Parent Newsletter

Friday, February 1, 2008

 

Ash Wednesday Mass   The students in Grades K - 8 will be attending Ash Wednesday Mass on Wednesday, February 6, 2008 at 9am in the St. Albert the Great Church. Please join us as we begin our Lenten journey.

 

Bishop McDowell Regional School 50/50 Easter Holiday Raffle Fundraiser   So far we have sold 30 tickets and the winner will receive $15.00. We need to continue to build the winnings so it will be enticing to others as we continue to sell.  Get your tickets and money in we have 6 ½ more weeks to sell. Call the school office if you need more tickets and don’t forget to check the school website for updates throughout the week. The winning ticket will be picked on Wednesday, April 4, 2007. Remember the incentive for the school community to sell 1,500 tickets will allow our children in grades K – 8 to have 4 dress down days in a row beginning on Tuesday, March 25^th – Friday, March 28^th. If each family sells 10 tickets ($1 per ticket) we will have met our goal of 2000 tickets plus. Only 1,470 more tickets to sell!

 

2008 Magic Club   This year’s Magic Club Reverse Raffle and Dinner Dance will take place on Saturday, February 16, 2008 in the Wendel Inn. Doors open at 5pm. Dinner is served at 6:30pm. Applications and final payment are due to the school office by Monday, February 4, 2008.   If you have not yet made your final payment do this ASAP, don’t miss out on this fun evening it can be quite profitable. For more information call Janet Grgurich at (412) 885 - 1752 to answer any questions you might have concerning this exciting evening.

 

2008 Magic Club “Basket of Cheer” Donations    Every year the Basket of Cheer at the Magic Club seems to get bigger and better each time. It has become one of the most popular items to be auctioned that evening. Once again we are looking for donations in order to create that basket. If you received a bottle for Christmas that you know you won’t use or a case/six pack of beer we will gladly accept your contribution. You may drop off your donation marked Magic Club in the school office between the hours of 7:30am & 3:30pm, Monday – Friday. We have had very few donations let’s keep up the tradition of making this basket the biggest and best. 

 

2008 – 2009 Kindergarten Registration   Kindergarten Registration for the 2008 – 2009 school year kicks off with an Informational Meeting on Thursday evening, February 7, 2008 from 7pm – 8pm and Friday, morning February 8, 2008 from 10am – 11am. Both informational meetings will be held in Room 206 on the main floor of the Bishop McDowell Regional School building. Please call the school office on or before Wednesday, February 6, 2008 with your RSVP for the session you would prefer. Children are invited to meet their new classmates, and to get involved in some classroom activities. All Bishop McDowell Regional School 4 year old Preschool parents and students are invited and encouraged to attend either session.

 

Pizza Hut Fundraiser Night   On Thursday, February 14, 2008 at the Brentwood Towne Center Pizza Hut, Bishop McDowell Regional School will have a fundraiser day. Just bring the coupon that was attached with last week’s newsletter to Pizza Hut that night and Pizza Hut will donate 20% of your purchase to the school. As an added bonus---buy your Pizza Hut certificates at the school or after mass and use them to pay for your pizza that night, you will get credit towards your tuition as well! See you on Thursday, February 8^th and come hungry!!

 

Marketing and Communication Meeting   There will be a Marketing and Communications Meeting on Monday, February 4, 2008 at 7pm in Mr. Grgurich’s office. New members are always welcome!

 

Advisory Council Meeting   There will be an Advisory Council Meeting on Tuesday, February 12 , 2008 at 7:30pm in St. Wendelin Parish Center. All meetings are open to both parish communities and the school community.

 

February Market Day Orders   All February Market Day order forms are due to the school office on Monday, February 4, 2008.  Internet orders are due by noon on Thursday, February 7, 2008. Pick-up is scheduled for Wednesday, February 13, 2008 from 6pm - 7pm in the Cafeteria of the school building. As always we are in need of volunteers to help on Market Day, consider giving 1or 2-hours. Also if you have access to the Internet you can place your own order. It’s easy! Go to Market Day.com for step by step instructions. If you would like to volunteer or have any questions about Market Day call the school office at (412) 884 – 5676.

 

Bishop McDowell Regional School Rainbows and Butterflies Story Hour   On Wednesday, February 20^th the Bishop McDowell Regional School Rainbows and Butterflies Story Hour will be held at 6:30pm in the Kindergarten Room of the Bishop McDowell Regional School building. Mrs. Dern our first grade teacher will host this hour of storytelling and activities for Preschool and Kindergarten age children. This program will be open to Preschool and Kindergarten students of Bishop McDowell Regional School as well as children from St. Albert the Great, St. Basil and St. Wendelin Parishes of Preschool and Kindergarten age. For any further questions call the school office at (412) 884 – 5676 and ask for Mr. Grgurich.

 

Easter Bunny Lunch   The Easter Bunny is hopping to Bishop McDowell Regional School on Saturday, March 8, 2008 from 12pm – 3pm in the School Cafeteria. Come join us for lunch and an afternoon of exciting activities that include: making crafts, making ice cream sundaes, hunting for Easter eggs, raffles, door prizes and of course a visit with the Easter Bunny. Tickets are $8 a person and must be purchased by Wednesday, March 5, 2008. Make checks payable to: Bishop McDowell School. If you have any questions or need more information, contact the school office at (412) 884 – 5676. Make sure to get you tickets early so you won’t miss out.

