Saint Dominic School

Academic Excellence � Catholic Values

April 2015 Newsletter

Welcome to our school newsletter with news and events for the month of April. We look forward to seeing all of our school parents at all our special events throughout the month.

Principal's Message

Spring is finally here! It's been a long winter, but we can now look forward to warmer weather and the enjoyment of lots of outdoor activities!

This week we begin Holy Week, which will be commemorated through prayer and community service. Students will continue to make Easter cards for our homebound parishioners and collect items to prepare Easter baskets and personal care packages for patients of Ocean Medical Center. I wish to thank Mrs. Fondonella, Mrs. Miller, and members of the Religion Service Club and National Junior Honor Society for organizing these collections in an effort to spread cheer and comfort to sick children and cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. I also thank all of our students and their families who generously donated all of the items for the baskets and care packages.

Our fifth grade students will lead our community in prayer as they present the Live Stations of the Cross. It has been a long-standing tradition at Saint Dominic School for the fifth grade to present the Stations of the Cross for our school community on Holy Thursday at 9:30 A.M. and 10:30 A.M. in our gymnasium and for our parish community on Good Friday at 7:00 P.M. in Saint Dominic's Church. All are invited to attend the Live Stations and pray with our students. A special thank you is extended to Mrs. Fondonella, Mrs. VanOrden, and Mrs. Hensley for preparing the fifth grade students for this sacred journey!

Saint Dominic's Church will host a Communal Penance Service on Tuesday, March 31st at 7:00 P.M. in the Church and a Seder Meal on Wednesday, April 1st at 7:00 P.M. in the Parish Center. (Ticket information was posted in the church bulletin.) On Holy Thursday, the Mass of the Lord's Last Supper will be celebrated at 7:00 P.M., and Adoration will begin immediately after Mass until midnight. Good Friday services include the Passion of Our Lord at 3:00 P.M. and the Live Stations of the Cross at 7:00 P.M. Confessions will be heard at the following times: Holy Thursday at 11:00 A.M. - 12:00 P.M. and 3:00 P.M. - 4:00 P.M., and Good Friday at 11:00 A.M. - 12:00 P.M. and after the Live Stations, Holy Saturday at 11:00 A.M. - 12:00 P.M. The Blessing of Food will be held on Holy Saturday at 12:00 P.M. in Saint Dominic's Church, and the Easter Vigil Mass will be celebrated at 8:00 P.M. Easter Mass times are 7:30 A.M., 9:00 A.M., 10:30 A.M., and 12:00 P.M.

Please click here for the complete Holy Week schedule.

School will be closed for Easter Recess following dismissal on Holy Thursday and will reopen on Monday, April 13th. I pray that all of our families have a blessed Easter and an enjoyable vacation! At the end of the month, our second graders will receive the Sacrament of First Holy Communion at 10:00 A.M. on April 28th. Please keep our students in your prayers as they prepare themselves to receive Jesus for the first time!

Partners in Faith

Easter is not just a one-day celebration. It is a life-changing event to celebrate all year. In this month's issue of Partners in Faith, readers will learn how to extend the celebration of Easter.

Click here for Partners in Faith April Issue

Mercy Scholar at Red Bank Catholic High School

Congratulations are extended to eighth grader Olivia Clarke, who was chosen as a Mercy Scholar at Red Bank Catholic High School. The Mercy Scholar scholarship program recognizes a student from each sending Catholic school for the following Mercy Core Values: academic excellence, formation of the whole person, service to others, and a sense of purpose. For this honor, Olivia will receive a scholarship valued at half tuition for each of her four years at Red Bank Catholic. Saint Dominic School is extremely proud of Olivia and commend her for her dedication and outstanding achievement!

Congratulations Eighth Grade Creative Writers

Congratulations to Emily Gondek and Carmela Pescatore, who each received recognition for essays that they composed as assignments in Mrs. Dolak's English Language Arts class.

In February, Emily was awarded first place for her essay in the 6-8 grade category for her creative and interesting interpretation of the challenge to respect life. Her essay, entitled "Each of Us Is a Masterpiece of God's Creation," was just published in the February issue of the Catholic newspaper, The Monitor.

Carmela's essay, which was submitted to the March Student Voices contest of the Asbury Park Press, received an Honorable Mention out of hundreds of entries. She responded to the theme: "What is the best movie you have ever seen, and why?" Her winning essay is posted and can be read online at APP.com.

Saint Dominic School appreciates the efforts of these creative student writers and is extremely proud of their accomplishments.

