St. Austin Catholic School
e - Newsletter
September 4, 2008
Upcoming Events
FRIDAY
 
MONDAY
 
8th Grade Shadow at St. Michael Catholic Academy Field Trip
 
TUESDAY 

Parents' Club Meeting
DATE CHANGE 
*childcare & dinner provided *
Tuesday, September 16
 
5th Grade Field Trip to
Ransom Cener
 
THURSDAY
 
St. Austin hosts Diocesan Princpals and Religion Coordinators Meeting
 
Adoration in honor of 9/11
All classes will attend
 
FRIDAY
 
Mass at 9:00am
Please join us!
Good Information for Catholics
As faithful Catholics it is important for us to be informed about the culture around us, especially at this time building up to the election.  Take a few moments and check out these links to helpful information.
 
Faithful Citizenship
 
 
 

We have lots of WISHES

As you know, we cannot forward our mission without your support.  Some of our wishes are small items (glue sticks) and some of them are large (sound system).  Please consider fulfilling the wish of one of our teachers by donating an item from our wishlist.  We appeciate any way you can help!  
Website Links
St. Austin School
Kindergarten
First Grade
Second Grade
Third Grade
Fourth Grade
Fifth Grade
Sixth Grade
Seventh Grade
Eighth Grade
Art
Music
P.E.
Spanish
Library
St. Austin Parish
Required Volunteer Training
Anyone-volunteers, paid staff or clergy-who works with minors or vulnerable adults in a parish or diocesan setting is required to complete a Secure Online Application, agree to a criminal record check, sign the Diocese of Austin Code of Ethics, and attend a Protecting God's Children workshop.

If you plan to volunteer for the school, be a room parent, event coordinator, or field trip chaperon for St. Austin Catholic School, you must complete above steps.  All parents are encouraged to take advantage of this educational opportunities regardless of your level of volunteerism.

Any questions about the Ethics and Integrity in Ministry program can be directed to the parish office.

Protecting God's Children

Protecting God's Children teaches the Catholic understanding that each individual must be respected and honored. The schedule of upcoming Protecting God's Children workshops is available via the diocese Ethics & Integrity in Ministry web page. Please register for workshops ahead of time by calling the phone numbers listed. You may attend any workshop in the Diocese. Workshops typically last 2.5 to 3 hours and are given by a trainer who has been approved and trained themselves by the Diocese of Austin.

Protecting God's Children workshops at St. Austin

Saturday, September 27, 2008
9 a.m. - noon
Hecker Hall
Please RSVP by September 22, 2008 so that enough materials will be available.
 
From the Principal's Desk 
We are rolling along with a few great weeks behind us!  I am hearing lots of positive feedback and am pleased with all of the wonderful things taking place.  This week we begin our sports games - GOOD LUCK TO ALL OF OUR EAGLES!  We are proud of you!
 
Please join us on Saturday, September 6, in Hecker Hall, following the 5 p.m. Mass, for a reception in your honor and in gratitude to all of our parish volunteers and ministry participants. Fr. Jim and the parish staff wish to thank you for your dedication and service as you respond to your baptismal call to further the mission of Christ as his modern-day disciples.
 
A long standing tradition at St. Austin is placing flowers before our Blessed Mother Mary.  We have a beautiful statue on the second floor and families are invited to take turn providing flowers to place at her feet.  If you are interested, please click here to sign up.
 
In Spirit & Peace,


Mrs. Donna Woodard
Principal
 
** DATE CHANGE**
Parents' Club Meeting- Sept. 16
It's that time of year when the calendar fills up fast!  Just as this happens at home, it often happens at St. Austin.  On September 9th we are hosting home volleyball games.  With our parking situation being what it is, it is impossible to host two large events on one night.  So, the Parents' Club meeting has moved to September 16th.  The meeting will begin at 6:00pm * note new time* and dinner will be from Craig O's.  Child care will be provided.  Thank you for your understanding in our calendar adjustment.  The meeting will be a great opportunity to learn about our community, it's happenings and meet with your room parents.  (You know, those wonderful parents who keep everyone on the same page and send out the reminders to you!)  Plan to attend - you'll be glad you did!
 
