Weekly Word From St. Patrick School JANUARY 27, 2012 WEEKLY MESSAGE To kick off Catholic Schools Week, the Knights of Columbus will be On Sunday, we start Catholic sponsoring a pancake breakfast. This Schools Week. I am truly proud to be will be held on Sunday, January 29 an administrator in the Archdiocese of starting at 9:00 and will end at 12:00. Dubuque Catholic School System. The cost is a free‐will donation. Most of all, I am proud to be an administrator for St. Patrick School. CANDY BAR SALES The first thing that I noticed when I began over a year ago was the Candy bar sales have begun. In difference in environment. Coming order to have a box to sell, you will from a public school system, I noticed need to sign one out. You can also that the students of this school are in a check one out through email or more positive place. The great part verbally. We will only give out boxes about that is it seems to be a common of candy bars if we hear from the theme in every Catholic School. Every parents. This will help us keep track school that I visit for meetings, I notice of the boxes of candy bars. the same environment. It is truly great to be part of a great educational VIP DAY opportunity where Christ is at the center. We will only continue to get One of our days for Catholic better. Just like I tell the students of Schools Week is VIP Day. The form is this school, just enough is not good attached to the newsletter. Please enough. We need to continue to grow read it carefully. academically, socially, become better citizens, and most of all; live the STO teachings of Christ. This is also an opportunity for everyone to spread I have attached the STO the word about St. Patrick School. I application. The STO program is for encourage everyone to tell people students going into kindergarten how great our school is. Let’s set a through sixth grade. It is used to goal of increasing our enrollment by make a Catholic education affordable 10 students. Let’s fill our classrooms, for all. I am also sending out a paper and get to the point where there is a copy of the application. Please waiting list for our school. The best remember, if you fill out an electronic recruiters of our school are parents. version of the application, you will still God bless everyone and God bless St. need to mail it to PSAS. The only way Patrick School. it will be sent electronically is if you fill out the application online at PANCAKE BREAKFAST www.psas.org. VIP Day Dear Parents: During Catholic Schools Week, we have had a day called Very Important People Day. We wanted to call it that, because we feel that all people who visit are important. Any important person in your child’s life is invited. This day will be on Friday, February 3. Below, you will see a schedule of that day, menu, and other information that is important. Please pay close attention to the “Other Information” section. Schedule 9:30 VIPs can arrive 10:30 Mass 11:20ish First Lunch 11:50 Second Lunch 12:30 Early Dismissal Menu Roast Turkey Mashed Potatoes and Gravy Corn Roll and Butter Cherry Cake Milk Other Information • January 30: Permission Slip and Count for Number of People Coming Due • Lunch cost: $3.00 per Adult, $2.00 for children coming with VIPs • Money for Lunch due by February 2 • Children can’t leave with people other than parents without form filled out. • If children are leaving with the VIP, they must let the teacher know, and sign out in the office. Permission Slip Child’s Name:__________________________________________ Child’s Grade:__________________________________________ I give my child permission to go home with __________________________________________ on Friday February 3. _________________________________________________ Parent/Guardian Count of People Coming Child’s Name:_________________________________________________________________ Child’s Grade:_________________________________________________________________ Name of People Coming: _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ Telephone: 319-462-2688 • E-Mail: [email protected] • Internet: www.stpat-anamosa.pvt.k12.ia.us Sr. Susan Dunnwald, R.S.M. Dear Parent/Guardian, Pastoral Administrator The Our Faith, Our Children, Our Future School Tuition Organization (STO) and St. Chris Frimml Patrick School are pleased to once again provide tuition assistance to qualifying Principal families. This program, supported by over 1,000 donors provides expanded opportunities to help qualifying families afford the Catholic School of their choice. Steve Reyhons Tuition assistance through the Our Faith, Our Children, Our Future STO is available to School Board all families whose 2011 taxable income is at or below 300% of the federally President determined poverty rate. That table is found