All Saints Catholic School Communicator
Friday, January 22, 2021

All Saints Catholic School Communicator  - Friday, January 22, 2021 

Greetings All Saints Families!  

Nineteen weeks of school completed and very few Covid cases this week!  MAP assessments are entering our final week with positive results overall. This week we hope to have the ASCS Parent Group resume virtual meetings to help plan for the Spring.  Any parent interested is welcome to attend - Tuesday, January 26, 6:30 pm.  Zoom Meeting   https://vrtx.zoom.us/j/97600351298?pwd=UXl0NEVYUjRrWXdlQ2xXTm9IVmVYQT09  

Second Trimester Progress Reports will be emailed home on Monday evening. Please take a few minutes to review your student’s progress and to acknowledge your receipt of the report.

Many thanks to those who were able to continue distance learning this past week. Please email Mrs. Massoud if your student will be changing from on-site to remote or from remote to on-site for the coming week.  No communication is necessary if there is no change.

Covid -19 in New Bedford continues to surpass MA state averages, with 13.67% positivity - down from over 15% last week, but nearly double the current state average which is 6.85%! Some of the surrounding towns are even higher. Cases among children to age 19 in recent weeks continue to be among the highest affected groups.  For more details, check out https://www.mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-response-reporting.

As ASCS remains on-site, we continue to ask that students who are feeling ill, who may have been exposed to Covid, who have traveled within the past week, or who have engaged in large or unprotected group gatherings -  attend as distance learners. Please continue to be vigilant in taking precautions, as well as being forthcoming in notifying the school (Nurse Erin Costa and myself) if your student is exposed to Covid.

The Massachusetts Department of Health is no longer requiring that students be vaccinated against the influenza virus, but the DPH continues to strongly recommend that everyone age 6 months and older receive a seasonal flu vaccine each year.

Re-enrollment time is here!  Please note that the re-enrollment form and fee is due by February 8, 2021. If you are planning on enrolling a sibling new to ASCS, please contact Mrs. Camara for a registration form. Preference will be given to providing seats for siblings until February 8th. If you have questions or concerns, please contact Mrs. Massoud.

The revised tuition preference form and the revised tuition information sheet, both reflecting our new 12 month payment option were emailed last Wednesday.  Please be sure to return your tuition preference form as soon as possible. Re-enrollment forms were sent electronically and in paper form in the past weeks. Please contact Mrs. Camara if you need another copy.

FACE Scholarship Applications for 2021-2022  are open! Those who have applied for the current year have been contacted directly by FACE to reapply. If you feel you are in need of financial assistance please see https://www.face-dfr.org/how-to-apply/. Don’t delay!  Start your application now and upload 2020 tax documents later this winter.

Grade 8 News  This is the time of year when we begin to plan our year end celebrations for Grade 8 graduation.  We have 12 wonderful 8th graders who will be going on to area high schools next year!  A parent meeting to discuss graduation week is scheduled for Wednesday, February 24 at 6:30 pm. The link will be sent as the date draws closer. A few reminders:

• If your student is applying to GNBVT, Bishop Stang, or any other special school or program, be sure to provide the office with a records release form and to reach out to your school of choice about application procedures.  

• For those who have applied to GNBVT, your application portal will show that they are awaiting school records until after Trimester 2 report cards are issued.  All other documents and recommendations have already been submitted.

• For those who have applied to Bishop Stang, all records to date have been submitted.

• For those applying to area public high schools, you will need to reach out directly to those schools for enrollment information, and typically, unless you are applying for a special program they will not require student records until June.

• Next week, Grade 8 parents will be billed a $150 Graduation Fee through FACTS, which is traditionally a $200 fee to cover the costs associated with graduation. As we are fairly certain that a class trip will not be possible this year, the fee has been reduced.

• Finally, please remember that all financial obligations to the school must be met in order for your student to participate in graduation week activities and to receive their ASCS diploma. Please plan ahead so that this end of your student’s journey at ASCS is an enjoyable time for your family!  

NWEA MAP Testing - MAP Assessments continue this week. See instructions for distance learners below.  Mrs. Massoud will provide the session ID and password shortly before the test begins.

Monday:

12:30 pm - Grade 4 Science

12:30 pm - Grade 8 Science

 

Tuesday:

8:45 am - Grade 2  Math 

9:30 am - Grade 5 Science

12:15 am - Kindergarten Reading

 

Wednesday:

8:45 am - Grade 1  Math 

12:15 am - Kindergarten Math

 

Thursday:

Makeups for any assessments still missing

 

 

Notes for Parents of Distance Learners:

• All distance learners will need to log into Google Meet ascsmrsm a few minutes before the times listed above. Please be sure your microphone is muted.

• Provide a quiet testing environment - be sure your child has headphones (Grades K - 2 and those with documented accommodations) 

• Allow Mrs. Massoud to open the session first - a session ID and password will be provided a few minutes before testing begins.

• From a new tab log in at  https://test.mapnwea.org/#/nopopup

• Please don’t help your child with the content of the test.

• Make sure your student is on camera at Google Meet  ascsmrsm, Should your student get bounced out of the test or experience other difficulties, please reach out to me on Google Meet - or if necessary by phone - immediately.

Calendar Reminders: 

• February 1 - 6 Catholic Schools Week - details below

• February 8 - Open enrollment begins! ASCS will begin to accept new applicants.  Current families are reminded that re-enrollment forms and fee are due by this date in order to reserve the student’s seat in next year’s classes.

