Parent Newsletter

Friday, February 15, 2008

 

President’s Day Holiday    On Monday, February 18, 2008 the administration, faculty, staff and students will have the day off in observance of the President’s Day holiday. School resumes at 8am on Tuesday, February 19, 2008.

 

Student School Mass   The students will attend a school Mass on Tuesday, February 19, 2008 at 1:30pm. The students in Grade 7 will minister at this Mass. All are welcome as we continue our Lenten journey.

 

Multiple Intelligence Activity Period   On Wednesday February 20, 2008 the students in grades K – 8 will be participating in their 4^th Multiple Intelligence Activity period beginning at 1:15pm in the old church area. This time, the focus will be on the Logical Intelligence which consists of the capacity to analyze problems logically, carry out mathematical operations, and investigate issues scientifically. In Howard Gardner's words, it entails the ability to detect patterns, reason deductively and think logically. This intelligence is most often associated with scientific and mathematical thinking. The students will be permitted to dress down on Wednesday, February 20, 2008 in comfortable clothing (jeans, sweatpants, and gym shoes) along with wearing the NEW Gray Bishop McDowell Spirit T-shirt. As usual Mr. Grgurich deems the right to determine what would be considered inappropriate clothing.

 

Bishop McDowell Regional School Preschool/Kindergarten 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 of St. Albert the Great, St. Basil, and St. Wendelin Parishes of Preschool and Kindergarten age. For any other questions call the school office at (412) 884 – 5676 and ask for Mr. Grgurich.

 

Bishop McDowell Regional School Ice Skating Night   On Thursday, February 21, 2008 Bishop McDowell Regional School is sponsoring an Ice Skating Night at the South Park Ice Rink from 7pm – 10pm. Admission is $2 and Skate Rental is $2. We look forward to seeing you on the ice. See the attached flyer.

 

Gateway to the Arts Assembly “A Vocal Journey with Etta Cox”   Etta Cox & the Al Dowe Quintet will present the show titled “A Vocal Journey with Etta Cox” on Friday, February 22, 2008 at 9am.  This group of musicians will take the students in Grades K – 8 on a vocal journey with Etta Cox demonstrating the African American influence on American vocal music over the past 300 years. The students will discover the common threads in call-and-response songs, spiritual, gospel, bebop, blues, jazz, doo-wop, rock’n roll and the rap music of today.

 

3^rd Nine Weeks Interims   3^rd Nine Weeks Interims will be sent in the mail on Friday, February 22, 2008. If your child receives an interim the parent must return the interim to your child’s homeroom teacher. This will indicate to the teacher that you understand your child is having difficulty in a particular subject area. A follow up phone call on the part of you the parent is encouraged for further suggestions in helping your child to improve their grade.

 

Bishop McDowell Regional School Bowling Program   To all the parents and students involved in the Bowling Program this program has been canceled for Friday, February 22, 2008 due to the 8^th grade Sports Recognition Night schedule for that evening. Bowling will resume on Friday, February 29, 2008.

 

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, you may contact the school office at (412) 884 – 5676. Make sure to get your tickets early so you won’t miss out.

 

2008 Eighth Grade Recognition Night    On Friday, February 22^nd, our 8^th grade student athletes will be recognized along with their parents/guardians for all of their efforts and dedication to the Bishop McDowell Regional School sports programs.  The ceremony will begin at 6pm at the Hough Building (formerly St. Wendelin gymnasium).  The recognition program will be followed by Varsity Girls and Varsity Boys basketball games.  The Junior Cheerleaders and “Little Dribblers” will also provide special performances.  Please plan to join us for this very memorable evening.  Congratulations to our 8^th grade students for an enjoyable season and thank you for your outstanding efforts in representing Bishop McDowell Regional School and our sports programs.

 

Protecting God’s Children   The St. Albert the Great Parish is sponsoring a Protecting God’s Children workshop on Thursday February 28, 2008 from 7pm – 10pm. This workshop will be held in the Bishop McDowell Regional School building. Protecting God’s Children is a requirement by the diocese for any adult working with children. There is no fee. If you have not attended one of these sessions in the past then parents, parent volunteers and volunteer coaches should make every effort to attend. For more information and to reserve your place call the St. Albert the Great Religious Education Office at (412) 884 – 8282. You must register for this course in order to reserve enough materials for each participant.

 

Tuition Assistance Available for the 2008 – 2009 Academic Year   Re- registration for Grades K – 8 is fast approaching for the 2008 – 2009 academic year and 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.

 

Boys Volleyball   Boys Volleyball season is approaching quickly. We are looking for boys in grades 4-8 to sign up and have a fun time playing volleyball. The season runs from March through April. Call Anthony Parente at

412-881-8478 if you have any questions.

 

Jr. Deck Hockey   Calling all boys and girls in grades K - 3 to join us on Thursday's from 4:00 - 5:30 pm for Jr. Deck Hockey. Hockey takes place in the little gym that is located beneath the Wendel Inn. It is not too late to sign up. It will be a fun time for all. Call Anthony Parente at 412-881-8478 if you have any questions.

 

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 will 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 no later than 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 delay in applying for tuition assistance before you know it Friday, March 14^th will have come and gone.

 

Geography Bee Contest   Congratulations to Eddie Lyle an 8^th Grade student who outlasted contestants from the 6^th, 7^th, and 8^th grades to become the Bishop McDowell Regional School champion in the Geography Bee. This contest tested knowledge and understanding of the U.S. and World geography plus the ability to read maps and understand the information included. Eddie has taken the written test to compete with students from all over the country. Bishop McDowell Regional School will receive the results of the test at a future time. Good Luck Eddie! Thank you to Mrs. Murawski for moderating this extra-curricular activity.

 

Pittsburgh Post Gazette Spelling Bee   Congratulations to Madison Wrubleski a 7^th Grade student who has won the right to represent Bishop McDowell Regional School in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette’s 58^th Western Pennsylvania Spelling Bee. The competition was open to 6^th, 7^th, and 8^th grade students; tests & spelling bees were held during class to determine the school champion. Madison will compete at the semifinals and hopefully the finals, on Saturday, March 15^th at the University of Pittsburgh. The ultimate winner on this day will go to Washington, D.C. to compete in the National Spelling Bee. Good Luck, Madison and Thank you to Mrs. Murawski for moderating this extra-curricular activity.

 

Thinking Cap Quiz Bowl   On Friday, January 25, 2008 Grades 5 & 6 competed in the PA Thinking Cap Quiz Bowl, a trivia based computer contest. Both grades did well, scoring at 75%. Congratulations to both grades 5 & 6 for participating and making your best effort! Thank you to Ms. Wolfe for taking time to moderate this extra-curricular activity.

 

Bishop McDowell Regional School 50/50 Easter Holiday Raffle Fundraiser   So far we have sold 210 tickets and the winner will receive $105.00. 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 8 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 Tuesday, March 18, 2008. 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 25 tickets ($1 per ticket) we will have met our goal of 1,500 tickets plus. Only 1,290 more tickets to sell!

 

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 scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, potatoes, pancakes, toast, muffins, fresh fruit, orange juice, apple juice, coffee, tea, and made to order omelets by Chef Steve-O. Pre-order by Thursday, May 1^st and save $1.00 per ticket purchased. We look forward to seeing you for brunch.