November 20, 2020

From the Desk of Principal Mary Yamoah:

Dear Carondelet Families,

Next week we celebrate Thanksgiving.  While it will certainly look and feel much different, we should all be thankful to the Lord above that we are able to celebrate another holiday together with our family.  Please celebrate wisely now so that we can celebrate many more holidays in the months and years ahead. I’m looking forward to the days of normalcy where we can all be together again as a community, and hold you all in our prayers during this season of Thanksgiving. We have much to be thankful for. 

Stay well Saints!

Mary Yamoah, Principal 

 

Second graders hosted a baby shower for Mrs. Ralston today. Students gifted Mrs. Ralston with their favorite stories, with parents joining virtually to share their well wishes for Mrs. Ralston, who’s expecting a baby girl in December. What fun!

 

Distance Learning: As we shift to temporary distance learning in grades 1-8, we want to reiterate our commitment in providing a quality education for all of our students.  Students are expected to check-in each morning at 9:00 am with homeroom teachers, receive live or pre-recorded instruction for all core content areas, and meet with teachers individually or in small groups. Review the Distance Learning Family Guide here

 

PreK and Kindergarten 2021 Enrollment: If you have a child eligible for Carondelet's PreK or Kindergarten in 2021, please complete an application for enrollment, as space is limited. Applications are due January 15, 2020 with notification of acceptance to follow. Please email Megan Hower with questions. 

 

Waite House Thanksgiving Baskets:  We cannot begin to express our gratitude for your generosity during this holiday season for our friends at the Waite House food shelf. The needs are great this year and we are so appreciative of your time and donations.  Families who have offered to donate a Thanksgiving basket can drop off the food at Waite House (2323 11th Ave S, Minneapolis) on Tuesday, November 24th between 9:00am-11:30am or 1:00pm-3:00pm. Unfortunately, Waite House cannot accommodate any exceptions to this. If these times do not work for your family, please make arrangements with another family or reach out to hfaber@carondelet-mpls.org. We’re so grateful we are able to keep this tradition alive during such an unusual year. 

 

Saints Men’s Club Annual Christmas Tree Sale:  Happy Holidays! The Saints Men's Club's Christmas Tree fundraiser is back again this year! Trees are available for contactless pick-up or delivery after Thanksgiving. Help support your Carondelet community and get a beautiful Minnesota grown tree from the Saints Men's Club! Details and ordering information can be found at http://www.saintsmensclub.org.  Please help keep this fantastic tradition going strong!

 

Subs/Floaters Needed: We are hoping to build our support staff and substitute teacher list over the next weeks. If you or someone you know is interested in training to help as support staff, please contact Mary Yamoah or Megan Hower for details. Positions and hours are flexible. 

 

Free COVID Testing: The Minnesota Department of Health offers free COVID testing including in-person and at-home saliva testing and nasal swab testing. Many of our families have done the walk-in saliva testing with results within 24 hours. For more information visit the MDH Testing webpage. 

 

Reporting Illness: Please continue to email COVID19@carondelet-mpls.org if your family receives a positive COVID test during the distance learning period. 

 

Please refer to Carondelet COVID-19 webpage or Minnesota Department of Health Guide for Parents and Families if someone in your family is showing any symptoms of illness or may have been exposed to someone with COVID and email us at COVID19@carondelet-mpls.org. 

 

Visit the Carondelet Catholic School website

 

 

 

Parish News: Be sure to check out the websites and weekly bulletins of Christ the King and Saint Thomas the Apostle for information about Masses online and onsite as well as lots of other things happening in our parishes.

 

 

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October 9, 2020

 

From the Desk of Principal Mary Yamoah:

 

Dear Carondelet Families,

We had a faith-filled week at Carondelet!  Students attended a virtual Children’s Rosary Pilgrimage on Wednesday, October 7, commemorating the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.  Bishop Andrew Cozzens, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, was the presider. 

 

This pilgrimage consisted of a short commentary on the Rosary by Bishop Cozzens, Eucharistic exposition, followed by the recitation of the Glorious Mysteries of the Holy Rosary with Bishop Cozzens and students from Transfiguration School.  The pilgrimage concluded with Eucharistic benediction. This was an extremely powerful day for the children as they gathered with their fellow peers virtually to honor the Blessed Mother.

  

Next week, we will begin hosting weekly virtual prayer services led by a different grade or class level each week.  These services will be pre-recorded or live streamed into classrooms via Google Meet.  We are excited that Mrs. Harris’ second grade class will lead us in this prayerful experience next week!  

 

We look forward to you connecting with teachers for virtual parent - teacher conferences.  If you have not heard from your homeroom teacher (PreK-4) or have not signed up for a conference with your child’s content area teachers (5-8 grades), please contact teachers directly via email.  Working together with parents is crucial for student success!

 

Enjoy this glorious weather!

Mary Yamoah, Principal

 

 

Marathon Day of Service:  This week kicked off Carondelet’s Marathon Day of Service fundraiser! Our Marathon Day of Service is one of the school's largest fundraisers and community builders. Students have begun collecting pledges for a school-organized Day of Service held during the school day on Friday, October 30. Our first pledge tally day is next Tuesday, October 13, so don’t forget to return your gold envelopes for pledge counting! Envelopes will then be returned to students to continue collecting pledges. (Online pledge donations are also accepted for contactless pledges).

 

Visit the Marathon Day of Service webpage for a list of grade-level service projects, prize levels (including this year’s t-shirt for pledges of $100 or more), and a sample e-mail script to send to out of town family and friends.  If you have questions about the Marathon Day of Service, please contact Becky Harris (service projects) or Julie Stoeger (finance/pledges).  

 

School Picture Day: Picture day is coming to Carondelet but will look a little different with our hybrid and distance learning students.  Our first picture day will be Monday, October 12th.  You may order your package online HERE.  If you have a full-time distance learner (not a hybrid middle schooler), you may schedule an appointment for Monday, October 12 between 8:00-9:00 am at the Upper Campus and between 8:30-9:10 am at the Lower Campus.  Please call your respective campus office to schedule a time.

 

Our second picture day will be Wednesday, November 4th, to accommodate our middle school Cohort B students.  

 

Parent Directory: Our Parent Directory went home with the youngest or only students in the family this week. The information is formatted directly from Sycamore, our Student Management System, with data generated from the household information you entered in Sycamore upon registration. Please contact Holly Barborak with questions. 

 

November Lunch Orders: Carondelet partners with Agra Culture Kitchen for school lunches. For the first trimester, we will be offering primarily cold lunch options Monday-Thursday, but have added some additional hot lunch items that are easier to serve among two lunch rooms, and Papa John’s Pizza on Fridays. Orders are due by Monday, October 19 at 10:00 am. Please remember to keep a copy of your order for your records! Orders will be billed to your school account. Late orders cannot be accepted. Please contact Holly Barborak with questions.  Place your November lunch order here

 

Grades 5-8 Conferences: You may register for parent/teacher conferences from October 5 through October 11. These conferences will be virtual and accessible through Google Meet. Parent/teacher conferences will be held October 13 from 4:00-8:00 p.m. and October 14 from 8:00-12:00 p.m. Carondelet uses SignUp Genius to register for conferences. To accommodate all students, please sign up for one time slot per teacher.  If a teacher's time slots are full, and you would like to arrange an alternate time, please contact that teacher directly via email. 

 

Tuesday, October 13 Conference Link

Wednesday, October 14 Conference Link 

 

Club Saint Extended Day (Release Day Openings):  Our Club Saint Extended Day program has openings available for the MEA Break next week (October 14-16) and the afternoon of October 30 (an early release day). Please contact Jodi Nilsen for information or register here. 

 

Grades 6-8 Schedule Change (MEA & Thanksgiving):  To provide equal access to our 6-8 teachers before MEA and Thanksgiving breaks, our 6-8 students will follow the  schedule below.

 

MEA 

Monday, October 12:  Cohort A (onsite); Cohort B (offsite)

Tuesday, October 13: Cohort B (onsite); Cohort A (offsite)

 

Thanksgiving

Monday, November 23:  Cohort A (onsite); Cohort B (offsite)

Tuesday, November 24: Cohort B (onsite); Cohort A (offsite)

 

School Dress Code: With the cooler weather coming our way, please remind your child/children to dress for outdoors and classrooms that may be a bit chillier with windows cracked open. Out-of-uniform apparel will need to be removed in classrooms. Please be sure to send uniform-approved sweatshirts or sweaters with your students. 

 

Distance Learning Attendance Policy: Hybrid learners in grades 6-8 must adhere to their assigned onsite attendance days. If your student is scheduled to be on campus and plans on attending virtually, please email the school office. We need to know the reason for change (ie: illness, doctor’s appointment or other), otherwise the student will be recorded as absent, regardless of online attendance. Please email COVID19@carondelet-mpls.org, Jeanne Phenow and your child’s homeroom teacher.

 

Student Absence/Illness: If your student will be out of school for any reason please email: COVID19@carondelet-mpls.org, Jeanne Phenow (Upper Campus) or Holly Barborak (Lower Campus), and your child’s homeroom teacher.  

 

Please refer to Carondelet COVID-19 webpage or Minnesota Department of Health Guide for Parents and Families if someone in your family is showing any symptoms of illness or may have been exposed to someone with COVID and email us at COVID19@carondelet-mpls.org. We’re asking students to stay home when they are showing any symptoms of illness. 

 

COVID Reporting: Please note, Carondelet faculty and families will be notified when there has been a lab-reported case of COVID within our buildings. 

 

Tuition Payments/Schedule: Click here to view the 2020-2021 tuition schedule. Please email Julie Stoeger, Business Manager with questions regarding billing and tuition and/or to set up monthly electronic funds payments. 

 

Updated School Calendar: View the 2020-2021 School Calendar here.

 

Parent/Student Handbook: Please be sure to read over the Parent/Student Handbook as it has a lot of important information regarding policies and procedures. Many of your questions can be addressed by visiting the handbook, also found on our website. 

 

 

Volunteer Requirements/VIRTUS Training: Volunteers who have either regular or unsupervised interaction with minors or vulnerable adults, must complete the “Essential 3” requirements as mandated by the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. The Essential 3 consists of signing a Code of Conduct, completing safe environment training through the VIRTUS program and undergoing a background check. (Information you provide for a background check will be kept confidential by Carondelet Catholic School, as well as by the Archdiocese.) 

 

If you would like to volunteer at Carondelet, you must complete the VIRTUS Essential 3, by following the directions here. If you have questions about this process, please email Julie Stoeger or call at (612) 927-8673.

 

 

Parish News: Be sure to check out the websites and weekly bulletins of Christ the King and Saint Thomas the Apostle for information about Masses online and onsite as well as lots of other things happening in our parishes.

 

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September 4, 2020

From the Desk of Principal Mary Yamoah:

Dear Carondelet Families,

It was wonderful connecting with our Saints during Wednesday’s virtual Back to School Open House!  While our Back to School Open House was much different from previous years, our teachers were up for the challenge, each creating their own unique slideshow. We can’t wait to welcome our Saints onto campus next week!

Our theme this year is, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” I must say, returning to school in the era of COVID is like nothing any of us have most likely ever experienced. While many of us have enjoyed the additional time with family and possibly a slower pace with less scheduled activities, this time has also presented increased anxiety and feelings of uncertainty. As an administrator and parent, I too can say this has been one of the more challenging years. 

As a faculty member shared with us today, we can’t compare 2020 to 2019. We must only compare 2020 to 2020. Let’s continue to hold each other in prayer asking God for strength, patience, grace and humility as we plan for this remarkable year. 

Please visit the school website for our COVID Preparedness & School Start Plan and list of frequently asked questions. 

Enjoy the holiday weekend! 

Mary Yamoah, Principal

____________________

Parent/Student Handbook: Click here to view the 2020-2021 Parent/Student Handbook, also found on the school website. 

First Week of School Schedule (Modified)
     Tue, Sept. 8:   Students in grade PreK, 1-5  (no K or grade 6)
     Tue, Sept. 8:   Grade 7-8 Cohort A starts (no distance learning for Cohort B)
     Wed, Sept. 9:  Grade 7-8 Cohort B starts (no distance learning for Cohort A)
     Wed, Sept. 9:  Kindergarteners start 
     Wed, Sept. 9:  Grade 6 starts (Cohort A in-person orientation 9 AM-11:45 AM)
     Wed, Sept. 9:  Grade 6 starts (Cohort B in-person orientation 12:30- 3:45 PM)
     Thu, Sept. 10: Regular schedule
     Fri, Sept. 11:   Regular schedule

School Hours:  Please note the school hours for the 2020-2021 school year:
     Upper Campus: 9:00 am-3:45 pm (doors open at 8:40 am) 
     Lower Campus: 9:10 am-3:35 pm (doors open at 8:50 am) 

Arrival/Dismissal:  Temperature checks will take place at each entrance upon arrival. Students will use the following doors for arrival and dismissal. Click HERE for a map and directions for AM and PM drop-off and pick-up.
     Pre-K, K, Club Saint:  44th Street Entrance
     Grades 1 & 2:  East Doors / Upper Lot Main Entrance
     Grades 3 & 4:  York Entrance
     Grades 5 & 6:  51st Entrance
     Grades 7 & 8:  Mezzanine Level / Playground entrance

Kindergarteners First Day: Kindergarteners will be meeting their teacher and classmates on the front lawn of the Lower Campus for the first day of school. Parents can park in the lot and walk their student over to meet the class. 

Middle School Welcome/Orientation: (Wednesday, September 2)
Students new to middle school attended a virtual orientation on Wednesday, September 2 from 7-8 pm. Here’s the link to the recorded session for those unable to attend.   

Middle School Cohort Days: Students in grades 6-8 are assigned to the following cohort onsite learning days.
     Grade 6:       Last name A-L  (Cohort A: On-site Monday / Tuesday)
     Grade 6:       Last name M-Z (Cohort B: Onsite Wednesday / Thursday)
     Grade 7/8:    Last name A-M (Cohort A: On-site Monday / Tuesday)
     Grade 7/8:    Last Name N-Z (Cohort B: Onsite Wednesday / Thursday)

School Supplies: View the school supply list here. Carondelet will not be offering the school box pre-order this year due to COVID). 

Update on Plexiglass Shields: A plexiglass desk shield has been added to each student’s supply list, purchased and invoiced through Carondelet. The charge is $30 per student and will be added to your family account, billed in September. Please note, shipment has been delayed and will not be in place for the first week of school. While this was an additional safety precaution many schools have not taken, Carondelet wanted to give families a heads-up so they could plan accordingly. 

School Lunch: Students who have not ordered a school lunch will need to bring a home packed lunch. Milk is provided through your annual milk card. Students who forget their lunch will need to call home. 

Annual Milk Cards: An annual milk card will be automatically billed to your family's school account at the rate of $40 per student. The annual card is good for one milk per day. If students would like additional milk, they can purchase a double card for $80. Families may opt out of the annual milk card program by emailing Julie Stoeger.

Water Bottles/Filling Stations: Students should have a filled water bottle at school every day as drinking fountains will be closed. Water filling stations will be open. 

Uniform Policy:  Carondelet’s uniform policy can be found on the school website. Most of our uniform apparel can be purchased at a store of your choice (Target, Lands' End, Old Navy, Educational Outfitters, etc.) while the CCS plaid skirts and jumpers are available exclusively at Educational Outfitters and Lands' End. Students can be out of uniform on off-site learning days. See dress code here. 

Face Coverings: All students and faculty will wear a face covering in accordance with the Minnesota Department of Health. Each family shall provide their own face covering. Children age 5 and under will be required to wear a face mask or shield when entering and exiting the buildings, in common spaces, and upon teacher request. All other students and faculty members will be required to wear a face covering in accordance with the state mandate, summarized here. 

School Visitors/Volunteers:  Due to the unusual measures taking place this year to keep our students and staff safe, we will be restricting visitors/parents (including volunteers) entering the buildings.  If you have a need to drop an item off for your student (like a lunch or an iPad), someone will meet you at the door and deliver it for you. We appreciate your understanding.

Tuition Payments/Schedule: Click here to view the 2020-2021 tuition schedule. Please email Julie Stoeger, Business Manager with questions regarding billing and tuition and/or to set up monthly electronic funds payments. 

Club Saint Extended Day Program: Carondelet offers before and after school care, with priority given to working parents of students in grades PK-2. Club Saint, located at the Lower Campus, provides recreational and creative activities in a safe and comfortable environment. 

Club Saint Upper Campus Study: At the Upper Campus we have a quiet study option open before school AND after school. To register, visit the Club Saint webpage. The Upper Campus after care will not begin until the second week of school due to staffing.

COVID Preparedness & School Start Plan: Please visit the school website for our COVID Preparedness Plan and list of frequently asked questions. This page will be updated as more information becomes available. 

Updated School Calendar: View the 2020-2021 School Calendar here.

We encourage you to keep an eye on the Carondelet website for other upcoming news and events. We look forward to seeing you and your family soon!

Stress and Anxiety in School-Aged Children (Parent Session with Dr. Jules Nolan):  Even before COVID, anxiety had become the most commonly diagnosed issue in classrooms across this country. Given the stress of this time, of disrupted school and more pressure on families, we are seeing a rise in the stress and anxiety demonstrated by children. In this session, you will learn concrete strategies to help your children become more resilient to stress and to better endure normal anxious feelings. You will also find tips to differentiate “normal” stress and anxiety responses from more serious symptoms, how to intervene without interfering, and when to seek help. 
     September 15, 6:30 p.m.
     September 21, 6:30 p.m.
     September 29, 6:30 p.m.
Click here to reserve your spot

Community Building Events: One of the things that makes Carondelet such a special place is our community and opportunities to connect with other families. While our focus now is getting our campuses ready for students to be back on campus, we will be working with our faculty and Home & School Association to offer opportunities for families to connect in smaller, safer groups once school starts. In order to safely reopen our school buildings, we ask families to refrain from organizing and attending large group gatherings until plans have been established. We look forward to welcoming all of our new or returning families to the community this fall!

For more information on Home & School, please contact Kate Hensley, Jadee Kahlert or Mary Schoellman, Home & School Co-Chairs.

Visit the Carondelet Catholic School website.

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August 21, 2020

From the Desk of Principal Mary Yamoah:

Dear Carondelet Families,

We’re looking forward to seeing many new and returning students and families at our Virtual Back-to-School Open House on September 2nd! While it will look and feel a little different this year, we are equally excited to be kicking off the new year with all of you!

More information on staffing and school procedures will be included in the next couple week’s News Notes. We appreciate your patience as we prepare our buildings and team members for the upcoming school year. 

Please visit the school website for our COVID Preparedness & School Start Plan and list of frequently asked questions and watch for more Back to School information in next week’s News Notes!

Wishing you and your family a great weekend!

Mary Yamoah, Principal

____________________

Community Building Events: One of the things that makes Carondelet such a special place is our community and opportunities to connect with other families. While our focus now is getting our campuses ready for students to be back on campus, we will be working with our faculty and Home & School Association to offer opportunities for families to connect in smaller, safer groups once school starts. In order to safely reopen our school buildings, we ask families to refrain from organizing and attending large group gatherings until plans have been established. We look forward to welcoming all of our new or returning families to the community this fall!

Kindergarten/PreK “Meet the Teacher”: Our PreK and K teams are working on plans for incoming students to meet their teacher before school starts. Watch for an email from the PreK and K team next week!

Back-to-School Open House: (Virtual Event; Wednesday, September 2)  The August Back to School Open House has been moved to a virtual event on Wednesday, September 2. Families will receive their homeroom assignment by 5 PM along with a virtual tour of the classroom. Families will have the opportunity to drop off larger bulk school supplies at their designated campus from 4-6 PM, drive-through style. Items should be bagged with student name and grade level. Full details will be announced next week. 

Middle School Orientation: (Wednesday, September 2). Students new to middle school are invited to join us for a virtual orientation on Wednesday, September 2 from 7-8 pm. Learn more about Middle School: the teachers, class schedules, hybrid learning and the iPad 1:1 program. More details and a meeting link to follow. 

Middle School Cohort Days: Students in grades 6-8 are assigned to the following cohort onsite learning days:
     Grade 6:       Last name A-L  (Cohort A: On-site Monday/Tuesday)
     Grade 6:       Last name M-Z (Cohort B: Onsite Wednesday/Thursday)
     Grade 7/8:    Last name A-M (Cohort A: On-site Monday/Tuesday)
     Grade 7/8:    Last Name N-Z (Cohort B: Onsite Wednesday/Thursday)

School Supplies: View the school supply list here. Carondelet will not be offering the school box pre-order this year due to COVID). A plexiglass desk shield will be added to each student’s supply list, purchased and invoiced through Carondelet. The charge is $30 per student and will be added to your family account, billed in September. 

September Lunch Orders: Carondelet partners with Agra Culture Kitchen for school lunches. To start the school year, we will be offering cold lunch orders only so classrooms can take lunches and eat outside on certain days.  Orders are due by Sunday, August 30 at 9:00 pm. You may choose one or as many days as you like. Please remember to keep a copy of your order for your records! Orders will be billed to your school account. Late orders cannot be accepted. Place your September lunch order here. 

Annual Milk Cards: An annual milk card will be automatically billed to your family's school account at the rate of $40 per student. The annual card is good for one milk per day. If students would like additional milk, they can purchase a double card for $80. Families may opt out of the annual milk card program by emailing Julie Stoeger.

Uniform Policy:  Carondelet’s uniform policy can be found on the school website. Most of our uniform apparel can be purchased at a store of your choice (Target, Lands' End, Old Navy, Educational Outfitters, etc.) while the CCS plaid skirts and jumpers are available exclusively at Educational Outfitters and Lands' End. Students can be out of uniform on off-site learning days. See dress code here. 

Face Coverings: All students and faculty will wear a face covering in accordance with the Minnesota Department of Health. Each family shall provide their own face covering. Children age 5 and under will be required to wear a face mask or shield when entering and exiting the buildings, in common spaces, and upon teacher request. All other students and faculty members will be required to wear a face covering in accordance with the state mandate, summarized here. 

School Hours:  Please note the school hours for the 2020-2021 school year:
     Upper Campus: 9:00 am-3:45 pm (doors open at 8:45 am) 
     Lower Campus: 9:10 am-3:35 pm (doors open at 8:55 am) 

Updated School Calendar: View the 2020-2021 School Calendar here.

Club Saint Extended Day Program: Carondelet offers before and after school care, with priority given to working parents of students in grades PK-2. Club Saint, located at the Lower Campus, provides recreational and creative activities in a safe and comfortable environment. At the Upper Campus we also have a quiet study option open before school as well. To register, visit the Club Saint webpage.

Band Update: We are planning on resuming Band at the beginning of the school year with plans in place to do so safely.  We will be following guidelines from the National Association for Music Education, including:

• Meeting in small groups by grade level minimize traffic and provide a minimum of 10’ feet apart.  (Full ensemble rehearsals will not be held at this time, and will remain on-hold until guidelines suggest it is safe to do so.)
• Proper sanitization of all equipment.
• Equipment provided to each student to ensure a clean and safe environment.
• Education on proper cleaning and sanitizing to give students the tools they need to ensure safety.

Students in grades 4 and up are eligible to join Band. If your student would like to participate in Band, please CLICK TO SIGN UP HERE.  If you have any questions, please contact Mr. Connolly.

Beginning Band Instrument Trials: Mr. Connolly will be meeting with Beginning Band students to try out instruments on August 26th and 27th.  Any student wishing to join Band can come to see what instrument might best fit them.  To ensure safety at this time, students will only be trying out the mouthpieces instead of full instruments.  Proper sanitizing procedures will be followed after each student, and we will be meeting outside the Upper Campus near the playground.  Please CLICK TO SIGN UP FOR A TIME SLOT HERE.

Does your student want to know more about the instruments they can try out?  CLICK HERE and select “Videos” on the top bar of the website to find videos about each instrument in Band.  (PLEASE NOTE: the instruments we offer for Beginning Band are Flute, Clarinet, Saxophone, Trumpet, Trombone, Euphonium/Baritone, Tuba, and Percussion)

If you have any questions about Beginning Band, please contact Mr. Connolly 

Tuition Payments/Schedule: Click here to view the 2020-2021 tuition schedule. Please email Julie Stoeger, Business Manager with questions regarding billing and tuition.

COVID Preparedness & School Start Plan: Please visit the school website for our COVID Preparedness Plan and list of frequently asked questions. This page will be updated as more information becomes available. 

We encourage you to keep an eye on the Carondelet website for other upcoming news and events. We look forward to seeing you and your family soon!

 

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News August 14, 2020

From the Desk of Principal Mary Yamoah:

Dear Carondelet Families,

We hope this note finds you and your families well and enjoying these beautiful days of summer! While we know this school year will feel a little different than previous years, we can’t tell you how excited we are to welcome our new and returning students, faculty and families back to campus! While we’ve been busy preparing our classrooms, buildings and team members for the new academic year, we’ve also been holding each of you in our prayers, knowing the decision to send your children back under such unusual times may come with mixed emotions. 

On Monday, our faculty and staff will be back on campus for workshop weeks. While we’ve made great progress this summer, there is still much to be done over these next three weeks. We appreciate your patience and grace as we use this time to work with teachers on fleshing out our safety and educational plans for our 2020-2021 school year. 

Please visit the school website for our COVID Preparedness & School Start Plan and list of frequently asked questions and watch for more Back to School information in next week’s News Notes!

Have a great weekend, Saints!

Mary Yamoah, Principal

____________________

Back-toSchool Open House: (Virtual Event; Wednesday, September 2)
The August Back to School Open House has been moved to a virtual event on Wednesday, September 2. Families will receive their homeroom assignments and get a virtual tour of the classroom at this time. Families will have the opportunity to drop off school supplies earlier that day, drive-up style. More details will be announced in next week’s News Notes. 

Middle School Orientation: (Wednesday, September 2)
Students new to middle school are invited to join us for a virtual orientation on Wednesday, September 2 from 7-8 pm. Learn more about Middle School: the teachers, class schedules, hybrid learning and the iPad 1:1 program. More details and a meeting link to follow. 

Middle School Cohort Days: Students in grades 6-8 are assigned to the following cohort onsite learning days:
     Grade 6:       Last name A-L  (Cohort A: On-site Monday/Tuesday)
     Grade 6:       Last name M-Z (Cohort B: Onsite Wednesday/Thursday)
     Grade 7/8:    Last name A-M (Cohort A: On-site Monday/Tuesday)
     Grade 7/8:    Last Name N-Z (Cohort B: Onsite Wednesday/Thursday)

School Supplies: View the school supply list here. (Carondelet will not be offering the school box pre-order this year due to COVID). A plexiglass desk shield will be added to each student’s supply list, purchased and invoiced through Carondelet. The charge is $30 per student and will be added to your family account, billed in September. 

Lunch Orders: The AgraCulture lunch menu and order form for September will be included in next week’s News Notes. 

Annual Milk Cards: An annual milk card will be automatically billed to your family's school account at the rate of $40 per student. The annual card is good for one milk per day. If students would like additional milk, they can purchase a double card for $80. Families may opt out of the annual milk card program by emailing Julie Stoeger.

Uniform Policy:  Carondelet’s uniform policy can be found on the school website. Most of our uniform apparel can be purchased at a store of your choice (Target, Lands' End, Old Navy, Educational Outfitters, etc.) while the CCS plaid skirts and jumpers are available exclusively at Educational Outfitters and Lands' End. Students can be out of uniform on off-site learning days. See dress code here. 

School Hours:  Please note the school hours for the 2020-2021 school year
     Upper Campus: 9:00 am-3:45 pm (doors open at 8:45 am) 
     Lower Campus: 9:10 am-3:35 pm (doors open at 8:55 am) 

Updated School Calendar: View the 2020-2021 School Calendar here.

Club Saint Extended Day Program: Carondelet offers before and after school care, with priority given to working parents of students in grades PK-2. Club Saint, located at the Lower Campus, provides recreational and creative activities in a safe and comfortable environment. At the Upper Campus we also have a quiet study option open before school as well. To register, visit the Club Saint webpage.

Band Lessons: Carondelet is planning on offering small group band lessons for students in grades 4-8. Watch next week’s News Notes for more information and a sign-up link. 

Tuition Payments/Schedule: Click here to view the 2020-2021 tuition schedule. Please email Julie Stoeger, Business Manager with questions regarding billing and tuition.

COVID Preparedness & School Start Plan: Please visit the school website for our COVID Preparedness Plan and list of frequently asked questions. This page will be updated as more information becomes available. 

We encourage you to keep an eye on the Carondelet website for other upcoming news and events. We look forward to seeing you and your family soon!

Visit the Carondelet Catholic School website.

