Parent Newsletter

Friday, February 22, 2008

 

Bishop McDowell Regional School 50/50 Easter Holiday Raffle Fundraiser   So far we have sold 266 tickets. The winner will receive $133.00. 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 only 3 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 1,234 more tickets to sell!

 

Stations of the Cross   The students in Grades K - 8 will be attending Stations of the Cross on Friday, February 29, 2008 at 1:30pm in the St. Albert the Great Church. Mrs. Kuhn, Mrs. Dern, Mrs. DeFrancesco and the Kindergarten, First, Second and Third grade students are preparing the Stations. Join us as we continue our Lenten journey.

 

Terra Nova Tests Grades 2 - 8   The students in Grades 2 - 8 will be taking the Terra Nova Standardized Tests beginning the week of Monday, March 3, 2008 and continuing through Thursday, March 13, 2008. We ask that in order for each child to be fully prepared when taking these tests, make sure that your child(ren) is getting plenty of rest each night and eating breakfast in the morning. Also, it is very important to have your child(ren) in school and on time each day. This helps to make the testing process run smooth and limits the interruptions. Testing starts promptly at 8:15am each morning. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

 

Magic Club Thank You!   Thank you to everyone who helped to make the Magic Club a HUGE success. 153 memberships were sold and $15,000.00 was raised towards this year’s $80,000.00 fundraising goal. Your participation and contributions helped to create the magic in the Magic Club. Mark your calendars for next year’s event Saturday, February 21, 2009! Once again thank you for your continued support of Bishop McDowell Regional School and Catholic education.

 

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.

 

3^rd Nine Weeks Interims   3^rd Nine Weeks Interims were sent in the mail on Friday, February 22, 2008. If your child receives an interim you must sign and return the interim to your child’s 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.

 

March Market Day Orders   All March Market Day order forms are due to the school office on Monday, March 3, 2008.  If you have access to the Internet you can place your own order. Go to Market Day.com for step by step instructions. Internet orders are due by noon on Thursday, March 6, 2008. Pick-up is scheduled for Wednesday, March 12, 2008 from 6pm - 7pm in the Cafeteria of the school building.

 

Bishop McDowell Regional School Athletic Association’s Annual “Night At The Races”   This year the “Night At The Races” is scheduled for Saturday, April 5, 2008 in the School Cafeteria at Bishop McDowell Regional School. Doors open at 6:00pm. Tickets are $10 per person. At this time we are looking for each family in the Athletic Association to sell at least one horse. The cost of purchasing a horse is $5. The owner of the winning horse in each race receives a purse of $20. Forms were sent home earlier this week. If you need additional forms call the school office at (412) 884 – 5676.

 

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 2007 – 2008 “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 hesitate in applying for tuition assistance before you know it Friday, March 14^th will have come and gone.

 

Pizza Hut Fundraiser Night   On Thursday, March 13, 2008 at the Brentwood Towne Center Pizza Hut, Bishop McDowell Regional School will have a fundraiser day. 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, March 13^th and come hungry!!

 

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.

 

South Hills Deanery Principals Meeting   Bishop McDowell Regional School is hosting the South Hills Deanery Principals Meeting on Tuesday, March 4, 2008. Our Educational Consultant Sister Catherine Ann will be in attendance during this meeting.

 

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

 

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.

 

Giant Eagle Apples for the Students Program   The Giant Eagle Apples for the Students Program began on Sunday October 28, 2007 and continues until Saturday, March 15, 2008. Again this year, you will not need to send in receipts from Giant Eagle. All you need to do is be a registered supporter. If you registered last year, you are automatically registered for this year. If you are not a registered supporter, it’s very easy to become one. Take a moment to register. You will need your Giant Eagle Advantage card handy then call 1-800-474-4777. An automated system will talk you through the process. Our school ID number is 1022. You can also register by visiting the Giant Eagle website at www.gianteagle.com and click on the Apples for Students icon. Each time registered supporters shop at Giant Eagle using their Giant Eagle Advantage Card; they earn points for our school. These points are redeemed for great educational tools. The points are automatically credited to our school through the Giant Eagle Advantage Card.

 

Junior Achievement Bishop Donald W. Wuerl Scholarship   The Diocese of Pittsburgh in collaboration with Junior Achievement of Southwest Pennsylvania, Inc. established the Bishop Donald W. Wuerl Scholarship in 2004 in honor of Bishop Wuerl’s participation in Junior Achievement as a high school student. The purpose of this scholarship is to assist 8^th grade students currently attending an elementary school in the Diocese of Pittsburgh with scholarships to continue their education at a Diocese of Pittsburgh High School. To be considered for a scholarship, all applicants must meet the following criteria: minimum of two years attending an elementary school within the Diocese of Pittsburgh, minimum participation in at least two Junior Achievement programs (validated by the school), GPA of 2.3 or higher, must write and submit a one-page essay (250 words) and students must meet the scholarship requirements as set forth by the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) through the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) program (SOS Tuition Assistance fund). For more information contact Mr. Grgurich to see the brochure that explains the program in further detail.  

 

Shop n’ Save SEED Program   The Shop n’ Save SEED Assembly Program is made possible through a unique partnership with the Carnegie Science Center and Carnegie Museum of Natural History. In order to qualify for an assembly our school is required to collect $250 per student in Shop n’ Save register tapes for each participating student. Beginning June 1, 2007 and continuing through March 11, 2008 Bishop McDowell Regional School will be collecting Shop n’ Save register tapes to receive an assembly through Carnegie Museum. Our goal by March 11, 2008 is $21,000.00 in register receipts. Continue saving your register tapes and bring them to the school office to deposit! So far the school community has collected $19,074.43 in receipts. We need another $1,925.57 in receipts to attain our goal. Keep on saving!