 
Grand Tour 2009 -
20th Anniversary
We will soon be kicking off our planning for this exciting event and we need your help.  Please prayerfully consider donating your time and talents to Grand Tour 2009.  Chairwomen Stephanie Hahn and Leah Esparza will be sharing more information at the Parent's Club meeting on September 16.  Your support is greatly appreciated as we continue this successful tradition of the Grand Tour for St. Austin's.  Several committee chairpersons are needed and there will be many volunteer opportunities for you.  See you on the 16th!!
 
Mother Son Football -
Hosted by Parents' Club
Our 6th Annual Mother Son Football game will be on October 4th at Pease Park.  It is a great morning of fun as the MOMS take on the BOYS in a flag football game.  The DADS and GIRLS cheer everyone on as we have a great time trying to our maneuver our boys!  Last year to boys beat the moms 21 to 14.
 
The T-shirt orders are due September 17th.  The order form is posted to the website.  Please return your orders to the school office.  The boys shirts are free!  Thank you to Elaine Garrett and Stacey Fenton for their leadership on this event!
 
No-Cost Fundraising News
Summer Clipping Contest Entries Due
Please turn in your summer collection of Box Tops and Campbells Labels for Education by Tuesday, September 2nd.  Please separate Box Tops from Campbell's Labels and take the holiday weekend and be sure that all are stapled or taped ten per piece of paper or use the Box Top Buck found on our school website. Remember that the winning family wins a great Movie Night prize!
 
Lands' End Offers Us 3% Back on Everything, not just Uniforms!
Lands' End has a great promotion running through September 5th!  Everything, not just uniform items, qualifies for 3% back to St. Austin.  Remember to use our school code of 900041633.
 
Craig O's Night
Mark your calendars for our first Craig 's night of the year on September 16th.  Craig O's very generously donates 10% of all sales from both locations after 5:00 pm to our school.  It's a great night out of the kitchen and you're likely to see some friends there too.  Over the past year, Craig O's has donated nearly $1000 to our school so please continue to patronize their wonderful business!
 
Westbank Dry Cleaning
Just a reminder that Westbank Dry Cleaning will write a check for 3% of pre-tax purchases each quarter! Simply tear off your receipt, write St. Austin's on the corner and drop it in Project School Bell Display. It's that
easy!
 
Our Eagle Spirit SOARS!
If you need a back-up t-shirt for PE, now is the time to order them from the Booster Club.  These shirts are also great for parents to wear to the games.  This year we have a red tote bag that will be great for carrying PE clothes.  Please complete the order form and return to the office.  Show your Eagle spirit!
 
Lunch Orders - WEEKLY 
Thank you to the several parents who offered to assist in coordinating our lunch orders.  Mrs. Estella Chaparro-Berry will be assisting Ms. Turner with this task.  THANK YOU!
.
We are trying to adjust our ordering process to assist parents and also give our caterer a timely count for orders.  We are posting the next couple of weeks' orders on the website and asking parents to turn them in the Friday MORNING before the week begins.  You may order one week, or several weeks at a time.  is time to order for the first two weeks of September.   The weekly order forms can be found on the school website on the Lunch Program page. 
Click here to go directly to that page.  No money is to be turned in at this time.  Orders may be submitted via email to our coordinator, fax or dropped off at the office.   

Signing in for Lunch Visits
Parents are always welcome for lunch!  You may sign in at the school or the parish office as a visitor.  Please be sure to get a name tag so that all staff can identify our visitors.  We have worked out an arrangement with the parish office to save you some running on campus. Thank you for your cooperation.  
 
Attendance & Appointments
Regular attendance at school is important for student learning.  Every effort should be made for appointments not to be scheduled during school hours.  It is very disruptive for teachers, students and classes for students to come and go during the day. In Middle School excessive absences, excused or unexcused, may result in a student not earning credit for the class missed.  Thank you for your support of a succesful learning envirnoment for all!