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School News/Updates: July 08, 2020

Dear Carondelet community,

While this past year has definitely thrown us a unique and complex set of challenges, we have still found ways to celebrate our many accomplishments. We ended the school year with renewed enthusiasm for a community known for our strong academic program and outstanding community, strongly rooted in faith. The sense of pride among our Carondelet Saints has been remarkable, and brings us great hope and energy as we plan for the year ahead.

Earlier this week, the Archdiocese sent out a framework for a preparedness plan to Catholic school leaders, with the goal of safely returning to on-campus instruction this fall with contingency plans for hybrid or distance learning. At this time, we are still planning on being on campus this fall in accordance with public health guidelines and are carefully developing plans to keep our school community as safe as possible. We are grateful for a top-notch faculty that is committed to delivering a personalized approach to education and remains flexible in adapting to off-site instruction in the event members of our community need to be off campus. 

Carondelet has a dedicated team of health professionals, educators and community members working on extensive safety and educational plans for on and off campus scenarios. Carondelet will also consider recommendations from the Minnesota Department of Education and state leaders, but ultimately, Catholic schools remain under their own jurisdiction.

We hope to announce more concrete plans for programming and safety the week of July 27th, and appreciate your flexibility and patience as we work towards safely reopening our two campuses. 

I hope you and your family are enjoying these beautiful summer days! Stay well. 

Mary Yamoah, Principal

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Assistant Principal Announcement: Carondelet is excited to welcome Jim Eberhardt as Carondelet Catholic School’s new assistant principal! Mr. Eberhardt has over 20 years of experience as an esteemed educator and administrator, with a masters degree in Educational Administration from the University of Minnesota. Most recently, Jim worked for the Anoka-Hennepin School district. Mr. Eberhardt begins his tenure at Carondelet next week and is already looking forward to “digging in” on some of our summer projects and plans for the upcoming school year. Families will have a chance to meet Mr. Eberhardt at our Back-to-School Open House on August 26th.  

Transportation: Carondelet is still finalizing transportation plans for the 2020-2021 school year. Since busing is provided by the Minneapolis public school district, notification of any changes will be sent to families following the Governor’s announcement the week of July 27th. 

Enrollment Withdrawal Policy: Carondelet carefully budgets for how many students will be in attendance during each school year. Per the online enrollment agreement, withdrawal by the following dates will incur the subsequent penalties: 
          Notification by August 1, 2020  –  25% of tuition due
          Notification by November 15, 2020 –  50% of tuition due
          Notification by January 15, 2021 –  100% of tuition due
To notify school of a withdrawal from enrollment, a parent/guardian must inform the Principal, Mary Yamoah or Business Manager, Julie Stoeger by the dates listed above.

Extended Day Options: Families will have the opportunity to learn more about our before and after-school programming options and register for our Extended Day program (Club Saint) with our Back-to-School information sent out in early August. Click here for a list of some of the programs currently offered.

Billing/Tuition/Financial Aid: Please contact Julie Stoeger, Business Manager for any questions regarding billing, tuition or financial aid for the upcoming school year. View the 2020-2021 tuition schedule. 

School Calendar: View the 2020-2021 School Calendar here.  

Community Discussions about Racism: Please join the parish of Christ the King on Sunday, July 12th at 9:30 AM for a community parking lot discussion on anti-racism. Bring your own chair, beverage and mask. Please note, our buildings will still be closed including restrooms. Click here for more information and to RSVP. 

CTK Outdoor Summer Masses: CTK will be hosting a series of summer parking lot masses, beginning Friday, July 10 at 9 AM. Bring your own chair and mask. The buildings will be closed including restrooms, so please plan accordingly.

STA Mass Schedule:  Online video Mass from St. Thomas the Apostle is available on their websites. STA also hosts live Facebook watch parties during their regular Sunday mass times of 9:00 and 11:00 AM. STA has suspended on-site public celebrations of Mass until further notice. 

Parish News: For more news and events, view the websites from Christ the King or St. Thomas the Apostle or the STA Ministry Update.

Visit the Carondelet Catholic School website.

.    .    

News Notes June 12, 2020

A Letter from the Principal: 

As we conclude the 2019-2020 school year, it is a good time to reflect upon all that has been accomplished this year.  We finished year 2 of 3 of becoming a Top 20 School, made upgrades to building security at the Upper Campus (new front door buzzer funded by GoGo), enjoyed capital improvements at the Lower Campus through the generous donations of St. Thomas the Apostle (bathrooms, boiler system, air exchange system), and entered into a whole new world of off-site learning.  We welcomed six new members to the school team, 16 transfer students, and 26 new families.  We celebrated prayer services, Masses, concerts, tournaments, performances, and so much more.  We grew together academically and spiritually, helped everyone succeed, and we cannot thank you enough for your support along the way. 

Next year, we will enter year six of the accreditation cycle through the Minnesota Nonpublic School Accrediting Association (MNSAA), which will dedicate time and effort to complete a self-study and develop a new visionary plan.  We look forward to working through this process, collecting the feedback and data from all of our stakeholders, and developing a plan that will lead Carondelet Catholic School into the future.

Have a safe, healthy, and enjoyable summer. 

God Bless,
Mary Yamoah, Principal

Congratulations Mr. Blanda!  Mr. Stan Blanda, our beloved Assistant Principal, will enjoy his last day of school and enter into retirement on June 15th.  Mr. Blanda has been at Carondelet Catholic School for 25 years and in Catholic education for 40 years.  We commend your leadership, dedication, and hard work. We pray that God will continue to bless and guide you through the years ahead. We hope to celebrate Mr. Blanda at an all-school prayer service this fall. Congratulations on your retirement. Mr. Blanda! Go Cleveland!!

Thank you to everyone who submitted photos and videos for this year’s Pops & Lollies virtual celebration. We received so many fun submissions! A special thank you to Frankie Lenzmeier and Megan Hendrickson for planning another successul event! You can view a video of the award-winning submissions here.

And the award goes to…
          Most Artistic Backdrop: Evelyn & Nora Schoellman
          Best Comedic Performance: Eliza Erlin, Charlotte Gerken
          Best Duet: Cecily Evans, Abby & Claire Schendel
          Cutest Pet Cameo: Emma Braje, Ava Hensley
          Best Hair: Maren Fahlin (we loved the crown!)
          Most Festive Party Props: Josie Brown, Olive Otremba
          Most Creative Tik-Tok Georgia Newberry, Molly & Lindsay McDowell
          Best Bling: Sacha Newberry, Audrey Senger
          Most Hollywood Glam: Sarah Manley

Congratulations to Georgia Newberry! Georgia's poem on Immigration in America took second place in a statewide 5th grade creative writing, held by the American Immigration Council. You can read Georgia’s poem here. 

Report Cards:  Third trimester report cards have been generated and can be viewed in Sycamore in your child’s profile under Documents. You can find the assessment guidelines for off-site learning here. If you have any problems or questions accessing your account in Sycamore, please contact Mr. Blanda.

Buildings Closed: Please check with Jeanne Phenow or Holly Barborak in the school offices if you need to drop-off or pick up something. For safety reasons, we cannot have unexpected visitors entering the buildings. Thank you for your cooperation.

Summer Tutors:  Are you looking for a summer tutor?  Please click here for a complete listing of Carondelet teachers available this summer.

Summer Reading: If you'd like ideas of what to read over the summer, these lists have some great suggestions:  Houston Independent Schools Summer Reading Lists;  American Library Services Summer Reading Lists. You can also contact Mrs. Adelman or your child's teacher for some great book ideas! 

Help-A-Student Fund: There is a greater need for financial aid this year due to COVID-19. If you’d like to support fellow families in need, please consider a donation to our Tuition Assistance Fund.  ALL of us are beneficiaries when we support our students and teachers as best as we possibly can. Please contact Julie Stoeger for more information on our Financial Aid/Tuition Assistance program. 

Aim Higher Scholarships: The Aim Higher Foundation is pleased to announce the availability of additional $1,000 tuition-assistance scholarships to attend a Catholic school during the 2020-21 school year. Applications open beginning June 1, 2020 and will be awarded on a rolling basis through August 7, 2020.  Click here for more information.

Summer Theater Camp – The Quilt Maker’s Gift:  Join us for the beautiful telling of the award winning book, The Quilt Maker’s Gift. Uplifting music, comedic dialogue, and fanciful dance follows the story of a greedy young king as he transforms into a loving, generous king. This two week camp (Monday - Thursday) will culminate with a 45-minute musical production on Thursday, August 13th with performances at 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm. Carondelet students and non-Carondelet students are welcome - grades K-12. Alumni are welcome to be part of the teaching and production team.

Summer Theater General Information    Parent Information and Participation Form

Parish News: For more news and events, view the websites from Christ the King or St. Thomas the Apostle or the STA Ministry page.

Visit the Carondelet Catholic School website.

.    .    

News June 5, 2020

A Letter from the Principal: 

Thank you to all who were able to drop-off school items and pick-up desk/locker items this past week.  We still have a couple of bags needing to be picked up.  You will have received an email from Jeanne already regarding an alternate pick up time next week.

We have rescheduled our year-end drive-by parade for Monday, June 8th from 12:00-1:30pm at the Upper Campus.  We are very excited to celebrate our students as we say good-bye for the summer.

In order to safely welcome everyone to our Celebration Parade, timing will be staggered. You can join us anytime in that half an hour slot. If you absolutely cannot come at your time, you can adjust as needed.

12:00-12:30 Last names A-G
12:30-1:00 Last Names H-O
1:00-1:30 Last Names P-Z

Some notes, as safety is of utmost importance:

• Families need to be in a car. Unfortunately, we cannot have walkers or bikers for this event.
• Please do not exit your car to play on the playground, greet other families, etc.
• Teachers will be socially distanced in the parking lot, and in front of the school on York Avenue.
• Please do not expect teachers to come to your car. They will be socially distanced, and waving.
• This is not a time for dropping off teacher gifts.
• Staff will be wearing masks. You may want to prepare younger students for this. Remind them we are still smiling!

Please enter from Zenith Avenue, coming from the south. (We do not want traffic jams on 50th Street.) You will then exit towards the south on York Avenue.

We are so excited to smile, and wave, and send you off into summer! Feel free to decorate your car, and join in the celebration! It has been an unexpected end of the school year. But together we have focused on helping others succeed this year. We can’t wait to celebrate our Saints!

God Bless,
Mary Yamoah, Principal

VIEW THE TRIBUTE VIDEO TO THE 8TH GRADE CLASS OF 2020!

Congratulations to the 8th Grade Class of 2020! We celebrated this year's 8th grade class with a drive-in graduation at the Lower Campus on Wednesday night. Traditionally, the 8th grade graduation prayer service is held in the church and ends with a song led by the 8th graders. Since this year has been anything but typical for this class, we decided we would sing to them in a faculty and staff video. Congratulations, graduates! May you continue to use your astounding range of God-given gifts to make this world a better place. 

We also extend our gratitude to several families who are graduating their last Carondelet Saint this year. Thank you to the Beltran-Moore, Braje, Cornelison, Dennewill, Illig, Jackson, Kragthorpe-Shirley, Lacher, Lickteig, Parmer, Person, Turner, and Stauffer families! Remember, you always have a family here at Carondelet.

Virtual MakerFaire:  Students in PreK-2nd grade worked hard throughout the school year to learn and practice skills in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.  Please be sure to check out some of their creations by visiting our virtual MakerFaire.  A special thank you to Mrs. Eileen Moening, Makerspace Teacher, for putting this virtual exhibit together!

Summer Tutors:  Are you looking for a summer tutor?  Please click HERE for a complete listing of Carondelet teachers available this summer.

Summer Reading: If you'd like ideas of what to read over the summer, these lists have some great suggestions: 
          Houston Independent Schools Summer Reading Lists
          American Library Services Summer Reading Lists
You can also contact Mrs. Adelman or your child's teacher for some great book ideas!

Buildings Still Closed: Please check with Jeanne Phenow or Holly Barborak in the school offices if you need to drop-off or pick up something. For safety reasons, we cannot have unexpected visitors entering the buildings. Thank you for your cooperation.

Help-A-Student Fund: There is a greater need for financial aid this year due to COVID-19. If you’d like to support fellow families in need, please consider a donation to our Tuition Assistance Fund.  ALL of us are beneficiaries when we support our students and teachers as best as we possibly can. Please contact Julie Stoeger for more information on our Financial Aid/Tuition Assistance program. 

Aim Higher Scholarships:  The Aim Higher Foundation is pleased to announce the availability of additional $1,000 tuition-assistance scholarships to attend a Catholic school during the 2020-2021 school year. Applications open beginning June 1, 2020 and will be awarded on a rolling basis through August 7, 2020.  Click HERE for more information.

Girls in PK-8 are invited to join us for this year’s Pops & Lollies virtual event, 
which has been extended through June 8th!
EXTENDED THROUGH JUNE 8TH! CLICK HERE DETAILS!

Basketball Uniform Return: Clean basketball shirts and shorts for players in grades 4-8 should have been returned the week of June 2-5 when school was coordinating pick-up/drop-off days and times. If you did not have an opportunity to return your child’s clean uniform this week, please call the Upper Campus to arrange an alternate drop off time.  Please make sure your child's name is on the bag when returned.

Summer Theater Camp – The Quilt Maker’s Gift:  Join us for the beautiful telling of the award winning book, The Quilt Maker’s Gift. Uplifting music, comedic dialogue, and fanciful dance follows the story of a greedy young king as he transforms into a loving, generous king. This two week camp (Monday - Thursday) will culminate with a 45-minute musical production on Thursday, August 13th with performances at 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm. Carondelet students and non-Carondelet students are welcome - grades K-12. Alumni are welcome to be part of the teaching and production team.

Summer Theater General Information    Parent Information and Participation Form

Parish News: For more news and events, view the websites from Christ the King or St. Thomas the Apostle or the STA Ministry.

Mass Suspension:  The parishes of Christ the King and St. Thomas the Apostle have suspended all public celebrations of Mass until further notice. Online video Mass from St. Thomas the Apostle and Christ the King is available via their websites.

Visit the Carondelet Catholic School website.

.    .    

News Notes May 29, 2020

A Letter from the Principal: 

It is amazing to see that the end of the school year arrived so quickly. I want to thank you all for the support and patience shown these past months especially during this time of the COVID-19 pandemic and off-site learning for our students.  We had successes and some challenges, yet despite all, we continued the work that had to be done to ensure the safety and educational needs of our students to be at the forefront of everything we do.  We are looking forward to the time when students return to Carondelet and we are back to some type of normalcy.  Thank you again for your support to our school community.

I would also like to thank our hardworking and caring faculty and staff who have made a huge difference to our students.  Their commitment is outstanding and our kids are the beneficiaries.  Thank you for providing rich and engaging experiences for our kids and knowing that education is about wonder and fostering curiosity, along with development of social skills so needed to succeed. For these, and a million other things, we are truly grateful.

In closing, I take this opportunity to congratulate all students of Carondelet Catholic School for your accomplishments! I wish you all a very happy, safe and enjoyable summer.  Please be sure to take time as family to talk, play, and PRAY together. 

To those who are leaving us we wish you all the best!  To our graduating class, we are excited to see where life’s journey takes you and look forward to celebrating you next week. Remember to help others succeed!

God Bless,
Mary Yamoah, Principal

P.S. We are looking to reschedule our year-end drive-by parade. More details to follow!

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Congratulations to the 8th Grade Class of 2020! As we celebrate our 8th grade graduates, we wish the best to all of these bright, compassionate, and close-knit Saints as they transition to high school. We know this is not the graduation celebration any of us had in mind, but we believe it’s experiences like these that make us more resilient. We also extend our gratitude to several families who are graduating their last Carondelet Saint this year. Thank you to the Beltran-Moore, Braje, Cornelison, Dennewill, Illig, Jackson, Kragthorpe-Shirley, Lacher, Lickteig, Parmer, Person, Turner, and Stauffer families! We are so proud of all of you! Remember, you always have a family here at Carondelet.

Prayer for Peace:  Thank you to everyone who was able to join us for our virtual Prayer for Peace this afternoon. If you were unable to attend, you can join us in prayer here.

End-of-Year Pick-Up & Drop-Off: Carondelet has scheduled the week of June 2-5 for families to drop off all school-owned textbooks/books/electronic devices and to pick up all items left at school by their children. We will have a schedule for each day, by last name, so we can have your bag(s) close at hand. We are not able to host any drop off/pick-up on Monday, June 1, as Christ the King has a funeral. ALL families should drop/pick-up items at the Upper Campus, to make it easier on parents who have students at both campuses and so that our staff is not stretched too thin. Please contact Jeanne Phenow or Holly Barborak if you are not able to come during your allotted time.
          Last name starting in A-F on Tuesday,  June 2nd, 9 am - 1 pm
          Last name starting in G-L on Wednesday,  June 3rd, 9 am - 1 pm
          Last name starting in M-R on Thursday, June 4th, 9 am - 1 pm
          Last name starting in S-Z on Friday, June 5th, 9 am - 1 pm

Girls in PK-8 are invited to join us for this year’s Pops & Lollies virtual event.
CLICK HERE FOR ‘POPS & LOLLIES’ DETAILS!

Virtual MakerFaire: Students in  PreK-2nd grade worked hard throughout the school year to learn and practice skills in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.  Please be sure to check out some of their creations by visiting our virtual MakerFaire.  A special thank you to Mrs. Eileen Moening, Makerspace Teacher, for putting this virtual exhibit together!

Summer Tutors: Are you looking for a summer tutor?  Please click HERE for a complete listing of Carondelet teachers available this summer.

Library Books: Please return your library books on your scheduled drop-off day in June. Now is the time to begin searching for Carondelet library books around your house. Our library books have barcodes that say "Carondelet Catholic Library" or "CTK-STA School." Library books will be sanitized following MDH recommendations before being reshelved. 

If you'd like ideas of what to read over the summer, these lists have some great suggestions: 
          Houston Independent Schools Summer Reading Lists
          American Library Services Summer Reading Lists
You can also contact Mrs. Adelman or your child's teacher for some great book ideas! 

Buildings Still Closed: Please check with Jeanne Phenow or Holly Barborak in the school offices if you need to drop-off or pick up something. For safety reasons, we cannot have unexpected visitors entering the buildings. Thank you for your cooperation.

Help-A-Student Fund: There is a greater need for financial aid this year due to COVID-19. If you’d like to support fellow families in need, please consider a donation to our Tuition Assistance Fund.  ALL of us are beneficiaries when we support our students and teachers as best as we possibly can. Please contact Julie Stoeger for more information on our Financial Aid/Tuition Assistance program. 

Fall Sports Registration: Please remember to register your child for Fall sports as the registration deadline is today, FRIDAY, MAY 29TH.  Registration is open to girls entering grades 4-8 who would like to play volleyball, and open to boys and girls entering 5th-8th grade who would like to play soccer.  Late registrations will only be accepted if space permits for the team you wish to register for.  Please use this registration link and contact Tony Subialka, CCS Athletic Director if you have any questions.  

Basketball Uniform Return: Clean basketball shirts and shorts for players in grades 4-8 be returned the week of June 2-5 when school will be coordinating pick-up/drop-off days and times.  Please make sure your child's name is on the bag when returned.   Parents will be receiving an email reminder prior to the week of June 1st if your child's uniform has not yet been received. 

Summer Theater Camp – The Quilt Maker’s Gift:  Join us for the beautiful telling of the award winning book, The Quilt Maker’s Gift. Uplifting music, comedic dialogue, and fanciful dance follows the story of a greedy young king as he transforms into a loving, generous king. This two week camp (Monday - Thursday) will culminate with a 45-minute musical production on Thursday, August 13th with performances at 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm. Carondelet students and non-Carondelet students are welcome - grades K-12. Alumni are welcome to be part of the teaching and production team.
Summer Theater General Information    Parent Information and Participation Form

Parish News: For more news and events, view the websites from Christ the King or St. Thomas the Apostle or the STA Ministry Update.

Mass Suspension:  The parishes of Christ the King and St. Thomas the Apostle have suspended all public celebrations of Mass until further notice. Online video Mass from St. Thomas the Apostle and Christ the King is available via their websites.

Visit the Carondelet Catholic School website.

                    

News Notes May 22, 2020

A Letter from the Principal: 

This weekend, let’s be sure to take time to remember and show gratitude for the men and women from every branch of the military who made the ultimate sacrifice to defend and ensure our freedom. I’m so grateful for their sacrifice. I hope you and your family enjoy the long weekend!

Mary Yamoah, Principal

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End-of-Year Pick-Up & Drop-Off: Carondelet has scheduled the week of June 2-5 for families to drop off all school-owned textbooks/books/electronic devices and to pick up all items left at school by their children. We will have a schedule for each day, by last name, so we can have your bag(s) close at hand. We are not able to host any drop off/pick-up on Monday, June 1, as Christ the King has a funeral. ALL families should drop/pick-up items at the Upper Campus, to make it easier on parents who have students at both campuses and so that our staff is not stretched too thin. Please contact Jeanne Phenow or Holly Barborak if you are not able to come during your allotted time.
          Last name starting in A-F on Tuesday,  June 2nd, 9 am - 1 pm
          Last name starting in G-L on Wednesday,  June 3rd, 9 am - 1 pm
          Last name starting in M-R on Thursday, June 4th, 9 am - 1 pm
          Last name starting in S-Z on Friday, June 5th, 9 am - 1 pm

End-of-Year Parade Celebration: Mark your calendar and save the date for a year-end car parade to wave goodbye to the teachers and staff on Friday, May 29 from Noon-1:30 pm. The all-school car parade will take place around the Upper Campus.  Look for a separate email coming soon with more details.

Buildings Still Closed: Please check with Jeanne Phenow or Holly Barborak in the school offices if you need to drop-off or pick something up. For safety reasons, we cannot have unexpected visitors entering the buildings. Thank you for your cooperation.

Pre-Kindergarten Meet & Greet: The Pre-K Meet & Greet for incoming Pre-K students has also been moved to Wednesday, May 27 as a drive-through event from 9:00-10:00 am at our Lower Campus. Please watch your email for more information from the PreK team!

Kindergarten Meet & Greet: This year’s Kinder ”Garden” Party has been moved to a drive-through event at the Lower Campus. Families with an incoming kindergartener can pick up a goodie bag and wave hello to the kindergarten team on Wednesday, May 27 between 10:00-11:00 am. More details will be sent to registered families this week. 

Off-Site Learning Survey: If you have not already done so, please take a few minutes to complete the brief Off-Site Learing survey that was emailed to you recently. the link to which was in the email sent on Thursday. Please answer a separate set of questions for each child attending Carondelet. The survey should take no longer than 2 minutes. All responses are anonymous unless you choose to provide your name at the conclusion of the survey. Please contact Stan Blanda if you have any problems with the survey.

Girls in PK-8 are invited to join us for this year’s Pops & Lollies virtual event.
CLICK HERE FOR ‘POPS & LOLLIES’ DETAILS!

Sunday Night Storytime: Please join us on Sunday nights for “Stuffed Animal Storytime”. Carondelet faculty and staff will be sharing some of their favorite stories! The link is posted on our school website and Facebook at 6:00 pm each Sunday. 

Help-A-Student Fund: There is a greater need for financial aid this year due to COVID-19. If you’d like to support fellow families in need, please consider a donation to our Tuition Assistance Fund.  ALL of us are beneficiaries when we support our students and teachers as best as we possibly can. Please contact Julie Stoeger for more information on our Financial Aid/Tuition Assistance program. 

Tech Support:  If you experience any technology glitches during this off-site learning time, please work with your child’s teacher to try and fix the problem. In the event that you cannot resolve the issue, please submit a support ticket to our Technology Helpdesk. Click here for suggestions for best video-conferencing performance.

Fall Sports Registration is now open for soccer and volleyball.  Soccer is offered for boys and girls in grades 5-8, and volleyball is offered for girls in grades 4-8. At this time, the SSYO has informed CCS that the intent is to go forward with Fall sports, but that is subject to change given the current health concerns in our nation. It is necessary for CCS to conduct Fall sports registration now as our league requires team participation commitments from schools in early June.  Please fill out the registration link. Fees for fall sports are $100 per child. In the event that fall sports will not be played due to the current Coronavirus situation, fees will not be collected by CCS. If you have any questions about fall sports or registration, please contact Tony Subialka, CCS Athletic Director. Fall sports registration deadline is FRIDAY, MAY 29TH.  Registrations after this date will only be accepted if space allows.  Click here for more information or to register.

Basketball Uniform Return: Clean basketball shirts and shorts for players in grades 4-8 be returned the week of June 2-5 when school will be coordinating pick-up/drop-off days and times.  Please make sure your child's name is on the bag when returned.   Parents will be receiving an email reminder prior to the week of June 1st if your child's uniform has not yet been received. 

Summer Theater Camp – The Quilt Maker’s Gift:  Join us for the beautiful telling of the award winning book, The Quilt Maker’s Gift. Uplifting music, comedic dialogue, and fanciful dance follows the story of a greedy young king as he transforms into a loving, generous king. This two week camp (Monday - Thursday) will culminate with a 45-minute musical production on Thursday, August 13th with performances at 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm. Carondelet students and non-Carondelet students are welcome - grades K-12. Alumni are welcome to be part of the teaching and production team.

Summer Theater General Information    Parent Information and Participation Form

GoGo BIN Party Update: With the current atmosphere of uncertainty as to when businesses will reopen and guidelines for social distancing will relax, it is with regret that all BIN parties scheduled for March, April and May have been canceled. As we are unable to refund amounts paid to attend BIN parties, your donation is now tax deductible since you didn’t attend the party (no value was received).  Thank you for understanding. We’ll continue to assess the situation and keep you updated on BINs scheduled in June, July and August.  

Certain live and silent auction items may also be affected by COVID-19 and ask that winners reach out to package donors to work out any changes. Thank you to everyone who contributed and thank you for understanding and being flexible!

Please direct any questions or concerns to the GoGo Co-Chairs. 
Debbie McDowell, MaryBeth Puder, Rachel Horejsi, Susan Krook 

Parish News: For more news and events, view the websites from Christ the King or St. Thomas the Apostle or the STA Ministry Update.

Mass Suspension:  The Archdiocese has suspended all public celebrations of Mass until further notice. Online video Mass from St. Thomas the Apostle and Christ the King is available via their websites.

Visit the Carondelet Catholic School website.

                    

News Notes May 15, 2020

A Letter from the Principal: 

Congratulations parents, you’re doing it!  Faced with uncertainty as we navigate our way through a global pandemic, you’ve become deliverers of your child’s education as we moved to off-site learning.  You don’t know how much longer you can do this – checking learning calendars, scheduling playdates (via Zoom), PE workouts, and balancing work.  I am here to tell you that you are doing great!  Be gentle with yourself, reach out to other Carondelet parents, and take care of yourself.  The end is near and we are here to support you!

Enjoy your weekend!
Mary Yamoah, Principal

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Buildings Closed: Please check with Jeanne Phenow or Holly Barborak in the school offices if you need to drop-off or pick up something. For safety reasons, we cannot have unexpected visitors entering the buildings. Thank you for your cooperation.

Kindergarten Meet & Greet: This year’s Kinder ”Garden” Party has been moved to a drive-through event at the Lower Campus. Families with an incoming kindergartener can pick up a goodie bag and wave hello to the kindergarten team on Wednesday, May 27 between 10:00-11:00 am. More details will be sent to registered families this week. 

Pre-Kindergarten Meet & Greet: The Pre-K Meet & Greet for incoming Pre-K students has also been moved to Wednesday, May 27 as a drive-through event from 9:00-10:00 am at our Lower Campus. Please watch your email for more information from the Pre-K team!

End-of-Year Parade Celebration: Mark your calendar and save the date for a year-end car parade to wave goodbye to the teachers and staff on Friday, May 29 from Noon-1:00 pm. The all-school car parade will take place around the Upper Campus.  More details will be included in next week’s News Notes!

Off-Site Learning Survey: If you have not already done so, please take a few minutes to complete a brief Off-Site Learing survey, the link to which was in the email sent on Thursday. Please answer a separate set of questions for each child attending Carondelet. The survey should take no longer than 2 minutes. All responses are anonymous unless you choose to provide your name at the conclusion of the survey. Please contact Stan Blanda if you have any problems with the survey.

Confessions of a Catholic School Parent (with Katie Knoll!): The Catholic Schools Center of Excellence (CSCOE) has a Facebook live stream each weeknight to interview parents about their distance learning experience. Thursday’s live stream event featured Katie Knoll, Carondelet parent of Tommy and Mary. Thank you, Katie, for sharing your perspective on the joys and challenges of off-site learning! View Katie’s interview here.

