Check-out Mrs. Rasmussen's wEEKLY PARENT LETTERS!
Parent Letter Friday, Sept. 8, 2017
Hello Parents,
Our first week, with all our students, went well. We welcomed 19 preschoolers. I am having fun getting to know them as I spend lunch and rest time with them. Ms. Fleegel can already tell that she has amazing preschoolers!! (Add them to the rest of our amazing students and we have a great little school!)
Thank you, Susan Becker, for sending out the fall fundraiser information. If you have not signed up for a worker’s shift, we ask that you do so soon. We need all of your help to make the event a success. Invite your family and friends to come out and have some lunch and/or play some bean bags. The bean bag tournament will begin at 11:00. You can sign up that morning. Our kickball teams are forming nicely. I have one team that I may favor. It is packed full of former St. Wendelin students. It will be fun to see them playing kickball againJ. Good luck to all the teams.
Kara Mather, a parent to Isabel and Caleb, would like to offer violin/string instrument lessons. Kara is the orchestra director at Tech High School. Let me know if you are interested, and I will give you Kara’s contact information.
Looking ahead through September, I want to remind you that there is no school on September 25th. The teachers will be spending the day at the Diocesan Ministry Day. Class will resume on Tuesday, Sept. 26th.
That’s it for this week. Short and sweet! Have a wonderful weekend. Next week will be our first full week, so rest up your little ones.
Lynn Rasmussen
Principal
Parent Letter Thursday, August 31, 2017
Hello All,
Our first three days went very well. It is so great to have the kids back in the building. I am very excited to welcome our preschoolers next week. Hopefully there won’t be too many tears. (from child or parentJ)
There will be a parent letter most weeks. You will receive it via email unless you request a paper copy. You can also find it on our website. (stwendelins.org) The family envelope, given out at open house, will go home with the oldest child in your family if paper communication is needed. Please remember to return the envelope the next Monday. I try to use the same envelope all year. All payments can be transported to school in the envelope. If no envelope was sent home, I ask that you put payment in a sealed envelope with the family name on it. Please make sure the memo area identifies what the money is for. Ex: lunch, tuition, aftercare
Please send a note if there is a change in your child’s departure from school. Sometimes kids are confused as to whether they are getting picked up or taking the bus. A note will eliminate the confusion. If you forget to send a note, email me or call to let me know the changes.
Breakfast is served daily at 7:30 with the exception of Wednesdays. The children go to church on Wednesday, so breakfast will be served after mass. Mass starts at 7:45. If you arrive late with your child, we ask that you walk them over to church and help them find their class.
If you have not signed up for Remind, I encourage you to do so. It will be a convenient way for me to communicate last minute reminders. I also encourage you to join your teacher’s blog.
I hope everyone has a fun and safe Labor Day weekend. I have a great lunch and/or supper idea for you tomorrow. The Luxemburg Lions are having their burger sale in the school’s parking lot. Come grab a bite to eat between 10-6. You won’t be disappointed.
I think that’s all for now. Please feel free to call, email, or stop in and see me if you have questions about anything. My door is always open.
Prayers for a wonderful weekend,
Lynn Rasmussen
Principal
Parent Letter: Friday, May 26, 2017
Our last full week of school is behind us. I hope you have something fun planned for the weekend. Don’t forget that there is no school on Monday. Wednesday will be our last day for preschool and Thursday will be the last day for everyone else. It really has been a great year.
If you are sticking close to home this weekend, you may want to check out the Lux Lion’s Burger stand. They will be selling burgers, in the school parking lot, from 10:00-6:00 today and tomorrow. They are the best burgers!!!! Come check it out. You won’t be disappointed.
Wednesday is our fun field day. Let’s all pray for nice weather as we will be outside most of the afternoon. (You may want to send sun screen.) Please make sure your child/ren have tennis shoes here. I don’t want kids running in sandals or flip flops. A couple of our relays involve water. The object of the games isn’t to get wet, but when children and water meet, there tends to be wet clothes. An extra set of clothing might be a good idea, just in caseJ
The kids will need to bring a bucket and rag for our last day of school. Each class takes their desks, chairs, etc. outside to wash. Label you bucket to ensure the right one goes home with your child.
There is no hot lunch on the last day of school. We will be serving breakfast though. Our hope is for nice weather so we can picnic outside. (Cross your fingers.)
The fundraiser meeting on Tuesday was not well attended. The same couple people/families end up doing all the work to plan the fundraisers. It’s disappointing to me since the money raised at these fundraisers benefit all of your children. You will be invited to the next meeting. Hopefully more of you will be able to attend. Keep in mind that all families will be expected to help out the day of the tournament, so keep Sept. 23rd open.
Marcus Theater is having their Kids Dream Family Film Series again this year. There are great movies chosen for this year’s series. They have $3.00 movies on Mon. – Wed. – Sun. at 10:00. Check out the website for more details. http://www.marcustheatres.com/marcus-specials/family-friendly-films/kids-dream-summer-film-series-2015-powered-by-american-family-insurance
For those of you going out of town for the weekend, I wish you safe travels. I hope all of you have a fun/safe weekend.
Lynn Rasmussen
Parent Letter Friday, May 19, 2017
Hello All,
The school year is winding down. There are only a few activities to write about. Next Tuesday there will be a planning meeting for the Sept. 23rd kickball tournament fundraiser. We encourage any/all of you to attend. It will be held in school starting at 7:00. New people bring new ideas. We would love your input.
Next Wednesday is our bowling trip. We will plan to leave school around 12:00 and return to school by 2:25. Lunch will be served early to ensure we are ready to leave by 12:00. All are welcome to join us. Ms. Fleegel and Mrs. Fischer welcome the help. You can ride the bus or meet us there. Please let your classroom teacher know if you plan to join us.
All library books need to be returned to school by next Friday, May 26th. Ms. Fleegel will print out a list of all missing books. Has your child/ren reached their AR goal yet? If not, they have one more week to do so. We are treating everyone who makes their goal with an ice cream sundae. There will be lots of toppings to choose from. We will have the sundaes on Tuesday, May 29th.
We have a field day planned for Wednesday, May 30th. We will spend the afternoon outside. (Hopefully. Start praying for nice weather.) All students will need to have tennis shoes for field day. It is a good idea to have a water bottle and sun screen too. There may or may not be water involved, so they might want to bring a change of clothes. (The intent is not to get wet, but sometimes they come in contact with the waterJ )
Thursday, June 1st is the last day of school. Breakfast will be served, but there is no hot lunch on June 1st. We all bring a bag lunch and picnic outside. Traditionally, the students take their desks and chairs outside to wash. We ask that they bring a pail and rag to use in their cleaning.
I have added a second attachment to this email. The Kimball Girl Scouts have donated a Buddy Bench for our playground. If a child finds themselves without someone to play with, they sit on the bench and a friend will come by and ask them to play. The bench is bright and colorful and a nice addition to our playground. Thank you, Elaina Fink and your Girl Scout troop, for bringing this bench to our school.
That brings us to the end of another year. The school year went so fast. Please remind your children that they need to stay focused a little longer. Some of the kids are checking out. There is still learning to be had, so we need them focused and paying attention. Have a nice weekend.
Lynn Rasmussen
Parent Letter Friday, May 5, 2017
Hello Parents,
I hope you have enjoyed your first few days of May. All is looking good now that the sun is out. There are several items in your family envelope this week. Please make sure you take a look at it.
We will continue our NWEA testing next week. We are noticing several children rushing through the test, therefor not scoring as high as we feel they should. Please remind your child/ren that it is important to take their time and do their best. I know some kids have test anxiety. We need to reassure them that there’s nothing to worry about as long as they do their best. Please let your classroom teacher know if you are concerned about your child’s testing ability.
Grandparents’ Day is next Friday. If you have not RSVP yet, please do so by early next week. Remember, if a grandparent is unable to attend, you can invite someone else to come. Please tell them to meet their grandchildren at church. We will begin coming over to church around 12:15. After mass there will be a short musical program then we will head over to Mary Hall for refreshments and bingo. We ask that families contribute to the desserts. They can be dropped off at the office or brought directly to the kitchen. As I said before, cookies and bars work best. Thank you for your help with this.
The permission slip for our bowling outing is in the family envelope. Please fill them out and return to school ASAP. We are looking for parents to join us. (Especially parents of the younger students.) It is a lot of work for Ms. Fleegel and Mrs. Fischer to keep track of their class and still help the children bowl. You are welcome to take the bus or meet us there. Just let your classroom teacher know if you are able to join us.
Have you contacted Mrs. Lund regarding the music recital? The recital will take place in the afternoon on May 19th. We are looking at a 1:30 start time.
I have had several families asking me for their tuition balance, so I am sending everyone their tuition statement. Please let me know if you disagree with your balance. Human error is something I am familiar with.
It’s going to be a nice weekend. I hope you have something fun planned. There’s only 18 days of school left. (10 for the preschoolers.) Hopefully, we can keep the kids until the end of the year. Students are starting to wear shorts to school. That is fine as long as they are not wearing them to church. No Daisy Duke shorts either. Your children have grown since last year. Please go through their shorts before sending them to school in ones that are too small. Shirts must have a two-finger width for any tank tops. Let me know if you have any questions regarding our dress code. Have a wonderful weekend.
Lynn Rasmussen
Parent Letter Friday, April 28, 2017
Hello Parents,
Is it the end of March or April? I’m just checking since it was so cold this week. Hopefully May will bring us warmer weather.
May is a busy month. I have invitations for Grandparents’ / Special Friends’ Day in the envelope. I have given each family two. Let me know if you need more than that. They just need to be folded and given to grandparents. If a grandparent is not available, you can invite a special friend instead. I am asking for an RSVP no later than May 10th so I can figure out how many people to plan for. We will be serving coffee, lemonade, and dessert to the grandparents and children. We ask all families to donate a dessert of some kind. Bars and cookies work best. If you are bringing a gluten free dessert, please make sure you label it as such. Also, mark your pans or plates if you want them returned to you.
The students will be taking their last NWEAs for the year. Check with your classroom teacher for which days they will be testing. It’s always good to get a lot of sleep and a nutritious breakfast on test days.
Mrs. Lund is sending home a sign-up slip for the music recital on May 19th. Students outside of her piano students are welcome to participate. Please return the form ASAP so Mrs. Lund can plan for the event.
On Sunday, 4 of our second graders will be sharing in the Eucharist for the first time. Congratulations Kaylee Symanietz, Savannah Lommel, Erica Greenwald, and Leighton Becker. May God bless you on your special day.
Thank you ,Mrs. Lund and the Children’s choir, for the music you will share with us on Sunday.
Our students still need to be rewarded for reaching our raffle goal. I have scheduled us to go bowling, in Sartell, on May 24th. Watch for more information to come home soon.
Have a wonderful weekend Everyone!!!
Lynn Rasmussen
Parent Letter Friday, April 21, 2017
Happy Friday Everyone!!
I hope the rain we’ve had this week will help the spring flowers and the trees pop with color. It was pretty chilly this week. We had several children underdressed for the weather. Many came without jackets and were cold at recess. Please make sure you are checking the forecast. It isn’t usually at the expected high temperature at 10:00 in the morning.
Tomorrow is a busy morning. Our second graders preparing for first communion have a retreat from 9:30-11:00. The Rec Club is having sign up for summer ball tomorrow as well. You can register your child from 9:00-10:00 then stay to help clean up the ball fields.
First communion is only a week away. How are you doing with the home preparation?
Kara & Todd Mather are looking for part-time daycare options for this fall for their child who will be 14 months old. If anyone can recommend anyone or places in the Luxemburg area or south-St. Cloud area, please contact Kara at kara.mather@yahoo.com
May is only a week away. Here are a few dates worth remembering:
Grandparents’ Day – May 12th
Music Recital – May 19th
Preschool Graduation – May 26th
End of the trimester – May 26th
Memorial Day – May 29th – No School
Field day – May 31st
Piano Make up day – May 31st
Last day of school – June 1
It’s gearing up to be a nice weekend. I hope you can get out and enjoy it. Have a great weekend.
Lynn Rasmussen
Parent Letter April 7, 2017
Hello Parents,
Next week is Holy Week. We will be focusing on the crucifixion of Jesus. On Thursday, we will spend the day in retreat. Hildegard Rohe will be bringing quilts for our students to help tie. These quilts are donated to different organizations around St. Cloud. In the afternoon, we will gather together to take part in a Seder Meal. A Seder Meal recalls the freeing of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt and the Passover. We remember the Last Supper of Jesus with his Apostles, and we see how both of these events became our celebration of the Mass. You are welcome to join us for this event. It will take part around 12:45. I would need an RSVP by Wednesday so I have a place for you at our table.
The Luxemburg Lions are holding their annual Easter egg hunt on Saturday, April 15th at 11:00. All are welcome to join them for this event.
Ms. Fleegel has started a softball unit in phy-ed. Students are asked to bring softball/baseball gloves it they have them. We do have a few here, at school, for those who don’t have one.
There will be a 1st Communion retreat for students and parents who are preparing for the sacrament of the Eucharist. Parents and students will participate in various activities and create a 1st Communion banner. The location has yet to be determined. It will take place on Saturday, April 22nd from 9:00-11:30. Continue working on your 1st Communion books. The date of your child’s 1st Communion is Sunday April 30th.
Grandparents’ Day is right around the corner. Formal invitations will be going out soon. The date for Grandparents’ Day is Friday, May 12th starting with mass at 12:30. Feel free to spread the word.
The school choir will be singing at Holy Thursday mass as well as Easter Sunday. Mrs. Lund asks that the students be at church 15 minutes prior to the service. Holy Thursday service is at 7:30 and Easter Sunday will be at 9:00.
The Luxmeburg Recreation Club is having a park clean-up and program sign-up on Saturday, April 22nd. You can sign up your son/daughter between 9-10 a.m in Mary Hall. Then stay to help clean up the ball fields. For questions, you can go to luxrecclub@gmail.com. More information is found on the flyer inserted in your family envelope.
I have heard, through a creditable source, that STRIDE Academy will be closing their doors after this school year. There are a lot of families who will be looking for a new school for their children. If you know any families that attend STRIDE, please share with them the option of St. Wendelin for their next school experience. Remember, for every family that you refer to us, you get $200 off your tuition. This could be a great opportunity to increase our enrollment. Spread the word, and make us known to them. (Thank you!)
It’s going to be a beautiful spring weekend. I hope everyone has a chance to get out and enjoy it. Don’t forget there is no school next Friday or Easter Monday. Have a great weekend.
Lynn Rasmussen
Parent Letter Friday, March 24, 2017
Hello Parent,
I can’t believe there’s only one week of March left. Where has the time gone? The weather has been very inconsistent. There are days when kids are over dressed and days they are under dressed for outside play. Please keep an eye on the daily forecast so your children are dressed properly for the weather.
