SSPP Principal's Letters

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Mindful Schools
I would like thank you for attending the Mindful Schools presentation on January 19th. We understand that it is always difficult to manage meetings during the weeknights, but I received a great deal of positive feedback about welcoming this program to our community. We are currently working with the program director to set a date for our school to begin our sessions. I will forward the dates to you when they are set. I am sending home a copy of the handouts that were given to those who attended the meeting. Please feel free to contact me if you would like to discuss this program at greater length. We would like to thank the Orenstil Family for making us aware of this program.

Services for Father Jack
As you know, Wednesday Grades 5-8 will attend Father Jack’s funeral at 10:30 AM. All students in Grades 5-8 should be in Formal Uniform. Students in Grades K-4 will dress in their regular uniforms for the day, as they are not going to the funeral.

PTO Meeting/Open House Parents and Children
We look forward to seeing you on Thursday, January 26th for the PTO Meeting and Open House at 6:00 PM.
We will gather in the gym for a brief but important meeting and then everyone will be free to go upstairs to the classrooms and visit.

Report Cards
Report Cards will be handed out to the children on Friday, January 27th. Please be sure to ask your children for their cards and take some time to go over the information that is given to you regarding their progress. This is a good opportunity to check in with your child and determine how things are going at school. Again, we are always available to answer questions and discuss your child’s progress. Do not hesitate to contact us.

Grandparent’s Day
We will host Grandparent’s Day on Friday, January 27th.
All R.S.V.P.’s must be in by Wednesday, January 25th so that our caterer will be given a correct number for our lunch service.

Catholic School’s Week will take place January 30th through February 2nd. Sr. Debbie will be sending out a schedule of events shortly. This is a National Celebration to recognize the excellent job that Catholic Schools do on behalf of our young people.

Friday, February 3- Student Holiday- No School in Session. Teachers will be at a professional development day.

Dr. Harris

1-12-12
Dear Parents and Guardians,

Happy New Year! I hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas and that 2012 will be a year filled with all good things. It was fun to chat with the children and hear about all of the activities that they did over the break. When I asked them what the best part of being on vacation was, the answer was almost always — that they loved hanging out with their families and getting a chance to be at home. I think that speaks volumes about how much they love you and enjoy their time with you.

Our 8th graders just took their HSPT exams on January 7th and are completing last minute applications to some of their high school choices. For the most part, their applications are completed and sent off. Keep the eighth graders in your thoughts and prayers as they wait to hear about their high school outcomes. March can’t come soon enough for our soon to be graduates.

Today we held our Safety Drill in the afternoon. All went well and our students knew just what to do. This might be a good time to discuss your family disaster plan with your children.

Friday, January 13, is Free Dress in 49’er colors or attire. We want to cheer our team on for the play off game this weekend.
(Don’t talk to Sr. Debbie; she is a Saints fan) She even wears Saints logo items!!!!!!!

January is always a really hectic month because we celebrate Catholic Schools Week at the end of the month and we spend the beginning of the month preparing for the wide variety of activities that will take place. In a few days you will receive a calendar with the up coming Catholic Schools Week activities. Catholic Schools Week is a good time for us all to be reminded of the sense of community we have at our school. We are also very blessed to have so many devoted educators. The children of Saints Peter and Paul School are also very fortunate to have so many outstanding programs offered to them at our school.
We receive many email contacts from our Alumni and we are so proud of the excellent colleges our students are attending. Saints Peter and Paul graduates aspire to a wide variety of careers and professions. Please keep an eye open for the calendar for Catholic Schools Week celebration.

Kinder Testing:
We are in the midst of screening our 2012 Kindergartners. The students we have met are just delightful and are going to make wonderful Salesian Students. If you have a child who will be entering Kindergarten next year and is not in our Laura Vicuna Pre-Kinder, please contact the school office to receive an application. We also encourage you to share our school name with friends and family who may be looking for a school for their children. Word of mouth is the best advertisement we can ask for.