Sunday Night Storytime: Please join us on Sunday nights for “Stuffed Animal Storytime”. Carondelet faculty and staff will be sharing some of their favorite stories! The link is posted on our school website and Facebook at 6:00 pm each Sunday. 

Help-A-Student Fund: There is a greater need for financial aid this year due to COVID-19. If you’d like to support fellow families in need, please consider a donation to our Tuition Assistance Fund.  ALL of us are beneficiaries when we support our students and teachers as best as we possibly can. Please contact Julie Stoeger for more information on our Financial Aid/Tuition Assistance program. 

Tech Support:  If you experience any technology glitches during this off-site learning time, please work with your child’s teacher to try and fix the problem. In the event that you cannot resolve the issue, please submit a support ticket to our Technology Helpdesk. Click HERE for suggestions for best video-conferencing performance.

Beginning Band Meeting: At Carondelet, Band is offered to all students beginning in Fourth Grade and Concert Band in grades 5-8. To learn more about Band, join us for an Informational Meeting on 5/20 at 7:00pm via Webex.  Band Teacher, Dan Connolly will explain what being in Band involves and how to get ready for the upcoming school year. A representative from Groth Music will also be present to discuss how the instrument rental programs work. Please email Dan Connolly with questions. Thank you!

Band Informational Meeting – Wednesday, May 20 at 7:00 pm
Link to Webex Meeting – Meeting Password: BandRocks

Fall Sports Registration is now open for soccer and volleyball.  Soccer is offered for boys and girls in grades 5-8, and volleyball is offered for girls in grades 4-8. At this time, the SSYO has informed CCS that the intent is to go forward with Fall sports, but that is subject to change given the current health concerns in our nation. It is necessary for CCS to conduct Fall sports registration now as our league requires team participation commitments from schools in early June.  Please fill out the registration link. Fees for fall sports are $100 per child. In the event that fall sports will not be played due to the current Coronavirus situation, fees will not be collected by CCS. If you have any questions about fall sports or registration, please contact Tony Subialka, CCS Athletic Director. Fall sports registration deadline is FRIDAY, MAY 29TH.  Registrations after this date will only be accepted if space allows.  Click here for more information or to register.

Basketball Uniform Return: Clean basketball shirts and shorts for players in grades 4-8 be returned the week of June 1-5 when school will be coordinating pick-up/drop-off days and times.  Please make sure your child's name is on the bag when returned.   Parents will be receiving an email reminder prior to the week of June 1st if your child's uniform has not yet been received. 

Summer Camps:: At this time, Summer Camps originally scheduled for June have been cancelled due to the uncertainty of COVID-19 (Junior Basketball Camp & “Under the Sea” Summer Camp).  A decision on the Summer Theatre Camp will be determined at a later date. Information is still included below.

Summer Theater Camp – The Quilt Maker’s Gift:  Join us for the beautiful telling of the award winning book, The Quilt Maker’s Gift. Uplifting music, comedic dialogue, and fanciful dance follows the story of a greedy young king as he transforms into a loving, generous king. This two week camp (Monday - Thursday) will culminate with a 45-minute musical production on Thursday, August 13th with performances at 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm. Carondelet students and non-Carondelet students are welcome - grades K-12. Alumni are welcome to be part of the teaching and production team.

Summer Theater General Information    Parent Information and Participation Form

Pops & Lollies: While COVID-19 has kept us off campus, we still have some fun ideas up our sleeves for our Carondelet gals and their pops. Be on the lookout next week! 

GoGo BIN Party Update: With the current atmosphere of uncertainty as to when businesses will reopen and guidelines for social distancing will relax, it is with regret that all BIN parties scheduled for March, April and May have been canceled. As we are unable to refund amounts paid to attend BIN parties, your donation is now tax deductible since you didn’t attend the party (no value was received).  Thank you for understanding. We’ll continue to assess the situation and keep you updated on BINs scheduled in June, July and August.  

Certain live and silent auction items may also be affected by COVID-19 and ask that winners reach out to package donors to work out any changes. Thank you to everyone who contributed and thank you for understanding and being flexible!

Please direct any questions or concerns to the GoGo Co-Chairs. 
Debbie McDowell, MaryBeth Puder, Rachel Horejsi, Susan Krook 

Parish News: For more news and events, view the websites from Christ the King or St. Thomas the Apostle or the STA Ministry Update.

Mass Suspension:  The Archdiocese has suspended all public celebrations of Mass until further notice. Online video Mass from St. Thomas the Apostle and Christ the King is available via their websites.

Visit the Carondelet Catholic School website.

                    

News May 8, 2020

A Letter from the Principal: 

This week we celebrated Teacher Appreciation Week.  While it may have looked a little different than years past, it remains the same that we greatly value the efforts of our teachers.  Thank you for helping us recognize and appreciate all of the hard work that teachers do every day.

This weekend we will honor mothers.  On behalf of the Carondelet faculty and staff, we pray that all our Mothers, Grandmothers and other women who care for children have a blessed Sunday as we celebrate Mother's Day.

Thank you to all those who joined us for Tuesday’s virtual Parent Night on Carondelet's Individualized Approach to Literacy. Please join us next Thursday, May 14 for “Confessions of Catholic School Parents”, hosted by CSCOE and featuring the Knoll family. (Full details below).

Enjoy your weekend!
Mary Yamoah, Principal

-------------------------------------------

Fall Sports Registration begins today for soccer and volleyball.  Soccer is offered for boys and girls in grades 5-8, and volleyball is offered for girls in grades 4-8.  At this time, the SSYO has informed CCS that the intent is to go forward with Fall sports, but that is subject to change given the current health concerns in our nation.  It is necessary for CCS to conduct Fall sports registration now as our league requires team participation commitments from schools in early June.  Please fill out the registration link.  Fees for fall sports are $100 per child.  In the event that fall sports will not be played due to the current Coronavirus situation, fees will not be collected by CCS.  If you have any questions about fall sports or registration, please contact Tony Subialka, CCS Athletic Director.  Fall sports registration deadline is FRIDAY, MAY 29TH.  Registrations after this date will only be accepted if space allows.  Click here for more information or to register.

Basketball Uniform Return: Due to the unexpected closure of CCS in mid March, many basketball uniforms have not yet been returned.  We are asking that both clean basketball shirts and shorts for players in grades 4-8 be returned the week of June 1-5 when school will be coordinating pick-up/drop-off days and times.  Please make sure your child's name is on the bag when returned.  Thank you for your help in getting these returned.  Parents will be receiving an email reminder prior to the week of June 1st if your child's uniform has not yet been received at school. 

Confessions of Catholic School Parents (with Katie Knoll!): The Catholic Schools Center of Excellence (CSCOE) has a livestream show on Facebook at 8:30 pm each weeknight to interview parents about their distance learning experience. Next Thursday, May 14th will feature Katie Knoll, Carondelet parent of Tommy and Mary. Please tune-in at 8:30 pm on CSCOE’s Facebook page. We’re looking forward to hearing the Knoll’s perspectives on the joys and challenges of off-site learning!

Sunday Night Storytime: Please join us on Sunday nights for “Stuffed Animal Storytime”. Carondelet faculty and staff will be sharing some of their favorite stories! The link is posted on our school website and Facebook starting at 6:00 pm each Sunday. 

Yearbook Orders: Time is running out to order a 2019-2020 Yearbook!  If you have not already done so, you may order a yearbook online by clicking here!  Orders can only be placed online during this time of off-site learning. If you are unsure if you have already purchased a yearbook, please contact Ms. Daugherty, Yearbook Advisor, with your student's first and last name. Thanks.

Saint’s Way: Last month your child’s Saint’s Way “Top 20” message was about conflict. We all deal with conflict, maybe even on a daily basis. That is okay! What really matters is how we are teaching our children to deal with and respond to conflict. Are they putting the blame on others? Are they able to express their feelings with “I feel” statements? Which option is going to be more effective in dealing with conflict? Even as adults we are faced with conflict and it is easy for us to put the blame on the other person. Unfortunately, we know that is usually not very effective and will just lead to further conflicts. Our children are watching and learning from their teachers, parents, and other adults in the media. Let’s make sure that we are handling our conflicts effectively. Remind your child that they have the power of choice. 

This month has also been the perfect time for us all to remember to live above the line. As we watch what happens in our nation and across the world, it is easy for us to fall below the line. Find your trampoline (maybe it is perspective this month) and let’s make the best of our day!  

Help-A-Student Fund: There is a greater need for financial aid this year due to COVID-19. If you’d like to support fellow families in need, please consider a donation to our Tuition Assistance Fund.  ALL of us are beneficiaries when we support our students and teachers as best as we possibly can. Please contact Julie Stoeger for more information on our Financial Aid/Tuition Assistance program. 

COVID-19 Resources:  There are many resources available to students and families to help us all navigate this temporary way of living, learning and working during COVID-19.  While these resources are provided by Minneapolis Public Schools, they are available to all.  Please visit the following links for more information.

• Providing free food to ANY child 18 years or younger, whether the child goes to an MPS school or not. 
• Ensuring you are connected to the resources you need to take care of your mental health.
• Continuing to provide free child care for emergency personnel and health workers.

Tech Support:  If you experience any technology glitches during this off-site learning time, please work with your child’s teacher to try and fix the problem. In the event that you cannot resolve the issue, please submit a support ticket to our Technology Helpdesk.  

You can also click HERE for suggestions for best video-conferencing performance.

VIEW OUR VIDEO E-GREETING FROM CARONDELET

GoGo BIN Party Update: With the current atmosphere of uncertainty as to when businesses will reopen and guidelines for social distancing will relax, it is with regret that all BIN parties scheduled for March, April and May have been canceled. As we are unable to refund amounts paid to attend BIN parties, your donation is now tax deductible since you didn’t attend the party (no value was received).  Thank you for understanding. We’ll continue to assess the situation and keep you updated on BINs scheduled in June, July and August.  

We also realize that certain live and silent auction items may be affected by COVID-19 and ask that winners reach out to package donors to work out any changes.

Who knew our world would change so dramatically after the GoGo. We feel lucky to have been able to get together to celebrate and raise money for our amazing school! Thank you to everyone who contributed and thank you for understanding and being flexible!

Please direct any questions or concerns to the GoGo Co-Chairs. 

Debbie McDowell, MaryBeth Puder, Rachel Horejsi, Susan Krook 

Mom & Sons St. Paul Saints Game: The June Mother/Son baseball outing has been cancelled due to restrictions on social gatherings. We hope to reschedule with another event at a later date, TBD. 

Summer Camps: At this time, Summer Camps originally scheduled for June have been cancelled due to the uncertainty of COVID-19 (Junior Basketball Camp & “Under the Sea” Summer Camp).  A decision on the Summer Theatre Camp will be determined at a later date. Information is still included below.

Summer Theater Camp – The Quilt Maker’s Gift:  Join us for the beautiful telling of the award winning book, The Quilt Maker’s Gift. Uplifting music, comedic dialogue, and fanciful dance follows the story of a greedy young king as he transforms into a loving, generous king. This two week camp (Monday - Thursday) will culminate with a 45-minute musical production on Thursday, August 13th with performances at 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm. Carondelet students and non-Carondelet students are welcome - grades K-12. Alumni are welcome to be part of the teaching and production team.

Summer Theater General Information        Parent Information and Participation Form

Parish News: For more news and events, view the websites from Christ the King or St. Thomas the Apostle or the STA Ministry Update.

Mass Suspension:  The Archdiocese has suspended all public celebrations of Mass until further notice. Online video Mass from St. Thomas the Apostle and Christ the King is available via their websites.

Visit the Carondelet Catholic School website.

                    

 

News Notes: April 24, 2020

A Letter from the Principal: 

Yesterday we announced that Carondelet will remain closed through the end of the school year, continuing with off-site learning. This closure includes all school-related events and activities, until further notice.  While this is extremely disappointing for all of us, it is a necessary step in order for us to do our part in stopping the spread of COVID-19 and making sure we keep you and your family safe.

We are developing plans and schedules for families to pick up any remaining personal belongings that students left at school before our buildings were closed, and return school-issued iPads, Chromebooks, textbooks, and other school materials.  We will communicate plans closer to year end.

Our faculty and staff are working on alternate plans for the 8th grade graduation, PreK and K welcome events and other events that might be able to be postponed. We are committed to making sure we honor these new and graduating Saints in ways that keep many of the special traditions intact and accommodate social distancing. We will share the details of these events with our community once we have more clarity on what will be safe and allowed later next month. 

We hope you’ll join us for our upcoming virtual speaker event: our “Approach to Literacy” Night and our new Sunday Night Storytimes!  Please see the details below. 

Have a great weekend!

Mary Yamoah, Principal

-------------------------------------------

2019-2020 Yearbook Orders: Time is running out to order a 2019-2020 Yearbook!  If you have not already done so, you may order a yearbook online by clicking here!  Orders can only be placed online during this time of off-site learning. If you are unsure if you have already purchased a yearbook, please contact Ms. Daugherty, Yearbook Advisor, with your student's first and last name. Thanks.

Mental Health with Dr. Jules Nolan: School Psychologist Dr. Jules Nolan hosted a virtual meeting on the topic “Student and Parent Mental Health during COVID-19”. The meeting has been recorded and shared for those unable to attend. 

"Engaging Readers: Carondelet's Individualized Approach to Literacy": Carondelet parents and friends are invited to join us for a virtual information session on Carondelet's Individualized Approach to Literacy, led by a Carondelet faculty panel. Topics will include literacy assessments, curriculum and instruction, interventions, and strategies used to reach a broad spectrum of readers. Please mark your calendars for Tuesday, May 5th at 7:00 pm. A link to join the event will be posted prior to the event.

Sunday Night Storytime: Please join us on Sunday nights for “Stuffed Animal Storytime”. Carondelet faculty and staff will be sharing some of their favorite stories! The link will be shared on our school website and Facebook starting at 6:00 pm each Sunday. 

Help-A-Student Fund: There is a greater need for financial aid this year due to COVID-19. If you’d like to support fellow families in need, please consider a donation to our Tuition Assistance Fund.  ALL of us are beneficiaries when we support our students and teachers as best as we possibly can. Please contact Julie Stoeger for more information on our Financial Aid/Tuition Assistance program. 

Tech Support:  If you experience any technology glitches during this extended off-site learning time, please work with your child’s teacher to try and fix the problem.  In the event that you cannot resolve the issue, please submit a support ticket to our Technology Helpdesk.

GoGo BIN Party Update: With the current atmosphere of uncertainty as to when businesses will reopen and guidelines for social distancing will relax, it is with regret that all BIN parties scheduled for March, April and May have been canceled. As we are unable to refund amounts paid to attend BIN parties, your donation is now tax deductible since you didn’t attend the party (no value was received).  Thank you for understanding. We’ll continue to assess the situation and keep you updated on BINs scheduled in June, July and August.  

We also realize that certain live and silent auction items may be affected by COVID-19 and ask that winners reach out to package donors to work out any changes.

Who knew our world would change so dramatically after the GoGo. We feel lucky to have been able to get together to celebrate and raise money for our amazing school! Thank you to everyone who contributed and thank you for understanding and being flexible!

Please direct any questions or concerns to the GoGo Co-Chairs. 
Debbie McDowell, MaryBeth Puder, Rachel Horejsi, Susan Krook 

Mom & Sons St. Paul Saints Game: The June Mother/Son baseball outing has been cancelled due to restrictions on social gatherings. We hope to reschedule with another event at a later date, TBD. 

All school-related clubs, activities and athletics have been postponed at this time. This includes play practices. Please see below for summer camps, which are still scheduled until further notice. 

Junior Basketball Camp: A fun introductory basketball camp for boys and girls K-3. Camp focus will be on fundamental development with games and contests.  Jodi NilsenCarondelet phy. ed. teacher and husband Matt, former Edina head basketball coach, will conduct the camp June 15-17 from 12:30-2:00 pm at the Lower Campus. For more information and to register, click here.

“Under the Sea” Summer Camp: Current and incoming kindergartners are invited to welcome summer with kindergarten teacher Mary Lee Martin and Phy. Ed. teacher Jodi Nilsen for a fun-filled week of exploring under the sea! Join us for 4 days of arts and crafts, cooking, science, fun, and games! June 15-18 from 9 am-noon. Register here.

Summer Theater Camp – The Quilt Maker’s Gift: Join us for the beautiful telling of the award winning book, The Quilt Maker’s Gift. Uplifting music, comedic dialogue, and fanciful dance follows the story of a greedy young king as he transforms into a loving, generous king. This two week camp (Monday - Thursday) will culminate with a 45-minute musical production on Thursday, August 13th with performances at 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm. Carondelet students and non-Carondelet students are welcome - grades K-12. Alumni are welcome to be part of the teaching and production team.

Summer Theater General Information        Parent Information and Participation Form

Parish News: For more news and events, view the websites of Christ the King or St. Thomas the Apostle.

Mass Suspension:  The Archdiocese has suspended all public celebrations of Mass until further notice. Online video Mass from St. Thomas the Apostle and Christ the King is available via their websites.

Visit the Carondelet Catholic School website.

                    

News Notes: April 17, 2020

A Letter from the Principal: 

Usually during this time, our community is busy planning many of our spring events including the middle school play, MakerFaire, the May Crowning, grade-level lunches, speaker nights, new family orientations, and other special events and traditions that celebrate our Saints and help build community.

While social distancing requirements have forced us to cancel or postpone many of these events, please know our faculty and staff is working on alternate plans for the 8th grade graduation, PreK and K welcome events and other events that might be able to be postponed or adjusted. We are committed to making sure we honor these new and graduating Saints in ways that keep many of the special traditions intact and accommodate social distancing. We will share the details of these events with our community once we have more clarity on what will be safe and allowed later next month. 

We hope you’ll join us for our upcoming virtual speaker events: “Mental Health During COVID-19” and our “Approach to Literacy” Night and our new Sunday Night Storytimes! 

Please see the details below. 

Have a great weekend!

Mary Yamoah, Principal

-------------------------------------------

Mental Health with Dr. Jules Nolan: School Psychologist Dr. Jules Nolan of Phoenix School Counseling will be hosting a virtual meeting on the topic “Student and Parent Mental Health during COVID-19” on Monday, April 20th at 3:00 pm. During this session, Dr. Nolan will speak about how to best serve our children during off-site learning AND how we as adults can ensure our own mental health during these stressful times. 

Click HERE to submit some questions for Dr. Nolan to address during her Q&A session and use this link to JOIN the meeting. This meeting will also be recorded and shared for those unable to attend. 

"ENGAGING READERS: Carondelet's Individualized Approach to Literacy": Carondelet parents and friends are invited to join us for a virtual information session on Carondelet's Individualized Approach to Literacy, led by a Carondelet faculty panel. Topics will include literacy assessments, curriculum and instruction, interventions, and strategies used to reach a broad spectrum of readers. Please mark your calendars for Tuesday, May 5th at 7:00 pm. A link to join the event will be posted prior to the event.

Sunday Night Storytime: Please join us on Sunday nights for “Stuffed Animal Storytime”. Carondelet faculty and staff will be sharing some of their favorite stories! The link will be shared on our school website and Facebook starting at 6:00 pm each Sunday. 

Help-A-Student Fund: There is a greater need for financial aid this year due to COVID-19. If you’d like to support fellow families in need, please consider a donation to our Tuition Assistance Fund.  ALL of us are beneficiaries when we support our students and teachers as best as we possibly can. Please contact Julie Stoeger for more information on our Financial Aid/Tuition Assistance program. 

Registration for Upcoming School Year: Registration for all returning families was due March 15. Since we have a waitlist in many of the classes for next year, please complete registration this week to confirm your child/children’s placement for next year. If you have questions or concerns regarding registration, please contact Megan Hower or Julie Stoeger. 

Tech Support:  If you experience any technology glitches during this extended off-site learning time, please work with your child’s teacher to try and fix the problem.  In the event that you cannot resolve the issue, please submit a support ticket to our Technology Helpdesk.

Waite House Support (Volunteers Needed):  We are staying in contact with Waite House (part of Pillsbury United Communities) to support the hundreds of families relying on their services and food shelf. Here are a few ways families can help:

• Waite House needs 3-5 adult volunteers (18+ and healthy) on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays to help package food bags for families. Click here to volunteer and/or for more information.
• Cash donations: For every $1 donated, Waite House is able to purchase $7 of food. Donate to Waite House here. 

All school-related clubs, activities and athletics have been canceled at this time. This includes play practices. Please see below for summer camps, which are still scheduled until further notice. 

Fall sports update:   Fall sports registration will take place after May 4th.  Please watch for registration in the News Notes at that time.  Carondelet will need to declare how many volleyball and soccer teams will be participating in the SSYO by late May or early June so please register your child promptly if wishing to participate. 

Junior Basketball Camp: A fun introductory basketball camp for boys and girls K-3. Camp focus will be on fundamental development with games and contests.  Jodi NilsenCarondelet phy. ed. teacher and husband Matt, former Edina head basketball coach, will conduct the camp June 15-17 from 12:30-2:00 pm at the Lower Campus. For more information and to register, click here.

“Under the Sea” Summer Camp:  Current and incoming kindergartners are invited to welcome in summer with kindergarten teacher Mary Lee Martin and Phy. Ed. teacher Jodi Nilsen for a fun-filled week of exploring under the sea! Join us for 4 days of arts and crafts, cooking, science, fun, and games! June 15-18 from 9 am-noon. Register here.

Summer Theater Camp – The Quilt Maker’s Gift:  Join us for the beautiful telling of the award winning book, The Quilt Maker’s Gift. Uplifting music, comedic dialogue, and fanciful dance follows the story of a greedy young king as he transforms into a loving, generous king. This two week camp (Monday - Thursday) will culminate with a 45-minute musical production on Thursday, August 13th with performances at 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm. Carondelet students and non-Carondelet students are welcome - grades K-12. Alumni are welcome to be part of the teaching and production team.

Summer Theater General Information        Parent Information and Participation Form

Parish Bulletins:  For more news and events, please visit the websites of Christ the King or St. Thomas the Apostle. 

Mass Suspension:  The Archdiocese has suspended all public celebrations of Mass until further notice. Online video Mass from St. Thomas the Apostle and Christ the King is available via their websites.

Visit the Carondelet Catholic School website.

                    

News Notes: April 9, 2020

A Letter from the Principal: 

We may be physically separated during this Holy Week but there are many ways you can celebrate at home.  The Holy Week From Home - A Guide for Catholic Families  contains suggestions on how to make this Holy Week a time of joy, peace and grace for you and your loved ones even while away from church.  Our wonderful parishes, Christ the King and St. Thomas the Apostle, will also be offering online experiences for you and your family leading up to Easter.  Please note that we do not have school on Good Friday or Easter Monday.

The Carondelet Catholic School faculty and staff would like to extend Easter blessings to you and your family.  May the resurrection of our Savior be a constant reminder of His love and promise of eternal life. 

God Bless,

Mary Yamoah, Principal

-------------------------------------------

Just a reminder to PLEASE complete registration over the weekend, since we rely on these numbers to determine staffing and class sizes for next year. 

Send us Your Easter Pics! As a fun way to stay connected, we’d love to see your Easter pictures, whether it be in your Easter-best, dying eggs, or building new traditions! Send your pics to mhower@carondelet-mpls.org to share with the community on social media. 

Penny War Winners: Congratulations to Mrs. Carney’s kindergarten homeroom that brought in the most donations for last month’s Penny War for Waite House. Together, our school raised $572 for the Waite House food shelf. A portion of the proceeds will be matched for Minnesota FoodShare month. Thank you to all who have donated.

History Day Recognition: Congratulations to eighth graders Ireland Person, who is moving on to State History Day for her website "The White Rose Resistance” and Maya Aylward who received an honorable mention at the Regional Competition for her website on "Katherine Johnson." Way to go, Saints!

Big Bang Science Fair Recognition:  Congratulations to Bryn Burbach and Hugh Nugent who were announced as award winners at this week's Virtual Big Bang C-Stem Awards ceremony. The C-Stem Fair, hosted by the Catholic Schools Center of Excellence and the University of St. Thomas School of Engineering included 73 student submissions. Bryn designed and built a working hovercraft and then tested weights and its effectiveness to move. Hugh's project "What's in the Water" measured pH and mineral levels in Minneapolis lakes and studied the cause and effects of the changing levels. Bryn and Hugh’s projects were part of Carondelet's 6th grade science fair, advancing to the archdiocesan-wide Big Bang C-Stem Fair. 

Tech Support:  If you experience any technology glitches during this extended off-site learning time, please work with your child’s teacher to try and fix the problem.  In the event that you cannot resolve the issue, please submit a support ticket to our Technology Helpdesk.

Registration for Upcoming School Year: Registration for all returning families was due March 15. Since we have a waitlist in many of the classes for next year and to avoid any late payment fees, please complete registration this week. If you have questions or concerns regarding enrollment for next year, please contact Megan Hower or Julie Stoeger. 

Sycamore Registration Instructions:  As you complete or update the data, you can check your progress on the Enrollment Road Map by clicking on the Home button in the top, left corner. Once you have completed all required items, the items under Family and your students will be checked and appear green. A “Click Here To Submit Application” button will appear above the items only after all information has been supplied. After submitting your application, you will receive a confirmation email. Please email Mr. Blanda with questions regarding online registration. 

Waite House Support (Volunteers Needed:  We are staying in contact with Waite House (part of Pillsbury United Communities) to support the hundreds of families relying on their services and food shelf. Here are a few ways families can help:

• Waite House needs 3-5 adult volunteers (18+ and healthy) on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays to help package food bags for families. Click here to volunteer and/or for more information.
• Cash donations: For every $1 donated, Waite House is able to purchase $7 of food. Donate to Waite House here. 

Parent Speaker Night: The April 14th Parent Speaker Night “Engaging All Readers: Carondelet’s Approach to Literacy” is moving to a virtual meeting. Watch next week’s News Notes for a new date and time. 

While temporarily on hold, Volunteer Opportunities is your one-stop shop to support the school with your time and talents. For more information on Home & School, please contact Kate Hensley, Jadee Kahlert or Mary Schoellman, Home & School Co-Chairs.

All school-related clubs, activities and athletics have been canceled at this time. This includes play practices. Please see below for summer camps, which are still scheduled until further notice. 

Fall sports update:   Fall sports registration will take place after May 4th.  Please watch for registration in the News Notes at that time.  Carondelet will need to declare how many volleyball and soccer teams will be participating in the SSYO by late May or early June so please register your child promptly if wishing to participate. 

Junior Basketball Camp: A fun introductory basketball camp for boys and girls K-3. Camp focus will be on fundamental development with games and contests.  Jodi NilsenCarondelet phy. ed. teacher and husband Matt, former Edina head basketball coach, will conduct the camp June 15-17 from 12:30-2:00 pm at the Lower Campus. For more information and to register, click here.

“Under the Sea” Summer Camp:  Current and incoming kindergartners are invited to welcome in summer with kindergarten teacher Mary Lee Martin and Phy. Ed. teacher Jodi Nilsen for a fun-filled week of exploring under the sea! Join us for 4 days of arts and crafts, cooking, science, fun, and games! June 15-18 from 9 am-noon. Register here.

Summer Theater Camp – The Quilt Maker’s Gift:  Join us for the beautiful telling of the award winning book, The Quilt Maker’s Gift. Uplifting music, comedic dialogue, and fanciful dance follows the story of a greedy young king as he transforms into a loving, generous king. This two week camp (Monday - Thursday) will culminate with a 45-minute musical production on Thursday, August 13th with performances at 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm. Carondelet students and non-Carondelet students are welcome - grades K-12. Alumni are welcome to be part of the teaching and production team.

Summer Theater General Information        Parent Information and Participation Form

Parish Bulletins: For more news and events, view this week’s bulletins from Christ the King and St. Thomas the Apostle.

STA Holy Week Schedule can be viewed here.

Mass Suspension:  The Archdiocese has suspended all public celebrations of Mass until further notice. Online video Mass from St. Thomas the Apostle and Christ the King is available via their websites.

Visit the Carondelet Catholic School website.

                    

   


News Notes: March 27, 2020

A Letter from the Principal: 

A second week of off-site learning now in the books! I continue to be amazed with our teachers, students, admin team and parents for pulling together as a community to make the most of a very challenging situation. While there is wonderful content being delivered through our off-site learning plans, we understand this is a diverse group of learners, and the challenges for each family vary. The two biggest priorities right now should be safety and sanity. We’ll figure out a plan for grading at a later date, so please just try and do what you can, when you can. 

Just a reminder to complete PLEASE complete registration over the weekend, since we rely on these numbers to determine staffing and class sizes for next year. 