This week’s Lenten focus was on the second sorrowful mystery of the rosary. “The scourging at the Pillar”. The level of Jesus’ agony is beyond a child’s understanding. What’s important for them to realize and remember is that Jesus was wounded for our sake. He was bruised for our sins. As we move forward this Lent, let us be mindful of our own sacrifices we make in Jesus’ name.
Our all-school speech festival is just around the corner. You are invited to join us on April 5th at 1:15. Please work with your child to ensure they have their selection memorized and can say it with expression.
I am looking for student and parent help for our open house carnival. We hope to have new families visiting us that day, so spread the word. (Don’t forget there’s a $200 discount on next year’s tuition if you refer a family to us.) There will be games and snacks that will need help manning. As you think about whether or not you plan to help, I’d like to share this story with you:
This is a story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody.
There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it.
Anybody could have done it. But Nobody did it.
Somebody got angry about that, because it was Everybody's job. Everybody thought
Anybody could do it. But nobody realized that Everybody wouldn't do it.
It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done.
We are also looking for new or gently used small stuffed animals. Please let me know if you are available to help. The carnival runs from 9-11. Set up and clean-up will also need help.
Cathedral High School is offering several great summer camps this year. There are several sport related camps as well as photography, fishing, and piano. Math tutoring is available as well. The prices are very reasonable. I have included a flyer in your family envelope. You may want to check it out. Good luck to the Crusaders as they advance to the semifinals of the boys’ state basketball tournament tonight!!
Our time with Dawn is coming to end. Next Friday will be her last day with us. Dawn’s presence in the school will be missed. Not to mention her fabulous cooking. On the bright side, I am confident that April and Pat will do a wonderful job preparing meals for your children. God has been taking care of us this long, he will be with us during this transition as well.
I think that’s it for this week. If I missed anything, I know where to find youJ. Have a great weekend.
Lynn Rasmussen
Parent Letter February 10,2017
Hello Parents,
It has been a busy week in the office. Thank you to those who turned in raffle tickets. Our overall total is up to $3,615. That’s a little over half way to our goal of $7,000. (Although, I’d like to blow that number out of the park.) There are two more turn in dates: Tuesday, Feb. 21st and Monday Feb. 27th. Please do your best to sell your allotted tickets. The Kevin Lommel family has brought in $700 and the Knier family is in second place with $600 . The Eiynks have turned in $550. Who wants to challenge these families for top seller???? I have more tickets in the office if you need them.
The fundraising committee met last night. Here is what we need from you:
*Dinner reservations: The deadline to turn in dinner reservations is next Thursday. Are you planning on going??? It’s your school’s fundraiser.
*Set up help – We need people to help get tables set up. This task will begin after school on Friday, Feb. 24th. Come after work if you are able to help.
*Ticket collectors – We need two people to collect tickets and hand out auction paddles the night of the event. The door opens at 6:00 and dinner is at 7:30. If several people offer to help, we can split the job so no one has to do it the whole time.
*Bar servers – Do you know anyone who could help us in this area?
*Clean up – Decorations need to come down and tables need to be put away at the end of the night. Are you willing to stay and help? We are also looking for people to run the dishwasher after dinner.
*TV trays – Does anyone have any we can borrow? We are also looking to borrow sports related serving bowls etc.
To help market our school, we have been invited to speak at the masses at St. Anne’s in Kimball on the week of March 4th – 5th. We are looking for families who would be willing to speak on our behalf. A scrip can be written for you if you’d like. We would also set up an informational table for people to see and hopefully ask questions. Their masses are Saturday evening at 5:00 and Sunday morning at 8:00. Please consider helping us with this task. Don’t wait for someone else to volunteer. We need your help to keep our school going.
Our open house was quite successful. We are sure to fill our available spots in the preschool. (Existing families are secured a spot.) Our board of education has voted to offer a Tuesday-Thursday preschool program. Ms. Fleegel has agreed to teach that program as well. (YEAH!!!) Spread the word.
Emily Knier, the sister of preschooler Brady, is working on a Confirmation service project and would like our help. She is holding a food drive. For the next couple weeks, she is asking families to donate nonperishable food items. You will find a box next to the office for your items to be places. Emily thanks you for your help with her service project.
Now for some sadder news. Dawn, our school cook, will be retiring at the end of the month. Initially her intent was to finish out the school year, but for personal reasons, she needs to leave at the end of the month. We have been looking for a replacement for several months, but we have not found anyone to replace her. (How can you replace Dawn, right?) I will continue to pray that God brings someone to us. We may have to resort to everyone bringing cold lunch for a while. I plan to continue serving breakfast though. I feel that is the most important meal of the day and should not be missed. (Don’t worry kids, you will still get your muffins on Wednesdays.) If you know anyone who would be perfect for this job, have them call me. I’d love to talk to them.
There is no school Feb. 17th or 20th. There is no bussing on the 21st. Parents will need to find transportation for Tuesday the 20th. The end of the trimester is Friday, Feb. 24th. How is your child doing with their AR goal? Conferences are scheduled for March 2nd.
That’s a lot of information. I hope you are willing to help in the areas needed. A school is only as good as it’s families and staff. And Together Everyone Accomplishes More! We can’t do it without your help.
Lynn Rasmussen
Parent Letter Friday, Feb. 3, 2017
Dear Parents,
Happy February! I hope your week was as good as ours. It was fun to see the kids dress up. Mass on Wednesday was phenomenal!! Cathedral did such a wonderful job with the mass and getting everyone seated. There were 2,200 students celebrating mass with the Bishop. Thank you, Bella Weisen, for volunteering to serve. You did a great job.
There’s a lot going on this month, so please read this letter carefully. Next Monday is another turn-in day for the Catholic Financial raffle. Please put money and tickets in a sealed envelope with your family name on it. Having the tickets in numerical order with ticket numbers written down is helpful too. The deposit after the first turn-in day was $2,320. We have three families battling for the top selling family. The Eiynks brought in $550, the Kniers $500, and the Kevin Lommel family brought in $400. I have plenty of tickets available for families who need more. Let’s keep selling!!!!! Top selling family gets an Kindle Fire and a day off from school with no homework.
I am sending dinner ticket reservation forms home with all of you. We need to have all reservations booked by Friday, Feb. 17th, so don’t delay. Let me know if you need extra forms. I can send them home or email them to you. It promises to be a fun night. (and we’re raising money for our school at the same time.) We have a popcorn machine and a basketball game that need to be put together in the next 2 weeks. Anyone out there handy enough (and has time) to help put them together?
If you are interested in donating to the silent auction, I have a few ideas for you. We have a very generous couple who have donated several household kitchen items. Some of these include: an Omega Juicer, a Hot Dog Roller (like at the gas station only smaller), an electric skillet, A stainless steel stock pot, a roasting pan and rack, a coffee percolator, and a Kenmore counter top mixer. Any or all of these could use items to enhance the value and aesthetics of the basket. For example: The percolator could use coffee cups and coffee. The electric skillet could maybe have utensils and pot mitts. Please let me know if you would like to contribute to any of these baskets.
Next Friday we are playing book bingo. We are asking for donations of gently used books for the prizes. If you have any, you can give them to your classroom teacher.
Next Wednesday, Feb. 8th, there will be a meeting for parents of children who will be receiving their First Communion. The meeting is at 7:00 at MIC in Rockville. If you are unable to attend, please contact Kathy, the parish secretary, at 251-6944.
Next week we will begin taking the NWEA tests in reading and math. Check with classroom teachers for specific days. We want the children to have sharp minds, so make sure they are well rested and fed. (Or, we can feed them here.)
I think that covers it all. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.
Lynn Rasmussen
Parent Letter Friday, Jan. 27, 2017
Hello Parents,
It’s hard to believe that January is almost over. Sunday begins our week for celebrating Catholic Schools. I invite all of you to join us for church on Sunday (9:00 mass) as we kick off Catholic Schools’ Week. Mrs. Lund and the children will be singing in the choir loft. Our students will be participating in the liturgy. What a wonderful way to celebrate our faith and this school.
Last week I sent home the list of activities for next week. I will briefly go over them again. Monday is pajama day. The kids can come dressed in their jammies. Tuesday is Crazy 8’s day. (This is a favorite for many) We get to dress all wacky and make our hair crazy. We go to Cathedral on Wednesday for all school mass with the Bishop. The kids are asked to wear their new school shirts. It’s also Guess Who day. With everyone dressed the same, the only way to tell us apart are our faces. So, let’s cover our faces with masks and make the day interesting. The Dollar Store has Mardi Gras masks. (And they’re only a dollar!!!) Or, get creative and make your own mask. We do ask that the masks not be full face masks. Thursday is career day. Ms. Fleegel is looking for adults to come in and share their career with the kids. If you are interested, email Ms. Fleegel at mfleegel@stwendelins.org. The kids can get creative and dress for the future. What do they want to be when they grow up??? Friday we will be playing Battleship together. Each classroom is asked to wear a certain color. Preschoolers are Red, K-1 are blue, 2/3 are purple, and the 4/5 group wears green.
It is registration time. You will find a half sheet reservation form in your family envelope. I ask that you fill this out ASAP, and return it to school. We need to start thinking about next year, so we need to know who plans to return next year.
February is “I Love to Read” Month. On February 10th, we plan to play book bingo. We are taking donations of used books to use for prizes. If you have books that your child has read, and no longer want, we will take them for bingo. Books can be brought to the office starting next week.
I have three additional attachments with this week’s letter. 2 from Cathedral and 1 with movie and Library activities. If you have not returned your permission slip for our trip to Cathedral, please do so on Monday. Let me know if you need a new form. I can email it to you. Have a great weekend.
Lynn Rasmussen
Parent Letter Jan. 20, 2017
Hello Parents,
January is just flying by. It has been a glorious week with much warmer temperatures. Recess has been a lot of fun.
I am sending home the flyer for Catholic Schools’ week which is January 29th - February 3rd. Please take a look at it as there are dress up days. On Thursday, Feb. 2nd, we will be having a career day from 12:45-2:00. We are looking for parents, grandparents, aunts, or uncles to come and share their profession with the students. If you are interested, please contact Ms. Fleegel at mfleegel@stwendelins.org. Wednesday, of that week, is Guess Who day. Students can wear a mask. We ask that the mask not be a full face mask. The dollar store has Mardi Gras masks that would work great. Or if the kids want to be creative, they can make their own mask. We also ask that the kids wear their school shirts which will be coming home with them today.
The sacrament of Reconciliation will be held on Saturday, Jan. 28th for all second graders who have been preparing for this sacrament. The three cluster parish will come together at St. Wendelin’s Church for a 9:30 sacramental event. You have one week to finish your home study work, if you have not done so yet.
How are the raffle ticket sales going? January 30th will be the first turn in date. Please put all tickets and money in a sealed envelope with your family name on the front. Use your family envelope to transport it to school. I’d rather not have money and tickets placed on my desk. (Have you seen my desk???) When you run out of tickets, come see me. I have several books left to sell.
On Wednesday, Feb. 1st, we will be joining the other Catholic Community Schools for an All-School Mass to celebrate our Catholic schools. Cathedral High School will host the event. A permission slip can be found in your family envelope. Please make sure it is signed and returned to school by next Friday.
Ms. Fleegel and Ms. Danzeisen are working on a project for the kids to contribute to for the February 25th fundraiser. We have two 24” wooden high top counter chairs that the kids will personalize. We would like a small table to go with it. Do you know anyone that’s handy with wood or has a small high top table they’d like to donate? Let Ms. Fleegel or Ms. Danzeisen know if you do.
Open house is Feb. 2nd at 6:00. We welcome children of all ages to tour the building and meet the teaching staff. Let your friends and family know. We want to grow our school in all grades, not just preschool.
I think that’s it for this week. I hope you get the chance to get out and enjoy the warmer weather. I am heading to the cities for a long overdue Christmas with some of my siblings and their families. 5 out of 8 siblings will be there. Not a bad turn out.
Lynn Rasmussen
Parent Letter January 13, 2017
Hello All,
It was another busy week at school. The kids did a great job at St. Scholastica. The Sisters were very pleased with their performance and happy to have the students there. For those of you who know Sr. Marius, she is doing well. It was very nice to see her. I miss her deeply.
Today was the kick-off for the Catholic United Financial raffle. Each family has been given 40 tickets to sell. We ask that you do your best to sell them all. But, I encourage you to go beyond the 40 tickets and sell, sell, sell!!! I have plenty of extra tickets in the office. The family with the most tickets sold receive a Kindle Fire from Catholic United. We, at school, are giving those kids a day off from school with no make-up work!!! That’s right, you don’t have to do any of the work that was given that day. (Unless it’s a test.) The more tickets sold, the more money our school makes. The top three schools who average the most tickets sold per student will receive a $3,000 grant. (Let’s try to win this!) The tickets are $5 a piece, and every penny of that money stays here at school. Our goal is to raise $7,000.
All the tickets are numbered and must be accounted for at the end of the raffle. I am sending home turn-in slips that I’d like you to use when turning in tickets. There are three turn-in slips on one sheet. If you need more than that, let me know. All money must be handed in for tickets sold. Please try to keep your tickets in numerical order. It will make my job of recording much easier. There are four scheduled turn-in dates. Please keep to these dates when turning in tickets/money. The dates are: Jan. 30th, Feb. 6th, Feb. 21st, and the final turn in date is Feb. 27th. The winners will be drawn on March 9th. I am sending home a flyer with the list of prizes. The top prize is a 2017 Jeep Compass or $20,000. Let’s make it our year to win the big prize (again) and raises lots of money for our school. Our budget is counting on it!!! Please don’t hesitate to ask questions regarding the raffle.
ON TO OTHER BUSINESS…
There is no school on Monday, Jan. 16th and there is no bussing on Tuesday the 17th. Please make arrangements to transfer your child/ren to and from school. After care is available for anyone having trouble with pick up at the end of the day.
SPREAD THE WORD… We are having open house on Thursday, Feb. 2nd at 6:00. Perspective families/students can come and tour the school and meet the teachers. We will be having a light supper as well. If you know of a family that is interested, or are the right age (preK-6th grade), let me know. I will send them an invitation. It’s never too late to make the switch.
Is anyone interested in selling raffle tickets at the breakfast this Sunday? It’s a good way to sell your allotted tickets. Let me know and I’ll make sure there’s a table set up for you.
I think that’s it for this week. Have a great weekend. Let’s hope the temperature warms up next week. The kids are aching to get outside.
Lynn Rasmussen
Parent Letter Friday, Jan. 6, 2017
Happy New Year Everyone!!!
