Bridge, April 22, 2016 - St. Mark Catholic School

 Parents, It has been a busy week at St. Mark Catholic School! We have begun the ISTEP test for grades 3­8 in earnest. Our students and parents have done a great job of getting to school on time and being ready to take each test when they arrive. We have had the good fortune of having our students use their Chromebooks to take the ISTEP test this year. This allows them to take the ISTEP test in the same setting that they do each day with other assignments and assessments. We appreciate all of your support at home with the ISTEP test these next two weeks! We also continue to have prospective families visit and enroll at SMCS for next school year! I gave several tours to families looking to make SMCS their home next school year. Many go through the same decision making process that you did, and still do, to decide if this is the best place for you and your children to grow in their faith. All the families have similar questions with regard to curriculum, class size, daily schedule, extracurricular, faith growth opportunities, and cost to attend. In our conversation with them, I am very straight forward in laying out our expectations of them as parents and students, as well as what we offer to them to build a strong foundation of faith and academics. As we continue to grow our SMCS family, we will be adding an additional Kindergarten class and an additional second grade class next school year. We have hired Miss Lara Kuczmanski to lead our new kindergarten class. Lara is a graduate of Marian University, and is finishing her Masters at St. Joseph University, in Philadelphia, PA. Lara has two years experience teaching at the elementary level, has a multitude of educational skills, and is excited to join our SMCS team! Miss Andrea (Annie) Lamott will be joining our SMCS family this fall to teach our new second grade class. Annie is a Holy Name, Roncalli and IUPUI graduate that comes with a wealth of experience in the Catholic school setting. Annie brings many skill sets to our school and we look forward to her partnering with her sister, Mrs. English, to help prepare our second grade students to grow in their faith and prepare them for the Sacraments! We are blessed to have Mrs. Grimes return to St. Mark Catholic School for the 2016­2017 school year! Mrs. Grimes and her husband will be relocating back to Indiana after a year in Illinois. Mrs. Grimes will be teaching middle school religion while Mrs. Gehret is on maternity leave the first 9 weeks of the school year. Mrs. Grimes, while continuing to work on her Master's degree, and after Mrs. Gehret’s maternity leave, will stay on with us to assist with administrative duties such as student testing, teacher professional development, new teacher mentoring, and other important duties. As we continue to grow, we continue to keep in place what makes us strong. Our partnering with you, will grow in many ways. We will continue to utilize our support staff in the areas of students with special needs, students that are language learners, students that need academic assistance and students that need to be challenged with a higher academic rigor. We look forward to the path that God has laid before us. We ask his guidance to help us to stay on that path. Our school was built in 1948 by families in this southside community that wanted their children to have Catholic teachings in their lives, that wanted a safe, disciplined environment for their children to learn, they wanted their children to be challenged academically and to grow in their faith, and they wanted to be a partner, not a spectator, in their child’s academic and faith growth. While some things change, many stay the same. We look forward to following God’s plan for us as a school. We look forward to the new staff members making us a stronger school, we look forward to the new students and families that will become an integral part of the diverse, loving community that we continue to build upon. We look forward to having you as our partner in your child’s Catholic education. You are what makes us a strong, loving, diverse place where all are welcome and all are a part of God’s plan. Have an awesome weekend and we will see you at Mass with your family! Thanks and God Bless, Rusty Albertson Principal St. Mark Catholic School Proverbs 3:5­6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your path Upcoming Events April 2
