Incarnation School Family Messenger

Family Messenger January 31, 2012

2012-01-31T19:47:00.000-08:00

Merciful God,
You are compassionate toward all.
Give us faith in your great power,
and teach us to trust in your love for us.
Amen.

A Message from the Principal
Thank you to all who came to visit the campus for our opening night of the Art Exhibit and our Open House. We are grateful to our student tour guides, our school’s marketing committee, and all parent ambassadors/volunteers for their assistance with these events. Thanks also to our students and teachers for really making Incarnation shine! Re-registration begins this week and ends March 2nd. Please look for your packet of information in today’s envelope.

Regarding afternoon pick-up, I am requesting all parents’ cooperation with the traffic congestion on Dryden. To allow students full use of the yard during P.E. classes or other activities, school gates do not open until 15 minutes before dismissal. I know that arriving early gives parents the advantage of being in the front of the carpool line, but this cannot interfere with local residents’ ability to drive, park, or enter buildings. Should you arrive before the gates are open, please drive around the perimeter of the school so that the street is not blocked. Should this continue to be an issue for our neighbors, we will need to request Glendale Police Department’s assistance with enforcement. Again, thank you for your cooperation and understanding.

Blessings,

Ms. Olivia Carrillo
Principal

Important Dates
• February 2 – Grandparents/Special Visitors Day
• February 3 – Progress Reports
• February 6 – Book Fair opens
• February 13 – Science Fair

Grandparents Day
This Thursday, grandparents and special visitors are invited to the school between 9:45 and 12:00. Students will perform for our visitors at 9:45 and a special Mass will be celebrated at 11:00.

Academic Decathlon Cathedral Quiz Bowl
Congratulations to our Academic Decathlon Team on their accomplishments at the Cathedral Quiz Bowl last Saturday - the team placed 4th overall! We are proud of you! Thank you to our coaches Mr. Chan, Mrs. Chan, and Mr. O’Beirne for their time and dedication to our team. We are very grateful for their commitment.

Team Events
Logic – 1st place!
SuperQuiz – 5th place!

Individual Topics
Religion – Heather R – 4th place
Grammar – Amy C – 5th place
Grammar – Liam M – 4th place
Social Studies – Michael C – 4th place
Math – Mark A – 2nd place
Science – August O – 2nd place

Scholastic Book Fair
On Sunday, February 5, our spring book fair opens after the 9:00 mass. The book fair will be set up in the school auditorium, so please stop by after mass. The book fair will also be open on Monday, February 6 through Thursday, February 9 from 8:00 to 3:00 pm. We are planning two special events - one is on Tuesday, February 7 “Donuts for Dads” and our second event is on Wednesday, February 8 “Muffins for Moms.” The book fair will open at 7:30 on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings when we will be serving baked goods and coffee for free. Please come, enjoy some refreshments, and shop. All profits will support the library book budget.

SCRIP Tip
We are looking for a volunteer to take over SCRIP sales on Wednesday mornings from 7:45 to 8:30. Unfortunately, we will not be able to sell SCRIP on Wednesdays if we cannot find someone. We will, still, however, be filling orders sent through the blue SCRIP folders.

From the Business Office
Reminder: your financial obligations must be in order before your child is officially re-registered. If you have any questions regarding your account, please contact Mrs. Leti Fenton in the Business Office.

Family Messenger January 25, 2012

2012-01-25T16:16:00.000-08:00

God of light,
As we study your teachings, help us to
pay attention to what we hear.
Help us to see the meaning your words
have for our lives. May the light of your word
shine in your hearts.
Amen.

A Message from the Principal
This Sunday, Catholic Schools across the nation kick-off Catholic Schools Week. We begin this celebration with Mass on Sunday at 9:00 a.m., followed by our Open House from 10:00 a.m. to noon. Open House is a time that new families will also be exploring our school. This is an opportunity for family and friends to visit the classrooms and art exhibit. Parents and students will be leading prospective families on tours around the campus. If you know of any families in search of a school, encourage them to attend our Open House and have them see if a Catholic education at Incarnation is the choice for them!

Blessings,

Ms. Olivia Carrillo
Principal

Important Dates
• January 25 – General PTO Meeting 7:00 p.m.
• January 23 – 27 – Assessment of Catechesis/Religious Education (ACRE) for gr. 5 & 8
• January 28 – Art Exhibit Opening Night
• January 29 – Open House 10:00 a.m. – noon
• February 2 – Grandparents/Special Visitors Day
• February 3 – Progress Reports
• February 6 – Book Fair opens
• February 13 – Science Fair

Dennis Uniform Promotions
Receive 10% of all purchases in January!
Valentine Special – Buy 3 pairs of pants or shorts from February 13 – 21 and receive 20% savings!

Opening Night Reception of our Annual Art Exhibition
You are cordially invited to the Opening Night Reception of our Annual Art Exhibition, "Unearthing Past Styles." Bring your young artists, family and friends to this special event on Saturday, January 28, 2012 at 6 p.m. in the school auditorium. We will have live chamber music and light refreshments. A special guest from the Getty Museum Foundation will be mixing with the artists as we enjoy their beautiful creations. Every Incarnation student artist who attends the Opening Night Reception will receive a free dress pass! Earn Volunteer Hours! Volunteers are needed to help with this event. Contact Gloria Villegas at gmv2007@gmail.com or (323) 528-1103.

Catholic Schools Week
The theme of this year’s Catholic Schools Week is Faith. Academics. Service. The theme focuses on three priorities that Catholic schools establish that make them stand out from other educational institutions. Children are taught faith – not just the basics of Christianity, but how to have a relationship with God. Academics, which in Catholic schools are held to very high standards, help each child reach his or her potential. Service, the giving of one’s time and effort to help others, is taught both as an expression of faith and good citizenship.

Activities for the week are as follows:
• Monday, January 30 – School Families Day: Families of K-8 students will create a “faith” banner for mass later in the week
• Tuesday, January 31 – Commitment Tuesday: Each class will commit to a service project
• Wednesday, February 1 – Wacky Wednesday: Show your school spirit!
• Thursday, February 2 – Grandparents/Special Visitors Day and Mission Awareness presentation
• Friday, February 3 – Faculty/Student Volleyball Game

Academic Decathlon Cathedral Quiz Bowl
Best wishes to the decathletes who will participate in the Cathedral Quiz Bowl this Saturday! The Cathedral Quiz Bowl is an excellent gauge of our school's readiness for the upcoming Academic Junior High Decathlon in March. Go Eagles!

Service Hours Available
Parents, come and/or play an instrument in one of our awesome choirs!! You'll have fun, learn music, and get service hours!! Contact our music director, Melissa Bridge, through the church office at 818-242-2579 to explore the available opportunities!! Thank you!!

From the Business Office
January statements will be e-mailed this week which will include any applicable late fees. Please be sure to review your statement; there are still outstanding fundraising invoices for the Jog-a-thon and SCRIP Participation. Please contact Mrs. Fenton is you have any questions or require further assistance.

SCRIP Tip
Looking for Valentine Day’s gifts? Suggestions: $10 Barnes & Noble and $10 Bath & Body Works. . We also have a limited number of the following special order gift cards on hand while supplies last: Black Angus-4, Chili’s-7, $25 AMC Theatres-21, $25 Honey Baked Ham-10, $25 Dave & Buster’s-1. For more Valentine’s Day gift card suggestions see the attached SCRIP Flyer.

General PTO Meeting
Reminder – General PTO Meeting is tomorrow, January 25 at 7:00 p.m. in the auditorium. Guest speaker from Glendale PD will present on cyber bullying.

Family Messenger January 17, 2012

2012-01-23T13:10:00.000-08:00

Faithful God,
How patiently you guide and care for us.
Give us faith in your word, and hope in your steadfast love,
so that we will never lose heart.
Keep us mindful of your many blessings,
and help us to be a blessing to others.
Amen.

A Message from the Principal
Last week we received quite the surprise in the mail…an anonymous restricted donation for staff and technology in the amount of $25,000! May God bless the donors for their generosity to our school.
We are extremely grateful for this gift!

This Saturday the second graders and religious education students preparing for First Reconciliation will have their First Reconciliation Retreat. This retreat is an opportunity for the children to explore the sacrament and its meaning with a parent or adult. Please keep these students and their families in our prayers during this special time of preparation.

Blessings,

Ms. Olivia Carrillo
Principal

Important Dates
• January 25 – General PTO Meeting 7:00 p.m.
• January 23 – 27 – Assessment of Catechesis/Religious Education (ACRE) for gr. 5 & 8
• January 28 – Art Exhibit Opening Night
• January 29 – Open House 10:00 a.m. – noon
• February 2 – Grandparents/Special Visitors Day
• February 3 – Progress Reports
• February 6 – Book Fair opens
• February 13 – Science Fair

Grandparents/Special Visitors Day
We will be celebrating Grandparents/Special Visitors Day as part of Catholic Schools Week on Thursday, February 2nd from 9:45 – 12:00. Please note that this is not a noon dismissal day, and regular instruction will continue in the afternoon.

Opening Night Reception of our Annual Art Exhibition
You are cordially invited to the Opening Night Reception of our Annual Art Exhibition, "Unearthing Past Styles." Bring your young artists, family and friends to this special event on Saturday, January 28, 2012 at 6 p.m. in the school auditorium. We will have live chamber music and light refreshments. A special guest from the Getty Museum Foundation will be mixing with the artists as we enjoy their beautiful creations. Every Incarnation student artist who attends the Opening Night Reception will receive a free dress pass!

Earn Volunteer Hours! Volunteers are needed to help with this event. Contact Gloria Villegas at gmv2007@gmail.com or (323) 528-1103.

Book Fair news from Mrs. Hihn
Looking for volunteer opportunities? Please help at the book fair! Right after Catholic Schools Week, we will be having our Spring Scholastic Book Fair from February 3-9, 2012. We are planning two special events during that week. On Tuesday morning, we will be hosting Donuts for Dads. On Wednesday morning, we will be hosting Muffins for Moms. The library has volunteer opportunities at the book fair during the hours we are open. We are also looking for parents to provide muffins for our special event. You can earn one service hour for contributing homemade muffins. Attached is a sign-up sheet for helping at the book fair. Please return sheets in your student’s folder. Looking forward to seeing you at our special events, after Mass on Sunday, and during the week!

From the Business Office
Statements will be e-mailed Thursday, January 19. A $25 late fee will be applied to payments received after January 18. Please call Mrs. Fenton if you have any questions. Note: only families with an outstanding balance will receive a statement.

SCRIP Tips
In continuing to move toward paperless SCRIP ordering, attached is a flyer with a list of the on-hand scrip. Please keep it for future reference. The on-hand list is also on the school website: www.incaschool.org. If you would also like to go paperless, just include your order number on your check. Our SCRIP volunteers will take it from there. Thanks again for your support!

Incarnation Parents and friends! By subscribing to this blog (see below), you can have this blog delivered to your mailbox each week. Also, to keep really in touch, check out the Incarnation facebook page at:
this link .

Family Messenger January 10, 2012

2012-01-12T09:50:00.000-08:00

Almighty God,
Come into our lives and make a difference.
Heal us of anger, impatience, and selfishness.
Fill us with your love and peace.
We ask this through Christ our Lord,
Amen.

A Message from the Principal
How can we best prepare today’s young student to thrive in the future they will face? With new discoveries in areas such as medicine and technology being made all the time, today’s children will be part of a world that we can’t really imagine. We hear about the need for teaching children 21st-centurty skills. What are they?

Children must become lifelong learners. They need to “learn how to learn.” Since many of the jobs today’s children will hold have not even been developed yet, children must learn how to deal with uncertainty and change. The basic skills reading, writing, and math will still be essential. Science will also play an important role. In addition, creativity, problem solving, and critical thinking will be key. Since our children will grow up in a global economy, they will benefit from being skilled in information, media, and technology. Finally, communication and collaboration skills will be critical in a world in which we all must work together in order to make a positive difference.

This appears to be a very long list; yet your children have the benefit of being a part of a Catholic school. The strong school community – grounded in a shared faith and the support and high expectation of parents, teachers, and the larger community – offers your children a foundation for facing the rapidly changing world around them. By sharing this belief in God’s goodness and living out their faith every day, your children are blessed with a clear advantage in living and growing in our ever-changing world. Faith provides an anchor whose value can never be overestimated. It provides a compass that will serve your children well into the future.

Thank you for choosing Catholic education. I encourage you to invite friends or neighbors to our Open House on Sunday, January 29 from 10:00 a.m. – noon so they can see what Incarnation School has to offer. May God continue to bless your family each day.

Sincerely,

Ms. Olivia Carrillo
Principal

Important Dates
• January 16 – No School – Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
• January 25 – General PTO Meeting 7:00 p.m.

Fundraising Updates
Thank you for your support of the following fundraisers…
• Box Tops for Education - $132.78
• Barnes and Noble Book Fair - $585.92
• Christmas tree sales - $1,624.84
• Ralphs/Kroger - $1,212.32

Library Notes from Mrs. Hihn
The library received a Barnes and Noble gift card for $585.92 for our profit from the Barnes and Noble Book Fair. Thank you to all who came to the Americana and contributed to all of the new books we can now buy for the library.

Save the date for our next Scholastic book fair which will run from February 3 – 9.

Participation Hours Update
Please see note enclosed regarding your participation hours update through January 6, 2012. If you notice any discrepancies, please contact Mrs. Rodela at grodela@incaschool.org.

2012-2013 Re-Registration
The re-registration period for the 2012-2013 school year will begin the first week of February and will run through the first week of March. Check your home messenger in the next few weeks for important information.

Requests for School Tax ID Number – Childcare Credit
As you begin to make preparations to complete your 2011 taxes, please note that the school is not authorized to release the tax ID number. In the IRS childcare credit publication, p. 8, the IRS tells the taxpayer to write in “tax-exempt” when it is a church or school program. Please share this information with your accountants, if applicable. If you would like to request a copy of the statement in the publication, please call the Business Office.

Grandparents/Special Visitors Day
We will be celebrating Grandparents/Special Visitors Day as part of Catholic Schools Week on Thursday, February 2nd from 9:45 – 12:00. Please note that this is not a noon dismissal day, and regular instruction will continue in the afternoon.

From the Business Office
January statements will be e-mailed next week. Reminder: a $25 late fee will be applied if payment is not received by January 15. Please contact Mrs. Fenton if you have any questions.

SCRIP Tip
Thanks to everyone for the very successful Christmas SCRIP sales! As the New Year begins there will be some changes: we will become paperless soon so get acquainted with the SCRIP website at www.shopwithscrip.com. If this is your first time on the website and you need assistance your username and password please contact Mrs. Bunt or Mrs. Fenton. Thanks for your continued support!

Family Messenger January 3, 2012

2012-01-03T12:44:00.000-08:00

Gracious God,
Feed us with your words of wisdom.
Fill us with gratitude for your love.
We ask this through Christ our Lord,
Amen.

A Message from the Principal
Happy New Year and welcome back! I hope all of you enjoyed the holidays in the company of family and friends.

Days before we left for vacation, contracts for completion of the second phase of the air conditioning project were negotiated. Our contractors have been doing much of the exterior work over the past two weeks, and we anticipate that all second floor classrooms will have the ceiling mounted air conditioning units in by the end of this month. The safety of our students is our first priority. Having worked with this contractor for the electrical upgrade, they are aware of our environment and our needs. All contractors have been background checked and will wear proper identification while on school grounds. Any disruptions to the classes will be minimal. Thank you again for your support of our fundraising efforts to make this year’s-long vision a reality!

Wishing you all the best for a peaceful and blessed new year!

Sincerely,

Ms. Olivia Carrillo
Principal

Important Dates
• January 6 – Walk to School Day
• January 6 - All School Mass 11:00 a.m.
• January 6 – Epiphany parties 1:30 p.m.
• January 16 – No School – Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
• January 25 – General PTO Meeting 6:30 p.m.

Feast of the Epiphany
On Friday, January 6 we celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany with class parties at 1:30p.m. Room parents are asked to keep class parties simple (1 drink and treat per child).

From the Business Office
The December ASP, Homework Club, and AM Care invoices will be e-mailed this week. In addition, late fee notices for invoices due December 15 along with your monthly Statements will also be e-mailed this week. Please contact Mrs. Fenton if you have any questions.

SCRIP Tips
Beginning this month we will no longer be sending home copies of SCRIP orders. To view your profits please log onto the SCRIP website at www.shopwithscrip.com. Reminder: orders placed online will not be filled or orders placed until payment is received. Thanks for your support and continued participation!

Marie Callenders Fundraising
Thank you to all who supported the Marie Callenders fundraising for the 8th grade. The fundraising night raised $360.00 and the certificate sales raised $236!

Family Messenger, December 13, 2011

2011-12-13T10:17:00.000-08:00

Lord God,
As we get ready to leave school this week,
help us to remember your greatest gift of all,
sending your Son to walk with us
and share his life with us.
May we always be mindful of his life in ours.
Amen.

A Message from the Principal
May the blessings of the season be with you throughout this Advent season, Christmas, and the new year. On behalf of the faculty and staff of Incarnation School, I wish all of you a very Merry Christmas. We will see on you Tuesday, January 3, 2012!

Ms. Olivia Carrillo

Important Dates
• December 14 – Fall Sports Banquet 5:30 p.m.
• December 15 – Christmas Concert 7:00 p.m.
• December 16 – Noon dismissal/ No ASP
• January 3 – Class resumes

Christmas Concert Information
This Thursday is our annual Christmas Choral Concert. Students are asked to wear their holiday best for the show. Remember that concert attire must still follow school free dress guidelines. Therefore, girls may not wear dresses with bare shoulders (no spaghetti straps, strapless, halter, etc.) and the length of the skirt or dress may not be shorter than 2” above the knee.

Students should be in their classrooms at 6:30 p.m.—no earlier!! Students must be supervised by an adult until the homeroom teacher is available to supervise. Please do not leave your child(ren) unattended in the yard.

The only entrance to the church on the day of the concert will be the main entrance on Brand. The show will begin at 7:00 p.m. Our Girl Scouts will sell baked goods in the auditorium following the show.

Poetry
Congratulations to Daniel B, Sarah D, Emmelene G, and Matteo M! Last school year they submitted poetry entries which were published in a book titled Acclaim.

Dennis Uniform
New Year’s Savings! – 10% off on all orders (phone, Internet, mail, and in-store) during the month of January 2012 (excludes marked down items). Please note Dennis Uniform will be closed Saturday, 12/24 – Monday, 1/2 and will reopen on Tuesday, 1/3.
New Address is: 2604 N. San Fernando Road, Los Angeles, Ca. 90065

Friday Free Dress
On Friday, December 17 students may wear free dress in Advent or Christmas colors (purple, pink, red, and/or green). Festive hats are permitted. Otherwise please follow free dress guidelines.

No ASP Friday, December 16
Please note that we will dismiss at noon on Friday, December 16. ASP WILL NOT be available. Please make arrangements so that your child(ren) is (are) picked up promptly at noon.