Free Dress Passes:
Due to the great success of the Free Dress Fundraiser that was sponsored on Tuesday, January 10, we have opted to open sales again for those who missed out. The passes will be sold again on January 18, prior to morning assembly. The cost of one pass is $5.00. They may be worn for free dress on any Friday that we do not have Mass.

Please check your calendar for upcoming events… Here are a few high lights for the month.

Sunday, January 15th- S.F. Food Bank 12:30. Please contact Ms. Schatz if you are interested in attending.

Monday, January 16th – School Holiday in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

Thursday, January 19th – Mindful Schools Presentation 6:00-7:00 PM in the Gym. We are very interested in learning more about the Mindful Schools Program. Join us for a parent meeting and come to understand the goals and techniques that will be used to assist our students in developing more focus, more self-control, and a more serene sense of being. Parents will receive 1 Service Hour for attending this very important meeting and 1 free dress pass for each of their children.

Monday, January 23rd – 12:30 Dismissal for the Students. Teachers have a scheduled Archdiocesan Professional Development Day.

Thursday, January 26th- Please remember to join us for our PTO Open House and Meeting. Join us in the gym at 6:00 PM.

Friday, January 27th – Grandparents’ Day 10:00 am.
Please note that Report Cards will be sent home today.

Monday, January 30th – Beginning of Catholic Schools Week.
Sr. Patricia King, the Provincial for the sisters, will be coming to visit our school today.

Tuesday, January 31st – 9:00 AM Liturgy celebrating our Salesian Priests, Brothers and Sisters. We will also be participating in Saint John Bosco Fun Day !

I hope you have a wonderful month, and know that we are all eager to continue our work with your children.

Warm Regards,

Lisa Harris
Principal

Dear Saints Peter and Paul School Families,

On behalf of our entire faculty we wish you a very Merry Christmas and abundant blessings in the New Year!

We hope that you enjoy some much needed rest and relaxation during this very exciting season.

Our Christmas Show will begin tonight at 7:00 PM in the Church. There are a few rows of reserved seating for those who have secured seats through the Silent Auction process. All other seats are not assigned.

At the end of the show tonight please follow the directives that are given regarding dismissal of the students. Grades Pre-K, Kinder and First are going to be dismissed first and will head down stairs to the Pre-K room and the gym. Parents will be directed to pick their children up from those locations.

Grades 2-8 will be dismissed from the Church once their teachers have collected costume items, etc. It should be a smooth system as long as we all follow along with the announcements.

We will resume school on January 9, 2012.

January 10th Graduation Photos for our 8th Graders

January 13th 8:30 AM Meeting and Tour for our

Current Pre-Kinder Parents. Please

Join us for your Kinder Tour!

January 16th School Holiday- Martin Luther King Jr.

January 19th Mandatory Parent Meeting- Mindful Schools

6:00 PM in our Gym

January 23rd Minimum Day Dismissal 12:30 Prof. Dev.

January 26th PTO Open House All Are Welcome: 6:00 PM

Pre-Kinder will be open please stop by and pick-up an application for your Pre-Kinder siblings.

January 27th Grandparent’s Day Celebration

More Information to follow.

Catholic School’s Week January 30th

May I take this moment to thank my wonderful faculty and staff for all of the work that they do so lovingly.

Warmest Regards,

Dr. Lisa Harris

Dear Parents and Guardians:

We are heading towards the Holidays!! Be assured that during Advent your families will be in our prayers. Advent is a period of simple living and extra prayer. The simple living is sometimes complicated by the many gifts that are advertised to our children. Let us remember that this is a time to prepare for a new coming of Jesus our Savior. During this Advent Season, let us try to prepare our homes and our lives for Jesus, the Prince of Peace.

E-mail Issues:

You may have noticed that our e-mail service has been inconsistent over the last few days. The company that hosts our service has been experiencing technical difficulties. Hopefully the problem has been resolved.

