St. Louise School Weekly Bulletin

School News for March 28-April 10, 2024

A Note from Mr. Fuerte

Dear Families,

Easter Triduum at St. Louise

Today, Friday, and Saturday represent the Sacred Triduum in the Catholic Church's calendar, and at St. Louise School we begin today with our Holy Thursday Prayer Service at 9AM. This will be in the church and attended by all grades. All parents and families are invited. 5A will be leading the Prayer Service.

Tomorrow is Good Friday, and we will continue the St. Louise tradition of having our 8^th graders lead all classes in walking the Stations of the Cross outdoors. Each homeroom has a specific time they will walk the Stations, beginning outside the front entrance of the school. If any parents/grandparents wish to join their children, please see the schedule below and meet near the flagpole. (No need to come inside for a nametag.) ** Please make sure to check the weather and for the possibility of rain. Please bring a coat with your child. **

Below are the times for each classroom:

8:50	6B	9:20	PB	10:40	1A
8:55	5B	9:25	7A	10:45	1B
9:00	KA	9:30	7B	10:50	2B
9:05	KB	9:35	6A	10:55	2A
9:10	5A	9:40	4A	11:05	3B
9:15	PA	10:35	4B	11:10	3A,8A,8B

(Please remember - we dismiss school at 12:00 on Friday, March 29, and begin Easter Vacation.)

At St. Louise Parish, there are a variety of opportunities to come to church for prayer and liturgies during Holy Week. Look here for information, as well as to find Mass times for

Easter.

Faculty and Staff Updates

I would like to announce another Faculty and Staff member change for the 2024-2025 school year. Our Head Recess Supervisor and Instructional Assistant, Mrs. Ann Marie Sweeney will not be returning next year. She is graduating her last child at St. Louise at the end of the year, and she thought that it was time for her to leave. I would like to thank Ann Marie Sweeney for leading recess and for her work as an instructional assistant. We will truly miss her at St. Louise.

I have great news to share as we have hired a new Middle School Religion Teacher. Some of you may know her as a former St. Louise student and alumni graduate, Mrs. Katie Lowell. Mrs. Lowell is currently working at St. Anthony as a 3^rd Grade Teacher, but she has extensive experience working with Middle School students and High School students. She has worked as a CORE team member for CROWD and Life Teen for St. Louise and she has traveled on multiple treks through the Parish. Here is a message from Katie Lowell:

Hello! My name is Katie Lowell. I am thrilled to be returning to my roots as St. Louise’s new Middle School Religion Teacher for the next school year. I went to St. Louise from Kindergarten all the way through Eighth Grade and was in Mrs. Herridge’s homeroom! St. Louise has always been such a special place to me. St. Louise has been part of some of my best memories, from Crowd, to mission trips, Lifeteen, all the way to being married in the Church two years ago. I went on to graduate from Mercyhurst University with a dual Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and Special Education. I have spent the past two years teaching at St. Anthony School in Renton, and am so excited to have made my way back home! See you next fall and go Chargers!

Katie will be coming in at various times during the Spring to learn the ropes from Mrs. Herridge. Please welcome, Katie Lowell to the St. Louise Community.

Have a Blessed Triduum, Easter, and Easter Break,

Mr. Mike Fuerte

Announcements

Save the Date - Wednesday, May 22 at 1:00

Go Light Your World - A Mass of Gratitude and New Beginnings

As you all know, we are bidding farewell to several esteemed faculty members who have dedicated many years of service to St. Louise. Their upcoming retirements or departures signify the end of one era and the beginning of another for our school. In light of this significant transition, we have put a lot of thought into how best to honor their contributions, while also embracing the spirit of renewal that lies ahead for STL.

Therefore, we are pleased to announce that we will be having a celebratory all-school mass called "Go Light Your World – A Mass of Gratitude & New Beginnings," which will take place on Wednesday, May 22nd, at 1:00 PM with a reception following. This mass will serve as a heartfelt tribute to our departing faculty members and a celebration of the promising future that awaits us.

All are welcome, and we are hoping to fill the pews with not only our current families, but also past staff, alumni, and their families! Please RSVP below - we look forward to celebrating with you!

RSVP for May 22 Mass of Gratitude

Tuesday Testimonials

Be sure to follow St. Louise School on Facebook and Instagram, then like and share our Tuesday Testimonial posts for a chance to win a limited edition glassybaby, or charger card!

Help us spread the word about St. Louise School!

What is the Annual Fund?