9 Molli Cassetty fundraiser at Expo Bowl May 5­6 Spring Musical (Gr 6­8), Shrek Jr. 6 May Crowning Mass and 8th grade pictures 6 Staff Development ­ Students Dismissed at 1:00 pm ( No Aftercare ) 7 First Communion Mass, 2:00 PM, St. Mark Catholic Church 13 8th grade trip 13 Kindergarten graduation following Mass 16 8th grade graduation practice, class picnic and “Running of the 8th Graders!” 17 8th grade Graduation Mass and Reception 17 Last school day for Pre­K students 18 Pre­K Picnic 18 Field Day 19 Last Day of School Last School Mass 9:00 am ~ Awards to follow 12:30 PM Dismissal ( No Aftercare ) St. Mark Disability Awareness Mass and Reception scheduled for Sunday, April 24 th St. Mark the Evangelist Parish will celebrate its annual Disabilities Awareness Mass at 11:45 AM on Sunday, April 24, 2016. The purpose of this Mass is to raise awareness of the importance and value that individuals with disabilities bring to both St. Mark Parish and to the community. Several of St. Mark’s disabled parishioners will actively participate in the Mass as we celebrate the diversity of our parish. There will be a Reception in St. Mark Schafer Hall immediately following the Mass. St. Mark is located at 535 E. Edgewood Avenue. This Mass and Reception is being organized by the St. Mark Inclusion Committee under the guidance of Father Todd Riebe and Deacon Tom Horn. Everyone in the community is invited to attend the Mass and Reception to celebrate with us and to learn more about how we encourage everyone, including our parishioners with disabilities, to take an active role in parish and community activities. FACTS Tuition Management If you will be making your tuition payments on a monthly basis, you will use the Facts Tuition Management website. Please remember to register for 2016/2017 monthly payments by going to: https://online.factsmgt.com/ Have Fun and Support a Great Cause! The Molli Cassetty Bowl­A­Thon will be held Friday, April 29, 2016 from 7:00 ­ 9:00 PM Please join us at Expo Bowl, 5261 Elmwood Avenue to support the Molli Cassetty Scholarship Fund Molli's courage, love and her display of Christian faith during her illness were an inspiration to the students and members of the St. Mark Community. If you are unable to attend and would like to make a pledge toward the scholarship fund, please submit to the school and designate the Molli Cassetty scholarship fund on your envelope. There are ONLY 52 days left before FunFest 2016. This is our 34 th year of FunFest. We are looking for sponsorships again this year, businesses as well as individuals. You can also remember a parishioner, friend or loved one of St. Mark who was a great supporter of previous FunFests. It doesn’t hurt to ask your employer to sponsor. There is a good chance they might say yes. Our many means of getting your business or name out there is great!!! What is taking you so long to volunteer to help more at the FunFest? Don’t wait for a personal phone call. Take this year of Mercy and make it work for your parish!!!! Take A Chance booth is looking for new items $50 and up for their booth. Contact Terri Wenzel @865­1528 or cymru500@gmail.com . The ever popular coin toss booth is still collecting glassware. Donations can be left in the narthex marked “Festival Coin Toss”. Contact Kris or Cindi Able @965­6229 for additional information or pick up. Beer sponsorships and Coke sponsorships are being accepted again this year. Small trinket and prize items are needed to fill canning jars for games this year. Remember us when you are cleaning out drawers and toy boxes. Even if it is only one or two items – no donation is too small. Booth organizers are needed for a few areas: Elephant Ears, Youth Games, and Sound. If you are interested please call Ann Berkemeier – 787­2058, Jim O’Brien – 888­1549 or Chris @ the Parish Center – 787­8246. Open computer lab will be Thursdays from 3:00­4:00. Students may stay after school to work on any school related activities on the computer. This may include homework, ALEKS, IXL, First in Math, etc." If you have any questions, please email Mrs. Cline ~ lcline@stmarkindy.org Box Tops and Labels for Education An easy way to support St. Mark is by taking a few moments to look for the points, labels, or box tops on the products you purchase, then clip and save them. They can be sent to school with your child or placed in the yellow boxes as you enter school and in the Narthex of the church. My Coke Rewards Register your Coke Rewards account by visiting MyCokeRewards.com. Points entered can then be donated to St. Mark Catholic School 46227. KROGER COMMUNITY REWARDS PROGRAM Register online at krogercommunityrewards.com . You will need your Kroger Plus card number. Marsh Fresh Ideas for Education To enroll your card, please visit www.marsh.net . Our school´s code is: 28795. Please ask family, friends and neighbors to enroll their cards, too ! nrolsho