Our new year has started out great at school. Everyone seems to have adjusted well to being back in school. We went through the Christmas play today to ready us for our trip to St. Scholastica next Wednesday. I am sending home permission slips to those who have not handed them in. Please have the kids dress as they did for the evening show. Angels wear a white/light colored shirt. Preschoolers wear black/dark colors. All others dress cool as the temperature at St. Scholastica is usually warm.
I am also sending home tax forms for tuition and aftercare. Some may have a January payment on their form. Human error is possible, so please look over the forms to see if the amount paid seems correct.
Next Friday kicks off the Catholic United Financial Raffle. I feel very fortunate to be a part of this raffle. Catholic united provides all the prizes. Each raffle ticket is $5.00, and every penny of that money, from tickets we sell, stays in our building. This year’s top prize is a 2017 Jeep Compass or $20,000. Other prizes are: a dream vacation, A Wisconsin Dells package, Family Museum and hotel package, Twins ticket package, iPad pro, Cabela’s gift card, Amazon Fire media play with prime subscription, a family game package, and Visa gift cards. Every family will be given 40 tickets to sell, but we don’t want you to stop there. There is a prize for the top selling family. (I haven’t heard what that is yet, but I will know by next week.) I hope you can bring out the competitive part of you and work toward being that top selling family. The benefit it yours as well as the schools. I will have more information for you next week.
Mrs. Drewitz will be stopping by next Wednesday to pick up any shoes we have collected for her. Take some time this weekend and clean out your closets. I bet you have shoes you don’t wear any more or don’t fit your children.
Some of the students were brave and went outside for recess. Thank you Kevin Lommel for offering to take them out. I stayed inside with the ones that chose to by warm. I hope next week brings warmer temperatures. Make sure the kids have their winter gear. Have a wonderful weekend.
Lynn Rasmussen
Parent Letter Dec. 30,2016
Hello Parents and Happy New Year!!
I hope you had a wonderful Christmas with family and friends and have something fun planned for the new year celebration.
Class will resume on Tuesday, January 3rd. January promises to be a busy month. Please take note of the upcoming events:
Thursday, Jan. 5: Fundraiser meeting at 7:00 in library.
Friday, Jan. 6: Free throw contest sponsored by the Knights of Columbus. All
students 9 years old or older are welcome to take part in this activity.
Let me know if you need a registration form.
Wednesday, Jan 11: We will be taking the Christmas program to St. Scholastica.
Permission slips went home before Christmas. Additional forms will
go out this week for anyone who has not turned theirs in. We are
missing a preschool star from the night of the program. We will need it for the program if it’s still in good shape.
Friday, Jan. 13: Catholic United Financial Raffle begins. More information soon.
Monday, Jan. 16: No School – Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebrated.
Tuesday, Jan. 17: No Bussing – St. Cloud schools have staff dev’t.
Sunday, Jan. 29: Catholic Schools’ Week begins.
Thursday, Feb. 2: All Catholic Community Schools will gather at Cathedral for
mass. Open House scheduled for 6:00. Spread the word!!!
That’s what is up and coming. I will elaborate on the individual events as the time gets closer. I hope you have a fun New year’s celebration. We will see your children next week.
Lynn Rasmussen
Parent Letter: Friday, Dec. 16, 2016
Happy Friday Everyone!
The clock is ticking. It’s almost show time. The kids have been working hard to be ready for next Monday and Tuesday performance. We’ve been practicing at church this week. There’s an issue with one of the furnaces in church, so it’s been a bit chilly over there.
Monday’s dress rehearsal will be at 1:00 in church. Tuesday’s performance is at 7:00p.m. Students should arrive at school no earlier than 6:30 on Tuesday. The children will return to school after the performance, with their teacher, to undress. You can pick your children up at school after the performance. We are looking for help to put church back in order after the show. We will begin the deconstruction immediately after the program. Please review last week’s letter to see what your child should wear for the performances. We would like the kids to dress for the performance both Monday and Tuesday night.
I want to thank those of you who have sent in ingredients for our retreat day project. We should have enough flour and brown and white sugar. We are still in need of dried cranberries, pecans or walnuts, and quick oats. Don’t forget that each child needs a quart size mason jar (with lid). Please let me know, by Monday, if you do not have a jar for them to use. This project will be done on Wednesday.
Save the Date: The spring fundraiser is Feb. 25th (Okay, so it’s not quite spring yet.) We are taking donations for both the silent and live auction. The theme is Minnesota sports Spectacular. The evening will run similar to last year. There will be a dinner with silent and live auction. Tickets are $35/ea. Tickets are available now in case you are looking for a last minute Christmas gift. The next planning meeting will be Thursday, Jan. 5th at 7:00. It’s not too late to join the committee. Have you done your part in the fundraising for this year?
On January 11th, we will be heading back to St. Scholastica to give our Christmas program to the retired sisters. I am sending a permission slip home today. There is no cost for the trip.
The Knights of Columbus hold a free throw contest every year. Children age 9-14 can participate. They will be coming to St. Wendelin on Friday, Jan. 6th to hold our portion of the competition. Registration forms are in the family envelope. I encourage all eligible students to give it a try. It’s a fun experience.
Well, I hear there is snow creeping in. I hope you all stay safe and warm this weekend. Have a great weekend.
Lynn Rasmussen
Parent Letter Friday, Dec. 9, 2016
This week’s letter promises to be short. I only have a couple areas to cover.
Shepherd/kings/animals – Light weight clothing is recommended under costume. They tend to get hot
during the program.
Preschool stars – Black/dark long sleeve clothing would look best. They are wearing cardboard stars.
(Short sleeves are fine if you don’t have long.)
As promised, short and sweet. Have a great weekend. Stay warm.
Lynn Rasmussen
Parent Letter Friday, Dec. 2, 2016
Hello Parents,
Happy December!! I hope the month has started off well for you. We are busy at school getting ready for the Christmas program and fitting in a subject or two of learning. The program will be Dec. 20th at 7:00 in church. There will be a dress rehearsal on Dec. 19th at 1:00. All are invited to either or both performance. The program will be about a half hour.
The Knights of Columbus is holding a fundraiser for St. Wendelin School and St. Mary Help of Christian. They are having it at the Pizza Ranch on Dec. 12th. Come for dinner between 5:00-8:00, and the KCs will receive a percentage of the sale for the evening. All you have to do is mention the KC fundraiser and put your receipt in the bucket. It’s a Monday night, and who likes to cook on a Monday night??? Last year Santa was there. I wonder if he’s show up this year?!?!
The community said good-bye to a fine man this week. John Notch passed away on Sunday. You may have seen him, over the years, riding the lawn mower as he would cut the school/church’s grass. His wife Pat was our first aftercare supervisor, and his daughter Monica was a teacher and principal at St. Wendelins. Many of John’s grandchildren graduated from St. Wendelin School. I pray for the family as they mourn the loss of John. I’m sure the lawn will never look as good as it did when John took care of it.
I am placing scrip order forms in your envelopes again. I encourage you to take advantage of this program. You all have that person you don’t know what to buy. Why not give them a gift card to Target, Walmart, Kohls, or Penneys and let them decide. We have several dining places available. We have Applebee’s, Red Robin, Olive Garden or Red Lobster, and Texas Roadhouse. We also have Wendy’s, Arby’s, Chipotle, and Caribou Coffee. For that book lover, we have $10 $ $25 gift cards for Barnes and Noble. Those are just some of the cards I have on hand. You could order Amazon, Shutterfly, Kwik Trip, Herbergers, CVS, or Walgreens to name a few. Let me help make your shopping easier. Orders can be filled the same day if they are cards I have in stock, so don’t wait too long. You will want to get it while supplies last. I will attach the extended vender’s list to the email so you can see all the options you have.
The kids are praying for snow. That first snow fall has put them in the mood to play in the snow. For their sake, I hope we get some soon. (I can’t believe I just said that. I must really love these kids.)
Have a great weekend.
Lynn Rasmussen
parentnt Letter Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2016
Happy Thanksgiving!!! I am thankful for all of you and the wonderful children that you are raising. I feel blessed to be a part of this amazing school. I pray your thanksgiving is filled with plenty of food, laughs and love.
Next Wednesday is picture retake day. Please let me know, prior to Wednesday, if you plan to have your child’s picture retaken. Make sure you return the original packet of pictures.
Report cards will be found in the family envelope. Please look them over and return them to school signed. Contact your classroom teacher if you have any questions regarding your child’s grade.
Advent begins on Sunday. We will be gathering weekly to remember the important people in the nativity story. Our first week will focus on Mary and how she said yes to God. The children will be given the chance to share ways they say yes to God throughout Advent. We will have a Christmas tree set up displaying their acts of love.
Mrs. Lund will continue to prepare the students for the Christmas program on Dec. 20th. The program will be held in church at 7:00. We will have a dress rehearsal on Monday, Dec. 19th at 1:00. All are welcome to join us for either/both of these shows.
Thank you for preparing your children for the weather. They have already begun rolling large snow balls. Forts and Frosties are starting to take form. I inventoried what the school had for extra snow pants, hats, and mittens. If, for some reason, your son or daughter forgets their snow pants, we may have a spare they can borrow. I brought a few pairs that used to be my girls. I have a size 5/6 (Pants) and size 14/16 (Bibs) if anyone would like them for a second pair. Just let me know. I will give them to the first who asks.
Well, that should be it for this week. I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving, and good luck to all the black Friday shoppers.
Lynn Rasmussen
Parent Letter Friday, Nov. 11, 2016
Hello Parents,
It has been another beautiful week outside. I’m sure it will end soon. When it does, please make sure your child is ready. Pull out the coats, hats, and mittens, because the cold will be here soon. Do they have winter boots and snow pants that fit? Once snow is on the ground, all winter gear will be mandatory. I’m hoping we have plenty of time before we need this, but you never know.
Next Friday is the end of the quarter. It will also be our accelerated reading reward day. We plan to have a movie in the gym with popcorn and all sorts of delicious goodies to add to it. This will be for all the students who made their AR goal. There’s still time for your child to make their goal. All they have to do is read!!! (Let me know if your child doesn’t like popcorn. I will find a different treat for them.)
The Luxemburg Lions are hosting Turkey Bingo next Friday in Mary Hall. It’s starts at 6:30. There will be snacks and beverages available. Come out and support the Lions and maybe will a turkey or two.
There is no bussing on Wednesday, Nov. 23rd. The district is not in session. We have aftercare for $8.00/day if you can’t pick them up after school. Report cards will also come home on the 23rd. School will not be in session Nov. 24th – 25th.
In your family envelope is a letter from Jessica Drewitz, our former 1st/2nd grade teacher. She and her husband Jeremy hope to adopt a child and would like our help. They are looking for new or gently used shoes of any size or style. These shoes will go to a third world country through a program called Funds2Org. Jessica and Jeremy receive money for the shoes they ship. This money will go toward their adoption fees. I will collect shoes for them here. If you have shoes that no longer fit or are out of style, bring them to school and I will pass them on to the Drewitz.
We will be holding a food drive all next week. All nonperishable items are accepted. The food will be donated to Catholic Charities. A table will be set up in the hall. It’s a good time to inventory your cupboards, and give a little of what you have to someone with much less.
There will be a fundraising meeting next Thursday at 7:00. We will meet in the library. Is it your turn to help out with a fundraiser?
That’s all for this week. Good luck to the hunters. Stay safe. I hope you bring home a big one. They are predicting another sunny weekend, so I hope you can get out and enjoy it. Thank you, God, for this beautiful fall weather.
Lynn Rasmussen
Parent Letter Friday, Nov. 4, 2016
Hello Parents,
Well, we made it through the Halloween craziness. The kids were so cute in their costumes. I hope they are sharing their candy with you.
Today was picture day. If your child was absent, we will have retakes on Nov. 30th. Don’t forget there is no school on Monday. The teachers and I are working with the other CCS schools to write goals and scales for our math curriculum.
The end of the trimester is Nov. 18th. All accelerated reading goals are expected to be met by then. Please check with your child/ren to see how they are doing on their reading. Report cards will go out Nov. 23rd.
The 4th and 5th graders would like to head up a food drive to be collected during November. We will collect food from the 8th – 18th. Any nonperishable food items, as well as personal hygiene products, are being accepted. A table will be set up in the hall for your donations to be displayed.
I have another opportunity for you to give to those less fortunate. Holy Cross is taking part in Operation Christmas Child. They are collecting craft items, small toys, hair accessories, school supplies, or sewing kits to put in shoe boxes for needy children. They cannot take any liquids, food, or breakable items. If you are interested in contributing to this cause, I have a box in the hall to collect items. They are assembling the boxes on Nov. 18th, so I would need to get our contribution to them by Thursday, Nov. 17th.
Mark your calendar: The Luxemburg Lions are having their annual Turkey Bingo on Friday Nov. 18th. They will play from 6:30-8:00.
Shelly Berger has found a way to recycle dried up markers. Please read the attachment included in this email.
Black Friday is just around the corner. It’s time to start thinking about Christmas shopping. I will put in a scrip order for anyone interested in purchasing gift cards to use for their Christmas shopping. Go to shopwithscrip.com to view the entire list of venders that participate in the program. (Or, I have the entire list here.) I have access to Kohls, JC Penneys, Shopko, Target, Walmart, Best Buy, Burlington Coat Factory, Bed Bath and Beyond, Bath and Body, Claires, CVS, Gander Mountain, Amazon, Shutterfly, Gap, Herbergers, Menards, Fleet Farm, Home Depot, Sears, T.J. Max, and Walgreens to name a few. We also have numerous restaurant options as well. I will place the order on Wednesday, Nov. 16th to ensure it arrives by the 23rd. The school receives anywhere from 3%-13% on each dollar sold, so please consider purchasing scrip. I will place another order in December if you are looking for Christmas gift ideas.
I am not sending home the family envelope unless you are in need of breakfast/lunch money. I’m sure many of you will be out hunting this weekend. I pray you stay safe and have good aim. Enjoy the beautiful weekend God is blessing us with.
Lynn Rasmussen
Hello Parents, Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2016
It’s a short week for us at school. I hope you have something fun to do as a family. I will thank you, in advance, for coming to conferences tonight. It is good for both teacher and parent to touch base with each other. After all, we share the same interest…your children. Please remember, you don’t have to wait until the next conference to check on your child’s progress. You can call, email, or stop in any time.
I want to welcome Rylee Kenning, and her parents Bill and Molly, to our school family. Rylee has joined our 5th grade class. I hope her first couple days of school went well. We look forward to getting to know them throughout the school year.
I am not sending home family envelopes this week. I have given a few families permission slips as a reminder to hand them in. I also sent out lunch/breakfast ticket reminders to a couple families.