Carondelet teachers are doing an incredible job staying connected with their students and maintaining a sense of routine during our off-site learning days. Thank you to Mrs. Faber’s second graders for sharing your virtual Morning Meeting with KSTP News this week! You can view the segment here. 

Take care of yourselves over the break and remember that getting outdoors, music, art, reading, singing, laughing and hope are NOT CANCELLED!  Let’s embrace what we have.

God bless you and your families-

Mary Yamoah, Principal

-------------------------------------------

Communication with Teachers: Our teachers will be on Spring Break next week and not checking email, as we honor their break with their families. Any urgent matters can be directed to the Administrative team. 

Tech Support:  If you experience any technology glitches during this extended off-site learning time, please work with your child’s teacher to try and fix the problem.  In the event that you cannot resolve the issue, please submit a support ticket to our Technology Helpdesk.

Online Registration - Please complete by April 1: Registration for all returning families was due March 15. To avoid any late payment fees, please complete registration by next Wednesday, April 1. If you have questions or concerns regarding enrollment for next year, please contact Megan Hower or Julie Stoeger. 

Sycamore 2020-2021 Registration Instructions:  As you complete or update the data, you can check your progress on the Enrollment Road Map by clicking on the Home button in the top, left corner. Once you have completed all required items, the items under Family and your students will be checked and appear green. A “Click Here To Submit Application” button will appear above the items only after all information has been supplied. After submitting your application, you will receive a confirmation email. Please be sure to complete registration now. Please email Mr. Blanda with questions regarding online registration. 

Change to April Lunch Orders: Carondelet has decided to cancel all April lunches through AgraCulture and Papa John’s. If you’d still like your school lunches (or a portion of the fees) donated to Waite House, please DONATE YOUR APRIL LUNCHES here. All other orders will be canceled. 

Report Cards: Students have successfully completed Trimester 2 of the 2019-2020 school year.  Please log in to your Sycamore account to view your child’s report card which can be viewed in your child’s account in “Documents”.  If you have any questions or need assistance accessing your account, please contact Mr. Blanda.

Penny War for Waite House Goes Viral! The Penny War for Waite House was short-changed this month, so we’ve decided to take our efforts online! Families can use our school Venmo account to make donations of any size, designating a homeroom for each donation. All donations will be forwarded to Waite House with a portion matched for Minnesota FoodShare Month! We know the kids love a good competition, especially when it’s benefiting those in need. Search for ‘Carondelet Catholic Mpls’ using the Venmo app. Homeroom teachers will keep students posted on their rankings and include an update in next week’s News Notes!

Waite House Support (Volunteers & Donations Needed):  We are staying in contact with Waite House (part of Pillsbury United Communities) in regards to ways we can continue to support the hundreds of families relying on their services and food shelf. 

Here are a few ways families can help the Waite House community:

• Waite House can use 3-5 adult volunteers (18+ and healthy) on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays to help package food bags for families. Click here to volunteer and/or for more information.
• Cash donations is what is most needed right now. For every $1 donated, Waite House is able to purchase $7 of food. You can through our school “Penny Wars” Venmo account or donate to Waite House directly here. 

We know there will be many other ways to support those most in need in the days and weeks to come. Please continue to pray for the poor, the sick and the hungry. 

All school-related clubs, activities and athletics have been postponed until further notice. This includes play practices and spring sports. Please see below for summer camps, which are still scheduled until further notice. 

Spring sports update:  The SSYO, which is our sports league has just announced that the spring sports season has been officially cancelled.  With the order from Governor Walz for schools to remain closed until at least May 4, 2020 there will not be enough time to complete a league schedule.  Thank you to all who signed up to play. Carondelet had enough registrations to have three baseball teams and one softball team. Hopefully we can maintain that interest for next spring.  

Fall sports update:   Fall sports registration will take place after May 4th.  Please watch for registration in the News Notes at that time.  Carondelet will need to declare how many volleyball and soccer teams will be participating in the SSYO by late May or early June so please register your child promptly if wishing to participate.  

Basketball Uniforms:  Families that have not yet been able to return basketball uniforms will need to do so once we return to school.  A more concrete return due date will be set once a return to a regular school day has been announced. Thank you to everyone who has already been able to return uniforms.  Please do not return basketball uniforms to school at this time when school is closed.  

Junior Basketball Camp: A fun introductory basketball camp for boys and girls K-3. Camp focus will be on fundamental development with games and contests.  Jodi Nilsen, Carondelet phy. ed. teacher and husband Matt, former Edina head basketball coach, will conduct the camp June 15-17 from 12:30-2:00 pm at the Lower Campus. For more information and to register, click here.

“Under the Sea” Summer Camp:  Current and incoming kindergartners are invited to welcome in summer with kindergarten teacher Mary Lee Martin and Phy. Ed. teacher Jodi Nilsen for a fun-filled week of exploring under the sea! Join us for 4 days of arts and crafts, cooking, science, fun, and games! June 15-18 from 9 am-noon. Register here.

Summer Theater Camp – The Quilt Maker’s Gift:  Join us for the beautiful telling of the award winning book, The Quilt Maker’s Gift. Uplifting music, comedic dialogue, and fanciful dance follows the story of a greedy young king as he transforms into a loving, generous king. This two week camp (Monday - Thursday) will culminate with a 45-minute musical production on Thursday, August 13th with performances at 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm. Carondelet students and non-Carondelet students are welcome - grades K-12. Alumni are welcome to be part of the teaching and production team.
Summer Theater General Information        Parent Information and Participation Form 

‘Pastries with a Pal’: The April 17th ‘Pastries with a Pal’ Home & School event has been postponed for a future date, to be determined.

While temporarily on hold, Volunteer Opportunities is your one-stop shop to support the school with your time and talents. For more information on Home & School, please contact Kate Hensley, Jadee Kahlert or Mary Schoellman, Home & School Co-Chairs.

Parish Bulletins: For more news and events, view this week’s bulletins from Christ the King and St. Thomas the Apostle.

A Message from STA Staff Members can be viewed here.

Mass Suspension:  The Archdiocese has suspended all public celebrations of Mass until further notice. Arrangements are being made for an online video Mass from St. Thomas the Apostle and Christ the King. 

Visit the Carondelet Catholic School website.

                    

News Notes: March 6, 2020

The Week Ahead:

The following information went home on Wednesday:

• April Lunch menu  (pink)
• The Shadow Side of Technology flyer  (yellow)
• Mom & Son ‘Take Me out to the Ballgame’ Save-the-Date flyer  (blue)
• Lower Campus Spring Chess flyer  (ivory)
• Upper Campus Spring Chess flyer  (salmon)
• Lower Campus Sewing flyer  (purple)
• Upper Campus Sewing flyer  (green)

From the Desk of Mr. Blanda:  What a wonderful evening last Saturday was as we gathered to celebrate our unique Saints and the Carondelet community! So much energy, enthusiasm and support filled the Calhoun Beach Club. There are so many people to thank: the many, many attendees who packed the venue and gave their financial support; the sponsors and all the donors for their fantastic donations and support; and the co-chairs for all their organization, time, and hard work. Thank you all for helping make the GoGo the huge success that it was! Check out the GoGo Update below for ways you can still contribute to this year’s Fund-a-Need, bid on some items or make some purchases to help support Carondelet and its mission. The basketball season is winding down and spring sports are ready to begin.  Congratulations to all our Saint basketball players for your hard work, determination and sportsmanship as you represented Carondelet on the court. Thanks to all the coaches for your time and dedication helping the kids to be successful and learn skills they will use on and off the court. Today marks the end of the 2nd trimester.  It is hard to believe that we are ready to begin the 3rd trimester of the school year. Look for report cards celebrating your child’s successes and growth on Wednesday, March 18. Enjoy the weekend filled with sunshine and 60 degree temperatures

Peace and all good.
Mr. Blanda

2020-2021 Online Registration: An email (Carondelet 2020-2021 Online Registration) with the link to online registration in Sycamore was sent to all families. As you complete or update the data, you can check your progress on the Enrollment Road Map by clicking on the Home button in the top, left corner. Once you have completed all required items, the items under Family and your students will be checked and appear green. A “Click Here To Submit Application” button will appear above the items only after all information has been supplied. After submitting your application, you will receive a confirmation email. Please be sure to complete registration by Sunday, March 15. Please email Mr. Blanda with questions regarding online registration.

April Lunch Orders:  Lunch orders for the month of April are due by 10:00 am  Monday, March 16. Late orders cannot be accepted. Complete your orders here.

Middle School Newsletter:  To read the latest edition of the Saints Tribune, the student written and published Middle School newsletter, please click here.

GoGo Update: Thank you to everyone who was able to join us at the Calhoun Beach Club this past Saturday for the GoGo!  The event was an overwhelming success thanks to you and your generous donations! This year’s Fund-a-Need will go towards additional security enhancements and improvements such as new lighting, paint and furniture at both campuses. 

Unable to join us on Saturday or too busy catching up with friends while you were there?  No worries! There is still time to get in on the GoGo fun!  

Go to https://one.bidpal.net/gogo20 and:

• Donate to the Fund-a-Need for campus improvements
• Sign up for Book-it-Now parties
• Bid on a few remaining silent auction packages including BRACES from Edina Orthodontic Associates 
• Purchase out-of-uniform vouchers

AND, don’t miss out on the memories of your child in their 2020 school year!

• Purchase a keepsake snowflake ornament with your child’s photo (all K-8 students have their own special ornament!)
• Purchase your child’s adorable Kindergarten and/or Kindergarten/8th grade buddy photo taken by the talented Mrs. Martin (K/8 buddy photos make GREAT 8th grade graduation gifts from your kinder!)

Hurry while the link is still open!  It will close at Midnight on Saturday, March 7th.

**GoGo auction item winners may pick up gift certificates and baskets from Jeanne or Holly at the campus their oldest child attends**

Thanks again to everyone for a spectacular evening and for the overwhelming support for our school!  Go Saints!

Rachel, Susan, Debbie and Mary Beth - 2020 GoGo Co-Chairs

History Day:  Congratulations to Maya Aylward, Hayden Braje, Michael Loeffler, and Ireland Person who move on to the History Day regional competition at Augsburg College on March 19th. Way to go!

Basketball season is coming to a close as most CCS teams have finished their end of the season tournaments.  The Boys Cub Bronze (4th grade) tournament is next week. Our Junior Cub teams finish up their season on Saturday at St. Peter's with their final games of the year. There have been many exciting moments to this point, and perhaps none as exciting as the Girls Cub Bronze team  (4th grade) who won their opening tournament game in double overtime over Nativity of Mary. The girls then reached the semifinals, falling on a last second shot to undefeated Chapel Hill and coming within an eyelash of a great upset. The "Cardiac Kids" coached by Mr. Harry Certain had a great season, as did many of our CCS teams.  Congratulations to all teams!

A special thank you to all of our coaches who gave their time and talents to help guide our student athletes in both the game of basketball and life.  Without the contributions of the coaches our program would not be the success that it is. Thank you to all Junior Cub, Cub, and Varsity level coaches!!!

Basketball uniforms (both shorts and jersey top) need to be returned to school promptly.  Please send your child's uniform to the school office. Uniforms must be laundered and placed in a plastic bag with the player's name on it.  There are many duplicate numbers on different teams so having your child's name on the bag is important in keeping track of who has returned their uniform.  

Spring sports season is right around the corner.  Currently, it appears we will have three baseball teams and a girls softball team. (This, of course, is contingent on other schools having teams so there will be enough participation to form a league.)  Coaches are still needed, so please contact Tony Subialka, CCS Athletic Director, if you are interested and able to help out.  

MIA Family Event:  Join Carondelet for "Rock the Cradle," a free family event at the Minneapolis Institute of Art this Sunday, March 8th! Our Pre-K Director Nicolle Thies will be helping lead an activity for guests. Perfect for families and kids ages 0-8! Presented by The Current and Children's Minnesota.  Visit thecurrent.org for more details. 

“Under the Sea” Summer Camp:  Current and incoming kindergartners are invited to welcome in summer with kindergarten teacher Mary Lee Martin and Phy. Ed. teacher Jodi Nilsen for a fun-filled week of exploring under the sea! Join us for 4 days of arts and crafts, cooking, science, fun, and games! June 15-18 from 9 am-noon. Register here.

Spring Musical Anything Goes: Visit the Theater webpage for the rehearsal schedule. 

Summer Theater Camp – The Quilt Maker’s Gift:  Join us for the beautiful telling of the award winning book, The Quilt Maker’s Gift. Uplifting music, comedic dialogue, and fanciful dance follows the story of a greedy young king as he transforms into a loving, generous king. This two week camp (Monday - Thursday) will culminate with a 45-minute musical production on Thursday, August 13th with performances at 2 pm and 7 pm. Carondelet students and non-Carondelet students are welcome - grades K-12. Alumni are welcome to be part of the teaching and production team.
Summer Theater General Information        Parent Information and Participation Form

“The Dark Side of Technology” Parent Night:  Keeping our Kids Safe Online, March 12th, 6:30-8:30 pm, LC cafeteria.  View flyer with additional information here.

Save the Date for these Home & School Events:
Parent Night: Carondelet’s Approach to Literacy: Tues, April 14, 7 pm LC Cafeteria
Pastries with a Pal: Friday, April 17, 8:30 - 9:00 am, UC Social Hall
Pops & Lollies: Friday, May 15, 6:00 - 9:00 pm, LC Gym
Mom & Son Saints Baseball Game: Sunday, June 7

And as always, Volunteer Opportunities is your one-stop shop to support the school with your time and talents. For more information on Home & School, please contact Kate Hensley, Jadee Kahlert or Mary Schoellman, Home & School Co-Chairs.

Parish Bulletins: For more news and events, view this week’s bulletins from Christ the King and St. Thomas the Apostle.

STA Lenten Events and Calendar can be viewed here.

Visit the Carondelet Catholic School website.

                    

News Notes: February 28, 2020

The Week Ahead:

The following information went home on Wednesday:

• March calendar  (green)

It was fun and meaningful “I Love to Read Month” with guest mystery readers, 
a Battle of the Books, and today’s “read in your pajamas” day! 

From the Desk of Mr. Blanda: Thanks to Fr. Bill and the 7th graders for leading us in prayer on Ash Wednesday and helping us to prayerfully and thoughtfully enter into this holy season of Lent. A special thanks to Luke for his supporting role during Father’s homily. Fr. Bill reminded us that Lent was the “springtime for the soul” and a time that the Church provides us with for taking care of ourselves, body and soul as we prepare to celebrate the paschal mystery; Christ’s passion, death and resurrection. Kudos to all our 6th, 7th and 8th grade scholars for their Science Fair, MN Zooms STEM and History Day projects. While each involved lots of hard work and energy,  I am sure the end product and the knowledge gained made it all worthwhile. The kids certainly looked comfortable and relaxed today in their pajamas and comfy clothes. Lots of reading was happening. When I asked a kindergarten class after lunch and recess if they should take a nap in their pajamas, their answer was a resounding, “No, we don’t take naps!” Thanks to everyone for the wonderful support of this year’s GoGo. Tomorrow night looks to be a wonderful time as we support our great school and celebrate our Carondelet community and all our Carondelet Saints. Enjoy the warmer weather and have a great weekend!

Peace and all good.
Mr. Blanda

 

2020-2021 Online Registration: An email with the link to online registration in Sycamore was sent to all families. As you complete required information you can check your progress on the Enrollment Road Map by clicking on the Home button in the top, left corner. Once you have completed all required items, the items under Family and your students will be checked and appear green. A “Click Here To Submit Application” button will appear above the items only after all information has been supplied. After submitting your application, you will receive a confirmation email. Please be sure to complete registration by Sunday, March 15. Please email Mr. Blanda with questions regarding online registration. 

February’s Saint’s Way:  This past month, our Saints learned that each and every one of them is smart! We all have our strengths and weaknesses. It is important to remember that even though we don’t understand something now it doesn’t mean that we will never get it. There is power in the word “yet”!  A fourth grader reflected on this past lesson, saying, “We are not stupid, we are all smart in our own way!”   

School Calendar: The calendar for the 2020-2021 school year has gone home, including beginning and ending dates, as well as breaks, parent/teacher conference dates and teacher inservices.  If you need another copy, please find it here. 

GoGo Gala!  Thank you to everyone who purchased tickets to the GoGo Gala on February 29th. We will have a packed house and are looking forward to a great evening to celebrate our unique saints and community together!

This year you can check out all the Live Auction items and Book-It-Now Parties in a printable format via this link BIN parties and Live Auction.

We are looking for a few more volunteers to help with the event that day/evening. We especially need help with set-up from 1-3pm. Sign up here.

Note that underground parking is available at the Calhoun Beach Club and parking vouchers will be available at check-out. We encourage you to consider using an Uber/Lyft.

We are looking forward to a great night!

The GoGo Chairs,
Rachel Horejsi, Susan Krook, Debbie McDowell, Mary Beth Puder 

Tuition Raffle: One lucky winner will win 2020-2021 tuition, a $5920 value. Tickets are $125 and only 100 tickets will be sold.  The winner will be drawn at the GoGo on February 29. Winner need not be present to win. Tickets can be still be purchased with by cash or check only at the GoGo event. View Tuition Raffle flyer here.

Yearbook Orders: The price to order a 2019-2020 Carondelet Yearbook increased after Friday, January 31, 2020.  The price now is $27.00  Order your Yearbook HERE. 

History Day Projects: After 3 months of hard work the 8th graders presented their projects for History Day. Congratulations to all our 8th graders on their perseverance and hard work.  Last night was great and the 8th graders should be very proud of their accomplishments. This year’s theme is “Breaking Barriers in History” and the students presented their research covering a wide variety of topics using websites, documentaries, exhibits, and a paper. Next week we will announce which students will move on to the regional competition at Augsburg College on March 19th.

MN Zooms STEM Design Challenge: Congratulations to 7th graders Aidan Wenner, Max Wozniak, Jameson Gese and David Birch. These students have been invited to the Minnesota Zoo for the final round of judging for the 2019-2020 Zooms Design Challenge. The 7th grade team completed a fantastic redesign of the Minnesota Zoo's nocturnal hallway. They will be one of 40 student teams from the entire state of Minnesota present at the Zoo on March 18th.  Wish them luck! 

Congratulations are also extended to Hugh Nugent, whose project was also submitted to the Zoo, but will not be attending the final round. Hugh created two very creative and engaging enrichment activities for the visually impaired Monk seals. WAY TO GO to all the Zooms students this year! It was a blast working with such passionate and enthusiastic students. 

6th Grade Science Fair:  Congratulations to the following 6th graders who will be showing their projects at the State Science Fair on March 27 and 28: Indira Ambur, Lauren Blok, Josie Brown, Bryn Burbach, Vivian Carter, Adele Cormier, Charles Gillette, Hugh Nugent, Clara Stevens & Grace Trinacty.  The following students have also been selected to participate in the CSCOE Big Bang STEM Fair on March 21: Adele Cormier, Bryn Burbach & Hugh Nugent. WAY TO GO SAINTS!

Spring Sports Registration: Today, Friday, February 28th is the deadline to register for CCS spring sports.  Sports offered in the spring are baseball for boys in grades 4-8 and softball for girls in grades 5-8. Please fill out the electronic registration form attached here by Friday, February 28th.  Late registrations will only be accepted if there is room on the team for which players are registering. Cost for baseball or softball is $90.00 per player. Practices will begin late March or early April depending on weather. Games typically start in the middle of April and end late May. Please contact Tony Subialka, CCS Athletic Director with any questions.  

 

Summer Theater – The Quilt Maker’s Gift: When a generous quilt maker finally agrees to make a quilt for a greedy king but only under certain conditions, she causes him to undergo a change of heart. This is a beautiful telling of the award winning book, The Quilt Maker’s Gift. Uplifting music, comedic dialogue, and fanciful dance follows the story of a greedy young king as he  transforms into a loving, generous king. This two week camp (Monday - Thursday) will culminate with a 45-minute musical production on Thursday, August 13th with performances at 2 pm and 7 pm. Carondelet students and non-Carondelet students are welcome - grades K-12. Alumni are welcome to be part of the teaching and production team.
     Summer Theater General Information [Link]
     Parent Information and Participation Form [Link]

Middle School Musical: Visit the Theater webpage for the rehearsal schedule.

March Meeting & Parent Night:  Keeping our Kids Safe Online, March 12, 2020 6:30-8:30 pm, LC cafeteria.  View flyer with additional information here.

Save the Date for these Home & School Events:
Parent Night: Carondelet’s Approach to Literacy: Tues, April 14, 7 pm LC Cafeteria
Pastries with a Pal: Friday, April 17, 8:30 - 9:00 am, UC Social Hall
Pops & Lollies: Friday, May 15, 6:00 - 9:00 pm, LC Gym
Mom & Son Saints Baseball Game: Sunday, June 7

And as always, Volunteer Opportunities is your one-stop shop to support the school with your time and talents. For more information on Home & School, please contact Kate Hensley, Jadee Kahlert or Mary Schoellman, Home & School Co-Chairs.

Parish Bulletins:  For more news and events, view this week’s bulletins from  Christ the King and  St. Thomas the Apostle.

STA Lenten Events and Calendar can be viewed here.

Visit the Carondelet Catholic School website.

                    

News Notes: February 21, 2020

The Week Ahead:

The following information went home on Wednesday:

• 2020-2021 School Calendar  (fluorescent green)

Winter Wear:  Just a gentle reminder about cold weather wear!  As we do go outside nearly every day, students should be dressed appropriately, including covering bare legs, wearing coats/snow pants, hats, gloves/mittens and boots.  Although spring is right around the corner, it’s not quite here yet! Thank you for your attention to keeping your kids warm!

From the Desk of Mr. Blanda:  It is hard to believe that we are entering the final week of February and ready to begin the season of Lent. This must mean that Spring and Opening Day are just around the corner. (Who will take the Central Division crown this year? Go Tribe!) Join us for our All School Prayer Service at 9:15 at the Church of Christ the King on Ash Wednesday, if you are able. The students will be signed with ashes as we enter this holy season of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. The eighth graders are putting the final touches on their History Day projects as they present them for judging on Thursday. On Friday we will conclude “I Love To Read Month” with lots of reading in pajamas or comfy clothes.  Saturday is a special, extra day as we celebrate Leap Year and celebrate all our Carondelet Saints and this great Carondelet community at the GoGo. And the end of trimester two is just 2 weeks away. Jeanne is enjoying the new security and buzzer system at the Upper Campus as she buzzes visitors and parents into the building from the comfort of her desk chair. She misses getting all her “steps” however. Enjoy the warmer weather and have a great weekend!

Peace and all good.

Mr. Blanda

Father Michael was a guest reader for the second graders for "I Love to Read Month." 
He chose to read a book that he has kept for over 50 years that he received as a gift
from his kindergarten teacher for not missing a single day in kindergarten!
Fr. Michael read the book, “The Horse that Lived Upstairs.”

All School Ash Wednesday Service: Lent begins on Wednesday, February 26th. Our Ash Wednesday Prayer Service will include all kindergarten through eighth grade students and will be held at Christ the King at 9:15 am.  All K-8 students will start their day at the Upper Campus. Buses will drop all K-8 students at the Upper Campus and parents should do the same. Club Saint students will be bused from the Lower to Upper Campus.  Pre-K students will not be attending this prayer service and will begin their day as usual at the Lower Campus. K-2 students will be bused back to the Lower Campus after the Prayer Service.

Celebrating the end of I Love to Read Month:  On Friday, February 28th, Carondelet will celebrate I Love to Read Month with an unusual out of uniform day.  Students in grades Pre-K through 5 are invited to wear their pajamas to school while the middle schoolers (grades 6-8) have the choice of wearing their very cozy, comfy clothes.  All clothing must conform to out of uniform guidelines or students will call their parents for a change of clothing. We hope to make this a fun way to end a wondrous month of reading.  Carondelet LOVES to read!

School Calendar: The calendar for the 2020-2021 school year went home this week, including beginning and ending dates, as well as breaks, parent/teacher conference dates and teacher inservices.  If you need another copy, please find it here. 

Lenten Lunch Orders: In observance of the Lenten season, all pizza orders Feb. 28 - March 27 will be cheese (no meat). The pesto chicken pasta on Ash Wednesday (Feb. 26) will be pesto pasta (no meat). Please note, all orders will be updated accordingly.

Box Tops for Education: The next Box Tops submission deadline is March 1st.  Help Carondelet earn cash by sending in your unexpired Box Tops or scanning your receipts with the new Box Tops mobile app.  Please send any unexpired traditional Box Tops to school by Wednesday February 26th. Learn more about the new Box Tops program at: www.btfe.com or by asking Carondelet Moms and Box Tops employees Lilly Moeding or Christine Scott.

GoGo Gala!  Thank you to everyone who purchased tickets to the GoGo Gala on February 29th. We will have a packed house and are looking forward to a great evening to celebrate our unique saints and community together!

This year you can check out all the Live Auction items and Book-It-Now Parties in a printable format via this link BIN parties and Live Auction.

We are looking for a few more volunteers to help with the event that day/evening. We especially need help with set up from 1-3pm. Sign up here.

Tuition raffle tickets are still available.  Only 100 will be sold! You can purchase them from Jeanne or Holly.  Make check payable to Carondelet Catholic School or pay with cash. Each ticket is only $125.  

Note that underground parking is available at the Calhoun Beach Club and parking vouchers will be available at check-out. We encourage you to consider using an UBER/Lyft.

We are looking forward to a great night!

The GoGo Chairs,
Rachel Horejsi, Susan Krook, Debbie McDowell, Mary Beth Puder 

Tuition Raffle: One lucky winner will win 2020-2021 tuition, a $5920 value. Tickets are $125 and only 100 tickets will be sold.  The winner will be drawn at the GoGo on February 29. Winner need not be present to win. Tickets can be purchased with cash or check from either school office. View Tuition Raffle flyer here.

Donate a Bottle of Wine:  The wine pull is back and we are looking for bottles of wine with at least a $15 value.  Wine may be dropped off at either campus with Jeanne or Holly. A sincere ‘thank you’ to everyone who is working hard to make this year’s GoGo a great evening!

Yearbook Orders: The price to order a 2019-2020 Carondelet Yearbook increased after Friday, January 31, 2020.  The price now is $27.00  Order your Yearbook HERE. 

Spring Sports Registration: Registration for CCS spring sports has begun.  Sports offered in the spring are baseball for boys in grades 4-8 and softball for girls in grades 5-8. Please fill out the electronic registration form attached here by Friday, February 28th.  Late registrations will only be accepted if there is room on the team for which players are registering. Cost for baseball or softball is $90.00 per player. Practices will begin late March or early April depending on weather. Games typically start in the middle of April and end late May. Please contact Tony Subialka, CCS Athletic Director with any questions.  

Middle School Musical: Visit the Theater webpage for the rehearsal schedule.

March Meeting & Parent Night:  Keeping our Kids Safe Online, March 12, 2020 6:30-8:30 pm, LC cafeteria.  View flyer with additional information here.

Save the Date for these Home & School Events:
Parent Night: Carondelet’s Approach to Literacy: Tues, April 14, 7 pm LC Cafeteria
Pastries with a Pal: Friday, April 17, 8:30 - 9:00 am, UC Social Hall 
Pops & Lollies: Friday, May 15, 6:00 - 9:00 pm, LC Gym 
Mom & Son Saints Baseball Game: Sunday, June 7

And as always, Volunteer Opportunities is your one-stop shop to support the school with your time and talents. For more information on Home & School, please contact Kate Hensley, Jadee Kahlert or Mary Schoellman, Home & School Co-Chairs.

Parish Bulletins: For more news and events, view this week’s bulletins from Christ the King and St. Thomas the Apostle.

STA Lenten Events and Calendar can be viewed here

Visit the Carondelet Catholic School website.

                    

News Notes: February 14, 2020

The Week Ahead:

From the Desk of Mr. Blanda:  Thank you for meeting with your child’s teacher during Parent / Teacher conferences. The teachers have been working hard preparing and appreciate your time and support as we partner together for the success of all our Carondelet Saints. During the LC Prayer Service on Thusday, the Kinders and Fr. Bill did a great job helping us understand all the ways we can show love to the people around us. The hallways and classrooms look so different today with all the pinks, and whites, and reds - quite a change from the usual blues and plaids.  Students have been so excited today as they create, distribute and receive valentines from their classmates. Happy Valentine’s Day. Enjoy the warmer weather and have a great long weekend!

Peace and all good.
Mr. Blanda

Congratulations to Carondelet’s 6th graders on their work
preparing and presenting their research projects at this year’s Science Fair,
held in the Upper Campus Social hall this week. Way to go, Saints!

March Lunch Orders:  Lunch orders for the month of March are due by 10:00 am  Monday, February 17. Late orders cannot be accepted. Complete your orders here.