Epiphany Parties
Parties in celebration of the Epiphany will be held on Friday, January 6 at 1:30 p.m. Room parents are asked to keep class parties simple (1 drink and treat per child).

From the Business Office
December statements will be e-mailed on Friday, December 16. Note: a $25 late fee will be applied to outstanding accounts. Please contact Mrs. Fenton if you have any questions.

SCRIP Tip
See enclosed flyer for holiday scrip sale hours.

See's Candies Holiday Fundraiser
If you ordered See's Candies through our recent Holiday sales, your candy will be available for pick up in the school auditorium immediately following the Christmas Concert on Thursday evening, December 15. Orders not claimed at this time can be picked up from the School Office, 8 a.m. to 12 noon*, on Friday, December 16. (*Reminder: The Office will close at noon due to early dismissal.) Thank you for your support of this fundraising event to benefit the 8th Grade "Class of 2012"!

Family Messenger,December 6, 2011

2011-12-06T12:08:00.000-08:00

God of hope,
During this Advent season
help us to make peace with one another,
to serve and encourage each other.
As we await your coming, fill our hearts with joyful hope.
Amen.

A Message from the Principal
During this season of Advent, we prepare for the coming of Jesus. We also begin preparing for our own Christmas celebrations. Children (and adults!) make their wish lists and we begin “checking our lists.” As you do your Christmas shopping, we ask that you include one of the students from St. Columbkille School in Los Angeles on your list. You will recall that over Thanksgiving, we collected food donations to help the school and parish make baskets for families in need. We are asking for your generosity once again. St. Columbkille has provided us with the names of all the students at their school, and Incarnation students will be given the name of one of the students. Gifts should be new, wrapped, and labeled with the child’s name on the gift. Please bring gifts to school no later than Wednesday, December 12th. We suggest a value of no more than $15 for each gift. Last year we were able to provide a gift for each and we are hopeful that we can do this again. Thank you for helping make Christmas special for another child!

On Thursday we celebrate the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary with an all school Mass at 11:00 a.m. We invite you to join us in this celebration.

Ms. Olivia Carrillo

Important Dates
December 8 – All School Mass 11:00 a.m.
December 8-9 – Santa Shop
December 10 – Christmas tree pick-up 1:30 – 4:30
December 12 – Marie Callender’s 8th grade fundraiser
December 14 – Fall Sports Banquet 5:30 p.m.
December 15 – Christmas Concert 7:00 p.m.
December 16 – Noon dismissal/ No ASP
January 3 – Class resumes

Science Fair
The Incarnation Science Fair is scheduled for the week of February 13 - 17, 2012. The Science Fair is mandatory for all 5th through 8th grade students. They were given a handout in class which outlines a few of the upcoming assignments and due dates, the first of which is the project submission form, due on Dec. 13th and is worth 20 points. More detailed information to follow. Please feel free to contact Mrs. Salazar - Science Teacher or Mrs. Delcia Witty-Sampson - Science Fair Chairperson if there are any questions.

Christmas Concert
Our annual Christmas Concert is next Thursday at 7:00 p.m. in the church. Attire for students is Christmas best. Remember that concert attire must still follow school free dress guidelines. Therefore, girls may not wear dresses with bare shoulders (no spaghetti straps, strapless, halter, etc.) and the length of the skirt or dress may not be shorter than 2” above the knee.

Barnes and Noble Book Fair
Thank you to all who supported the book fair last weekend. A special thanks to the Chan family for providing us with a little Christmas entertainment! Please note that INCA will still receive credit for any online sales through Wednesday, December 7 by entering Bookfair ID 10573657.

SCRIP Tip
Remember to purchase your SCRIP special order before 12 noon Monday, December 12 to receive your order on the last delivery day, Friday, December 16. Enclosed are flyers with ideas for gifts as well as vendors offering increase profits through December 16.

2011 Jog-a-Thon
To date, our profits for the Jog-a-Thon are $43,577.71. We still have some pending payments and expenses, but overall we had a successful event!

Question of the Week
Beyond toys and other things, what do you hope will happen in your family this Christmas?

Family Messenger, November 29, 2011

2011-11-29T12:17:00.000-08:00

God, our Father,
You sent your Son to show us your love.
Give our bodies the strength to seek you,
Our minds the light to see you,
And our hearts the joy of your presence
Amen.

A Message from the Principal
On Sunday, we began the season of Advent. Advent is a time of quiet, joyful preparation for the celebration of Jesus’ birth. This is a time of anticipation and new beginnings. At school, we will light the Advent wreath at each of our Monday morning assemblies. At home, you can create a mood of anticipation with your family by displaying the empty manger from a Christmas nativity scene; you can also set an Advent wreath at home and light it each week as we approach Christmas.

Sunday was also the first day of the implementation of the new English translation of the Roman Missal in the U.S. This means that there is now one standard English text for the mass whether you are in the U.S. or any other English-speaking country. To help with the transition, Mr. Sanchez has provided older students with a laminated copy of the changes to the prayers and responses to keep with them and take to mass. Cards are also available in the pews for anyone needing a reference tool, but those are to remain in the pews so they are available to parishioners at all times.

May this season of Advent fill your family with joy!

Ms. Olivia Carrillo

Important Dates
• November 30 – 6th – 8th grade field trip to The Crucible
• December 1 – Santa Pictures
• December 2 – Walk to school day; Report cards go home
• December 5 – Parent-Teacher Conferences – No school/No ASP
• December 8 – All School Mass 11:00 a.m.
• December 8-9 – Santa Shop

Barnes and Noble Book Fair
Please support our Barnes and Noble Book Fair at The Americana at Brand this Saturday, December 3. Mention Incarnation School and a portion of your purchase will be given to the school. This is valid all day in store and online! Remember to take your receipts to Concierge Services at the Americana for additional earnings! DON’T FORGET TO USE BARNES AND NOBLE SCRIP!

SCRIP Tip
Additional vendors are increasing their percentages this month: Lowe’s to 6% through December 16; Williams-Sonoma/Pottery Barn to 10% through December 16; iTunes to 7% through December 16; Starbucks to 9% through December 16; AMC Theaters to 12% through December 9. Note: to receive these increased percentages please place your order as soon as possible.

From the Business Office
November ASP, Homework Club, and AM Care invoices will be e-mailed on Thursday, December 1.

Family Messenger, November 22, 2011

2011-11-22T14:14:00.000-08:00

Generous and loving God,
Our hearts overflow with gratitude as we celebrate
your unending goodness to us.
May we always remember who has given us
everything we can see or touch or hold, including our lives!
Amen.

A Message from the Principal
Thank you to all of our families for your generous support of the food drive for St. Columbkille. The principal of St. Columbkille, Ms. Rios, requested that I pass on their sincere gratitude for the donations. The donations they received helped them fill 100 Thanksgiving baskets for their school and parish families in need.

On behalf of the faculty and staff at Incarnation School, we wish you a Happy Thanksgiving.

Sincerely,

Ms. Olivia Carrillo

Important Dates
• November 23 – End of Trimester 1
• November 24 & 25 – No School/No ASP
• November 30 – 6th – 8th grade field trip to The Crucible
• December 1 – Santa Pictures
• December 2 – Walk to school day; Report cards go home
• December 5 – Parent-Teacher Conferences – No school/No ASP
• December 8 – All School Mass 11:00 a.m.
• December 8-9 – Santa Shop

Home Messenger Omissions
In last week’s home messenger, we omitted one of our sponsors, Chona Frias Yu, D.D.S. We are grateful for her support.

When the Academic Decathlon announcement was made, Javier S’s name was not printed. He will be representing Incarnation as an alternate.

We apologize for these errors.

Lango Languages - Mandarin
As you know Lango offers Spanish classes at Incarnation. As suggested by some parents we are considering also offering Mandarin classes next January and would like to know if there is interest in these classes. Email us at langokidslanguages@gmail.com and let us know your thoughts about it, give us your suggestions about the days and hours more convenient for you. If there is enough interest we will be sending the enrollment form the first week of December.

Jog-a-Thon Water Bottles
The water bottles provided to each student at the Jog-a-Thon are BPA free. As stated in the bottle inserts which were disposed of prior to using, “Materials used in this bottle are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and are BPA Free.”

School Office Hours
Please note that the school and business offices will close at 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 23.

Fall Sports Banquet
Save the Date: Fall Sports Banquet Wednesday, December 14th @ 5:30 p.m. in Gym; Details to follow. Questions or service hours assistance please call Mary Guzman at (818) 257-0806 or email mary.guzman@rosehills.com.

SCRIP Tips
Thanks to the Park (Kalen) and Celo (Krista & Joseph) Families who both earned $400 in profit this month! Incarnation SCRIP was purchased by their companies for their employees.

Note: Honey Baked Ham certificates ($10) will be available tomorrow morning. Also, we will be selling SCRIP this Sunday.

Family Messenger, November 15, 2011

2011-11-15T12:19:00.000-08:00

Faithful God,
Help us to wisely use
the gifts you give us,
and to trust you to guide and care for us.
Amen.

A Message from the Principal
This Friday is our 27th annual Jog-a-Thon. Students will have lunch from 11:15 – 11:45, and the Jog-a-Thon will begin at noon. We are grateful to the following sponsors for their support of our event:

Mission Community Hospital
Gail Roque, Roque & Associates
Nestle USA
Prospect Mortgage, LLC
Citizens Business Bank
Gina Marie Fenton Memorial Scholarship
Haik Vardanyan Memorial Scholarship
Providence High School
AMCO Fire Protection, Inc.
Braces By Bergh
California Paper Bag, Inc.
Cathedral High School
Criminal Justice Institute
Cristina B. Gamboa DDS, Inc.
Flintridge-Sacred Heart Academy
G & C Properties
Golden Key Hotel Glendale
Gay's Towing, Inc.
Giuseppe's Pizzaria Montrose
Hillside Dental Group
Lisa B. Tabora, DDS
Pontrelli & Laricchia, LTD
Real Estate Mortgage Exchange
Reality Check Systems
Respond First Aid Systems
Richard Williams Photography Studio
Richie Palmer's Pizzeria
Rosella Cusi, P.T. Inc.

I would also like to thank Mrs. Anne Marie Guinane, our Jog-a-Thon chairperson, the PTO Board, and all other parents who have been volunteering behind-the-scenes and will be volunteering on the day of the event. Thank you for making this event possible!

Sincerely,
Ms. Olivia Carrillo

Important Dates
November 16 – Annual Health Screenings
November 17 – 5th grade field trip
November 18 – Jog-a-Thon – 12:00
November 23 – End of Trimester 1
November 24 & 25 – No School/No ASP

Parent Teacher Conferences
If you did not receive the link to sign up for parent-teacher conferences online, please contact your child’s teacher via email. Parent-teacher conferences are one day only: Monday, December 5.

Lango Languages - Mandarin
As you know Lango offers Spanish classes at Incarnation. As suggested by some parents we are considering also offering Mandarin classes next January and would like to know if there is interest in these classes. Email us at langokidslanguages@gmail.com and let us know your thoughts about it, give us your suggestions about the days and hours more convenient for you. If there is enough interest we will be sending the enrollment form the first week of December.

St. Columbkille Food Drive
A list of suggested food items was sent home with students last week. The blessing of the food for St. Columbkille will take place this Thursday morning and the food will be delivered following the blessing. Enclosed is a letter to explain a bit more about our sister parish and their community. Thank you for your generosity

Congratulations, Mr. Yraola!
We congratulate Mr. Yraola and his new wife, Diane, on their wedding Saturday, November 5. May God bless their union!

Swim Team News
The Inca Eagles swam their final Meet this past Sunday and brought home first place overall in the White Division! Congratulations to the following swimmers who won trophies and scored points for the Team:
Madison C, Sydney C, Krista C, Andrew F, Brian F, Mark G, Emmelene G, Massimo M, Matteo M, Mila M, Quinn R, Olivia S, and Krista V.

Congratulations to Mark G who came in 2nd place overall high points in the League for 11 year-old boys and Max C who came in 3rd place for 7year- old boys! Also, congratulations to Krista V who came in 7th place in the League for 9 year old girls.

A special thank you to all the wonderful families for helping to make this season successful and fun!

SCRIP Tip
Since school will not be in session Thursday and Friday, November 24 and 25, SCRIP special orders must be submitted to the SCRIP desk (with your payment) by 8:30 am Friday, November 18 to receive your order by Wednesday, November 23. Orders submitted after 8:30 am, November 18 will not be received until Friday, December 2. For a limited time—until they are all gone—we have 10 Best Buy $250 gift cards, 8 Whole Foods $100 gift cards and 12 Acapulco $25 gift cards. No need to wait for a special order to come in!

From the Business Office
November 2011 statements will be e-mailed tomorrow, November 16. Note: Late fees will be assessed if payments for the SCRIP mandatory donation and October ASP/AM Care/Homework Club are received after Wednesday, November 16. Jog-a-thon invoices are due now and will be considered late if not paid by Friday, November 18. Please call Mrs. Fenton if you have any questions.

Question of the Week
How have my parents, grandparents, or teachers shown me God’s love?

Family Messenger, November 8, 2011

2011-11-08T14:19:00.000-08:00

Lord God,
When we live in you your peace lives in us.
When we are at peace we are happy, energetic, and hopeful.
Give us your gift of peace.
Amen.

A Message from the Principal
Our annual Jog-a-Thon is next Friday, November 18. This is one of our major fundraisers and we need your help in making this a success. The sponsorship deadline has been extended to tomorrow. If you have anyone out there that is still thinking about it...this is a good time to make that last phone call or visit! Remember that each $250 sponsorship you obtain will fulfill your $150 commitment for one student! Thank you for your support of our school.

Next Friday, all students will receive an official 2011 Jog-a-Thon t-shirt designed by 8th grade students Leonardo D and Michael G. Congratulations to them for submitting the winning design!

Sincerely,

Ms. Olivia Carrillo

Important Dates

November 9 – Picture Day
November 11 – Veterans Day – No School/No ASP
November 13 – Incarnation Community Fair
November 16 – Annual Health Screenings
November 17 – 5th grade field trip
November 18 – Jog-a-Thon
November 23 – End of Trimester 1
November 24 & 25 – No School/No ASP

Picture Day
Smile! Tomorrow is picture day for all students in preschool through 8th grade. K-8 students wear their school uniforms.

Congratulations, Eagles!
Our 5th and 6th grade B football team finished their season UNDEFEATED!! Congratulations to our team and our coach, David Raba.

Parent Teacher Conferences
Parent Teacher Conferences will be held on Monday, December 5th. This is a no school day for students. Online sign-ups for grades K-5 became active last week (please contact the homeroom teacher by email if you did not receive the conference link). Sign-ups for junior high will begin this week. Parents will sign up with a conference with the homeroom teacher only. Mrs. Salazar and Mr. Sanchez will be available on a first come, first served basis.

Academic Decathlon Team
Under the leadership of Mr. and Mrs. Tim and Sandy Chan, the following students will prepare for the Academic Junior High Decathlon on March 10, 2012: Mark A, Michael C, August O, Gabriela H, Leonardo D, Sophie Q, Matteo M, Heather R, Marcus C, Liam M, Ethan J, Brian C, Amy H, Ashley C, Jack B, Amy C, Lucas P, Maria D, and Serena S.

Scrip Tip
It's time for the annual yearly bonuses that are given by many of the merchants. Please see the flyer that is in the home messenger that gives the current offerings. Don't miss the chance to earn extra profits on your purchases. Now is a great time to start planning ahead for your Christmas shopping.

Reminder: All orders (including online orders) will not be filled until your check is received. Also, please note, SCRIP Now! orders will only be ordered/released on Tuesdays.

NOTE: If you need more than 5 of the same gift card please place your order and submit your check by Friday. This will give us time to replenish our stock and not run out of gift cards. Thanks!

Thanksgiving Food Drive
Each year the St. Columbkille parish and school community arranges Thanksgiving food baskets for families in need. We will once again be collecting food to help fill those baskets. Please start bringing in canned goods, cereals, juices, etc. We will have a prayer service to bless the food on Thursday, November 17th. Thank you for your generosity.

From the Business Office
Jog-a-thon invoices will be e-mailed today to all families who have not yet submitted their $150 per child mandatory donation. Please call Mrs. Fenton if you have any questions

Family Messenger, November 1, 2011

2011-11-01T14:03:00.000-07:00

God our Father,
We pray for all who have died,
especially our loved ones and people in our community.
May they move closer to you every day and come to live
in your presence forever.
Amen.

A Message from the Principal
Today is the Solemnity of All Saints, or All Saints Day, and we celebrate the lives of all the saints who now live in Christ. The third grade class has been researching the lives of saints and concluded the project with a special presentation at mass today. The students, dressed as saints, presented facts about the lives of the saints to the congregation today. We thank Mrs. Lomasto and the third grade class for preparation for and sharing at mass. Tomorrow is the Commemoration of all the Faithful Departed, or All Souls’ Day, when we remember and pray for all the faithful who have died.

Sincerely,

Ms. Olivia Carrillo

Important Dates

November 4 – Walk to School Day
November 9 – Picture Day
November 11 – Veterans Day – No School/No ASP
November 13 – Incarnation Community Fair
November 17 – 5th grade field trip
November 18 – Jog-a-Thon
November 23 – End of Trimester 1
November 24 & 25 – No School

Virtus Training
A Virtus class is scheduled for Sunday, November 6 from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. in the Incarnation Community Center basement. This is a regular class that also meets the requirements for recertification. Please call the parish office to sign up (818-242-2579).

Congratulations, Eagles!
On Saturday, the Varsity Volleyball Team went to playoffs and won their first game against St. Stephen School. They advanced to the second round on Sunday and lost to St. Lawrence Martyr. The school sent them off with a pep rally last week, and we are proud of them for working so hard and going this far. Congratulations, Eagles!

Jog-a-Thon
Our annual Jog-a-Thon is just 2 ½ weeks away! Remember to get your sponsorships!

Welcome, Len
Mr. Len Goswitz joins Incarnation this week as our new Parish Coordinator. We welcome him to the Incarnation Parish Community!

From the Business Office
October morning care, after school program, and homework club invoices will be e-mailed this week.

SCRIP Notes
Congratulations to our two families who have already met their SCRIP $250 profit. Their refund was applied toward their 2011-2012 mandatory scrip donations. Several other families are close. Remember: as soon as you reach the minimum profit you will receive a refund or can you choose to apply it toward an invoice(s). Thanks everyone for your participation!

$1 Free Dress
Students may wear free dress (following handbook guidelines) on Friday, Novemer 4th for $1. The money will be used for 8th grade graduation.

Parent Teacher Conferences
Parent Teacher Conferences will be held on Monday, December 5th. This is a no school day for students. Conference sign-ups will be done online. Look for details in your email over the next week.

Question of the Week
How have my parents, grandparents, or teachers shown me God’s love?

Family Messenger, October 25, 2011

2011-10-25T12:36:00.000-07:00

Loving God,
You sent your Son, Jesus, to teach us
how you want us to act in the world. Help us
to understand his teachings so that we can do your will.
Amen.