See’s Candies:

If you placed an order for See’s Candies, it will be distributed to your child today at the end of the school day.

Progress Reports:

Friday, December 2nd is the official Progress Report posting. Please make sure that you log on to Schoolspeak by 3:15 on Friday to approve your child’s Progress Report. Once you have reviewed the report, make sure that you click the button to demonstrate that you have signed off on it.

Christmas Program:

The children have begun to practice for our Christmas Program. Don’t forget to mark your calendars for December 20th at 7:00 p.m. We look forward to seeing everyone there.

Each class has been assigned specific costume items. We ask that you provide the following items for your child:

Kindergarten: navy blue or black pants/skirt, Christmas colored top and black shoes
Grade 1: Festive Christmas attire (fancy if possible)
Grade 2: navy blue or black pants/skirt, Christmas themed or Christmas colored top and black shoes
Grade 3: navy blue or black pants/skirt, Christmas themed or Christmas colored top and black shoes
Grade 4: navy blue or black pants/skirt, white formal uniform shirt and black shoes
Grade 5: navy blue or black pants/skirt, Christmas themed or Christmas colored top and black shoes

-OVER-
Grade 6: navy blue or black pants/skirt, Christmas themed or Christmas colored top and black shoes
Grade 7: navy blue or black pants/skirt, Christmas themed or Christmas colored top and black shoes
Grade 8: navy blue or black pants/skirt, solid red colored tops and black shoes

All students must report to the gymnasium no later than 6:30 p.m. The Christmas show is free of charge as this is our gift to the parent community.

Geography Bee:

We will be holding our annual Geography Bee on Friday, December 2nd at 8:30 in the gym. One and all are welcome.

Spelling Bee:

Our Spelling Bee will take place on Friday, December 9th at 10:00 a.m. in the gym. Once again, all are welcome.

School Mass:

On December 8th at 9:00 a.m. we will celebrate the feast of the Immaculate Conception. Students who have scheduled P.E. classes should wear their P.E. uniform. All other students should wear their formal uniform.

Christmas Break:

Please be aware that our Christmas break begins on Thursday, 12/22, and we resume classes on January 9, 2012. In addition, there is a 12:30 dismissal on Wednesday, 12/21.

Regards,

Lisa Harris

November 16, 2011

Dear Parents/Guardians:

Welcome back to our newly renovated gymnasium! It feels good to be back home. We would like to thank our neighbor, Mr. Russell Gumina, for his generosity and hospitality for the use of the Salesian Boys’ and Girls’ Club gymnasium.

The School’s first event in our gym was the San Francisco Opera Guild’s joint production of the Elixir of Love on Monday, November 14th. A big thank you to Mrs. Wayne who prepared the 8th grade student actors and to Mr. Charles Corum, our Choir Director.

The faculty of SSPP was delighted to share time with all of you during the Parent/Teacher conferences. It looks as though we are off to a good start and we look forward to the continued collaboration between home and school.

Thank you to all that attended our PTO meeting last night. Thanks to Mrs. Garthwaite for presenting our IOWA test results. As you can see our students and faculty work very hard to maintain our high level of academic excellence.

Our Thanksgiving Food Drive in under way. Please refer to the flyer that was sent home on Tuesday. All of our donations will help the homeless in our immediate area. Donations should be brought to the gym and placed in the designated area.

A reminder that our Thanksgiving Holiday will begin on Wednesday, November 23rd and school will resume on Monday, November 28th. Our Christmas Concert will be held on Tuesday, December 20th at 7:00 p.m. in our Church.

May this Harvest Season fill us with an abundance of God’s graces and blessings.