Lenten Lunch Orders: In observance of the Lenten season, all pizza orders Feb. 28 - March 27 will be cheese (no meat). The pesto chicken pasta on Ash Wednesday (Feb. 26) will be pesto pasta (no meat). Please note, all orders will be updated accordingly.

Middle School Conferences:  Conferences for students in grades 5-8 are Tuesday, February 18 from 8:00 am-12:00 pm and 4:00-7:00 pm. The last 30 minutes of each session will be for walk-ins.  Separate Sign-Up Genius links for the morning and afternoon/evening sessions can be found below. 

AM Session 8:00am - 12:00pm      PM Session 4:00pm - 7:00pm

Last Call for GoGo Tickets!  Today is the LAST day to purchase tickets to the GoGo Gala at the Calhoun Beach Club on February 29th! Thank you to everyone who has purchased their tickets, we are thrilled with the response to date!  The event will be a wonderful moment to celebrate our unique saints and our special community! Click here to purchase tickets and/or view the event details.

For those who are attending, the event is going digital and you can check out all the Live Auction items, some exciting signature Silent Auction items, and the Book-It-Now Parties via a link that will be sent out this evening at 6:00pm! We are still looking for donations for our wine pull (bottles need to be at least $15 in value). You can turn them in to either office or contact Karin Burbach.

If you have silent auction items for donation, please contact  Susan Krook or Debbie McDowell.  Finally, we are looking for a few more volunteers to help with the event that day/evening. Sign up here.

Thank you and we look forward to celebrating together!

Rachel Horejsi, Susan Krook, Debbie McDowell, Mary Beth Puder 
2020 GoGo Chairs

Don’t miss this year’s GoGo! PURCHASE TICKETS HERE!

Yearbook Orders: The price to order a 2019-2020 Carondelet Yearbook increased after Friday, January 31, 2020.  The price now is $27.00  Order your Yearbook HERE.

Spring Sports Registration: Registration for CCS spring sports begins today.  Sports offered in the spring are baseball for boys in grades 4-8 and softball for girls in grades 5-8. Please fill out the electronic registration form attached here by Friday, February 28th.  Late registrations will only be accepted if there is room on the team players are registering for. Cost for baseball or softball is $90.00 per player. Practices will begin late March or early April depending on weather. Games typically start in the middle of April and end late May. Please contact Tony Subialka, CCS Athletic Director with any questions.  

Spring Musical  - Anything Goes! Contact Heather Dorsey with questions or visit the CCS Theater webpage.

Groves Academy: Groves 2020 Summer Programs are now accepting applications.  Click here for more information or to apply.

March Meeting & Parent Night:  Keeping our Kids Safe Online, March 12, 2020 6:30-8:30 pm, LC cafeteria.  View flyer with additional information here.

Save the Date for these Home & School Events:
Night: Carondelet’s Approach to Literacy: Tues, April 14, 7 pm LC Cafeteria
Pastries with a Pal: Friday, April 17, 8:30 - 9:00 am, UC Social Hall
Pops & Lollies: Friday, May 15, 6:00 - 9:00 pm, LC Gym
Mom & Son Saints Baseball Game: Sunday, June 7

And as always, Volunteer Opportunities is your one-stop shop to support the school with your time and talents. For more information on Home & School, please contact Kate Hensley, Jadee Kahlert or Mary Schoellman, Home & School Co-Chairs.

Parish Bulletins: For more news and events, view this week’s bulletins from Christ the King and St. Thomas the Apostle.

STA February Events and Calendar can be viewed here.

Visit the Carondelet Catholic School website.

                    

News Notes: February 7, 2020

The Week Ahead:

The following information went home on Wednesday:

• February Lunch menu  (green)
• Gr 6 Science Fair flyer  (green also)

From the Desk of Mr. Blanda:  
After a very busy, energetic, and fun-filled Catholic Schools Week, things have settled down at Carondelet. Thanks to all who helped to make CSW such a success: our parent volunteers, servers, greeters, hospitality ministers, lectors, readers, and event planners. As we move through February, classes and campuses are celebrating “I Love To Read” month in a variety of ways.  Anything Goes workshops and auditions have begun in preparation for a great spring show. Spring Sports registration has begun. See below to register your son or daughter for baseball or softball. We will celebrate Ash Wednesday at the end of the month with an all school prayer service at the Upper Campus.  Lent is less than 3 weeks away. And the days are getting longer and the sun feels stronger. Spring is just around the corner. Have a great weekend!

Peace and all good.
Mr. Blanda

The kindergarteners enjoyed afternoon snowshoeing and other outdoor adventures
during their field trip to the Richardson Nature Center today!

March Lunch Orders:  Lunch orders for the month of March are due by 10:00 am  Monday, February 17. Late orders cannot be accepted. Complete your orders here.

Feb/March Pizza Orders: In observance of the Lenten season, all pizza orders Feb. 28 - March 27 will be cheese (no meat). 

2020-2021 School Year:  We wanted to let you know that next school year’s start date will be Monday, August 31 and Spring Break will be March 29 through April 5, which will include Easter Monday.  A more comprehensive 2020-2021 calendar will come out by the end of the month.

January’s Saints Way (Top 20): Students were busy this past month learning about how to eliminate negativity. What an important and necessary skill for our students and ourselves! Some questions students were asked to reflect on were: “Have you ever worried about something? Did you worry about it so much that your thoughts were negative? Have you ever been angry? So angry that your thinking stops working?” These are all things that could lead to something called a “thought circle.” Our individual thought circles can also lead to negative tornados. When we share our negative thought circles with others and they become involved, we have created a social tornado. When we start to notice our thoughts becoming negative, it is important to say, “not now!” One take-away from a Fifth Grader about negative thoughts was, “if you are faced with a problem, don’t automatically jump to a bad conclusion.” 

Middle School Conferences:  Conferences for students in grades 5-8 are Tuesday, February 18 from 8:00 am-12:00 pm and 4:00-7:00 pm. The last 30 minutes of each session will be for walk-ins.  Separate Sign-Up Genius links for the morning and afternoon/evening sessions can be found below. Mrs. Paine is on medical leave and will not be available for conferences at this time.  Please send her an email to discuss an alternate time to meet upon her return, if desired.

AM Session 8:00am - 12:00pm      PM Session 4:00pm - 7:00pm

Middle School Newsletter:  To read the latest edition of the Saints Tribune, the student written and published Middle School newsletter, please click here.

GoGo Gala:  Tickets are going fast for this year’s GoGo Gala, A Night to Celebrate Our Unique Saints. This year’s event will be held at the Calhoun Beach Club on Saturday, February 29th. Tickets must be purchased by February 14th. We hope to see you all there! Click here to purchase tickets and/or view the event details. 

There are many ways to be involved!

     -We are looking for donations of wine for our wine pull. Bottles must be valued at $15 or greater. You can bring your donations to either campus office or contact Karin Burbach. 

     -Sign up to volunteer the evening of here.

     -If you have silent auction items for donation, please contact Susan Krook or Debbie McDowell.  

We look forward to celebrating this special evening with all of you!

Rachel Horejsi, Susan Krook, Debbie McDowell, Mary Beth Puder 
2020 GoGo Chairs 

PURCHASE GOGO TICKETS HERE!

Yearbook Orders: The price to order a 2019-2020 Carondelet Yearbook increased after Friday, January 31, 2020.  The price now is $27.00  Order your Yearbook HERE. 

Lower Campus Parent Pick-Up Procedure: During these cold months, we are noticing parents staying in their cars at Parent Pick Up at the Lower Campus. We understand why – It is cold and windy!  There is a problem though as children are walking on the wall and climbing over the wall, and walking between cars, when parents are parked adjacent to the wall, and drivers are backing up while children are alone and moving through this part of the parking lot.  

Please, come and meet your children. Please make sure you are supervising your children through this busy time in the parking lot.  We want to make sure that all children are safe during Parent Pick Up Dismissal. And the area, directly North of “the wall” will be a “No Parking” area from now on. There will be “No Parking” cones in place for the next couple of weeks.  Thank you very much. 

Spring Sports Registration: Registration for CCS spring sports begins today.  Sports offered in the spring are baseball for boys in grades 4-8 and softball for girls in grades 5-8. Please fill out the electronic registration form attached here by Friday, February 28th.  Late registrations will only be accepted if there is room on the team players are registering for. Cost for baseball or softball is $90.00 per player. Practices will begin late March or early April depending on weather. Games typically start in the middle of April and end late May. Please contact Tony Subialka, CCS Athletic Director with any questions.  

Spring Musical Auditions - All Aboard! Auditions are coming up for the CCS Middle School Production of the award winning American musical, Anything Goes!  Packets went home already with all middle school students, extras available online or in the UC school office. Required Pre-audition workshop is Tuesday, February 4 OR Friday, February 7 from 6:00-8:00pm (choose one). No need to sign up - just come with your friends. Contact Heather Dorsey with questions or visit the CCS Theater webpage.

Groves Academy: Groves 2020 Summer Programs are now accepting applications.  Click here for more information or to apply.

March Meeting & Parent Night:  Keeping our Kids Safe Online, March 12, 2020 6:30-8:30 pm, LC cafeteria.  View flyer with additional information here.

Save the Date for these Home & School Events:
Parent Night: Carondelet’s Approach to Literacy: Tues, April 14, 7 pm LC Cafeteria
Pastries with a Pal: Friday, April 17, 8:30 - 9:00 am, UC Social Hall
Pops & Lollies: Friday, May 15, 6:00 - 9:00 pm, LC Gym
Mom & Son Saints Baseball Game: Sunday, June 7

And as always, Volunteer Opportunities is your one-stop shop to support the school with your time and talents. For more information on Home & School, please contact Kate Hensley, Jadee Kahlert or Mary Schoellman, Home & School Co-Chairs.

Parish Bulletins: For more news and events, view this week’s bulletins from Christ the King and St. Thomas the Apostle.

STA February Events and Calendar can be viewed here.

Visit the Carondelet Catholic School website.

                    

News Notes: January 31, 2020

The Week Ahead:

The following information went home on Wednesday:

• February calendar  (pink)
• Go Go Tuition Raffle flyer  (goldenrod)
• CSW National Junior Honor Society Sock Drive flyer  (purple & green)

From the Desk of Mr. Blanda:  

We conclude Catholic Schools Week this Sunday with the 11:00 Mass at the Church of St. Thomas the Apostle.  Help us pack the pews with Carondelet parents and students. This has truly been a fantastic week filled with fun events and activities: movies, bingo, dressing like a teacher (I certainly enjoyed seeing all the ties and moustaches,) bowling, prayer services, sock drive, dancing, teacher luncheon, and a pep-fest. School spirit and energy filled the halls and classrooms every day. Thank you for letting us team with you in educating your children.  And thank you for your support of the parishes of Christ the King and St. Thomas the Apostle, which make this all possible. Have a great weekend and enjoy the warm weather.

Peace and all good.
Mr. Blanda

We ended the school week with “Bring On Spring” themed activities!
Lower Campus students enjoyed a tropical-themed afternoon dance party,
and Upper Campus students enjoyed bowling at the Park Tavern.
Thank you for sharing your children with us! 

Catholic Schools Week Finale: Don’t forget to head over to the Lower Campus tonight (Friday) for Family Bingo Night!  The doors open at 6:00 pm, play begins at 6:30 pm. Catholic Schools Week concludes on Sunday, February 2nd with Mass at St. Thomas the Apostle’s at 11:00 am.  Please join us!

“I Love to Read” Month: February is “I Love to Read Month” and we have a lot of fun activities planned to engage readers of all ages.  Watch for more information to be broadcast home!

Teachers Make Carondelet Great Raffle:  We are happy to announce that the teacher winning a well-deserved day off is Mary Lee Martin.  Congratulations Mrs. Martin! Relax and enjoy your time away. Thanks to all who purchased raffle tickets.

Middle School Conferences:  Conferences for students in grades 5-8 will only be held on Tuesday, February 18 from  8:00 am-12:00 pm and 4:00-700 pm. The last 30 minutes of each session will be for walk-ins.  Separate SignUp Genious links for the morning and afternoon/evening sessions can be found below. Mrs. Paine is on medical leave and will not be available for conferences at this time.  Please send her an email to discuss an alternate time to meet upon her return, if desired.

Morning Session 8:00am - 12:00pm                Afternoon/Evening Session 4:00pm - 7:00pm

Yearbook Deadline: The price to order a 2019-2020 Carondelet Yearbook increases after Friday, January 31, 2020.  The price now is $25.00  Order your Yearbook HERE. Your last chance to personalize that magnificent yearbook is now. Order by Friday, January 31, 2020 to add a name, and up to four icons to the cover. Get started with personalization here. 

Lower Campus Parent Pick-Up Procedure: During these cold months, we are noticing parents staying in their cars at Parent Pick Up at the Lower Campus. We understand why – It is cold and windy!  There is a problem though as children are walking on the wall and climbing over the wall, and walking between cars, when parents are parked adjacent to the wall, and drivers are backing up while children are alone and moving through this part of the parking lot.  

Please, come and meet your children. Please make sure you are supervising your children through this busy time in the parking lot.  We want to make sure that all children are safe during Parent Pick Up Dismissal. And the area, directly North of “the wall” will be a “No Parking” area from now on. There will be “No Parking” cones in place for the next couple of weeks.  Thank you very much. 

GoGo Gala:  Registration is now open for year’s GoGo Gala, A Night to Celebrate Our Unique Saints. The event will be held at the Calhoun Beach Club on Saturday, February 29th. Tickets must be purchased by February 14th. We hope to see you all there! Click here to RSVP and/or view the event details. 

There will be many opportunities to volunteer for the GoGo event and a sign-up genius will be sent out in the near future. In the meantime, if you have donations for silent auction items, please contact Susan Krook at or Debbie McDowell.  We are also accepting donations of bottles of wine for our wine pull.  You can bring your donations to either campus office or contact Karin Burbach. Please make sure the value is $15+.

Reporting Influenza:  The MN Health Department has issued influenza alerts to school nurses.  If you call your student in as sick, please also give the following information:  evidence of fever (over 99.9 degrees) AND a sore throat or cough. Carondelet is again required to keep a log of flu-like illnesses during the winter season.

Spring Musical Auditions - All Aboard! Auditions are coming up for the CCS Middle School Production of the award winning American musical, Anything Goes!  Packets went home with all middle school students this week, extras available online or in the UC school office.

The S.S. American passenger cruise ship is sailing from New York to England with a comical, colorful cast of characters! CCS Middle Schoolers may take part in this hilarious theater classic. This is a big show with lots of parts to fill; Mobsters, Sailors, Dancing Evangelicals just to name a few. Required Pre-audition workshops are Tuesday, February 4 from 4:15-6:00pm OR Friday, February 7 from 6:00-8:00pm (choose one). No need to sign up - just come with your friends. Contact Heather Dorsey with questions.

Show Synopsis     Parent Letter     Participation Form    Theater Program Link

Groves Academy: Groves 2020 Summer Programs are now accepting applications.  Click here for more information or to apply.

Catholic Schools Week Events: Thank you to all those who helped make this week a special week of celebration for our students, teachers and families! We hosted several events including the Parent Information Night on Learning Differences, a staff luncheon and Bingo Night!

Save the Date for the Home & School Events:

Pastries with a Pal: Friday, April 17, 8:30 - 9 am, UC Social Hall
Pops & Lollies: (New Date!) Friday, May 15, 6 - 9 pm, LC Gym
Mom & Son Saints Baseball Game: Sunday, June 7

And as always, Volunteer Opportunities is your one-stop shop to support the school with your time and talents. For more information on Home & School, please contact Kate Hensley, Jadee Kahlert or Mary Schoellman, Home & School Co-Chairs.

Parish Bulletins: For more news and events, view this week’s bulletins from Christ the King and St. Thomas the Apostle.

STA February Events and Calendar can be viewed here.

Visit the Carondelet Catholic School website. 

                    

News Notes: January 17, 2020

The Week Ahead:

The following information went home on Wednesday:

• February Lunch menu  (cherry)

• Advanced Coding Club for Grades 5 & 6  (green)

• Catholic Schools Week BINGO flyer  (yellow)

• CSCOE Winter Magazine

From the Desk of Mr. Blanda: Catholic Schools Week will be celebrated soon and the staff here at Carondelet has been working hard planning events and daily themes for all the students. Be sure to check out the schedule of events listed here.  This year’s theme for CSW is Learn, Serve, Lead, Succeed. We are still looking for families to help out as greeters, hospitality ministers or gift bearers at both masses. Please email me if you are able to help. Thanks. The 7th graders returned to school this afternoon after a very enjoyable and educational time at Camp Widjiwagan. Enjoy the snow and have a great long weekend. 

Peace and all good.
Mr. Blanda

Catholic Schools Week Masses - Volunteers Needed: We will celebrate Catholic Schools Week Sunday, January 27- Sunday, February 3. Click here for the schedule of activities. We will begin and end our week with a Mass at each of our sponsoring parishes: January 26th at 9:30 at Christ the King and February 2nd at St. Thomas at 11:00 am.  What a wonderful way to celebrate our great school and to show our appreciation to both parishes for their support. We are still looking for Carondelet families/students to serve as greeters, hospitality ministers or gift bearers for these masses. If you can help out, please email Mr. Blanda. Please plan on joining us at one or both Masses. 

Carondelet's seventh grade Saints were in Ely, Minnesota this week experiencing the great outdoors, environmental science, and team-building at Camp Widjiwagan. The week's activities included learning about native cultures, snow crystal study, glacial geology, surviving in the wilderness, cross country skiing, animal tracking, eco hikes and more. Thank you to the teachers and parent volunteers who chaperoned the trip. They had a great week and we look forward to hearing about their adventures upon their return this afternoon!

 

February Lunch Orders:  Lunch orders for the month of February are due by 10:00 am this Sunday, January 19. Late orders cannot be accepted. Complete your orders here.

GoGo Gala:  Registration is now open for year’s GoGo Gala, A Night to Celebrate Our Unique Saints. The event will be held at the Calhoun Beach Club on Saturday, February 29th. Tickets need to be purchased by February 14th. We hope to see you all there! Click here to RSVP and/or view the event details. 

There will be many opportunities to volunteer for the GoGo event and a sign-up genius will be sent out in the near future. In the meantime, if you have donations for silent auction items, please contact Susan Krook at or Debbie McDowell.  We are also accepting donations of bottles of wine for our wine pull.  You can bring your donations to either campus office or contact Karin Burbach. Please make sure the value is $15+.

Annual Scout Pancake Breakfast: Please join us on Sunday, January 26 in the Christ the King Gym before or after Mass to kick off Catholic Schools Week!  Breakfast is served 8 am to noon. All the preparation and serving is done by the devoted scouts. They will be serving delicious pancakes, blueberry sauce, maple syrup, sausage, orange juice, milk and fresh hot coffee.  Enjoy a great breakfast while supporting Boy Scout Troop 89 and Cub Scout Pack 73.
Adults $7 / Children $5 (17 and under)  / Seniors $6 (65 and older) / Family $25 (all ages in household)

Waite House - January’s Share the Warmth: We want to extend a very warm and heartfelt thank you to all of the families who donated to our "Share the Warmth" clothing drive for Waite House! We had over 30 bags of winter gear donated to keep our neighbors warm. Thank you for your generosity!

Upper Campus Drop-Off Reminder:  Please pull into the lot from the Zenith Ave. side of the building using the driveway farthest from the building and nearest 50th St. Form a one-way line that loops through the horseshoe near the church doors and pull up along the backside of the playground (facing Zenith). Drop students off when you are the front car near the playground. If you need to come in the building, pull into a legal parking spot and walk in with your child. Out of respect for our neighbors, and to keep all our children safe by avoiding the icy roads, do not drop off between 8:45-9:20 am on either side of York Ave. in front of the school, in the middle of the street or on the corner of 51st & York, where the buses drop off.

Annual Fund: Thank you to all those who have donated to this year’s Annual Fund. The annual fund is one of Carondelet’s three major fundraisers that helps balance this year’s operating budget. Gifts of all sizes allow us to offer the highest level of academic excellence with small class sizes and many enrichments, and attract and retain the best teachers and staff. Thank you for considering a gift to this year’s annual fund. 

View the 2019 Annual Report          Make a Gift to the Annual Fund

Parent Info Night: Carondelet teachers will present on “Learning Differences: Meeting the Needs of the Unique Saint” Tuesday, January 28, 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm, LC Cafeteria

Catholic Schools Week Events:
Staff Appreciation Lunch: Wednesday, January 29 (Volunteer here)
Family Bingo Night: Friday, January 31, 6 - 8 pm, LC Cafeteria.
     Volunteers needed: 4:30 - 6 pm: set up / 6 - 7 pm: sell bingo cards / 6 - 8 pm: sell concessions / 8 - 9 pm: clean up. Please email Gretchen Baker to volunteer.  

Save the Date for the Home & School Events:
Pastries with a Pal: Friday, April 17, 8:30 - 9 am, UC Social Hall
Pops & Lollies: (New Date!) Friday, May 15, 6 - 9 pm, LC Gym
Mom & Son Saints Baseball Game: Sunday, June 7

And as always, Volunteer Opportunities is your one-stop shop to support the school with your time and talents. For more information on Home & School, please contact Kate Hensley, Jadee Kahlert or Mary Schoellman, Home & School Co-Chairs.

Parish Bulletins: For more news and events, view this week’s bulletins from Christ the King and St. Thomas the Apostle.

STA Facilities Improvements: Click here for an update from Saint Thomas the Apostle regarding facilities improvements completed and yet to come.

Visit the Carondelet Catholic School website

                    

News Notes: December 6, 2019

The Week Ahead: 

The following information went home on Wednesday:

• Saints Men’s Club Christmas Tree Lot & Morning w/St. Nick flyer  (green)
• January Lunch menu (blue)

From the Desk of Principal Mary Yamoah:
Happy Advent!  The Lower and Upper Campuses have had a beautiful week celebrating Advent and getting their hearts ready for Jesus’ birthday.  Please be sure to ask your child(ren) about the symbols we have been placing on the Jesse Tree.

We have many special events taking place over the next two weeks.  Please be sure to check the calendar on our school websites for prayer services, Masses, programs, concerts, and other special events!

God Bless, 
Mary Yamoah, Principal 

Trimester 1 Report Cards: Students have successfully completed Trimester 1 of the 2019-2020 school year.  Report cards are available after 5:00 today online via Sycamore. Please log in to your Sycamore account to view your child’s report card.  If you have any questions or need assistance accessing your account, please contact Mr. Blanda.

Morning with St. Nick: Kids of all ages are invited to join us this Saturday, December 7th to shop for their family members at this year’s St. Nick Holiday Shoppe. The event will include a kids-only holiday shoppe, cookies, refreshments, and more. The event will be held from 9:00-11:00 am in the Lower Campus cafeteria. We need adult volunteers to help that morning. Sign-up to volunteer here. 

Volunteer to help at the Morning with St. Nick!

Men’s Club Tree Lot Open! The Saints Men's Club annual Christmas Tree lot at the Lower Campus is open this Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 am - 6:30 pm and next weekend through December 15th. This year, $20 of the proceeds from each tree will go directly to teacher wish lists for a classroom you designate.

January Lunch Orders:  Lunch orders for the month of January are due by 10:00 am Monday, December 16th. Late orders cannot be accepted. Complete your orders here.

Thank you from Waite House for Thanksgiving Baskets:  “I want to thank each one of you for all of your amazing work on the Thanksgiving baskets last week for our families. There is no word in my native language (Mazahua) to translate this word - (pokii rhja punku eh diosi ran buscuji) into Spanish or English in a single word. Thank you very much and God bless you. I am sending you the best blessing to each home to protect your families. And lastly, the sun and moon protect you wherever you go.”  -Jovita, Waite House Community Organizer for Pillsbury United Communities

Saints Tribune: To read the latest issue of the Saints Tribune, the newsletter published by middle school students, click here.

Grandparents Tea: Grandparents and special friends of Carondelet Catholic School are invited to join us for our Holiday Tea and matinee Christmas program on Thursday, December 19. Please note, the students will be preparing for the Christmas program performance, so they will not be in attendance during the tea. Students are welcome to greet their guests as they arrive to school and classrooms will also be open for tours following the performance. RSVP here by December 13. 

Carondelet Christmas Program: Carondelet’s annual Christmas Program is Thursday, December 19th with performances in Church of Christ the King at 9:30 am (with a Grandparents & Special Friends Tea at 8:45 am prior to the morning performance) and 7:00 pm. The program includes all students in grades PreK through Grade 8. Students should be in uniform for the morning performance/rehearsal and in church attire for the evening performance. Please see the rehearsal schedule below. Please be sure to follow Carondelet’s Upper Campus drop-off and pick-up procedures found here.

Lost and Found Table:  There will be a Lost and Found table set up on the 1st floor of the Upper Campus for the next two weeks.  Please take a moment to look through the items or have your children look for missing/lost items. All items left on December 20th will be donated to charity.

Book-It-Now Parties: Planning is in full swing for Carondelet’s GoGo Gala and the Book-It-Now (BIN) parties.  Book-It-Now parties are a fun way to get involved, and contribute significantly to GoGo’s financial success.  Revenue from these parties make up 1/3 of the total funds raised at this event. Here is what you need to know:

Book-it-Now parties, hosted by families and teachers, are community-building events that raise money for the school.  You can host one on your own or with another family(families). You come up with the party idea, plan the event, and cover the party costs.  Parents then have an opportunity to sign up for these parties at the GoGo Gala. The cost to attend the party goes directly to the school! There are a variety of parties: kids only, grade specific, families, parents only, and special events with teachers. 

If you would like to host a party or would like more information, please email one of the contacts below.  Parties can take place all year, through January, 2021!

     Parent BIN Party:     Kelly Nakashima (kellymshaw78@gmail.com)
     Teacher Hosted BIN Party:    Betsy Kinkead (betsy_utter@hotmail.com)
     Sleep Under BIN Party:   Sarah Lockner (salockner@gmail.com)
     Kid/Family BIN:   Shelly Phillips (sphillipsmpls@mail.com)

Volunteer Opportunities Link: Volunteers are needed for several of our upcoming events including the Grandparents Tea and Morning with St. Nick. To make the volunteer process a little easier, you can now find many of the school's volunteer opportunities all in one place. Just go to the Volunteer Opportunities page on the school's website to sign up for lunch, library, and upcoming events. We are ever grateful for the volunteers that keep the school humming! 

We are excited to announce our new format for Home & School meetings this year that will include updates from leadership as well as a “Speaker Series” that will cover a range of topics for Carondelet families. View the full schedule here. 

Questions? For more information on Home & School, please contact Kate Hensley, Jadee Kahlert or Mary Schoellman, Home & School Co-Chairs.

Carondelet Basketball:  The CCS basketball season got underway last night with the  Boys Varsity Bronze team defeating BSM in the season opener 37-13.  Shalin Patel led all scorers with 17 points, and the Saints played a swarming defense to hold the Red Knights offense in check.  A great start to the season for Coaches Loeffler and Patel, and the boys.  

The cub basketball season opens tomorrow Saturday, December 7th.  Many of the cub teams will be playing at the LC. The remaining varsity teams tip off for the first time next week!

Basketball jerseys may be worn to school on game days (or Fridays for teams playing on Saturdays) to promote school spirit and excitement for our athletic program.  Players may wear jersey tops with a shirt/t-shirt underneath but must wear school uniform bottoms.  

Junior Cub basketball practices begin next Friday, Dec. 13th at the LC.  Practices will be only on Fridays.  Coaches will be reaching out to players or parents soon if they have not already done so about specific times.  Also, players that have practice at 4:00 p.m. at the LC MAY NOT RIDE THE BUS TO PRACTICE. Please arrange rides for your player or set up a carpool if needed.  No game schedule is out yet from the JC league, however, games are tentatively expected to start Saturday, January, 11th.  

Go Saints!

Parish Bulletins:  For more news and events, view this week’s bulletins from Christ the King and St. Thomas the Apostle or the STA event and calendar link for December.

STA Facilities Improvements: Click here for an update from Saint Thomas the Apostle regarding facilities improvements completed and yet to come.

Visit the Carondelet Catholic School website

                    

 

News Notes: November 29, 2019

The Week Ahead: 

The following information went home on Wednesday:

• Advent Kindness Calendar  (green)

From the Desk of Principal Mary Yamoah:
On behalf of the Carondelet Catholic School faculty and staff, we wish you a blessed Thanksgiving.  Please know that you are all in our thoughts and prayers.