A Message from the Principal
I am pleased to announce that Accelerated Math (AM) will be returning to Incarnation! We have ordered the necessary materials, and the re-introduction of the program will take place in the next few weeks. The implementation will be different from what had been in place several years ago. AM will not be a requirement for all students. AM requires that students work independently. Since it is acceleration, material covered in individualized AM packets will not necessarily align with what is being taught in class. Participation will require that students are able to work with little to no assistance from the teacher; therefore math teachers will determine which students are ready for the program. More information will be forthcoming.

Sincerely,

Ms. Olivia Carrillo

Important Dates

October 27 Kinder field trip; Girl’s ‘A’ Volleyball Pep Rally 2:15 p.m.
October 28 1st Grade Jamba Juice Sale; 8th Grade Retreat
October 31 Teacher In-Service – No School
November 1 All School Mass 11:00 a.m.
November 4 Walk to School Day
November 9 Picture Day
November 11 Veterans Day – No School/No ASP

Mother-Son Picnic
The Mother-Son Picnic last Sunday was a success! Thank you to all of our volunteers for helping to create such a special day for moms and boys. Special thanks to our co-chairs for the event, Elena Galvez and Gloria Villegas!

Virtus Training
A Virtus RECERTIFICATION session is scheduled for October 27 from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. in the Incarnation Community Center basement. Please call the parish office to sign up (818-242-2579). Virtus certification is valid for four years.

Volunteer Hours for the Library
Mrs. Hihn has ordered lots of kindergarten books for the library. All of them need to be covered with contact paper to extend the life of the books. This is a job that can be done at home. Please contact Mrs. Hihn by email at nhihn@incaschool.org if you are interested in helping with this project. You will need to come into the library to receive directions, books, and materials.

Ink Cartridge Recycling
Please recycle your old ink cartridges with us! The collection bin is located just outside the main office.

Farewell, Rita
For over 20 years, Rita Guild has worked at the parish center as Parish Coordinator. She will be moving home to Minnesota next month. For her dedication, service, and stewardship, we thank her and wish her well. God bless!

From the Business Office
The October Statements and late fees were e-mailed this week. Please review and submit payment as soon as possible; contact Mrs. Fenton if you have any questions.

SCRIP Notes
Thanks to everyone ordering on-line! We will be going paperless soon, so when you get a chance log onto the SCRIP website and get familiar with the ordering process. Keep a copy of the On-Hand form available when you order to determine if your order includes a Special Order. Reminder: your order will not be submitted until the check is received by the SCRIP desk.

The SCRIP profit statements through September 30 are enclosed in today’s Home Messenger. Please note: profits from e-scrip are reported every six months; therefore, the totals on their website may not be the same totals on your statement. Ralphs reports on a quarterly basis and totals will also be different.

Question of the Week

We show our love for Jesus by loving our friends and family. Share one specific way you show your love.

Family Messenger, October 18, 2011

2011-10-20T08:23:00.000-07:00

Loving God,
Help us to be truthful, honest, and loving
so that Jesus, who knows our hearts,
will be pleased with us.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

A Message from the Principal
Yesterday morning, students in grades K-8 watched The Power of One anti-bullying assembly. The presenters first defined bullying as hurtful, purposeful, and repeated behavior that represents an imbalance of power. Through role play, the presenters and some of our students learned about physical and verbal bullying, including exclusion. In a separate showing for grades 4-8, additional skits about the seriousness of cyber-bullying were included.

The message of the assembly was simple - the power of one is the power each one of us has to stop bullying. In bullying situations, there are almost always bystanders either watching what is happening, ignoring what is happening, or cheering a bully on. Bystanders contribute just as much as the bully by not doing something about a bullying situation. Bystanders should be upstanders and help the target by seeking help from a teacher or trusted adult.

At the end of the assembly, students took the following Bully Prevention Oath:

I will not bully others.
I will not stand by while others are bullied.
I will report bullying whenever I see it…
because I have the power of one!

Bullying is an issue of growing concern in schools, and our school is no exception. Together we can work to eliminate bullying from our school and community.

Sincerely,
Ms. Olivia Carrillo

Important Dates
• October 20 – High School Night
• October 23 – Mother-Son Picnic
• October 27 – Kindergarten Field Trip
• October 28 – 1st Grade Bake Sale; 8th Grade Retreat
• October 31 – Teacher In-Service – No School

Virtus Training
A Virtus RECERTIFICATION session is scheduled for October 27 from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. in the Incarnation Community Center basement. Please call the parish office to sign up (818-242-2579). Virtus certification is valid for four years.

High School Night
Incarnation School will host High School Night this Thursday from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. in the auditorium. High School Night is open to students in grades 6-8 and their parents. This is an opportunity to meet representatives from various Catholic High Schools in the area and obtain information about the program, admission requirements, and student life. Confirmed attendees include: Alverno, Bellarmine Jefferson, Bishop Alemany, Cathedral, Flintridge Sacred Heart, Holy Family, Immaculate Heart, Loyola, Mayfield, Notre Dame, Providence, Ramona Convent, Sacred Heart, St. Genevieve, and St. Francis.

California Shakeout
Incarnation School will be participating in the 2011 Great California Shakeout with other schools, organizations, and individuals on Thursday, October 20th. At 10:20 a.m. students and staff will have an earthquake drill practicing the drop, cover, and hold procedure. See enclosed flyer for information about how you can participate.

Swim Team News
This past Sunday was the third swim meet of the season held at the San Fernando Regional Pool. Congratulations to Max C, Sydney C, Mark G, Daniel M, Massimo M, Mila M, Olive O, Quinn R, Megan S and Christian V for winning medals. Also, congratulations to our relay teams who scored points for the team. Thank you to all swim parents who volunteered on such a warm day and especially those who did double duties!

From the Business Office
October Statements will be e-mailed this week. Please take a moment to review your statement; late fees will apply if payment has not been received for invoices dated prior to October 1, 2011.

Our apologies to families who have not been able to open their invoices; Quickbooks has informed us that there is a “bug” in the e-mail system. They are working to correct it but it may be a couple of months before they do. In the meantime, invoices/statements will be e-mailed individually instead of in batches. Please contact Mrs. Fenton if you are still experiencing problems.

Invoices were sent out last week for the mandatory $250 SCRIP donation. Please note: payment is due now EVEN IF YOU ARE PARTICIPATING BY PURCHASING SCRIP. You will receive a refund of your donation when you reach $250 in profit.

SCRIP News
We will no longer be selling Acapulco/El Torito as well as Marie Callendars SCRIP. Also, please remember to use your Blue SCRIP Envelope when ordering SCRIP.

Ink Cartridge Recycling
Please see enclosed flyer regarding Incarnation’s participation in ink cartridge recycling. The collection bin is located just outside the main office.

Question of the Week

Who has helped you know Jesus as a friend?

Family Messenger, October 11, 2011

2011-10-11T12:47:00.000-07:00

Lord God,
Help us to give from our hearts out of love.
Help us to desire justice more than praise.
Show us how to live with gratitude, praising you forever.
Amen.

A Message from the Principal
Last Friday students in grades 1-8 received a copy of their first mid-trimester progress reports. This is an opportunity to see how your child is progressing in each area before the official reporting period ends on November 23. As I addressed the students at yesterday’s assembly, I asked them to reflect upon their progress in school thus far. I asked them to set specific goals to works towards for the remainder of the trimester. Don’t hesitate to ask your child about his/her goals and work with them in this goal-setting to ensure their best quality work! Have a great week.

Sincerely,

Ms. Olivia Carrillo

Important Dates

October 17 – Anti-Bullying Assembly
October 18 – All School Mass
October 20 – High School Night
October 23 – Mother-Son Picnic
October 27 – Kindergarten Field Trip
October 28 – 1st Grade Bake Sale; 8th Grade Retreat
October 31 – Teacher In-Service – No School

Virtus Training
A Virtus RECERTIFICATION session is scheduled for October 27 from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. in the Incarnation Community Center basement. Please call the parish office to sign up (818-242-2579). Virtus certification is valid for four years.

Mother – Son Picnic
Incarnation’s Mother-Son Picnic will be held on Saturday, October 23 from noon to 4:00 p.m. at Verdugo Park. Enjoy an action packed day with music, food, fun, friends, games, prizes and create cherished memories with your son! Please submit your registration form ASAP.

Auction Artwork
Last week, you received a letter from Sharon Conroy, our auction chairperson, with a release form to use for your child’s work as an auction item to be sold back to you. Please sign and return this form indicating your authorization to use your child’s work for this purpose. You can also decline permission on this form. Thank you for your cooperation.

Upcoming Vacations
Please mark your calendars:
Thanksgiving Vacation – November 24th & 25th (November 23rd is a full day)
Christmas Vacation – December 19th – January 2nd (Class resumes January 3rd)

Family Messenger, October 4, 2011

2011-10-04T13:28:00.000-07:00

Holy God,
You invite us into the joy of friendship
with your Son, Jesus Christ.
May we never be too busy or too distracted
to spend time with him in prayer, in the study of God’s word,
and in worship.
Amen.

A Message from the Principal
October is “Walktober” and tomorrow Incarnation will participate in International Walk to School Day. Join us on our “walking school busses” departing at 7:15 a.m. from two locations (corner of Highland & Kenneth and corner of Rossmoyne & Dryden), or just walk from your home! Walking is a fun and healthy way to spend time with your children while teaching them skills that can serve them well throughout life. The walk to school is a great time to use these safety tips. Children learn through experience. Walking with parents or another caregiver is an important way for children to practice crossing real streets and picking safe places to walk. There is no magic age when children are old enough to walk without an adult. But, as a parent, you should decide when your child has the skills and experience to deal with traffic safely without you. As you walk with your child, remember these safety tips:

Look for traffic at every driveway and intersection.
Be aware of drivers in parked cars that may be getting ready to move.
Obey all traffic signs and signals.
Cross the street safely:
1. Stop at the curb or edge of the street.
2. Look left, right, left, and behind you and in front of you for traffic.
3. Wait until no traffic is coming and begin crossing.
4. Keep looking for traffic until you have finished crossing.
5. Walk, don’t run across the street.

The side gate adjacent to the church parking lot will be open for all walkers.

Sincerely,

Ms. Olivia Carrillo

Important Dates
October 5 – International Walk to School Day
October 7 – Progress Reports go home
October 17 – Anti-Bullying Assembly
October 18 – All School Mass
October 20 – High School Night
October 23 – Mother-Son Picnic

Halloween
Please note that Monday, October 31 is a teacher in-service day and classes will not be in session. While we will have a regular school day without parties, students may come to school in costume on Friday, October 28 provided that the costume is appropriate and in good taste for a Catholic school. Costumes must fit properly (younger students should be able to use the restroom on their own with costumes); no excessively scary costumes, no gore, no fake weapons; students’ faces must be visible at all times.

Virtus Training
A Virtus RECERTIFICATION session is scheduled for October 27 from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. in the Incarnation Community Center basement. Please call the parish office to sign up (818-242-2579). Virtus certification is valid for four years.

A Volleyball Team News
The Incarnation Eagles A Volleyball Team competed in two tournaments over the past few week. One tournament was held at American Martyrs School where they were finalists. Last Saturday, the girls won 5th place in their tournament and made it to quarter finals. Way to go Eagles! We are proud of you!

From the Business Office
September ASP and AM Care invoices for students attending ASP on a monthly basis were e-mailed yesterday; hourly ASP and Homework Club invoices will be e-mailed tomorrow. Note: you do not need to print the invoice; save ink/paper and write the invoice number on the check.

SCRIP News
As presented at the PTO Meeting, instructions for accessing SCRIP Online as well as a SCRIP Envelope are attached in today’s Home Messenger. Please read carefully as there is a lot of material covered.

Family Messenger, September 27, 2011

2011-09-28T12:13:00.001-07:00

Lord God,
Help us to trust in the power of love to bring us close to you.
Help us to choose forgiveness over resentment and anger,
So that your peace, alive in our hearts, may draw others to you.
Amen.

A Message from the Principal
In the Roman Catholic tradition, October 4 is the feast of St. Francis of Assisi. Among many other things, St. Francis was known for his special connection to animals and is therefore the patron saint of animals and the environment. This year, Incarnation will be celebrating the Blessing of the Animals on Tuesday, October 4 at 2:15 p.m. with a prayer service prepared by Mrs. Lomasto and the third grade class. Animals are welcome provided they are accompanied by an adult. Parents and pets may begin arriving at 2:00 (please, no earlier!) and are invited to assemble in the kindergarten yard. Please be sure animals are properly restrained and that you bring the necessary supplies to clean up after your pets! Animals, regardless of size or species, will not be allowed in the classrooms. If you are unable to bring your pet to school in the afternoon for the blessing, students may bring a photo of their pet(s).

After the blessing, students/families with animals will proceed to the carpool area first, followed by all other students. Please note that the school yard will be open for parking at 2:00. Carpool will be a park and pick-up process. To make sure all students are accounted for, please sign out with your child’s teacher before leaving campus.

We look forward to seeing our animal companions next week!

Sincerely,

Ms. Olivia Carrillo

Important Dates

September 30 – Teacher in-service – NO SCHOOL
October 4 – Blessing of the Animals
October 5 – International Walk to School Day
October 7 – Progress Reports go home

International Walk to School Day
Incarnation has registered for International Walk to School Day on Wednesday, October 5. Join us on our “walking school busses” departing from two locations that morning. Please see enclosed flyer for details. Thanks to Erik and Joanna Hovland for helping to coordinate this community activity!

Jog-a-thon
The Jog-a-thon is scheduled for Friday, November 18, 2011. Please look for your sponsor packet in today’s home messenger. This is a great way to meet your mandatory donation.

Virtus Training
Tonight at the Incarnation Community Center from 7-9 p.m.

Swim Team News
On Sunday, the Inca Eagles competed at the St. Mel’s Meet and came in 4th place in Division 2.
All of our swimmers are improving and the following students scored individual points for the team and earned medals: Madison C, Max C, Sydney C, Nicolas D, Andrew F, Mark G, Massimo M, Matteo M, Anissa O, Fiona R, Quinn R, Olivia S, Megan S, Alexander U. Congratulations to the following relay teams that placed and scored points for the team: 7-8 Freestyle: Max C, Audrey M, Alexander U, Nicolas D and 11-12 Medley: Ashley C, Lauren S, Mark G and Matteo M. Special thanks to all the families for your help and support!

Scrip
Please look in next week’s home messenger for information regarding Scrip and the online ordering option.

Question of the Week
How do you show your love for Jesus by doing what he asks, even when it is difficult for you?

Family Messenger, September 20, 2011

2011-09-20T22:24:00.000-07:00

A Message from the Principal
Thank you to all who attended the annual Back to School Hop Fiesta last Saturday. We enjoyed the afternoon with good company, great food, entertainment, and games. Thank you to all parent volunteers for donating time to volunteer at this event in different capacities. I especially thank Mrs. Alonso and Mrs. Dumansky for organizing the Hop once again, as well as the Horace Mann Elementary School Ballet Folklorico for their performance. If you volunteered at the Hop, please be sure to obtain signatures from Mrs. Alonso or Mrs. Dumansky on your participation hours’ slip and turn in to the office as soon as possible.

Tomorrow evening is our first General PTO Meeting of the year. We hope you can join us at 7:00 p.m. in the school auditorium. Parents in attendance will receive a free dress pass for each child to be redeemed on Thursday OR Friday of this week.

Sincerely,

Ms. Olivia Carrillo

Important Dates
• September 19 – ITBS testing begins
• September 21 – General PTO Meeting 7:00 p.m.
• September 22 – Back to School Night grades 6-8
• September 30 – Teacher in-service – NO SCHOOL

Back to School Night
Back to School Night for parents of students in grades 6 through 8 is this Thursday, September 22nd beginning at 6:00 p.m. in your child’s homeroom.
Child care will be available. We encourage at least one parent from each family to attend. Please note that these evenings are intended to help you become familiar with your child’s teacher(s) and classroom expectations, not to discuss individual student progress. If a parent-teacher conference is needed, please make an appointment with your child’s teacher.

ITBS Testing
The Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) is being administered to students in grades 1 -8 this week. Students in grades 3, 5, and 7 will also take the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT). Testing will take place all week, and most testing is scheduled in the morning hours. Please do not schedule any appointments for the week of the 19th so your child is present to take the full battery of tests.

SCRIP Notes
Please plan on attending the PTO meeting tomorrow. Information regarding ordering online will be discussed.

Flu Shot Clinic
There will be a flu shot clinic on Sunday, September 25 from 8:30 to 1:30 in the school auditorium. Sign up sheets are in the vestibule and at the parish office. The clinic is from Flintridge Pharmacy. If you have any questions, please call the pharmacy directly at 818-790-1802. Shots are $25.

Virtus Training
Upcoming sessions at the Incarnation Community Center:
• Monday Sept 26th from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m.
• Tuesday Sept 27th from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m.
The sessions listed above satisfy requirements for new and renewal certification. Please call the parish office at 818-242-2579 to register, and be sure to bring a copy of your certificate to the school office.

Lector Training for High School Students and Adults
Attendance at 6 sessions is required for certification. Meetings are held in the church.
• Friday, 9/30 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
• Saturday, 10/1 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
• Friday, 10/14 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
• Saturday, 10/15 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
• Friday, 10/28 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
• Saturday, 10/29 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
To register please call the Parish Center (818) 242-2579 or e-mail Pius Oller at piusoller@gmail.com

Academic Decathlon
Students in grades 6 - 8 interested in joining the Academic Decathlon should attend a general interest/info meeting this Friday, September 23 during lunch. We are grateful to Mr. and Mrs. Chan for agreeing to coach the team once again this year!

Participation Hours Opportunity
Beginning tomorrow, yo-yos will be sold during recess (10:00 – 10:30) and lunch (12:00 – 12:30) as a follow up to the NED Show (Never give up, Encourage others, Do your best). If you are available for sales during these times and are Virtus trained, please contact Gwen Rodela in the school office at 818-241-2269 ext. 111 or grodela@incaschool.org.

Book Fair
Thank you to everyone who shopped at the book fair this year! Even though the book fair is no longer in the auditorium, favorite books that may have been missed are still available at the Scholastic online book fair until Monday, September 26, 2011. Now you can shop in the comfort of your own home! Visit the website at scholastic.com/schoolbookfairs. Relatives, family and friends can also order books for your children online.
Just be sure to let them know the name of your child’s homeroom teacher. Any books ordered for Incarnation students will be delivered to the school in a single shipment after September 27, 2011. Thanks for your continuing support of the book fair. With profits earned, we are able to buy books for every classroom and the library too!

Catholic Education Foundation
Applications for CEF Tuition Assistance are now available in the Business Office for current 8th Graders attending the following local Catholic High Schools next fall: Bellarmine Jefferson, Bishop Alemany, and Cathedral. For a complete list or if you have any questions please contact Mrs. Fenton at (818) 241-2269 or lfenton@incaschool.org. APPLICATIONS ARE DUE TO MS. CARRILLO BY OCTOBER 24, 2011.

