Principal’s Desk

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From Christina Clem, M.Ed. Principal

Posted on January 26, 2012, by Christina Clem, under Principal's Desk.

“St. Elizabeth of Hungary Catholic School: Faith, Academics, Service”

Catholic Schools Week 2012-2013

It was great seeing all of our St. Elizabeth children again after the nice Christmas break! Time continues to fly by, and we will already be kicking off our 2012-2013 Catholic Schools Week on Sunday, January 29th, with an Opening Mass at 10 am! It always means so much to us as a community of faith to celebrate Mass with our school families and students as well as with our parish community during this yearly event. This will be followed by an Open House for Prospective Families in the School, to begin after Mass until 1:30 pm. Students who attend Mass at St. Elizabeth of Hungary Parish, wearing their school uniform, this weekend (January 28 & 29) will receive a Dress Down Day on Monday, January 30th.

This year’s Catholic Schools Week Calendar of Activities Events will appear later in this newsletter! We look forward to our families joining us throughout this fun week as we celebrate Catholic education at St. Elizabeth of Hungary Catholic School!

Registration packets and information for the 2012-2013 school year will be going home on Monday, January 30th. St. Elizabeth School will continue to offer Tuesday Tours for prospective families throughout the remainder of the school year as well as the Open House for prospective families on Sunday from 11:30 am-1:30 pm. The most effective means for marketing all the wonderful things St. Elizabeth School has to offer is YOU, the parents, through “word of mouth!” If you know of anyone seeking a quality faith-based education, please encourage them to either attend our Open House or to call the school office to schedule a tour and informational question/answer session with the principal.

On behalf of everyone here at St. Elizabeth of Hungary Catholic School, I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to the following volunteers for going above and beyond the call of duty to help prepare our school for our Open House this past weekend:

Monica Connelly
Denise Christian
Cassidy Christian
Maurice Aguilar
Hailey Hunt
Lisa Hunt
Terry Bradley
Flor Barrientos
Charles Swayzer
Jacinto Reyes
Julian Reyes
Elia Martinez
Cole Patin, Sr.
Theresa Patin
Cole Patin, Jr.
Steven Thompson
Mr. & Mrs. Gerardo Acosta
Russell Jones
Mr. Cervantes

The contributions of our many volunteers not only contribute to the greatness of our school but also to the community spirit!

St. Elizabeth of Hungary Catholic School

Catholic Schools Week Calendar of Events & Activities

January 29, 2012-February 3, 2012

“Faith, Academics, Service”

Sunday, Jan. 29^th: “Gathering in Community”

Opening Liturgy @ 10 am
Open House 11:30 am – 1:30 pm

Monday, Jan. 30^th: “Sock it To Me!” Day

Prayer Service @ 9 am
Crazy Sock Day! All students may wear “crazy” socks!
Begin “Coat, Blanket, and Sock Drive” to benefit the Marillac Center
3^rd & 4^th Field Trip to the Dogwood Canyon Audubon Center, 9 am-2 pm
Family Appreciation Spaghetti Dinner, beginning @ 6 pm
Dress Down Day for those students who attend Mass wearing their St. E. school uniform on Sunday

Tuesday, Jan. 31^st: “Twin” Day

Dress as Twins
Portable Universe Program Gr. PK3-2, throughout the day
3^rd & 4^th Field Trip to “Body-ology”, 8:30 am-2 pm
5^th & 6^th Field Trip to Dogwood Canyon Audubon Center, 9 am-2 pm
Diocesan Religion Scholars Competition @ Prince of Peace, 10 am-12 pm

Wednesday, Feb. 1^st: “Go Green!” Day

Dress Down in Green for Science Fair Day
Pri-Intermediate Spelling Bee-morning, 8:30 am
Science Fair-all day
Booster Club Café, 4 pm-6 pm
Science Fair Awards Ceremony, 6 pm

Thursday, Feb. 2^nd: “PBJ Jean” Day

Buck-a-Jeans Day to Raise Money for PBJ’s to Feed the Homeless
Sea World In-School Activity for Intermediate Grades, 1 pm
7^th & 8^th Field Trip to the Dogwood Canyon Audubon Center, 9 am-2 pm

Friday, Feb. 3^rd: “Recognition” Day

Mass, 8 am
Christian Witness Awards
Awards Ceremony in Gym, 9:45 am

Volunteers of the Year
Honor Roll
Religion Bee
Spelling Bees
CSW Art Poster Contest
Science Fair
Teacher of the Year

Athletic Event in Gym, 11 am
NOON DISMISSAL FOR STUDENTS
Teacher Luncheon & Staff Development, 12:30 pm

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From Christina Clem, M.Ed., Principal

Posted on November 30, 2011, by Christina Clem, under Principal's Desk.

I would like to begin with a BIG APPLAUSE OF THANKS to all of our students and teachers, under the very capable and expert leadership of Mrs. Belcher, our Religion coordinator, for the fantastic St. Elizabeth of Hungary Feast Day Celebration this year. Both our saints and our students were absolutely magnificent this year! We all had a great time studying this year’s saints and seeing them in the Mass Procession and during the Saints: To Tell the Truth Game!!! Many thanks to all of you who helped dressed these little saints and also those of you who participated by attending on November 18^th!!!!

This month we transition from the excitement of the changing weather and display of Autumn foliage to the more reflective season of Advent, a time of preparation. Not only are we preparing for our family celebrations of Christmas, but as individuals, we make our hearts ready for the coming of our Lord. Simple customs such as lighting an Advent Wreath in our homes can help our children understand the true meaning of the season.

Already, December looks to be a short but exciting month and will be flying by quickly! Among other things, we have the following events going on in December: The Fall Book Fair, the 1^st Grade Field Trip to the Arboretum, the Kinder, 2^nd, 3^rd, & 4^th Grade Visits to Nursing Homes, the Annual School Christmas Program, the Jesse Tree Celebration, and the Christmas Parties. This year’s Christmas vacation will be from December 19-January 2 with a NOON DISMISSAL on Friday, December 16^th. Classes will resume on Tuesday, January 3rd.

Please be sure to attend our school Christmas program on Thursday, December 15^th, at 7:00 pm. Your children along with Mrs. Kuterbach have been preparing diligently to provide you with an experience sure to get you into the holiday spirit!

At this point, I would like to “Toot our Horn” regarding the excellence of our academic program as well as the excellent caliber of our students. This year, as a school body, we continue to score between the 50-80 percentiles on all areas of the Iowa Test of Basic Skills, although many individual students score as high as the 99 percentile on the various subtests. The Duke University Talent Identification Program invites students in grades 4,5, & 7 who score at those high levels to apply for their summer program. However, to apply the student is required to take the SAT college entrance exam! In the past we have had students receive State Recognition for their high scores on the SAT, and we have also had students participate in the summer programs at Duke University. This year 33% of our fourth grade class, 30% of our fifth grade class, and 39% of our seventh grade class qualify to take the SAT college entrance exam! This is certainly not only reflective of a quality Catholic education, but also of a very effective Partnership between home and school! Congrats to all!

Thanks to Mrs. Michele Mills’ dedication and tireless energy, we finally have an updated St. Elizabeth School Parent/Student Handbook for the 2011-2012 school year. You can view it right now by logging into Renweb, clicking on “School Info,” and “Resource Documents”. The entire handbook is available online for all of our school parents. If you have any difficulties, please contact us, and we will be happy to help you figure it out. This year, we will again publish hard copies of the handbooks to send home. Our goal is to ”Go Green” (or at least with less paper usage) by the 2012-2013 school year. Please read the entire handbook with your child, sign the back page to verify that you agree to adhere to the policies and procedures of St. Elizabeth School, and then return to your child’s homeroom teacher. You may print out the page from the online version of the Handbook, or you may cut it out from the hard copy handbook that you will be receiving to return to school.

In case of inclement weather, you will be notified by phone through our new parent notification system, School Reach. Postings will also be listed on the following: the school website (www.stelizabethofh.org and www.saintspride.com ), Channel 8 TV and Channel 5 TV. Hopefully, inclement weather will not be the issue that it was last year, God willing.

Many thanks to all of our parent volunteers for your tireless dedication & commitment this year in helping the teachers in their efforts to educate your children! All of your work in assisting with the fundraising efforts of the school has truly been TERRIFIC!!! We continue to look forward to Catholic Schools Week, the Spring Book Fairs, the World’s Finest Candy Sale, the Spring Silent Auction, Young Authors’ Day, the Spring Arts Fest, and the other events that not only help the school but also do so much to build God’s kingdom here at St. Elizabeth of Hungary Catholic School!