Loving God,
We turn our hearts to you on this day for giving thanks, mindful of Your many gifts.
For each one, we are grateful.  For each one, we are blessed.
For each one, we are opened to the abundance of your love.
May this Thanksgiving Day offer a reminder to be generous with others,
as you are with us.
We praise you.  We rejoice you. We give you thanks.  Amen.

God Bless, 
Mary Yamoah, Principal

The second graders took the lead on this month’s service project with Waite House.
Saints shopped, sorted, blessed and delivered 50 Thanksgiving dinner baskets to families in need. 
We are grateful for all those who helped in this special tradition. Thanks for Giving!

Advent at Carondelet:  It is hard to believe that when we return from our Thanksgiving break on Monday, we will have entered the season of Advent.  This year, our school will be using the Jesse Tree to help prepare our hearts for Christmas. The Jesse Tree helps us connect the custom of decorating Christmas trees to the events leading to Jesus’ birth. The ornaments of the Jesse Tree tell the story of God in the Old Testament, connecting the Advent season with the faithfulness of God across four thousand years of history.  As you visit the school, please be sure to look for the Jesse Tree and the beautiful story the ornaments tell.

In addition to the Jesse Tree, both campuses will meet regularly for prayer services.  We also encourage students to do something special this Advent season to help them grow closer to God:  sit with someone new at lunch, pick trash up off the floor, or set the table at home. Wishing you all a blessed Advent season.

Morning with St. Nick: Kids of all ages are invited to join us next Saturday, December 7th to shop for their family members at this year’s St. Nick Holiday Shoppe. The event will include a kids-only holiday shoppe, cookies, refreshments, and more. The event will be held from 9:00-11:00 am in the Lower Campus cafeteria. We need adult volunteers to help that morning. Sign-up to volunteer here. 

Volunteer to help at the Morning with St. Nick!

Men’s Club Tree Lot Opens This Weekend! The Saints Men's Club opens their annual Christmas Tree lot at the Lower Campus this Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 am - 6:30 pm and every weekend through December 15th. This year, $20 of the proceeds from each tree will go directly to teacher wish lists for a classroom you designate.

Saints Tribune: To read the latest issue of the Saints Tribune, the newsletter published by middle school students, click here.

Grandparents Tea: Grandparents and special friends of Carondelet Catholic School are invited to join us for our Holiday Tea and matinee Christmas program on Thursday, December 19. Please note, the students will be preparing for the Christmas program performance, so they will not be in attendance during the tea. Students are welcome to greet their guests as they arrive to school and classrooms will also be open for tours following the performance. RSVP here by December 13. 

Book Fair – Thank you: Thanks so much to everyone who came out to shop at the Barnes and Noble Book Fair last weekend or shopped online. Thanks also to the tremendous volunteers who helped out with wish lists, gift wrapping, and more. We appreciate the support!

Winter Dress Code Policy:  The winter weather is upon us and so we’d like to remind families of a few dress code policies.  Boots worn to and from school must be changed to regular school shoes upon arrival. This includes all boots, such as fashion boots or UGGs.  Socks need to be worn every day with every type of shoe. Tights/leggings are either solid white, blue or black and must be full length, straight leg and under the skirt or dress. We do go outside every day, so please remember warm coats, boots, hats and mittens/gloves.

Volunteer Opportunities Link: Volunteers are needed for several of our upcoming events including the Grandparents Tea and Morning with St. Nick. To make the volunteer process a little easier, you can now find many of the school's volunteer opportunities all in one place. Just go to the Volunteer Opportunities page on the school's website to sign up for lunch, library, and upcoming events. We are ever grateful for the volunteers that keep the school humming! 

We are excited to announce our new format for Home & School meetings this year that will include updates from leadership as well as a “Speaker Series” that will cover a range of topics for Carondelet families. View the full schedule here. 

Questions? For more information on Home & School, please contact Kate Hensley, Jadee Kahlert or Mary Schoellman, Home & School Co-Chairs.

Junior Cub Basketball:  Practices will begin on Friday, December 13th.  All practices will take place on Fridays at the Lower Campus gym after school/early evening.  Games are played on Saturday’s and are expected to begin on January 11th. Coaches will be contacting parents and players in the next week or so to let them know specific practice times on Fridays. 

Parish Bulletins: For more news and events, view this week’s bulletins from Christ the King and St. Thomas the Apostle.

Visit the Carondelet Catholic School website

                    

News Notes: November 22, 2019

The Week Ahead: 

The following information went home on Wednesday:

• December calendar  (cherry)
• December Lunch menu  (pink)
• Waite House Thanksgiving Basket donation list  (golden)
• Page Turners Book Club flyer, Gr. 3-5  (purple)

From the Desk of Principal Mary Yamoah:
This Sunday is the Feast of Christ the King and the celebration of Fr. Bill’s installation as pastor of Christ the King parish! We invite you to celebrate with Archbishop Hebda and the parish of Christ the King this Sunday, November 24 at the 9:30 am Mass. 

It was wonderful to see many parents at our Home and School meeting on Tuesday evening. The information on Anxiety and Adolescent Mental Health was extremely helpful.  We will continue to bring more information to parents on this very important topic. Please mark your calendars for our next Home and School meeting scheduled for January 28th at 7:00pm. The topic is Learning Differences:  Meeting the Needs of the Unique Saint.

God Bless, 
Mary Yamoah, Principal

Strategic Plan Updates:  We have made great progress on the objectives and strategies noted on our strategic plan.  To date, we have accomplished the following:

Objective 1 (Learner Needs)

• NWEA MAP data review and report to stakeholders.
• Curriculum, Assessment, Special Services, and Technology PLC paperwork submitted and approved by Minneapolis Public School District.
• PreK Licensing process initiated.

Objective 2 (Safe, Healthy Environment)

• “Top 20” PLC paperwork submitted and approved by Minneapolis Public School District.
• Development committee established (School Board).
• Infrastructure/Technology work underway (phone system, security)

Objective 3 (Vitality and Viability)

• Infrastructure/Technology work underway (phone system, security).
• Communication Plan work underway (external and internal).
• Press release, signage, and recruiting events underway.

Thank you for your support of our strategic plan initiatives.  We will continue to update you as progress is made.

All-School Thanksgiving Mass: Please join us for an all-school Thanksgiving Mass on Tuesday, November 26 at 9:30 am at the Church of St.Thomas the Apostle. Upper Campus students will start their day at the Lower Campus and then be bussed back to the Upper Campus following Mass. Please join us!

December Lunch Orders: Lunch orders for the month of December are due by 10:00 am, Monday, November 25th. (See calendar attached). Late orders cannot be accepted. Complete your orders here.

Waite House Thanksgiving Baskets:  Each year, Carondelet assembles and delivers Thanksgiving baskets for the families of Waite House. This year, Carondelet students are hoping to organize and deliver 50 food baskets for families who would otherwise go without a Thanksgiving meal this year. Click here for a list of donations requested by grade level. Thanks for Giving!

Barnes & Noble Book Fair: Our annual Barnes & Noble Book Fair is this Saturday and Sunday November 23rd and 24th at the Edina Galleria Barnes & Noble. Any Carondelet-designated purchase made at Barnes & Noble that weekend earns us money to purchase new library books. You must mention Carondelet for your purchase to count toward our earnings. A blue flyer came home on Wednesday with a schedule of guest readers and our special code!  If you'd like to volunteer at this year's book fair, please click here to sign up.

Men’s Club Tree Lot Opens Next Weekend! The Saints Men's Club will be opening their annual Christmas Tree lot at the Lower Campus on Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00 am - 6:30 pm, November 30th - December 15th. This year, $20 of the proceeds from each tree will go directly to teacher wish lists for a classroom you designate. 

Morning with St. Nick: Kids of all ages are invited to join us on Saturday, December 7th to shop for their family members at this year’s St. Nick Holiday Shoppe. The event will include a kids-only holiday shoppe, cookies, refreshments, and more. The event will be held from 9:00-11:00 am in the Lower Campus cafeteria. Mark your calendars!

Morning with St. Nick Volunteers Needed-Sign Up Here!

Grandparents Tea: Grandparents and special friends of Carondelet Catholic School are invited to join us for our Holiday Tea and Christmas program matinee on Thursday, December 19. Please note, the students will be preparing for the Christmas program performance, so they will not be in attendance during the tea. Students are welcome to greet their guests as they arrive to school and classrooms will also be open for tours following the performance. RSVP here by December 13. 

Empower Leadership Academy for Girls:  On Saturday, November 16th, 26 of our middle school girls attended a leadership workshop designed to inspire, develop, and empower the next generation of leaders. The Academy was founded by Pam Borton, former head coach of the Women’s Gopher Basketball Team. Some comments from the participants:

“I learned a lot, we played games and learned how to handle stress.”
“We learned how to be resilient and ways to tell when
we’re stressed and how to handle that.”
“We learned many life lessons.  I especially liked the yoga that we did
to calm our minds and the resilience games. I recommend this
program and would definitely do it again.”

Winter Dress Code Policy:  The winter weather is upon us, so we’d like to remind families of a few dress code policies.  Boots worn to and from school must be changed to regular school shoes upon arrival. This includes all boots, such as fashion boots or UGGs.  Socks need to be worn every day with every type of shoe. Tights/leggings are either solid white, blue or black and must be full length, straight leg and under the skirt or dress. We do go outside every day, so please remember warm coats, boots, hats and mittens/gloves.

NWEA MAP Data:  We were proud of the NWEA MAP scores this fall. The charts below feature Carondelet mean RIT scores in comparison to the National mean RIT scores for both math and reading.  Carondelet is above the national average at every grade level in both subject areas!  Way to go Saints!

  

Volunteer Opportunities Link: Volunteers are needed for several of our upcoming events including the Grandparents Tea and Morning with St. Nick. To make the volunteer process a little easier, you can now find many of the school's volunteer opportunities all in one place. Just go to the Volunteer Opportunities page on the school's website to sign up for lunch, library, and upcoming events. We are ever grateful for the volunteers that keep the school humming! 

Questions? For more information on Home & School, please contact Kate Hensley, Jadee Kahlert or Mary Schoellman, Home & School Co-Chairs.

Uniform Return:  The deadline to return fall sports jerseys has passed!  Please return your child's soccer or volleyball uniform on Monday if you have not already done so.  Any uniforms not returned by Monday, November 25th will be charged a $50 replacement fee and billed to your school account.

Parish Bulletins: For more news and events, view this week’s bulletins from Christ the King and St. Thomas the Apostle or the STA event and calendar link for November.

Visit the Carondelet Catholic School website

                    

 

News Notes: November 15, 2019

The Week Ahead: 

The following information went home on Wednesday:

• Advent Cookie order form for UC students only  (tan)
• Book Fair flyer & guest reader list  (blue)

From the Desk of Principal Mary Yamoah:

There was great energy at Tuesday night’s Admissions Open House! Thank you to our faculty, students ambassadors, first grade singers, and generous volunteers who provided hospitality, tours, and childcare. A big thank you to our admissions director, Megan Hower, who makes this a great experience for our visitors. We’re looking forward to seeing many of these prospective families as future Saints!

We are working on our Annual Report that will share news of all that has been accomplished in the last year in addition to our financial information.  We look forward to the opportunities and challenges in the upcoming year.

God Bless, 
Mary Yamoah, Principal

Winter Gear:  The weather is finally turning seasonal on us and so we’d like to remind families of a few dress code policies.  Boots which are worn to and from school must be changed to regular school shoes upon arrival.  This includes all boots, such as fashion boots or UGGs. Socks need to be worn every day with every type of shoe.  Tights/leggings are either solid white, blue or black and must be full length, straight leg and under the skirt or dress.  Also, we do go outside every day, so please remember those warm coats, boots, hats and mittens/gloves.

NWEA MAP Data:  We were proud of the NWEA MAP scores this fall. The charts below feature Carondelet mean RIT scores in comparison to the National mean RIT scores for both math and reading.  Carondelet is above the national average at every grade level in both subject areas!  Way to go Saints!

  

LC Marathon Pancake Breakfast: We had so much fun hosting the Lower Campus Pancake Breakfast on Monday morning for students who raised $300 or more for our marathon.  A special thank you to all students, families, teachers, and special friends of Carondelet Catholic School for your support of our school marathon!

Barnes & Noble Book Fair: Mark your calendars for our annual Barnes and Noble Book Fair, Saturday and Sunday November 23rd and 24th at the Edina Galleria Barnes and Noble. Any Carondelet-designated purchase made at Barnes and Noble that weekend earns us money to purchase new library books. You must mention Carondelet for your purchase to count toward our earnings. A blue flyer came home on Wednesday with a schedule of guest readers and our special code!  If you'd like to volunteer at this year's book fair, please click here to sign up.

Morning with St. Nick: Kids of all ages are invited to join us Saturday, December 7th to shop for their family members at this year’s St. Nick Holiday Shoppe. The event will include a kids-only holiday shoppe, cookies, refreshments, and more. The event will be held from 9:00-11:00 am in the Lower Campus cafeteria. Mark your calendars!

Annual Christmas Tree Fundraiser:  The Saints Men's Club will be opening their annual Christmas Tree lot at the Lower Campus from 10:00 am - 6:30 pm  November 30 – December 15th. This year, $20 of the proceeds from each tree will go directly to teacher wish lists for a classroom you designate. 

Halloween Candy Donations:  Still have leftover candy from Halloween?  Need a place to send it so it’s not tempting?  If your children have received an abundance of candy this Halloween, please feel free to donate any portion to the boxes in either Campus office. Donations will be given to Waite House to make birthday bags.

November Parent Meeting/Speaker Series: Join us for our next Home & School meeting on November 19 at 7:00 pm at our Lower Campus. Psychologist Paul Buckley will present on the topic of anxiety and adolescent mental health.

We are excited to announce our new format for Home & School meetings this year that will now include updates from leadership as well as a “Speaker Series” that will cover a range of topics for Carondelet families. View the full schedule here. 
Questions? For more information on Home & School, please contact Kate Hensley, Jadee Kahlert or Mary Schoellman, Home & School Co-Chairs.

Uniform Return:  The deadline to return fall sports jerseys is today!  Please return your child's soccer or volleyball uniform as soon as possible next week if you have not already done so. To date, 32 fall sports jerseys have not been returned.  Please help us in making sure we get all uniforms back as this is critical to the budget and success of our athletic program. Any uniforms not returned will be charged a $50 replacement fee and billed to your school account.

Parish Bulletins: For more news and events, view this week’s bulletins from Christ the King and St. Thomas the Apostle or the STA event and calendar link for November.

Visit the Carondelet Catholic School website

                    

 

News Notes: November 8, 2019

The Week Ahead: 

The following information went home on Wednesday:

• The 2019-2020 Parent Directory  (blue cover)
• November calendar  (gold)

Winter Gear:  The weather is finally turning seasonal on us and so we’d like to remind families of a few dress code policies.  Boots which are worn to and from school must be changed to regular school shoes upon arrival.  This includes all boots, such as fashion boots or UGGs. Socks need to be worn every day with every type of shoe.  Tights/leggings are either solid white, blue or black and must be full length, straight leg and under the skirt or dress.  Also, we do go outside every day, so please remember those warm coats, boots, hats and mittens/gloves.

From the Desk of Principal Mary Yamoah:
Veterans Day is a time for us to pay our respect to those who have served. For one day, we stand united in respect for our veterans.  We will celebrate this special day on Monday, November 11th. This past Wednesday, we gathered in prayer to honor the special men and women who have served or who are currently serving.  Our prayer service was led by Mrs. Paine and our 8th grade students. On behalf of the Carondelet Catholic School Community, we would like to extend our sincere appreciation to all of our veterans for their service.  Please help me in praying for our veterans.

Dear Lord, 
Today we honor our veterans, worthy men and women who gave their best when they were called upon
to serve and protect their country. We pray that you will bless them for their unselfish service
in the continual struggle to preserve our freedoms, our safety, and our country's heritage, for all of us.

God Bless, 
Mary Yamoah, Principal 

UC Marathon Pancake Breakfast:  Mr. Blanda and Mrs. Yamoah had a fabulous time hosting the Upper Campus Marathon Pancake Breakfast on Friday for the 80+ students who brought in $300 for our Marathon.  The pancakes, sausage, and conversation were a huge hit!

LC Marathon Pancake Breakfast: Lower Campus students who brought in pledges of $300 or more are invited to a pancake breakfast with Mrs. Yamoah and Mr. Blanda on Monday, November 11th at 8:30 am in the Lower Campus Cafeteria.   

Spread the Word! Carondelet’s Admissions Open House is Tuesday, November 12 at 6:30 pm at the Lower Campus. If you know a family who might be interested in learning more about Carondelet, share the event page from Facebook or drop us an email and we’ll send them a personal invitation to tour our school!  If you or your middle school student would like to be a greeter for this event, please contact Megan Hower.

Pre-K and Kindergarten 2020: Do you have a pre-k or a kindergarten-eligible child for 2020? If so, please email Megan Hower so we can plan accordingly. We offer a 4 and 5-day pre-kindergarten option for students who turn 4 before September 1, 2020.

Barnes & Noble Book Fair: Mark your calendars for our annual Barnes and Noble Book Fair, Saturday and Sunday November 23rd and 24th at the Edina Galleria Barnes and Noble. Any Carondelet-designated purchase made at Barnes and Noble that weekend earns us money to purchase new library books. You must mention Carondelet for your purchase to count toward our earnings. Be on the lookout for more information in the coming weeks, including the schedule of guest readers!  If you'd like to volunteer at this year's book fair, please click here to sign up.

Men’s Shoe Drive: The Carondelet Catholic School National Junior Honor Society is hosting a Fall Shoe Drive for the Hennepin County Medical Center.  We are collecting new or gently used men’s shoes. Collection dates will be every Wednesday until November 13th. Our goal is to bring in 200 pairs of shoes with the top classroom receiving an out of uniform day.  Thank you in advance for your support! View the flyer here.

Halloween Candy Donations:  Still have leftover candy from Halloween?  Need a place to send it so it’s not tempting?  If your children received an abundance of candy this Halloween, please feel free to donate any portion to the boxes in either Campus office. Donations will be given to Waite House to make birthday bags. 

Saints Way “Top 20” Tips for October:  During the month of October, your child learned about “The Line.” This imaginary line helps distinguish the state of our mind as being above the line or below the line. When we are above the line, our thinking is working in our best interest.  We have a positive view on life and how we see it. We are able to communicate more effectively and make better decisions when above the line. When we are below the line, our thinking is not working in our best interest and we have a negative view on life causing us to make poor decisions and choices. Ask your child about his/her trampoline. How do they go from being below to above? Watch out, we have invitations that bring us below the line all the time! For more information on Top 20, please click here.

Upper Campus Morning Drop-off Reminder: Please do not drop your children off on York Avenue (from either direction) in front of the school between the alley and 51st Street. We ask that you not park the wrong way, stop in front of the neighbor’s driveway or even worse, in the middle of the street. It is not safe to have your children in the street at that busy traffic time and it causes traffic jams which upset our neighbors.

Uniform Return:  Please return fall sports jerseys to the UC school office freshly laundered in a bag with the player's name included.  Uniforms must be returned by November 15th or a $50 fee will be charged to your school account.  

Basketball coach needed:  We are still looking for a 5th grade boys basketball coach for the upcoming season.  Please contact  Tony Subialka, CCS Athletic Director if you are able and interested in helping out.  

Basketball practices:   Basketball practices officially begin the week of November 11th.  Coaches will contact parents and players once the practice schedule is set.  Game schedules are not out yet and will likely not be available until the latter part of November.  Games will likely start near the beginning of December.

We are excited to announce our new format for Home & School meetings this year that will now include updates from leadership as well as a “Speaker Series” that will cover a range of topics for Carondelet families. View the full schedule here. 

November Parent Meeting/Speaker Series: Join us for our next Home & School meeting on November 19 at 7:00 pm at our Lower Campus. Psychologist Paul Buckley will present on the topic of anxiety and adolescent mental health.

Questions? For more information on Home & School, please contact Kate Hensley, Jadee Kahlert or Mary Schoellman, Home & School Co-Chairs.

Parish Bulletins: For more news and events, view this week’s bulletins from Christ the King and St. Thomas the Apostle or the STA event and calendar link for November.

Visit the Carondelet Catholic School website

                    

 

News Notes: November 1, 2019

The Week Ahead: 

The following information went home on Wednesday:

• Shoe Drive flyer  (goldenrod)

From the Desk of Principal Mary Yamoah:

It was wonderful seeing you at Parent/Teacher Conferences.  Thank you for partnering with us to educate your child academically and spiritually.  As we “fall” back this weekend, please take some time to reflect on how much we have accomplished these past couple of months and all we have to look forward in the months ahead!  

Today is All Saints' Day, observed by Catholics in honor of all saints known and unknown. As a Catholic School, we are grateful for the opportunity to learn about and work towards modeling the saints who have gone before us.

God Bless, 
Mary Yamoah, Principal 

With class parties, special guests and a K/8 buddy gathering, 
it was fun seeing our Saints getting into the Halloween spirit!

Saints Way “Top 20” Tips for October:  During the month of October, your child learned about “The Line.” This imaginary line helps distinguish the state of our mind as being above the line or below the line. When we are above the line, our thinking is working in our best interest.  We have a positive view on life and how we see it. We are able to communicate more effectively and make better decisions when above the line. When we are below the line, our thinking is not working in our best interest and we have a negative view on life causing us to make poor decisions and choices. Ask your child about his/her trampoline. How do they go from being below to above? Watch out, we have invitations that bring us below the line all the time! For more information on Top 20, please click here.

Marathon Pancake Breakfast: Students who brought in pledges of $300 or more are invited to a pancake breakfast with Mrs. Yamoah and Mr. Blanda. Save the date for the:

     UC Pancake Breakfast:  Friday, November 8th at 8:30 am in the Social Hall  
     LC Pancake Breakfast:  Monday, November 11th at 8:30 am in the Cafeteria   

Spread the Word! Carondelet’s Admissions Open House is Tuesday, November 12 at 6:30 pm at the Lower Campus. If you know a family who might be interested in learning more about Carondelet, share the event page from Facebook or drop us an email and we’ll send them a personal invitation to tour our school!  If you or your middle school student would like to be a greeter for this event, please contact Megan Hower.

Pre-K and Kindergarten 2020: Do you have a pre-k or a kindergarten-eligible child for 2020? If so, please email Megan Hower so we can plan accordingly. We offer a 4 and 5-day pre-kindergarten option for students who turn 4 before September 1, 2020.

Men’s Shoe Drive: The Carondelet Catholic School National Junior Honor Society is hosting a Fall Shoe Drive for the Hennepin County Medical Center.  We are collecting new or gently used men’s shoes. Collection dates will be every Wednesday until November 13th. Our goal is to bring in 200 pairs of shoes with the top classroom receiving an out of uniform day.  Thank you in advance for your support!  View the flyer here.

Washington DC - Attention 8th Grade Parents: Don't forget to sign up your child for their exciting 8th Grade Washington DC trip.  Registration ends today, Friday, November 1st! The dates of the trip are June 8-12. Contact Mrs. Pilsner if you have any questions or need help registering! 

Middle School Newsletter: Click here for the latest edition of the student produced Middle School newsletter.

Fall sports wrap up:  The fall sports season has come to a close with tournaments concluding last Saturday.  All of our CCS sports teams played hard and are to be congratulated on their efforts.  A special congratulations to our Varsity Boys soccer team who finished second in their tournament.  More congratulations to our two Varsity Bronze volleyball teams who placed first and second in their season ending tournament.  The Purple team edged the Green team for the title but it provided an exciting end to the tournament that took place here at CCS.  Way to go Saints!  Finally, thank you to all of our coaches who did a great job working with our student athletes this fall.  Soccer coaches were: Jeff Mueller, Ms. Jill Zastrow, Doug Cleary, Kate Lovrien, and Jim Lovrien.  Our volleyball coaches were:  Seth Ralston, Mark Stauffer, Mary Cleary, Martha Lowry, Eddie Blok, Ms. Meg Pilsner, Ms. Ali Maeser, and Ms. Jodi Nilsen. 

Uniform Return:  Please return fall sports jerseys to the UC school office freshly laundered in a bag with the player's name included.  Uniforms must be returned by November 15th or a $50 fee will be charged to your school account.  

Basketball coach needed:  We are still looking for a 5th grade boys basketball coach for the upcoming season.  Please contact  Tony Subialka, CCS Athletic Director if you are able and interested in helping out.  

Basketball practices:   Basketball practices officially begin the week of November 11th.  Coaches will begin contacting parents and players next week once the practice schedule is set.  Game schedules are not out yet and will likely not be available until the latter part of November.  Games will likely start near the beginning of December.  

8th grade vs. Teacher/staff/coaches volleyball game:   On Monday, November 4th an old CCS tradition is renewed as the Varsity Silver (8th grade girls) take on the CCS staff/coaches in a volleyball game at the UC.  First serve will take place around 4:20 p.m.  Come watch our 8th graders in their final volleyball match of their stellar careers as they try to teach the teachers/staff/coaches a lesson.  Some of the staff All Stars rumored to be participating in the match include Ms. Ali Maeser (Formerly of Team USA), Mrs. McSweeney (Marquette University,)  Mr. Rome (Penn State Men's team), Mr. Seth Ralston (Western Kentucky Men's team and 8th grade coach), Ms. D (Nebraska),  Mr. Connolly (UCLA men's team),  Mrs. Pote (University of Minnesota), Mrs. Ralston (Stanford), Senora Bray (La Universidad de Barcelona)...and more.  Parents and students are all welcome to come cheer on their favorite players for an afternoon of fun!

Junior Cub Basketball: Registration for boys and girls junior cub basketball (Grades 2-3) is now open. Click here to register and/or for more details. Registration deadline is today, November 1st. For questions, please contact Tony Subialka, CCS Athletic Director. 

The Loaned Manger: A Christmas Musical!  Students  in grades K-12 are invited to participate in this winter theater production directed by Heather Dorsey.  The Theatre Academy offers intensive theater training for young actors and musicians. Registration and rehearsal forms went home Tuesday, October 15th.  Extra forms are available in both campus offices. Performances are Saturday, December 14 at 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm. Rehearsals begin Friday, November 10 and are held Friday after school, Saturday and Sunday afternoons. Click here to view The Loaned Manger poster, Parent Information letter or complete Rehearsal schedule. The Participation Form can be viewed here. The complete schedule is online on the school’s website calendar. 

We are excited to announce our new format for Home & School meetings this year that will now include updates from leadership as well as a “Speaker Series” that will cover a range of topics for Carondelet families. View the full schedule here. 

November Parent Meeting/Speaker Series: Join us for our next Home & School meeting on November 19 at 7:00 pm at our Lower Campus. Psychologist Paul Buckley will present on the topic of anxiety and adolescent mental health.

Questions? For more information on Home & School, please contact Kate Hensley, Jadee Kahlert or Mary Schoellman, Home & School Co-Chairs.

Parish Bulletins: For more news and events, view this week’s bulletins from Christ the King and St. Thomas the Apostle or the STA event and calendar link for November.

Visit the Carondelet Catholic School website

                    

News Notes: October 25, 2019

The Week Ahead: 

The following information went home on Wednesday:

• November Lunch Menu  (green)
• Waite House flyer  (golden)
• Box Tops for Education flyer  (white)
• Magic, The Gathering Card Club flyer, Gr. 6-8 only  (bright blue)

From the Desk of Principal Mary Yamoah:
Thank you to Mr. Subialka, our coaches and volunteers for hosting last night’s Volleyball Jamboree. There was so much energy and excitement on campus with all seven of our volleyball teams competing at the Upper Campus! It was fun to see so many Saints gathered for this special event. 

Our Home & School Association held the first meeting of the year on Tuesday evening.  Thank you to those who were able to attend. We learned about the new format for Home & School meetings, various volunteer opportunities, School Board goals, and updates on the strategic plan.  Please mark your calendar for our next Home & School meeting on Tuesday, November 19.  Our parent information session will focus on Anxiety & Adolescent Mental Health. We hope to see you there!

Just a reminder as the weather is getting colder outside, please be sure to send your student to school with warm winter apparel, since all grades go outside each day. 

God Bless, 
Mary Yamoah, Principal 

New MakerSpace Activities: Our MakerSpace engineers have been studying three dimensional shapes this week, building and testing them to see if they can support weight, and learning why joints are important with the Building Your Imagination Kits. The kits are on loan to us from the C-STEM library, a partnership with the University of St. Thomas School of Engineering. We are looking forward to working with robots next! Our students and teachers are loving the hands-on activities this year's Carondelet MakerSpace is offering.

