Family Messenger, February 22, 2011

Lord God,
You who made us so wonderfully,
give us wise hearts.
Help us to recognize goodness,
to desire holiness, and to pursue justice.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.


A Message from the Principal
In this week’s envelope, you will find the 2011-2012 Tuition and Fees Schedule as recommended by the school finance committee. The new tuition schedule reflects an approximate 3% increase for participating parishioners and an approximate 6% increase for non-parishioners. Please take note of the changes to the Scrip mandatory contribution (increase from $200 to $250) and the Auction raffle tickets (decrease from $150 to $100).

The re-registration period for returning students ends next Friday, March 4. New student testing will take place this Saturday, and admissions letters will be sent out based on the number of open seats available after March 4. If you intend to return for the coming school year, please be sure to have your re-registration form in by March 4 to reserve your place in the class.

Thank you,


Ms. Olivia Carrillo
Principal


Important Dates

• February 22 – 25 – Science Fair
  
• February 23 – Junior High Field Trip
  
• February 24 – Science Fair Project Viewing
  
• February 25 – 5th Grade Bake Sale
  
• February 26 – Father Daughter Dance 6-9 p.m.
  
• February 28 – March 3 – Book Fair
  

Catholic Education Foundation Tuition Awards
The Catholic Education Foundation (CEF) offers tuition assistance to elementary school students and their families each year. In previous years, the CEF has posted income guidelines to determine eligibility for assistance. This year, the CEF is not posting income guidelines and is encouraging any family in need of assistance to apply. If you would like to obtain a CEF application, please contact Mrs. Fenton in the business office. All applications and supporting documents must be received by the school no later than Monday, March 21, 2010 for processing.

Science Fair
Science projects will be on display all week, with a special evening viewing on Thursday at 6:00 p.m. Come see the projects and earn a free dress pass! Winning boards will be labeled for the viewing. Thank you to Mrs. Delcia Witty –Sampson and all judges for their assistance with the fair!

Scrip Tip
Today, you should be receiving a Scrip Profit Statement. Please check it over and come see us if you have any questions (remember we're volunteers/human and we do make mistakes). Many of you are doing a wonderful job of using this program. Keep up the good work. For those of you who are struggling to reach your profit goal of $200, there is still time. We're happy to offer suggestions to you if you need help and selling to friends/family/co-workers/neighbors is a great way to up your profits quickly.

Auction Dinner Dance
The Auction Dinner Dance and Raffle tickets invoices were mailed out last week via U.S. Mail and are due now. The Auction Event tickets are mandatory; however, if you would prefer to sell the raffle tickets please call Mrs. Fenton so she can make the change on your account.

Scholastic Book Fair
Scholastic Book Fair is coming next week! Volunteers are still needed for each day, especially for Monday, February 28th, 8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. to set up the fair. Please email Mrs. Hihn at nhihn@incaschool.org for availability. Hope to see you at the Green Eggs and Ham dinner honoring Dr. Seuss on Wed. March 2nd at 6 – 8:00 p.m. The Book Fair will be open during the dinner.

Family Messenger February 15, 2011

God, our Creator,
You want your children to live in harmony.
Re-create us in your saving love.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.


A Message from the Principal

Thank you to all parents who attended last night’s meeting with Dr. Baxter. For those who were unable to attend, Dr. Baxter clarified that the extension of the school year is not a mandate for schools. As previously stated, Incarnation will not be adding any additional days to the 2011-2012 school calendar. Before any decisions are made for the 2012-2013 school year, we will gather input from our school community stakeholders to determine what is best for our students.

Yesterday we approved an order for an additional 8 Smart Boards to be installed in the remaining classrooms (kindergarten – 6th and 8th). The total cost of the additional boards, installation, and teacher training is $38,143. This equipment is being purchased entirely with Scrip funds. Once again, thank you for your continued support of this program! We especially thank our Scrip Coordinator, Jennifer Bunt, for her dedication to growing our Scrip program to bring technology to the classrooms.

Ms. Olivia Carrillo
Principal


Important Dates
• February 18 – 3rd Grade Field Trip
• February 21 – No School – Presidents’ Day
• February 22 – 25 – Science Fair
• February 23 – Junior High Field Trip
• February 24 – Science Fair Project Viewing
• February 25 – 5th Grade Bake Sale
• February 26 – Father Daughter Dance 6-9 p.m.


Catholic Education Foundation Tuition Awards
The Catholic Education Foundation (CEF) offers tuition assistance to elementary school students and their families each year. In previous years, the CEF has posted income guidelines to determine eligibility for assistance. This year, the CEF is not posting income guidelines and is encouraging any family in need of assistance to apply. If you would like to obtain a CEF application, please contact Mrs. Fenton in the business office. All applications and supporting documents must be received by the school no later than Monday, March 21, 2010 for processing.