In closing, I want to wish all of you a blessed Advent and a very holy holiday season! May the Christ Child of love and peace enter your hearts! God bless!

Christina Clem, M.Ed.

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Christina Clem, M.Ed. Important Dates

Posted on November 30, 2011, by Christina Clem, under Principal's Desk.

Dec. 4-9 The St. Elizabeth Book Fair and Beyond!
Dec. 7 First Grade Field Trip to the Arboretum
Dec. 8 Feast of the Immaculate Conception, 8 am Mass
Dec. 9 The Giving Tree (Bring unwrapped gifts and toiletries to place under the tree at Mass!)
Dec. 12 Kinder & 4th Grade Field Trip to the Williamsburg Nursing Home
Dec. 13 Faculty Mtg/Workshop at 3:30 pm/NO TUTORIALS!!!!!
Dec. 14 2nd & 3rd Grade Field Trip to St. Joseph’s Residence Center
Dec. 14 Principals’ Meeting
Dec. 15 Buck-a-Jeans Day and 8th Grade Snack Sale
Dec. 15 St. Elizabeth School Christmas Music Program at 7 pm
Dec. 16 Jesse Tree Celebration at 9:30 am
Dec. 16 Class Christmas Parties beginning at 10:45 am
Dec. 16 NOON DISMISSAL/NO SCHOOL
Dec. 19-Jan.2 Christmas Vacation
Jan. 3 CLASSES RESUME
Jan. 4 Booster Club Meeting
Jan. 10 Advisory Council Meeting at 6:30 pm
Jan. 11 Diocesan Principals’ Meeting at St. Elizabeth School
Jan. 12 Faculty Meeting at 3:30/NO TUTORIALS
Jan. 13 SECOND QUARTER GRADES CLOSE
Jan. 16 MLK Day/ NO SCHOOL
Jan. 19 Second Quarter Report Cards Go Home

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From Christina Clem, M.Ed., Principal

Posted on October 21, 2011, by Christina Clem, under Principal's Desk.

The time has been flying by! Our Fall Halloween Carnival is already upon us this weekend, and soon it will be time for the Thanksgiving holidays! There is so much to be thankful for: our community, our families, our school, our faith! There has been so much energy and excitement here at St. Elizabeth School this year, thanks to the commitment of our families and school staff and our combined dedication to providing the most outstanding education for our children possible!!! Let’s keep that spirit alive as we continue to move forward through this school year!

We are very grateful this year for our dynamic Carnival Chairs: Laura Kubin, Catherine and Steve Thompson, and each and every one of our GLR’s (grade level representatives! We are looking forward to the most fantastic Halloween carnival ever!!! Thanks for all you are doing to build community among our students and families while raising much needed funds to help educate our deserving children.

We are so blessed this year to be able to provide a number of after school programs for our students. So far this year we have established the following extra-curricular activities:

DPL Athletics
YMCA Soccer
Scouts
National Junior Honor Society
Guitar Classes-Beginner, Intermediate, Liturgical
Tech & Robotics Club
Environmental Club
Teen Read Week

I am so excited to announce that, during the next quarter, we will be adding the following after school clubs to our repertoire of extra-curricular activities:

Art Club Gr. K-3 (facilitated by Mrs. Michelle Green)
Art Club Gr. 4-8 (facilitated by Mrs. Molly O’Sullivan)
Drama Club (facilitated by Mrs. Powell)
Chess Club (facilitated by Mr. Jochim)

Additional information regarding these new clubs will be sent home soon, allowing students the opportunity to sign up. However, space is limited in each class, so students will be admitted on a first come, first serve basis.

You may notice that most of these new clubs are facilitated by parents and volunteers who have expertise in their respective areas. Perhaps you have expertise in an area and would like to consider facilitating an after school club in the future. If there would be any parent willing to assume the leadership, we would love to add a Speech Club so that our students could complete in the Diocesan Speech Meets.

Please join us for this year’s Parent/Teacher Conference Day which is scheduled for Friday, November 4^th, from 7:30 am-12 noon and again from 1-4 pm. Parents of students in PK-5 may call Mrs. Walkley in the school office to schedule an appointment with the grade level homeroom teachers. Parents of students in grades 6-8 may conference with the individual teachers on a first come/first serve basis. Parents who are unable to make a conference for that day may schedule an appointment directly with any individual teacher through email. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call the school office.

Mrs. Harris, who facilitates the Title One Program here at St.Elizabeth School, in the Catapult Room (former Teacher Lounge), on November 4^th from 8 am-12 noon (during the Parent/Teacher Conference Day) to meet and share information with parents regarding their children. If your child is receiving Title One services this year, please take advantage of this opportunity to learn more about this year’s program.

We are looking forward to celebrating the Feast of St. Elizabeth of Hungary on Friday, November 18^th. On that day we will be singing Happy Feast Day to our patron saint with cake at all the lunchtimes. We will begin the day honoring St. Elizabeth of Hungary at 8 am during our Children’s Liturgy with a procession of saints. We will celebrate with “Happy Feast Day Cake” at lunch on that day. On Friday afternoon, we will hold our annual “Saints: To Tell the Truth Game” in the school gym. Please be sure to read Mrs. Belcher’s column (the Director of School Religious Education) for more information regarding Saints’ activities during the month of November.

Many thanks for your continued support of St. Elizabeth of Hungary Catholic School this year! Let us continue to always pray for one another and for the needs of our community. God bless!

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Important Dates

Posted on October 21, 2011, by Christina Clem, under Principal's Desk.

October 22 Fall Halloween Carnival, 5:15-9:00 pm
October 24-27 Red Ribbon Week
October 26 8th Grade Field Trip, To Kill a Mockingbird
October 27 First Quarter Report Cards Go Home
October 27 Buck-a-Jeans Day & Snack Sale
October 28-29 UD Ministries Conference, Staff Development, NO SCHOOL
October 29 UD Ministries Conference, Advisory Council Workshop
October 31 Primary Halloween Parade
November 2 Jesuit Drama Group to perform at 9:45 am
November 2 Booster Club Meeting
November 4 Parent/Teacher Conference Day/NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS
November 8 Advisory Council Meeting at 6:30 pm
November 9 Principals Meeting
November 9 Faculty Meeting at 3:30/NO TUTORIALS
November 10 Booster Club Breakfast, Pep Rally, and Jersey Day for Booster Members
November 11 Librarians Meeting
November 17 St. Elizabeth of Hungary’s actual feast day
November 17 Buck-a-Jeans Day & Snack Sale
November 18 Celebration of St. Elizabeth of Hungary’s Feast Day, Mass @ 8 am
November 18 Saints: To Tell the Truth Game
November 18-20 St. Elizabeth Church Altar Guild Bazaar
November 22 NOON DISMISSAL
November 23-27 THANKSGIVING HOLIDAYS!!!!
November 27 First Sunday of Advent, New Roman Missal to be implemented

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From Christina Clem, M.Ed., Principal

Posted on September 19, 2011, by Christina Clem, under Principal's Desk.

After a wonderfully successful beginning to the 2011-2012 school year, we are finally leaving the summer weather behind and looking forward to the season of Autumn! Cooler temperatures, falling leaves, the Texas State Fair, and the Fall Halloween Carnival will all be reminders that time is marching onward. St. Elizabeth students are busy all the while encountering new information and experiences as they focus on their daily tasks at school.

The school is on FIRE with this year’s Instructional focus: Thinking Maps! To learn more about Thinking Maps, you can go to https://sites.google.com/site/stethinkingmaps/home, the special link on the school’s website that our instructional support specialist, Mrs. Kuterbach, has created to keep parents updated as the year goes along. You can also go to www.thinkingmaps.org, or simply ask your child which Thinking Maps s/he has done thus far and how they are alike and different!!!

In a couple of weeks, you will be receiving the updated 2011-2012 Parent/Student Handbook. Although there are only a few changes, please take the time necessary to read and study the guidelines presented in this document. As a requirement of registration into St. Elizabeth of Hungary Catholic School, we ask that you & your students sign and return to the office the signature page, which can be found at the end of the handbook. I’d like to thank Michele Mills for all of her diligence over the last few years for all of her efforts in ensuring that we have a clear handbook of policies and procedures for St. Elizabeth School.

We are greatly blessed at St. Elizabeth School with a family-like community atmosphere, thanks to the dedication and generosity of our wonderful volunteers! I wish to thank the many parents and teachers who attended our Back to School Rally in August. We will keep a running list of our volunteers this year on the St. Elizabeth School website as an additional way of recognizing you for your commitment to St. Elizabeth School! Your involvement and commitment of time to our school helps us to provide a quality Catholic education for our children. Please remember that all of our volunteers must complete the Diocesan Screening Process for the Safe Environment Program. The first step is to submit a completed form to Mrs. Campos, the school’s Safe Environment Officer. Once that is done, it will take a few weeks to check everyone’s references and to set up individual interview times. A training session will also be held where volunteers will view the Diocesan training video. It is important that each of our parent volunteers completes every step of this process, and we appreciate everyone’s cooperation and patience along the way.