A reminder that there is no bussing next Friday, Oct. 28th. Parents will need to transport students to and from school. Aftercare is available for anyone who is unable to pick their children up at 2:30. The cost for the day is $8.00.
Another reminder: There will be a fund raising planning meeting for our February 25th fundraiser. Come with your idea of a fun evening. We will meet at 7:00 in the library.
This letter is short and sweet like our school week. I will not be in the building on Monday. I am off to Las Vegas with some college friends to celebrate us turning 21. (For the 30th time) I am looking forward to the 80 degree weather. Have a great weekend.
Lynn Rasmussen
Hello Parents, Friday, Oct. 14, 2016
Happy Friday! Another week of learning is behind us. The teachers look forward to visiting with you next Wednesday at conferences. Please make sure you notify your teacher if you are unable to attend conferences. And don’t forget; there is no school next Thursday or Friday.
There is another permission slip in the family envelope. On Oct. 31st we are taking a trip to St. Scholastica to spend some time with the retired Sisters. They have invited us out to sing some songs and visit. Students are welcome to wear their Halloween costumes to school. Our 4th and 5th graders will dress as their patron saint and share their saint reports. They can change into a costume after if they wish. It will be a quick visit from 10:00-11:00. There is no cost for this trip. Check with classroom teachers to see if a class party will take place.
Have you handed in your permission slip for our trip to the Paramount? If not, please do so next week. The cost is $7.00.
November 4th is picture day. Order forms are in your family envelope. I recommend you check out mylifetouch.com for more picture options. Your picture day ID is found on the order form and will need to be used with online orders. You don’t have to settle for just one pose or background when you order online. It’s fast and easy. You pay online, so your child doesn’t need to bring anything to school but their smile. I use the online option with my girls, and I find it very easy to use.
The date is set for our other major fundraiser. It will be February 25th. Holy Cross’s event is April 22nd, so we wanted to stay away from their date. I am scheduling a Oct. 27thth planning meeting to determine what the event will look like. We will meet at 7:00 at school. Please consider being a part of the planning committee. The more people involved, the more success the event will be. We will start gathering silent auction items, so if you have something
Our 4th and 5th graders ventured out of the building to help Janet and Leon Kieke with some of their yard work. Janet was our computer specialist for many years. As a class, they brain stormed a list of service projects they could do throughout the year. I am very proud of these boys and girls. They asked to do this. Most of the projects will involve the whole school. All school projects are my favorite. The older kids are so good with the little ones.
It’s supposed to be a nice weekend. I hope this fall weather hangs on for another month or so. There’s no Vikings game on Sunday, so I guess I will finish up the yard work. Have a great weekend.
Lynn Rasmussen
Hello Parents, Friday, Sept.. 30th,
2016
Well, our first month is behind us. I have to say, you have really great children. I watch the older children play and help our little ones. We don’t even have to ask them to help. The teachers brag about how good their classes are. Thank you for bringing up such wonderful children and sharing them with us.
October will be a busy month. On Friday, October 7th, the St. Augusta Fire Department will be stopping out to discuss fire safety. They will be doing a simulation with our 4th and 5th graders. Without the children’s knowledge, they will use smokers to smoke out their classroom and the hallway. They will have to find their way out of the building in the smoke. We did this several years ago, and found the drill very beneficial. Our younger children will participate in the fire drill, but they will not experience the full effect of the smoke. Please do not tell your child about this activity. It is more productive if they do not know.
We have several sweatshirts left over from the kickball tournament this past weekend. We also have a few t-shirts. We are selling the sweatshirts for $20 and the t-shirts for $10. I have attached a picture of the sweatshirts. Let me know if you are interested in buying one. A spreadsheet of what is available is also included in this email.
The weather wasn’t in our favor on Saturday, but it still was a fun day. The teams were good sports as they played in the drizzle all morning. The profit for the day is still a mystery. There are a few outstanding bills that need to be paid. I will let you know our profit when the information is giving to me. I want to thank all of you for your help and support on this event.
We will spend one more week taking the NWEA tests. Our 3rd-5th graders have completed their testing. The K-2nd graders still need to finish. The preschoolers have also been going through some testing. I have enjoyed helping Ms. Fleegel with this task.
This weekend the Collegeville Orchard is having their fall festival. There will be live music, face/pumpkin paining, cider demonstrations, and wagon rides. Oh, and they have a petting zoo too. It is a fun place to take your children. My teenagers even enjoy going out there to pick their pumpkins, buy some apples, and see the alpacas and other animals. Many of these activities are available every weekend, so don’t worry if you can’t make it on Saturday. Check out their website or Facebook page for more information.
Everyone is receiving a car window cling with our school logo. Let me know if you’d like a second one. If you do not wish to put one on your car, leave the sticker in your family envelope.
Mark your calendar:
~There is no school on October 20th & 21st.
~On Wednesday, Oct. 26th we will be taking the school to the Paramount to see “Charlie and
the Chocolate Factory”. Permission slips will go out next week. We are asking the families to pay the ticket cost of $7.00. The school will cover the cost of the bus.
~There is no bussing on Friday, Oct. 28th.
~On Monday, Oct. 31st we will be taking the kids to St. Scholastica to share some songs and
information about Saints with the Sisters living there. The children will be allowed to wear their Halloween costumes that day. I will send more information, regarding this field trip, as the date gets closer.
Well, that’s about it for this week. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. I am spending Saturday, with my old neighbor, making salsa. It should be a fun day.
Lynn Rasmussen
Friday, Oct. 16, 2016
Hello Parents,
Next week we will begin testing the students in reading and math. We use the NWEA MAP tests. These are done on the computer and are not timed. We encourage the children to take their time and do their best work. Often they try to hurry to be the first one done. This kind of behavior does not allow us to get an accurate score of their abilities. Check with the classroom teacher to see what day your child/ren will be testing. We test students in grades
K-6.
On Wednesday, our school nurse will be coming to test the 1st and 3rd graders hearing and vision. She will also test the 5th graders’ vision and the kindergarten boys for color blindness.
Second graders, who will be receiving the sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Eucharist, are asked to participate in faith formation through the parish. There will be a $10 charge for the books use to prepare your child for these sacraments. Contact Kathy Anderson, at the parish office, for more information 251-6944.
That’s it for this week. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.
Lynn Rasmussen
Principal
Friday, Sept. 9, 2016
Dear Parents,
Happy Friday! I hope the kids are adjusting to getting up in the morning. I know it was a little rough for me this morning. Next week will be the big challenge as it will be our first full week.
Our preschoolers joined us on Wednesday. I am impressed at how well they are adjusting to being in school. I think it was harder on the parents than the children. I look forward to watching them grow and become more independent.
I want to thank those of you who came to parent night on Wednesday. We feel that communication home is very important. Kids don’t always share, with parents, what they are doing in school. When asked, “How was your day?” You might get a simple “Good” or “Fine” for your answer. We encourage you to continue asking about their day, and check their school bags for returned work. Do not hesitate to contact myself or your child’s teacher if you have any questions or concerns.
The Kick and Toss Extravaganza is only two weeks away. If you have any Wheel Barrel of Beer tickets sold, they can be handed in to the office. The wheel barrel is on display at Delux Liquor. It is in need of some beer. You can talk to Thais, at Delux Liquor, if you are interested in donating to this raffle prize. It was brought to my attention that the workers’ list was missing the last shift. Holly Symanietz is revising the list and will be sending it out to me. I will email it to all of you when I get it. I apologize for any confusion this caused.
As we move into the fall season, the mornings will be cooler. Most of the kids go outside for a morning recess. I suggest sending a sweatshirt or jacket with your kids for those cooler mornings. They are welcome to leave them here if they’d like.
That’s it for this week. Family envelopes will be coming home, but there may not be anything more than a scrip order form in it. Please remember to send it back to school every Monday. Have a great weekend.
Lynn Rasmussen
Principal
Parent Letter: Sept. 1, 2016
Hello Parents,
Well, our first three days were a success. I am truly thrilled to have your children back in the building. Their hugs are pricelessJ Next week we will be joined by our preschoolers. (It just keeps getting better.) Don’t forget there is no school tomorrow or Monday.
I want to thank you for getting your paperwork to me in a timely matter. I have been going through it and will let you know if I need anything else from you. We will continue to use the family envelope for transporting paper information, so please remember to send it back to school on Mondays. I will send home lunch/breakfast money reminders as needed. Please use the purple slips when sending a check for multiple purposes or indicate the amounts in the memo part of the check.
We have parent night scheduled for next Wednesday, Sept. 7th. Parents are invited to come visit with the teachers to see what they have planned for your child/ren this year. It is a good time for you to ask any questions you may have. We have scheduled three meeting times for you to choose from. 6:00-6:20 / 6:20-6:40 / 6:40-7:00. If you are unable to attend any of these meetings, please contact your child’s teacher to get the information you missed.
A final fundraising meeting will be held on Thursday, Sept. 8th at 7:00. We will meet at the Hayloft. The wheel barrel of beer is set up at Delux Liquor. See Thais Kiffmeyer if you are interested in donating to the beer selection.
Phy-ed will be on Tuesdays and Thursdays again this year. Please remind your child to wear or bring, tennis shoes on those days.
Background checks are done every five years for anyone volunteering in the building. All volunteers must also undergo yearly safe environment training. This is found on the St. Cloud Diocese website. You will find the training under safe environment. Please take a few minutes to watch the video and answer a couple questions. Contact Lynn if you have any questions regarding the training.
I would like to encourage all of you to consider using our scrip program when doing your shopping. I have, on hand, gift card for various stores/restaurants in the St. Cloud area. I sell them at face value. Our school receives a percentage of the sale. We earn anywhere from 2% - 13% depending on the company. Whether you are doing your grocery shopping or a DIY project, we have cards for it all. The order form in your family envelope is only a small portion of what is available. Those are the cards I have on hand. If you go to shopwithscrip.com, you can view the entire list of possible venders. Give me a week, and I can get what you need. It’s a simple way to help the school without spending any more that you already are. (They make good gifts too.)
This weekend the Luxemburg Lions are having their annual Labor Day burger sale. If you are around this weekend, these burgers are a must. They will be serving from 10:00-6:00 on Friday and Saturday. You will find them right here in the school parking lot. Come support our local Lion’s Club. They do a lot for our community.
I want to thank you for sharing your children with us. I am confident that it will be a great year. A shout out to Father Ron who celebrated his birthday yesterday! Blessing and prayers to him for another year of good health and happiness. Have a fun and safe Labor Day weekend.
Lynn Rasmussen
Principal
Friday, August 12, 2016
Happy Friday Everyone,
I can't believe school starts in 18 days? Are you ready? Have you gotten all your supplies? The teachers are anxious to get in their rooms now that they have been thoroughly cleaned. The quiet of the building is over. It's back to work for the teachers.
We have made some changes to the dynamics of our classrooms. What is best for our students is most important to us. With small class sizes, the combining of grades makes the learning experience more viable. The teachers and I feel the grouping below benefits all our children.
*Preschool is taught by Megan Fleegel ( phy ed and computer too)
*Kindergarten and first grade will combine and be taught by Nikki Fischer
*Second and third grade will combine and be taught by Mrs. Holzheimer
*Fourth and fifth will combine and be taught by our new teacher Ali Danzeisen. I am excited to get to know Ali. I can tell already that she has a lot to offer to St. Wendelin School.
Don't forget open house is August 25th with August 30 being our first day of school for grades K-5. The 4th/5th grade room will be Mrs. Drewitz's old room. Make sure you stop by and meet/greet Ms. Danzeisen.
Preschool children will be joining us on Sept. 7th. I am very excited to meet our new little people. I bet they are excited to be start school.
Sept. 7th is also the date we scheduled for our parent night. We will have three time slots for you to hear, from your child's teacher, the expectations for the school year. The teachers will hold informational meetings, in their classrooms, at he following times:
6:00-6:20
6:20-6:40
6:40-7:00
And don't forget to save the date of Sept. 24th. That is the date for this years fall fundraiser. We are hosting kickball and bean bag tournaments. I'm already praying for a nice day. Spread the word, get your team together and plan to help out.
Good luck to all the families participating in the family tournament this weekend. Looks like the weather will be great!!
Have a great weekend. See you soon.
--
Lynn Rasmussen
Important Parent Information Letter August 10th, 2016
Open House - August 25th, 2016
We would like to invite everyone to our open house on Thursday, August 25th at 6:00 p.m. Families are asked to pick up your Family Envelope of forms and information. There will be an opportunity to view the classrooms and to visit with teachers at this time also. Our first day of school will be August 30th for grades K-6 with preschool starting on September 7th. I have enclosed a copy of the school calendar with this letter. You can also find it on our school website. Classroom supply lists are also found on the website.
Medication
All medications must include the doctor's name, the child's name, dosage, etc., in the original container. We allow no exceptions to this policy. If your child has a fever, vomiting, or diarrhea, she should stay home until 24 hours after they are symptom free without medication. If your child is placed on antibiotics, keep him/her home for a full 24 hours after the medication/symptoms start.
Busing
Bus schedules will be sent out by Spanier Bus. If you have any questions, please call them at 320-251-3313. If you are new to the area you will need to fill out a transportation request which can be picked up at the school or go online to ISD742.com, under "Departments, Transportations Service, Request Form." If your child is being bused to or from a child-care facility, you must complete the Child Care Transportation Request Form. This may be obtained from Spanier Bus. *** If your child will not be riding the bus, please call the school or send a note to your child's teacher in reference to the dates involved. It is our school policy that a student without a note, or a ride at the end of the day must ride the bus home.
United Way Designation to School Possible
If you would like to designate your United Way contribution to St. Wendelin's School, please indicate this on the designation section on your pledge card. We are a non-profit recipient and it is tax deductible.
Breakfast and Lunch
We encourage our students to participate in our hot lunch program. Our school lunch program is on an "offer vs. serve" basis. This means that of the five components offered, the student must select at least three. The components are:
1 component.......... meat or protein food 1 component........... milk
1 component.......... bread 2 components.......... 1/2 cup vegetable and/or fruit
If your child is unable to take milk please send a note stating this.
After Care
Enrollment forms will be available at Open House. After Care will be available the first day of school for students enrolled at Open House. Come prepared to sign up and pay for the first week. The charge is $8.00/day per child.
Assignment Books
Assignment books will be available to purchase at Open House for $4. Students in grades 2-5 will be asked to purchase an assignment book.
I am excited for this great new year!
See you at Open House!
Lynn Rasmussen
Principal
Hello Parents,
Our first week, with all our students, went well. We welcomed 19 preschoolers. I am having fun getting to know them as I spend lunch and rest time with them. Ms. Fleegel can already tell that she has amazing preschoolers!! (Add them to the rest of our amazing students and we have a great little school!)