The Annual Fund is one of four major fundraisers required of St. Louise families. For the 2023-2024 school year, it costs $16,000 per student to provide the amazing education we offer here at St. Louise. We have not been shielded from the impact of inflation as the cost of goods has increased. This school year, most families pay the in-parish tuition rate of $10,000. We work to keep our tuition lower for two main reasons. First, we want to make sure that we are accessible to as many families as possible. Second, for our families who would prefer a tax deduction to paying additional tuition, we offer these fundraisers as a way to make tax deductible contributions. Donations are due now!

Give to the Annual Fund

St. Louise Parish School Proudly Presents Matilda Jr.!

April 18 & 19 at 6:30pm

Rebellion is nigh in Matilda JR., a gleefully witty ode to the anarchy of childhood and the power of imagination! This story of a girl who dreams of a better life and the children she inspires will have audiences rooting for the "revolting children" who are out to teach the grown-ups a lesson.

Matilda has astonishing wit, intelligence... and special powers! She's unloved by her cruel parents but impresses her schoolteacher, the highly loveable Miss Honey. Matilda's school life isn't completely smooth sailing, however – the school's mean headmistress, Miss Trunchbull, hates children and just loves thinking up new punishments for those who don't abide by her rules. But Matilda has courage and cleverness in equal amounts and could be the school pupils' saving grace!

Packed with high-energy dance numbers and catchy songs, Matilda JR. is a joyous girl power romp. Children and adults alike will be thrilled and delighted by the story of the special little girl with an extraordinary imagination.

Ticket order forms will be sent home after Easter Break - or stop by the office to pick one up now. You won't want to miss out on this great event!

Lost & Found Overflowing!

If your child is missing a jacket, pleases stop by the school lobby today or tomorrow to look at the lost and found pile before it is packed up for donation to Goodwill!

Chargers C.A.R.E. |Friendzy Update

Spring After School Clubs & CYO Track & Field Sign Up Now!

Pre-K & Kindergarten Art Club with Mrs. Hoffman

Grades - Pre-K & Kindergarten

Dates - Wednesdays 4/10-5/15

Time - 3:15-4:15

Cost - $150

Max 20 Students

Jump Rope Club with Mrs. Fitzgerald

Grades - 4-8

Dates - Tuesdays 4/9-4/30

Time - 3:00-4:00

Cost - $95

Max 15 Students

Spanish Club with Mrs. Lux

Smoothies & Pinata Making

Grades - K-3

Dates - Tuesdays 4/19-5/28

Time - 3:00-4:00

Cost - $160

Max 12 Students

Science Club with

Mr. Fuerte & Mrs. Herridge

Grades - 2-3

Dates - Thursdays 4/25-5/16

Time - 3:00-4:00

Cost - $100

Max 12 Students

Walking for Fitness with Mrs. Fitzgerald

Grades - 4-8

Dates - Wednesdays 5/10-6/1

Time - 3:00-4:00

Cost - $95

Max 15 Students

Art Club with Mrs. Walker

Print Making

Grades - 3-6

Dates - Thursdays 4/25-5/23

Time - 3:00-4:30

Cost - $125

Max 20 Students

CYO Track & Field - Grades 4-8

2024 Spring Track Signups Are Now On! This year, we are again having joint practices with the Sacred Heart team, we have an all new completely refurbished practice field, and, new this year with CYO, two qualifying meets instead of just one! This means you get more great coaching, more chances to compete, more opportunities to meet new people and make more friends, and have more fun! It's all MORE in '24! Sign up today

!Contact Mark Zappala for more information.

Parents' Club News - Charger Cards

Mark your Calendar!

March 28 - Holy Thursday Prayer Service at 9am
March 29 - Good Friday Stations of the Cross
March 29 - NOON Dismissal, NO PM Kids' Club
March 29 - Report Cards sent home
March 31 - Easter
April 1-5 - Easter Vacation!
April 11 - Parents' Club Meeting at 6:30pm
April 13 - Saturday Spring Spruce-Up

Subscribe to the School Calendar Here

We LOVE our Volunteers!

We need 2 volunteers to pick up Burgermaster lunches on Tuesday, April 9^th and bring them to school.

If you can help please contact silviam@stlouiseschool.org

A Note from Fr. Gary & Fr. Nehnevaj

Dear Friends at St. Louise,

I took this picture of Larsen Lake on the morning of March 16 after a long stretch of cold, wet, and dark, late‑winter days. The promise of spring was breaking through!

This scene reminded me of what much of life is like. There are days that are dark and cold (like the day a few weeks ago when I had breakfast with one of my cousins, one of 13 children, who recently lost a sibling, the fourth such loss over the last four years). Then there are days that are foggy . . . I think of Partners in the Gospel, the Archdiocese-wide project to revitalize parish life, in which we are all truly “feeling our way” and trusting the Holy Spirit to guide us. Our vision for the future can be surrounded by the fog of doubt and confusion, and yet there is the promise that the bright light of the sun will burn through the clouds and help us to see the way.

