Family Messenger September 30, 2008

Lord God,
when we are with our families, or when we do our daily tasks,
help us to keep following your Son and sharing his Light.
We ask this through the same Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

A Message from the Principal

Our Back to School Hop event was a great success! We were blessed with wonderful weather, and it was great to see everyone together to kick off the beginning of the school year. Thank you to all who attended the hop and book fair. I would like to thank Mrs. Rosy Alonso and Mrs. Georgette Mueckay for helping organize the hop and Mrs. Ruby Marcos for coordinating the Book Fair.

Yesterday, students in grades 1-8 began taking the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS). Testing will continue all week. Please take extra precautions to ensure that your child is present for these tests. Score reports should be available at parent-teacher conferences in November.

This Friday is our annual Blessing of the Animals. The blessing will begin at 1:00 p.m. and will take place in the auditorium. Parents should bring animals directly to the auditorium just before the blessing. To minimize distractions during instruction, live animals (regardless of size) will not be allowed in the classrooms. Any student who brings an animal to class in the morning will be sent to the office to call their parents to come pick up the animal. After the blessing, students with animals are asked to exit through the hallway by the 1st and 2nd grade classrooms and leave the campus through the side gate (see diagram enclosed). All other students will exit through the kindergarten yard and will proceed to carpool. Please make sure that you bring plastic bags to clean up after your pets!

Have a great week!

Ms. Olivia Carrillo

Important Dates:
• September 29 – October 3 – ITBS Testing and Book Fair
• October 3 – Blessing of the Animals 1:00 p.m.
• October 13 – No School/No ASP: Faculty/Staff Retreat Day
• October 16 – Picture Day grades K-8
• October 17 – Progress Reports go home

Classroom News
With the presidential election approaching, Mrs. Rodriguez, our junior high social studies teacher, is getting all students in grades 6-8 involved! Junior high students will be required to watch the presidential/VP debates, will conduct research on how a U.S. president gets elected, and will report their findings. Students will be asked to compare the candidates in the following aspects: foreign policy, economy, environment, and education. The mock election will take place on October 17.

Scrip Tip from Jennifer Bunt
GREAT ECONOMIC NEWS!! (I bet you didn't think you'd hear that these days.) You'll receive your $200 reimbursement as soon as you hit $200 in profits. No waiting until May. Please remember that eScrip is 60 days behind in reporting and Ralphs is 90 days behind in reporting. Congratulations to the families that are really using the program. I'm estimating that some of you will reach this goal by the end of 2008. Those of you who haven't been buying scrip, this should be further incentive. I know we can all use the $200 in our pockets.

Upcoming VIRTUS Training Sessions
• Saturday, October 4 @ 9:00 a.m. – Holy Family (Glendale)
• Saturday, October 25 @ 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. – Incarnation
(Central Ave. property)
Visit www.virtus.org for other locations in the San Fernando, San Gabriel, San Pedro, and Our Lady of the Angels regions. Please be sure to turn in a copy of your Virtus certificate to the school office.

Box Tops for Education
Turn your everyday grocery purchases into cash for Incarnation School! You can clip 10¢ Box Tops coupons from hundreds of products such as Cheerios®, Betty Crocker®, Juicy Juice®, Ziploc®, Kleenex®, Hefty® and more! Start clipping now and send them in to the school office. Visit www.boxtops4education.com for more ways to earn. Thank you to all who have already submitted box tops. Our collection is growing every day!

Spring Concert DVDs
Inca’s 2008 Spring Concert DVDs are available for $20 in the school office. Please make checks payable to Incarnation School.

