Family and School Association Newsletter

Family and School Association Newsletter

Volume XXIV March 2017 Sue Bordenaro – 312-534-5304;

Part-way Through Lent

We have part of Lent behind us and someleft in which we can keep the promises we made to ourselves and the Lord and add one or two if we know in our hearts they are needed.

There are three practices, prayer, penance and almsgiving that have a special place during Lent, though they are also a part of our year-long Christian life.

• Have you made daily prayer, reading Scripture and/or taking part in Lenten practices such as Stations of the Cross a special priority for your family?
• Almsgiving doesn’t just mean donations of money. Have you worked at helping your family show special concern for those in need – the poor, the sick, the homeless; taking cookies to a nursing home, shopping for a sick neighbor, helping at a local soup kitchen?
• Abstaining from meat on Fridays and fasting and abstaining on Good Friday are a form of penance for those 18 to 59 years of age. Giving up something that one truly enjoys is another simple way to practice penance.

These are all practices that help us prepare for the most important part of Easter: renewing our Baptismal vows. Lenten practices were originally developed as part of the preparation for becoming Christian in the fourth and fifth centuries. Still maintained in some forms in our Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) programs, practicing prayer, penance and almsgiving is helpful and vital in the faith development of every Catholic.

Sadlier Religion Publishers has some fasting suggestions that seem different and helpful:

• Fast from busyness
• Fast from emotional exhaustion
• Fast from negativity
• Fast from verbal unkindness

Whatever the Holy Spirit leads you to during the rest of this Lenten season, may you end this blessed time feeling renewed in faith and in spirit.

Parent Organization Presentations

The often repeated phrase, “but they don’t come”, is frequently applied to parent organizations’

efforts to provide helpful education for their members. However, there is much that families need to know and your parent/guardian group can help provide that information in a manner that most accommodates your constituents. Some rules of thumb can be helpful in making your education piece successful:

1. Survey your school families to learn the topics about which they are interested;
2. Determine which week, dayor evening is best for most families;
3. Engage a stimulating speaker for the most requested topic;
4. Advertise early and extensively;
5. Provide some “goodies” that can be easily carried to the seating area;
6. Keep the presentation short;
7. Open with a prayer;
8. Sit back and enjoy – you and your group have done all that you can do.

(Note: Don’t expect an enormous turnout with so many two parent working families and you won’t be disappointed)

Some topics that are of current interest:

-Family Nutrition - School Safety

-Social Media Safety for Children - Homework Assistance

-School Rules and Curriculum Information - Family Faith Formation

Your Parent/Guardian organization could also sponsor education classes such as English as a Second Language (ESL) and/or computer training.

Legislative Information

Our Springfield legislature, as I’m sure you all know, has stalled its budget passage unbelievably.

In one of the budget items waiting for approval is a Tax Credit program that would be of tremendous benefit to our Catholic school families, ourschools and other non-public schools. The program has the support of leaders in both the Republican and Democratic parties and the Governor has voiced his approval.

Once the budget begins to move, there is reason to hope that the helpful program will be passed.

At some point we will need action from our school families. They will need to call, email, write and visit their legislators to solicit support for the bill. We are asking our schools to connect with legislators, invite them to the school and in general show them that our Catholic schools are wonderful.

Your school should have a Legislative Action Person (LAP) whose role is to assist your principal in

getting the word out to school families and calling for action.

Your organization can be a great assistance in this effort. We do not know when the time for action will come, but you can assist by tracking down your school LAP and offering to help notify families when the time comes. If you cannot find, or do not have a school LAP, please contact your principal and offer assistance.

Have a Blessed Lent