Scholastic Olympics Team Takes Home The Gold

Congratulations to the Saint Dominic's Scholastic Olympics Team! They placed first in their division, and they tied for first place overall at the 22nd Annual Donovan Catholic Scholastic Olympics held on March 24, 2015. The event was attended by 16 local elementary schools with 250 students participating.

Team members included the following: Matthew Vinsko and Emily Linardakis (Math), Aaron Morgan and Olivia Parlow (Science), Jenna Wronko and Hannah Minarick (Spelling), Emma Coakley and Mercedes Escandon (Social Studies), Kathryn Jorgensen and Katie Kitrick (English), Talianna Bell and Antonia Verile (Technology), Christopher Coleman and Madison Cancro (Music), & Matthew Fondonella and Mary Holler (Art).

A special note of congratulations is extended to Mary Holler for placing first in Art, Mercedes Escandon for placing first in Social Studies, Jenna Wronko for placing first in Spelling, Olivia Parlow for placing second in Science, Kathryn Jorgensen for placing second in English, Talianna Bell for placing second in Technology, and Hannah Minarick for placing second in Spelling.

Also, a special "thank you" to all of our team members' parents for supporting our team at Donovan Catholic. The students are wonderful examples of academic success at Saint Dominic School, and they are to be congratulated for their efforts. We are so proud of the team, and we look forward to next year's competition!

Saint Dominic School 50th Anniversary Meeting
Calling all Saint Dominic School Alumni! The SDS 50th Anniversary Committee invites all alumni to a 50th Anniversary meeting on Monday, May 13, 2015, at 7:00 P.M. in the Community Room. Come join the committee and help plan upcoming alumni events.

Spring/Summer Uniforms

Students may begin to wear their spring/summer uniforms as of Monday, April 13, 2015. Please check the Calendar/Handbook for the spring/summer dress code. Although spring/summer uniforms may be worn beginning this month, students may choose to wear their winter uniforms throughout the school year. Because students will be going outside for recess, please check the weather and make sure your children dress appropriately. Also, please remind your children that their shirts must be tucked in at all times.

Career Day

On Friday, April 17, 2015, the sixth through eighth grade students will participate in a "Career Day." This is a wonderful opportunity for students to see what it takes to become successful in a chosen field. Our Saint Dominic parents, relatives, and community members volunteer to present career overviews.Students rotate through the classrooms for twenty-minute sessions to meet the speakers and learn what it takes to attain career success. Every year the students meet a wonderful group of professionals and come away with useful career information.

Progress Reports
On Friday, April 17, 2015, parents of students in kindergarten - grade 2 will receive paper progress reports from their children's teachers. Parents of students in Grades 3-8 are asked to log on to Parent Portal to access their children's academic records for the third trimester. Paper progress reports will not be issued for grades 3-8.

Principal and Assistant Principal Coffee Hour
Mrs. Bathmann and Mrs. Tonkovich will host their third coffee hour of the school year on April 21, 2015, at 8:30 A.M. Save the date and plan to join them for cake, coffee and conversation. Click here to register for this event.

Writing Roadmap 2015

Writing Roadmap is a CTB/McGraw-Hill research-supported online writing tool that assesses student writing skills and guides the students as they practice and learn to write effectively. Recent statewide studies have found strong and consistent evidence of a relationship between practice with Writing Roadmap and significant improvement in student proficiency on the writing section of standardized assessments.

This year, the Diocese of Trenton suggested Writing Roadmap as an optional tool. Saint Dominic School opted to continue the program. The fourth and seventh grade students have been using this on-line writing resource for the past few months. On Friday, April 24, 2015, they will complete the final formal assessment. Good luck, students!

First Holy Communion
Our second graders will receive the Body of Christ for the very first time on Saturday, April 25, 2015, at 10:00 A.M. Please keep the children in your prayers during this joyous event. May God bless them on this special First Holy Communion Day. We wish them many more days of meeting the Lord at the Eucharistic banquet!

SDS 50/50 Relay Fundraiser

Get your sneakers ready and your legs stretched! On Monday May 11, 2015, (rain date - Monday, May 18th) all Saint Dominic School students will participate in the SDS 50/50 Relay Fundraiser, a morning of athletics and fun celebrating Saint Dominic School's 50^th Anniversary.

Click here for more information.

Diocesan Tuition Assistance For 2015-2016 School Year - Round 2

Tuition assistance is awarded each year to families with children in Grades K-12 through the Diocesan Tuition Assistance Program. Awards are made based on financial need. In order to ensure a fair and impartial analysis, applications are made through Private School Aid Service, Inc. (PSAS), a third party provider.