Grades 5-8 Fall Conferences:  Fall conferences for grades 5-8 will be held the evening of October 30th from 4:30-8:30pm and the morning of November 1st from 8:00am-12:00pm in the Upper Campus/CTK Social Hall.  Please sign up for a 5 minute conference slot with each teacher that you would like to meet with. If you need a longer time period with a particular teacher, please feel free to set up another meeting time.   Please sign up for only one time slot per teacher, per student. There are separate sign up forms for Wednesday, October 30 and Friday, November 1. Sign-ups will close on Sunday, October 27 to allow teachers time to prepare.  Thank you!
          WEDNESDAY CONFERENCE SIGN-UP
          FRIDAY CONFERENCE SIGN-UP

Halloween Out-of-Uniform:  Halloween is an out-of-uniform day, as follows:
   Pre-K: Halloween costumes or shirts allowed
   K & 8: Halloween/Black and/or Orange shirts with uniform bottoms in am, costumes in pm only
   1-4: Halloween/Black and/or Orange with uniform bottoms (costumes during party only)
   5-7: Halloween/Black and/or Orange with uniform bottoms

Admissions Open House: Carondelet’s Admissions Open House is Tuesday, November 12 at 6:30 pm at the Lower Campus. If you know a family who might be interested in learning more about Carondelet, drop us an email and we’ll send them a personal invitation to tour our school!  If you or your middle school student would like to be a greeter for this event, please contact Megan Hower.

Washington DC - Attention 8th Grade Parents: Don't forget to sign up your child for their exciting 8th Grade Washington DC trip.  Registration will end next Friday, November 1st! The dates of the trip are June 8-12. Contact Mrs. Pilsner if you have any questions or need help registering! 

Waite House:  Pick up of donated items for Waite House for October will be at noon on Wednesday, October 30th.  Let your spirit of kindness show this month.  Please remember to double bag your items! Please check out the flyer to find information about Waite House and what items are most needed.

Middle School Newsletter: Click here for the latest edition of the student produced Middle School newsletter.

GOGO - Save the Date! Be on the lookout for your "save the date" postcard to arrive via mail with details to follow in the coming months. We are excited to announce the new venue this year at the Calhoun Beach Club for our GoGo on February 29th and look forward to gathering as a community to celebrate, honor and support our Saints! If you are interested in getting involved, this is a fun way to connect with others in the community. Please contact Rachel Horejsi. 

Volleyball Showcase: Thank you all for everyone who helped make the CCS volleyball showcase a success last night.  A couple of special thank-you’s to Betsy Kinkead and Stephanie Simpson who spearheaded the concessions for the evening.  Also, thank you to Doug Cleary and the Saints Mens Club for their work in replacing and repairing lights in the UC gym. Thank you too, for all of the students, parents, coaches, and teachers who assisted with scoring, line judging, concessions, and set up.  It was a great night for the CCS community!!!

Season-Ending Tournaments: Season-ending tournaments take place tomorrow (Saturday, October 26th) at various locations for volleyball and varsity soccer.  Please come cheer on our Saints as they wrap up their seasons. Ask your coach or check the SSYO website for brackets.  Go Saints!

Uniform Return: Now that the fall seasons are concluding, please return your jerseys to the school office.  Jerseys should be returned freshly laundered in a plastic bag with the player's name on it. Uniforms not returned by Friday, November 15th, will be charged a $50.00 fee and will be billed to your school account.  

5th Grade Boys Basketball Coach Needed: CCS is currently in need of a 5th grade boys basketball coach and assistant.  Games are typically played on Saturday mornings or early afternoons. Practices are held twice a week.  Practices begin the week of November 11th. Coaches must be VIRTUS trained. Please contact Tony Subialka, CCS Athletic Director, if you are interested and can help.

Junior Cub Basketball: Registration for boys and girls junior cub basketball (Grades 2-3) is now open. Click here to register and/or for more details. Registration deadline is November 1st. For questions, please contact Tony Subialka, CCS Athletic Director. 

The Loaned Manger: A Christmas Musical!  Students  in grades K-12 are invited to participate in this winter theater production directed by Heather Dorsey.  The Theatre Academy offers intensive theater training for young actors and musicians. Registration and rehearsal forms went home today, Tuesday, October 15th.  Extra forms are available in both campus offices. Performances are Saturday, December 14 at 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm. Rehearsals begin Friday, November 10 and are held Friday after school, Saturday and Sunday afternoons.  Click here to view The Loaned Manger poster, Parent Information letter or complete Rehearsal schedule. The Participation Form can be viewed here.  The complete schedule is online on the school’s website calendar.

We are excited to announce our new format for Home & School meetings this year that will now include updates from leadership as well as a “Speaker Series” that will cover a range of topics for Carondelet families. View the full schedule here. 

November Parent Meeting/Speaker Series: Join us for our next Home & School meeting on November 19 at 7:00 pm at our Lower Campus. Psychologist Paul Buckley will present on the topic of anxiety and adolescent mental health.

Questions? For more information on Home & School, please contact Kate Hensley, Jadee Kahlert or Mary Schoellman, Home & School Co-Chairs.

Parish Bulletins: For more news and events, view this week’s bulletins from Christ the King and St. Thomas the Apostle or the STA event and calendar link for November.

Visit the Carondelet Catholic School website

                    

News Notes: October 15, 2019

The Week Ahead:

The following information went home on Wednesday:

• The Loaned Manger parent letter, registration and rehearsal flyer  (yellow)

From the Desk of Principal Mary Yamoah:

Carondelet’s faculty and staff will be attending this Wednesday’s Catholic Schools Center of Excellence Summit, so the school offices will be closed over the break. We are looking forward to next week’s Home & School Parent Night. We’ll hear from Home & School, the Board of Directors and Administration on this year’s school initiatives.  Have a wonderful MEA break! We will look forward to seeing you all back in school on Monday, October 21.

God Bless
Mary Yamoah, Principal

Today our kindergartners walked to the Fire Station in Linden Hills!

November Lunch Orders: November lunch orders are due by Monday, October 22 at 10:00 am. You may choose one or as many days as you like. You will receive a confirmation email after you order so please remember to keep it for your records! Orders will be billed to your school account. Late orders cannot be accepted. Place your order lunch here. 

Grades 5-8 Fall Conferences:  Fall conferences for grades 5-8 will be held the evening of October 30th from 4:30-8:30pm and the morning of November 1st from 8:00am-12:00pm in the Upper Campus/CTK Social Hall.  Please sign up for a 5 minute conference slot with each teacher that you would like to meet with. If you need a longer time period with a particular teacher, please feel free to set up another meeting time.   Please sign up for only one time slot per teacher, per student. There are separate sign up forms for Wednesday, October 30 and Friday, November 1. Sign-ups will close on Sunday, October 27 to allow teachers time to prepare.  Thank you!

          WEDNESDAY CONFERENCE SIGN-UP
          FRIDAY CONFERENCE SIGN-UP

Sweatshirts in School: We’ve been more lenient recently on uniform apparel as the weather has changed, but we will now be enforcing our school uniform dress code. Solid navy sweaters, fleece pullovers, and crewneck logo’d sweatshirts (or no logo for sweaters or fleece). Grey spirit wear sweatshirts are not part of our uniform and cannot be worn during the school day.  Thank you for your attention in this matter.

Admissions Open House: Carondelet’s Admissions Open House is Tuesday, November 12 at 6:30 pm at the Lower Campus. If you know a family who might be interested in learning more about Carondelet, please invite them to attend. Or, drop us an email and we’ll send them a personal invitation to tour our school! 

Extended Day Survey:  We are partnering with the Cathoilc Schools Center of Excellence (CSCOE) to conduct market research to help determine what families want from their before and after school programs. Please take a few moments to give us your input on school extended-day programs by answering the questions in this brief survey.  If you have already completed the survey, thank you!

Incredible Teacher Contest! There is one more week left to submit an entry to the Catholic Schools Center of Excellence #IncredibleTeacher contest! Your favorite Carondelet teacher could win $1,000 for themself AND $1,000 for their classroom. Tag Catholic Schools Center of Excellence in a Facebook or Instagram post telling why your teacher is incredible! Don't forget to use #IncredibleTeacher and follow their page to see who wins! Check out the flyer for more details.

Carondelet Volleyball Showcase:  Join us for a CCS volleyball showcase Thursday, October 24.  All seven of our CCS volleyball teams will be playing in the UC gym on this evening. Come for the fun and cheer on your favorite CCS volleyball players and teams! Concessions will be available for your enjoyment. If you are interested in helping with concessions, please contact Tony Subialka, CCS Athletic Director. Seven great teams under one roof, all in one night!  

Volleyball Showcase Schedule (Oct. 24):
     4:15 PM: Varsity Silver vs. St. John's Savage
     5:15 PM: Cub Bronze vs St. Hubert's Bronze
     6:00 PM: Cub Silver Purple (Maeser) vs Cub Silver Green (Pilsner)
     6:45 PM: Cub Gold vs. Cub Gold (Intrasquad game)
     7:30 PM: Varsity Bronze Purple (Lowry) vs Varsity Bronze Green (Cleary)

Junior Cub Basketball: Registration for boys and girls junior cub basketball (Grades 2-3) is now open. Click here to register and/or for more details. Registration deadline is November 1st. For questions, please contact Tony Subialka, CCS Athletic Director. 

The Loaned Manger: A Christmas Musical!  Students  in grades K-12 are invited to participate in this winter theater production directed by Heather Dorsey.  The Theatre Academy offers intensive theater training for young actors and musicians. Registration and rehearsal forms went home today, Tuesday, October 15th.  Extra forms are available in both campus offices. Performances are Saturday, December 14 at 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm. Rehearsals begin Friday, November 10 and are held Friday after school, Saturday and Sunday afternoons. The complete schedule is online on the school’s website calendar. 

October Home & School Parent Night Meeting: We are excited to announce our new format for Home & School meetings this year that will now include updates from our leadership teams including Home & School, the Board of Directors and Principal Yamoah, as well as a “Speaker Series” that will cover a range of topics for Carondelet families. View the schedule here. Save the date for the next meeting:

The School Year Ahead: Updates from Leadership 
Tuesday, October 22, 7:00-8:30 pm, LC Cafeteria

Art Adventure Volunteers Needed: Volunteer with Carondelet’s Art Adventure program! Our school is one of hundreds of schools across the state that participate in this program created by the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA). Parent volunteers are paired up, and using MIA-created materials, present 2-3 times to student classrooms. Please contact Stephanie Simpson or Betsy Kinkead for details.

Questions? For more information on Home & School, please contact Kate Hensley, Jadee Kahlert or Mary Schoellman, Home & School Co-Chairs.

STA Children’s Choir:  Join the St. Thomas the Apostle Children’s Choir! Rehearsals are on Wednesdays at 5:15 pm in the church. It is open to children in grades 2-8. Participating in this choir not only enhances and supports sung prayer of the community, the children are also formed in the rituals and traditions of our Catholic Faith.  Contact Mary Werner for more details.

Parish Bulletins: For more news and events, view this week’s bulletins from Christ the King and St. Thomas the Apostle or the STA event and calendar link.

Visit the Carondelet Catholic School website

 

News Notes: October 11, 2019

The Week Ahead:

The following information went home on Wednesday:

• Picture packages from Lifetouch
• CSCOE Magazine

From the Desk of Principal Mary Yamoah:

We had a faith-filled week at Carondelet!  Our Lower Campus celebrated a prayer service on Tuesday with Fr. Michael and our Upper Campus celebrated Mass on Wednesday with Fr. Bill.  Thank you to Mrs. Faber and Mrs. Daugherty-Sexe for helping our students plan and prepare these beautiful liturgies. All are welcome to join us.  Please be sure to check the school calendar for upcoming prayer services and masses.

Students in grades 3-5 also attended a Children’s Rosary Pilgrimage on Monday, October 7, commemorating the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. This event consisted of Eucharistic exposition, a homily by Archbishop Hebda and the recitation of the Holy Rosary with nearly 2,000 Catholic grade school children (K-8th grade) in attendance!  It was an extremely powerful day for the children as they gathered with their peers to honor the Blessed Mother. 

We are happy to announce the expected arrival of three new Saints this year. Baby Adelman (due November 30), Baby Lodermeier (due January 1), and Baby Yamoah (due December 26). We are working on filling the interim teaching positions for Mrs. Lodermeier and Mrs. Adelman. Mr. Blanda will be acting as interim principal during my leave. Please feel free to email me with questions or names of prospective candidates for open interim substitute positions, and watch for updates in the weeks ahead. 

God Bless
Mary Yamoah, Principal

November Lunch Orders: November lunch orders are due by Monday, October 22 at 10:00 am. You may choose one or as many days as you like. You will receive a confirmation email after you order so please remember to keep it for your records! Orders will be billed to your school account. Late orders cannot be accepted.  Place your order lunch here.

Grade 5-8 Fall Conferences: Fall conferences for grades 5-8 will be held the evening of Wednesday, October 30th from 4:30pm-8:30pm and the morning of Friday, November 1st from 8:00am-12:00pm in the Upper Campus/CTK Social Hall.  Please sign up for a 5 minute conference slot with each teacher that you would like to meet. If you need a longer time period with a particular teacher, please feel free to set up another meeting time. Please sign up for only one time slot per teacher, per student. There are separate sign up forms for Wednesday, October 30 and for Friday November 1. Sign-ups will close on Sunday, October 27 to allow teachers time to prepare. Thank you!
          WEDNESDAY CONFERENCE SIGN-UP
          FRIDAY CONFERENCE SIGN-UP

Incredible Teacher Contest! There are two weeks left to submit an entry to the Catholic Schools Center of Excellence #IncredibleTeacher contest! Your favorite Carondelet teacher could win $1,000 for themself AND $1,000 for their classroom. Tag Catholic Schools Center of Excellence in a Facebook or Instagram post telling why your teacher is incredible! Don't forget to use #IncredibleTeacher and follow their page to see who wins!

Marathon Day of Service: Thank you to everyone who volunteered and brought in pledges this week for our Marathon Day of Service! As of today, we have raised just over $82,000 of our $75,000 goal and donated over 1,000 service hours to our broader community. Students are still eligible for prizes through next Tuesday’s collection day. Thank you to all those who pledged our students, offered donations, prayers, and/or time to make this year's Marathon Day of Service such a wonderful success. Way to go, Saints! 

The Family Fun Night was also a great success! It was fun seeing the kids enjoying the DJ, face painting, giant pizzas and paint-your-own-pumpkins! Thank you to all who attended and volunteered for this community-building event and to everyone still working on bringing in the $80,000 in pledge money. OUR GIVING MATTERS!

Pledge Tally Volunteers Needed: We’re still looking for a few volunteers to help tally pledge donations next Tuesday, October 15. Sign-up here!

Sweatshirts in School: We’ve been more lenient the last few days on uniform apparel as the weather has quickly changed, but we will now be enforcing our school uniform dress code. Solid navy sweaters, fleece pullovers, and crewneck logo’d sweatshirts (or no logo for sweaters or fleece). Grey spirit wear sweatshirts are not part of our uniform and cannot be worn during the school day.  Thank you for your attention in this matter.

Extended Day Survey:  We are partnering with the Catholic Schools Center of Excellence (CSCOE) to conduct market research to help determine what families want from their before and after school programs. Please take a few moments to give us your input on school extended-day programs by answering the questions in this brief survey.  If you have already completed the survey, thank you!

Junior Cub Basketball: Registration for boys and girls junior cub basketball (Grades 2-3) is now open. Click here to register and/or for more details. Registration deadline is November 1st. For questions, please contact Tony Subialka, CCS Athletic Director. 

Carondelet Volleyball Showcase:  Join us for a CCS volleyball showcase Thursday, October 24.  All seven of our CCS volleyball teams will be playing in the UC gym on this evening. Come for the fun and cheer on your favorite CCS volleyball players and teams! Concessions will be available for your enjoyment. If you are interested in helping with concessions, please contact Tony Subialka, CCS Athletic Director. Seven great teams under one roof, all in one night!  

Volleyball Showcase Schedule (October 24):
     4:15 PM: Varsity Silver vs. St. John's Savage
     5:15 PM: Cub Bronze vs St. Hubert's Bronze
     6:00 PM: Cub Silver Purple (Maeser) vs Cub Silver Green (Pilsner)
     6:45 PM: Cub Gold vs. Cub Gold (Intrasquad game)
     7:30 PM: Varsity Bronze Purple (Lowry) vs Varsity Bronze Green (Cleary)

The Loaned Manger: A Christmas Musical!  Students  in grades K-12 are invited to participate in this winter theater production directed by Heather Dorsey.  The Theatre Academy offers intensive theater training for young actors and musicians. Registration and rehearsal forms come home on Tuesday, October 15th.  Performances are Saturday, December 14 at 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm. Rehearsals begin Friday, November 10 and are held Friday after school, Saturday and Sunday afternoons. The complete schedule is online on the school’s website calendar. 

October Home & School Parent Night Meeting: We are excited to announce our new format for Home & School meetings this year that will now include updates from our leadership teams including Home & School, the Board of Directors and Principal Yamoah, as well as a “Speaker Series” that will cover a range of topics for Carondelet families. View the schedule here. Save the date for the next meeting:

The School Year Ahead: Updates from Leadership 
   Tuesday, October 22, 7:00-8:30 pm, LC Cafeteria

Art Adventure Volunteers Needed: Volunteer with Carondelet’s Art Adventure program! Our school is one of hundreds of schools across the state that participate in this program created by the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA). Parent volunteers are paired up, and using MIA-created materials, present 2-3 times to student classrooms. Please contact Stephanie Simpson or Betsy Kinkead for details.

Questions? For more information on Home & School, please contact Kate Hensley, Jadee Kahlert or Mary Schoellman, Home & School Co-Chairs.

STA Children’s Choir:  Join the St. Thomas the Apostle Children’s Choir! Rehearsals are on Wednesdays at 5:15 pm in the church. It is open to children in grades 2-8. Participating in this choir not only enhances and supports sung prayer of the community, the children are also formed in the rituals and traditions of our Catholic Faith.  Contact Mary Werner for more details.

Parish Bulletins: For more news and events, view this week’s bulletins from Christ the King and St. Thomas the Apostle or the STA event and calendar link.

Visit the Carondelet Catholic School website

           

News Notes: October 4, 2019

The Week Ahead:

The following information went home on Wednesday:

• Marathon flyer  (yellow)
• Literary Pumpkin Patch flyer, LC only  (blue)

From the Desk of Principal Mary Yamoah:
Our SAINTS have had a busy week!  We conducted our first ALICE drill, celebrated our first pep fest, held our Marathon Day of Service, and are also wrapping up NWEA Map testing.  

Thank you to everyone who has donated time and/or service this week for our Marathon Day of Service! As of today, students have brought in over $76,000 in pledges and donated over 1,000 hours of service to those in need. To celebrate our Day of Service, Carondelet families and friends are invited to join us at the Lower Campus from 5:30-7:30 pm for a Family Fun Night. We’ll have food, games, a DJ, face painters, a fall craft activity, Game Truck and more! Bring cash or check for food and activities.  A special thank you to Angi Rassi for organizing this year’s Family Fun Night!

Looking ahead, we have many field trips and learning opportunities scheduled.  Please be sure to check the calendar on our school website for updates.  Thank you for your support as we work towards a year of helping everyone succeed!  

God Bless
Mary Yamoah, Principal

Thank you, Saints for this Marathon Day of Service.
Let us pray for all those needing food, shelter, clothing,
hygiene items and a reminder that they are loved. 

Visit the Marathon Day of Service webpage 

Pledges, Prizes and T-Shirts! Pledge envelopes will be collected, tallied and returned to students on Tuesdays through October. Students who collect:
* Pledges of $100+ earn the NEW Day of Service T-shirt (worn on Fridays through Oct.)
* Pledges of $300+ earn a Pancake Breakfast with Mrs. Yamoah
* Pledges of $400+ earn an out-of-uniform pass for all Fridays through December!
* Pledges of $500+ earn a VIP Pass to the Family Fun Night Game Truck and
entry into the prize drawing for 6 Waterpark passes, a droid, sky drone or GoPro Hero!

Pledge Tally - Volunteers Needed: We’re still looking for a few volunteers to help tally pledge donations on Tuesday mornings, 10/8 and 10/15. Sign-up here! 

More information on the Marathon Day of Service

Extended Day Survey: We are conducting market research on behalf of the Catholic School Center of Excellence (CSCOE) to learn about how we can improve/expand the extended day programs in our Catholic schools. I would love a chance to get input from Carondelet parents, whether or not you currently have a child enrolled in Club Saint.

We have heard from parents who are finding district or school extended day programs full, too far from home, or too expensive. Please help us assess need and prioritize programming options for school extended day programs. Your input is important and much appreciated! The survey has only 11 questions, and will take under 10 minutes to complete.  Click here for the link to the survey.

Art Adventure Volunteers Needed: Volunteer with Carondelet’s Art Adventure program! Our school is one of hundreds of schools across the state that participate in this program created by the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA). Parent volunteers are paired up, and using MIA-created materials, present 2-3 times to student classrooms. Please contact Stephanie Simpson or Betsy Kinkead for details.

2019-2020 Parent Speaker Night Meetings: We are excited to announce our new format for Home & School meetings this year that will now include updates from our leadership teams including Home & School, the Board of Directors and Principal Yamoah, as well as a “Speaker Series” that will cover a range of topics for Carondelet families. View the schedule here. Save the date for these upcoming events:

Parent Info Night: The School Year Ahead: Updates from Leadership, Tuesday, Oct. 22, 7-8:30 pm, LC Cafeteria

Donuts with Dad: Friday, November 15, 8:30am, UC Social Hall

Parent Info Night: Anxiety & Adolescent Mental Health, Tuesday, November 19, 7:00 - 8:30pm, LC Cafeteria

Lower Campus Lunch Volunteers: Volunteers are needed to help in the lunchroom during Lower Campus lunch. Time commitment is 12:00 pm-1:05 pm. Please note, all volunteers must be VIRTUS trained. Please contact Holly Barborak for more information. Sign-up here.

Questions? For more information on Home & School, please contact Kate Hensley, Jadee Kahlert or Mary Schoellman, Home & School Co-Chairs.

St. Thomas the Apostle Gala: Carondelet Catholic School staff and parents are invited to St. Thomas the Apostle’s Great Gathering on October 12. Click here for details.

STA Children’s Choir:  Join the St. Thomas the Apostle Children’s Choir! Rehearsals are on Wednesdays at 5:15 pm in the church. It is open to children in grades 2-8. Participating in this choir not only enhances and supports sung prayer of the community, the children are also formed in the rituals and traditions of our Catholic Faith.  Contact Mary Werner for more details.

Parish Bulletins: For more news and events, view this week’s bulletins from Christ the King and St. Thomas the Apostle or the STA event and calendar link.

Visit the Carondelet Catholic School website

                    

News Notes: September 27, 2019

The Week Ahead:

 

The following information went home on Wednesday:

• October calendar  (salmon)

From the Desk of Principal Mary Yamoah:
It was wonderful celebrating Mass with students in grades 3-8 at Christ the King on Wednesday.  A special thank you to Mr. Rome’s homeroom for preparing a beautiful liturgy. Please be sure to mark your calendar for our next 3-8 Mass on Wednesday, October 9th at Christ the King (9:15am).  All are welcome!

September has flown by, and next Friday is our Marathon Day of Service & Family Fun Night! We have one more week to gather pledges. When kids tell me about success they’ve had going out to ask their neighbors and family members to pledge them, there is a real sense of pride in giving back to our greater community. The kids definitely feel a part of this, and we are so proud of their work. Angi Rassi and her committee are still looking for volunteers for the Family Fun Night on October 4th, if you’d like to get involved.  Thank you in advance for your support!

God Bless

Mary Yamoah, Principal

 

Our 6th graders spent the last 3 days at Camp St. Croix, an environmental awareness
and team-building retreat in Hudson, WI. Thank you to all who chaperoned
this awesome group of kids and to the teachers for planning the trip!

Visit the Marathon Day of Service webpage

Thank you to everyone who brought in pledges this week for our Marathon Day of Service! Our goal this year is to raise $75,000 in pledges and donate over 1,000 service hours throughout the community for our Day of Service on Friday, October 4. Carondelet families and friends are then invited to join us back at the Lower Campus from 5:30-7:30 pm for a Family Fun Night. We’ll have food, games, a DJ, face painters, craft activities and more! 

Our final pledge tally day is next Tuesday, October 1st! As of today, students have brought in close to $48,000 of our $75,000 goal. Let’s make our final pledge day our best yet! Pledges of all sizes matter! 

Click here for a sample pledge email for students.  

Volunteer for the Family Fun Night here.

Class Service Projects: Each grade level will complete their designated service projects as a class on Friday, October 4. View service projects by grade.

Pledges, Prizes and T-Shirts! Pledge envelopes will be collected, tallied and returned to students on Tuesdays through October. Students who collect:
* Pledges of $100+ earn the NEW Day of Service T-shirt (worn on Fridays through Oct.)
* Pledges of $300+ earn a Pancake Breakfast with Mrs. Yamoah
* Pledges of $400+ earn an out-of-uniform pass for all Fridays through December!
* Pledges of $500+ earn a VIP Pass to the Family Fun Night Game Truck and entry into  the prize drawing for 6 Waterpark passes, a droid, sky drone or GoPro Hero!

More information on the Marathon Day of Service.

New 2019-2020 Parent Directory:  Our Parent Directory is formatted directly from Sycamore, our Student Management System, with data generated from the household information you entered in Sycamore upon registration. Please be sure to access your Sycamore account and verify the information there. We need your demographic information to be current and complete, including email addresses and cell phone numbers and carrier. You can make corrections and additions to your household demographics and Emergency Contacts through September 27th.  Please contact Mr. Blanda with questions or if you need assistance accessing your account. Thank you.

NWEA MAP Testing: Our fall round of standardized testing is underway. We will finish up testing at the UC and at the Lower Campus next week. All students in 1-8 take the Fall reading and math assessments. Grades 3, 5, and 7 students also take the MAP language component and 4, 6, and 8 also take the science test. We will use the Fall data to make some individual instructional decisions and test again in the spring for growth data. While these standardized tests are an important piece of the assessment puzzle, the formal and informal assessments teachers are doing in the classrooms every day give us great feedback as well. Please be sure your child gets a good night’s rest and a hearty breakfast on testing days.

2019-2020 Parent Speaker Night Meetings: We are excited to announce our new format for Home & School meetings this year that will now include updates from our leadership teams including Home & School, the Board of Directors and Principal Yamoah, as well as a “Speaker Series” that will cover a range of topics for Carondelet families. View the schedule here. We’re looking forward to a great year!

Lower Campus Lunch Volunteers: Volunteers are needed to help in the lunchroom during Lower Campus lunch. Time commitment is 12:00 pm-1:05 pm. Please note, all volunteers must be VIRTUS trained. Please contact Holly Barborak for more information. Sign-up here.

Art Adventure Volunteers Needed: Do you like art? Do you want to encourage your children to look at art and to think about what it means? Help out with Carondelet’s Art Adventure program! Our school is one of hundreds of schools across the state that participate in this program created by the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA). Parent volunteers are paired up, and using Mia-created materials, present 2-3 times to student classrooms. Please contact Stephanie Simpson or Betsy Kinkead for details.

Questions? For more information on Home & School, please contact Kate Hensley, Jadee Kahlert or Mary Schoellman, Home & School Co-Chairs.

Christ the King Youth Ministry:  The 6-12th grade youth ministry kids are headed to Sever’s Corn Maze tomorrow, Saturday, September 28th!  Sign up here.  

St Thomas the Apostle Gala: Carondelet Catholic School staff and parents are invited to St. Thomas the Apostle’s Great Gathering on October 12. Click here for details.

St Thomas the Apostle Children’s Choir:  Join the St. Thomas the Apostle Children’s Choir! Rehearsals are on Wednesdays at 5:15 pm in the church. It is open to children in grades 2-8. Participating in this choir not only enhances and supports sung prayer of the community, the children are also formed in the rituals and traditions of our Catholic Faith.  Contact Mary Werner for more details.

Parish Bulletins: For more news and events, view this week’s bulletins from Christ the King and St. Thomas the Apostle or the STA event and calendar link.

Visit the Carondelet Catholic School website

 

News Notes: September 20, 2019

The Week Ahead:

The following information went home on Wednesday:

• October Hot Lunch Menu  (salmon)
• Parent Information Nights flyer  (purple)

Gentle Reminder:  Please do not drop off your Upper Campus student in the morning anywhere in the front of the school building along York Avenue.  This includes across the street, especially blocking our neighbors driveways. It is not safe for our students. Please pass the word along to your occasional drivers, such as nannies and grandparents.  We greatly appreciate it.

