La Purisima Catholic School

Newsletter for the Week of November 19, 2009

Calendar of Events

Friday
November 20th / Monday
November 23th / Tuesday
November 24th / Wednesday
November 25th / Thursday
November 26th / Friday
November 27th
Regular Day / No School / No School / No School / HAPPY THANKSGIVING
No School / No School

Phone: 714-633-5411 Fax: 714-633-1588 Day Care: 714-905-4730 (after 3:30p.m.)

Web site:

FROM THE PRINCIPAL’S CORNER:

Dear Parents,

I have found it true that the older we are, the faster time passes. I can't believe that time is marching on so quickly. The first trimester ends tomorrow, parent-teacher conferences will begin when we return from vacation, Thanksgiving is here, and the holidays are hot on our heels.

Thanksgiving is so distinctly American. It is a time to give thanks for our country, for the harvest, and for the many blessings of the year. Even though we will soon be caught up in the holiday rush, let us remember during this time of Thanksgiving, that we have so much to be truly grateful for.

GOD, OUR FATHER

LORD OF GIFTS

With uplifted hearts, we thank you for the many blessings

you have bestowed upon us.

We are grateful not only for the gifts of life itself,

but for all your gifts of friendship, love, and forgiveness that we share.

Let us be mindful of those who are without food and shelter.

We are most grateful for the way YOU have become visible to us,

in one another,

in countless daily gifts

and in the marvels of creation.

We thank you today and all days.

Amen

During this season of thanks, let us remember all those who give meaning and happiness to our lives and let us not forget the Advent preparation we are about to embark upon.

I wish all of you this harvesting season, great peace and joy.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Mrs. Vallas

Principal

PREPARE FOR YOUR PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCE

Dear Parents,

Report Cards and Parent-Teacher Conferences are upon us!

Let us remember that a report card is a tool which helps children to learn as much as they possibly can. If your child gets good grades, please encourage him/her to keep up the good work. If your child’s grades are poor, find out why and then work on the areas of weakness. Remember that report cards are not a reflection on you. Although you can help your child improve their grades, you are not responsible for the grades. In addition, if you have more than one child, remember that they are all different from one another.

Now a word about Parent-Teacher Conferences: Just looking at a report card may not give you the full picture about how your child is doing in school; neither will a standardized test. These conferences are set aside so that you and the teacher can discuss your child’s progress on a one-to-one basis. It gives you a chance to ask questions and understand expectations, exchange information about your child that might assist the teacher, and express any concerns you might have.

In order to have a successful conference, might I suggest a few helpful recommendations:

  1. Be on time. Conferences are scheduled for a short period of time; every twenty minutes.
  2. Be prepared. Organize a list of questions you might want to ask.
  3. Go into the conference with an open mind. Leave the hidden agenda at home and be open to comments and suggestions.
  4. Discuss your concerns. You can only resolve your concerns if you can talk about them openly.
  5. If you don’t understand, ask.
  6. Listen. The teacher wants the best for your child, too.
  7. Feel free to take notes so that you can remember the key points later.
  8. Deal with the facts and not what you might have heard.
  9. Keep up with your child’s progress via homework, tests, email, and progress reports, and Aeries.

I wish you a successful conference and, more importantly, successful experiences for your child.

Have a peace-filled vacation and a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Gratefully in His Service,

Mrs. Vallas

Principal

La Purisima Catholic School

Schoolwide Learning Expectations

La Purisima Students will become…

Life-long learners who:

  • demonstrate organizational and study skills to be prepared for life.
  • exhibit a solid foundation in academics and strive for success.
  • use self-evaluation to reflect on learning and to set educational goals.
  • are creative, resourceful critical thinkers.

School Silent Auction: The post-auction silent auction will take place in the school courtyard on Thursday, November 19th and Friday, November 20th, with the auction closing at 3:30 p.m. on Friday.

Special Persons Day: Friday, November 20th is Special Person Day. Festivities begin at 7:50 in the hall and end after mass. We are excited to meet a special person in your child’s life.

Toys for the Troops’ Kids: From October 28th - November 20th, LP students are gathering toys for children 0-18 whose parents will be deployed this Holiday season. See attached flyer for more details.

Parent-Teacher Conferences: The 1st trimester ends Friday, November 20th, which means parent-teacher conferences will be held December 3rd and 4th. All parents must sign up with their child’s homeroom teacher.

Ministry Fair: Parents and students with friendly, gracious personalities are needed for a fun opportunity. This weekend La Purisima Catholic Church will be presenting a Ministry Fair in the worship plaza after each mass. Our school will have a table with information for parishioners to discover ways that they can offer their time, talents and treasure to help our school. The materials will be all set up, we just need you to come at the end of the mass you attend and talk about what you love about our school to those who stop by and ask questions. Sound like something you would enjoy? Contact Sandra Even at or 714.454.7812 and let her know you will help. Vietnamese and Spanish families who volunteer will also be greatly appreciated.