Thank you, Susan Becker, for sending out the fall fundraiser information. If you have not signed up for a worker’s shift, we ask that you do so soon. We need all of your help to make the event a success. Invite your family and friends to come out and have some lunch and/or play some bean bags. The bean bag tournament will begin at 11:00. You can sign up that morning. Our kickball teams are forming nicely. I have one team that I may favor. It is packed full of former St. Wendelin students. It will be fun to see them playing kickball againJ. Good luck to all the teams.
Kara Mather, a parent to Isabel and Caleb, would like to offer violin/string instrument lessons. Kara is the orchestra director at Tech High School. Let me know if you are interested, and I will give you Kara’s contact information.
Looking ahead through September, I want to remind you that there is no school on September 25th. The teachers will be spending the day at the Diocesan Ministry Day. Class will resume on Tuesday, Sept. 26th.
That’s it for this week. Short and sweet! Have a wonderful weekend. Next week will be our first full week, so rest up your little ones.
Lynn Rasmussen
Principal
Parent Letter Thursday, August 31, 2017
Hello All,
Our first three days went very well. It is so great to have the kids back in the building. I am very excited to welcome our preschoolers next week. Hopefully there won’t be too many tears. (from child or parentJ)
There will be a parent letter most weeks. You will receive it via email unless you request a paper copy. You can also find it on our website. (stwendelins.org) The family envelope, given out at open house, will go home with the oldest child in your family if paper communication is needed. Please remember to return the envelope the next Monday. I try to use the same envelope all year. All payments can be transported to school in the envelope. If no envelope was sent home, I ask that you put payment in a sealed envelope with the family name on it. Please make sure the memo area identifies what the money is for. Ex: lunch, tuition, aftercare
Please send a note if there is a change in your child’s departure from school. Sometimes kids are confused as to whether they are getting picked up or taking the bus. A note will eliminate the confusion. If you forget to send a note, email me or call to let me know the changes.
Breakfast is served daily at 7:30 with the exception of Wednesdays. The children go to church on Wednesday, so breakfast will be served after mass. Mass starts at 7:45. If you arrive late with your child, we ask that you walk them over to church and help them find their class.
If you have not signed up for Remind, I encourage you to do so. It will be a convenient way for me to communicate last minute reminders. I also encourage you to join your teacher’s blog.
I hope everyone has a fun and safe Labor Day weekend. I have a great lunch and/or supper idea for you tomorrow. The Luxemburg Lions are having their burger sale in the school’s parking lot. Come grab a bite to eat between 10-6. You won’t be disappointed.
I think that’s all for now. Please feel free to call, email, or stop in and see me if you have questions about anything. My door is always open.
Prayers for a wonderful weekend,
Lynn Rasmussen
Principal
Parent Letter: Friday, May 26, 2017
Our last full week of school is behind us. I hope you have something fun planned for the weekend. Don’t forget that there is no school on Monday. Wednesday will be our last day for preschool and Thursday will be the last day for everyone else. It really has been a great year.
If you are sticking close to home this weekend, you may want to check out the Lux Lion’s Burger stand. They will be selling burgers, in the school parking lot, from 10:00-6:00 today and tomorrow. They are the best burgers!!!! Come check it out. You won’t be disappointed.
Wednesday is our fun field day. Let’s all pray for nice weather as we will be outside most of the afternoon. (You may want to send sun screen.) Please make sure your child/ren have tennis shoes here. I don’t want kids running in sandals or flip flops. A couple of our relays involve water. The object of the games isn’t to get wet, but when children and water meet, there tends to be wet clothes. An extra set of clothing might be a good idea, just in caseJ
The kids will need to bring a bucket and rag for our last day of school. Each class takes their desks, chairs, etc. outside to wash. Label you bucket to ensure the right one goes home with your child.
There is no hot lunch on the last day of school. We will be serving breakfast though. Our hope is for nice weather so we can picnic outside. (Cross your fingers.)
The fundraiser meeting on Tuesday was not well attended. The same couple people/families end up doing all the work to plan the fundraisers. It’s disappointing to me since the money raised at these fundraisers benefit all of your children. You will be invited to the next meeting. Hopefully more of you will be able to attend. Keep in mind that all families will be expected to help out the day of the tournament, so keep Sept. 23rd open.
Marcus Theater is having their Kids Dream Family Film Series again this year. There are great movies chosen for this year’s series. They have $3.00 movies on Mon. – Wed. – Sun. at 10:00. Check out the website for more details. http://www.marcustheatres.com/marcus-specials/family-friendly-films/kids-dream-summer-film-series-2015-powered-by-american-family-insurance
For those of you going out of town for the weekend, I wish you safe travels. I hope all of you have a fun/safe weekend.
Lynn Rasmussen
Parent Letter Friday, May 19, 2017
Hello All,
The school year is winding down. There are only a few activities to write about. Next Tuesday there will be a planning meeting for the Sept. 23rd kickball tournament fundraiser. We encourage any/all of you to attend. It will be held in school starting at 7:00. New people bring new ideas. We would love your input.
Next Wednesday is our bowling trip. We will plan to leave school around 12:00 and return to school by 2:25. Lunch will be served early to ensure we are ready to leave by 12:00. All are welcome to join us. Ms. Fleegel and Mrs. Fischer welcome the help. You can ride the bus or meet us there. Please let your classroom teacher know if you plan to join us.
All library books need to be returned to school by next Friday, May 26th. Ms. Fleegel will print out a list of all missing books. Has your child/ren reached their AR goal yet? If not, they have one more week to do so. We are treating everyone who makes their goal with an ice cream sundae. There will be lots of toppings to choose from. We will have the sundaes on Tuesday, May 29th.
We have a field day planned for Wednesday, May 30th. We will spend the afternoon outside. (Hopefully. Start praying for nice weather.) All students will need to have tennis shoes for field day. It is a good idea to have a water bottle and sun screen too. There may or may not be water involved, so they might want to bring a change of clothes. (The intent is not to get wet, but sometimes they come in contact with the waterJ )
Thursday, June 1st is the last day of school. Breakfast will be served, but there is no hot lunch on June 1st. We all bring a bag lunch and picnic outside. Traditionally, the students take their desks and chairs outside to wash. We ask that they bring a pail and rag to use in their cleaning.
I have added a second attachment to this email. The Kimball Girl Scouts have donated a Buddy Bench for our playground. If a child finds themselves without someone to play with, they sit on the bench and a friend will come by and ask them to play. The bench is bright and colorful and a nice addition to our playground. Thank you, Elaina Fink and your Girl Scout troop, for bringing this bench to our school.
That brings us to the end of another year. The school year went so fast. Please remind your children that they need to stay focused a little longer. Some of the kids are checking out. There is still learning to be had, so we need them focused and paying attention. Have a nice weekend.
Lynn Rasmussen
Parent Letter Friday, May 5, 2017
Hello Parents,
I hope you have enjoyed your first few days of May. All is looking good now that the sun is out. There are several items in your family envelope this week. Please make sure you take a look at it.
We will continue our NWEA testing next week. We are noticing several children rushing through the test, therefor not scoring as high as we feel they should. Please remind your child/ren that it is important to take their time and do their best. I know some kids have test anxiety. We need to reassure them that there’s nothing to worry about as long as they do their best. Please let your classroom teacher know if you are concerned about your child’s testing ability.
Grandparents’ Day is next Friday. If you have not RSVP yet, please do so by early next week. Remember, if a grandparent is unable to attend, you can invite someone else to come. Please tell them to meet their grandchildren at church. We will begin coming over to church around 12:15. After mass there will be a short musical program then we will head over to Mary Hall for refreshments and bingo. We ask that families contribute to the desserts. They can be dropped off at the office or brought directly to the kitchen. As I said before, cookies and bars work best. Thank you for your help with this.
The permission slip for our bowling outing is in the family envelope. Please fill them out and return to school ASAP. We are looking for parents to join us. (Especially parents of the younger students.) It is a lot of work for Ms. Fleegel and Mrs. Fischer to keep track of their class and still help the children bowl. You are welcome to take the bus or meet us there. Just let your classroom teacher know if you are able to join us.
Have you contacted Mrs. Lund regarding the music recital? The recital will take place in the afternoon on May 19th. We are looking at a 1:30 start time.
I have had several families asking me for their tuition balance, so I am sending everyone their tuition statement. Please let me know if you disagree with your balance. Human error is something I am familiar with.
It’s going to be a nice weekend. I hope you have something fun planned. There’s only 18 days of school left. (10 for the preschoolers.) Hopefully, we can keep the kids until the end of the year. Students are starting to wear shorts to school. That is fine as long as they are not wearing them to church. No Daisy Duke shorts either. Your children have grown since last year. Please go through their shorts before sending them to school in ones that are too small. Shirts must have a two-finger width for any tank tops. Let me know if you have any questions regarding our dress code. Have a wonderful weekend.
Lynn Rasmussen
Parent Letter Friday, April 28, 2017
Hello Parents,
Is it the end of March or April? I’m just checking since it was so cold this week. Hopefully May will bring us warmer weather.
May is a busy month. I have invitations for Grandparents’ / Special Friends’ Day in the envelope. I have given each family two. Let me know if you need more than that. They just need to be folded and given to grandparents. If a grandparent is not available, you can invite a special friend instead. I am asking for an RSVP no later than May 10th so I can figure out how many people to plan for. We will be serving coffee, lemonade, and dessert to the grandparents and children. We ask all families to donate a dessert of some kind. Bars and cookies work best. If you are bringing a gluten free dessert, please make sure you label it as such. Also, mark your pans or plates if you want them returned to you.
The students will be taking their last NWEAs for the year. Check with your classroom teacher for which days they will be testing. It’s always good to get a lot of sleep and a nutritious breakfast on test days.
Mrs. Lund is sending home a sign-up slip for the music recital on May 19th. Students outside of her piano students are welcome to participate. Please return the form ASAP so Mrs. Lund can plan for the event.
On Sunday, 4 of our second graders will be sharing in the Eucharist for the first time. Congratulations Kaylee Symanietz, Savannah Lommel, Erica Greenwald, and Leighton Becker. May God bless you on your special day.
Thank you ,Mrs. Lund and the Children’s choir, for the music you will share with us on Sunday.
Our students still need to be rewarded for reaching our raffle goal. I have scheduled us to go bowling, in Sartell, on May 24th. Watch for more information to come home soon.
Have a wonderful weekend Everyone!!!
Lynn Rasmussen
Parent Letter Friday, April 21, 2017
Happy Friday Everyone!!
I hope the rain we’ve had this week will help the spring flowers and the trees pop with color. It was pretty chilly this week. We had several children underdressed for the weather. Many came without jackets and were cold at recess. Please make sure you are checking the forecast. It isn’t usually at the expected high temperature at 10:00 in the morning.
Tomorrow is a busy morning. Our second graders preparing for first communion have a retreat from 9:30-11:00. The Rec Club is having sign up for summer ball tomorrow as well. You can register your child from 9:00-10:00 then stay to help clean up the ball fields.
First communion is only a week away. How are you doing with the home preparation?
Kara & Todd Mather are looking for part-time daycare options for this fall for their child who will be 14 months old. If anyone can recommend anyone or places in the Luxemburg area or south-St. Cloud area, please contact Kara at kara.mather@yahoo.com
May is only a week away. Here are a few dates worth remembering:
Grandparents’ Day – May 12th
Music Recital – May 19th
Preschool Graduation – May 26th
End of the trimester – May 26th
Memorial Day – May 29th – No School
Field day – May 31st
Piano Make up day – May 31st
Last day of school – June 1
It’s gearing up to be a nice weekend. I hope you can get out and enjoy it. Have a great weekend.
Lynn Rasmussen
Parent Letter April 7, 2017
Hello Parents,
Next week is Holy Week. We will be focusing on the crucifixion of Jesus. On Thursday, we will spend the day in retreat. Hildegard Rohe will be bringing quilts for our students to help tie. These quilts are donated to different organizations around St. Cloud. In the afternoon, we will gather together to take part in a Seder Meal. A Seder Meal recalls the freeing of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt and the Passover. We remember the Last Supper of Jesus with his Apostles, and we see how both of these events became our celebration of the Mass. You are welcome to join us for this event. It will take part around 12:45. I would need an RSVP by Wednesday so I have a place for you at our table.
The Luxemburg Lions are holding their annual Easter egg hunt on Saturday, April 15th at 11:00. All are welcome to join them for this event.
Ms. Fleegel has started a softball unit in phy-ed. Students are asked to bring softball/baseball gloves it they have them. We do have a few here, at school, for those who don’t have one.
There will be a 1st Communion retreat for students and parents who are preparing for the sacrament of the Eucharist. Parents and students will participate in various activities and create a 1st Communion banner. The location has yet to be determined. It will take place on Saturday, April 22nd from 9:00-11:30. Continue working on your 1st Communion books. The date of your child’s 1st Communion is Sunday April 30th.
Grandparents’ Day is right around the corner. Formal invitations will be going out soon. The date for Grandparents’ Day is Friday, May 12th starting with mass at 12:30. Feel free to spread the word.
The school choir will be singing at Holy Thursday mass as well as Easter Sunday. Mrs. Lund asks that the students be at church 15 minutes prior to the service. Holy Thursday service is at 7:30 and Easter Sunday will be at 9:00.
The Luxmeburg Recreation Club is having a park clean-up and program sign-up on Saturday, April 22nd. You can sign up your son/daughter between 9-10 a.m in Mary Hall. Then stay to help clean up the ball fields. For questions, you can go to luxrecclub@gmail.com. More information is found on the flyer inserted in your family envelope.
I have heard, through a creditable source, that STRIDE Academy will be closing their doors after this school year. There are a lot of families who will be looking for a new school for their children. If you know any families that attend STRIDE, please share with them the option of St. Wendelin for their next school experience. Remember, for every family that you refer to us, you get $200 off your tuition. This could be a great opportunity to increase our enrollment. Spread the word, and make us known to them. (Thank you!)
It’s going to be a beautiful spring weekend. I hope everyone has a chance to get out and enjoy it. Don’t forget there is no school next Friday or Easter Monday. Have a great weekend.
Lynn Rasmussen
Parent Letter Friday, March 24, 2017
Hello Parent,
I can’t believe there’s only one week of March left. Where has the time gone? The weather has been very inconsistent. There are days when kids are over dressed and days they are under dressed for outside play. Please keep an eye on the daily forecast so your children are dressed properly for the weather.
This week’s Lenten focus was on the second sorrowful mystery of the rosary. “The scourging at the Pillar”. The level of Jesus’ agony is beyond a child’s understanding. What’s important for them to realize and remember is that Jesus was wounded for our sake. He was bruised for our sins. As we move forward this Lent, let us be mindful of our own sacrifices we make in Jesus’ name.