From the Desk of Principal Mary Yamoah:
There was great energy at school this week with Parent Information Nights at both campuses. It’s always nice meeting our parents and giving you a glimpse into how our students spend their day! The kids also seem to be settling into their new school year routines. We are truly blessed to be partnering with you in the education of your children academically, spiritually, and socially.

We are looking forward to the new format for this year’s Home & School Meetings/Parent Information Nights. There is a great line-up of speakers with topics relevant to families with school-aged children. We hope you’ll join us. 

Thank you to everyone who brought in Marathon Day of Service pledges this week. We are one third of the way to reaching our goal of $75,000 in exchange for over 1,500 service hours. Way to go, Saints!

Thank you again for partnering with us in the education of your child. Communication and working together are the keys to Carondelet’s success.  If you have questions or concerns at any time, please do not hesitate to reach out. 

God Bless,
Mary Yamoah, Principal

Thank you to everyone who brought in pledges this week for our Marathon Day of Service. Our goal this year is to raise $75,000 in pledges and donate over 1,500 service hours throughout the community for our Day of Service on Friday, October 4. Carondelet families and friends are then invited to join us back at the Lower Campus for a Family Fun Night. Our next pledge tally and t-shirt distribution day is next Tuesday, Sept. 24. Pledges of all sizes do make a difference!

Please note - we were expecting our Marathon Day of Service t-shirts to have arrived yesterday, but they didn’t come.  We will hand out shirts hopefully on Monday! Pray that they come!

For more information visit the Marathon Day of Service homepage.

Click here for a sample email template/script for students.

Class Service Projects: Each grade level will complete their designated service projects as a class on Friday, October 4. Click here for the list of service projects by grade.

Pledges, Prizes and T-Shirts! Pledge envelopes will be collected, tallied and returned to students on Tuesdays through October. Students who collect:
* Pledges of $100+ earn the NEW Day of Service T-shirt (worn on Fridays through Oct.)
* Pledges of $300+ earn a Pancake Breakfast with Mrs. Yamoah
* Pledges of $400+ earn an out-of-uniform pass for all Fridays through December!
* Pledges of $500+ earn a VIP Pass to the Family Fun Night Game Truck and entry into the prize drawing for 6 Waterpark passes, a droid, sky drone or GoPro Hero!

More information on the Marathon Day of Service.

Camp St. Croix Packing List: Our sixth graders head to Camp St. Croix next Wednesday for a 3-day environmental awareness and team building retreat. Click here for more information and a packing list.

New 2019-2020 Parent Directory:  This year’s Parent Directory is formatted directly from Sycamore, our Student Management System, in the large 8 1/2 X 11 page size.  The data is generated from the Household and Student information you entered in Sycamore when you registered. Please be sure to access your Sycamore account and verify the information there. We need your demographic information to be current and complete, including email addresses and cell phone numbers and carrier. You can make corrections and additions to your household demographics and Emergency Contacts through September 27th.  Please contact Mr. Blanda with questions or if you need assistance accessing your account. Thank you.

NWEA MAP Testing: Our fall round of standardized testing is underway. We will finish at the UC next week and then begin testing at the Lower Campus. All students in 1-8 take the Fall reading and math assessments. Grades 3, 5, and 7 students also take the MAP language component and 4, 6, and 8 also take the science test. We will use the Fall data to make some individual instructional decisions and test again in the spring for growth data. While these standardized tests are an important piece of the assessment puzzle, the formal and informal assessments teachers are doing in the classrooms every day give us great feedback as well. Please be sure your child gets a good night’s rest and a hearty breakfast on testing days.

Liturgical Choir: Calling all singers! Carondelet offers a liturgical choir that is open to all Upper Campus students, grades 3-8. The liturgical choir sings at school masses throughout the year, as well as a few other fun performance opportunities. You should have received an email with information about choir tryouts and before school rehearsals. Participation in choir is an excellent way to grow in leadership skills and build community here at Carondelet! For more information and/or to register, please email CCS Music Teacher, Catherine Ratelle. 

Basketball Registration: Boys and girls basketball registration (grades 4-8) is now open. Deadline for registration is September 25th. Late registrations cannot be accepted. For questions, please contact Tony Subialka, CCS Athletic Director. Click here to register. 

VIRTUS Volunteer Session This Saturday: Carondelet is sponsoring a VIRTUS session for volunteers needing the in-person training on Saturday, September 21st from 9:00 am until noon at the Upper Campus. Please register in advance at www.virtus.org.

Volunteers who have either regular or unsupervised interaction with minors or vulnerable adults, must complete the “Essential 3” requirements as mandated by the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. The Essential 3 consists of signing a Code of Conduct, completing safe environment training through the VIRTUS program and undergoing a background check. (Information you provide for a background check will be kept confidential by Carondelet Catholic School, as well as by the Archdiocese.) 

If you would like to volunteer at Carondelet, you must complete the VIRTUS Essential 3, by following the directions here. If you have questions about this process, please email Julie Stoeger or call at 612.927.8673 x12.

Annual School Notification regarding asbestos surveillance:  Each year Carondelet is required to send a letter of notification to all families regarding our annual inspections for asbestos.  Each of our school buildings is inspected twice each year in the areas containing asbestos. For further information, please see the attached letter.

2019-2020 Meetings & Format: We are excited to announce our new format for Home & School meetings this year that will now include updates from our leadership teams including Home & School, the Board of Directors and Principal Yamoah, as well as a “Speaker Series” that will cover a range of topics for Carondelet families. We’ll have more information and a calendar of meetings and events at next week’s Parent Information Nights. We’re looking forward to a great year!

Lower Campus Lunch Volunteers: Volunteers are needed to help in the lunchroom during Lower Campus lunch.  Duties include helping wash tables, assisting students with opening milk, dumping lunch trays, etc. Time commitment is 12:00 pm-1:00 pm. Please note, all volunteers must be VIRTUS trained. Please contact Holly Barborak for more information. Sign-up here.

Art Adventure Volunteers Needed: Do you like art? Do you want to encourage your children to look at art and to think about what it means? Help out with Carondelet’s Art Adventure program! Our school is one of hundreds of schools across the state that participate in this program created by the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA). Parent volunteers are paired up, and using Mia-created materials, present 2-3 times to student classrooms. Get ready for some lively discussions and lots of fun. Contact Stephanie Simpson or Betsy Kinkead.

Questions? For more information on Home & School, please contact Kate Hensley, Jadee Kahlert or Mary Schoellman, Home & School Co-Chairs.

Christ the King Youth Ministry:  The 6-12th grade youth ministry kids are headed to Sever’s Corn Maze on Saturday, September 28th!  Sign up here.  

Parish Bulletins: For more news and events, view this week’s bulletins from our sponsoring parishes of Christ the King and St. Thomas the Apostle or the STA event link.

Visit the Carondelet Catholic School website

                    

News Notes: September 6, 2019

The Week Ahead:

From the Desk of Principal Mary Yamoah:

We have successfully completed our first week of school.  It was so refreshing to see the smiles on kids’ faces and the excitement they had when entering the building.  We are going to learn so much this year and accomplish so many things. Thank you for your commitment to Catholic education and to Carondelet Catholic School.  We are going to have a very successful year!  

God Bless,

Mary Yamoah, Principal

Our First All School Mass:  Please join us as we gather for our first All School Mass on Wednesday, September 11th at 9:30 am at the Lower Campus/Church of St. Thomas the Apostle.  All students will begin their day at the Lower Campus. Students who bus will be dropped at the Lower Campus. Walkers and parent carpool students should go directly to the Lower Campus for the K-8 liturgy.  Upper Campus students will walk back after the liturgy.

Parent Information Nights: Please mark your calendars for our Parent Information Nights on Tuesday evening, September 17th for the Upper Campus, and/or Thursday, September 19th for the Lower Campus. Click here for the full schedule. 

New Parent Reception: Parents new to to Carondelet are welcome to join us for a reception hosted by Home & School on Thursday, September 19 from 5:30-6:30 pm in the Lower Campus courtyard. (Lower Campus Parent Night immediately following).

Marathon Day of Service & Family Fun Night: Mark your calendars and save the date! Carondelet’s Marathon Day of Service will be Friday, October 4. An annual tradition at Carondelet, our Marathon Day of Service is one of the school's largest fundraisers and community builders. Students collect pledges for a school-organized Day of Service held during the school day on Friday, October 4. Carondelet faculty, families, and friends are then invited to join us back at the Lower Campus for a Family Fun Night. Details will be announced to students following next week’s All School Mass. Watch for more information in next week’s News Notes!

October Lunch Orders: October lunch orders are due by Friday, September 20 at 10:00 am. You may choose one or as many days as you like. You will receive a confirmation email after you order so please remember to keep it for your records! Orders will be billed to your school account. Late orders cannot be accepted.  Place your order lunch here.

Basketball Registration: Boys and girls basketball registration (grades 4-8) is now open. Deadline for registration is September 25th. Late registrations cannot be accepted. For questions, please contact Tony Subialka, CCS Athletic Director. Click here to register. 

Spring Fundraising Survey Results:  A big thank you to all the families who completed the fundraising survey in the Spring. We had over half of the parent community participate, and truly appreciate the candid feedback.  A summary of the current state findings, parent survey results and preliminary recommendations can be found here. As a result of the feedback, the board has launched a development committee with four new sub-committees:  New Sources, Major Programs, Sponsor Program & Community Nights, and Future State. A description of the development committee and these four sub-committees can be found here.  If you have an interest in leading or volunteering on one of the sub-committees, please contact Shawna Dhariwal.

VIRTUS Volunteer Training: There is a VIRTUS training session scheduled for Saturday, September 21st from 9 am-noon in Carondelet's Upper Campus Social Hall (lower level of Christ the King Church). Reminder, all volunteers must attend a VIRTUS training session, as well as signing a Code of Conduct and completing a background check prior to volunteering in the classroom, chaperoning field trips, etc. Visit VIRTUS to register for the upcoming session at Carondelet or any session at a neighboring church or school.

New School Hours:  Please note the school hours for the 2019-2020 school year:
Upper Campus: 9:00 am-3:45 pm (doors open at 8:45 am) 
Lower Campus: 9:10 am-3:35 pm (doors open at 8:55 am) 

Dismissal/Bus Information:  Please contact your homeroom teacher and respective campus secretary with any changes to your child’s dismissal plans. Questions regarding transportation may be directed to Chad Loeffler or Stan Blanda. 

Lower Campus Shuttle Bus: Please contact Holly Barborak, LC Office Admin, if your child will be taking the shuttle from the Lower Campus to the Upper Campus for parent pick-up at the end of the day. Shuttle riders will be escorted from the bus, through the Gathering Space and into the parent pick-up line in the horseshoe parking lot on the north side of the building. Upper Campus siblings will wait for Lower Campus siblings in the pick-up line. 

Club Saint Extended Day Program: Carondelet offers before and after school care, with priority given to students in grades K-5. At the Upper Campus we also have a quiet study option open before school. Please visit the Club Saint webpage to register or contact Jodi Nilsen with questions.

Room Reps Needed: We are looking for a few more Room Reps for the 2019-2020 school year. Please contact Mary Schoellman if you are interested.

Lower Campus Lunch Volunteers: Volunteers are needed to help in the lunchroom during Lower Campus lunch.  Duties include helping wash tables, assisting students with opening milk, dumping lunch trays, etc. Time commitment is 12:00 pm-12:45 pm. Please note, all volunteers must be VIRTUS trained. Please contact Holly Barborak for more information. Sign-up here.

STA Parish News: View the St. Thomas the Apostle parish events and calendar for September here.

Visit the Carondelet Catholic School website

         

News Notes: August 30, 2019

The Week Ahead:

From the Desk of Principal Mary Yamoah:
It was wonderful meeting many of our Saints at this Wednesday’s Back to School Open House! A special thank you to all those who worked on helping getting our buildings and classrooms ready for our first week of school, our Board of Directors and National Junior Honor Society for greeting families and treating them to ice cream, and to the parish of Christ the King for hosting lunch for our faculty and staff on Thursday. 

Our theme this year is, “Helping Others Succeed,” and I’ve been so impressed by the number of people who have offered prayers and support as we gear up for another great school year. 

Following are a few reminders as our students in grades 1-8 head back on Tuesday, and pre-k and kindergarteners on Thursday.

Enjoy the holiday weekend!

Mary Yamoah, Principal

New School Hours:  Please note the school hours for the 2019-2020 school year:
Upper Campus: 9:00 am-3:45 pm (doors open at 8:45 am) 
Lower Campus: 9:10 am-3:35 pm (doors open at 8:55 am) 

Parent Coffee: All parents are welcome to join us for coffee with Principal, Mary Yamoah, in the Lower Campus cafeteria following drop-off on Thursday, September 5th.

Bus Information:  Families who requested busing transportation should have received a postcard in the mail this week with your family's bus stop location and times. Questions regarding transportation may be directed to Chad Loeffler or Stan Blanda.

Lower Campus Shuttle Bus: Please contact Holly Barborak, LC Office Admin, if your child will be taking the shuttle from the Lower Campus to the Upper Campus for parent pick-up at the end of the day. 

Student Drop-off and Pick-up Procedures: 
Lower Campus Drop-Off: Pull through the lot to the east doors and drop off or find a parking spot if you’d like to walk your child to the classroom or door. 
Lower Campus Pick-Up: Students are dismissed to their parents from the lower level parking lot doors. Find a parking spot before you pick up your student(s).

Upper Campus Drop-Off: Enter lot on Zenith Ave and drop off next to the playground. Exit lot on York Ave.  (Please do not use York Ave. for drop off in front of the school entrance).
Upper Campus Pick-Up: Enter lot on Zenith Ave and pull through to pick-up line at the church entrance (horseshoe) facing the parking lot. Exit onto York Ave. 

Club Saint Extended Day Program: Carondelet offers before and after school care, with priority given to students in grades K-5. At the Upper Campus we also have a quiet study option open before school. Please visit the Club Saint webpage to register or contact Jodi Nilsen with questions.

Band Sign-Up: Carondelet offers a band program for students in grades 4-8. The cost is $25/child per month (or $225 per student annually) for weekly band lessons given on designated band days when school is in session. Sign-up here.  

Parent Information Nights: In September we will have our Parent Information Nights at each campus. Please mark your calendars for Tuesday evening, September 17th for the Upper Campus, and/or Thursday, September 19th for the Lower Campus. Watch the News Notes for a full schedule in the weeks ahead.

New Parent Reception: Parents new to to Carondelet are welcome to join us for a reception hosted by Home & School on Thursday, September 19 from 5:30-6:30 pm in the Lower Campus courtyard. (Lower Campus Parent Night immediately following).

Parent/Student Handbook: Our Parent/Student Handbook is linked here. Please print the last page, sign it and return it to school to verify receipt.

We encourage you to keep an eye on the Carondelet website for other upcoming news and events. We look forward to seeing you and your family soon!

Visit the Carondelet Catholic School website.

          

News Notes: August 23, 2019

Dear Carondelet Families,

We’re looking forward to seeing many new and returning students and families at next Wednesday’s Back-to-School Open House! 

Our faculty, staff and maintenance teams have been hard at work the last couple of weeks moving our teachers back into the classrooms and getting ready for the new school year. We are so excited for everyone to see the improvements at the Lower Campus including beautiful new bathrooms, drinking fountains and an improved ventilation and heating system. We are grateful to the staff and parishioners at St. Thomas the Apostle for making these improvements possible. 

We would like to welcome Maria Teresa Jaramillo - Bray as our new 3-8 Spanish Teacher at the Upper Campus.  We would also like to welcome Amy Garrity as our new PreK Teacher at the Lower Campus. We have a great team in place for this new school year and can’t wait for you to meet them!

Wishing you and your family a great weekend!

-Principal Mary Yamoah

Back-to-School Open House: (Wednesday, August 28)
Families will receive their classroom assignments, meet their teachers, and drop off school supplies at the Wednesday, August 28th Back-to-School Open House, scheduled for 5:00-7:00 pm.  Please allow approximately a half hour to an hour (any time between 5-7 pm*) at your child's/children's respective campus/campuses. All families are invited to join us for an Ice Cream Social at both campuses during the event.
*Transfer Families: Doors will open at 4:30 pm for transfer families new to Carondelet.

Middle School Orientation: (Wednesday, August 28)
6th grade students and their parents should join us immediately after our open house at 7:00 pm in the Church of Christ the King to learn more about Middle School: the teachers, enrichment classes, class schedules, and the iPad 1:1 program. We look forward to seeing each of you there!

Middle School iPad Information Nights
We have scheduled mandatory iPad Training Sessions for new and returning middle school students and their parents. Click here for sign-up link.

New School Hours:  Please note the school hours for the 2019-2020 school year:
Upper Campus: 9:00 am-3:45 pm (doors open at 8:45 am) 
Lower Campus: 9:10 am-3:35 pm (doors open at 8:55 am) 

VIRTUS Volunteer Training: (Tuesday, August 27)
There is a VIRTUS training session scheduled for Tuesday, August 27th from 6:00-9:00 pm in Carondelet's Upper Campus Social Hall (Lower Level of Christ the King Church). Reminder, all volunteers must attend a VIRTUS training session, complete a background check, and sign a Code of Conduct  prior to volunteering in the classroom, chaperoning field trips, etc. Visit VIRTUS to register for an upcoming session at Carondelet or a neighboring church or school.

School Supplies: Students are invited to drop off their school supplies in their classrooms at the Welcome Back Open House. View the school supply list here.

Bus Information:  Families who requested busing transportation should have received a postcard in the mail this week with your family's bus stop location and times. Questions regarding transportation may be directed to Chad Loeffler or Stan Blanda. 

Student Drop-off and Pick-up Procedures: 
Lower Campus Drop-Off: Pull through the lot to the east doors and drop off.  If you want to park and walk in, please use the middle lot to keep the upper lot clear for drop off, and the lower lot clear for morning recess.
Lower Campus Pick-Up: Students are dismissed from the lower level parking lot doors. Find a parking spot in the lower lot or middle level lot  to pick up your student(s).

Upper Campus Drop-Off: Enter lot on Zenith Ave and drop off next to the playground. Exit lot on York Ave.  Please do not use York Ave. for drop off in front of the school entrance.
Upper Campus Pick-Up: Enter lot on Zenith Ave and pull through to pick-up line at the church entrance (horseshoe) facing the parking lot. Exit onto York Ave. 

Annual Milk Cards: An annual milk card will be automatically billed to your family's school account at the rate of $40 per student. The annual card is good for one milk per day. If students would like additional milk, they can purchase a double card for $80. Families may opt out of the annual milk card program by emailing Julie Stoeger.

Uniform Policy:  Carondelet’s uniform policy can be found on the school website. Most of our uniform apparel can be purchased at a store of your choice (Target, Lands' End, Old Navy, Educational Outfitters, etc.) while the CCS plaid skirts and jumpers are available exclusively at Educational Outfitters and Lands' End.

Parent Information Nights: In September we will have our Parent Information Nights at each campus. Please mark your calendars for Tuesday evening, September 17th for the Upper Campus, and/or Thursday, September 19th for the Lower Campus. Watch the News Notes for a full schedule in the weeks ahead.

New Parent Reception: Parents new to to Carondelet are welcome to join us for a reception hosted by Home & School on Thursday, September 19 from 5:30-6:30 pm in the Lower Campus courtyard. (Lower Campus Parent Night immediately following).

Student Medication:  Carondelet Catholic School is not permitted to give students any medication without written permission from the parent and written instructions from the doctor. This includes over the counter medicines.  Doctors prescribing medication to be taken during school hours are to write medication orders for the school that include the time to administer the medication, dosage, and a termination date for administering the medication. If your child must have medication administered during school hours, please obtain a consent form from the office.

School personnel may administer medication (including over-the-counter products) only if the written order of a licensed physician and written authorization of the parent are on file in the school office. All medication is to be sent to school in the original labeled bottle from the pharmacy or store.

Club Saint Extended Day Program: Carondelet offers before and after school care, with priority given to working parents of students in grades K-5. Club Saint, located at the Lower Campus, provides recreational and creative activities in a safe and comfortable environment. At the Upper Campus we also have a quiet study option open before school as well. Please contact Jodi Nilsen or visit the Club Saint webpage.

Band Sign-Up: Carondelet offers a band program for students in grades 4-8. The cost is $25/child per month (or $225 per student annually) for weekly band lessons given on designated band days when school is in session. Band sign-up for students new to band will take place the first week of school this year. Please watch the News Notes for further details. Sign-up here (returning band students).  

Tuition Payments/Schedule: Click here to view the 2019-2020 tuition schedule. Please email Julie Stoeger, Business Manager with questions regarding billing and tuition. 

Parent/Student Handbook: Our Parent/Student Handbook is linked here. Please print the last page, sign it and return it to school to verify receipt.

Day of Service Volunteers Needed: We are looking for volunteers to chair the Day of Service Family Fun Night scheduled for Friday, October 4.  Please contact Mary Yamoah for more information. 

We encourage you to keep an eye on the Carondelet website for other upcoming news and events. We look forward to seeing you and your family soon!

Visit the Carondelet Catholic School website

 

Carondelet News Notes: August 6, 2019

From the Desk of Principal Mary Yamoah:

Dear Carondelet Families,

Happy summer! I hope you have all found some time this summer to enjoy family, friends, and the beauty of the world around you.  Our school theme this year, Help Others Succeed, is truly fitting as we all work to fulfill our Mission of educating the whole child by providing a strong academic program, teaching Christian values, and preparing students for a life of learning and service. We are happy to introduce you to the following new faces at Carondelet Catholic School:  Catherine Ratelle (Lower & Upper Campus Music Teacher), Daniel Connolly (Upper Campus Music/Band Teacher), Nely Duran (Technology Coordinator), and Holly Barborak (LC Secretary).  Fr. Bill Murtaugh, pastor of Christ the King, and I have also arrived! Since our last News Notes, we received news that Brigid Berger has accepted a new position working with educators as a literacy coach with Groves Academy. We wish Brigid all the best as she embarks upon this new and exciting adventure! (see note from Brigid here). Please visit the school website for an updated list of teaching assignments. 

Renovations are underway at the Lower Campus including the installation of new ductwork throughout the school building, an air-handling unit that will circulate air within the building and bring in fresh air from outside, hydronic piping for our new hot water heating system, and the reconstruction of the school restrooms. We want to sincerely thank all of the supporters of the St. Thomas the Apostle Capital Campaign for making this project happen.  We are truly blessed. The project estimated completion date is mid-August.  

We look forward to continuing our implementation of the Top 20 Program.  Top 20 focuses on human development - development of potential in our students, our families, and ourselves.  “Top 20” means we are thinking, learning, and communicating effectively in the best interest of others and ourselves.  You will hear more about 20 Top 20 practices, all of which are intended to achieve human development, as the year progresses.  Thank you for your commitment to make Carondelet Catholic School a place where the human development of students and adults is our passion!

Thank you for reading the information included in this News Notes carefully. It contains important information for the 2019-2020 school year, including dates, policies, procedures and ways you can help support our students. This information can also be found on the school website under ‘Back to School Resources’.

A special thank you goes out to everyone who helped get the school buildings ready for the upcoming school year.  Maintenance, custodial, office, school, and parish staff having been working very hard to make sure that the inside and outside of school are ready for the students arrival.  Also, a special thank you goes out to all supporters of Carondelet Catholic School. We would not be able to successfully run our programs without your generous contributions and prayers.

Welcome to the 2019-2020 school year. Know that I am holding each of you in prayer and am looking forward to seeing you soon!  Go Saints!

Mary Yamoah, Principal

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Mark your calendars for these upcoming Back-to-School events:

Pre-K and Kindergarten Playdate in the Park: (Tuesday, August 13)
Incoming pre-k and kindergarteners are invited to join us for a playdate before school starts. The playdate is scheduled for Tuesday, August 13th from 9:00-10:30 am at Linden Hills Park. Kindergarteners are encouraged to wear their Carondelet t-shirts handed out at the spring Kinder Garden Party.

VIRTUS Volunteer Training: (Tuesday, August 27)
There is a VIRTUS training session scheduled for Tuesday, August 27th from 6:00-9:00 pm in Carondelet's Upper Campus Social Hall (Lower Level of Christ the King Church). Reminder, all volunteers must attend a VIRTUS training session, complete a background check, and sign a Code of Conduct  prior to volunteering in the classroom, chaperoning field trips, etc. Visit VIRTUS to register for an upcoming session at Carondelet or a neighboring church or school.

Back-to-School Open House: (Wednesday, August 28)
Families will receive their classroom assignments, meet their teachers, and drop off school supplies at the Wednesday, August 28th Back-to-School Open House, scheduled for 5:00-7:00 pm.  Please allow approximately a half hour to an hour (any time between 5-7 pm*) at your child's/children's respective campus/campuses. All families are invited to join us for an Ice Cream Social at both campuses during the event.

*Transfer Families: Doors will open at 4:30 pm for transfer families new to Carondelet.

Middle School Orientation: (Wednesday, August 28:
6th grade students and their parents should join us immediately after our open house at 7:00 pm in the Church of Christ the King to learn more about Middle School: the teachers, enrichment classes, class schedules, and the iPad 1:1 program. We look forward to seeing each of you there!

Middle School iPad Information Nights:
We have scheduled mandatory iPad Training Sessions for new middle school students (all 6th graders and any new 7th/8thgraders) and their parents. Click here for sign-up link.

School Supplies: Students are invited to drop off their school supplies in their classrooms at the Welcome Back Open House. View the school supply list here.

Bus Information:  Families who requested busing transportation will receive a postcard in the mail by mid-August with your family's bus stop location and times. If busing was requested, click here to confirm your name is on the list. Additions and questions regarding transportation may be directed to Chad Loeffler. 

Lunch Orders: The lunch menu and order form for September can be found here. Orders are due by Monday, August 19 at 10:00 am. You may choose one or as many days as you like. Please remember to keep a copy of your order for your records! Orders will be billed to your school account. Late orders cannot be accepted.

Annual Milk Cards: An annual milk card will be automatically billed to your family's school account at the rate of $40 per student. The annual card is good for one milk per day. If students would like additional milk, they can purchase a double card for $80. Families may opt out of the annual milk card program by emailing Julie Stoeger.

Uniform Policy: Carondelet’s uniform policy can be found on the school website. Most of our uniform apparel can be purchased at a store of your choice (Target, Lands' End, Old Navy, Educational Outfitters, etc.) while the CCS plaid skirts and jumpers are available exclusively at Educational Outfitters and Lands' End.

New School Hours:  Please note the school hours for the 2019-2020 school year:
     Upper Campus: 9:00 am-3:45 pm (doors open at 8:45 am) 
     Lower Campus: 9:10 am-3:35 pm (doors open at 8:55 am) 

Parent Information Nights: In September we will have our Parent Information Nights at each campus. Please mark your calendars for Tuesday evening, September 17th for the Upper Campus, and/or Thursday, September 19th for the Lower Campus. Watch the News Notes for a full schedule in the weeks ahead.

New Parent Reception: Parents new to to Carondelet are welcome to join us for a reception hosted by Home & School on Thursday, September 19 from 5:30-6:30 PM in the Lower Campus courtyard. (Lower Campus Parent Night immediately following).

Student Medication:  Carondelet Catholic School is not permitted to give students any medication without written permission from the parent and written instructions from the doctor. This includes over the counter medicines.  Doctors prescribing medication to be taken during school hours are to write medication orders for the school that include the time to administer the medication, dosage, and a termination date for administering the medication. If your child must have medication administered during school hours, please obtain a consent form from the office. School personnel may administer medication (including over-the-counter products) only if the written order of a licensed physician and written authorization of the parent are on file in the school office. All medication is to be sent to school in the original labeled bottle from the pharmacy or store.

Club Saint Extended Day Program: Carondelet offers before and after school care, with priority given to working parents of students in grades K-5. Club Saint, located at the Lower Campus, provides recreational and creative activities in a safe and comfortable environment. At the Upper Campus we also have a quiet study option open before school as well. Please contact Jodi Nilsen or visit the Club Saint webpage.

Band Sign-Up: Carondelet offers a band program for students in grades 4-8. The cost is $25/child per month (or $225 per student annually) for weekly band lessons given on designated band days when school is in session. Band sign-up for students new to band will take place the first week of school this year. Please watch the News Notes for further details. Sign-up here (returning band students).  

Tuition Payments/Schedule: Click here to view the 2019-2020 tuition schedule. Please email Julie Stoeger, Business Manager with questions regarding billing and tuition. 

Parent/Student Handbook: Our Parent/Student Handbook is linked here. Please print the last page, sign it and return it to school to verify receipt.

We encourage you to keep an eye on the Carondelet website for other upcoming news and events. We look forward to seeing you and your family soon!