Inca Swim Team News – From Swim Team Reps Laura M and Juliet M
Congratulations to the Incarnation Swim Team! On Sunday, they competed in the St. John Eudes Annual Swim Meet. All of the swimmers improved their times and are looking faster and faster at every meet. Thank you to all the parents who timed and helped our team be successful. Pictures of the swimmers can be found on the Inca website. The following swimmers won medals at yesterday’s meet: Adrian A, Christopher B, Michael B, Gabriela C, Marc F, Emmelene G, Valentin M, Olivia S, Lauren S.
The team’s next meet is on October 14. Any students interested should pick up the swim form in the office ASAP. Entry deadline is Tuesday, September 30.

Family Messenger September 23, 2008

God our Father,
We praise you for sending your Son to live among us
and teach us. Help us to know and proclaim
that he is truly the Messiah who heals and saves us.
Amen.

Notes from the Principal

Thank you to all who attended our first General PTO Meeting last week. Your attendance at these meetings helps facilitate communication between the PTO Board members and all Inca families.

This Thursday, September 25 is Back to School Night for parents of students in grades 6-8. This is an opportunity to meet your child’s teachers and to familiarize yourself with the classroom policies, procedures, and expectations. Back to School Night begins promptly at 6:00 p.m. in your child’s homeroom. Child care will be available.

Next week, students in grades 1-8 will begin the standardized testing process. The Iowa Test of Basic Skills is a norm-referenced test that provides detailed information about student mastery of content skills. By administering the test in the fall, teachers can use the diagnostic information to make instructional decisions related to their classes and individual students. Additionally, students in grades 3, 5, and 7 will take the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) which measures students’ verbal, quantitative, and nonverbal reasoning abilities. With this test, teachers can obtain information about the way in which individual students learn and can add specific teaching strategies to their repertoire to meet the needs of their students.

How can parents help their children prepare for these tests? Make sure that they get plenty of rest and a have a healthy breakfast every morning. Students often feel tense or anxious when taking these tests. Decrease that uneasiness by letting them know that the purpose of these tests is to help teachers plan instruction.

In order to receive a complete score report, your child must be present for all sections of the test. Please do not schedule any appointments during testing so that your child has the opportunity to complete all sections of the test. All testing will take place before lunch.

Have a great week!

Ms. Olivia Carrillo

Important Dates
• September 25 – Back to School Night (Grades 6-8)
• September 27 – Back to School Hop/Book Fair – 3:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
• September 29 – October 3 – ITBS Testing
• October 13 – No School/No ASP: Faculty/Staff Retreat Day

Ralphs Community Contribution
Thank you to all who have registered their Ralphs cards and have designated Incarnation School as their organization of choice. We will be receiving a check in the amount of $1,788.72 for the fourth quarter (between 6/1/08 – 8/31/08)!

Upcoming VIRTUS Training Sessions
• Saturday, September 27 @ 12:30 p.m. – Our Lady of Grace (Encino); call to register (818) 342-4505
• Saturday, September 27 @ 2:00 p.m. – Holy Family (South Pasadena)
• Saturday, October 4 @9:00 a.m. – Holy Family (Glendale); call to register (323) 275-7932
Visit www.virtus.org for other locations in the San Fernando, San Gabriel, San Pedro, and Our Lady of the Angels regions.

Back to School Hop
This Saturday from 3:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. is our annual Back to School Hop. Join us for an evening of fun, games, and food as we celebrate the return to school with other Inca families! We give special thanks to Mrs. Rosy Alonso and Mrs. Georgette Mueckay for organizing this event.

Spring Concert DVDs
Inca’s 2008 Spring Concert DVDs are available for $20 in the school office. Please make checks payable to Incarnation School.

Swim Team News
Congratulations to Ryan B, Christopher B, Michael B, Mateo D, Marc F, Elizabeth H, Sebastian M, Matteo M, Lia M, and Sierra S for earning medals at the swim meet on September 14! Congratulations to Amanda P, Javier A, Gabrielle P and Ryan B for participating in Mixed Freestyle Relay. They came in third in their heat and ninth overall.
The Incarnation Swim Team has 34 swimmers and out of 15 schools competing, Incarnation is in 11th place. Thank you to all swim parents who volunteered on such a hot day!