Regards,

Dr. Lisa Harris

November 2, 2011

Dear Parents/Guardians:

Hope your Halloween was festive. It’s hard to imagine but we are already in the month of November. Don’t forget that you need set your clocks back before you go to bed on Saturday, November 5th. Saints Peter and Paul Report Card Conferences will be held on Monday, November 7th through Thursday, November 10th. Please make sure that you are prompt for your scheduled appointment. Please note that it will be a 12:30 dismissal on conference days and therefore, no lunch will be served. On Friday, November 11th we will observe Veteran’s Day Holiday.

On November 14th, the San Francisco Opera Guild will be sponsoring a co-production of The Elixir of Love. We hope to be performing in our renovated gymnasium. We invite all of you to attend the performance at 10:00 a.m.

Our next PTO meeting will be held on Tuesday, November 15th. At 5:30 p.m. we will have our Columbus Day Bazaar wrap-up and at 6:00 p.m. we will begin our meeting which will highlight the IOWA results.

On Tuesday, November 22nd, we will have our Thanksgiving Prayer Service at morning assembly. You are all welcome to join us. November 23rd, 24th and 25th will be school holidays.

Finally, don’t forget that on November 28th we have a 12:30 dismissal for teacher staff development.

Warmest regards,

Dr. Lisa Harris
Principal

Dear Salesian School Community,

What a great event! Could the weather have been any better?

Certainly our morning prayers were answered as the day was lovely and the crowds were generous. Our Co-Chairs are a dynamic duo and they have gotten the event down to a science.

(I am working up the nerve to ask them for a repeat performance next year).

The beauty of this event is the sense of teamwork that it promotes. Our school truly operates beautifully when we work together. The Saints Peter and Paul School and Parish Bazaar takes a village! I can’t imagine belonging to any other village.

I hesitate to list names of all of those who have helped to make this event successful because I know I will miss someone. You all know who you are, and we all know who you are, and we are humbled by your hard work. Know that dollars raised at Saints Peter and Paul School go to school improvement for our children. One only needs to look at the following achievements to feel great about what our community can achieve.

The Gym/Restrooms

The Library

Smart Technology in every Classroom

The Science Lab

The Fine Arts Room

Technology upgrades throughout the building

Etc. Etc. Etc. Etc. Etc. ……………………………………

We remind all of our families that the actual per pupil costs far exceed the tuition rate. There is a $1,500.00 gap between actual per pupil costs and the tuition. So when we are down and weary and we think we can’t manage one more moment of fundraising, we ask you to remember that the fundraising is an essential component of keeping our school current and financially strong. We appreciate your support winter, spring, summer and fall. We know that when we call for you, your answer is always …“you’ve got a friend.”

We invite each of you to attend our November PTO Meeting where we will officially thank our chairs Audrey Kelly and Scott Hernandez. We will also go over the results of the IOWA Tests.

Halloween is just around the corner. Please remember that children should wear costumes that are appropriate. Weapons of any sort are not allowed at school so please be sure that such accessories are left at home. There should not be blood and gore involved in the costume themes and all clothing should provide proper coverage and be appropriate for school.

We will make our Annual Halloween Parade around Washington Square Park on Monday, October 31st at 11:00 AM.

It is very helpful to have as many parents as possible available to make a ring around the grassy area. You serve as our honor guard and assist us in keeping the children safely corralled.

Dismissal on October 31st- Halloween is at 12:30. Please be reminded that lunch is not served on 12:30 dismissal days.

With Deep Gratitude,

Dr. Lisa Harris

Principal

September 29, 2011

Dear Parents/Guardians:

Just a few reminders:

Walk-a-Thon:

Tomorrow, 9/30/11, is our annual walk-a-thon. All students are to wear their P.E. uniforms, bring a bag lunch and wear sunscreen. If your teachers have requested bus fare, please make sure that your children come prepared with their money. If you have signed up to be a chaperone, please meet your child’s teacher at the area they requested at school. Please remember that if you signed up as a chaperone you must escort your class to and from the walk-a-thon. If you are a Plan B parent, which is the pay as you go model, please note that your $130 requirement is due tomorrow.