Our all-school speech festival is just around the corner. You are invited to join us on April 5th at 1:15. Please work with your child to ensure they have their selection memorized and can say it with expression.
I am looking for student and parent help for our open house carnival. We hope to have new families visiting us that day, so spread the word. (Don’t forget there’s a $200 discount on next year’s tuition if you refer a family to us.) There will be games and snacks that will need help manning. As you think about whether or not you plan to help, I’d like to share this story with you:
This is a story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody.
There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it.
Anybody could have done it. But Nobody did it.
Somebody got angry about that, because it was Everybody's job. Everybody thought
Anybody could do it. But nobody realized that Everybody wouldn't do it.
It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done.
We are also looking for new or gently used small stuffed animals. Please let me know if you are available to help. The carnival runs from 9-11. Set up and clean-up will also need help.
Cathedral High School is offering several great summer camps this year. There are several sport related camps as well as photography, fishing, and piano. Math tutoring is available as well. The prices are very reasonable. I have included a flyer in your family envelope. You may want to check it out. Good luck to the Crusaders as they advance to the semifinals of the boys’ state basketball tournament tonight!!
Our time with Dawn is coming to end. Next Friday will be her last day with us. Dawn’s presence in the school will be missed. Not to mention her fabulous cooking. On the bright side, I am confident that April and Pat will do a wonderful job preparing meals for your children. God has been taking care of us this long, he will be with us during this transition as well.
I think that’s it for this week. If I missed anything, I know where to find youJ. Have a great weekend.
Lynn Rasmussen
Parent Letter February 10,2017
Hello Parents,
It has been a busy week in the office. Thank you to those who turned in raffle tickets. Our overall total is up to $3,615. That’s a little over half way to our goal of $7,000. (Although, I’d like to blow that number out of the park.) There are two more turn in dates: Tuesday, Feb. 21st and Monday Feb. 27th. Please do your best to sell your allotted tickets. The Kevin Lommel family has brought in $700 and the Knier family is in second place with $600 . The Eiynks have turned in $550. Who wants to challenge these families for top seller???? I have more tickets in the office if you need them.
The fundraising committee met last night. Here is what we need from you:
*Dinner reservations: The deadline to turn in dinner reservations is next Thursday. Are you planning on going??? It’s your school’s fundraiser.
*Set up help – We need people to help get tables set up. This task will begin after school on Friday, Feb. 24th. Come after work if you are able to help.
*Ticket collectors – We need two people to collect tickets and hand out auction paddles the night of the event. The door opens at 6:00 and dinner is at 7:30. If several people offer to help, we can split the job so no one has to do it the whole time.
*Bar servers – Do you know anyone who could help us in this area?
*Clean up – Decorations need to come down and tables need to be put away at the end of the night. Are you willing to stay and help? We are also looking for people to run the dishwasher after dinner.
*TV trays – Does anyone have any we can borrow? We are also looking to borrow sports related serving bowls etc.
To help market our school, we have been invited to speak at the masses at St. Anne’s in Kimball on the week of March 4th – 5th. We are looking for families who would be willing to speak on our behalf. A scrip can be written for you if you’d like. We would also set up an informational table for people to see and hopefully ask questions. Their masses are Saturday evening at 5:00 and Sunday morning at 8:00. Please consider helping us with this task. Don’t wait for someone else to volunteer. We need your help to keep our school going.
Our open house was quite successful. We are sure to fill our available spots in the preschool. (Existing families are secured a spot.) Our board of education has voted to offer a Tuesday-Thursday preschool program. Ms. Fleegel has agreed to teach that program as well. (YEAH!!!) Spread the word.
Emily Knier, the sister of preschooler Brady, is working on a Confirmation service project and would like our help. She is holding a food drive. For the next couple weeks, she is asking families to donate nonperishable food items. You will find a box next to the office for your items to be places. Emily thanks you for your help with her service project.
Now for some sadder news. Dawn, our school cook, will be retiring at the end of the month. Initially her intent was to finish out the school year, but for personal reasons, she needs to leave at the end of the month. We have been looking for a replacement for several months, but we have not found anyone to replace her. (How can you replace Dawn, right?) I will continue to pray that God brings someone to us. We may have to resort to everyone bringing cold lunch for a while. I plan to continue serving breakfast though. I feel that is the most important meal of the day and should not be missed. (Don’t worry kids, you will still get your muffins on Wednesdays.) If you know anyone who would be perfect for this job, have them call me. I’d love to talk to them.
There is no school Feb. 17th or 20th. There is no bussing on the 21st. Parents will need to find transportation for Tuesday the 20th. The end of the trimester is Friday, Feb. 24th. How is your child doing with their AR goal? Conferences are scheduled for March 2nd.
That’s a lot of information. I hope you are willing to help in the areas needed. A school is only as good as it’s families and staff. And Together Everyone Accomplishes More! We can’t do it without your help.
Lynn Rasmussen
Parent Letter Friday, Feb. 3, 2017
Dear Parents,
Happy February! I hope your week was as good as ours. It was fun to see the kids dress up. Mass on Wednesday was phenomenal!! Cathedral did such a wonderful job with the mass and getting everyone seated. There were 2,200 students celebrating mass with the Bishop. Thank you, Bella Weisen, for volunteering to serve. You did a great job.
There’s a lot going on this month, so please read this letter carefully. Next Monday is another turn-in day for the Catholic Financial raffle. Please put money and tickets in a sealed envelope with your family name on it. Having the tickets in numerical order with ticket numbers written down is helpful too. The deposit after the first turn-in day was $2,320. We have three families battling for the top selling family. The Eiynks brought in $550, the Kniers $500, and the Kevin Lommel family brought in $400. I have plenty of tickets available for families who need more. Let’s keep selling!!!!! Top selling family gets an Kindle Fire and a day off from school with no homework.
I am sending dinner ticket reservation forms home with all of you. We need to have all reservations booked by Friday, Feb. 17th, so don’t delay. Let me know if you need extra forms. I can send them home or email them to you. It promises to be a fun night. (and we’re raising money for our school at the same time.) We have a popcorn machine and a basketball game that need to be put together in the next 2 weeks. Anyone out there handy enough (and has time) to help put them together?
If you are interested in donating to the silent auction, I have a few ideas for you. We have a very generous couple who have donated several household kitchen items. Some of these include: an Omega Juicer, a Hot Dog Roller (like at the gas station only smaller), an electric skillet, A stainless steel stock pot, a roasting pan and rack, a coffee percolator, and a Kenmore counter top mixer. Any or all of these could use items to enhance the value and aesthetics of the basket. For example: The percolator could use coffee cups and coffee. The electric skillet could maybe have utensils and pot mitts. Please let me know if you would like to contribute to any of these baskets.
Next Friday we are playing book bingo. We are asking for donations of gently used books for the prizes. If you have any, you can give them to your classroom teacher.
Next Wednesday, Feb. 8th, there will be a meeting for parents of children who will be receiving their First Communion. The meeting is at 7:00 at MIC in Rockville. If you are unable to attend, please contact Kathy, the parish secretary, at 251-6944.
Next week we will begin taking the NWEA tests in reading and math. Check with classroom teachers for specific days. We want the children to have sharp minds, so make sure they are well rested and fed. (Or, we can feed them here.)
I think that covers it all. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.
Lynn Rasmussen
Parent Letter Friday, Jan. 27, 2017
Hello Parents,
It’s hard to believe that January is almost over. Sunday begins our week for celebrating Catholic Schools. I invite all of you to join us for church on Sunday (9:00 mass) as we kick off Catholic Schools’ Week. Mrs. Lund and the children will be singing in the choir loft. Our students will be participating in the liturgy. What a wonderful way to celebrate our faith and this school.
Last week I sent home the list of activities for next week. I will briefly go over them again. Monday is pajama day. The kids can come dressed in their jammies. Tuesday is Crazy 8’s day. (This is a favorite for many) We get to dress all wacky and make our hair crazy. We go to Cathedral on Wednesday for all school mass with the Bishop. The kids are asked to wear their new school shirts. It’s also Guess Who day. With everyone dressed the same, the only way to tell us apart are our faces. So, let’s cover our faces with masks and make the day interesting. The Dollar Store has Mardi Gras masks. (And they’re only a dollar!!!) Or, get creative and make your own mask. We do ask that the masks not be full face masks. Thursday is career day. Ms. Fleegel is looking for adults to come in and share their career with the kids. If you are interested, email Ms. Fleegel at mfleegel@stwendelins.org. The kids can get creative and dress for the future. What do they want to be when they grow up??? Friday we will be playing Battleship together. Each classroom is asked to wear a certain color. Preschoolers are Red, K-1 are blue, 2/3 are purple, and the 4/5 group wears green.
It is registration time. You will find a half sheet reservation form in your family envelope. I ask that you fill this out ASAP, and return it to school. We need to start thinking about next year, so we need to know who plans to return next year.
February is “I Love to Read” Month. On February 10th, we plan to play book bingo. We are taking donations of used books to use for prizes. If you have books that your child has read, and no longer want, we will take them for bingo. Books can be brought to the office starting next week.
I have three additional attachments with this week’s letter. 2 from Cathedral and 1 with movie and Library activities. If you have not returned your permission slip for our trip to Cathedral, please do so on Monday. Let me know if you need a new form. I can email it to you. Have a great weekend.
Lynn Rasmussen
Parent Letter Jan. 20, 2017
Hello Parents,
January is just flying by. It has been a glorious week with much warmer temperatures. Recess has been a lot of fun.
I am sending home the flyer for Catholic Schools’ week which is January 29th - February 3rd. Please take a look at it as there are dress up days. On Thursday, Feb. 2nd, we will be having a career day from 12:45-2:00. We are looking for parents, grandparents, aunts, or uncles to come and share their profession with the students. If you are interested, please contact Ms. Fleegel at mfleegel@stwendelins.org. Wednesday, of that week, is Guess Who day. Students can wear a mask. We ask that the mask not be a full face mask. The dollar store has Mardi Gras masks that would work great. Or if the kids want to be creative, they can make their own mask. We also ask that the kids wear their school shirts which will be coming home with them today.
The sacrament of Reconciliation will be held on Saturday, Jan. 28th for all second graders who have been preparing for this sacrament. The three cluster parish will come together at St. Wendelin’s Church for a 9:30 sacramental event. You have one week to finish your home study work, if you have not done so yet.
How are the raffle ticket sales going? January 30th will be the first turn in date. Please put all tickets and money in a sealed envelope with your family name on the front. Use your family envelope to transport it to school. I’d rather not have money and tickets placed on my desk. (Have you seen my desk???) When you run out of tickets, come see me. I have several books left to sell.
On Wednesday, Feb. 1st, we will be joining the other Catholic Community Schools for an All-School Mass to celebrate our Catholic schools. Cathedral High School will host the event. A permission slip can be found in your family envelope. Please make sure it is signed and returned to school by next Friday.
Ms. Fleegel and Ms. Danzeisen are working on a project for the kids to contribute to for the February 25th fundraiser. We have two 24” wooden high top counter chairs that the kids will personalize. We would like a small table to go with it. Do you know anyone that’s handy with wood or has a small high top table they’d like to donate? Let Ms. Fleegel or Ms. Danzeisen know if you do.
Open house is Feb. 2nd at 6:00. We welcome children of all ages to tour the building and meet the teaching staff. Let your friends and family know. We want to grow our school in all grades, not just preschool.
I think that’s it for this week. I hope you get the chance to get out and enjoy the warmer weather. I am heading to the cities for a long overdue Christmas with some of my siblings and their families. 5 out of 8 siblings will be there. Not a bad turn out.
Lynn Rasmussen
Parent Letter January 13, 2017
Hello All,
It was another busy week at school. The kids did a great job at St. Scholastica. The Sisters were very pleased with their performance and happy to have the students there. For those of you who know Sr. Marius, she is doing well. It was very nice to see her. I miss her deeply.
Today was the kick-off for the Catholic United Financial raffle. Each family has been given 40 tickets to sell. We ask that you do your best to sell them all. But, I encourage you to go beyond the 40 tickets and sell, sell, sell!!! I have plenty of extra tickets in the office. The family with the most tickets sold receive a Kindle Fire from Catholic United. We, at school, are giving those kids a day off from school with no make-up work!!! That’s right, you don’t have to do any of the work that was given that day. (Unless it’s a test.) The more tickets sold, the more money our school makes. The top three schools who average the most tickets sold per student will receive a $3,000 grant. (Let’s try to win this!) The tickets are $5 a piece, and every penny of that money stays here at school. Our goal is to raise $7,000.
All the tickets are numbered and must be accounted for at the end of the raffle. I am sending home turn-in slips that I’d like you to use when turning in tickets. There are three turn-in slips on one sheet. If you need more than that, let me know. All money must be handed in for tickets sold. Please try to keep your tickets in numerical order. It will make my job of recording much easier. There are four scheduled turn-in dates. Please keep to these dates when turning in tickets/money. The dates are: Jan. 30th, Feb. 6th, Feb. 21st, and the final turn in date is Feb. 27th. The winners will be drawn on March 9th. I am sending home a flyer with the list of prizes. The top prize is a 2017 Jeep Compass or $20,000. Let’s make it our year to win the big prize (again) and raises lots of money for our school. Our budget is counting on it!!! Please don’t hesitate to ask questions regarding the raffle.
ON TO OTHER BUSINESS…
There is no school on Monday, Jan. 16th and there is no bussing on Tuesday the 17th. Please make arrangements to transfer your child/ren to and from school. After care is available for anyone having trouble with pick up at the end of the day.
SPREAD THE WORD… We are having open house on Thursday, Feb. 2nd at 6:00. Perspective families/students can come and tour the school and meet the teachers. We will be having a light supper as well. If you know of a family that is interested, or are the right age (preK-6th grade), let me know. I will send them an invitation. It’s never too late to make the switch.
Is anyone interested in selling raffle tickets at the breakfast this Sunday? It’s a good way to sell your allotted tickets. Let me know and I’ll make sure there’s a table set up for you.
I think that’s it for this week. Have a great weekend. Let’s hope the temperature warms up next week. The kids are aching to get outside.
Lynn Rasmussen
Parent Letter Friday, Jan. 6, 2017
Happy New Year Everyone!!!
Our new year has started out great at school. Everyone seems to have adjusted well to being back in school. We went through the Christmas play today to ready us for our trip to St. Scholastica next Wednesday. I am sending home permission slips to those who have not handed them in. Please have the kids dress as they did for the evening show. Angels wear a white/light colored shirt. Preschoolers wear black/dark colors. All others dress cool as the temperature at St. Scholastica is usually warm.