October is the month of the Rosary. We would love to have our parents join us at our school rosaries. Please check the important dates for the month of October for the dates and times.

We are looking forward to our 8^th grade sponsored Hike for Life on Friday, October 7^th, before we dismiss at NOON for Fair Day. We wish to thank the 8^th grade class and Mrs. Belcher for all the work that will go into making this a meaningful morning for our students!

Our students will be taking the ITBS Standardized Achievement Tests the week of October 10-14. It is important that your child gets a good night’s sleep and eats a healthy breakfast each day during that testing week. Also, please do not schedule any doctor appointments during the mornings of that week. It is very difficult to schedule make-up times for students who miss any of the tests, and the results are sometimes negatively impacted, as well. We will schedule a parent meeting once we receive the results back from the testing company, at which time we can present general information to you, as well.

Our FVO has been very busy with plans for this year’s Fall Halloween Carnival, which will take place on Saturday, October 22. Our carnival chairpersons this year are Catherine Thompson and Laura Kubin, and they have plans to spice things up a bit! There will be some AWESOME raffle items that nobody will want to miss out on! Tickets will be going home soon for each family to sell. I know that everyone will do their absolute best to sell the tickets that are given to them. However, if for some reason you are unable to sell some of your tickets, please return them to the school office for someone else to sell. Our Halloween Carnival with the Raffle Ticket Sale has traditionally been the school’s biggest fundraising event of the year and goes toward filling in the gap between the actual cost of a St. Elizabeth School education and the income brought in by student tuition. I’d like to thank all of you, in advance, for all of your hard work in contributing to the success of this year’s Carnival event!

As always, let us continue to support one another in word, deed, & prayer! God bless!

Important Dates

o September 22: 1st Quarter Progress Reports Go Home

o September 23: Middle School Dance

o September 26: Annual Accreditation Report & NCEA Databank due to CSO

o September 27: Strategic Planning Committee to Visit-to look at facilities

o September 28-30 8th Grade Pines Trip

o September 29: Buck-a-Jean Day/Snack Sale

o September 30: State Fair Tickets Go Home

o October 3: Booster Club Mtg.

o October 5: Principal Mtg.

o October 6: Back to School Rally Dress Down Day #2

o October 6: Faculty Mtg./NO TUTORIALS

o October 7: St. E. Hike for Life

o October 7: Fair Day/NOON DISMISSAL

o October 10-14: ITBS Standardized Achievement Testing Gr. 1-8

o October 11: Advisory Council Mtg.

October 21: First Quarter Ends

October 22: Fall Halloween Carnival

October 26: Field Trip to see “To Kill A Mockingbird”

October 27: Buck-a-Jeans Day & Snack Sale

October 27: Report Cards

October 28: Diocesan Teacher In-Service/NO SCHOOL

October 29: Advisory Council In-Service

Nov. 4: Parent/Teacher Conference Day/NO SCHOOL

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From Christina Clem, Principal

Posted on May 27, 2011, by Christina Clem, under Principal's Desk.

It is difficult to believe that we already in the last days of the 2010-2011 school year! We’ve had such a great year, but it has flown by so quickly that it is difficult to believe that summer is just about upon us. I am so very proud of all our school’s accomplishments this year in serving God through our ministry of educational excellence!

Registration is still underway for the 2011-2012 school year. We will miss the 8^th grade class as they prepare to move on to high school, but are greatly looking forward to having all of our returning families with us as well as having our awesome new families on board!

I’d like to give a huge THANK YOU to the FVO Silent Auction committee: Mary Beth Jones, Anna Burciaga, Dana Choate, & Andy Goza for organizing the spectacular event that took place at Bishop Dunne H.S. on April 30^th. Everyone had a wonderful time dining and dancing to the nostalgic tunes of Elvis, the 50’s, & 60’s! Also, many thanks to our Grade Level Representatives and Parents for the awesome baskets and donations that helped to make this event a success!

CONGRATULATIONS to our talented 5^th & 6^th grade classes who successfully completed the Dancing Classrooms 10 week ballroom dancing program. The entire student body was awed and amazed at the grace and elegance they displayed as ladies and gentleman during their performance the end of April. Several of our couples competed in the semi-final competition at Molina H.S. on May 3^rdand came home once again with the silver ribbon which was an honor!

CONGRATULATIONS to our 2^nd & 4^th grade soccer teams who each won the championship for their grade levels. We are very proud of you! Way to go, SAINTS!!!!!

We’d also like to recognize our 5^th grade baseball team under the direction of Marybeth Jones, Russell Jones, Josh Choate, and Benito Hernandez. These 5^th graders not only “played up” as 6^th graders, they exemplified true Christian spirit at every game, even under the most difficult circumstances! Congratulations to both team members & coaches for being such super Christian role models!

Our fourth annual Young Author’s Day combined with second annual Spring Arts Fest on May 19^th was the best ever! All our students not only rotated through a variety of fun and engaging literacy activities and programs throughout the day, but they got to share their Treasure Books & artistic talent with one another. I’d like to thank Miss Vercillo, Mrs. Connelly, Mrs. Kuterbach and all the teachers who participated for all their hard work and organization in planning a day that was both educational and fun for our students and parents!

Our school students participated in a May Crowning directly following the 8 am Mass on Friday, May 14^th. The students presented a variety of tributes to our blessed Mother Mary at that time. Many thanks to our Religion Coordinator, Mrs. Belcher, for her leadership in so beautifully organizing our special liturgical events throughout the year.

Many thanks for including our second graders in your prayers this year as they prepared so diligently for the sacraments of First Reconciliation & First Eucharist. All of the children were so angelic as they received their first communion on May 7^th. I’d like to thank and recognize all the hard work of Mrs. Jurik, Mrs. Belcher, Miss Houston, and Mrs. Price in preparing our students so well. I would also like to thank the First Grade Teachers & Parents for organizing the beautiful reception afterwards.

We celebrated our 8^th grade graduation on May 24th. I have really enjoyed this 8^th grade class and am very proud to be sending them onward to their respective high schools next year. I’d like to thank their parents who went over and beyond in doing fund-raising this year, not only to benefit the 8^th grade class, but also St. Elizabeth School as a whole. The 8^th grade gift to the school will be a new wrought iron fence for the new PK playground that we are hoping will be ready for the 2011-2012 school year. In addition, the class is giving $1,000.00 to the St. Elizabeth School Endowment Fund as well as a sizable donation to the Make-a-Wish Foundation! I am so proud of the way that this group of families has lived out the commitment to not only learning, but also to Christian values and citizenship, and like our patroness, to community service, which is fundamental to the Philosophy of St. Elizabeth School.

Let us continue to pray for one another and for the needs of our community as we build the kingdom of God here at St. Elizabeth of Hungary School! God bless!

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Important Dates

Posted on May 27, 2011, by Christina Clem, under Principal's Desk.

Important Dates

May 26 Buck-a-Jean Day

May 27 PK & Kinder Graduations

May 27 Noon Dismissal, NO AFTERCARE

May 28 Fr. Mike’s Anniversary of Ordination

May 30 Memorial Day, NO SCHOOL

May 31 Faculty Mtg. @ 3:30 pm, NO TUTORIALS

June 2 7^th Grade Snack Sale

June 2 Field Day in the Afternoon

June 3 Last Day of School: Mass, Awards Ceremony, Class Parties

June 3 NOON DISMISSAL

June 7 Advisory Council Mtg. @ 6:30 pm

July 1 2011-2012 Tuition due

July 18-22 Vacation Bible School

July 31 Parker Uniform and Used Uniform Sale, 9 am-2 pm

Aug. 3 Diocesan Health Personnel Mtg. 12:30-3:30 pm

Aug. 4 Principals’ Mtg.

Aug. 8-16 St. E Staff Development

Aug. 14 PK & Kinder Roundup, 2-3 pm

Aug. 14 New Parent Orientation, 2-3 pm

Aug. 14 Back to School Open House, 3-4 pm

Aug. 17 First Day of School

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From the Principal’s Desk

Posted on April 18, 2011, by Christina Clem, under Principal's Desk.

FROM CHRISTINA CLEM, PRINCIPAL

It is difficult to believe that Easter is just around the corner, and we soon be in the month of May! We’ve had such a great year, but it has flown by so quickly that it is difficult to believe that we are entering the last month of the school year. I am so very proud of all our accomplishments in serving God through our ministry of educational excellence!

