March 7, 2018
 
Dear Students, Families, Alumni, Parishioners, and Friends of ASB School,
 
Congratulations to fifth graders Ella Spencer and Millie Kannier for winning our Walkathon logo contest! Way to represent the fifth grade!  Yesterday, our fifth grade students gathered for an afternoon retreat in Assumption Fellowship Hall.  The beginning of third trimester marks an important shift as they look towards middle school and we had a wonderful opportunity to spend a few hours building each other up, working together, and having fun.  One of our main focus points was gratitude.  As students shared what they were most grateful for, I am sure the answers will not surprise you.  Parents. Families. Shelter. Food. Protection. Comfort. These were shared with the group as not only the things for which we are grateful, but also the things for which we need to deliberately show gratitude.  The students also spent time specifically sharing why they appreciate each other and how they each bring greatness to the class.  What an important reminder for all of us as adults.  Lent calls us to almsgiving.  We “give alms” to each other when we give gratitude for each other, when we deliberately call out the reasons we are grateful.
 
Pope Francis recently Tweeted, “Almsgiving helps us to recognize our neighbor as our brother or sister, and to acknowledge that what we possess is never ours’ alone.”  As we reach the midpoint of the Lenten season, I continue to be so grateful to each of you for your commitment to generosity and service to others.  There have been so many moments of incarnation this week related to almsgiving! I have heard students discussing how their family rice bowls continue to fill up, which help so many in need.  On Monday, the hallway was once again lined with food to stock the St. Vincent de Paul food pantry as a part of our monthly free dress food drive.  On Monday, we also welcomed representatives from the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) to kick off our annual Pennies for Patients fundraiser.  Our support of this important organization allows for further work towards the cure for blood cancer.  At ASB, we do this in honor of alum Henry Streuli, who graduated in June 2015 and lost his battle with Burkitt’s Lymphoma in July 2015.  We were so honored to have Henry’s mother, father, and grandparents join us Monday morning as we honored his memory with a touching tribute led by our Student Leadership Team.  As we keep the message of Lent and Jesus’ sacrifice in our hearts, we give alms to help all who courageously fight the same battle as Henry and are grateful for his model of bravery and strength. 
 
I am grateful for a school that values the arts.  If you attended the Assumption Parish Fish Fry on Friday night, you were treated with a wonderful preview performance of our upcoming musical, The Music Man.  As our middle school thespians sang, dance, acted, and turned the gym – even for a moment – into River City, Iowa, they transformed into confident performers who captivated their audience.  Next, we were treated to performances by two of our student bands.  They showed off their musicality, grit, and self-confidence as phone cameras flashed in their smiling faces.  I was particularly struck by two things – the true confidence and enjoyment that exuded from our beginning band and the tremendous growth in the ability of our older students.  These two experiences together are such an important reminder of the impact our performing arts program has on our students, and I am so grateful to Bryan Van Pelt, Matt Turner, and Julie Olsen for providing these opportunities, and I am grateful to each of you for all you do to support these programs.
 
I want to wish special congratulations to sixth grader Kris Sekhar.  Not only did Kris win our school’s National Geographic Geography Bee, he has advanced and will be participating at the state level at the end of April.  Way to go, Kris!

I would also like to say thank you to all of our first graders for helping with mass this past weekend.  I have received so many compliments about what a great job they did and many could not believe they were first graders.  What a wonderful example of even our youngest students being models of confident, reflective members of our community!

Our alums also continue to shine!  Last week, I received notification from both Seattle Prep and Bishop Blanchet high schools regarding their most recent academic honors.  As I scrolled through the honor rolls, deans’ lists, presidents’ lists, etc., the number of ASB alums on each was amazing.  Check out the links below in the ASB News section.  What a testament to the work of each of these students, the support of their families, and their commitment to a strong education!
 
Finally, this week I am grateful for every member of our faculty and staff.  As they finish report cards, prepare for conferences, lesson plan for the final trimester, answer emails, greet families, and help with questions, they do it with smiles on their faces, positive attitudes, and a willingness to step in and help each other whenever needed.  Most importantly, they do all of this while putting the number reason we are here first every day - your children.  As a principal, I could not ask for a more professional, caring group of educators.  As a parent who is facing my oldest heading off to high school and my youngest heading into middle school, I could not ask for a more dedicated and collaborative experience for my children’s education.
 
All my best,
Kathleen
 

 

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Congratulations to our ASB alumni who've earned academic achievements at Bishop Blanchet High School and Seattle Preparatory School. Keep up the great work, we are proud of you!
 

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Special Olympics USA Games! Now is the time for action! The Seattle Archdiocese is looking to secure 1,000 volunteers of all ages by April 15! Please #RiseWithUs

Starting today, March 7, ASB School will be closing at 12 noon to accommodate Spring conferences at ASB.  During these days, Wednesday through Friday,  ASB Extended Care will be OPEN. 

Information on Camp ASB and registration forms, are now available. Camp ASB will open Tuesday, June 5 and will CLOSE the week of the 4th of July, we will also stay open a week longer, staying open into the first week of August.  These are changes to the normal schedule of Camp ASB and they are changes that we think are important to accommodate the longer summer vacation and the construction that will be taking place on campus.  Camp ASB will remain in its usual home this summer, the PAC/FAFC/Gym area at ASB.  We are in the process of planning and coordinating around the construction project, to ensure the safety of our students and our program.  There may be some changes to pick up and drop-off, students and staff will spend more time off campus, and we are preparing ourselves for the unexpected.  Please make sure to review the summer prepayment schedule included in the registration forms, as it will help relay the dates that Camp ASB will be open this summer.  
 

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Tax Information for Extended Care families is available in each families FACTS account. From each family's FACTS account, one has the ability to  create a report of the hours paid for and used during a specific time frame.
The Tax ID # for Extended Care is 911934765. 
 

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Camp ASB 2018 Registration Form and Info

Extended Care Registration Form 2017-2018

Extended Care Payment Options 2017-2018
 
Extended Care reminders:

• Please turn in your Extended Care registration forms for the 2017-2018 School year.
• Tax information is available to each family via their FACTS account.  The Tax ID # for ASB School is: 911934765

Save 35th Ave.  Keep It Safe & Accessible

Info click HERE

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