School News for May 23-29, 2024

A Note from Mr. Fuerte

Dear Families, 

Memorial Day Weekend

Memorial Day is a special day, always observed on the last Monday in May, where we remember and honor the brave men and women who have fought and died for our country. It is a time to reflect on their sacrifices and the freedoms we enjoy because of their service. We can show our appreciation by attending parades, laying wreaths at memorials, or simply thanking a veteran for their service. Let us never forget the sacrifices made by our military heroes.

Below is a Memorial Day prayer to say on Monday:

Father in Heaven,

Bring us peace and make us peacemakers.

Grant us the courage to work for your Kingdom

So that justice can flourish in our world.

In your mercy, gather in all of the brave men and women

who have given their lives so we can be free.

Let them live forever with you in heaven

Freed from pain in your loving embrace.

Comfort their families,

Who have also sacrificed for us.

We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Walk-A-Thon – What a Great Success!

Last Friday, the Platinum Chargers were able to choose their prizes for being in the Top 10 money raisers for the school. The Golden Chargers – students who raised $350 or more will be receiving a free dress coupon (good for free dress on Wednesday, May 29). They will also receive their ice cream treat and $20 gift card next Wednesday, May 29. The 3rd and 6th grade classes will get a pizza party for raising the most money on average and running the most laps on average respectively. Xavier P. walked the most laps this year – 44! He’ll also be receiving a free dress coupon, ice cream treat, and a $50 Target gift card on May 29. Please see the full list of winners below. I would like to thank Jim Britt, Cari O’Loughlin-Britt, Matt Blackburn, Chris Hairston, and their wonderful volunteers for making the Walk-A-Thon a success. As of today, we have raised $52,275 and we look forward to seeing that number grow as matching funds start coming in.

If you have not yet contributed to the Walk-A-Thon, please remember that this is one of our four required fundraisers. You can complete your commitment using this link.

2024 St Louise Walk-a-Thon (99pledges.com)

Tardiness

As we get closer to the end of the school year, we’ve noticed an excessive number of tardies. We know we are all getting tired and looking forward to summer break, but let’s finish the year off on a good note by getting to school on time. So many students arriving late, really put a strain on the office staff, teachers and fellow students by taking away from learning time. You can review the full attendance policy here.

We appreciate you working hard these next two weeks to get your students to school on time. If you do arrive late, please remember that you must check your student in at the office.

Personnel Updates

I would like to announce our new 6th Grade Homeroom Teacher and Middle School Science Teacher for next year, Ms. Kate Skelly. Kate currently teaches Science for grades 2-8 at Hope Academy in Seattle. Kate has a master’s degree in Secondary Education with an Endorsement in Secondary Science and also a master’s degree of Physician Assistant Studies. Kate will be coming in a couple times before the end of the year to shadow Mrs. Maloney and Mr. Glaser and we welcome her to St. Louise.

We are also blessed to welcome Mr. Oscar Lopez as our new Middle School Spanish Teacher. Oscar has a bachelor’s degree from California State University in Anthropology and Spanish. He has been teaching Spanish at Billings Middle School in Seattle for the last 4 years. He also teaches Photography and has experience with 3D Printers.

Have a Blessed Weekend,

Mr. Mike Fuerte 

Mark your Calendar!

Announcements

🎪 Step right up to the greatest show in town, November 2! 🎪

Join us for a spectacular evening "Under the Big Top" at our annual auction event.

Snag early bird tickets at a discounted price. Hurry, this special offer won't last long (regular ticket prices return June 14). Get ready for an evening of magic and wonder.

June 14th is the deadline to fulfill your procurement commitment, ensuring your contribution helps make this event a roaring success! 

 *** Please note: We no longer need Daniel's Broiler and Tutta Bella Charger Cards as we have already reached our limit ***. 

Chargers C.A.R.E. - Calling ALL Middle Schoolers!

Be sure to sign up for CROWD - the St. Louise Parish Youth Group for students entering grades 6-8 this fall. Lots of fun summer activities too!