Registration is still underway for the 2011-2012 school year. The registration fee is now $400.00 per student. We will miss the 8^th grade class as they prepare to move on to high school, but are greatly looking forward to having all of our returning families with us as well as having our awesome new families on board! We continue to give tours on Tuesdays to prospective families. Please keep spreading the word about the great Catholic education that St. Elizabeth of Hungary Catholic School has to offer-Remember that you can be entered into a raffle for a refund of one registration fee, for every family you refer to our school, who successfully enrolls.

I’d like to give a huge THANK YOU to the FVO Silent Auction committee: Marybeth Jones, Anna Burciaga, Dana Choate, & Andy Goza, and all of our Grade Level Representatives and Parents who have been hard at work preparing for the 2011 Silent Auction, “Grease,” which will be held in the Bishop Dunne High School Gym on Saturday, April 30th! We hope that you will join us for this very entertaining evening, as we dance and dine to the tunes of the 50’s and 60’s! Tickets for the event are only $25.00 each.

CONGRATULATIONS to our talented 5^thand 6^th grade classes who successfully completed the Dancing Classroom’s 10 week ballroom dancing program. Our dancers are ready to “awe” and amaze our entire student body with their grace and elegance as ladies and gentleman, when we have our performance on April 19^th . Six of our couples from each grade level will be going on to compete in the semi-final competition on May 2^nd . We are very proud that our St. Elizabeth team won the Silver Medal during last year’s competition.

May 2^nd is designated as St. Elizabeth School’s first annual Math Awareness Day! Teachers will be integrating real life Math applications into their respective subject areas throughout the day. In addition, we will have age appropriate Young Audience programming showing how Math relates to the study of the fine arts.

Our school students will participate in a May Crowning directly following the 8 am Mass on Friday, May 13^th. The students will be presenting a variety of tributes to our blessed Mother Mary at this time. Many thanks to our Religion Coordinator, Mrs. Belcher, for her leadership in so beautifully organizing our special liturgical events throughout the year.

Our fourth annual Young Author’s Day is coming up on May 19^th ! All our students will be rotating through a variety of fun and engaging literacy activities throughout the day as well as sharing their Treasure Books with each other. I’d like to thank Miss Vercillo, St. Elizabeth’s Language Arts Coordinator, and her committee for all their hard work and organization in planning a day that was both educational and fun for our students!

Get ready for the debut of our second Spring Arts Fest, also on May 19^th ! Mrs. Connelly, Miss Vercillo, Mrs. Kuterbach, Michelle Green, Molly O’ Sullivan, students, and faculty have been working very diligently all year long to make this event a very fun, entertaining, and enjoyable evening for all! Don’t miss out!

Please pray for our second graders who have been preparing so diligently for the sacrament of First Communion, which they will celebrate on May 7. Also, please keep in your prayers our 8^th graders who will be graduating on May 24^th and beginning a new stage in their lives as they enter high school in the fall!!!!

May God bless you during this holy Easter season! Please continue to pray for one another and for the needs of our community as we build the kingdom of God here at St. Elizabeth of Hungary School!

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Important Dates for April & May

Posted on April 18, 2011, by Christina Clem, under Principal's Desk.

April 17 – Palm Sunday, 8^th Grade Enactment of the Passion of Jesus @ 10 am
April 19 – Dancing Classrooms, 5^th & 6^th Grade Performances @ 1:30 pm
April 20 – Booster Club Shirt Day & Pep Rally @ 2:15 pm
April 20 – 4^th Grade Field Trip
April 21 – Holy Thursday, Living Stations presented by 3A @ 8 am
April 21 – 4^th Q Progress Reports
April 22 – 25 Good Friday & Easter Holiday
April 27 – School Administrative Professionals Day
April 29 – Kindergarten Howdy Ho-Down
April 29 – First Communion Practice @ 10:30 in Church
April 30 – Silent Auction @ Bishop Dunne H.S. Gym
May 2 – Math Awareness Day
May 3 – 6^th & 7^th Grade Field Trip
May 3 – Advisory Council Meeting @ 6:30 pm
May 4 – Faculty Meeting @ 3:30 pm, NO TUTORIALS
May 5 – Cinco de Mayo Breakfast Fundraiser for Playground-before school
May 5 – Fr. Ben’s Birthday
May 6 – First Friday Adoration
May 6 – 7^th Grade San Antonio Trip
May 7 – First Communion Mass @ 10:30 am
May 10 – Principals Mtg.
May 10-13 – Fifth Grade trip to the Pines Environmental Camp
May 11 – School Nurses Appreciation Day
May 12 – Snack Sale
May 13 – May Crowning after 8 am Mass
May 13 – Pizza & Palettas for the Playground-after school
May 17 – Pep Rally @ 2:15 pm
May 19 – Young Authors Day & Spring Arts Fest TBA
May 20 – NJHS Induction Ceremony
May 23 – 8^th Grade Awards Dinner
May 24 – 8^th Grade Graduation Mass @ 7 pm
May 26 – Buck-a-Jeans Day
May 27 – PK & Kinder Graduations
May 27 – NOON DISMISSAL
May 28 – Anniversary Day of Fr. Mike’s Ordination
May 30 – Memorial Day, NO SCHOOL
June 1 – 2^nd & 3^rd Grade Field Trip
June 2 – Field Day in Afternoon
June 3 – Last Day of School, NOON DISMISSAL
June 7 – Advisory Council Meeting @ 6:30 pm
June 30 – TCCED Loans due for 2011-2012 school year

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From Christina Clem, Principal

Posted on March 7, 2011, by Christina Clem, under Principal's Desk.

Have you seen St. Elizabeth of Hungary Catholic School’s new billboards on Hampton Rd in DeSoto????? Dust off those St. Elizabeth yard signs to display in your front yards!!! Registration for the 2011-2012 school year is currently underway for both returning as well as new students. So that you child might continue receiving a quality academic education at St. Elizabeth of Hungary Catholic School, please register as soon as possible to reserve a spot and to take advantage of the early registration fee through April 15^th.

Parents who wish to apply for tuition assistance for the 2011-2012 school year must first register and then apply online through FACTS Grant & Aid prior to April 1^st. Please feel free to contact me or our school office if you have any questions or need help in applying for assistance.

Our parents are our best recruiters and greatest source of advertising! For a chance to win one free registration for your child at St. Elizabeth of Hungary School next year, please direct your friends and acquaintances to our website at www.saintspride.com and encourage them to call the school office at 214-331-5139 X21 to schedule an informational tour. Any registered family who refers another family to register for the 2011-12 school year at our school, will receive one chance, per “registree”, in a drawing to be held on the first day of school in August 2011. The winner of each drawing will receive a refund of one registration fee. There will be one drawing per every 10 new students, referred by a current family, that we register prior to the first day of school.

Please welcome back Mrs. Kristy Feil who will be completing out the year in Middle School Social Studies. As you know, Mrs. Powell is now the proud mother of 2 daughters, Kennedy (7th grade) and newborn Karson. Mrs. Feil, a former Science & Social Studies teacher at St. Elizabeth School, has graciously accepted the offer to finish out the year while Mrs. Powell is on maternity leave. We are very excited to have her back with us!

We wish to congratulate our 8^th grader young ladies & gentlemen who received the sacrament of Confirmation on Sunday, March 6^th. Please keep these students in your prayers as they continue along their journey of Faith, as well as our second graders who will be receiving the sacrament of First Reconciliation on Saturday, March 19^th @ 10:30 am.

I’d like to recognize and thank our 8^th grade class, under the leadership of their Homeroom Representative, Michele Mills, for the tremendous success of this year’s World’s Finest Chocolate Sale. Through their leadership and EVERYONE’S tremendous participation, much needed funds were raised to help our school with this year’s operational expenses! Thanks to all for a job well done!

I would also like to thank all of our families as well our awesome Development Director, Elizabeth Belew, for helping us to meet our goal for this year’s Boosterthon Fun Run! The kids had a wonderful time, as you can see for yourself, by going to the link of the front page of our website, www.saintspride.com, “S.E.H. Productions”!

Everyone is in for a BIGGER treat THAN EVER, at this year’s Silent Auction on Saturday, April 30^th, from 6-10 pm!! We will be rockin’ & rollin’ with this year’s “50’s” theme, “Grease!” It will be held at Bishop Dunne High School’s gymnasium. You are sure to be wined, dined and entertained, as well has have the chance to bid on some spectacular auction items! There will be more awesome student art work than ever to choose from, which is something no parent will want to miss out on!

