St. Mary’s School Weekly Bulletin
Sharing God’s word and teaching Catholic virtues through excellence in education.
December 3, 2015
“Seek the LORD while he may be found; call him while he is near.” - Isaiah 55:6
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Catholic Schools Management Grant: St. Mary’s School is pleased to announce that it is one of the
beneficiaries of a Catholic Extension grant to undertake a four-year Strategic Management and
Development Initiative. The purpose of this initiative, made available to all 15 of the Diocese of
Superior’s Catholic schools, is to help schools become exceptional, well-managed institutions through
institutionalized best practices. Catholic Extension has collaborated with Catholic School Management,
Inc. (CSM), a division of Christian Brothers Services, to offer its Strategic Management and
Development Program. For over 40 years, the Connecticut based CSM has nationally been considered a
premier provider of consulting services to faith-based organizations. The Strategic Management and
Development Program is a consultation service that helps schools strengthen their Catholic identity,
define goals, improve the efficiency of school boards, enhance school image and communications,
raise funds, manage enrollment, and market themselves more effectively.
“The grant marks an exciting time for our Catholic Schools” says Peggy Schoenfuss, Superintendent of
Catholic Schools. “It allows us to further build on a tradition of delivering sound Church teaching
through a high quality broad-based curriculum.”
“This is a phenomenal opportunity for us,” says, Marilyn Pekol, Principal of St. Mary’s. “We are eager
to use the ideas and guidance this program offers to keep the vitality of our school going for
generations to come.”
“Great marketing and development is vital to the mission of Catholic education,” said Steve Tarnowski,
Director of Development, who helped initiate the $80,000 grant for the Diocese.
“We’ve long known that Catholic schools can never afford to take enrollment and funding for granted,”
he said. “This program promises to make a significant difference for participating schools because of
CSM’s proven track record of success in more than 3,000 schools.”
The program kicked off with an initial two-day Diocesan wide seminar on November 16, 2015 in Rice
Lake. Maria Ribera, CSM President and Richard Burke, CSM Senior Consultant addressed pastors,
principals, administrators as well as key staff and volunteers who will assume the various
responsibilities necessary to fulfill the program. Other meetings and video conferences are scheduled
throughout the year.
If you would like to be involved in this key initiative to ensure that St. Mary’s School remains a vital
part of our community, please call the school office. (715) 453-3542.

Home and School News: 50/50 Raffle: Here’s a great idea for Christmas gift that also supports the
school! Tickets for the 50/50 raffle are available for $50 each in the school office. If all tickets are sold,
1st place will receive $2,500, 2nd place will receive $1,500 and 3rd place will receive $1,000. The winning
tickets will be drawn after the Grandparents Day Mass on February 5th. Cookbooks: We have some
cookbooks left to sell, which make great Christmas gifts! Cost is just $12.50 per copy.

Christmas Program: The Christmas Program is Tuesday, December 15 at 1:00 PM and 6:00 PM in the
church. Mark your calendars! The whole school will be performing Christmas Special Delivery together.
It promises to be a great show. Plan on attending the parish Soup Night and then coming to the show!

Option C Training: If you would like to become more comfortable using Option C, call the school office
to set up a time for some training. We want all our parents to use Option C. It’s really a convenient way
for parents to know what’s going on at school. You can keep up with your child’s homework
assignments and due dates, grades, lunch balance, and so much more. And it’s so easy to use! It works
on any smart phone, computer, or personal device that has internet capability.

Parish Mission: It’s exciting that we’re looking forward to another visit by John Angotti for the parish
mission December 7-9. The students will attend the holyday Mass on Tuesday, December 8 at 8:45 AM
instead of Wednesday. Parents are invited to attend a discussion with John with the theme of
“Parenting” on Monday evening at 7:00PM. The parish mission schedule is also posted on Option C.
Please check it out for more details!

McTeacher’s Night: St. Mary’s School teachers and principal will be “working” at McDonald’s on
Thursday, December 10 from 4 PM to 7PM. The school will receive 20% of the sales from that night.
Come have fun eating out and seeing school staff behind the counter at McDonald’s!

Winter Wear: Students need to be dressed appropriately for cold weather. Please remember to send
winter outerwear to school with your child every day. Students go outdoors for recess unless the wind
chill is dangerous. Boots, hats, warm mittens, and snow pants are a necessity!

Santa Shop: The students will be able to their Christmas shopping at school on Monday, December 21.
Each student should bring $5. We need volunteers to help set up the morning of the 21nd as well as to
help out at the sale. Please contact the school office to volunteer. Also, we need you to send in new or
gently used items for students to purchase as gifts. We especially need things for dads!
Upcoming Dates
December
4
Option C Training for parents after Mass 9:45 AM at school
6
St. Mary’s Parish Advent Concert 3 PM @ the church
7-9
St. Mary’s Parish Mission with John Angotti
7
Parenting discussion with John Angotti 7:00PM
10
McTeacher’s Night at McDonald’s
15
St. Mary’s School Christmas Program @ St. Marys church 1:00 PM & 6:00 PM