From the Business Office
September statements were e-mailed today. Please contact Mrs. Fenton if you have any questions. Also, please note it is not necessary to attach a copy of your invoice with your payment. Please write the invoice number on your check to apply payment to the invoice.

Family Messenger, September 13, 2011

2011-09-13T12:29:00.000-07:00

Holy God,
You sent your son, Jesus into the world
to be the light of the world.
May this Christ light burn brightly
in all we do and say, so that your love
may be known on earth as it is in heaven.
Amen.

A Message from the Principal
As you know, the first floor classrooms were equipped with air conditioning units before the beginning of the school year. The second floor phase is in process and is more complex than the first floor phase, requiring mechanical and electrical engineering. Plans were submitted to the City of Glendale and have been approved! We are now preparing to send the plans to the Archdiocese Construction Department for approval.

Next Wednesday, September 21st is our first General PTO Meeting of the year at 7:00 p.m. in the auditorium. Child care will be provided, and free dress passes for students will be distributed at the end of the meeting. The PTO Board and I hope to see you there!

Sincerely,

Ms. Olivia Carrillo

Important Dates

September 13 – 17 – Book Fair
September 13 – All School Mass 8:30 a.m.; dress uniform required
September 15– Back to School Night, grades preschool through 5
September 17 – Back to School Hop/Book Fair
September 19 – ITBS testing begins
September 21 – General PTO Meeting 7:00 p.m.
September 22 – Back to School Night grades 6-8
September 30 – Teacher in-service – no school

Back to School Hop and Book Fair
Mark your calendars for our annual Back to School Hop to be held this Saturday. Join Incarnation families as we celebrate the beginning of an exciting school year. The book fair will also be open that day. Hope to see you there!

Spanish Classes
Spanish class begins this week. If you have enrolled in the program, students in grades K, 1, and 2 will meet on Tuesdays and grades 3, 4, and 5 will meet on Thursdays. All classes will be held in the first grade classroom and will be from 3:00 – 3:45.

Back to School Night
This Thursday, September 15th is Back to School Night for parents of students in grades 1 through 5. The evening will begin at 6:30 p.m. in your child’s homeroom class. Two sessions will be offered: Session 1 begins at 6:30 and Session 2 begins at 7:05. (Please note that that 5th grade Session 1 will be held in the 6th grade classroom.) The book fair will be open this evening.

Back to School Night for parents of students in grades 6 through 8 is Thursday, September 22nd beginning at 6:00 p.m.

Child care will be available both evenings. We encourage at least one parent from each family to attend. Please note that these evenings are intended to help you become familiar with your child’s teacher(s) and classroom expectations, not to discuss individual student progress. If a parent-teacher conference is needed, please make an appointment with your child’s teacher.

ITBS Testing
The Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) will be administered beginning Monday, September 19th to students in grades 1 -8. Students in grades 3, 5, and 7 will also take the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT). Testing will take place all week, and most testing is scheduled in the morning hours. Please do not schedule any appointments for the week of the 19th so your child is present to take the full battery of tests.

Catechetical Sunday
The Church will celebrate Catechetical Sunday on September 18, 2011, and will focus on the theme “Do This in Memory of Me.” Incarnation School teachers and Religious Education catechists will be called forth during the 9:00 a.m. Mass to be commissioned for their ministry. Catechetical Sunday is a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the role that each person plays, by virtue of Baptism, in handing on the faith and being a witness to the Gospel. Catechetical Sunday is an opportunity for all to rededicate themselves to this mission as a community of faith.

Swim Team News
 The INCA Eagle Swimmers are off to a great start. On Sunday, the team competed in the first meet of the season at the San Fernando Regional Pool, scoring 201 points, the highest points ever scored by the team! Congratulations to the following swimmers who earned medals and points for the team: Sydney C, Max C, Krista C, Mark G, Emmelene G, Valentin M, Massimo M, Matteo M, Annisa O, Quinn R, Olivia S, Alexander U and Krista V. We would like to formally welcome new swim team members: Krista C, Andrew & Brian F, Mark G, Charlie L, Mariscal, Kathryn M and Olive O. Lastly, congratulations to our swim team coach Brandi who just had a beautiful baby boy, Noah! Thank you to all swim parents who volunteered on such a hot day!

After-School GLEE CLUB
There will be a new after school singing / GLEE Club for Grades 3 - 8 on Thursdays from 3:15pm - 4:45pm. The club is open to any child who is part of the Incarnation Parish Community. You don’t have to attend Incarnation School to participate. A FREE Preview class will be held on September 29th in the school auditorium and is open to ANYONE whether interested in signing up for the class or not! The Fall class starts on Thursdays starting October 6th and will culminate with a final showcase performance on December 18th. The INCA GLEE Club will provide children with an opportunity to sing as a group, learn some stage skills and build confidence. Please look for the sign-up sheets at the church in the vestibules, the parish office or at the school or contact Susan at 818-237-0607.

Family Messenger, September 6, 2011

2011-09-06T13:18:00.000-07:00

Lord, our God,
Help us to be people of prayer,
turning first to God when we
have decisions to make.
May God’s work be done through us.
We ask this through Jesus’ name.
Amen.

A Message from the Principal
As we begin our second week of school, this is a great time to for you to help your child succeed this school year. As your child’s first and most important teacher, you pay an important role in supporting your child’s learning at school. The beginning of a school year is a great time to review rules together. Discuss school and classroom rules, and use this opportunity to talk about home rules too!

I am eager to be involved in your child’s learning this year!

Sincerely,

Ms. Olivia Carrillo

Important Dates

September 13 – 17 – Book Fair
September 13 – All School Mass 8:30 a.m.; dress uniform required
September 15– Back to School Night grades preschool through 5; child care provided
September 17 – Back to School Hop/Book Fair

Welcome Preschool and Kindergarten!
This week our preschoolers and kindergarteners begin classes. We are happy to welcome their smiling faces to our school. Kindergarten will dismiss at noon all this week and preschoolers will dismiss at noon for the next two weeks. Reminder for kindergarten parents – students can be picked up at the black gate adjacent to the church parking lot.

From the Business Office
Late Notices will be e-mailed today. Please contact Mrs. Fenton if you have any questions.

Decathlon Coach Needed
The Academic Junior High Decathlon is scheduled for March 10, 2012. We do not have a head coach for this event, and we must have one if we are to send a team to represent Incarnation. If you are interested in being the head coach for the team, please contact Ms. Carrillo ASAP. The head coach will fulfill the participation hour’s requirement for the year.

Directory Information
We are currently preparing an updated School Directory for distribution in the next few weeks. If you haven't already done so, please complete the pink "2011-2012 Directory Information" form (one per family) and return it to the School Office by this Friday, September 9. Additional forms are available in the School Office. Thank you!

Back to School Hop and Book Fair
Mark your calendars for our annual Back to School Hop to be held Saturday, September 17. Join Incarnation families as we celebrate the beginning of an exciting school year. The book fair will also be open that day. Hope to see you there!

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 to the school office. Visit HYPERLINK "http://www.boxtops4education.com"www.boxtops4education.com for more ways to earn.  

P.E. Uniforms
We have made the mesh P.E. shorts available for ALL students. If your items are backordered, students may wear their regular uniform shorts or blue/black athletic shorts while you are waiting for your order to arrive.

Free Dress Day
Please help support Inca athletics! We will be having a free dress day this Friday, September 9 with a $1 donation. Free dress must follow the handbook guidelines. Anyone inappropriately dressed will be sent home and will lose the privilege of free dress the next time. If Friday is your child’s mass day, free dress may be worn if it is mass appropriate.

SCRIP News
Thank you for your support during the summer. We sold more than ever before! This month we welcome four new vendors: Overstock.com (8%), Tony Roma’s Restaurant (12%), Bass Pro Shops (9%), and Burlington Coat Factory (8%). These are all Special Order SCRIP. In addition, the following vendors have promotions during the month of September: LLBean additional 2%—9/3/11 to 9/30/11 and Best Buy additional 1% bonus—9/3/11 to 9/16/11.

Question of the Week
What is one thing you would do for someone whom you loved?

Family Messenger,August 30, 2011

2011-09-01T13:52:00.000-07:00

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.

A Message from the Principal
On behalf of the faculty and staff at Incarnation School, welcome to the 2011-2012 academic year! We look forward to working with you and hope that our students and their parents share our enthusiasm as we begin the school year ahead.

A few things have changed around campus. The school lot has been re-striped; the computer lab reconfiguration is complete with a Smart Board, 35 Mac minis, and a new Writing STARZ kindergarten program; the ASP room will double as the music room for grades K-8 so that students can have uninterrupted time for that class; and air conditioning has been installed in all first-floor classrooms! The units are cooling so well that some are saying it’s too cold! The scope of the second floor project is a bit more complex, but it is in process and drawings are with the City of Glendale Plan Check Department for review. It is estimated to be about a week for the city to complete their review and return to the engineers with comments. Once those drawings are approved by the city, they will be forwarded to the Archdiocese Construction Department for approval. Thank you for your continued support of our fundraisers to make all of this possible.

The 2011-2012 Parent/Student Handbook is now available online only at www.incaschool.org . This handbook will provide you with information to assist you in familiarizing yourself with Archdiocesan and school policies. There were quite a few updates over the summer, so please take the time to read through it carefully. 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. As part of your enrollment agreement/contract, we require all families to sign and return the Policies Agreement Form no later than Friday, September 9.

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. 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. Incarnation will be offering a VIRTUS class on September 26 from 7 – 9 p.m. and a recertification class on September 29 from 7-8:30 p.m. VIRTUS training is valid for 4 years. 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.

Question of the Week
Jesus tells us that we are each called to follow him. What is hard for you to do to follow Jesus?

Sincerely,

Ms. Olivia Carrillo
Principal

Welcome, New Staff!
We are pleased to welcome Monsignor Steven Zak to the Incarnation church and school community! Monsignor Zak joined Incarnation in July, and we look forward to his involvement with the school. Monsignor Zak will continue the tradition of leading the student body at weekly assemblies beginning September 19.

We are also pleased to welcome Ms. Lauren Muscarella (grade 4), Mrs. Lauren Mott (grade 5), Mrs. Cherie Liu-Barba (grade 7/math), and Mr. Paul Angers (grades 5-8 music) to Incarnation School.

Important Dates

August 31 – Regular dismissal grades 1-8; preschool parent orientation 6 p.m.
September 2 – Deadline to submit emergency cards - please submit both cards
September 5 – No School – Labor Day
September 6 - First Day of School for preschool and kindergarten (noon dismissal)
September 12 - 17 - Book Fair
September 17 – Back to School Hop

After School Program
ASP begins this week. Please note that all school rules remain in effect for ASP.

Hot Lunch Program
Order forms for hot lunch beginning on Tuesday, 9/6 are enclosed. Please turn in orders with payment no later than Friday, 9/2. Hot lunch must be ordered in advance. Your check should be made out to M & F Kitchenette.

Visitors to Campus
All visitors to campus, regardless of the nature or length of the visit, must check in at the front office to obtain a name tag/visitor’s badge which must be worn at all times while on campus. Thank you for your cooperation.

From the Business Office
Great news! Invoices and statements will be e-mailed beginning with the 2011-2012 school year. No more looking for the Home Messenger envelope and discovering it didn't make it home! E-mails will be sent to the e-mail currently on file. Please contact Mrs. Fenton if you would prefer to use a different e-mail address.

Swim Team News
The Incarnation Swim Team is looking for new swimmers! All swimmers from K-8 can participate. To find out more, please come join us at our organizational meeting to be held on Thursday, September 1 at 7p.m. in the school auditorium. The Swim Team practices on Fridays after school and has 4 meets. The first meet will be held on September 11. For additional information contact Co-Chairs: Juliet Mazza Mendoza- jmazza@mendozaassociates.com or Laura Fabian Medina-fourpups@live.com.

Participation Hours Booklet
Your 2011-2012 participation hours booklet is enclosed. Please be sure to turn in your participation hours as they are completed. The committee chairperson should sign verifying hours worked. Return the slips via home messenger or drop them in the office.

Girls B Volleyball Coach Needed
We are in need of a coach for the B Volleyball team (grades 5 and 6). Coaching requirements include Virtus training, fingerprinting, TB test, and CYO certification. Please contact Nick Harris at hockey_player@sbcglobal.net if interested. 40 participation hours given for coaching!!

Academic Decathlon Coach Needed
If you are interested in coaching the Junior High Academic Decathlon team this year, please contact Ms. Carrillo. The event is scheduled for March 10, 2012. 40 participation hours also given!

Family Messenger, August 5, 2011

2011-08-10T09:41:00.000-07:00

Dear Parents:

I hope that you are having a pleasant summer and that your children are enjoying the remaining days of vacation. I would like to extend a warm welcome to our returning families and a special welcome to the newest families of Incarnation Parish School. I am also pleased to welcome our new parish administrator, Monsignor Steven Zak, and our new faculty members – Ms. Lauren Muscarella (grade 4), Mrs. Lauren Mott (grade 5), and Mrs. Cherie Liu-Barba (grade 7; junior high math). Enclosed is some important information that will help you as you prepare for the beginning of the 2011 – 2012 academic year.

Important Dates

August 16 – PTO Board’s New Parent Orientation in the Parish Center Patio - All new families with students in grades K-8 are invited to attend this orientation.
Social - 6:00 – 6:30 p.m.
Orientation - 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.
August 21 – Kindergarten picnic at Nibley Park 12:00 – 2:00 (more information to come)
August 29 – First Day of School for grades 1-8 only (½ day: 7:50 - noon); We will have a brief welcome and blessing for the new year, followed by coffee for parents in the auditorium.
August 30 – Noon dismissal grades 1-8
August 31- First full day grades 1-8; Preschool Parent Orientation 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.
September 5 – Labor Day – No School
September 6 – First day of school for preschool and kindergarten

Parent-Student Handbook
The 2011-2012 Parent-Student Handbook can be found online at www.incaschool.org. Enclosed is the agreement page that is required to be signed and returned to the school office by September 9.

Tdap Immunization Requirement
If your child is entering the 7th or 8th grade, you will be required to submit proof of the Tdap vaccination to the office within 30 days of the start of school.

Emergency Cards
Enclosed you will find two (2) emergency cards. Both cards must be completed and returned no later than Friday, September 2. Please make sure that the cards are completed fully and accurately. We strongly suggest that you list at least four names under the Emergency Care Information section. You may attach an additional sheet with more names if necessary. Persons listed in this section will be the only ones authorized to pick up your child(ren) in an emergency or during the school day.

VIRTUS Training
VIRTUS training is a requirement for all volunteers at Incarnation School. In order to volunteer at the school in any capacity, we must have your training certificate on file in the school office. VIRTUS certification must be renewed after four years. If you were certified in the fall of 2007 or earlier, your certificate is no longer valid and must be renewed by attending a re-certification class. If you have questions about whether or not your certification is current, please call Mrs. Rodela in the school office. For your convenience, Incarnation will be offering VIRTUS training on the following days:

Aug. 21 Sunday 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Aug. 22 Monday 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. coupled with Wed Aug. 24 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. (must be able to attend both sessions for certification)
Aug. 23 Tuesday 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. coupled with Thursday Aug.25 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. (must be able to attend both sessions for certification)

For more information about this program to protect our children and to find other trainings in the surrounding area, visit www.virtus.org.

Fingerprinting
Though not required of all volunteers, fingerprinting under the Department of Justice is required for regular volunteers or any adult that will work with children in a supervisory capacity. Enclosed are the August and September fingerprint schedules

Before School Care and After School Program
Before School Care is offered beginning at 7:00 a.m. for $1.00 per day. Students attending morning care must be signed in by a parent/guardian daily. Parents who do not sign their child(ren) in may lose the opportunity to use this service. Students may not be on campus before 7:00 a.m.

The After School Program (ASP) begins on August 29. The Hours and Fee Schedule and the Registration Form for 2011-2012 are enclosed. Please remember that parents/guardians must sign their child(ren) out of ASP every day.

Hot Lunch Program
M&F Kitchenette will provide hot lunch for purchase beginning September 6. Please be sure your child brings his/her own lunch for the week of August 29.

Supply Lists
Supply lists are available on the school website (www.incaschool.org) under the Homework Hero tab.

Carpool
All students (except winners of convenient pick-up at the 10-11 auction) must be dropped off and picked up through morning carpool. Enter from Dryden and exit on Central. Please remain in your car, be patient, and mind the carpool volunteers. The volunteers will assist your children in exiting and entering the vehicle. For everyone’s safety, please observe the 5 mph speed limit and do not use cell phones while in the carpool lane. In the morning, please be sure your children have their belongings with them (not in the trunk) so that the carpool line moves quickly. Remind students that they may not walk behind or between cars. Do not use the church parking lot to drop off your children. Please note that all campus gates will be closed and locked at 8:10 a.m. every day.
**Note to kindergarten and first grade parents: Enclosed is a laminated sign to use at morning and afternoon carpool. These signs are to alert carpool volunteers that there are young children that need help exiting the car, and to help the teachers identify parents at pick-up time.
**Kindergarten parents—During the week of September 6, please park in the church parking lot at dismissal. Ms. Marriott and Ms. Klein will release the students at the side gate adjacent to the church lot.

Permission to Walk Home After School
Students who walk home after school must have the permission form on file in the school office. Students without this signed release will not be allowed to leave the campus and will be checked in to ASP. The form is available in the school office and is also in the Parent/Student Handbook online. A new form must be completed at the beginning of each school year.

Regular Dismissal
The regular dismissal schedule is 2:45 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 1:45 p.m. on Fridays unless otherwise noted on the calendar.

Thank you for choosing Incarnation School. We look forward to working with you as we help our children grow spiritually and intellectually. Enjoy the month of August and we look forward to seeing you very soon!

Blessings,

Ms. Olivia Carrillo
Principal

Family Messenger, June 7, 2011

2011-06-07T10:38:00.000-07:00

Lord God,
We praise you for your great goodness;
we give thanks to you for your marvelous love.
We praise you who heal the wounded.
We sing to you and give thanks.
We glorify your holy name.
Amen.

A Message from the Principal
It is with sadness and gratitude that we say farewell to some of our wonderful teachers – Mrs. Angie Neumeier, Ms. Jenny Rickert, and Ms. Hwala Hong. Please keep them all in your prayers as they move on to other endeavors. For their years of service to Incarnation and our students, we sincerely appreciate their time with us. Hiring of new faculty will be completed by the end of June.

As we approach the end of the school year, I would like to thank you for choosing Incarnation and giving us the opportunity to work with you in educating your children. Enjoy the summer months and we will see you in August!

Sincerely,

Ms. Olivia Carrillo

Important Dates

June 9 – Preschool Culmination 7:00 p.m.
June 10 – Last Day of School – Awards Assembly 9:00 a.m.; 10:30 a.m. dismissal; ASP available until noon

Dennis Uniform Early Bird Promotion
Avoid the Back to School rush! From June 10 – July 10, 2011, Dennis Uniform is offering 10% savings on all purchases and orders (mail, Internet, phone, and in-store). This promotion excludes marked down items. Don’t forget to buy SCRIP!