Scrip Tip
Thank you participating Ralphs families!!! We will soon be receiving a check for $1,788.72, and that's with only 153 households registered. Can you imagine what our profits would be if all INCA families, their friends, neighbors, and family members were registered? This is an easy fund raiser and one that everyone can easily do. The pennies do add up....too $1,788.72!! We also received a check from Target in the amount of $136.70 Whoo, hooo!!!

Morning Drop Off
All students dropped off before 7:30 a.m. must be signed in to morning care in the ASP room. If you prefer not to have your children in morning care, please drop them off at 7:30 a.m. or later.
Any students seen waiting outside before 7:30 a.m. will be asked to check themselves in and parents will be charged accordingly. The black gate facing the church parking lot will remain closed and locked during morning carpool which begins at 7:30 a.m. For your child’s safety, drop off is not permitted in the church parking lot, and all students must be dropped off through the morning carpool.

Family Messenger September 16, 2008

God of all wisdom,
Help us to see you as you are:
Greater than anything we could expect or imagine.
We ask this through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.


Notes from the Principal

Our first General PTO Meeting is scheduled for tonight at 7:00 p.m. in the auditorium.
Child care will be provided, and parents in attendance will receive a free dress pass for their children to use on Friday, September 19. We hope to see you all there!

I am sure that by now your child has shared with you some vital information about their class. We are grateful for your attention to the letters your child’s teachers send home. This Thursday, September 18 is Back to School Night for parents of students in grades K – 5. This is an opportunity to meet your child’s teachers and to familiarize yourself with the classroom policies, procedures, and expectations.

Back to School Night begins promptly at 6:00 p.m. in your child’s classroom. Classroom presentations will be given in two sessions (6:00 – 6:20 and 6:30 – 6:50). Back to School Night for parents of students in grades 6 – 8 will be held next Thursday, September 25 at 6:00 p.m. We look forward to beginning the home-school partnership with you, the primary educator.

May you have a blessed week!

Ms. Olivia Carrillo

Important Dates
• September 16 – General PTO Meeting 7:00 p.m. in auditorium
• September 18 - Back to School Night (Grades K-5)
• September 25 – Back to School Night (Grades 6-8)
• September 27 – Back to School Hop/Book Fair



Raphael!
Raphael Ddamba, a seminarian from Uganda, will be with Incarnation Church through June. Raphael introduced himself to the students last week and joined the eighth graders on their retreat yesterday. We are happy to have him and look forward to his involvement with the school

Hello Week
The Student Council planned several activities for “Hello Week” last week. Students enjoyed the activities including sports day, the bake sale, and the scavenger hunt. Thank you, Student Council, for a great start to the school year!

Parent-Student Handbook
Please remember to turn in your Parent/Student Policies Agreement Form to the school office (p. 50 in Parent-Student Handbook). We must have this form on file for all families.

SCRIP Tip
Be sure to sign up your new Ralphs Rewards Card at www.Ralphs.com. Click on Community Contribution on the left hand side. In the Participant box, click on “Sign Up." Enter NPO #83164 (Incarnation School), your card number, and the additional information requested. While you're at it, sign up your family members’, friends’, and neighbors’ cards. When you sign others up, email INCASCRIP@gmail.com with your name and the other names that you've signed up so that you can get credit for their profits!

Catechetical Sunday
This Sunday, all catechists will be blessed and commissioned during the 9:00 a.m. Mass. Please join us as we encourage and support all our catechists as they begin their ministry with our children.

Coach Needed – Service Hour Opportunity
Incarnation School’s Girls’ B Volleyball team is still in need of a coach. The season will begin soon, so if you are interested, please contact Jimmy Mueckay at moykai@charter.net.
VIRTUS training, fingerprinting, Guidelines form, and CYO certification is required.