I am also sending home tax forms for tuition and aftercare. Some may have a January payment on their form. Human error is possible, so please look over the forms to see if the amount paid seems correct.
Next Friday kicks off the Catholic United Financial Raffle. I feel very fortunate to be a part of this raffle. Catholic united provides all the prizes. Each raffle ticket is $5.00, and every penny of that money, from tickets we sell, stays in our building. This year’s top prize is a 2017 Jeep Compass or $20,000. Other prizes are: a dream vacation, A Wisconsin Dells package, Family Museum and hotel package, Twins ticket package, iPad pro, Cabela’s gift card, Amazon Fire media play with prime subscription, a family game package, and Visa gift cards. Every family will be given 40 tickets to sell, but we don’t want you to stop there. There is a prize for the top selling family. (I haven’t heard what that is yet, but I will know by next week.) I hope you can bring out the competitive part of you and work toward being that top selling family. The benefit it yours as well as the schools. I will have more information for you next week.
Mrs. Drewitz will be stopping by next Wednesday to pick up any shoes we have collected for her. Take some time this weekend and clean out your closets. I bet you have shoes you don’t wear any more or don’t fit your children.
Some of the students were brave and went outside for recess. Thank you Kevin Lommel for offering to take them out. I stayed inside with the ones that chose to by warm. I hope next week brings warmer temperatures. Make sure the kids have their winter gear. Have a wonderful weekend.
Lynn Rasmussen
Parent Letter Dec. 30,2016
Hello Parents and Happy New Year!!
I hope you had a wonderful Christmas with family and friends and have something fun planned for the new year celebration.
Class will resume on Tuesday, January 3rd. January promises to be a busy month. Please take note of the upcoming events:
Thursday, Jan. 5: Fundraiser meeting at 7:00 in library.
Friday, Jan. 6: Free throw contest sponsored by the Knights of Columbus. All
students 9 years old or older are welcome to take part in this activity.
Let me know if you need a registration form.
Wednesday, Jan 11: We will be taking the Christmas program to St. Scholastica.
Permission slips went home before Christmas. Additional forms will
go out this week for anyone who has not turned theirs in. We are
missing a preschool star from the night of the program. We will need it for the program if it’s still in good shape.
Friday, Jan. 13: Catholic United Financial Raffle begins. More information soon.
Monday, Jan. 16: No School – Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebrated.
Tuesday, Jan. 17: No Bussing – St. Cloud schools have staff dev’t.
Sunday, Jan. 29: Catholic Schools’ Week begins.
Thursday, Feb. 2: All Catholic Community Schools will gather at Cathedral for
mass. Open House scheduled for 6:00. Spread the word!!!
That’s what is up and coming. I will elaborate on the individual events as the time gets closer. I hope you have a fun New year’s celebration. We will see your children next week.
Lynn Rasmussen
Parent Letter: Friday, Dec. 16, 2016
Happy Friday Everyone!
The clock is ticking. It’s almost show time. The kids have been working hard to be ready for next Monday and Tuesday performance. We’ve been practicing at church this week. There’s an issue with one of the furnaces in church, so it’s been a bit chilly over there.
Monday’s dress rehearsal will be at 1:00 in church. Tuesday’s performance is at 7:00p.m. Students should arrive at school no earlier than 6:30 on Tuesday. The children will return to school after the performance, with their teacher, to undress. You can pick your children up at school after the performance. We are looking for help to put church back in order after the show. We will begin the deconstruction immediately after the program. Please review last week’s letter to see what your child should wear for the performances. We would like the kids to dress for the performance both Monday and Tuesday night.
I want to thank those of you who have sent in ingredients for our retreat day project. We should have enough flour and brown and white sugar. We are still in need of dried cranberries, pecans or walnuts, and quick oats. Don’t forget that each child needs a quart size mason jar (with lid). Please let me know, by Monday, if you do not have a jar for them to use. This project will be done on Wednesday.
Save the Date: The spring fundraiser is Feb. 25th (Okay, so it’s not quite spring yet.) We are taking donations for both the silent and live auction. The theme is Minnesota sports Spectacular. The evening will run similar to last year. There will be a dinner with silent and live auction. Tickets are $35/ea. Tickets are available now in case you are looking for a last minute Christmas gift. The next planning meeting will be Thursday, Jan. 5th at 7:00. It’s not too late to join the committee. Have you done your part in the fundraising for this year?
On January 11th, we will be heading back to St. Scholastica to give our Christmas program to the retired sisters. I am sending a permission slip home today. There is no cost for the trip.
The Knights of Columbus hold a free throw contest every year. Children age 9-14 can participate. They will be coming to St. Wendelin on Friday, Jan. 6th to hold our portion of the competition. Registration forms are in the family envelope. I encourage all eligible students to give it a try. It’s a fun experience.
Well, I hear there is snow creeping in. I hope you all stay safe and warm this weekend. Have a great weekend.
Lynn Rasmussen
Parent Letter Friday, Dec. 9, 2016
This week’s letter promises to be short. I only have a couple areas to cover.
- Pizza Ranch fundraiser – The knights of Columbus are holding a fundraiser at the Pizza Ranch next Monday, Dec. 11th from 5:00-8:00. Come for dinner, and mention the K of C and they will receive a percentage of your sale. They will be donating their proceeds to our school and St. Mary Help of Christian school in St. Augusta.
- Program Attire – The students have been fitted for their costumes. Check with your child if you are unaware of their part in the play. We ask that the following be worn at both the dress rehearsal on Monday, Dec. 19th and the evening program on Tuesday, Dec. 20th.
Shepherd/kings/animals – Light weight clothing is recommended under costume. They tend to get hot
during the program.
Preschool stars – Black/dark long sleeve clothing would look best. They are wearing cardboard stars.
(Short sleeves are fine if you don’t have long.)
As promised, short and sweet. Have a great weekend. Stay warm.
Lynn Rasmussen
Parent Letter Friday, Dec. 2, 2016
Hello Parents,
Happy December!! I hope the month has started off well for you. We are busy at school getting ready for the Christmas program and fitting in a subject or two of learning. The program will be Dec. 20th at 7:00 in church. There will be a dress rehearsal on Dec. 19th at 1:00. All are invited to either or both performance. The program will be about a half hour.
The Knights of Columbus is holding a fundraiser for St. Wendelin School and St. Mary Help of Christian. They are having it at the Pizza Ranch on Dec. 12th. Come for dinner between 5:00-8:00, and the KCs will receive a percentage of the sale for the evening. All you have to do is mention the KC fundraiser and put your receipt in the bucket. It’s a Monday night, and who likes to cook on a Monday night??? Last year Santa was there. I wonder if he’s show up this year?!?!
The community said good-bye to a fine man this week. John Notch passed away on Sunday. You may have seen him, over the years, riding the lawn mower as he would cut the school/church’s grass. His wife Pat was our first aftercare supervisor, and his daughter Monica was a teacher and principal at St. Wendelins. Many of John’s grandchildren graduated from St. Wendelin School. I pray for the family as they mourn the loss of John. I’m sure the lawn will never look as good as it did when John took care of it.
I am placing scrip order forms in your envelopes again. I encourage you to take advantage of this program. You all have that person you don’t know what to buy. Why not give them a gift card to Target, Walmart, Kohls, or Penneys and let them decide. We have several dining places available. We have Applebee’s, Red Robin, Olive Garden or Red Lobster, and Texas Roadhouse. We also have Wendy’s, Arby’s, Chipotle, and Caribou Coffee. For that book lover, we have $10 $ $25 gift cards for Barnes and Noble. Those are just some of the cards I have on hand. You could order Amazon, Shutterfly, Kwik Trip, Herbergers, CVS, or Walgreens to name a few. Let me help make your shopping easier. Orders can be filled the same day if they are cards I have in stock, so don’t wait too long. You will want to get it while supplies last. I will attach the extended vender’s list to the email so you can see all the options you have.
The kids are praying for snow. That first snow fall has put them in the mood to play in the snow. For their sake, I hope we get some soon. (I can’t believe I just said that. I must really love these kids.)
Have a great weekend.
Lynn Rasmussen
parentnt Letter Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2016
Happy Thanksgiving!!! I am thankful for all of you and the wonderful children that you are raising. I feel blessed to be a part of this amazing school. I pray your thanksgiving is filled with plenty of food, laughs and love.
Next Wednesday is picture retake day. Please let me know, prior to Wednesday, if you plan to have your child’s picture retaken. Make sure you return the original packet of pictures.
Report cards will be found in the family envelope. Please look them over and return them to school signed. Contact your classroom teacher if you have any questions regarding your child’s grade.
Advent begins on Sunday. We will be gathering weekly to remember the important people in the nativity story. Our first week will focus on Mary and how she said yes to God. The children will be given the chance to share ways they say yes to God throughout Advent. We will have a Christmas tree set up displaying their acts of love.
Mrs. Lund will continue to prepare the students for the Christmas program on Dec. 20th. The program will be held in church at 7:00. We will have a dress rehearsal on Monday, Dec. 19th at 1:00. All are welcome to join us for either/both of these shows.
Thank you for preparing your children for the weather. They have already begun rolling large snow balls. Forts and Frosties are starting to take form. I inventoried what the school had for extra snow pants, hats, and mittens. If, for some reason, your son or daughter forgets their snow pants, we may have a spare they can borrow. I brought a few pairs that used to be my girls. I have a size 5/6 (Pants) and size 14/16 (Bibs) if anyone would like them for a second pair. Just let me know. I will give them to the first who asks.
Well, that should be it for this week. I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving, and good luck to all the black Friday shoppers.
Lynn Rasmussen
Parent Letter Friday, Nov. 11, 2016
Hello Parents,
It has been another beautiful week outside. I’m sure it will end soon. When it does, please make sure your child is ready. Pull out the coats, hats, and mittens, because the cold will be here soon. Do they have winter boots and snow pants that fit? Once snow is on the ground, all winter gear will be mandatory. I’m hoping we have plenty of time before we need this, but you never know.
Next Friday is the end of the quarter. It will also be our accelerated reading reward day. We plan to have a movie in the gym with popcorn and all sorts of delicious goodies to add to it. This will be for all the students who made their AR goal. There’s still time for your child to make their goal. All they have to do is read!!! (Let me know if your child doesn’t like popcorn. I will find a different treat for them.)
The Luxemburg Lions are hosting Turkey Bingo next Friday in Mary Hall. It’s starts at 6:30. There will be snacks and beverages available. Come out and support the Lions and maybe will a turkey or two.
There is no bussing on Wednesday, Nov. 23rd. The district is not in session. We have aftercare for $8.00/day if you can’t pick them up after school. Report cards will also come home on the 23rd. School will not be in session Nov. 24th – 25th.
In your family envelope is a letter from Jessica Drewitz, our former 1st/2nd grade teacher. She and her husband Jeremy hope to adopt a child and would like our help. They are looking for new or gently used shoes of any size or style. These shoes will go to a third world country through a program called Funds2Org. Jessica and Jeremy receive money for the shoes they ship. This money will go toward their adoption fees. I will collect shoes for them here. If you have shoes that no longer fit or are out of style, bring them to school and I will pass them on to the Drewitz.
We will be holding a food drive all next week. All nonperishable items are accepted. The food will be donated to Catholic Charities. A table will be set up in the hall. It’s a good time to inventory your cupboards, and give a little of what you have to someone with much less.
There will be a fundraising meeting next Thursday at 7:00. We will meet in the library. Is it your turn to help out with a fundraiser?
That’s all for this week. Good luck to the hunters. Stay safe. I hope you bring home a big one. They are predicting another sunny weekend, so I hope you can get out and enjoy it. Thank you, God, for this beautiful fall weather.
Lynn Rasmussen
Parent Letter Friday, Nov. 4, 2016
Hello Parents,
Well, we made it through the Halloween craziness. The kids were so cute in their costumes. I hope they are sharing their candy with you.
Today was picture day. If your child was absent, we will have retakes on Nov. 30th. Don’t forget there is no school on Monday. The teachers and I are working with the other CCS schools to write goals and scales for our math curriculum.
The end of the trimester is Nov. 18th. All accelerated reading goals are expected to be met by then. Please check with your child/ren to see how they are doing on their reading. Report cards will go out Nov. 23rd.
The 4th and 5th graders would like to head up a food drive to be collected during November. We will collect food from the 8th – 18th. Any nonperishable food items, as well as personal hygiene products, are being accepted. A table will be set up in the hall for your donations to be displayed.
I have another opportunity for you to give to those less fortunate. Holy Cross is taking part in Operation Christmas Child. They are collecting craft items, small toys, hair accessories, school supplies, or sewing kits to put in shoe boxes for needy children. They cannot take any liquids, food, or breakable items. If you are interested in contributing to this cause, I have a box in the hall to collect items. They are assembling the boxes on Nov. 18th, so I would need to get our contribution to them by Thursday, Nov. 17th.
Mark your calendar: The Luxemburg Lions are having their annual Turkey Bingo on Friday Nov. 18th. They will play from 6:30-8:00.
Shelly Berger has found a way to recycle dried up markers. Please read the attachment included in this email.
Black Friday is just around the corner. It’s time to start thinking about Christmas shopping. I will put in a scrip order for anyone interested in purchasing gift cards to use for their Christmas shopping. Go to shopwithscrip.com to view the entire list of venders that participate in the program. (Or, I have the entire list here.) I have access to Kohls, JC Penneys, Shopko, Target, Walmart, Best Buy, Burlington Coat Factory, Bed Bath and Beyond, Bath and Body, Claires, CVS, Gander Mountain, Amazon, Shutterfly, Gap, Herbergers, Menards, Fleet Farm, Home Depot, Sears, T.J. Max, and Walgreens to name a few. We also have numerous restaurant options as well. I will place the order on Wednesday, Nov. 16th to ensure it arrives by the 23rd. The school receives anywhere from 3%-13% on each dollar sold, so please consider purchasing scrip. I will place another order in December if you are looking for Christmas gift ideas.
I am not sending home the family envelope unless you are in need of breakfast/lunch money. I’m sure many of you will be out hunting this weekend. I pray you stay safe and have good aim. Enjoy the beautiful weekend God is blessing us with.
Lynn Rasmussen
Hello Parents, Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2016
It’s a short week for us at school. I hope you have something fun to do as a family. I will thank you, in advance, for coming to conferences tonight. It is good for both teacher and parent to touch base with each other. After all, we share the same interest…your children. Please remember, you don’t have to wait until the next conference to check on your child’s progress. You can call, email, or stop in any time.
I want to welcome Rylee Kenning, and her parents Bill and Molly, to our school family. Rylee has joined our 5th grade class. I hope her first couple days of school went well. We look forward to getting to know them throughout the school year.
