Upcoming Dates

Thurs., March 15            Parent-Child Atrium Night, 5:30-7:30 p.m.

March 16-23                  Unplugged Week

Fri., March 16                St. Patrick's Spirit Day

Mon., March 19             Eucharistic Adoration 12:45 - 2:00 p.m.  

Wed., March 21             Mom's Knit Night, 6:30-8:00 p.m. (Hyde Park)

Thurs., March 22            Family Supper/Games Night, 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Wed., March 28             Vision Screening   

March 29th & 30th          GSCM students present the Wizard of Oz 

Spirit Day for St. Patrick:  Friday, March 16

Since St. Patrick's Day falls on a weekend this year, we will have our St. Patrick's Spirit Day this Friday, March 16.  Children are invited to wear green on March 16 in preparation for St. Patrick's Day the following day, but there is a requirement.  Learn all or part of the beautiful prayer, "St. Patrick's Breastplate," and be prepared to recite what you know to Mr. Teller (or, for middle school students, Mr. Bennett or Mrs. Hamiter) upon your arrival.

"The Lorica" or "Saint Patrick's Breastplate"

This powerful prayer was composed by Saint Patrick in the year 433. He was aware that there was an ambush to try to kill him and his group en route to the King's court. It was during the march that they chanted the sacred Lorica or Deer's Cry - later known as St. Patrick's Breastplate. St. Patrick and his men were saved.  One version of the Lorica is printed at the top of our newsletter.  The other is below.  Be prepared to recite at least a line or two as you arrive with green clothing this Friday!

St. Patrick's Breastplate

Christ be with me, Christ within me,

Christ behind me, Christ before me,

Christ beside me, Christ to win me,

Christ to comfort and restore me,

Christ beneath me, Christ above me,

Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,

Christ in hearts of all that love me,

Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.

Eucharistic Adoration:  March 19

Next Monday, March 19 (which is also St. Joseph's feast day), we will again offer our K-8 students an opportunity to spend time with the Lord in Eucharistic Adoration.  Fr. Terrence Quinn, OP, will lead us in exposition, silent prayer, and benediction.  Our schedule is below.  Please feel free to join us!

12:45-1:15         Middle School and Lower Elementary

            1:30-2:00           Kindergarten and Upper Elementary

Parent-Child Atrium Night

Thursday, March 15, 5:30-7:30 p.m.

The Parent-Child Atrium Night provides a time for children and parents to explore and use atrium materials together.  Catechists Dan Teller and/or Jana Widmeyer will be on hand to provide guidance/explanation as is helpful, but this is primarily a night for parents together with their children.

A catered meal (Subway sandwiches fruit tray, drinks) will be available  to those who RSVP (per person donation collected), so you can come to school, eat, work with your child, and get home for bedtime without a messy kitchen.  The Open House format does not require arrival at 5:30 - come at any time.

Please RSVP if you will need dinner:  ntoon@gscmontessori.org or 271-4171.

Unplugged Week (March 16-23) Events

Family Dinner and Game Night:  Thurs, Mar. 22, 5:30-7:30 p.m. 

On Thursday, March 22 we will host a Crockpot Supper and Family Game Night and children will have the chance to shop our treasure trove of donated items as part of their reward for going unplugged.  Shopping for rewards at the Unplugged Boutique will be available Friday, March 23 as well.  Sign up for the Family Dinner on the Bulletin Board in the front hall.  Enjoy an evening away from the screen and together with school friends sharing fellowship and playing games.      

GSCM Moms' Knit Night:  Wed., March 21

Wednesday, March 21, bring your knitting and get together with other GSCM knitters at Hank Yarn Boutique on the corner of Edwards and Observatory in Hyde Park from 6:30-8:00.  Even if you do not know how to knit feel free to join us and find out about opportunities to learn. RSVP to Alicia Wilhelmy at alicia@seemlessdesign.com by March 5.  

GSCM Presents Wizard of OZ

Thursday, March 29th and Friday, March 30th at 6:30 p.m. here in the church, come to see many of our upper elementary and middle school students perform Wizard of Oz.  Tickets will be on sale soon for $3 each.(age 3 and above).  The students have been practicing for some time now and this should prove to be a very entertaining evening.   

Stargrams!

Show your support of an actor or advertise your business by purchasing a Stargram!  A Stargram is a message put into the program for the Wizard of Oz.  It can say "good luck" or whatever you would like and have the actor's name and who the Stargram is from, or it can be an advertisement for your business.  Stargrams cost $5 for a quarter page, $10 for half and $20 for a full page.  Please submit all stargram messages or ads to Elizabeth Lotterer at lizthelizard98@gmail.com.   

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Mission Alive

We Are Family:  Observations from a School Mass

By Jana Widmeyer, Catechist

It was Ash Wednesday and the little church of St. John Vianney was packed.  Young and old gathered to observe the beginning of Lent.  From my place as one of the cantors, I was able to watch as each person came forward to receive ashes to the words, "Repent and Believe in the Gospel."  I saw the parents who had come to this Mass to worship with their children and the younger siblings who were there, too.  Some of the children were in the arms of their parents, others followed in line behind an older brother or sister.

As a catechist in the atrium, I know most of the children by name.  Week after week, I watch the GSCM students present themselves for communion or a blessing.  It is nice when parents can attend Mass, too.  On this day, it was particularly moving for me to see so many families together.

I was reminded once again that GSCM really is a family.  We all know each other.  Children spend many formative years together in the school.  We care about what happens to each other.   We pray for one another.   The children are faithful in praying for ill classmates, grandparents, friends and teachers. 