Spring Concert DVDs
Inca’s 2008 Spring Concert DVDs are available for $20 in the school office. Please make checks payable to Incarnation School

School Lunches
Students not ordering hot lunch from M&F Kitchenette must bring their own lunch to school. Parents are discouraged from regularly dropping off lunches for their child(ren). If it is necessary to do so because of a forgotten lunch, please do not bring lunches from fast-food restaurants. (from Parent-Student Handbook, p. 8)

Homework Club
Homework Club begins this week. If your child is enrolled in monthly ASP, Homework Club is available at no additional charge. The cost for non-ASP students is $5 per session.
• Sessions run from 3:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Grades K-2: Tuesdays with Mr. Tiu and Thursdays with Mrs. Theiring
Grades 3-5: Tuesdays and Thursdays with Ms. Rickert
Grades 6-8: Monday through Thursday with Mrs. Rodriguez

Family Messenger September 9, 2008

God of all people,
Help us to bear Christ, the Prince of Peace, into all the places we will go in life.
Against all odds, may we be peacemakers and healers.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Notes from the Principal
It was wonderful to see so many of you on the first day of school! We are now officially into full school mode, and based on what I have seen during my classroom visits, the students have been quite busy! I would like to thank the entire faculty and staff who worked so hard in preparing for the beginning of the school year.

Please be sure to mark your calendars for our first General PTO Meeting scheduled for Tuesday, September 16 at 7:00 p.m. The PTO Board has created an informative agenda, so please plan on sending at least one representative from your family. Child care will be provided.

This week, all requirements for volunteers will be strictly enforced. Volunteers must submit a copy of their VIRTUS certificates to the school office and must sign the “Guidelines for Interacting with Youth” form located in the Parent/Student Handbook (buff-colored sheet). All yard duty volunteers must submit a copy of their LiveScan fingerprint form to the office as proof of having met this additional requirement. We thank you in advance for your cooperation in helping keep our children safe.

Ms. Olivia Carrillo

Important Dates
• September 12 – Deadline to turn in Parent/Student Handbook agreement forms
• September 16 – General PTO Meeting 7:00 p.m. in auditorium
• September 27 – Back to School Hop

Box Tops for Education
Turn your everyday grocery purchases into cash for Incarnation School! You can clip 10¢ Box Tops coupons from hundreds of products such as Cheerios®, Betty Crocker®, Juicy Juice®, Ziploc®, Kleenex®, Hefty® and more! Start clipping now and send them in to the school office. Visit www.boxtops4education.com for more ways to earn.

Scrip Tip
Attached to this week’s Home Messenger is the new SCRIP envelope filled with information about the SCRIP program. If you have any questions about SCRIP, please contact Jennifer Bunt at incascrip@gmail.com.

Directory Information
Thank you to the many families who have already completed and returned the “2008-2009 Directory Information Form” sent in last week’s Home Messenger envelope. REMINDER: All forms must be returned to the school office by this Friday, September 12, so an updated School Directory may be prepared for distribution to all school families. Please contact the office staff if you need another copy of the form.

Carpool Reminders
Please do not park in the church parking lot or the school playground to drop off and pick up your child. All students must be dropped off and picked up in the carpool lane (exceptions: walking, taking the bus, or convenient pickup). We appreciate your patience with the a.m. and p.m. carpools. It takes a bit of time, but the lines will flow smoothly as teachers become familiar with new faces. As always, please be courteous and remain in your vehicle at all times while in the carpool lane to avoid delays. Thank you for your cooperation.

If you have business in the school office or wish to purchase SCRIP please drop off your child(ren), park in the church parking lot and enter through the Glenoaks entrance.

Coach Needed – Service Hours Opportunity
Incarnation School’s Girls’ B Volleyball team is still in need of a coach. The season will begin soon, so if you are interested, please contact Jimmy Mueckay at moykai@charter.net. VIRTUS training, fingerprinting, Guidelines form, and CYO certification is required.