I am not sending home family envelopes this week. I have given a few families permission slips as a reminder to hand them in. I also sent out lunch/breakfast ticket reminders to a couple families.
A reminder that there is no bussing next Friday, Oct. 28th. Parents will need to transport students to and from school. Aftercare is available for anyone who is unable to pick their children up at 2:30. The cost for the day is $8.00.
Another reminder: There will be a fund raising planning meeting for our February 25th fundraiser. Come with your idea of a fun evening. We will meet at 7:00 in the library.
This letter is short and sweet like our school week. I will not be in the building on Monday. I am off to Las Vegas with some college friends to celebrate us turning 21. (For the 30th time) I am looking forward to the 80 degree weather. Have a great weekend.
Lynn Rasmussen
Hello Parents, Friday, Oct. 14, 2016
Happy Friday! Another week of learning is behind us. The teachers look forward to visiting with you next Wednesday at conferences. Please make sure you notify your teacher if you are unable to attend conferences. And don’t forget; there is no school next Thursday or Friday.
There is another permission slip in the family envelope. On Oct. 31st we are taking a trip to St. Scholastica to spend some time with the retired Sisters. They have invited us out to sing some songs and visit. Students are welcome to wear their Halloween costumes to school. Our 4th and 5th graders will dress as their patron saint and share their saint reports. They can change into a costume after if they wish. It will be a quick visit from 10:00-11:00. There is no cost for this trip. Check with classroom teachers to see if a class party will take place.
Have you handed in your permission slip for our trip to the Paramount? If not, please do so next week. The cost is $7.00.
November 4th is picture day. Order forms are in your family envelope. I recommend you check out mylifetouch.com for more picture options. Your picture day ID is found on the order form and will need to be used with online orders. You don’t have to settle for just one pose or background when you order online. It’s fast and easy. You pay online, so your child doesn’t need to bring anything to school but their smile. I use the online option with my girls, and I find it very easy to use.
The date is set for our other major fundraiser. It will be February 25th. Holy Cross’s event is April 22nd, so we wanted to stay away from their date. I am scheduling a Oct. 27thth planning meeting to determine what the event will look like. We will meet at 7:00 at school. Please consider being a part of the planning committee. The more people involved, the more success the event will be. We will start gathering silent auction items, so if you have something
Our 4th and 5th graders ventured out of the building to help Janet and Leon Kieke with some of their yard work. Janet was our computer specialist for many years. As a class, they brain stormed a list of service projects they could do throughout the year. I am very proud of these boys and girls. They asked to do this. Most of the projects will involve the whole school. All school projects are my favorite. The older kids are so good with the little ones.
It’s supposed to be a nice weekend. I hope this fall weather hangs on for another month or so. There’s no Vikings game on Sunday, so I guess I will finish up the yard work. Have a great weekend.
Lynn Rasmussen
Hello Parents, Friday, Sept.. 30th,
2016
Well, our first month is behind us. I have to say, you have really great children. I watch the older children play and help our little ones. We don’t even have to ask them to help. The teachers brag about how good their classes are. Thank you for bringing up such wonderful children and sharing them with us.
October will be a busy month. On Friday, October 7th, the St. Augusta Fire Department will be stopping out to discuss fire safety. They will be doing a simulation with our 4th and 5th graders. Without the children’s knowledge, they will use smokers to smoke out their classroom and the hallway. They will have to find their way out of the building in the smoke. We did this several years ago, and found the drill very beneficial. Our younger children will participate in the fire drill, but they will not experience the full effect of the smoke. Please do not tell your child about this activity. It is more productive if they do not know.
We have several sweatshirts left over from the kickball tournament this past weekend. We also have a few t-shirts. We are selling the sweatshirts for $20 and the t-shirts for $10. I have attached a picture of the sweatshirts. Let me know if you are interested in buying one. A spreadsheet of what is available is also included in this email.
The weather wasn’t in our favor on Saturday, but it still was a fun day. The teams were good sports as they played in the drizzle all morning. The profit for the day is still a mystery. There are a few outstanding bills that need to be paid. I will let you know our profit when the information is giving to me. I want to thank all of you for your help and support on this event.
We will spend one more week taking the NWEA tests. Our 3rd-5th graders have completed their testing. The K-2nd graders still need to finish. The preschoolers have also been going through some testing. I have enjoyed helping Ms. Fleegel with this task.
This weekend the Collegeville Orchard is having their fall festival. There will be live music, face/pumpkin paining, cider demonstrations, and wagon rides. Oh, and they have a petting zoo too. It is a fun place to take your children. My teenagers even enjoy going out there to pick their pumpkins, buy some apples, and see the alpacas and other animals. Many of these activities are available every weekend, so don’t worry if you can’t make it on Saturday. Check out their website or Facebook page for more information.
Everyone is receiving a car window cling with our school logo. Let me know if you’d like a second one. If you do not wish to put one on your car, leave the sticker in your family envelope.
Mark your calendar:
~There is no school on October 20th & 21st.
~On Wednesday, Oct. 26th we will be taking the school to the Paramount to see “Charlie and
the Chocolate Factory”. Permission slips will go out next week. We are asking the families to pay the ticket cost of $7.00. The school will cover the cost of the bus.
~There is no bussing on Friday, Oct. 28th.
~On Monday, Oct. 31st we will be taking the kids to St. Scholastica to share some songs and
information about Saints with the Sisters living there. The children will be allowed to wear their Halloween costumes that day. I will send more information, regarding this field trip, as the date gets closer.
Well, that’s about it for this week. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. I am spending Saturday, with my old neighbor, making salsa. It should be a fun day.
Lynn Rasmussen
Friday, Oct. 16, 2016
Hello Parents,
Next week we will begin testing the students in reading and math. We use the NWEA MAP tests. These are done on the computer and are not timed. We encourage the children to take their time and do their best work. Often they try to hurry to be the first one done. This kind of behavior does not allow us to get an accurate score of their abilities. Check with the classroom teacher to see what day your child/ren will be testing. We test students in grades
K-6.
On Wednesday, our school nurse will be coming to test the 1st and 3rd graders hearing and vision. She will also test the 5th graders’ vision and the kindergarten boys for color blindness.
Second graders, who will be receiving the sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Eucharist, are asked to participate in faith formation through the parish. There will be a $10 charge for the books use to prepare your child for these sacraments. Contact Kathy Anderson, at the parish office, for more information 251-6944.
That’s it for this week. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.
Lynn Rasmussen
Principal
Friday, Sept. 9, 2016
Dear Parents,
Happy Friday! I hope the kids are adjusting to getting up in the morning. I know it was a little rough for me this morning. Next week will be the big challenge as it will be our first full week.
Our preschoolers joined us on Wednesday. I am impressed at how well they are adjusting to being in school. I think it was harder on the parents than the children. I look forward to watching them grow and become more independent.
I want to thank those of you who came to parent night on Wednesday. We feel that communication home is very important. Kids don’t always share, with parents, what they are doing in school. When asked, “How was your day?” You might get a simple “Good” or “Fine” for your answer. We encourage you to continue asking about their day, and check their school bags for returned work. Do not hesitate to contact myself or your child’s teacher if you have any questions or concerns.
The Kick and Toss Extravaganza is only two weeks away. If you have any Wheel Barrel of Beer tickets sold, they can be handed in to the office. The wheel barrel is on display at Delux Liquor. It is in need of some beer. You can talk to Thais, at Delux Liquor, if you are interested in donating to this raffle prize. It was brought to my attention that the workers’ list was missing the last shift. Holly Symanietz is revising the list and will be sending it out to me. I will email it to all of you when I get it. I apologize for any confusion this caused.
As we move into the fall season, the mornings will be cooler. Most of the kids go outside for a morning recess. I suggest sending a sweatshirt or jacket with your kids for those cooler mornings. They are welcome to leave them here if they’d like.
That’s it for this week. Family envelopes will be coming home, but there may not be anything more than a scrip order form in it. Please remember to send it back to school every Monday. Have a great weekend.
Lynn Rasmussen
Principal
Parent Letter: Sept. 1, 2016
Hello Parents,
Well, our first three days were a success. I am truly thrilled to have your children back in the building. Their hugs are pricelessJ Next week we will be joined by our preschoolers. (It just keeps getting better.) Don’t forget there is no school tomorrow or Monday.
I want to thank you for getting your paperwork to me in a timely matter. I have been going through it and will let you know if I need anything else from you. We will continue to use the family envelope for transporting paper information, so please remember to send it back to school on Mondays. I will send home lunch/breakfast money reminders as needed. Please use the purple slips when sending a check for multiple purposes or indicate the amounts in the memo part of the check.
We have parent night scheduled for next Wednesday, Sept. 7th. Parents are invited to come visit with the teachers to see what they have planned for your child/ren this year. It is a good time for you to ask any questions you may have. We have scheduled three meeting times for you to choose from. 6:00-6:20 / 6:20-6:40 / 6:40-7:00. If you are unable to attend any of these meetings, please contact your child’s teacher to get the information you missed.
A final fundraising meeting will be held on Thursday, Sept. 8th at 7:00. We will meet at the Hayloft. The wheel barrel of beer is set up at Delux Liquor. See Thais Kiffmeyer if you are interested in donating to the beer selection.
Phy-ed will be on Tuesdays and Thursdays again this year. Please remind your child to wear or bring, tennis shoes on those days.
Background checks are done every five years for anyone volunteering in the building. All volunteers must also undergo yearly safe environment training. This is found on the St. Cloud Diocese website. You will find the training under safe environment. Please take a few minutes to watch the video and answer a couple questions. Contact Lynn if you have any questions regarding the training.
I would like to encourage all of you to consider using our scrip program when doing your shopping. I have, on hand, gift card for various stores/restaurants in the St. Cloud area. I sell them at face value. Our school receives a percentage of the sale. We earn anywhere from 2% - 13% depending on the company. Whether you are doing your grocery shopping or a DIY project, we have cards for it all. The order form in your family envelope is only a small portion of what is available. Those are the cards I have on hand. If you go to shopwithscrip.com, you can view the entire list of possible venders. Give me a week, and I can get what you need. It’s a simple way to help the school without spending any more that you already are. (They make good gifts too.)
This weekend the Luxemburg Lions are having their annual Labor Day burger sale. If you are around this weekend, these burgers are a must. They will be serving from 10:00-6:00 on Friday and Saturday. You will find them right here in the school parking lot. Come support our local Lion’s Club. They do a lot for our community.
I want to thank you for sharing your children with us. I am confident that it will be a great year. A shout out to Father Ron who celebrated his birthday yesterday! Blessing and prayers to him for another year of good health and happiness. Have a fun and safe Labor Day weekend.
Lynn Rasmussen
Principal
Friday, August 12, 2016
Happy Friday Everyone,
I can't believe school starts in 18 days? Are you ready? Have you gotten all your supplies? The teachers are anxious to get in their rooms now that they have been thoroughly cleaned. The quiet of the building is over. It's back to work for the teachers.
We have made some changes to the dynamics of our classrooms. What is best for our students is most important to us. With small class sizes, the combining of grades makes the learning experience more viable. The teachers and I feel the grouping below benefits all our children.
*Preschool is taught by Megan Fleegel ( phy ed and computer too)
*Kindergarten and first grade will combine and be taught by Nikki Fischer
*Second and third grade will combine and be taught by Mrs. Holzheimer
*Fourth and fifth will combine and be taught by our new teacher Ali Danzeisen. I am excited to get to know Ali. I can tell already that she has a lot to offer to St. Wendelin School.
Don't forget open house is August 25th with August 30 being our first day of school for grades K-5. The 4th/5th grade room will be Mrs. Drewitz's old room. Make sure you stop by and meet/greet Ms. Danzeisen.
Preschool children will be joining us on Sept. 7th. I am very excited to meet our new little people. I bet they are excited to be start school.
Sept. 7th is also the date we scheduled for our parent night. We will have three time slots for you to hear, from your child's teacher, the expectations for the school year. The teachers will hold informational meetings, in their classrooms, at he following times:
6:00-6:20
6:20-6:40
6:40-7:00
And don't forget to save the date of Sept. 24th. That is the date for this years fall fundraiser. We are hosting kickball and bean bag tournaments. I'm already praying for a nice day. Spread the word, get your team together and plan to help out.
Good luck to all the families participating in the family tournament this weekend. Looks like the weather will be great!!
Have a great weekend. See you soon.
--
Lynn Rasmussen
Important Parent Information Letter August 10th, 2016
Open House - August 25th, 2016
We would like to invite everyone to our open house on Thursday, August 25th at 6:00 p.m. Families are asked to pick up your Family Envelope of forms and information. There will be an opportunity to view the classrooms and to visit with teachers at this time also. Our first day of school will be August 30th for grades K-6 with preschool starting on September 7th. I have enclosed a copy of the school calendar with this letter. You can also find it on our school website. Classroom supply lists are also found on the website.
Medication
All medications must include the doctor's name, the child's name, dosage, etc., in the original container. We allow no exceptions to this policy. If your child has a fever, vomiting, or diarrhea, she should stay home until 24 hours after they are symptom free without medication. If your child is placed on antibiotics, keep him/her home for a full 24 hours after the medication/symptoms start.
Busing
Bus schedules will be sent out by Spanier Bus. If you have any questions, please call them at 320-251-3313. If you are new to the area you will need to fill out a transportation request which can be picked up at the school or go online to ISD742.com, under "Departments, Transportations Service, Request Form." If your child is being bused to or from a child-care facility, you must complete the Child Care Transportation Request Form. This may be obtained from Spanier Bus. *** If your child will not be riding the bus, please call the school or send a note to your child's teacher in reference to the dates involved. It is our school policy that a student without a note, or a ride at the end of the day must ride the bus home.
United Way Designation to School Possible
If you would like to designate your United Way contribution to St. Wendelin's School, please indicate this on the designation section on your pledge card. We are a non-profit recipient and it is tax deductible.
Breakfast and Lunch
We encourage our students to participate in our hot lunch program. Our school lunch program is on an "offer vs. serve" basis. This means that of the five components offered, the student must select at least three. The components are:
1 component.......... meat or protein food 1 component........... milk
1 component.......... bread 2 components.......... 1/2 cup vegetable and/or fruit
If your child is unable to take milk please send a note stating this.
After Care
Enrollment forms will be available at Open House. After Care will be available the first day of school for students enrolled at Open House. Come prepared to sign up and pay for the first week. The charge is $8.00/day per child.
Assignment Books
Assignment books will be available to purchase at Open House for $4. Students in grades 2-5 will be asked to purchase an assignment book.
I am excited for this great new year!
See you at Open House!
Lynn Rasmussen
Principal