I would like to congratulate all of our athletes who have represented St. Elizabeth School so extremely well this year. Three of our teams made it to the first round of playoff games: 8^th grade girls’ Varsity basketball team, 7^th grade boys’ Varsity basketball team, and 5^th grade girls’ basketball team. The games were packed with nail biting suspense & excitement, with our teams being ousted by only 1 basket at the very last second of play. WAY TO GO, SAINTS!!!!! We are so proud of you and look forward to another fantastic season next year!

I wish to thank everyone who helped to make this year’s Catholic Schools Week a huge success despite the unexpected & crazy inclement weather! It was evident throughout the entire three week period that the theme was “St. Elizabeth of Hungary Catholic School: Growing Hearts and Minds.” I appreciate so much the help of our faculty and staff to make the Open House and Family Recognition Spaghetti Dinner a great success! I also appreciate everyone’s team effort in making all of the week’s activities run so smoothly with special thanks to Mrs. Belcher and Mrs. Kuterbach for coordinating the Opening Liturgy on Sunday, the Grounds & Facilities Committee for the awesome work they did on Clean-Up Day to get our school ready for Open House, Marybeth Jones and the FVO for organizing a very lovely Teacher Appreciation Luncheon, Mrs. Connelly and DineRite for coordinating and sponsoring the Spaghetti dinner, Mrs. Schmitz & Mrs. Burns for coordinating the school spelling bees, Mrs. Robb for coordinating the Science Fair, Mrs. Fernandez and the fifth grade parents for coordinating the Science Night Dinner, Mrs. Connelly for sponsoring the CSW Poster Contest, Coach Cervenka for coordinating the Faculty/8th Grade Volleyball Game, and the many other individuals who stepped up to help whenever and wherever needed! Our St. E. scholars were all truly outstanding in the Spelling and Science Fair competitions, and it was so rewarding to hear the cheers of students excited about their academic endeavors!

During the CSW Recognition Assembly, the following individuals were recognized with an engraved paper weight for their outstanding contributions to St. Elizabeth School over the past year(s): Mrs. Monica Stansberry (Theater Club), Mrs. Molly O’Sullivan (Art Club), Mrs. Michelle Green (Art Club), Mr. Michael January (Marketing, Development, & Booster Club), Mrs. Sandy Walkley (Booster Club), Mr. Raymond Barrilleaux (Athletics), Mr. Maurice Aguilar (St. Elizabeth Soccer), and Mr. Don Gamble (Grounds & Facilities).

Mrs. Debbie Gleason received the prestigious St. Elizabeth Volunteer of the Year Award 2011 for her many years of commitment, dedication, & outstanding service to the library program to our school.

Last but not least, please congratulate Mrs. Melissa Guerrero, our fantastic Kindergarten teacher, when you see her. She is a master teacher who is so very deserving & worthy of the title of this year’s St. Elizabeth of Hungary Teacher of the Year!

Congratulations and Kudos!!!!!!

2010-2011
TEACHER OF THE YEAR

Mrs. Melissa Guerrero, Kindergarten

2010-2011
VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR

Mrs. Debbie Gleason

I would like to wish everyone a safe and relaxing Spring Break next week, March 12-20. School will resume on Monday, March 22. As we prepare for the upcoming Holy Easter Season, let us continue to pray of one another and for the needs of our community.

God bless,

Christina Clem, M.Ed.

Principal

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Important Dates for March

Posted on March 7, 2011, by Elizabeth Belew, under Principal's Desk.

March 1 Math Committee Mtg. @ 3:30 pm

March 3-5 Geo-Tech @ Bishop Dunne H.S.

March 6 Sacrament of Confirmation– Mass @ 12 noon,

Reception following

March 8 Diocesan Principals Mtg @ St. Monica’s

March 8 Advisory Council Mtg @ 6:30 pm

March 9 Ash Wednesday, 8am Mass

March 11 Faculty Lenten Spiritual Retreat, NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS

March 14-18 Spring Break, NO SCHOOL

March 19 Sacrament of First Reconciliation @ 10:30 am

March 22 or 23 African American Cultural Awareness Day (TBA)

March 24 8th Grade Snack Sale

March 24 Faculty Mtg. @ 3:30 pm, NO TUTORIALS

March 25 Stations of the Cross 5-8 @ 2 pm

March 31 Buck-a-Jeans Day

March 31 3rd Q Report Cards

March 31 Fr. Michael Dugan’s Birthday

April 1 Stations of the Cross PK-4th @ 2 pm

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From Christina Clem, Principal

Posted on January 18, 2011, by Christina Clem, under Principal's Desk.

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a very blessed as well as relaxing Christmas vacation and are recharged as we tackle the second semester here at St. Elizabeth School! Our school year has really flown thus far, and we are already into the 3^rd grading quarter on January 18^th.

Our 8^th graders are now in the process of taking their high school admissions exams and thinking ahead to next year. They are also preparing for the sacrament of Confirmation, which will take place on March 6^th. Please keep these young people in your prayers as they prepare for this important sacrament and as they begin the crucial process of high school discernment.

St. Elizabeth’s 5^th & 6^th grade students will have the unique opportunity to participate in The Dancing Classrooms program, beginning later this month. Dancing Classrooms originated in the New York City Public Schools in 1994 by world-renowned ballroom dancers Pierre Dulaine and Yvonne Marceau. Dancing Classrooms uses a curriculum-based teaching approach to achieve social awareness and build self-esteem. St. Elizabeth School is both fortunate and blessed to be able to participate in this fantastic program for a second year. We can’t wait to begin!

Catholic Schools Week kicks off this month on January 30^th with an opening liturgy at 10 am. It always means so much to us as a community to celebrate Mass with our school families and students as well as with our parish community. The Catholic School Week Calendar of Events was emailed to our families through Renweb. We will be sending home a paper copy in the Thursday envelopes. We are appreciating our school families with a Spaghetti Dinner on Monday, January 31^st beginning at 6 pm. If you would like to attend, please be sure to RSVP to Sandy Walkley in the school office by Monday, January 24^th, so that we know how many people to prepare for. Only those families who RSVP to the dinner may be served on that evening. Please call the school office if you have any questions.

Registration packets and information should be going home at the end of January. St. Elizabeth School will continue to offer Tuesday Tours for prospective families throughout the remainder of the school year as well as an Open House for Prospective Families on January 30^th from 11am-1:30 pm. If you know of anyone seeking a quality faith-based education, please encourage them to attend our Open House or to call the school office to schedule a tour and informational question/answer session with the principal.

Second quarter report cards are going home Thursday, January 20th. Please make sure that your tuition payments to TCCU and Aftercare payments are up-to-date so that your child will be able to receive a report card.

On behalf of everyone here at St. Elizabeth School, I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to the following individuals for going above and beyond the call of duty to help this past month. The contributions of our many volunteers not only contribute to the greatness of our school but also to the community spirit!

Maurice Aguilar & Don Gamble-for coordinating the January Grounds & Facilities Clean-up Day and also to their team of volunteers for donating their time and expertise in trimming and clearing dead & unwanted trees to transform our school courtyard into a place of beauty once again.
Mrs. Connelly, Debbie Gleason, and their crew of parent volunteers for organizing and executing a very successful fall book fair!
Our 8^th Grade Class, under the direction of room moms Michele Mills & Lupe Ortega, for organizing this year’s World’s Finest Chocolate Sale.

Let us continue to pray for one another and for the needs of our community. God bless!

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Important Dates for January

Posted on January 18, 2011, by Christina Clem, under Principal's Desk.

Important Dates for January 2011

January 3 – Teacher Work Day
January 4 – Classes Resume
January 6 – Middle School Spelling Bee @ 9 am
January 6 – Math Teachers’ Meeting @ 3:30 pm, NO TUTORIALS
January 6 – Booster Club Meeting @ 6:30 pm
January 11 – Booster Club Breakfast @ 7:15 am
January 11 – Principals’ Meeting @ All Saints
January 11 – Advisory Council Meeting @ 6:30 pm
January 13 – Faculty Meeting @ 3:30 pm, NO TUTORIALS
January 14 – Christian Witness Awards following 8 am Mass
January 14 – Staff Development; NOON DISMISSAL
January 17 – MLK Day, NO SCHOOL
January 20 – Super Kids Project @ Cowboy Stadium
January 20 – 2^nd Q Report Cards
January 20 – 8^th Grade Snack Sale
January 22 – Rosary, Cathedral Mass, & Dallas Hike for Life
January 25 – Booster-thon Kick-off Rallies, NO TUTORIALS
January 27 – Buck-a-Jeans Day
January 30 – Catholic Schools Week Kick-Off Mass @ 10 am
January 30 – Open House for Prospective Families @ 11 am-1:30 pm
January 31 – Dress Down Day for students who attend Sunday Mass wearing their school uniform
January 31 – CSW Canned Food Drive begins
January 31 – CSW Prayer Service @ 9 am
January 31 – Family Appreciation Dinner @ 6 pm

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From the Principal’s Desk

Posted on December 7, 2010, by Christina Clem, under Principal's Desk.