From the Business Office
February statements are enclosed in today’s Home Messenger. Note: accounts must be up-to-date before re-registration applications for the 2011-2012 school can be processed. Please contact Mrs. Fenton if you have any questions.

Scholastic Book Fair is Coming
Our spring book fair starts on Monday, February 28 and runs through Thursday, March 3. We are celebrating Dr. Seuss’ birthday on March 2 with a Green Eggs and Ham dinner sponsored by the Girl Scouts. We are looking forward to seeing you there!

Volunteers are needed to help at these times:
• Set-Up Monday, February 28 8:00 – 10:00 a.m.
• Monday, February 28 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
• Tuesday – Thursday 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
• Special Event Wednesday, March 2 5:30 – 8:30 p.m.
• Pack-Up Friday, March 4 8:00 – 10:00 a.m.

Please email Mrs. Hihn (nhihn@incaschool.org) when you would be able to come and help.

Family Messenger February 8, 2011

Eternal God,
You sent your Son to save all people.
Help us to spread his light.
Amen.

A Message from the Principal
Last week, I sent an email to school families announcing that Fr. Larry, the teachers, and I had decided that in consideration of our school’s needs, we would not be adding any additional days to the 2011-2012 school year. However, the long-term vision of the Department of Catholic Schools (DCS) remains for all elementary schools to adopt the 200 day calendar in 2012-2013. Dr. Kevin Baxter, Superintendent of Elementary Schools, will be at Incarnation next Monday, February 14th from 7-8 p.m. to answer parent questions and address concerns about the extended calendar. This is also open to other families in the deanery. ASP will be available, and I encourage at least one parent from each Incarnation family to attend. Please note that while the 200 day calendar is the DCS’s goal and vision for all schools including Incarnation, a calendar has not been determined for 2012-2013.

Ms. Olivia Carrillo
Principal


Important Dates
• February 13 – School Sponsored Mass – Gr. 4
• February 14 – Valentine’s Day Parties 2:15 p.m.
• February 14 – Dr. Baxter Presentation – 7-8 p.m.
• February 21 – No School – Presidents’ Day
• February 22 – 25 – Science Fair
• February 26 – Father Daughter Dance 6-9 p.m

2011-2012 Re-Registration
The re-registration period for the 2011-2012 school will continue through March 4th.
Please note that all accounts must be current in order to re-register for next year.

Catholic Education Foundation Tuition Awards
The Catholic Education Foundation (CEF) offers tuition assistance to elementary school students and their families each year. In previous years, the CEF has posted income guidelines to determine eligibility for assistance. This year, the CEF is not posting income guidelines and is encouraging any family in need of assistance to apply. If you would like to obtain a CEF application, please contact Mrs. Fenton in the business office. All applications and supporting documents must be received by the school no later than Monday, March 21, 2010 for processing.

SCRIP NEWS
Did you know that you can use Land's End scrip at Sears and The Great Indoors? Lands End scrip is available for special order in $25 and $100 denominations with 16% profit. Sears and Great Indoors only offer 4% profit. This valuable tip is brought to you by the Lambarri Family who went to Great Indoors to purchase an expensive appliance with Lands End scrip and contributed quite a large some in profits by planning ahead. Thank you Lambarri's for sharing this great tip!!!!

Important Information on the Extension of the School Year

Dear Incarnation School Community,

Much has happened over the past two weeks regarding the extended school year for Catholic elementary schools. The idea to extend the calendar is a long-term vision, and the expectation still remains that all schools adopt the 200-day calendar by 2012-2013. More than 70% of the 210 elementary schools in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles will be extending the school year for the 2011-2012 academic year. The remaining schools have opted to use 2011-2012 as a transitional year to plan for the specific needs of their own school communities.

At Incarnation, it is a consensus among the teachers that they are ready to implement the additional 20 days and can clearly see the benefits to students of having the additional time. However, in consideration of the needs of the entire school community, Fr. Larry, the teachers, and I have decided to keep our 2011-2012 calendar at the federally mandated 180 instructional days with a goal for full implementation of 200 days in 2012-2013. During this transitional year, we will be focused on getting air conditioning in all classrooms. Technology will be an area of emphasis in our professional development with teachers. Weekly faculty meetings will be focused on curriculum planning with consideration for the additional time. We are excited to discuss the opportunities that lie ahead!