By all the Gospel accounts, the disciples were in a bit of a fog on the morning of the resurrection. It took time for them to understand that the Lord was truly risen from the dead. Even after they knew he had risen, they were still slow to recognize his presence when he would appear to them. Doubt, confusion, and fear were a regular part of their experience until the day of Pentecost. Their story gives us hope that we too can pass through our own dark days, our foggy days, when we can only partially see the light of the sun, to the glorious day of Pentecost – when all doubt and fear is burned away by the power of God’s love, poured upon us through the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

As most of you know, beginning July 1 we will join with St. Madeleine Sophie Parish to begin forming a parish family. Our parish family will have a new assignment of three priests beginning that same day. I will be able to make that announcement on either April 6/7 or April 13/14. Even the exact date of the announcement is foggy as of this writing! It doesn’t take much faith to walk a path that is easily seen with the full light of a summer day. It does take faith to walk on the path on a foggy day, or in the darkness.

The Lord is our light and salvation, of whom should we be afraid? (Ps. 27:1)

The Lord is risen! He is risen, indeed! Alleluia!

Fr. Gary Zender

Pastor

A Catholic Tradition - from Fr. Nehnevaj

The Seven Church Pilgrimage on Holy Thursday and the Tre Ore on Good Friday

Holy Thursday, the Thursday before Easter, marks the end of Lent and celebrates the Last Supper, where Jesus gave us the great gift of the Eucharist. At the end of the Mass of the Lord’s Supper the Eucharist is processed to an Altar of Repose, usually located away from the sanctuary.¹ The Eucharist will remain at this Altar of Repose for public adoration during the night, before being secured somewhere until the Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion on Good Friday. Catholics are invited and encouraged to spend time in prayer with our Lord at the Altar of Repose in fulfillment of Jesus’s command to his disciples to “Remain here and keep watch”² with Him in the garden.

Over time this practice of staying and praying with Jesus after the Last Supper developed into the Seven Church Pilgrimage. During the Seven Church Pilgrimage, the pilgrim visits the Altar of Repose at seven different churches, spending a few minutes in prayer at each Altar of Repose and reading a passage from scripture that correlates to one of the seven “stations” that Jesus made between the Last Supper and His Crucifixion: The Agony in the Garden, Jesus before Annas, Jesus before Caiaphas, Jesus before Pilate, Jesus before Herod, Jesus before Pilate Again, and the Crown of Thorns.

Despite being a very Roman tradition – in Rome there are so many churches that the pilgrimage can easily be done walking -- my only encounter with this pilgrimage was as a college student in the Diocese of Rockford, Illinois, where we drove for about 40 minutes to get to a place with enough churches to do the pilgrimage. Still, it was a very prayerful experience of spending time with the Lord and with my fellow believers. Here in the Eastside Deanery, there are enough churches to do this pilgrimage, and I plan to do it myself this year. I’d invite you all to pilgrimage to some or all of these churches on Holy Thursday as well. There will be no formal gathering to start the pilgrimage, rather participants will just drive themselves off to St. Madeleine Sophie, our new parish family member, as soon as possible after the end of Mass here. I have included below a list of the churches in our area and what time they intend to close their Altars of Repose. I have listed them in the order I intend to visit them, spending about 10 minutes at each Altar. However, feel free to use this list to create your own order or to create an abbreviated form of the pilgrimage. I would also encourage spending the time traveling between churches in prayer, for instance praying the rosary. As an additional prayer resource for this pilgrimage I have put together a document with all the readings for each station and a few discussion questions to go with each reading; this is available online at https://stlouise.org/messages-from-fr-nehnevaj.

Another beautiful Holy Week tradition is the Tre Ore service on Good Friday. The Tre Ore, much like the rest of Good Friday, is a very somber and simple service: the church is open for personal quiet prayer from noon until 3PM, the three hours that Jesus was on the cross (tre ore is Italian for “three hours). Throughout those three hours, reflections are offered periodically on the Seven Last Words of Christ. Additionally, I will be in my confessional to hear confessions during that time (at least when I am not preaching on one of the last words of Christ). Finally, the Tre Ore service here at St. Louise will culminate with the Stations of the Cross led by our Youth Group at 3PM. For the Tre Ore service, while you are certainly welcome to stay and pray the whole time, you are also welcome to come when you can and stay as long or as briefly as you choose.

St. Madeleine Sophie

9:30PM

Luke 22:39-46

Sacred Heart

10PM

John 18:19-22

Holy Family, Kirkland

Midnight

Matthew 26:63-65

St. Jude's

Midnight

John 18:35-37