From Christina Clem, M.Ed., Principal

During December, we experience the season of Advent, which is a time of preparation. Not only are we preparing for our family celebrations of Christmas, but as individuals, we make our hearts ready for the coming of our Lord. Simple customs such as lighting an Advent Wreath in our homes can help our children understand the true meaning of the season.

Already, December has started out to be an exciting month and is rapidly flying by! Among other things, we have the following events going on in December: The World’s Finest Chocolate Fundraiser, the 8^th grade trip to The Pines, “Here’s to Our Heroes: Reading Saves the Day” Fall Book Fair, the K, 2^nd, 3^rd, & 4^th Grade Visits to Nursing Homes, the Annual School Christmas Program, the Jesse Tree Celebration, the Class Christmas Parties, and the Children’s Christmas Eve Mass featuring the First Graders’ Gospel Nativity. This year’s Christmas vacation will be from December 20-January 3 with a NOON DISMISSAL on Friday, December 17^th. Classes will resume on Tuesday, January 4^th .

Please be sure to attend our school Christmas program on Thursday, December 16^th, at 7:00 pm. Your children, along with Mrs. Kuterbach, have been preparing diligently to provide you with an experience sure to get you into the holiday spirit!

In case of inclement weather, you will be notified by phone through our parent notification system, School Reach. Postings will also be listed on the following: the school website (www.stelizabethofh.org and www.saintspride.com), Channel 8 TV and Channel 5 TV. Hopefully, inclement weather will not be an issue this year, God willing.

Many thanks to all of our parent volunteers for your tireless dedication & commitment this year in helping the teachers in their efforts to educate your children! All of your work in assisting with the fundraising efforts of the school has truly been TERRIFIC!!! We continue to look forward to Catholic Schools Week, the Spring Book Fairs, the Spring Silent Auction, Young Authors’ Day, the Spring Arts Fest, and the other events that not only help the school but also do so much to build God’s kingdom here at St. Elizabeth of Hungary Catholic School!

In closing, I want to wish all of you a blessed Advent and a very holy holiday season! May the Christ Child of love and peace bless you with his holy and abiding presence! God bless!

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Important Dates for December

Posted on December 8, 2010, by Christina Clem, under Principal's Desk.

Important Dates for December

December 1-3 – 8^th Grade Pines Trip
December 2 – Second Quarter Progress Reports
December 6-10 – St. Elizabeth Fall Book Fair
December 6 – St. Nicholas Day
December 7 – 2nd & 3rd Grade Field Trip to the Nursing Home
December 8 – Feast of the Immaculate Conception, 8 am Mass
December 9 – Faculty Mtg. @ 3:30 pm, NO TUTORING
December 9 – Advisory Council Mtg. @ 6:30 pm
December 10 – Giving Tree Project deadline
December 13 – K & 4^th Grade Field Trip to the Nursing Home
December 16 – Buck-a-Jeans Day
December 16 – 8^th Grade Snack Sale
December 16 - Christmas Program @ 7 pm
December 17 – Jesse Tree Program
December 17 – Class Christmas Parties
December 17 – NOON DISMISSAL
December 20-January 3 – Christmas Holidays, NO SCHOOL
December 24 – Christmas Eve Children’s Mass with First Grade Gospel Nativity @ 7 pm
January 4 – Classes Resume

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From the Principal’s Desk

Posted on October 28, 2010, by Christina Clem, under Principal's Desk.

We are very grateful this year for our dynamic Family Volunteer Organization and each and every one of our GLR’s (grade level representatives) under this year’s leadership team: Marybeth Jones, Andy Goza, Anna Burciaga, Dana Choate, Katy Barrilleaux, Michele Mills, Michael January, & Erica Aranda. We are looking forward to the most fantastic Halloween carnival ever!!! Thanks for all you are doing to build community among our students and families while raising much needed funds to help educate our deserving children.

We are so blessed this year to be able to provide a number of after school programs for our students. So far this year we have established the following extra-curricular activities:

DPL Athletics
YMCA Soccer
Scouts
National Junior Honor Society
Guitar Classes-Beginner, Intermediate, Liturgical
Tech Club
Environmental Club
Teen Read Week

I am so excited to announce that, beginning in November, we will be adding the following after school clubs to our repertoire of extra-curricular activities:

Art Club Gr. K-3 (facilitated by Mrs. Michelle Green)
Art Club Gr. 4-8 (facilitated by Mrs. Molly O’Sullivan)
Theater Club Gr. 1-5 (facilitated by Mrs. Monica Stansberry)
Robotics Club Gr. 4-8 (facilitated by Mrs. Stepniewski and Mr. Dulac)

Additional information regarding these new clubs will be sent home this week, allowing students the opportunity to sign up. However, space is limited in each class, so students will be admitted on a first come, first serve basis.

Please join us for this year’s Parent/Teacher Conference Day which is scheduled for Friday, November 5^th, from 7:30 am-12 noon and again from 1-4 pm. Parents of students in PK-5 may call Mrs. Walkley in the school office to schedule an appointment with the grade level homeroom teachers. Parents of students in grades 6-8 may conference with the individual teachers on a first come/first serve basis. Parents who are unable to make a conference for that day may schedule an appointment directly with any individual teacher through email. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call the school office.

Ms. Jackie Rice, who facilitates the Title One Program here at St. Elizabeth School, will also be here, in the Robotics Room, on November 5^th from 8 am-3 pm (during the Parent/Teacher Conference Day) to meet and share information with parents regarding their children. If your child is receiving Title One services this year, please take advantage of this opportunity to learn more about this year’s program.

We are looking forward to the Feast of St. Elizabeth of Hungary on November 17^th. On that day we will be singing Happy Feast Day to our patron saint with cake at all the lunchtimes. On Friday, November 19, we will honor St. Elizabeth of Hungary during our Children’s Liturgy with a procession of saints. On Friday afternoon, we will hold our annual “Saints: To Tell the Truth Game” in the school gym. Please be sure to read Mrs. Belcher’s column (the Director of School Religious Education) for more information regarding Saints’ activities during the month of November.

Many thanks for your continued support of St. Elizabeth of Hungary Catholic School this year! Let us continue to always pray for one another and for the needs of our community.

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Important Dates – November & December

Posted on October 28, 2010, by Christina Clem, under Principal's Desk.

November 1 – Coordinators’ Mtg. @ 3:30 pm
November 2 – 8th Grade Trip to Jesuit/Ursuline
November 2 – Diocesan Principals Mtg.
November 3 – Jesuit Drama Troupe Performance @ 9:45 am for Gr. 5-8
November 4 – Faculty Mtg-Technology @ 3:30 PM /NO TUTORIALS
November 5 – Parent/Teacher Conferences, 7:30 am-12 & 1-4 pm/NO SCHOOL
November 9 – Booster Breakfast
November 9 – Advisory Council Mtg. @ 6:30 pm
November 11 – Fall Pep Rally @ 2 pm
November 11 – Faculty Mtg.-Crises Management Plan @ 3:30 pm/ NO TUTORIALS
November 12 – Christian Witness Awards FORTITUDE
November 17 – HAPPY FEAST DAY to ST. ELIZABETH OF HUNGARY
November 18 – Buck-a-Jeans Day
November 18 – 8th Grade Snack Sale
November 19 – Children’s Celebration of the Feast of St. Elizabeth

o Mass @ 8 am with Procession of Saints
o Saints: To Tell the Truth Game @ 2 pm

November 19-21 – Altar Guild Bazaar
November 23 – 9 am Thanksgiving Prayer Service
November 23 – NOON DISMISSAL
November 23-27– Thanksgiving Holidays, NO SCHOOL
November 28 – First Sunday of Advent, The Giving Tree Project Begins
December 1-3 - 8th Grade Trip to the Pines Camp
December 2 – 2nd Quarter Progress Reports Go Home
December 3 – Christian Witness Awards COMPASSION
December 5-10 – Fall Book Fair

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From the Principal’s Desk

Posted on September 29, 2010, by Christina Clem, under Principal's Desk.

From Christina Clem, Principal

After a wonderfully successful beginning to the 2010-2011 school year, we are well on our way into the season of Autumn. Cooler temperatures, falling leaves, the Texas State Fair and the Fall Halloween Carnival are all reminders that time is marching on. St. Elizabeth students are busy all the while encountering new information and experiences as they focus on their daily tasks at school.