The Treasure Box: This Saturday, November 21st is The Treasure Box delivery day. You can pick up your preordered box between 10:30 and 12 noon in the back parking lot. Please bring your receipt! You can also place an order for the December box at that time. If you ordered a box and would like for our Treasure Box team to donate it, please email Kim at All unclaimed boxes will be donated!

Sunday Morning Mass:La Purisima Church will be offering an additional Sunday morning mass in English at 6:30 a.m., beginning Sunday, November 29, 2009, the first Sunday of the new liturgical year. This mass is being re-instated after 4-5 years in response to demand from parishioners, and to re-connect with those who prefer to worship early. Father Vincent would appreciate your assistance in making the availability of this new mass known to your families and friends. Thank you.

Sports Meeting: All parents whose children will participate in basketball at LPCS next season are asked to attend a meeting with Mrs. Vallas and Coach Gozbak on December 2nd at 8:20 a.m. Please mark your calendar and plan to attend.

H1N1 Flu Update from the Orange County Health Care Agency: Please see the attached update regarding prevention and vaccination.

Is it a Cold, the Flu, or H1N1? Please see the attached chart which shows the similarities between a cold, the seasonal flu, or H1N1.

Box Tops: We have collected $277 worth of Box Tops so far this year. Keep on clipping! We are including a collection sheet for your children to color and turn in this month. See attached.

New CavWear items now available! La Purisima is now offering zipper and pullover hoody sweatshirts! Both are available in navy and gray. T-shirts and crewneck sweatshirts are also now offered in navy and gray. See attached catalog for sizes and pricing.

We are now offering La Purisima backpacks and sports duffle bags for everyone in navy with the school logo. See the catalog for details.

Finally, we are introducing the La Purisima baseball cap! This fitted cap is in navy and comes in two sizes S/M and L/XL. These caps are available to everyone. Be one of the first to own them!

Please make all checks out to La Purisima School and deliver them with the attached order form to the school office.

Remember, all CavWear sales benefit the school’s general fund. CavWear t-shirts and sweatshirts cannot be worn as part of the student's daily uniform.

Holiday Scrip Order Schedule

Don’t Delay, Order Now and Beat the Crowds!

Beginning Monday, November 9th we will be in Holiday mode. You can bring your order with payment to the school office by 8 a.m. Monday or place your order online at shopwithscrip.com by 8 a.m. on Monday and your order will be here by Wednesday afternoon. Place another order on Thursday by 8 a.m. through the school office or shopwithscrip.com and receive it the following Tuesday afternoon.

Shop with Scrip: You can now order scrip online at shopwithscrip.com. Hundreds of merchants to choose from place your order by Monday pay with presto pay or send your payment into the school office by Tuesday morning at 8 a.m., and your order will be shipped to the school along with our regular order. Simply sign up at shopwithscrip.com, use our enrollment code FA3B92744628, and you’re on your way to online shopping and scrip credit!

Ink Cartridge and Cell Phone Recycling: Please send in your ink cartridges for Canon, Dell or Lexmark, or old cell phones and we will recycle them for you.

November 20:First Trimester Ends

Special Persons Day, 7:50 a.m.–11:00 a.m.

Mass, 9:30 a.m.

Band Practice, 3:30 p.m.-4-30 p.m.

December 1: Science Club, 3:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m.

December 2: Parent sports meeting, 8:20 a.m.

Choir Practice, 3:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m.

December 4:Band Practice, 3:30 p.m.-4.30 p.m.

Trinity Guild:The Trinity Guild is collecting $1 toys to be donated to the children that come to the pantry during the month of December. If you would like to make a trip to the $0.99 Store and help us out, just drop your donations to the parish office labeled for the Trinity Guild. Thank you!

The Trinity Guild is continuing to accept food donations. Please leave your non-perishable food in the baskets in the church. Bags of pinto beans, rice, and tomato sauce are needed at this time. We are also in need of plastic grocery sacks to bag donations. Thank you!

CAR Home Connect: Want to see how your child did on their last CAR test? Want to see what tests your child has taken this week, this month, or this year? Want to do all of this and more from home or work? Lucky you! CAR has a new feature called Home Connect that lets you and your child look at your child’s CAR reading record remotely. Here is how to access this feature:

Website:

Username: your child’s CAR username

Password: your child’s hot lunch number

The username and password are the same username and password your child uses to take CAR tests.

In Home Connect you can also sign up to receive emails showing your child’s quiz or test results.

Mater Dei Applications Available: Mater Dei High School admission applications are available now at Mater Dei is accepting applications for the 2010-2011 school year on a rolling basis—apply today! Once your application file is complete, it will be reviewed for Early Qualification. All applicants are required to take the Entrance Exam on January 30, 2010. For more info. call (714) 850-9534.