Charger Shout Out - Walk A Thon Winners!

Way to Go St. Louise Pentathalon Team!

Lexi B., Mika C., Leila M., Jeronimo G., Leo S., and Nathan V., competed in the 100m run, 400m run, 800m run, Long Jump and Shot put. Great job representing St. Louise School!

Parents' Club News - Charger Shop & Parents' Club Board Openings

Join the St. Louise Parents' Club: Enriching Education and Building Community Together!

The funds raised by the Parents' Club at St. Louise support a wide array of activities and enhancements that directly benefit our school community.

Through various events such as the Father/Daughter Dance, as well as fundraising initiatives like the Walk-A-Thon and Charger Cards, we generate resources that enrich the educational experience for both students and staff.

Specifically, our funds provide enrichment grants for teachers, enabling special field trips and inviting expert educators to conduct workshops for students and parents. We also organize hospitality events, including teacher appreciation lunches, and maintain emergency supplies for the school. Additionally, the Parents' Club funds annual holiday gifts for teachers and staff.

During our Annual Fundraiser, we make significant contributions towards new curricula and essential classroom supplies. We also support a variety of initiatives including the installation of new security systems, such as cameras and intercoms, to enhance the safety of our school.

Ultimately, our efforts help create an outstanding and affordable educational environment at St. Louise, benefiting all students and families.

We are currently looking to fill several positions on the Parents' Club Board. If you are interested, please email Marta Masferrer at masferrer@gmail.com. The open positions are:

President-Elect:

• Represent PC on STL School Commission 
• Plan Parent Education Workshops
• Shadow and support President in order to take over the position the following year
• Take meeting notes publish to the web

Volunteer / Enrichment Grants Coordinator:

• Connect STL parents to a variety of volunteer opportunities
• Answer miscellaneous questions about volunteer hours
• Help administer the school-wide Sign-Up Genius account
• Coordinate the Enrichment Grant Applications in the beginning of the school year

Committee Liaison:

• Manage fundraising goals and budgets for Committee Chairs
• Check in with each Chair to understand “what’s working and what’s not” and work with PC to discover solutions

St. Nicholas Chair:

• Spearhead the St. Nicholas school community gathering. Fun event that centers around pastries, coffee, hot cocoa, and pictures with St. Nick. This past year students were invited to set up tables and sell holiday gifts! Fun event that you can bring your own creativity to the table and make your own.  

Social Chair:

• Help support the Parents' Club by coordinating a couple of outings throughout the year.

We LOVE our Volunteers!

The St. Louise Chess Club is looking for parent volunteers to manage the club next school year.

Chess club has partnered with Excel with Chess who provides coaches and are responsible for all activities during the session. As manager for Chess club the main activity is to coordinate with Excel with Chess to setup the dates for upcoming sessions, and to support before/after chess class with student check-in and check-out directly or through parent volunteers. Parents need to be present 10 minutes before class at 1:50 p.m. and stay until last student is check-out, typically about 15 minutes after class ends around 3:15 p.m. No chess knowledge is required.

Please reach out to Mrs. Jaster if you are interested and you will be contacted by one of our chess managers for an information session.

Notes from Fr. Gary & Fr. Nehnevaj and Parish Happenings!

Dear Families,

St. Louise Parish Leadership met for their annual meeting on Thursday, May 16. Our soon-to-be pastoral coordinator, Loretta Sursely, was also in attendance. You will recall that Loretta was appointed by Archbishop Etienne to oversee our parish family. She is currently doing that work for St. Madeleine Sophie Parish.

The Leadership Night included members of the Parish Pastoral and Parish Finance Councils, the Worship, School, Community Life, and Evangelization Commissions, as well as the heads of numerous committees in the parish. 