Everyone should have received the updated 2010-2011 Parent/Student Handbook. Thank you for taking the time to read and study the guidelines presented in this document. If you have not already done so, please sign and return the signature page, which can be found at the end of the handbook. We will be notifying those parents whose signature pages are missing in our files.

Our students will be taking the ITBS Standardized Achievement tests the week of October 11^th -15^th. It is important that your child gets a good night’s sleep and eats a healthy breakfast each day during that week. We will be sending you your child’s test results just as soon as the company scores the tests and sends the reports to us. We will also schedule a parent meeting at which time we can present general information to you, as well.

Just to let you know what is coming up sooner than usual: Our Diocese has asked us to begin the registration process for the 2011-12 school year between January 1, 2011 and March 1, 2011. Any families who are seeking financial assistance will need to register during that time in order to apply and qualify for financial assistance through the Diocesan Sammons Fund. Those completed applications will be due no later than March 10,2011.

October is the month of the Rosary. We would love to have our parents join us at our school rosaries. Please check the important dates for the month of October for the dates and times.

Our FVO has been very busy with plans for our Fall Halloween Carnival, which will take place on Saturday, October 30^th. There are some AWESOME raffle items this year that nobody will want to miss out on! Tickets will be going home soon for each family to sell. I know that everyone will do their absolute best to sell the tickets that are given to them. However, if for some reason you are unable to sell some of your tickets, please return them to the school office for someone else to sell. Our Halloween Carnival with the Raffle Ticket Sale has traditionally been the biggest fundraising event for the school year. Everyone’s help is greatly needed (and MUCH appreciated!) to make this event a HUGE SUCCESS!!!

Please note on the Important Dates for: 8th Grade Parent Night on October 25th and Teacher Conferences on November 5th. We look forward to seeing our parents at those two events.

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From the Principal’s Desk

Posted on March 11, 2010, by Christina Clem, under Principal's Desk.

Be on the lookout for St. Elizabeth of Hungary Catholic School’s new billboards on Hwy I-35 and in DeSoto and Duncanville. Get out those St. Elizabeth yard signs to display in your front yards!!! Registration for the 2010-2011 school year is currently underway for both returning as well as new students. If your child will be continuing his or her education at St. Elizabeth School, please register as soon as possible to reserve a spot and to take advantage of the early registration fee through April 16^th. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns or need assistance. In addition, if you know of any family that might be interested in a quality Catholic education for their child, please direct them to our website at www.saintspride.com and encourage them to call the school office at 214-331-5139 ext. 21 to schedule an informational tour.

Many, many thanks to the entire St. Elizabeth School community for your beautiful display of prayers and support for both the Barrientos family and the Pottinger family during their time of loss. It has truly been touching to watch everyone pull together in times of need to reach out in love and concern for our fellow sisters and brothers. Please continue to keep these families in your prayers during this difficult time.

We wish to congratulate our 8^th graders who received the sacrament of Confirmation on February 14^th and our 2^nd graders who received the sacrament of First Reconciliation on February 27^th. Please keep these students in your prayers as they continue along their journey of Faith.

I’d like to recognize and thank our 8^th grade class, under the leadership of their Homeroom Representative, Maxine Feaster, for the tremendous success of this year’s World’s Finest Chocolate Sale. Through their leadership and EVERYONE’S tremendous participation, much needed funds were raised to help our school with this year’s operational expenses. Thanks to all for a job well done!

I would like to congratulate all of our athletes who have represented St. Elizabeth School so extremely well this year. Ryan Dooley and Orion Salters represented St. Elizabeth School in the DPL All Star Basketball Game. Our 8^th grade girls’ Varsity basketball team made it to the championship round and placed second in their division for the season. Our 8^th grade boys’ Varsity basketball team made a superb showing this year in the Division I League throughout the entire season, wrapping up in the second round of playoff games. WAY TO GO, SAINTS!!!!!

I wish to thank everyone who helped to make this year’s Catholic Schools Week the best ever! It was evident throughout the entire week that the theme was “St. Elizabeth of Hungary Catholic School: Growing Hearts and Minds.” I appreciate so much the help of our faculty and staff to make the Open House and Family Recognition Spaghetti Dinner a great success. I also appreciate everyone’s team effort in making all of the week’s activities run so smoothly with special thanks to:

Mrs. Belcher and Mrs. Kuterbach for coordinating the Opening Liturgy on Sunday
Katy Barrilleaux for her tireless efforts in designing our new fabulous marketing brochure for the Open House
the Grounds & Facilities Committee for the awesome work they did on Clean-Up Day to get our school ready for Open House
Marybeth Jones and the FVO for organizing a very lovely Teacher Appreciation Luncheon
Mrs. Connelly and DineRite for coordinating and sponsoring the Spaghetti dinner
Mrs. Kuterbach for creating another awesome school video (check out the website)
Mrs. Price for coordinating the school spelling bees
Mrs. Robb for coordinating the Science Fair
Mrs. Shelton and the fifth grade parents for coordinating the Science Night Dinner
Coach Clack for coordinating the 8th Grade Volleyball Game
and the many other individuals who stepped up to help whenever and wherever needed!

Our St. E. scholars were all truly outstanding in the Spelling and Science Fair competitions, and it was so rewarding to hear the cheers of students excited about their academic endeavors!

We would like to congratulate our spelling bee winners, Jeffery Cervenka, who represented St. Elizabeth School at the Diocesan Spelling Bee, along with Sydney Swayzer, first runner up! Jeffery placed 3^rd in the Diocesan Bee and went on to place 6th in the Dallas County Spelling Bee as well! Congratulations also to the winners of the Pri-Intermediate Spelling Bee, Giselle Rivera, first place, and runner up, Viviana Chapa! Keep up the fantastic work!

During the CSW Recognition Assembly, the following individuals were recognized with an engraved paper weight for their outstanding contributions to St. Elizabeth School over the past year(s): Anna Burciaga, Diane Dooley, Jason Gentry, Andy Goza, Todd Salters, Dennis Vrana, and Vanessa Walker. The Volunteer of the Year awards

Congratulations and Kudos!!!!!!

2009-2010
TEACHER OF THE YEAR

Susan Johnson

2009-2010
VOLUNTEERS OF THE YEAR

Katy Barrilleaux

Phillip Davis-Hale (In Memoriam)

Mary Beth Jones

Susan Vrana

I would like to wish everyone a safe and relaxing Spring Break next week, March 15-19. School will resume on Monday, March 22. As we prepare for the upcoming Holy Easter Season, let us continue to pray of one another and for the needs of our community.

God bless

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From the Principal’s Desk

Posted on December 10, 2009, by Christina Clem, under Principal's Desk.

Already, December has started out to be an exciting month and is flying by! Among other things, we have the following events going on in December:

The Destination Book Fair
the 8^th grade trip to The Pines
the Fall Sports Pep Rally
the 1^st Grade Field Trip to the Arboretum
the PK, K, 2^nd, 3^rd, & 4^th Grade Visits to Nursing Homes
the Annual School Christmas Program
the Jesse Tree Celebration
the Christmas Parties.

This year’s Christmas vacation will be from December 21 – January 1 with a NOON DISMISSAL on Friday, December 18^th. Classes will resume on Monday, January 4^th.

Please be sure to attend our school Christmas program on Thursday, December 17^th, at 7:00 pm. Your children along with Mrs. Kuterbach have been preparing diligently to provide you with an experience sure to get you into the holiday spirit!

In case of inclement weather, you will be notified by phone through our new parent notification system, School Reach. Postings will also be listed on the following:

the school website (www.stelizabethofh.org and www.saintspride.com)
Channel 8 TV
Channel 5 TV

Hopefully, inclement weather will not be an issue this year, God willing.

On behalf of the entire school community, I wish to thank Mr. David Cardoza who has planted rye grass on the area surrounding our newly landscaped baseball field! He has also graciously offered to donate 9 yards of dirt to replace that which has eroded around that area. Please be sure to tell him “Thank You!” when you see him!

In closing, I want to wish all of you a blessed Advent and a very holy holiday season! May the Christ Child of love and peace enter your hearts! God bless!

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From the Principal’s Desk

Posted on November 11, 2009, by Christina Clem, under Principal's Desk.

The time has been flying by and it is almost time for the Thanksgiving holidays! There is much to be thankful for: Our community, our families, our faith! It has been wonderful to witness our community pulling together so beautifully to support the Rosales family and the Davis-Hale families through their terrible losses this year. Please continue to keep these families in your prayers.