• February 15 - 19 - Winter Vacation - No school, No Ex Care

Catholic Schools Week Events!

Due to Covid restrictions, we are unable to gather with the parish community of St. Mary’s for our annual CSW Mass and there will be no on-site open house. Save the date (May 20) for what will hopefully be an on-site Spring Open House and Arts Festival! For the present we will celebrate Catholic Schools Week with our students. Here is a list of some of the special activities planned for the week of February 1st.  Our distance learners will be able to participate in most of the planned activities remotely, with the exception of PE.  Please note that teachers will have any special materials for Catholic Schools Week ready for pickup in the school lobby by 12 noon on Friday, January 29. A CSW schedule with links will be provided on January 29th as well.

• Monday, February 1- Celebrating Our Community

• Wear your favorite sports team shirt  or red, white or blue shirt with jeans & sneakers 

• Team building activities in PE – facilitated by Mr. Groh 

• Tuesday, February 2 - Celebrating Our Students
  • Wear regular uniform with a hat!
  • Gr 3 - 8 Mass 11 am
  • Faith based craft during religion classes

• Wednesday, February 3 - Celebrating Our Nation / Diversity

• Wear your favorite character shirt with jeans, sneakers & mismatched socks 

• Anja Indian Virtual Dance Assembly 12:30 pm 

• Thursday, February 4 - Celebrating Vocations

  • Wear your “jammies” with sneakers – no slippers!
  • Virtual Reading Buddies - P/Gr 3/7,  K /Gr 4/8, Gr 1 & 5, Gr 2 & 6  
  • Anja Indian Virtual Dance Workshops 12:30 pm Grades K - 2

• Friday, February 5 - Celebrating Faculty, Staff & Volunteers

  • Wear Spirit uniform with jeans & sneakers 
  • ABC Animals Virtual Experience - Preschool 9:30 am
  • Animals Around the World Virtual Experience - Kindergarten 12:30 pm
  • Virtual games afternoon! - Grades 1 - 8

Looking Ahead

ASCS Summer Program - It’s not too early to reserve child care for this summer!  Enrollment is limited, please see our website for details and registration. 

Supporting Our School

• The ASCS 2021 Annual Fund is focused on defraying the costs of the special items we have and will need to purchase to keep our school community safe and socially distanced.  To date we have spent over $11,000, which was not originally budgeted - our goal is $15,000. To date we have raised $3200 thanks to the generosity of our parents! Our Annual Fund link remains open for anyone who would like to contribute. Please note that the website has been adjusted to accept both Annual Fund and Outreach donations for whatever charity is currently supported -- for January it will be Your Options Medical ( formerly A Woman's Concern), which supports Pro-Life efforts in assisting young families in need. Donations will be billed to your FACTS Incidental Billing or you may send a check to the school. 

• When you shop at smile.amazon.com/ch/90-0748611, AmazonSmile donates to All Saints Catholic School! Please support our school as you shop! 

• BoxTops for Education - While the Box Tops program has shifted to on-line, it remains a booster to our school funds, without costing our families!  Please join the program and scan your receipts - 10 cent donation from products you buy can add up to hundred of dollars for ASCS!

• Stop & Shop Gift cards - We have these on site for purchase!  Please contact Mrs. Camara if you are interested. 5% of your purchase is credited to your Fundraising Fee.

• Shop With Scrip Program - see https://shop.shopwithscrip.com/ . Hundreds of gift cards available! This is a great way to support ASCS and earn back your Fundraising Fee! You may order and pay directly on-line or order on-line and pay the school. School payment orders are processed once per month. Our school # is  45CF5EE531292.  Next due date is February 4 .  

Important Links & Contacts:

• ASCS website: ascsnb.org.

• ASCS Calendar - http://ascsnb.org/calendar-1 

• Faculty and Staff Listing with emails: https://ascsnb.org/staff

• Learning Choices - On-site / Distance Learning / Hybrid -  https://ascsnb.org/2021-return

• Used uniform sales. Contact Mrs. Camara at 508-995-3696 or by email [email protected] 

• Purchasing new gym and spirit items from the school - https://ascsnb.org/gymwear-orders

• Purchase masks - https://ascsnb.org/mask-orders 

• 2021 Return and DESE links -https://ascsnb.org/2021-return

• NBPS menu for All Saints - see https://schools.mealviewer.com/district/NewBedfordPublicSchools,MA (skip the log in)

• FACTS SIS Family Portal Login https://ascs-ma.client.renweb.com/pw/

• ASCS Prayer Line - Submit prayer requests http://ascsnb.org/prayer-requests

• ASCS Parents Group on Facebook - search ASCS Parent Group and ask to join!

• Parent Tip Sheets for Eureka Math (Gr K- 5) - https://greatminds.org/math/parents 

In faith and together as a community, we can make this year a successful academic, social and spiritual journey for our students, as we try to keep everyone safe and healthy!  Please pray for our school, our students, and our families.  

Peace in Jesus and Mary,

Mrs. Susan Massoud

Principal, All Saints Catholic School

 

All Saints Catholic School provides quality Catholic education in a safe environment where Jesus Christ is the model for the spiritual, academic, and personal growth of each unique student.

We Are One + We Are All Saints

Academically focused, Spiritually alive Community of Saints in training