Additionally, Dr. Kevin Baxter, Superintendent of Elementary Schools, will hold a parent meeting in our school auditorium on Monday, February 14th from 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. to answer questions and ensure that the value of the extended year is fully understood by all. This meeting will be open to other families in the deanery, and I encourage at least one parent from each family to attend.

Thank you for your patience during this time.

Sincerely,


Olivia Carrillo
Principal
Incarnation School
Ph: 818-241-2269
Fax: 818-241-4734

Family Messenger February 1, 2011

Lord God,
We pray for those called to ministry.
May they hear your voice and have
the courage to answer your call.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

A Message from the Principal
Last Friday morning I had an informal meeting with parents to listen to feedback about the extension of the school calendar as presented by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. There were many questions about the reasoning for the extension and what this would mean to the Incarnation School community.

This evening, I will be meeting with deanery principals (local Catholic school principals in the area) to get a better understanding of each school’s plans for implementation of the new calendar before Incarnation’s 2011-2012 calendar is finalized. Though the goal is to have a vast majority of our schools implement the extended year in 2011-2012, Fr. Larry, the teachers, and I will carefully consider all factors to make a decision in the best interest of our school community for the coming school year.

I realize this is big change for our school, but we are all united in the common purpose to provide our students with a quality Catholic education, and I am confident that Incarnation will continue to offer the best to our students. Whether we fully implement the plan in 2011-2012 or 2012-2013, our teachers are dedicated to your children; trust that our staff will do what is needed to work out a plan that meets the needs of our school! We appreciate your patience during this process.

Last Saturday, the Incarnation Academic Decathlon Team competed in the Cathedral Quiz Bowl, placing 2nd in Logic and 2nd in the Super Quiz out of 17 participating elementary schools! Students placed individually in the following subjects:
• Current Events – Michael C, 2nd place
• Literature – Emmelene G, 3rd place
• Math – Golddy S, 3rd place

Congratulations, Eagles! We are proud of you! The Decathlon will take place on March 5th at the Los Angeles Sports Arena. We are grateful to our head coaches, Tim and Sandy Chan, for leading our team.

Important Dates
• February 2 – Crazy Day
• February 3 – Sports Day

2011-2012 Re-Registration
The re-registration period for the 2011-2012 school year begins today and will continue through March 4th. Preschool sibling registration forms are available now in the main office. Deadline is February 14. Please note that all accounts must be current in order to re-register for next year.

Father-Daughter Dance
Remember to sign-up to attend the 2nd annual Father-Daughter Dance to be held in the Incarnation Community Center Gym on Saturday, February 26th from 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. This event is open to all preschool through 8th grade girls and their fathers, grandfathers, uncles. Thank you to Elena Galvez for coordinating the dance!

Catholic Schools Week
The theme of this year’s Catholic Schools Week is Catholic Schools: A+ for America. This celebrates the fact that Catholic schools are an added value for the nation. Because of their traditionally high academic standards and high graduation rates, all supported by strong moral values, Catholic schools and their graduates make a positive contribution to American society.

Grandparents Day
Grandparents and special friends are invited to join us for the culmination of our celebration of Catholic Schools Week. On Friday, February 4th, grandparents and/or special friends are invited to campus. The schedule is as follows:

• 10:00 - Arrival time for grandparents
• 10:00 – 10:30 – art show and classroom visits (grandparents accompanied by students)
• 10:30 – 10:45 – return to classroom (grandparents will sign students out for the day from classroom)
• 10:45 – 11:00 – assemble for Mass
• 11:00 - Mass
• 12:00 – dismissal for all

Students who are not able to have grandparents or special friends visit on this day will remain with their homeroom teachers.

Open House Thank You
Thank you to all who came to visit the campus during our Open House on Sunday. During Open House is also a time for us to welcome prospective families to Incarnation and share what our school community has to offer. We are grateful to the school’s marketing committee: Tina Udrys, Jennifer Bunt, and Valerie Rosales for their preparation for the event. We also thank Holly Riley, the Parent Ambassadors (Gloria Villegas, Tricia Besson, Alice Villalobos, Lillian Herrera, Monique Moore, Nick Harris, Jim Cahill, Virginia Williams, and Mark Richardson), and our Student Guides (Nicholas Dolch, Andre Ortiz, Emmelene Guzon, Golddy Saldana, Matthew Gonzalez, Carra Liwanag, Ally Casella, James Armas, Amanda Vigil, and Ryan Garcia) who assisted with tours of the campus. Thanks also to our students and teachers for really making Incarnation shine!

8th Grade Graduation Pictures
Please note date change!! Graduation pictures have been rescheduled to March 8th.