For directions to apply for assistance for the 2015-2016 school year, please click on the Diocesan Tuition Assistance Program Information link below. Parents can apply online or by downloading the application (Student Aid Form). The directions to apply and Student Aid Form are also available under the "Current Parents" link on our school website. (www.stdomschool.org) All applications to be reviewed by PSAS must be complete, containing all supporting tax documentation. In some cases, follow-up inquiries are made by PSAS.

It is recommended that applications be submitted as soon as possible. The deadline to apply for Round 2 assistance for the 2015-2016 school year is May 15, 2015.

Click here for Diocesan Tuition Assistance Program Information.

Click here to access the online application.

Click here for the Student Aid Form (Diocesan Tuition Assistance Application.)

Gertrude Hawk Top Sellers
Thank you to all of the families who participated in the Gertrude Hawk Fundraiser. Our top sellers were: Claire Cooke (first place), Angelina Van Gassbeck (second place), and Avery Planer (third place). Claire was awarded the Gertrude Hawk Teddy Bear and Angelina and Avery were given Gertrude Hawk Easter baskets. Congratulations, girls!

Box Top Contest
A new Box Top Contest has begun and will end on Monday, May 18, 2015. Start saving those box tops now! Let's try to beat our last amount collected of 9,665 box tops. Click here to download a Box Top Collection Sheet.

April Lunch Menu

Saint Dominic School provides a hot food service program for students in kindergarten through eighth grade. Complete lunch meals may be purchased daily for $3.50. Multiple meal tickets for ten or twenty days may be purchased in advance. The price for ten meals is $35 and $70 for twenty meals. Meal tickets may be purchased any school day. Tickets remain at school and are distributed as needed. Please note that tickets are for complete meals only and may not be used to purchase snacks. All checks must be made payable to St. Dominic School. Parents are asked to include the student's name and homeroom on the check.

Please click here for April lunch menu.

Saint Dominic's Church & Vita Working to Fight Hunger and Climate Change in Africa

Saint Dominic Church has partnered with Vita to adopt the town of Zada in the South of Ethiopia. Zada is a very impoverished town with a population of 6,672. Life expectancy there is 55 years of age because some of the following diseases causing illness & death: pneumonia, diarrhea, skin infections, typhoid, respiratory diseases, trauma/injury, and dehydration. John Lynam, a representative from Vita, spoke about Vita and our Church's mission to assist to assist during all Masses on March 7^th & 8^th. Additional information will be sent home with the students after Easter.

Saint Dominic School's Golf Outing

Saint Dominic School will continue to celebrate its 50th Anniversary with another exciting event! The First Annual Saint Dominic School Golf Outing will be held on Friday, May 15, 2015, at the Woodlake Country Club in Lakewood, New Jersey. The event is open to all alumni, parents, parishioners, and friends. For more information or to register for this event, please click on the link below.

Golfers $100.00

Shotgun starts at 8:30 A.M.

Hole Sponsorship $150.00

Door prizes and more!
For more information, please contact David Nase,
cell 732-766-3255 or e-mail nase23dd@yahoo.com.

Please click here for more information.

Summer Programs
Saint Dominic School teachers hold several summer programs available for Saint Dominic School students. Please click on the following links for further information on each program: Jump Start to Kindergarten with Mrs. Liberatore & Mrs. Becker K - 3 Come Learn With Us! with Mrs. Gaspich & Mrs. Rybczynski Summer Reading & Writing Program with Mrs. Fondonella Summer Art Classes with Miss Walling

April Dates to Remember

April 2

Holy Thursday

Live Stations of the Cross at 9:30 A.M. & 10:45 A.M. in Gym
Early Dismissal (PreK at 12:00 P.M. & K-8 at 12:30 P.M.)
No Aftercare

Easter Vacation Begins after Dismissal

April 3

Good Friday

School Closed

Live Stations of the Cross at 7:00 P.M. in Saint Dominic's Church

April 4

Holy Saturday

April 5

Easter Sunday

April 13

School Reopens

Spring/Summer Uniforms may be worn

SDS 50th Anniversary Meeting at 7:00 P.M. in Community Room

April 14

P.T.A. Board Meeting at 7:00 P.M.

April 15

Communication Alert

April 17

Progress Reports

Career Day (Grades 6-8)

April 21

Principal & Asst. Principal Coffee Hour at 8:30 A.M. in Community Room

April 22

Earth Day

April 23

Writing Roadmap for Grades 4 & 7

April 24

Writing Roadmap for Grades 4 & 7

April 25

First Holy Communion at 10:00 A.M.

April 30
Communication Alert