. Lunch Menu ­ Week of April 25, 2016 Monday Hamburger Beef Patty on Bun and French Fries Tuesday Sausage Patties, Eggo Chocolate Chip Mini French Toast and Sweet Cooked Carrots Wednesday Tacos (Seasoned Beef Tortilla), Refried Beans, Taco Fixins’ and Sour Cream Thursday Popcorn Chicken, Sun Chips, Broccoli and Cheese Sauce Friday Individual Cheese Pizza and Caesar Salad Event Day of Week Opponent Time, Location 4 Kickball Friday (4/22) Holy Name 5:00, St. Mark Coed Track Sunday (4/24) St. Michael Inv. 12:00, Cardinal Ritter HS 56 Kickball Monday (4/25) St. Christopher 5:00, St. Christopher Cadet Soccer Monday (4/25) Nativity 5:30, Nativity 4 Kickball Monday (4/25) Ss. Francis & Clare 6:00, SSFC Cadet Soccer Tuesday (4/26) St. Jude 5:30, St. Jude 56 Kickball Friday (4/29) OL Lourdes 5:00, St. Mark Cadet Soccer Friday (4/29) Ss. Francis & Clare 5:30, Central Catholic 4 Kickball Friday (4/29) Nativity 6:00, Nativity St. Mark All Sports Banquet Mark your calendars for the St. Mark Athletic Banquet scheduled for Monday, May 9 at 5:30. The banquet is open to all Lion CYO athletes, Southside Flag Football League players, junior track runners, parents and coaches. This year’s program will be held in Monsignor Schafer Hall. Registration for Fall sports (tackle football, kickball, HS volleyball, cross­country, flag football & cheerleading) and uniform returns will also occur at the banquet (registration form at the end of the newsletter as well as outside the school office). Please contact Patrick Collier at 319­3010 or collierfamily8@att.net for more information. St. Mark CYO Fall 2016 Sports Registration Registration for tackle football (Grades 3­8), cheerleading (Grades 3­8), girl’s kickball (Grades 3­8), coed cross­country (Grades 5­8), high school girls volleyball (Grades 9­12), girls basketball (Grades 4­8), and flag football (Grades K­2) is now underway. The registration deadline is July 15 for all sports except for girls basketball (July 29) and flag football (August 12). We need to get a team count as soon as possible. All Parish youth are welcome to compete in CYO sports. St. Mark registration and CYO physical exam forms are available in the church narthex, parish office, school office, and the school and parish web sites. You must register for each sport using a St. Mark registration form PLUS complete a CYO registration (form at the end of the newsletter). CYO registrations for these sports are performed online at w
ww.cyoarchindy.org starting in July. Follow the “Register Child” link and complete the information requested. Please contact Patrick Collier at 319­3010 or collierfamily8@att.net for more information. Roncalli Rebel News Roncalli High School Summer Sports Camps Registration is now underway for the annual summer sports camps at Roncalli High School. Roncalli High School will again be offering summer camps in 20 different sports for boys and girls. The camps are reasonably priced at only $50 per camper per camp. Register at www.roncalli.org/AthleticCamps and the online brochure may be viewed at: http://www.roncalli.org/uploads/Summer_Sports_Camps.pdf . Registration forms are also available in hall outside of SMCS office! Join us at Roncalli High School for Aloha Rebelation! Chaplain Fr. Tim Wyciskalla will be the master of ceremonies at this year’s Rebelation­­Roncalli High School’s largest tuition assistance fundraiser. Grab your flip­flops and join us for a festive night of food, drinks, friends, student entertainment and live and silent auctions. Date: Saturday, April 30 th Time: Doors open at 5:30pm, dinner at 6:45pm Attire: Hawaiian island casual To reserve your seats, browse auction items, register your phone and start the bidding, go to www.roncalli.org/rebelation . Reserve your seats before April 1 st and receive early bird pricing! Questions? Contact Rachel Brown at rcbrown@roncalli.org . Incoming Roncalli Performing Arts students An informational meeting for parents of incoming Roncalli Performing Arts students will be held Wednesday May 4 beginning at 7:00pm in the school’s auditorium. After the general meeting, Band, Choir and Theatre will break into individual sessions to discuss items which pertain to their specific departments. If you have any questions, please contact Miki Lewinski at 787­8277 Ext. 249 or mlewinski@roncalli.org 2016­17 