Final Awards Assembly
Please join us for our last awards assembly for grades 1 – 8 on Friday, June 10 at 9:00 a.m. in the auditorium.

Last Day Dismissal
Please note that students will dismiss at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, June 10.
ASP will be available until noon. The school office will close at 11:00 a.m.

Summer Office Hours
Monday, June 13 – Thursday, June 23 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. *
Friday, June 24 8:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
June 25 – July 31 School office closed
August 1 – August 28 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.*
*closed for lunch between 12:00 – 12:30

2011-2012 Student Council
Congratulations to our newly elected Student Council!

President Andre O
Vice President Brittany L
Secretary Emmelene G
Treasurer Sam L
Commissioner of Ecology and Safety Ashley G
Commissioner of Boys Athletics Joseph C
Commissioner of Spirit Samantha U
Commissioner of Health and Nutrition Tim T
Commissioner of Religious Affairs Heather R
Commissioner of Girls Athletics Samantha B
Commissioner of Publicity Matteo M

Daisy Troop Free Dress
The Incarnation Daisy Troop will be holding a $1 Free Dress Day tomorrow to benefit the San Gabriel Humane Society.

From the Business Office
The June statements are attached. Please review carefully--report cards will not be issued if your account is not up-to-date. Please call Mrs. Fenton in the Business Office at (818) 241-2269 if you have any questions.

NOTE: The June ASP, AM Care and Homework Club invoices will be mailed on Friday, June 10.

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL - MONDAY, AUGUST 29, 2011

Family Messenger May 31, 2011

2011-05-31T12:32:00.000-07:00

God of creation,
You are near to all who seek you in their hearts.
May those who long for you, find you.
Bless all our teachers, preachers, missionaries, parents,
Grandparents, and all who help others to know you.
Amen.

A Message from the Principal
The Eighth Grade Class of 2011 will celebrate their Baccalaureate Mass on Thursday, June 2 at 9:30 a.m. and will graduate on Sunday, June 5 at 2:00 p.m. We are proud of our graduates and wish them every blessing in high school. Congratulations!

Sincerely,

Ms. Olivia Carrillo

James A. - Bellarmine-Jefferson High School
Henry B. - Clark Magnet High School
Alex B. - Providence High School
Christopher B. - Clark Magnet High School
Kyle B. - Crescenta Valley High School
Vanessa C. - Providence High School
Mateo D. - St. Francis High School
Norberto D. - Bellarmine-Jefferson High School
Keith F. - Bellarmine-Jefferson High School
Sophia F. - Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy
John F. - Loyola High School
Michelle G. - AGBU Vatche and Tamar Manoukian High School
Ryan G. - Clark Magnet High School
Matthew G. - St. Francis High School
Stephanie G. - Mayfield Senior School
Leo Jimenez St. Francis High School
Carra Liwanag Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy
Paloma L. - Immaculate Heart High School
Jessica M. - Daniel Pearl Magnet High School
Michael M. - St. Francis High School
Harout M. - St. Francis High School
Sebastian M. - Cathedral High School
Joshua O. - St. Francis High School
Roger R. - Providence High School
Golddy S. - Mayfield Senior High School
Eric S. - St. Francis High School
Emily S. - Providence High School
Cole T. - St. Francis High School
Monica T. - Providence High School
Amanda V. - Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy

Important Dates

June 2 – Baccalaureate Mass 9:30 a.m. – Last All School Mass
June 3 – 8th Grade Dinner/Dance
June 5 – Graduation 2:00 p.m.
June 6 – Accelerated Reader Awards 8:00 a.m.
June 9 – Preschool Culmination 7:00 p.m.
June 10 – Last Day of School – Awards Assembly 9:00 a.m.; 10:30 a.m. dismissal; \
ASP available until noon

Dennis Uniform Early Bird Promotion
Avoid the Back to School rush! From June 10 – July 10, 2011, Dennis Uniform is offering 10% savings on all purchases and orders (mail, Internet, phone, and in-store). This promotion excludes marked down items. Don’t forget to purchase SCRIP!

Swim Team News
The Inca Swim Team had a successful car wash on Saturday, exceeding $800 in total funds raised.
These funds will go toward paying for summer practices. THANK YOU to all the swimmers and families who helped out on Saturday and to all of our school families who supported us. See you at practice in August at the new Pacific Pool in Glendale. For more information on Swim Team, contact: Juliet Mazza Mendoza- jmazza@mendozaassociates.com or Laura Fabian Medina-
fourpups@live.com

Scrip Tip
The new scrip year begins Wednesday, June 1st. Time to get a jump on the required $250 for the 2011-2012 school year. Sales are still happening every morning from 7:45-8:30 a.m. (often much later). Why not use scrip when thanking your teachers for all they did for your children this year. We will have gift certificates available for you to purchase in any denomination you choose which your teacher can then use to "shop" at the scrip desk. You earn the profits on their choices.

From the Business Office
The May 2011 morning Care and monthly ASP invoices are attached in today’s Home Messenger. The May Homework Club and hourly May ASP invoices will be mailed home tomorrow. These invoices are due June 10, 2011.

PLEASE NOTE: June ASP will be billed on an hourly basis due to the short month. The total due will not exceed 1/2 of the monthly fee ($67.50 for 1 child, $80 for 2 children, and $92.50 for 3+ children). June invoices will be mailed on June 10 and are due by June 20. Please contact Mrs. Fenton if you have any questions.

Family Messenger May 24, 2011

2011-05-24T17:52:00.000-07:00

A Message from the Principal

By the end of the school year, everyone is ready for summer vacation, children, teachers and parent alike! A change of routine is welcome and there are ways to continue to support learning while away from the formal classroom.

In addition to summer school, summer vacations, and summer camps, consider these ideas:

Reading - read daily. Read a book with your child or have your child read to a younger child.
Gardening - allowing your child to plant his/her own garden or help you with the family garden provides a perfect opportunity to apply the science curriculum to everyday experiences.
Summer jobs - both at home, and for older children, in the neighborhood present valuable opportunities for children to learn responsibility and the value of saving money.
Grandparents - If your child has grandparents in the area, have your child plan a day of fun with a special grandparent or other special person.

If you are looking for summer program information, please stop by the school office for information on local programs offered.

The following announcements about the 2011-2012 school year were made in at the recent PTO meeting:

First Day of School - 8/29/2011
Last Day of School - 6/15/2011
Christmas Vacation - 12/19/2011-1/3/2012
Easter Vacation - 4/6/2012-4/13/2012

Isabella W. (grade 6) was the recipient of Principal for a Day

Family Messenger May 17, 2011

2011-05-17T20:30:00.000-07:00

Lord God,
The name of your Son has the power to heal and save.
May we remember this power
whenever we call ourselves Christians.
Amen.

A Message from the Principal
I would like to once again thank you all for your support of the annual Auction Dinner! Fundraising figures will be published as soon as they become available. All proceeds from the event will go towards the installation of HVAC in the classroom. Once again, special thanks to Susan Theiring and her committee for their time and effort in planning and preparation for the auction.

Congratulations to the winners of our raffle:

Grand Prize 2011 Toyota Prius/$17,000 Cash Option – Delcia Witty-Sampson
1st Prize $1500 – Liz Lugo
2nd Prize - $1000 – Bernice Elsen
3rd Prize $500 – Jose Dorado Sr.
4th Prize $500 – Moises Bermudez
5th Prize $500 – Elenita Lanham

Tonight is our final General PTO Meeting of the school year. We hope to see you at 7 p.m. in the auditorium. ASP will be available.

Sincerely,

Ms. Olivia Carrillo
Principal

Important Dates

May 17 – General PTO Meeting 7 p.m.
May 18 – Kindergarten Field Trip; Spring Sports Banquet
May 25 – 6th Grade Field Trip
May 28 – Swim Team Car Wash
May 30 – Memorial Day – No School
June 2 – Baccalaureate Mass 9:30 a.m.

From the Business Office
The May statements are included in today’s Home Messenger. Please review carefully and contact Mrs. Fenton if you have any questions. Auction event tickets and raffle ticket invoices are now due. This is a mandatory donation even if you did not attend the auction or sold raffle tickets. Please Note: all accounts must be up-to-date to participate in Graduation activities, report cards, and diplomas.

Swim Team Car Wash
Please note the Swim Team Car Wash will be held on Saturday, May 28. Thank you for your support of the team!

Scrip Tip
12 more selling days to purchase scrip to count for the 2010-2011 profit year. Those of you that are close, YOU CAN DO IT!!! Those of you that are not, continue to purchase, it continues to help the school. Those of you that have surpassed the $200, you will split the additional profits with the school 50/50. As you all know, scrip funds were able to purchase the AMAZING Smart Boards in all the classrooms. To further enhance this technology, we'd like to purchase tablets that work in conjunction with the Smart Boards and would ask those of you who go over the $200 to donate their 50% towards this goal. Of course, you can use these funds for fees, but if you plan on leaving it with the school as a donation, the tablets are a great way to further make an impact on your child's education.

Gina Marie Fenton Memorial Scholarship
The applications were distributed to the 8th Grade class on Friday, May 13. The applications are due to Ms. Carrillo by Friday, May 20. The scholarship is open to all 8th Graders attending a Catholic High School in Fall 2011. A flyer is enclosed with more details.

Family Messenger May 3, 2011

2011-05-03T16:42:00.000-07:00

A Message from the Principal
The month of May is a special time when we honor Mary, the mother of Jesus. Mary showed courage when she put her trust in God and said yes to His plan for her. At each Monday assembly in May, the fourth grade class will lead us in the crowing of Mary. As we honor her this month, we remember that we are also called to say yes to God.

This week we celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week. This is the perfect time to show appreciation to teachers for the work that they do each day (and often nights!). This is my opportunity to thank the teachers and staff at Incarnation for their commitment to our students and to Catholic education. Thank you, teachers, for all that you do!

Finally, as Mother’s Day approaches, I wish all mothers and grandmothers all the best on their special day!

Sincerely,

Ms. Olivia Carrillo
Principal

Important Dates

May 6 – Noon Dismissal; ASP available
May 7 – First Communion
May 9 – 5th Grade Field Trip
May 10 – All School Mass 8:30 a.m.
May 11 – 6th Grade Field Trip
May 14 – Auction Dinner 6 p.m. – midnight
May 17 – 5th Grade Field Trip; General PTO Meeting 7 p.m.
May 18 – Kindergarten Field Trip; Spring Sports Banquet

Question of the Week
In each Home Messenger, there is a Question of the Week for reflection from Sunday’s readings.
Use the Question of the Week to engage in discussion with your child(ren)!

NOON DISMISSAL THIS FRIDAY
Please note that there is noon dismissal this Friday and lunch will not be provided by M&F Kitchenette. For your convenience, ASP will be available free of charge until 1:30 p.m.
After 1:30, the regular hourly rate will apply.

Business Office Closed
The Business Office will be closed this week and will re-open Monday, May 9.

Zoomerang Survey
As of yesterday we had 58 completed online surveys. The survey is anononymous and should take no more than 5 minutes to complete. Your input is important, so please take the time to complete it by tomorrow, May 4th. If you did not receive the email with the link to the online survey, please request it from Ms. Carrillo at ocarrillo@incaschool.org.

First Communion
Beginning this Saturday, our second graders and Religious Education students will receive their First Holy Communion!
We wish them many blessings as they receive this special sacrament.

Scrip Tip from Mrs. Bunt
We're in the final stretch. You should be receiving in the home messenger your report of profits to date. You have until May 31st to continue to contribute for this calendar year. PLEASE NOTE we are having a little difficulty with eScrip reporting from September and no profits earned during that time have been included in this report. We are working on it and will have it resolved before May 31st. Please see me if you have any questions about this. REMINDER, we are an all-volunteer workforce and we do our best, but we make mistakes. If you feel that your profits are misreported, please come to the scrip desk (with your back-ups) and we will work to correct the error(s).

Teacher Appreciation Week and Mother's Day are upon us. Don't forget to purchase scrip to show your appreciation and love for your teachers and moms in your life. Bath and Body works has sent us some $10 off coupons when you spend $30 that I will hand out until they are gone.

Catholic Schools Night at Dodger Stadium – May 13, 2011
Families who ordered Dodger tickets for Catholic Schools Night can pick up tickets from Mrs. Fenton the week of May 9.

Swim Team News
It’s getting warm outside and time to think about summer and swimming! We will be holding an organizational/pre-registration meeting for Swim Team this Thursday, May 5 at 7 p.m. in the School Auditorium. All interested families, please attend to talk about our summer practices, Car Wash fundraiser, 2011-2012 practices and meets. Coach Brandi is attending this meeting. Swim Team is open for all students K-8. For more information contact Co-Chairs: Laura Fabian Medina at: fourpups@live.com or Juliet Mazza Mendoza at: jmazza@mendozaassociates.com. THANK YOU!!!

Prayer Request
Just before the Easter break, Mrs. Gwen Rodela lost her father, Ernest Hernandez. Please keep her and the Rodela/Hernandez family in your prayers. We also ask for your prayers for Ms. Louiza Petrosyan and family and for Mrs. Leti Fenton and her family as the anniversaries of the loss of their children, Haik Vardanyan and Gina Fenton, approach this month.

School Survey

2011-04-14T14:03:00.000-07:00

Dear Incarnation School Parents,

Parent input is important to us as we determine the direction for Incarnation School. As we plan ahead for 2012-2013 and beyond, we ask for your participation in a Zoomerang survey. The survey includes questions about the general program Incarnation offers, as well as questions about the possibility of extending the school day/year. Please note that this is a survey to gather your input about the total school program and is not a vote or ballot. Survey results will be one component of the decision-making process. Please look for this survey in your email inbox. Note that the survey is anonymous and should be completed by parents only. We appreciate your responses by Tuesday, May 3rd. Thank you for your participation!

Please click on the link below to begin.

http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/WEB22C8NJS6T2A/

Thank you,

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

Family Messenger, April 5, 2011

2011-04-05T13:05:00.000-07:00

Holy God,
Help us to listen to your word
with open hearts and minds.
May our study lead to prayer
and our prayer lead to good
works and praise.
Amen.

A Message from the Principal
Our computer lab upgrade is well underway! Using approximately $40,000 in SCRIP funds, we have ordered 35 Mac mini computers, additional monitors, and additional furniture to accommodate a full class in the computer lab. We expect to have the lab completely transformed by the beginning of the 2011-2012 school year!

The fundraising efforts continue with the spring auction just a little over a month away! Please see the various inserts in this week’s envelope with updates regarding the auction. Thank you for your continued support of our fundraisers. Remember that dinner RSVPs are due April 15th.

Sincerely,

Ms. Olivia Carrillo
Principal

Important Dates

April 4 – 6 – Confession grades 2-8
April 10 – 1st Grade School Sponsored Mass 9:00 a.m.
April 12 – All School Mass 8:30 a.m.
April 15 – Progress Reports; 4th Grade Bake Sale
April 17 – Palm Sunday
April 21 – Holy Thursday – Noon Dismissal (ASP available until 6 p.m.)
April 22 – Good Friday – No School
April 25 – April 29 – Easter Vacation

Auction Volunteer Meeting
If you are helping with Auction Dinner planning in any way, or if you will be helping the day of the event, please plan on attending the final auction volunteer meeting on Wednesday, April 13 at 6:00 p.m. in the Computer Lab. We will discuss how to get auction items to the hotel the day before and the day of the event. We will also review the schedule and help that is needed the day of the event. If you have any questions, contact Susan Theiring (stheiring@earthlink.net).

Catholic Schools Dodger Night
Enclosed you will find an order form for Catholic Schools Night at Dodger Stadium on Friday, May 13th at 7:10 p.m. The discounted rate for Lower Reserve seating is $13 per person, with a portion of each ticket going to support earthquake victims in Haiti and Japan. In order to receive the discounted group rate, we must have an order of at least 30 tickets. Please turn in your orders with checks payable to Incarnation School no later than Friday, April 8. If at least 30 tickets are not ordered, your check will be returned to you. Thank you for your support!

Altar Server Meeting
There will be a meeting for all current altar servers this Thursday from 12:30 – 1:00 in the ASP room.

From the Business Office
The March 2011 ASP, Homework Club, and Morning Care invoices are enclosed in today’s Home Messenger. Please contact Mrs. Fenton if you have any questions.

Graduation Fee
The invoices for the 2nd installment for the Graduation Fee ($110) are enclosed. Please note the due date: April 15, 2011.

SCRIP NEWS:
Good news, profit increases are being given for the following; Shutterfly additional 5% April 9-29; Bath and Body Works additional 5% April 2-29; Home Depot additional 2% now-April 15. AND don't forget Gap/Old Navy/Banana Republic/Athleta/Piperlime has an additional 5% until the end of the school year.

Now's the time to plan for your Easter purchases. We will be selling our normal days/hours now to Holy Thursday, but no sales on Easter Sunday or the week of Spring Break. Sales will resume after masses on Sunday, May 1st.

Remember, the scrip profit year ends on May 31st, so keep buying and selling to your friends/family/neighbors/co-workers.

Family Messenger March 29, 2011

2011-03-29T21:13:00.000-07:00

God of Mercy,
How often you have forgiven us!
Help us to be more forgiving of others.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

A Message from the Principal
Thank you to all who supported the auction free dress day last Friday. It was a great success! As you know, the money earned at this year’s auction will be allocated to our air conditioning fund. Prior to 2007, plans for the electrical upgrade and air conditioning project were put in motion and at that time it was estimated that each project would cost approximately $300,000 for a total of approximately $600,000.

With air conditioning there are several options to consider. It is estimated that the cost of air conditioning will cost between $13,000 - $20,000 per classroom (total of 14 classrooms, not including ASP room). We currently have $90,000 set aside for air conditioning to begin phasing units in. The more we money we make at the auction, the more we can do. Keep selling raffle tickets and soliciting donations!

This week I am serving on a WASC Accreditation Committee. I will be out of the office through Thursday, March 31.

Ms. Olivia Carrillo
Principal

Important Dates

April 10 – 1st Grade School Sponsored Mass 9:00 a.m.
April 12 – All School Mass 8:30 a.m.
April 15 – Progress Reports; 4th Grade Bake Sale
April 17 – Palm Sunday
April 21 – Holy Thursday – Noon Dismissal
April 22 – Good Friday – No School
April 25 – April 29 – Easter Vacation

Talent Show
Our annual talent show last Friday was a great success! Thank you to all students who shared performances with us. We also thank all of our parent volunteers for making this show possible: Marcellina DeSousa, Vanessa Hindman, Ligia LeFranc, Jonson Mallari, Yvonne Mallari, Laura Medina Patty Olona, Gail Roque, Cathleen Terrazas, Patricia Tiu, and although not a school parent, Mrs. Rodriguez with the 8th grade class!