Farewell, Mr. Martinez and Ms. Lucy!
Mr. Martinez, our junior high math assistant, has accepted a teaching position at Renaissance High School. We are proud of him and wish him all the best in his new position. Ms. Lucy, our second grade teaching assistant, has left to pursue other interests. We wish her all the best and keep her in our prayers. We will miss them both!

Eighth Grade Retreat
The eighth grade class of 2009 will be going on a retreat next Monday, September 15. Please keep them in your prayers.

Spring Concert DVDs
Inca’s 2008 Spring Concert DVDs are available for $20 in the school office. Please make checks payable to Incarnation School.

Swim Team
If you are interested in being part of the swim team, practices are held at the Chevy Chase Country Club in Glendale on Fridays from 2:15 – 4:15 p.m.

Family Messenger September 2, 2008

Ever-living God,
Bless us with your tender mercy, allow your Dawn to break upon us,
give us your Light, and guide our feet in your way of peace, so that
all we do this year will be according to your holy will.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.



On behalf of the faculty and staff of Incarnation School, we welcome you to the 2008-2009 academic year! We look forward to working with you and hope that our students and their parents share our excitement and enthusiasm as we begin a new school year.

Enclosed in this first Home Messenger is the revised Parent/Student Handbook. This handbook has been assembled to provide you with information to assist you to better familiarize yourself with Archdiocesan policies, our educational program, and the school’s daily operational procedures. All students and their parents should be familiar with the contents of the handbook. The end of the handbook has several forms for you to review and return to school, if applicable. We require all families to sign and return the Policies Agreement Form no later than Friday, September 12.

Incarnation School and the Archdiocese of Los Angeles are committed to providing a safe environment for our children. With that in mind, we require all of our volunteers to receive VIRTUS training. VIRTUS Adult Awareness Sessions include training about warning signs that indicate an adult is engaged in an inappropriate or abusive relationship with a child. All parish and school volunteers, teachers, clergy, religious, staff, and paid personnel who work in any capacity with or around children must participate in the VIRTUS program. To find a VIRTUS session in your area, visit www.virtus.org.

In addition to attending a live VIRTUS session, all volunteers are required to sign the Guidelines for Interacting with Youth and Minors form located in the back of the Parent/Student Handbook. Additional copies can be obtained from the school office.

Parents working in any supervisory position (yard duty, field trip chaperones, drivers, etc.) must receive fingerprinting clearance prior to assuming this type of role. Please visit the school office for more information about LiveScan fingerprinting.

We thank you for your cooperation in helping us keep our students safe, and we look forward to your active participation in your child(ren)’s education!

Sincerely,

Ms. Olivia Carrillo
Principal

Important Dates
• September 3 – Noon Dismissal (all grades)
• September 4
o First full day (grades 1-8)
o Kindergarten will dismiss at noon all week (9/2 – 9/5)
• September 5 – Deadline to submit Emergency Cards; Students without complete Emergency Cards on file will not be permitted to return to school.
• September 27 – Back to School Hop

After School Program
ASP begins this week. After school care for kindergarten for the first week is available beginning at noon. Please note that all school rules and policies remain in effect for ASP.

Hot Lunch Program
Order forms for hot lunch beginning on Monday, 9/8 through Friday, 9/19 are enclosed. Please turn in orders with payment no later than Friday, 9/5. Hot lunch must be ordered in advance; same-day purchase is not permitted.

Coaches Needed!
We are in need of volunteer coaches for our fall B-level sports teams (grades 5&6). If you are interested in coaching girls’ volleyball or boys’ football, please contact Jimmy Mueckay (moykai@charter.net). All coaches must receive CYO certification. There will be a mandatory coaches’ meeting on Wednesday, September 10 at 3:30 p.m. at the school. This is a great opportunity to earn participation hours!

Scrip
Look for our new and exciting scrip program information packet that will be sent home very soon. On-hand orders will be processed daily and more options will be offered!