I am also thankful for the wonderful work done by all of our families to make this year’s Booster-thon and Halloween Carnival huge successes. I especially wish to acknowledge the outstanding leadership of our carnival chairpersons, Marybeth Jones, Anna Burciaga, and Bea Brown, as well as our Advisory Council chairpersons, Michele Mills and Dana Choate, and the incredible contributions made by Katy Barrilleaux and Andy Goza in marketing and facilities improvements.

Many, many thanks, as well, to Boy Scout Troop 788, scouts and their families, who so generously gave of their Sunday to plant shrubs and other landscaping along the car pick up line and also to the NJHS members for their generous donation and sponsorship of the area. Our scouts also did a terrific job cleaning out the area underneath the stage in the cafeteria.

I’d like to extend a very heartfelt thanks to our scouts in Pack 788: Benjamin Jones, Antonio Barrientos, Logan Edelmann, Dylan Choate, Michael Green, Julian Reyes, Demetrius Hinojosa Rowland, Roberto Burciaga, their parents, and Webelos II Leader, Demetrius Rowland for their participation in a Veterans Day event to honor veterans residing at the Windsor Senior Living Center in North Dallas. These scouts presented a first-class, very dignified and patriotic opening and closing flag ceremony for this 3-hour dinner event on November 10th, where they heard the personal stories of former military men and women who valiantly served our country.

Please join me in congratulating our assistant principal, Rachel Robb! She was chosen as a Teacher of the Month to be recognized on a large LCD screen billboard for the Access Self-Storage Company on the west side of Hwy. 67 just past Kiest Blvd. Please drive by and see her beautiful picture and the name of St. Elizabeth of Hungary Catholic School displayed!

This year’s Parent/Teacher Conference Day is scheduled for Friday, November 13, from 7:30 am – 12:00 noon and again from 1-4 pm. There will be a discussion for 7th grade parents from 8 – 9 am. Parents of students in grades PK-5 may call Mrs. Walkley in the school office to schedule an appointment with the grade level homeroom teachers. Parents of students in grades 6-8 may conference with the individual teachers on a first come/first serve basis. Parents who are unable to make a conference for that day may schedule an appointment directly with any individual teacher through email. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call the school office.

All parents of students in grades 1-8 are invited to attend a special meeting on Thursday, November 19, at 7 pm, where we will give you an overview of how to interpret the results of the recent standardized achievement test, the Iowa Test of Basic Skills, and the Cognitive Abilities Test. We hope that we will have received the students’ test results by that time.

Included in this newsletter are the results of the Parent Satisfaction Survey that was sent out prior to the beginning of this school year. We greatly appreciate those of you who took the time to complete and return this survey. We were very pleased with the overwhelming number of positive comments about St. Elizabeth of Hungary School, its faculty and staff, and the high quality of Catholic education that your children are receiving here. We are also appreciative of the suggestions for improvement that we received as well. We began last year to address many of your suggestions and have continued this year in making improvements based on your input. Another survey will be sent out in February, and we would love to get 100% response.

We are looking forward to the Feast of St. Elizabeth of Hungary on November 17th. On that day we will be singing Happy Feast Day to our patron saint with cake at all the lunchtimes. On Friday, November 20, we will honor St. Elizabeth of Hungary during our Children’s Liturgy with a procession of saints. On Friday afternoon, we will hold our annual “Saints: To Tell the Truth Game” in the school gym. Please be sure to read Mrs. Belcher’s column for more information regarding Saints’ activities during the month of November.

Many thanks for your continued support of St. Elizabeth of Hungary Catholic School this year! Let us continue to pray for one another and for the needs of our community.

God bless!

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From the Principal’s Desk

Posted on September 23, 2009, by Christina Clem, under Principal's Desk.

Welcome to St. Elizabeth of Hungary Catholic School! We would like to especially welcome all of our new families to our St. Elizabeth family this year. We have had a terrific beginning to the school year. The Boosterthon Fun Run generated a great deal of enthusiasm and excitement and reinforced the character values that we teach here at St. Elizabeth School! I’d like to thank Mrs. Belew for coordinating this very awesome event as well as everyone who contributed to its success!

I am sure that by now you have seen the outstanding work done by our Grounds and Facilities committee to make improvements to our field. A number of families including Josh Choate, Russell Jones, Sandy & David Walkley, and Coach Clack have contributed to this effort under the direction of Susan and Dennis Vrana and Jacinto and Pati Reyes who contributed both the time and the cost to make this a reality. I would also like to thank Phil and MJ Barrilleaux who donated the “Field of Dreams” sign for this project. There are many more projects planned for our “field of dreams” and we know that many more of you will want to become involved in this very worthwhile endeavor to make St. Elizabeth School’s environment as well as athletic facilities state of the art!!!

The Family Volunteer Organization has been hard at work planning this year’s Halloween Carnival. This is always an exciting event that everyone looks forward to and enjoys. This year it will be held on Saturday, October 31. Please be on the look-out for flyers sent through the communication envelope and through Renweb emails for more information.

Our faculty and staff have embraced the new Diocesan curriculum with great enthusiasm and expertise!!! We are even being invited to share our success with other Diocesan schools in an effort to share our resources and talents with others. We are developing communities of learning amongst the teachers here at St. Elizabeth School as well as with other schools within the Diocese. A number of our faculty attended the Thinkfinity Workshop and Diocesan Teacher Tech camp this summer and have brought back many resources to share and ideas to implement in the classrooms. I would like to thank Michele Green for all the work she has done to develop an Art instructional program for our students. She will be sending out information in the near future inviting students to join an after-school Art Club. We will also be participating in the Dallas Museum of Art Go Van Gogh School Outreach Program. We plan to have them come out to work with the K-8 students twice during this school year, hopefully once in the fall semester and once in the spring.

Our students in grades 1-8 will be taking the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) the week of October 12. This standards-based test will provide a snapshot of the type of learner each student is as well as how students perform academically at the beginning of the school year. It is a diagnostic instrument that will help our teachers make decisions as they plan for instruction throughout the school year. It is a norm referenced test, not a criterion referenced test such as the TAKS test. The ITBS is not a test that we can “teach to.” Rather it is a test designed to measure overall knowledge and higher order thinking skills. The teachers will be able to share information with you when they visit with you during the Parent Teacher Conference Day on November 13. Please arrange for your child to be present at school and on time during the testing week in October unless s/he is ill. Also, please make sure that your child gets a good night sleep the night before and eats a nutritious breakfast each morning.

Again, I would like to thank all of our faculty and staff, students, and parents for everything you do each day to make St. Elizabeth’s such an outstanding school. Let us please continue to pray for one another and for the needs of our community

God bless.

St. Elizabeth of Hungary Catholic School

Archive for 'Principal’s Desk'

Posted on January 26, 2012, by Christina Clem, under Principal's Desk.

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Posted on November 30, 2011, by Christina Clem, under Principal's Desk.

Posted on October 21, 2011, by Christina Clem, under Principal's Desk.

Posted on October 21, 2011, by Christina Clem, under Principal's Desk.

Posted on September 19, 2011, by Christina Clem, under Principal's Desk.

Posted on May 27, 2011, by Christina Clem, under Principal's Desk.

Posted on May 27, 2011, by Christina Clem, under Principal's Desk.

Posted on April 18, 2011, by Christina Clem, under Principal's Desk.

FROM CHRISTINA CLEM, PRINCIPAL

Posted on April 18, 2011, by Christina Clem, under Principal's Desk.

Posted on March 7, 2011, by Christina Clem, under Principal's Desk.

Posted on March 7, 2011, by Elizabeth Belew, under Principal's Desk.

Posted on January 18, 2011, by Christina Clem, under Principal's Desk.

Posted on January 18, 2011, by Christina Clem, under Principal's Desk.

Posted on December 7, 2010, by Christina Clem, under Principal's Desk.

From Christina Clem, M.Ed., Principal

Posted on December 8, 2010, by Christina Clem, under Principal's Desk.

Posted on October 28, 2010, by Christina Clem, under Principal's Desk.

Posted on October 28, 2010, by Christina Clem, under Principal's Desk.

Posted on September 29, 2010, by Christina Clem, under Principal's Desk.

Posted on March 11, 2010, by Christina Clem, under Principal's Desk.

Congratulations and Kudos!!!!!!

2009-2010 TEACHER OF THE YEAR

2009-2010 VOLUNTEERS OF THE YEAR

Posted on December 10, 2009, by Christina Clem, under Principal's Desk.

Posted on November 11, 2009, by Christina Clem, under Principal's Desk.

Posted on September 23, 2009, by Christina Clem, under Principal's Desk.

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