LACOE Art Contest
The Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE) selected two Incarnation School students as winners of their art annual contest. Congratulations to Mariam E (gr. 3) and Michelle G (gr.8)! The students attended a LACOE Board Recognition Event, and their art work will be permanently displayed in the Office of Education.

YEARBOOK Deadline TOMORROW!!
The deadline to order the 2010-2011 yearbook and to place an ad/dedication page in the yearbook is tomorrow, March 30th!! Please note that these are two separate forms.

Family Messenger, March 22, 2011

2011-03-22T12:49:00.000-07:00

Holy God,
During this Lenten season
help us to become more trusting, more prayerful,
and more open to your grace.
Amen.

A Message from the Principal
This Friday many of our students will share their talents with us at our annual variety show. The show will be divided into two acts:

-Act I – K-4th grade from 10:00 – 11:15
-Act II – 5th – 8th grade from 11:45 – 1:15

We are grateful to our students for their willingness to perform for the student body, and we invite you to join us on Friday. We also thank the parents who have helped organize the show: Marcellina DeSousa, Patty Pulido-Olona, and Cathleen Terrazas.

Ms. Olivia Carrillo
Principal

Important Dates

March 23 – Kindergarten Field Trip
March 24 – 6th Grade Bake Sale
March 25 – Variety Show/Auction Free Dress Day

Dennis Uniform – March Promotion
March is “Double Punch Month.” Earn 2 stamps for every $10 purchase on your Dennis Advantage Card. Offer valid for in-store purchases only. Remember to buy Dennis Uniform SCRIP before you take advantage of this offer.

From the Library
Thank you Parents and Students of Incarnation School for supporting the recent Scholastic Book Fair! We earned a cash profit of $853.98 and an additional $1,006.98 in Scholastic dollars to buy books at the fair and from the Scholastic catalog! That’s a total of $1,860.96 to spend on new books! The funds from this fair bought new books for the library, new books for the classroom libraries and new DVDs for classroom instruction. Thanks again for continuing to buy books at the book fairs to support the library.

Auction Dinner
Our annual Live/Silent Auction is just over a month away! We are continuing to collect items for the auction. This Friday is a free dress day for students who bring an item/gift card/cash worth $5 or more (see flyer enclosed). The proceeds from this auction are going towards the air conditioning fund. Thank you for your support!

SMART Boards
SMART Boards have now been installed in the kindergarten through eighth grade classes. The teachers are very excited about the new technology. On behalf of all of them, thank you for your support of the SCRIP program, and thanks again to our SCRIP Coordinator, Jennifer Bunt, for her dedication to SCRIP and helping make this vision a reality!

Scrip Tip
Gap/Old Navy/Banana Republic/Piperlime/Athleta have added an addition 5% to the profit bringing it to 14% until the end of the school year. Perfect time to buy you or your kids spring/Easter wardrobe. Also, iTunes have added an additional 3% bring the profit to 8% until the end of April.

Family Messenger March 15, 2011

2011-03-15T22:30:00.000-07:00

Holy God,
Grant us grace to stand on the firm ground of faith.
Give us hope to shelter us from every storm,
and feed us daily with your life-giving love.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

A Message from the Principal
On Friday, our teachers and the Incarnation Religious Education staff will attend the annual Religious Education Congress in Anaheim. The Religious Education Congress offers workshops to those in catechetical and related ministries focused on the Catholic faith and personal growth. This is the largest annual gathering of its kind with approximately 40,000 attending each year. The Religious Education Congress focuses on teaching more about the Catholic faith and offers workshops on personal growth. The school office will be closed on this day.

Sincerely,

Ms. Olivia Carrillo
Principal

Important Dates

March 15 & 16 – International Days
March 17 – St. Patrick’s Day
March 18 – Religious Education Congress – NO School/NO ASP
March 23 – Kindergarten Field Trip
March 24 – 6th Grade Bake Sale
March 25 – Variety Show (time TBD)

Safe – meets the highest banking level security standards set forth by the Payment Card Industry (PCI)
Easy – just visit our website (www.incaglendale.org) and click on the link: Register for Online Giving. There are also links for an informational video and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Secure – you manage your own account. Give any day of the week & as frequently as you wish. Adjust amounts or update account information any time you want. All major credit cards are accepted plus bank saving/checking debits.

Project Achieve Service Opportunity
Great LENTEN Service Opportunity - LOOKING FOR GUEST CHEFS
WHO: The Parish Outreach at Glendale Homeless Shelter
WHEN: Our Parish sponsors dinner every third Monday at Project Achieve (near Costco)
TIME COMMITMENT: Approximately 3 hours
No costs commitment - Just your time and love for others. Please contact Rosa Hohman if you would like to help (hohmanrm@gmail.com). URGENT – WE NEED VOLUNTEER(S) March 21st!!

Helping Earthquake/Tsunami Victims in Japan
Catholic Relief Services (CRS), the official international humanitarian agency of the U.S. Catholic Church, is responding to victims of the massive tsunami in Japan. To donate, please call 1-877-HELP-CRS, donate online at www.crs.org or send a check to Catholic Relief Services, P.O. Box 17090, Baltimore, MD 21203-7090. In the memo portion of your check, please write: Japan Tsunami.

SMART Boards
Installation for the remaining classrooms is set for this week!

2011-2012 Start Date
The 2011-2012 school year will begin on Monday, August 29, 2011. Please mark your calendars.

From the Business Office
The March statements for all unpaid invoices are included in today’s Home Messenger. Please take a moment to review your balance. If you have any questions please contact Mrs. Fenton.

2011-2012 Re-registration
Included in today’s Home Messenger is a note to families who did not attach a copy of their Incarnation Church Parishioner contribution letter with their re-registration forms. If you receive this note, are parishioners and contributed a minimum of $500 from January 2010 to December 2010 please request a copy of the contribution letter from the church office at (818) 242-2579 and submit to the Business Office as soon as possible.

Family Messenger March 9, 2011

2011-03-09T19:28:00.000-08:00

Lord God,
In this Lenten season of growth
teach us humility and help our love to grow.
May our faith grow stronger
and our selfishness weaker.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

A Message from the Principal
Congratulations to our Academic Decathlon team! On Saturday, the team competed with 102 other Catholic elementary schools in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and brought home the following individual awards:

Religion – Carra L, 1st place
English – Marcus C C, 6th place
Current Events – Michael C, 6th place
Math – Golddy S, 8th place
Fine Arts – Matteo M, 2nd place
Literature – August O, 2nd place

Incarnation placed 1st in Logic, and 8th overall!! We are very proud of you!

We give one more heartfelt thank you to our head coaches - Tim and Sandy Chan, our logic coach - Damon O’Beirne, and all other parents who supported the team by assisting with coaching or writing test questions. We appreciate all the time you gave so that our school could continue to be represented well at this event. THANK YOU!!

Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday, the first day of the holy season of Lent. During Lent, we pay special attention to our relationship with God. Each year on Ash Wednesday, we receive a cross of ashes on our foreheads as a sign of sorrow for our sins. We set aside these 40 days for prayer, fasting, and doing good things for others. In this way we prepare for Easter, that greatest feast in the Church, when we celebrate Jesus’ rising from the dead. There will be an all-school Ash Wednesday Mass tomorrow at 11:00 a.m.

Sincerely,

Ms. Olivia Carrillo
Principal

Important Dates

March 9 – Ash Wednesday – All School Mass 11:00 a.m.
March 11 – Report Cards
March 13 – 3rd Grade School Sponsored Mass 9:00 a.m.
March 14 – Trimester 2 Awards Assembly 8:00 a.m.
March 15 & 16 – International Days
March 17 – St. Patrick’s Day
March 18 – Religious Education Congress – NO School/NO ASP

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.

Americana Fundraiser
Thank you to all who submitted receipts to the Concierge Desk at the Americana during the holiday season. Incarnation School received a check in the amount of $1,171.00

International Days- Student Map of Countries & Cultures
International Days is now one week away and our hope is that as many families as possible can be represented
on our Student Map of Countries & Culture. Our map is going to start installation this Friday and the students are working with Mrs. Cuevas in Art class to decorate their cards this week if already turned in. If you mistakenly threw your card away please ask the office for another copy, or Mrs. Cuevas also will have some available when the students go to art. If your student had art on Monday they may be bringing a card home which will need information & family photo included.

Please submit provided card by this WED March 9th in an envelope with your student/students names & grade levels to home room teacher.
-Family photo or photo of students no larger then 4” x 6” (1 per family OK if multiple students)
-1 interesting fact about your country/countries or culture.

I hope that we will see all of our families and different cultures represented. Please contact Monique Moore at 213.268.1591 or moniquemmoore@me.com with any questions.

Trimester 2 Awards Assembly
Please join us for our Awards Assembly on Monday, March 14th. The assembly will begin immediately following our morning assembly (approximately 8:00 a.m.).

SMART Boards Update
Our SMART Boards have arrived and are expected to be installed in the remaining classrooms during the week of March 14th!

Dennis Uniform – March Promotion
March is “Double Punch Month.” Earn 2 stamps for every $10 purchase on your Dennis Advantage Card. Offer valid for in-store purchases only. Remember to buy SCRIP!

Family Messenger, February 22, 2011

2011-02-24T12:54:00.000-08:00

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

2011-02-16T19:11:00.000-08:00

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

2011-02-08T12:40:00.000-08:00

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

2011-02-03T14:48:00.000-08:00

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

2011-02-02T14:04:00.000-08:00

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.

Family Messenger January 25, 2011 - addendum

2011-01-25T16:41:00.000-08:00

Dear Parents,

In today’s home messenger, you will find a letter from Dr. Kevin Baxter, Superintendent of Elementary Schools in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. This letter announces an addition of 20 days to the school year effective for most sites this coming 2011-2012 school year. This includes Incarnation, and my original newsletter stating that the change becomes effective 2012-2013 is incorrect. I apologize for the error and confusion, and have attached the revised newsletter.

This is a big change for all of us, and I realize that this change raises questions and concerns for many. You will receive a phone message later this evening inviting you to an informal discussion session regarding this change on Friday, January 28th from 8:00 – 9:00 a.m. This is not mandatory, but I would like to be available to listen to your input and answer questions. There may be questions we do not have answers for just yet, but as planning continues, information will be sent out to families via email and messenger.

Thank you for your support as we work together to embrace this change!

Sincerely,

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

Family Messenger January 25, 2011

2011-01-25T11:54:00.000-08:00

Loving God,
We pray for our Christian family—
for everyone who is praying to be changed
and for those who do not even know they need to change.
Help each of us to grow in your ways.
Amen.

A Message from the Principal
Thank you to all who attended the General PTO meeting last week. As you heard, with your support of the SCRIP program we were able to install SMART Boards and projectors in three of the classrooms. As I also mentioned, we will be phasing the boards into our other classrooms. We are working with our sales representative and have scheduled our next and final walk-through for this Thursday. We will obtain a quote for the installation of boards in the remaining classrooms and will install them beginning with the 8th grade and working our way down to kindergarten. We are on our way to having boards in all of our classrooms!

Additionally, the Consultative School Board is assisting us with plans to upgrade the computer lab. Jog-a-Thon funds are being used for the purchase of new computers, but any remaining SCRIP funds will be used to help reconfigure the lab so that all desks face one central teaching point while allowing for the mounting of a SMART Board. The current configuration does not allow for this. With the help of our board members, we are developing a comprehensive technology plan. This may be a longer-term project, but know that your fundraising efforts are being put to use in the area of technology.

Finally, at a principals’ meeting held last Thursday, the Department of Catholic Schools announced a change regarding the extension of the length of the 2011-2012 school year. Catholic elementary schools will be adding 20 days to the year, meaning we will essentially be on an 11-month calendar. Enclosed is a letter from Dr. Kevin Baxter, the Superintendent of Elementary Schools, announcing this exciting news. Since we are extending the regular academic year, we will not proceed with our plans to offer a summer program. Specifics regarding the school calendar and tuition will be available in the coming months, however expect an early-mid August start date and a late June end date. Tuition will be increased by a small percentage as it is each year, and an additional payment will be required to cover the 11th month of school

Sincerely,

Ms. Olivia Carrillo
Principal

Important Dates
-January 30 – Catholic Schools Week Mass and Open House
-February 4 – Grandparents/Special Friends Day – Noon Dismissal

Open House
Please join us as we kick off the celebration of Catholic Schools Week with a Mass this Sunday at 9:00 a.m. Following the Mass we invite you to visit the classrooms during our Open House from 10:00 – noon. If you know of any families who might be interested in a Catholic education at Incarnation, please invite them to come by for a tour and enrollment information. We hope to see you there!

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.

The Student Council has planned the following activities for Catholic Schools Week:
-Monday, January 31 – Movie and Pajama Day (movie permission slip enclosed)
-Tuesday, February 1 – Twin Day
-Wednesday, February 2 – Crazy Day
-Thursday, February 3 – Faculty vs. Student Council Volleyball Game/Sports Day

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.

2011-2012 Re-Registration
The re-registration period for the 2011-2012 school year will begin the first week of February and will run through the first week of March. Check your home messenger next week for important information. Preschool sibling registration forms are available now in the main office. Deadline is February 14.

Family Messenger January 18, 2011

2011-01-20T13:06:00.000-08:00

Faithful God,
How patiently you guide and care for us.
Give us faith in your word, and hope in your steadfast love,
so that we will never lose heart.
Keep us mindful of your many blessings,
and help us to be a blessing to others.
Amen.

A Message from the Principal
We hear and read so much these days about teaching children to be lifelong learners, and this has come to be part of our Schoolwide Learning Expectations. In addition to learning the basics, children today must develop problem-solving and critical-thinking and adapt to a constantly changing world. How can you support your child in becoming a learner for life? Here are four important points to remember in this regard.

1. Skills: Children must gain skills necessary to think through problems and solve them creatively.
2. Connections: Try, in as many ways possible, to connect learning to everyday life. Children often ask, “Why do I need to learn that?” As often as you can, try to help your child understand how a particular learning applies to life. Explain that you use math every day when you cook a meal. Or maybe you can show your child how you solve a problem of setting priorities by using logic. There are countless examples of everyday applications of learning if we simply look for them.
3. Habit: Develop a habit of learning with your child. In addition to the formal learning throughout the school day and homework time, seek out community resources that serve both to enrich and entertain children. Take advantage of teachable moments throughout the day, in ordinary places. Encourage your child to be curious. Asking questions, although it may involve a little more time, is an excellent way to draw out what a child is thinking.
4. Fun: Encourage a positive attitude toward learning, both formal and informal. We often underestimate the great power of informal learning; just think about how much children learn from their friends!

Developing skills, connections, habits, and a positive attitude toward lifelong learning is important not only for children—it benefits all of us. Happy learning!

Sincerely,

Ms. Olivia Carrillo
Principal

Important Dates
• January 18 – General PTO Meeting 7:00 p.m.
• January 21 – 3rd Grade Field Trip
• January 22 – Reconciliation Retreat
• January 30 – Catholic Schools Week Mass and Open House
• February 4 – Grandparents/Special Friends Day – Noon Dismissal

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.

Scrip Tip
Good news!! We've received a check for $948.32 from Ralphs for all the families who continue to have their Rewards cards registered and shop there. The bad news is we generally get around $1600. What this means is that many of you have not re-registered your Rewards cards. Remember this must be done every year after September 1st. If you’re not sure, I have a report that you can check to see if you're contributing. You can also look on the bottom of your receipt, and it will tell you if you're making contributions to Incarnation School. If you're not contributing, but have in the past, get on line to the Ralphs Rewards site and follow the steps to indicate you want to contribute to Incarnation School.

General PTO Meeting
Tonight is our 2nd mandatory PTO meeting at 7:00 p.m. in the school auditorium.
We hope to see you there!

2011-2012 Re-Registration
The re-registration period for the 2011-2012 school year will begin the first week of February and will run through the first week of March. Check your home messenger in the next few weeks for important information.

Dennis Uniform Sale
Dennis Uniforms is offering 10% savings on all purchases (phone, mail, Internet, and in-store) during the month of January. Offer excludes marked down items.

From the Business Office
Enclosed with today’s Home Messenger are the January 2011 statements. Please take a moment to review any outstanding balances you may have. Also, please note the December 2010 ASP invoices for regular ASP families has been revised to ½ the monthly rate. The credit will be applied to the January 2011 ASP invoices. If you have any questions please contact Mrs. Fenton.

Volunteer Opportunity in the Library
Thanks to the generosity of the PTO Board, the library has new operating software to check out books and catalog new books. While waiting for this software to be installed, the new books the library purchased at the Scholastic Book Fair, the Barnes and Noble Book Fair, and donated books have been stacking up. In an effort to get the new books to the students quickly, Mrs. Hihn is asking for volunteers to come to the library on Friday, January 22, 2011 during school hours. Jobs include: labels on new books, school stamp on new books, shelving new books, and looking up AR quiz numbers. Please RSVP to nhihn@incaschool.org if you can come on Friday for an hour or two. Looking forward to seeing you in the library!

Family Messenger January 11, 2011

2011-01-11T13:43:00.000-08:00

Almighty God,
Come into our lives and make a difference.
Heal us of anger, impatience, and selfishness.
Fill us with your love and peace.
We ask this through Christ our Lord,
Amen.

A Message from the Principal
The Department of Catholic Schools works with the elementary schools to ensure that they are continuously working towards growth in all areas. This year, Incarnation is reflecting on two areas of Catholic Identity. In today’s messenger you will find a survey soliciting your input in the area of evangelization. Please take a few moments to complete the survey. Your input will be used as we gather information to set goals for Incarnation in this area. We appreciate your responses by Friday, January 14th.

Sincerely,

Ms. Olivia Carrillo
Principal

Important Dates

January 14 – Progress Reports
January 17 – No School – Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
January 18 – General PTO Meeting 7:00 p.m.
January 21 – 3rd Grade Field Trip
January 30 – Catholic Schools Week Mass and Open House
February 4 – Grandparents/Special Friends Day – Noon Dismissal (details to follow)

New Tax Law – Did You Know?
In December, President Obama signed into law the tax-cut measure that preserves the Coverdell Education Savings Accounts. The accounts allow families to earn tax-exempt interest on up to $2000 in annual savings for specified expenses, including tuition, associated with elementary, secondary, or post-secondary education in a public or private school.

Participation Hours Update
Please see note enclosed regarding your participation hours update through January 14, 2011.
Please submit all hours completed through the 14th by January 21, 2011.

Library Notes from Mrs. Hihn
The Barnes and Noble Book fair was a BIG success! The library received a Barnes and Noble gift card for $735.54, our portion of the profit on sales that day. Thank you to all who came to the Americana and contributed to all of the new books we can now buy for the library.
The library now has new operating software with a hosted website, purchased with a portion of Jog-a-Thon funds as approved by the PTO Board. Soon the library catalog will be available on most of the school site computers. In the coming weeks, new books will be available to check out as soon as they are cataloged on the new system.

Thank you for encouraging your child to make reading part of his/her daily activities.