In the atrium, we learn that one of the greatest gifts God gave us was the gift of each other, of friends, of families. This gift is second only to his most special gift of his own son, Jesus Christ.  What a privilege for me to be with the children in the atrium.  What a joy to worship with them at Mass.  How extra special when parents are there, too.  We are a family.

Thank you, God, for GSCM.  Thank you for each child and each family represented here.  Please bestow your blessing on each and everyone in this wonderful family that you have gathered around your son, the Good Shepherd.  Amen.

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Staffing News

Middle School Staffing

Beth Beatrice, our middle school history and literature teacher, will not be returning to her position at GSCM next year.  As Beth states in her letter to our middle school families, 'I have decided not to return in the fall of 2012 because I want devote more time to family life.  I ...was not able to balance everything with the needs of my children and family.'  Beth's knowledge, gentle disposition, and commitment to high standards have all benefitted our students this year.  We thank her for her year of service to our school.

Joan Ratajczak will be returning to our middle school program as our history and literature teacher next year.  Joan join our current MS staff (John Bennett, Mary Hamiter, Annette Lustenberger, Shannon Treier, and Barb Blasch).  Mrs. Ratajczak (pronounced rat-u-zak) taught history and literature in our middle school program in the 2008-09 school year.  She is a superb teacher and human being!  Joan has many years of experience teaching both history and literature at both the grade school and high school level.  Her knowledge of history is unparalleled among anyone I have met, and her passion and ease of sharing this with students is aptly described below by one of her former students.

From Clare Rahner, current sophomore at St. Ursula Academy:

Before starting 7^th grade, I had never even liked history.  Little did I know that it would soon be my favorite subject. Somehow, Mrs. Ratajczak made history come alive, whether by acting out a scene from The Iliad and explaining the meaning behind seemingly insignificant details in the text, or by sitting in a circle with us as we read Julius Caesar out loud.  It may sound hard to believe, but I always went into her class excited just to learn.  Something else I particularly appreciated was the way she would often draw connections between history and our Faith-and she was so passionate about it. She once pointed out the link between the ten plagues of Egypt and the death of Pharaoh Ramses' firstborn son, further illustrating the relationship between the Bible and plain old textbook history. I am still in awe of her apparently infinite amount of knowledge and wisdom.

                I can still remember the prayer that we recited at the beginning of every class: "Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of thy faithful, and enkindle in them the fire of thy love...." I remember her class whenever I say that prayer, and I'll forever be grateful to her for giving me a love for the richness of history and literature.

Spanish Staffing

Next year, we are re-organizing our Spanish program and staffing.  We will continue to have two Spanish teachers, with all students receiving Spanish instruction three times per week.  Joyce Lewis will instruct all students from grades 4-8.  Mrs. Lewis currently teachers 6^th-8^th grade Spanish here, and next year will be expanding her responsibilities to teach our 4^th and 5^th grade classes as well.

The other Spanish teacher will teach preschool through 3^rd grade Spanish.  Next year our lower elementary students will return to a three class/week Spanish schedule.  Because of the part-time nature of this position, Sra. Ximena Flores has decided not to return as the preschool-3^rd grade Spanish teacher.  Ximena is in need of full-time employment and is seeking other opportunities at this time.  Please see below for a formal expression of farewell and gratitude to Ximena.

We are currently interviewing candidates for the preschool-3^rd grade Spanish position.  If you wish to refer a candidate for this position, please contact Dan Teller.

Farewell, Sra. Flores

As mentioned above, Ximena Flores will not be returning to GSCM in her position as part-time Spanish teacher next year.  Ximena began working at our school in 2005, and since that time has infused her Spanish instruction with a spirit of creativity, liveliness, and joy.  She has not only guided our students in Spanish, but also imparted to them many aspects of the richness of Spanish-speaking cultures.  Ximena created many materials, activities, and projects for her students, and also used her skills as a visual artist to enhance her teaching.  We are grateful for the many gifts she has given to our students and our school.  We will miss her and wish her all the best in future endeavors!

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Unplugged Week (March 16-23)   

Unplugged Week is back starting this Thursday, March 15.  Students will find out all the details in their classrooms this Thursday and will be bringing home more information to share with their families and inspire them to take a week off from the media and digital distractions.  Also look for a detailed email message to parents later this week.

Gently Used Items Wanted

Beginning next Monday, March 19, students can start bringing in gently used books, games, puzzles, stuffed animals and other small toys.  Items can be dropped off by the bulletin board in the front hall.  We will collect items through Thursday morning, March 22.  Declutter your home, declutter your mind as GSCM goes Unplugged!

Boxed Potatoes Collection for IPM Thursday, Mar. 22

Our next collection for Inter Parish Ministry's food choice pantry will be Thursday, March 22. Each student is asked to bring in one box of potatoes-e.g., mashed, au gratin, scalloped, etc.

For the next six weeks, IPM is participating in a challenge sponsored by the Feinstein Foundation's Campaign to Fight Hunger. For each food item donated to IPM between now and April 30th, IPM will receive cash toward the purchase of additional food. So donations in these two months count for more than they normally would. Once again, thank you very much for your continuing support.

PTO News

PTO Campaign 2012

Box Tops for Education

We collected a total of 229 box tops in December and 1,989 during January and February! Our grand total is 5,741 box tops! Thanks to all the parents and students who sent in box tops. Please continue to collect box tops!