at the end of this letter. Jerry Rogers Both the Our Faith, Our Children, Our Future STO and St. Patrick School will be utilizing School Board Private School Aid Services (PSAS) to assist in determining the level of assistance to Vice President be awarded. PSAS has developed an application that all families need to complete to be considered for assistance. Your personal information will be held in strictest confidence at all times. If you have a child at more than one Archdiocesan School, you Aimee Scranton will only need to complete one application form. There is a $22 non‐refundable School Board Secretary processing fee for the application, payable to PSAS. Please note this is a one‐dollar increase from last year. John Fahey The application is available at the school office and on line at www.psas.org. If you Dean Koopmann contact the school office we can provide a form to you. In addition to your completed Jeremy Neuhaus application, you must include a copy of your 2011 federal income tax return or your School Board 2010 federal income tax return with a copy of your 2011 W‐2(s). The application Members needs to be completed on‐line or via U.S. Mail, postmarked no later than March 23, 2012. Jackie Foster Office Manager To assist you in filling out the application PSAS will have a call center available at 1‐866‐424‐6443. The call center is open Monday‐Friday from 11:00 am‐7:00 pm, and on Saturdays from 8:00 am‐noon. You are also welcome to call St. Patrick School at the school for assistance. Award notification letters will be mailed on or before May 21, 2012. The complete timeline with specific information concerning the application is found below. We strongly encourage every family to complete an application. The Our Faith, Our Children, Our Future STO will be able to make Catholic Education affordable for all. If you have questions about the assistance program, call the school. Call the PSAS call center at 1‐866‐424‐6443 with specific questions about the application. This is a wonderful opportunity for qualifying families. Sincerely, St. Patrick School Principal Timeline January Applications available through the school and on‐line at www.psas.org. March 23 Completed applications must be post‐marked or filed electronically. May 21 Award notification letters sent to all families who applied. May 31 Families receiving assistance send confirmation they are accepting/declining the assistance back to the school. School Code When completing the application, our school/system code is 3214. The password online is Arch1. Program Information The Our Faith, Our Children, Our Future STO is funded by numerous generous donors from across the Archdiocese of Dubuque. All donors received an Iowa Tax Credit equal to 65% of their gift, with all donations qualifying for a federal income tax deduction for their 2011 returns. Donors interested in contributing to this program during 2012 can download a donor application at www.OurFaithSTO.org. The goal for 2012 is to raise $4.265 million to be used in the 2013‐14 school year. Families are eligible for the Our Faith, Our Children, Our Future STO assistance if their taxable income for 2011 is at or below 300% of the poverty level. The poverty level is set by federal guidelines. The level of Our Faith, Our Children, Our Future STO assistance recommended by PSAS will be based upon family income, number of dependants, and the total K‐12 tuition bill for the family. *STO Qualifying Levels 2012­2013 **Family Size ***Maximum Income **Family Size ***Maximum Income Two $45,390 Five $81,030 Three $57,270 Six $92,910 Four $69,150 Seven $104,790 * STO qualifying levels are Based upon 300% of 2012 Federal Poverty Levels as required By Iowa law. **Family size includes parents/guardians plus total numBer of dependents claimed on 2011 tax return. For families with more than seven persons, add $11,880 for each additional person. *** Families are eligiBle for STO assistance if their taxaBle income is at or Below the aBove listed income levels. Local assistance may not Be Based upon the aBove. Falling within these guidelines does not necessarily guarantee tuition assistance. All families who want to be considered for tuition assistance must fill out the PSAS application. PARENT NAME PARENT Student Aid Form 2012 - 2013 Our Faith, Our Children, Our Future School Tuition Organization S. T. O. help Desk at 1-866-424-6443 Application Conditions: Directions: = This Student Aid Form (SAF) is used to determine financial need = One application is to be filed per family even if dependents attend for the Our Faith, Our Children, Our Future School Tuition more than one school. Organization. = All applications are to be returned to PSAS sealed in the envelope = Student(s) must live in Iowa for S.T.O.