Visit Fr. Paul on Sunday, January 16
Join Incarnation Parish members for a visit to Fr. Paul at his new parish on Sunday, January 16. Bus departs at 9:15 a.m. and returns at 3:30 p.m. Visitors will attend the 11:00 Mass at St. Julie. The cost is $23 per person which includes transportation and a group lunch. Contact Joe Chavez (jchavez@ups.com - 212-705-1938) or Frances Chavez (francesmchavez@sbcglobal.net - 818-515-7898) to reserve your space by Thursday, January 13th. Reservations will be accepted on a first come, first served basis. Maximum bus capacity is 56 people.

2011-2012 Re-Registration
The re-registration period for the 2011-2012 school year will begin the first week of February and will run through the first week of March. Check your home messenger in the next few weeks for important information.

Dennis Uniform Sale
Dennis Uniforms is offering 10% savings on all purchases (phone, mail, Internet, and in-store) during the month of January. Offer excludes marked down items.

Requests for School Tax ID Number – Childcare Credit
As you begin to make preparations to complete your 2010 taxes, please note that the school is not authorized to release the tax ID number. In the IRS childcare credit publication, p. 8, the IRS tells the taxpayer to write in “tax-exempt” when it is a church or school program. Please share this information with your accountants, if applicable. If you would like to request a copy of the statement in the publication, please call the Business Office.

General PTO Meeting
Next Tuesday, January 18th is our 2nd mandatory PTO meeting at 7:00 p.m. in the school auditorium. Join us for a presentation on Fall 2010 ITBS scores, fundraising updates, opportunities for participation hours, and more. Parents will receive a free dress pass for your child(ren) for attending the meeting. Preschool families are encouraged to attend.

Box Tops for Education
Thank you for your support in turning in your Box Tops. As of November 1, 2010 we have earned $216.60 with this program! It’s an easy way to raise money. All you need to do is cut out the Box Top from hundreds of items, including groceries and school supplies. A complete list is attached.
Drop off your Box Tops in the school office.

Family Messenger January 4, 2011

2011-01-04T17:57:00.000-08:00

A Message from the Principal
Happy New Year and welcome back! I hope all of you enjoyed the holidays in the company of family and friends. As we begin a brand new year, it is a good time to examine your child’s progress so far this school year. By now your child is settled into the school routine and you can, with your child, set goals for the remainder of this school year. How can you help your child make the most of the remaining half of the school year? Here is a simple process that can make a positive difference in the quality of your child’s learning experiences:

• Begin by sitting down with your child and talking honestly about what is going well and what areas could use a little extra effort.
• It may be that your child needs a little extra assistance in one subject or another. Your child may be able to identify what kind of help he or she needs, or you may want to ask the teacher for suggestions.
• Remember, the most effective help your child can receive is when the parents and school work as a team. Do not hesitate to ask your child’s teacher(s) for a mid-year conference. This can be particularly helpful if a child is experiencing overall difficulty in school.
• Set some specific goals with your child. An older child can write one or two goals for the trimester and at least one goal for the week. It might be helpful to post the goals.
• Make your child’s learning goals part of a regular conversation. Remind your child of the importance to stick with the goals and make some progress each day.
• Acknowledge effort and celebrate successes in simple ways to encourage your child to continue to work toward his or her goals.

Remember, your child still has a good part of the school year remaining. There is still plenty of time to put in the effort and set goals to make this a fantastic learning time!

Wishing you all the best for a peaceful and blessed new year!

Sincerely,

Ms. Olivia Carrillo
Principal

Important Dates
• January 6 – All School Mass 8:30 a.m.
• January 9 – 5th Grade School Sponsored Mass 9:00 a.m.
• January 11 – 7th Grade Field Trip
• January 14 – Progress Reports
• January 17 – No School – Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
• January 18 – General PTO Meeting 7:00 p.m.
• January 30 – Catholic Schools Week Mass and Open House

ASP Staff
This week we welcome Mrs. Maggie Millan-Padron to our ASP Staff.
She will be working with the ASP students in grades K-3.

Feast of the Epiphany
On Thursday, January 6 we celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany with an all-school Mass at 8:30 a.m. Parties will begin at 2:15 p.m. Room parents are asked to keep class parties simple (1 drink and treat per child). Please see enclosed flyer regarding free dress for $1.00 on Thursday.

Annual Respect for Life Mass
On Saturday, January 22 at 6:00 p.m. the annual Respect Life Mass will take place at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. Auxiliary Bishops, priests, deacons, religious, and faithful will proclaim respect for life in a joyful and moving liturgy. Before the close of Mass, there is a special ceremony during which members of the assembly bring forward candles – one candle for each unborn child lost that day in the County of Los Angeles. For parents, this annual celebration is also an important teaching moment – a chance to share with your children our commitment to life. Children will participate as liturgical dancers and candle bearers in the Ceremony of Light. A discounted parking rate of $5 per car will be in effect for the event.

From the Business Office
The December 2010 After School Program, AM Care and Homework Club invoices are included in today’s Home Messenger. The January 2011 Preschool invoices are also attached. Please contact Mrs. Fenton if you have any questions. Happy New Year!

Family Messenger, December 14, 2010

2010-12-15T11:54:00.000-08:00

God of peace,
Give us loving words to bring your peace
into the lives of all we meet.
Teach us to be humble, not proud,
so that we may know your peace in our hearts.
Amen.

A Message from the Principal
Our gift collection for the students at St. Columbkille continues this week. Gifts will be blessed tomorrow morning at 8:00 a.m. (not Thursday as previously indicated), so please be sure your gifts are in for the blessing. Thank you for your generosity.

May the blessings of the season be with you throughout this Advent season, Christmas, and the New Year. On behalf of the faculty and staff of Incarnation School, I wish all of you a very Merry Christmas. We will see on you Monday, January 3, 2011!

Ms. Olivia Carrillo
Principal

Important Dates

December 15 – Blessing of the Gifts **Please note date change
December 17 – Noon Dismissal/NO ASP
January 3 – School Resumes
January 6 – All School Mass 8:30 a.m.

Santa Shop Correction
Last week a flyer went out stating that we raised $3000 in the Santa Shop. Sales were $3000, but our profit was $1823. That money will be used for much needed software updates.

Christmas Concert Information
This Thursday is our annual Christmas Choral Concert titled Sounds of the Season: Carols, Rounds, and Soundtracks. Students are asked to wear their holiday best for the show. Remember that concert attire must still follow school free dress guidelines. Therefore, girls may not wear dresses with bare shoulders (no spaghetti straps, strapless, halter, etc.) and the length of the skirt or dress may not be shorter than 2” above the knee.

Students should be in their classrooms at 6:30 p.m.—no earlier!! Students must be supervised by an adult until the homeroom teacher is available to supervise. Please do not leave your child(ren) unattended in the yard.

The only entrance to the church on the day of the concert will be the main entrance on Brand. The show will begin at 7:00 p.m., followed by refreshments in the school auditorium.

Friday Free Dress
On Friday, December 17 students may wear free dress in Advent or Christmas colors (purple, pink, red, and/or green). Festive hats are permitted. Otherwise please follow free dress guidelines.

No ASP Friday, December 17
Please note that we will dismiss at noon on Friday, December 17. ASP WILL NOT be available. Please make arrangements so that your child(ren) is (are) picked up promptly at noon.

Prayer Request
Please keep Mr. Robert Sanchez in your prayers as he undergoes surgery today. We pray for a successful surgery and a quick recovery. We also ask for your prayers for Mr. Chris Yraola and his family. Mr. Yraola’s 2-yr. old niece, Ruby Navarro, passed away last week. We ask God to give his family strength and comfort during this difficult time.

Epiphany Parties
Parties in celebration of the Epiphany will be held on Thursday, January 6 at 2:15 p.m. Room parents are asked to keep class parties simple (1 drink and treat per child).

Scrapbooker Needed
A scrapbooker is needed to create poster boards to be used for the Marketing Committee. If interested in this participation hours opportunity, please contact Tina Udrys at LTUdrys@gmail.com.

From the Business Office
The December statements are included in today’s Home Messenger. Please review your statement carefully and submit payment by Friday, December 17. If you have any questions please call Mrs. Fenton at (818) 241-2269 or send an email to lfenton@incaschool.org. Thanks!

Last Chance to Pick Up See's Candies
If you ordered See's Candies through our recent Holiday sales but did not pick up your candy last Sunday, you must pick up your order this week from the School Office during regular School hours. Remember, there will be noon dismissal on Friday, December 17. Thank you for your support of this fundraising event to benefit the 8th Grade "Class of 2011"!

Family Messenger December 7, 2010

2010-12-07T14:12:00.000-08:00

Loving God,
Help us to learn from Mary how to serve you well.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

A Message from the Principal
During this season of Advent, we prepare for the coming of Jesus. We also begin preparing for our own Christmas celebrations. Children (and adults!) make their wish lists and we begin “checking our lists.”

As you do your Christmas shopping, we ask that you include one of the students from St. Columbkille School in Los Angeles on your list. You will recall that over Thanksgiving, we collected food donations to help the school and parish make baskets for families in need. We are asking for your generosity once again. St. Columbkille will provide us with the names of all the students at their school, and Incarnation students will be given the name of one of the students. Gifts should be new, wrapped, and labeled with the child’s name on the gift. Please bring gifts to school no later than the morning of Thursday, December 16th for the blessing and delivery that morning. We suggest a value of no more than $10 for each gift. Last year we were able to provide a gift for each and we are hopeful that we can do this again. Thank you for helping make Christmas special for another child!

Tomorrow we celebrate the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary with an all school Mass at 8:30 a.m. We invite you to join us in this celebration.

Ms. Olivia Carrillo

Important Dates
-December 8 – All School Mass 8:30 a.m.
-December 9 – Fall Sport Banquet 5:30 p.m.
-December 10 – Santa Pictures
-December 12 – 2nd Grade School Sponsored Mass 9:00 a.m.
-December 16 – Christmas Concert 7 p.m.
-December 17 – Noon Dismissal/NO ASP

Scrip Tip
Make your list and check it twice. Scrip shopping days are ticking away. Only 9 days left. Turn in your Special Orders this week to receive them by Dec. 17th.

Christmas Concert Attire
Students are asked to wear their holiday best for the Christmas Concert next Thursday. Remember that concert attire must still follow school free dress guidelines. Therefore, girls may not wear dresses with bare shoulders (no spaghetti straps, strapless, halter, etc.) and the length of the skirt or dress may not be shorter than 2” above the knee.

Handbook Amendments
Please note the following clarification regarding eligibility for honors/high honors and updates to uniform code. Changes/additions are italicized.

Honors/Awards
Students in grades five (5) through eight (8) are eligible for the Honor Roll. The following criteria are required for inclusion in the Honor Roll:

High Honors – GPA of 3.76 and above (Math, Religion, Language Arts- includes Reading/Literature, Spelling, Vocabulary, Grammar, Science, and Social Studies, cumulative)
Honors – GPA of 3.5 – 3.75 (Math, Religion, Language Arts- includes Reading/Literature, Spelling, Vocabulary, Grammar, Science, and Social Studies, cumulative)

Dress/Uniform Code
Girls’ Uniform

A white, navy blue, or light blue turtleneck or long sleeved shirt may be worn under the uniform blouse or polo in cold weather (no thermal underwear)
Socks must be worn. White or navy blue ankle, athletic, or knee-high socks are permitted.
White, black, or navy blue tights may be worn in cold weather. Leg warmers, sweats, leggings, or stretch pants are not permitted.

Boys’ Uniform

A white, navy blue, or light blue turtleneck or long sleeved shirt may be worn under the uniform shirt or polo in cool weather (no thermal underwear).
Socks must be worn. White or navy blue ankle or athletic socks are permitted.

Physical Education Uniforms

Navy blue uniform walking shorts and white or blue Incarnation T-shirt or Jog-A-Thon shirt
Mesh shorts with Incarnation logo (shorts may not be rolled at the waist); other mesh shorts do not meet uniform requirements
Athletic shoes with laces must be worn (for safety reasons, no slip-ons). Athletic shoes must be primarily black, white, or navy blue with no pictures/designs, lights, or wheels.
The P. E. uniform may be worn all day only on P.E. days.
On Mass days, students must wear their Mass uniform to school and bring P.E. clothes to change into during lunch.
In cold weather, students may wear Incarnation sweat pants for P.E.; other sweat pants do not meet uniform requirements

Barnes and Noble Book Fair
Thank you to all who supported the book fair last weekend. A special thanks to the Chan family and the fourth grade students for providing us with a little Christmas entertainment! Please note that INCA will still receive credit for any online sales through Wednesday, December 8 by entering Bookfair ID 10125680.

Family Messenger, December 1, 2010

2010-12-01T12:59:00.000-08:00

Lord, you are the light of all nations.
You are our hope and our peace.
As we wait for the bright promise of Christmas,
may we never forget your promises
and may we always trust in you.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

A Message from the Principal
On Sunday, we began the season of Advent. Advent is a time of quiet, joyful preparation for the celebration of Jesus’ birth and also a time to remember that we wait for Christ to come again at the end of time. This is a time of anticipation and new beginnings. At school, the fourth grade class will lead us in the lighting of the Advent wreath each Monday morning during December. At home, you can create a mood of anticipation with your family by displaying the empty manger from a Christmas nativity scene; you can also set an Advent wreath at home and light it each week as we approach Christmas.

May this season of Advent fill your family with joy!

Ms. Olivia Carrillo

Important Dates
December 2 - First Grade Field Trip
December 2-3 - Santa Shop
December 4 - Barnes and Noble Book Fair at The Americana at Brand
December 6 - Accelerated Reader Awards presented 8:00 a.m.
December 6 - 1st grade bake sale
December 8 - All School Mass 8:30 a.m.

See’s Candies Sale
REMINDER: Our annual See's Candies sale ends today. If you are participating in this optional fundraising event, your completed order form with payment must be turned in to the School Office by tomorrow, Wednesday, December 1. In order to ensure that candy will be available for pick up in early December, late orders will not be accepted. Proceeds from this year's fundraiser will be given to the 8th Grade "Class of 2011" to help with various graduation expenses. Thank you for your support!

Parish Contribution Statements
To qualify for the parishioner rate for the 2011-2012 school year you must be a registered Incarnation Parish Church parishioner and have a contributed a minimum of $500 to the church from January 1 to December 31, 2010. Due to the departure of John Castello, office assistant, this past September the parish office will be unable to mail out an updated statement as to your donations thus far in 2010. If you need this information or have any questions, please call the parish office and ask for Vickie at 818-242-2579, x 114. You may call anytime day or night and leave a message and she will return your call ASAP. Thank you.

Barnes and Noble Book Fair
Please support our Barnes and Noble Book Fair at The Americana at Brand this Saturday, December 4. Mention Incarnation School and a portion of your purchase will be given to the school. This is valid all day! Remember to take your receipts to Concierge Services for additional earnings!

From the Business Office
The monthly ASP invoices are enclosed with today’s Home Messenger. Please note: if your child(ren) attend ASP, AM Care or Homework Club on an occasional basis your November invoice will be mailed to your home address.

SCRIP Tips
So many tips....so little space. Christmas is almost here and there are only 17 more days that Scrip will be available for purchase. DON'T delay!!! This time of year is hectic and we want to be sure you're not missing out on profits. Order forms are in the Home Messenger so make yourself a nice cup of hot chocolate, sit down, study them, and order what you need. Also in the Home Messenger, there is a list of additional limited time profit offers. New this year, you can purchase a gift certificate in any denomination from the Scrip Desk. The recipient can then "shop" for what they want. What a wonderful way to honor our beloved teachers and staff. Best of all, we will give the profits of what they "purchase" to you! Again, we are here to help!

Do you have Christmas Shopping to Finish Up? Want to Catch Dinner and Movie with
your Spouse or Friends?
Whatever the Reason…Mark Your Calendar and Sign Your Child Up for the
Parent’s Night Out at Inca
hosted by the 7th Grade Girl Scout Cadette Troop.
All 6 of the girls have attended a four hour certified babysitting course including emergency CPR.
Also attending will be sufficient adult supervision according to Girl Scout Safetywise Guidelines.

Friday Night, December 17th from 6:30pm-9:30pm
In the Incarnation Community Center Gym
214 West Fairview Avenue, Glendale, CA 91202

Children Ages 6-12 are Welcome!

$ 20.00 per child
$ 35.00 for two

The children will be busy with pizza, crafts, games and a movie!

*There will also be extra snacks for sale during the night! (cash only please)

Any questions? Please contact Troop Leaders Julie Casella or Paula Doyle via email at juliebear@sbcglobal.net or pauladoyle@aol.com

Please fill out the form below, detach and return with a check made out to Troop 85 in the
parent envelope by December 10th

Name(s) of Child(ren): _____________________________________________________________________________

Age(s) of Child(ren): ______________________________________________________ Amount Paid: _______

Check #: ________

Parent(s) Name and Cell Phone #: _______________________________________________________________________

Non Parent Emergency Contact #: ______________________________________________________________________

Does your child(ren) have medical issues, any allergies to food? Yes ______ No_____

If Yes, please specify: __________________________________________________________________________

Family Messenger November 23, 2010

2010-11-23T08:44:00.000-08:00

Generous and loving God,
Our hearts overflow with gratitude
as we celebrate your unending goodness to us.
May we always remember who has given us everything
we can see or touch or hold, including our lives!
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

A Message from the Principal
Last Friday was our annual Jog-a-Thon fundraiser. Though it was a little cool, we were fortunate to have dry weather perfect for a run! This year we had 29 sponsors totaling $10,500 in business sponsorships alone! Thank you to all for your support for our annual Jog-A-Thon, and congratulations to the 5th grade class who raised the most money ($5,700) and Brynne Richardson (3rd Grade) for getting the highest amount in sponsorships ($1,005)! Proceeds from this fundraiser will support our air conditioning fund; a portion of the profits will also be used toward technology. It is with your continued support that we are able to have a profitable Jog-a-Thon each year. We especially thank our Jog-a-Thon chairperson, Anne Marie Guinane for her commitment to the success of this event. We also express our gratitude to the Armas Family for their donation of cups and water to this event over the years. Remember that students may wear their Jog-a-Thon shirts on P.E. days. pictures from the Jog-a-Thon

Thank you for your generous food donations for the families of St. Columbkille School and Parish. In previous years, St. Columbkille has distributed 100 baskets to families in need, and this year they had about 130 families to assist with donations from Incarnation School. The St. Columbkille community thanks you for your efforts and generosity.

On behalf of the faculty and staff at Incarnation School, we wish you a blessed and happy Thanksgiving holiday.

Sincerely,

Ms. Olivia Carrillo

Important Dates
.November 22 – 24 – Parent-Teacher Conferences: Noon dismissal
.November 25-26 – Thanksgiving Vacation – No School
.November 29 – Trimester 1 Awards Assembly 8:00 a.m.
.December 2 – First Grade Field Trip
.December 2-3 –Santa Shop
.December 4 – Barnes and Noble Book Fair at The Americana at Brand

Parent-Teacher Conferences
The office is no longer scheduling parent-teacher conferences. If you have not requested an appointment, please contact the teacher directly. Please remember that conferences are 15 minutes. In order to accommodate all appointments and remain on schedule, conferences will remain brief.

