE SAFE NOT SORRY!!!



Blessings for a Happy and Holy Easter!

MARCH NEWS 2013




TERRA NOVA TESTING
Testing for grades K-7 will be administered from March 4th through March 18th. The preparation you can help with is to be sure that the children have plenty of rest (at least 8 hours of sleep), eat three balanced meals daily and arrive at school on time. This routine sets the tone for the day so the children can start off relaxed and ready to participate. Encourage your children to listen carefully to the teacher as the directions are given and to do the best they can.
If your child misses part of the test due to illness, we will do our best to have him/her make it up. Please understand that if several sections are missed, it may be impossible to make up; and therefore, the test may not be sent in for scoring.
The students should come prepared each day with two or three sharpened number 2 pencils.


FIRST RECONCILIATION

Please pray for our second graders as they approach their First Reconciliation this month on March 2nd. They have diligently been preparing for this sacrament, as well as, for their First Holy Communion in May.

CONFIRMATION

We ask for prayers for our eighth graders. They have been preparing for the sacrament of Confirmation that will take place March 22nd. Since the beginning of this school year, they have been doing service hours, as well as, keeping up with their studies. On March 12th they will enjoy the experience of the Confirmation Retreat.


SAFETY

In the interest of safety, it is imperative that all visitors including parents and relatives of students enter and exit the school through the main door. ALL visitors MUST sign in and out in the main office. This procedure will be followed even when children are entering at 7:55 a.m. and leaving at 3:00 p.m. If you need to help children bring item into school, you MUST use the main office door. When the faculty is at the doors, their priority is tending to the children. Therefore, they cannot give full attention to adults wanting to enter the building. I am sure you understand the necessity of us knowing who is in the building and where visitors are at all times.


GIVECENTRAL

Recently more families are using the GiveCentral.org website. We are happy to see that it is an added accommodation. When using GiveCentral for tuition payments, please print the confirmation page with the transaction number and send it to the school office as soon as you make a payment. Sometimes it takes more than 3 days to post online, and the delayed posting may make your payment late. If we have your confirmation, it will avoid mix-ups.

FEBRUARY NEWS 2013


OPEN HOUSE—THANK YOU
Our thanks to all of you who helped to make the start of Catholic Schools Week a success! Whether you baked, served, set-up, cleaned-up or attended, all of your efforts helped to make our Open House a wonderful, positive experience. We also acknowledge the hard work of the students and their teachers and staff for the great display of classroom work and projects and the look of the building. Many visitors complimented the students’ work on display, the friendliness of the staff, and the school in general. All in all it was an exhilarating and uplifting day.

MANY, MANY THANKS TO ALL OF YOU THAT MADE IT HAPPEN!!

Many thanks also to the Family and School Committee for coordinating the exciting events and to all those who volunteered to carry them out! The activities for Catholic Schools Week include: Scholastic Book Fair, all school bingo, a variety of out of uniform fun days, an ice cream social, a special collection for the 2X2 Animal Rescue and a Talent Show.

We end our week of celebration as we started with Mass, Friday, February 1st at 8 a.m.


CONGRATULATIONS!
Our sixth, seventh and eighth grade students participated in the annual East Side Lions Club, “Say No to Drugs” poster contest. All the local schools participated as well. The following winners from Annunciata will be honored at a dinner later in February at the Lions’ Club where each will be awarded a cash prize:

Grade 6 Megan Perez-Milhouse

Grade 7 Alex Omelanczuk

Grade 8 Karina Rivera

Annunciata is proud of you! Congratulations!

COMING SOON

At the end of February, come visit Annunciata’s Reading Fair. Students in grades 3 through 8 are currently working on their projects.

ASK YOUR CHILD FOR THE WORLD’S FINEST CHOCOLATE INFORMATION!

SALE STARTS FEBRUARY 1ST AND ENDS FEBRUARY 28TH! GOOD LUCK! MAYBE YOU WILL WIN $350 TOWARDS TUITION!!!