IHSAA / CYO Athletic Physicals Offered at Reduced Rate Once again this spring the Roncalli Athletic Department will partner with St. Vincent Sports Performance to provide the required IHSAA and CYO athletic physical examinations for the 2016­17 school year at the bargain reduced rate of $30.00. Physicals for RHS and South Deanery student athletes will be administered on Thursday, May 5, from 7­9 PM at the Roncalli High School bubble facility. All student­athletes must be signed up early for an appointment in order to receive a physical exam on 5/5/16! South Deanery elementary school parents may call the Roncalli Athletic Office at 788­4094 between the hours of 8:30 AM – 3:30 PM beginning M
onday, April 25, 2016 to sign up for a physical appointment, or email Chris Lauck at clauck@roncalli.org. The approved IHSAA Physical Form (4 pages) may be downloaded directly from the RHS Athletics web site home page while the CYO Physical Form may be downloaded directly from the CYO web site. These forms should be completed prior to the physical date and brought that evening for the doctors to complete. It is very important to note that the IHSAA does not recognize the validity of a completed physical form if signed by a nurse practioner only – the form must be signed by a licensed Medical Doctor! Retirement Reception for Kathy Tinder and Dave Toner – May 20 Roncalli High School will hold a reception to pay tribute to Kathy Tinder and Dave Toner, both of whom are retiring at the end of this school year. All are invited to stop by this reception to be held on Friday, May 20, from 3:15–5:00 in the RHS Media Center and extend your own personal thanks to these two outstanding educators! Kathy is completing 43 years of service to Roncalli as teacher, coach, class moderator, ticket seller/taker, and overall die­hard Rebel fan! Dave is putting the wraps on his 18 th year as the RHS Athletic Director. Hope you can stop by and join us. If unable to attend the reception, cards or notes of appreciation may be sent to the high school in their name RONCALLI BOYS CROSS COUNTRY TEAM The Roncalli Boys Cross Country team is seeking incoming freshman in the Fall of 2016 to join our team. If you are interested, please contact coach Jeff Buckley at jbuckley@roncalli.org / (317) 506­1821 or Coach Rob Brown at rbrown@roncalli.org / (317) 650­8833 We will provide information for summer training and a parent meeting in early May. No experience is necessary, and this is a great way to begin your Roncalli high school career. Indianapolis Brass Choir to give Concert On Sunday April 24, at 3 PM at St Barnabas Catholic Church, the Indianapolis Brass Choir will be playing a one hour concert. The IBC is a large brass ensemble of about 30+ people who volunteer their time, talent, and effort, without pay, to provide music for area churches and to aid local charities. The Indianapolis Brass Choir has raised over $80,000 for charities since its founding. Founded by Delbert A. Dale in 1986, it has a membership of professional, semi­professional musicians, and serious amateurs who meet for weekly rehearsals and perform eight to twelve concerts a year. The choir includes trumpets, trombones, horns, euphoniums, tubas, and percussion. Join us on April 24 th for the event at St Barnabas! A freewill offering will be collected at intermission, and the money collected given to a charity designated by St Barnabas. For more information you can contact St Barnabas, attention:Dan Bailey at music@stbindy.org , call 317­882­0724 ex 238, or view the IBC website at h
ttp://www.indybrasschoir.com KATIE’S HOPE 5K RUN/WALK The family and friends of Katie Lynch have organized the 5th Annual "Katie's Run/Walk for Hope" on May 21, 2016 to honor Katie's courageous battle with cancer. Her "free spirit", as well as her love of her family and friends, will be celebrated by raising funds for the Katie Lynch Scholarship Fund as well as Make A Wish Foundation, Sunshine Kids Foundation and the children of Riley Hospital. A Be The Match Registry Drive will also take place during the Walk. At this time you will be able to join the National Bone Marrow Registry at no cost while possibly saving a life and becoming someone’s hero! The event will start at 10:00 am at Roncalli high School. Entry fee is $25.00 per adult, $15.00 per student or $100.00 per family. Registration by 5/10/16 will guarantee a T­shirt. Registration forms can be found at www.katieshope.org . For more information or group pricing, please call Marty Lynch (518­1219) or Kathleen Lynch (502­1979)