Columbus Bazaar:

Our Columbus Bazaar Committee is working very hard to be ready for the big event. Please remember to meet your requirements. This is a great time to invite family, friends and neighbors to join in the fun.

Morning Assembly Etiquette:

Morning Assembly is a time for our community to come together to pray and share the “good morning” and any news for the school day. Parent conferences should not take place before, during or after morning assembly. Teachers need to be attentive to the students and role modeling good listening skills. Your teachers will be more than happy to meet with you at a scheduled, mutually convenient, day and time. We assume that your child’s educational information is private and therefore the gymnasium is not the appropriate forum for a discussion.

Progress Reports:

Parents with students in grades 3-8 will be able to view their child’s progress report on SchoolSpeak tomorrow, 9/30/11. In order for us to be sure that you have viewed your child’s progress report, please be sure to click on the “sign” button which is located at the bottom of the student progress report page. We have gone paperless so you will not be receiving a hard copy of the progress report.

Say a prayer that our weather holds up for tomorrow. I wish you all a great weekend.

Sincerely,

Dr. Harris

Dear Parents,

Welcome back to this short school week. We hope that you and your family had a restful and fun filled weekend. Things at school are really picking up speed.

We want to thank those of you who attended our Back To School Night! It was wonderful to have such a great turn out. We hope to see all of you when we have our next PTO Meeting which will take place November 15th.

Our Columbus Chairs are busy planning for the big event. Thank you to those of you who have already signed up for your hours. If you have not, please contact Audrey Kelly or Scott Hernandez so that you can be sure to be part of this great event.

The Bazaar Work day is on Saturday, September 24th from 10:00-2:00. We need all hands on deck. This is a great opportunity to get to know other parents and to assist the Columbus Chairs in getting their booths organized.

Monday, September 26 is a 12:30 dismissal. This is a Professional Development Day for our teachers.

The Walk-a-thon has been moved to September 30 because the weather in May is too dreadful. The Walk-a-thon is a day when we need as many chaperones as possible. Please count yourself in if you are free on the 30th. Children must wear their P.E. Uniforms. Bag lunches are required and sun -screen is an excellent idea. For the grades who will be taking the Bus …. Bus money or clipper cards will be necessary. Your child’s teacher will let you know if they are walking or riding on Muni.

IOWA Testing for Grades 2-8 will take place on the week of September 19th. Please remember to have your children get to bed early and make sure they eat a healthy breakfast.

PLEASE NOTE: THE COPY OF THE SPONSOR SHEET WENT HOME WITH AN ERROR. IT WAS AN OLD VERSION OF THE THE SPONSOR SHEET AND IT HAD THE OLD DOLLAR AMOUNT LISTED. PLEASE NOTE THAT THE SPONSOR PLEDGE MUST ADD UP TO $130.00 DOLLARS . WE APOLOGIZE FOR THIS ERROR. (pay as you go plan)

Dear Parents,

MARK YOUR CALENDAR
Our first PTO Back to School Night is on Thursday, September 1, at 6:00 PM in the Church.
Once the general meeting has taken place grades 1-5 will head upstairs to the classrooms.
Grades 6-8 will meet for our Junior High panel discussion.

ARCHBISHOP’S HOLIDAY
Tuesday, September 6th is a School Holiday. Please remember that school is not in session on Tuesday. We resume classes on Wednesday, September 7th.

PLAN A VS. PLAN B FOR PARTICIPAITING FAMILIES
Please note that no changes to your “ Participation Category” will be allowed after September 15th. Please be sure that you have placed yourself in the proper category for your family.

WALK-A-THON
We have moved the school walk-a-thon to September 30th. We have found that the weather is just terrible in May. We have fingers crossed that the weather will be mild on Friday, September 30th. We will need many chaperones so please do sign up to assist us for the Walk-a-thon Fundraiser.

Click here for the Sponsor Sheet.