 

2008 Sarris Easter Candy Sale   Our Sarris Easter Candy Sale began on Thursday, January 17, 2008. Take a few minutes this weekend to look over the Sarris Easter Candy brochure and then start asking family, friends, and neighbors to make a purchase. Our Sarris Easter Candy Sale will conclude on Friday, February 8, 2008. At that time return your completed Master Sheet (white and yellow sheets) and payment. Checks should be made payable to Bishop McDowell School. The delivery to the school and pick-up is scheduled for Thursday, March 6, 2008 from 2:30pm -4pm and 6pm – 7pm in the school office. If you have any question concerning the Sarris Easter Candy Sale you may contact Kathy Moeslein at (412) 885 – 5628. Before you know it Easter will be here so get out there and Sell, Sell, Sell!! Reminder the order form was attached with the January 18^th Parent Newsletter. If you need another order form, contact the school office.

 

Mother’s Day Brunch   Calling all Mom’s! Why fight the crowds at other eating establishments this Mother’s Day when you can enjoy your family and friends in the welcoming surroundings of our very own school. On Sunday, May 11, 2008 Bishop McDowell Regional School is sponsoring a Mother’s Day Brunch from 8:30am – 1pm in the School Cafeteria. The cost for Adults is $10 and $5 for Children (12 and under). Brunch will include sausage, bacon, toast, muffins, orange juice, apple juice, coffee, tea, made to order omelets by Chef Steve-O and more. Pre-order by Thursday, May 1^st and save $1.00 per ticket purchased. We look forward to seeing you for brunch.

 

Tuition Assistance Available for the 2008 – 2009 Academic Year   Re- registration for Grades K – 8 is fast approaching for the 2008 – 2009 academic year. This is just a reminder of two sources of tuition assistance, the Bishop’s Education Fund (BEF) and Scholastic Opportunities Scholarship (SOS), available for families with students in Catholic Schools. The Bishop’s Education Fund is awarded on the basis of financial need. In order to be eligible the applicants must be practicing Catholics registered in a parish in the Diocese of Pittsburgh, attend one of the diocesan parish or regional schools and have demonstrated financial need. The Scholastic Opportunity Scholarship (SOS) Tuition Assistance Program was developed when the General Assembly of Pennsylvania established Act 4 in May of 2001. This law provided for the establishment of the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) to be administered by the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED). Act 4 authorizes the award of tax credits to businesses that make contributions to the scholarship organizations. Therefore the Diocese of Pittsburgh has formed the Scholastic Opportunity Scholarship program (SOS) to receive tax credit gifts. The funds available through the SOS program will be awarded to families based solely on economic eligibility requirements. Students who are Pennsylvania residents enrolled in any Catholic school in the Diocese of Pittsburgh are eligible. Applicants can be Catholic or non- Catholic. The funds will be sent in the students name to the school where the child is enrolled. You must complete the 2008 – 2009 PSAS form to be considered for either of these tuition assistance programs.

 

Private School Aid Service (PSAS) All parents applying to either the Bishop’s Education Fund or Scholastic Opportunity Scholarship Fund must have their need assessed by Private School Aid Service (PSAS), a company from Rocky River, Ohio which specializes in evaluating need for families attending private elementary or secondary schools. Parents must submit a copy of their federal tax return (and state tax return if applying to SOS), a completed 2008 – 2009 “Student Aid Form” (with their pastor’s signature if applying to BEF) and a $20 administrative fee. “Student Aid Forms” are due to PSAS on or before Friday, March 14, 2008. Incomplete forms will be returned. The signed “Student Aid Form” must be sent directly to PSAS as indicated in the instructions on the form itself. Photocopied forms will not be accepted by PSAS. PSAS forms are available now; just contact Mrs. Schumacher in the school office at (412) 884 – 5676 for a PSAS form. Do not hesitate in applying for tuition assistance before you know it Friday, March 14^th will have come and gone.

 

Catholic Schools Week Brunch “Thank You”   Thank you to the members of our Bishop McDowell Regional School community who volunteered to help make our Catholic Schools Week Brunch a success. At last count we cooked 15 lbs. of bacon, 10 lbs of sausage, 10 lbs of ham, we made 5 lbs of pancake mix, cracked 22 dozen of eggs for omelets, scrambles eggs, and sunny side-up, sliced and trayed ½ case of various kinds of fruit, made 10 dozen of muffins, deep fried 100 hash browns and served 69 adults and 7 children. We thank everyone for their support and Congratulations to Bishop McDowell Regional School for putting on a wonderful Brunch. Compliments go to our chefs Steve Dziadyk and Alan Stone. Thank you to our volunteers, set up & clean up crew: Karen, David, Jenna and Megan Cook, Janet, Jordan and Jena Grgurich, Sandy Stone and John Cottle-Stone, Donna, Steven, Matthew and Andrew Dziadyk, Corey Reimond, Mrs. Murawski and Mrs. DeFrancesco and door Mrs. Kuhn. All in all we made $610.00 and most importantly everyone who ate and volunteered thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Once again thank you for your continued support of Bishop McDowell Regional School and Catholic education.

 

Tobacco Prevention Classroom Presentation   On Thursday, February 7, 2008 Jamie Moder from the Allegheny Intermediate Unit will be doing a Tobacco Prevention presentation for grades 4 – 8 during their Science classes. Jamie will be educating the students on the dangers of smoking and second-hand smoke. Among her resources is a smoker’s lung comparison model that she will bring to the classroom.