The purpose of this annual meeting is to create community, celebrate the good we have accomplished with God’s help, and plan for the next pastoral year, 2024-2025. Here is a brief re-cap of the meeting:

There was enthusiasm for bringing all ages, groups and people together for fun, prayer and service at St. Louise and our whole parish family. People want more communication about the various devotions and celebrations that our ethnic communities celebrate. Some people asked if we could have bigger celebrations for St. Louise (May 9, which will fall on a Friday next year) and St. Madeleine Sophie (May 25, which falls on Sunday next year). It seems that some of the same comments, hopes and questions that came up at the listening sessions following the announcement of Loretta, Fr. Tom, Fr. Tony and me being the pastoral team for our parish family were repeated at the Leadership Night.

The big-picture of getting together to know each other and really, everything we do, is to grow in what it means to be a mature disciple. What does that mean? Someone who is ready to explain the cause for our joy when someone asks (cf: 1 Peter 3:15) and someone who can pray a spontaneous prayer when the need arises.

Today’s Feast of the Holy Trinity is a celebration of the one God as a communion of persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We as Church are called to be a sign and a symbol of that Divine communion. Through sharing a wonderful meal, prayer, song, laughter, and planning, our parish leadership lived that message out together.

With gratitude!

Fr. Gary Zender

Frequently asked question number 4: What about fun events to bring our parish family together and our different cultures as well? (Hispanic at St. Louise and Korean at St. Madeleine Sophie, for instance.)

Answer: Anything is possible when parishioners have the desire to make it happen! Some asked about more events for children and youth. Again, the parish staff is ready to help to support parishioners who are committed to creating something wonderful and new!

Ask Fr. Nehnevaj...

What is Jesus’ favorite type of music, do you think?

There is something oddly comforting about imagining Jesus enjoying the same things we enjoy. We are made for communion with Jesus, after all, and one of the ways we experience communion with others is through shared interests. So, it is perhaps natural to ponder whether Jesus would have banged his head to Quiet Riot, or speculated as to what surprise song Taylor Swift would play in Nazareth or swayed with hands upraised to the latest Matt Maher song. And in a certain sense, He likely would enjoy all genres of music, in so far as the artists are pursuing the creation of beauty. Much as a parent genuinely delights in the artistic endeavors of their child, the Father loves His children’s creations – or since the question was about Jesus, the way an older brother might delight in the musical efforts of his younger siblings.

When one of our sixth graders asked me this question, the answer I gave was the psalms. The psalms are songs of praise to God. Not only that, but Jesus Himself would have sung these psalms to God during His life on earth. We may not know exactly what the psalms sounded like when sung (although there are some interesting videos out there of recreations of Biblical era music), but it stands to reason that the psalm genre would be a particular favorite of Jesus’ as it combines music with praise of God.

After I had left the classroom, I realized that there was an even better answer. The psalms are hymns of praise, sure, but they have given way to and been absorbed into a new form of sung worship: the Mass! The Mass is meant to be sung! Vatican II says that “sacred music is to be considered the more holy in proportion as it is more closely connected with the liturgical action” – liturgical action meaning the actions of the Mass. Indeed, since Vatican II every element of the Mass has been set to music.

Later on, the Vatican, through the Consilium (working group) charged with implementing Vatican II, further clarified that “singing means singing the Mass and not just singing during Mass.” There is a difference between singing hymns at Mass and singing the texts of the Mass themselves. In fact, according to the mind of the Church, the most important parts of the Mass to sing are those parts “which are to be sung by the priest or by the ministers, with the people replying, or those which are to be sung by the priest and people together.” This includes the “Sign of the Cross,” the greeting of “the Lord be with you,” the acclamations before and after the readings, the Gloria, and the Sanctus, among others.

What does all this have to do with Jesus’ favorite music? It is not just the fact that the Mass is musical that makes it Jesus’ favorite, but the fact that He is the one who leads us in this song. Christ is the one high priest, in whom all other priests share their priesthood. As Dr. David Fagerberg says, “it is the Son’s liturgy that we do, not our own.” And He delights to lead us in His liturgy, in teaching us and energizing us to sing the perfect praise of God, and in so doing lead us back to the Father in heaven, where we will sing with the angels for all eternity: “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!”

Thank you St. Louise Sponsors!

Antezana Garvizu Family