Smart Boards
We are happy to announce that we will be using scrip funds to purchase Smart Boards and laptops for the science lab, math room, and 7th grade classroom. The order for the boards was finalized last Friday, and we anticipate installation before the end of December. Thank you for your continued support of the scrip program!

Parish Contribution Statements
Due to the departure of the John Castello, office assistant, this past September the parish office will be unable to mail out an updated statement as to your donations thus far in 2010. If you need this information or have any questions, please call the parish office and ask for Vickie at 818-242-2579, x 114. You may call anytime day or night and leave a message and she will return your call ASAP.
Thank you,
Vickie Van Paddenburg, Office Manager

From the Business Office
The November statements are enclosed in today’s Home Messenger. Please review carefully and contact Mrs. Fenton if you have any questions.

SCRIP Tips
If you are planning on hitting the Mall this weekend, please note that tomorrow morning (7:45-8:30) is the last day to purchase on-hand SCRIP in the school office. We will also be selling on Sunday after each Mass. Thanks for your support!

Family Messenger November 16, 2010

2010-11-16T12:24:00.000-08:00

Loving God,
You see the good in every person.
Help us to remember that we
are all your children.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

A Message from the Principal
This Friday, report cards will be distributed to students in grades one through eight. Please take this opportunity to sit down with your child and praise his/her first trimester successes and accomplishments. This is also an excellent time to review areas in which your child can improve upon over the next trimester.

This Friday is also our 26th annual Jog-a-Thon. Students will have lunch from 11:15 – 11:45, and the Jog-a-Thon will begin at noon. Thank you to all who solicited sponsors to make this event successful. I would also like to thank Mrs. Anne Marie Guinane, our Jog-a-Thon chairperson, as well as all of the other parents who have been volunteering behind-the-scenes and will be volunteering on the day of the event.

Next week we dismiss at noon for parent-teacher conferences. ASP will be available from noon until 6:00 p.m. M&F Kitchenette will not serve lunch next week. Therefore, if your child will be in ASP, please send him/her with a lunch from home.

I hope to see you at the Jog-a-Thon!

Ms. Olivia Carrillo

Important Dates.
November 18 – Blessing of the food for St. Columbkille
November 19 – Jog-a-Thon; Report Cards
November 22 – 24 – Parent-Teacher Conferences: Noon dismissal
November 25-26 – Thanksgiving Vacation – No School

St. Columbkille Food Drive
A list of suggested items was sent home last week, but any non-perishable food donations are welcome. The blessing of the food for St. Columbkille will take place this Thursday morning at 8:00 a.m. and the food will be delivered following the blessing. Thank you for your generosity.

Parent-Teacher Conferences
Parent-Teacher Conferences for grades K-8 will be held from November 22-24. Please call or visit the school office to sign up for a conference with your child’s homeroom teacher.

From the Business Office
The Jog-a-thon invoices for families who have not paid their $150 per child donation are enclosed in today’s Home Messenger. Please review carefully and contact Mrs. Fenton if you have any questions. Thanks!

Police Town Hall Meeting
The Glendale Community Policing Department was scheduled to host a Town Hall meeting in our parish auditorium on Wednesday, Nov. 10. The date has been changed to tomorrow, Wednesday, Nov. 17.

Swim Team News
The Inca Eagle Swimmers finished up the 2010 Swim Season well with their highest scoring Meet of the Season! The team scored 163 points total at the Finals Meet and came in 10th place for the Meet and 11th place overall for the Season. Congratulations to the following swimmers who earned points and trophies for the Team at the Meet:
Madison C, Max C, Nicolas D, Sophia F, Emmelene G, Paloma L, Harout M, Sebastian M, Isabella R, Olivia S, Lauren S, Alexander U, Christian V
Congratulations to Max C who won a High Points plaque, coming in 4th place overall in the League for all age 6 and under swimmers!

We would like to thank all of the swimmers and parents for their hard work and dedication this season, the kids have really improved their skills and endurance and we are growing as a Team. Thank you for your help, support and camaraderie! We hope to see you all next year!!!
Juliet Mazza Mendoza and Laura Fabian Medina (Swim Team Co-Chairs)

Please keep the Rochart Family in your prayers. The children lost their father in a motorcycle accident over the weekend.

2010-11-12T21:38:00.000-08:00

Almighty God,
We pray that leaders everywhere,
in our world, in our church,
and in our communities, will follow your example.
May they serve you and use their power
to create a just and peaceful world.
Amen.

A Message from the Principal
I am happy to announce that after much anticipation, the gym logo has been completed! The logo will be unveiled at the Stewardship Fair and International Food Festival at the Community Center on Sunday, November 14 between 8:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. We invite all school families to come see the logo and enjoy the fair and festival. We are grateful to our 2008 auction item bidders for making this logo possible!

As Thanksgiving approaches, we remember to give thanks for our abundant blessings. We also remember those in need and our call to help others. Our 7th grade class will be sponsoring the annual collection of food for our sister school/parish, St. Columbkille. A flyer is enclosed in this week’s envelope with suggested donations for each class, though any non-perishable donation is welcome. This is a wonderful opportunity for our students to practice one of Incarnation’s Schoolwide Student Learning Expectations: serving the community according to God’s call as evidenced by local and global outreach. Thank you for your support of this drive.

Have a great week!

Ms. Olivia Carrillo

Important Dates.
• November 11 – End of Trimester I
• November 12 – No School: VETERANS DAY observed
• November 14 – 6th grade school sponsored Mass
• November 18 – Blessing of the food for St. Columbkille
• November 19 – Jog-a-Thon; Report Cards
• November 22 – 24 – Parent-Teacher Conferences: Noon dismissal

Parent-Teacher Conferences
Parent-Teacher Conferences for grades K-8 will be held from November 22-24.
Please call or visit the school office to sign up for a conference.

High School Night at Holy Trinity
High School Night will be held at Holy Trinity School (3716 Boyce Ave., Los Angeles) tonight from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. If you missed the opportunity at Holy Redeemer School, junior high students and their parents are encouraged to attend this information evening.

Girls Basketball Team Coaches Needed
We are looking for volunteers to coach the B Girls Basketball Team (5th and 6th grade) and A Girls Basketball Team (7th and 8th grade). Coaches must meet all of the following requirements: 1) CYO training, 2) Virtus Training, 3) fingerprinting, 4) TB test. If you are interested in earning service hours this way, please contact Nick Harris at hockey_player@sbcglobal.net.

From the Business Office
Reminder: Jog-a-thon Mandatory donations are now due. Please contact Mrs. Fenton if you have any questions. Thanks!

Police Town Hall Meeting
The Glendale Community Policing Department was scheduled to host a Town Hall meeting in our parish auditorium on Wednesday, Nov. 10. The date has been changed to the following Wednesday, Nov. 17.

SCRIP Tips
In today's home messenger; please see all the limited time additional profits that can be earned. Many of the companies do this just prior to the holidays. It's a perfect time to start thinking about your holiday needs and take advantage of the additional profits. Remember to shop early. Each year we do our best to have everything in stock, but we've yet to totally anticipate everyone's needs.

Did You Know?
Church of the Incarnation is on Facebook. Visit www.incaglendale.org for details.

Family Messenger October 26, 2010

2010-10-28T10:33:00.000-07:00

God, our healer,
We pray for all who are sick and suffering;
may they know your healing love.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

A Message from the Principal
Halloween is part of the celebration of a Catholic feast day. Halloween, or All Hallows Eve, is the eve of All Saints which is celebrated on November 1st. On the Solemnity of All Saints, we celebrate all saints in heaven who pray for us and encourage us through their lives.

On Thursday, November 4th at 8:30 a.m., Mrs. Lomasto and the third grade class will lead the All School Mass in celebration of All Saints Day. Each student will be dressed as a saint and will briefly present some information about that saint. You are invited to join us for this special celebration.

Sincerely,

Ms. Olivia Carrillo

Important Dates

-October 28 – Kindergarten field trip
-October 29 – Jog-a-Thon sponsorship deadline; Halloween parade and parties 12:45 p.m.
-November 5 – No School – Staff retreat day
-November 11 – End of Trimester 1
-November 12 – No School – Veterans Day observed

Calendar
Remember that the At-a-Glance year-long calendar can be found at the end of the Parent-Teacher Handbook (dates are subject to change). Also on the Inca web page..

Parent-Teacher Conferences
Sign-ups for Parent-Teacher Conferences (held November 22, 23, and 24) will begin next week. Please call the school office to schedule a meeting time – first come, first served! Conferences are 15 minutes long. If you have multiple children, we recommend leaving time between conferences to help the teachers stay on schedule.

Warm-Weather Uniform Reminder
As the days get cooler, it is permissible for girls to wear tights (with feet) in white or navy blue. Leggings (without feet) may not be worn.

Halloween
Please join us for our Halloween parade on Friday, October 29th at 12:45 (weather permitting). If it is raining, the parade will be canceled, but class parties will continue as scheduled. Students may come to school in costume provided that the costume meets guidelines. Students dressed inappropriately (as determined by school personnel) will be required to change.

Haunted House
The Student Council will be operating the annual Haunted Auditorium on Friday. Students may choose to enter the auditorium in small groups with the lights on, lights off, or not enter at all. If you do not want your child to participate at all, please notify the homeroom teacher.

Jog-A-Thon
Our Jog-a-Thon is just one month away! Be sure to contact local businesses to solicit sponsorships. To be included on our Jog-a-Thon t-shirt, sponsors must donate a minimum of $250 per child by October 29, 2010. Proceeds from this fundraiser will go towards the air conditioning fund, but a portion will also be allocated to technology/computers. The theme this year is “Run For the Tech Of It” as submitted by 8th graders Stephanie Guzman, Carra Liwanag, and Emily Suarez.

High School Night Tonight!
High School Night will be held at Holy Redeemer School in Montrose beginning at 7:00 p.m.

Our Lady of Fatima Pilgrim Statue
The National Pilgrim Statue of Our Lady of Fatima will visit Incarnation Church on Friday, October 29 from 7:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. All are welcome!

From the Business Office
Reminder: if you are collecting money (checks and cash) for deposit you must complete a Money Collection Form. In addition, checks need to be stamped for deposit and coins need to be placed in coin wrappers before they are turned in to the Business Office. The Money Collection Form with instructions, deposit stamp, and coin wrappers can be picked up from Mrs. Fenton. Please note: we have a digital coin sorter which is especially helpful for large amounts of coins. Please contact Mrs. Fenton if you have any questions.

Jr. High Dance
The Jr. High Dance for students in grades 6-8 will be held in the auditorium from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The dance ends promptly at 8:30! Please be sure students are picked up on time. Dance guidelines enclosed.

Mother-Son Picnic
Sunday was the mother-son picnic, and it was a great success! Many thanks to Elena Galvez for organizing the event, to all the mothers, grandmothers, aunts, and sons who attended, and to all the wonderful volunteers who helped make this a special day! Pictures on the Inca web page.

SCRIP NEWS!!
As we get closer to the holidays, many of the vendors increase the profits for a limited time. The following increases are on our Special Order:
Sports Authority--additional 3%, so 11% until December 31st
Express--additional 2%, so 12% until November 19th
Build-A-Bear--additional 2%, so 10% until December 3rd
Hallmark--additional 1%, so 5% until November 26th
Exxon/Mobil--$250 cards increase profit to 2.5% until further notice
Chevron--$250 cards increase profit to 2.5% until further notice

On-Hand
CVS--additional 2%, so 8% until November 19th
Arco--decreases to 1.5% until further notice

We will no longer have Borders $10 cards On Hand, but will have Panera $10 (9%) cards On-Hand.

Family Messenger October 20, 2010

2010-10-21T19:08:00.000-07:00

A Message from the Principal
Technology and the Internet are valuable tools in our society. We know how important they are in our changing world, but it is also important to be aware of the dangers the cyber space for ourselves and our children.

On Wednesday, October 27th, Incarnation School will host a cyber awareness presentation for parents and parishioners in the school auditorium at 7:00 p.m. This presentation is intended for adults only. It is an Internet safety presentation which also includes background information on cases/investigations conducted by the federal government. We strongly encourage at least one parent to attend this information evening. I am grateful to Mr. Jorge Guzman, Inca parent, for helping us organize this presentation for our school and parish community. We hope to see you here on the 27th!

Sincerely,

Ms. Olivia Carrillo

Important Dates
• October 22 – 8th grade bake sale
• October 24 – Mother-Son Picnic (Verdugo Park)
• October 27 – Picture Day
• October 27 – Cyber Awareness presentation
• October 28 – Kindergarten field trip

Jog-A-Thon
Our Jog-a-Thon is just one month away! Be sure to contact local business to solicit sponsorships. To be included on our Jog-a-Thon t-shirt, sponsors must donate a minimum of $250 per child by October 29, 2010. Proceeds from this fundraiser will go towards the air conditioning fund, but a portion will also be allocated to technology/computers.

Scoliosis Screening
Please see letter enclosed for girls in grades 5, 6 and 7 and boys in grade 7 and 8. If you did not receive this letter and have a daughter in the 5th, 6th, or 7th grade and a son in the 7th or 8th grade, please contact Mrs. Reiner for a copy of the letter. Scoliosis screening will take place on Monday, October 25 for these students unless you have signed the letter stating that you do NOT want your child screened.

Afternoon Carpool
Our P.E. schedule has changed, and classes will be held in the afternoon each day. To keep our children safe and allow them access to the full playground area, please note that carpool gates will not be open as early as usual. Gates will open at 2:30 Monday through Thursday. Please be cautious about arriving too early to avoid congestion on Dryden Ave.

Swim Team News
This past Sunday was the second swim meet of the season that took place at the San Fernando Regional Pool, sponsored by De La Salle. In spite of a cold and wet day, our INCA swim team took home 21 medals! Congratulations to Max Cahill, Sydney Cahill, Nicolas Dreher, Emmelene Guzon, Elizabeth Henry, Paloma Lugo, Harout Markarian, Sebastian Medina, Valentin Medina, Matteo Mendoza, Mila Mendoza, Olivia Shaw, Alexander Udrys and Christian Villegas for winning medals. Thank you to all swim parents who volunteered on such a chilly day!

Attention Junior High Students – High School Night
Each year local Catholic high schools have come to Incarnation for High School Night. This year, the Department of Catholic Schools, at the request of the high schools, has designated two centralized locations for High School Night for our deanery. On Tuesday, October 26 High School Night will be held at Holy Redeemer School in Montrose beginning at 7:00 p.m. Holy Trinity School will host High School Night on Tuesday, November 9 (time TBD). Students in grades 6-8 and their parents are encouraged to attend and obtain information, including testing and application deadlines.

From the Business Office
We have received some questions regarding when invoices are due. Please note, unless otherwise noted in the invoice’s “Due Date” section all invoices are due upon receipt.

October statements are enclosed in today’s Home Messenger. Although the SCRIP Mandatory Fundraiser is included in this month’s statement, it is not due until Friday, October 22, 2010. Please call Mrs. Fenton is you have any questions.

Mother-Son Picnic
The 2nd annual Mother-Son Picnic will be held this Sunday, October 24th at Verdugo Park from 12:00 – 4:00 p.m. We are looking forward to another successful picnic with plenty of opportunities for the moms and sons to create cherished memories. Come join the fun!

Family Messenger October 12, 2010

2010-10-12T12:41:00.000-07:00

Holy God,
Give the joy of your presence
To all who are sick and suffering.
Teach us to be grateful for
all the blessings we receive.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

A Message from the Principal
Last Friday students received a copy of their first trimester progress reports. This is an opportunity to see how your child is progressing in each subject before the official reporting period ends in November. If you find that your child is struggling, please do not hesitate to request a conference with his/her teacher to obtain information on how he/she can improve.

This month, we celebrate Our Lady of the Rosary. Consider taking some family time to pray the rosary together!

Finally, I would like to inform the school community that Coach Roger Briceno will not be returning to Incarnation School. We thank him for his two years of service and wish him well. Mr. Felipe Huizar, our current 4th grade assistant, will assume the role of P.E. teacher for preschool through 8th grade. This week the P.E. schedule will remain the same, however some P.E. schedules will be adjusted. If your child’s class is affected, you will be notified by his/her homeroom teacher. We welcome Mr. Huizar in this new capacity!

Have a blessed week!

Ms. Olivia Carrillo

Important Dates
-October 12 – All School Mass 8:30 a.m.
-October 24 – 8th Grade Bake Sale
-October 27 – Cyber Awareness presentation
-October 28 – Kindergarten Field Trip

Cyber Awareness—Save the Date!
On Wednesday, October 27th, Incarnation School will host a cyber awareness presentation for parents and parishioners in the school auditorium at 7:00 p.m. (expected to last 60-90 minutes). This presentation is for adults only. It is an Internet safety presentation which also includes background information on cases/investigations conducted by the federal government. We strongly encourage at least one parent to attend this presentation.

From the Business Office
The SCRIP Participation $200 mandatory donation invoices are enclosed in today’s Home Messenger. The due date has been changed from October 15 to October 22. Please note: the donation is due even if you are participating in the SCRIP program by purchasing SCRIP. Once $200 profit is attained the mandatory donation will be refunded.

Reminder: ASP, AM Care, and Homework Club invoices are payable upon receipt. A $25 late fee will be assessed if payment is not received by October 15.

Halloween Costumes
As you begin shopping for Halloween costumes, please take a moment to review the enclosed Halloween Costume Guidelines. Keep in mind that costumes should be modest and appropriate for a Catholic school.

8th Grade Tuition Awards
The Catholic Education Foundation 8th Grade Award applications are now available in the business office. All 8th graders in need of financial assistance (no set income guidelines) who will be attending a participating Catholic high school may apply. Participating schools include Bellarmine-Jefferson, Bishop Alemany, Cathedral, and Holy Family. Applications must be postmarked no later than October 31, 2010 to be considered. See Mrs. Fenton if interested.

SCRIP News
The first quarterly SCRIP Contribution and Profit Statements are enclosed in today’s Home Messenger. Six families have already reached $200! If you are one of these families please do not pay the SCRIP invoice which was also included in the Home Messenger. Mrs. Fenton will be crediting your account. Thanks for your continued support!

Handbook Form
Please be sure to return the Parent’s Authorization to Use Child’s Image, Name, Voice and/or Work for Non-Commerical Purposes (located on pg. 52 of the Parent Student Handbook).

Family Messenger October 6, 2010

2010-10-06T16:36:00.000-07:00

A Message from the Principal
I am happy to announce that Tim and Sandy Chan have graciously volunteered to be the head coaches for the Junior High Academic Decathlon, and Incarnation School will be able to send a team to compete again this year! Sixth, seventh, and eighth graders interested in obtaining information about joining the team are invited to come to an information session in the math room on Thursday, October 7 at lunch time.

I would also like to thank Monsignor Frilot, Fr. Pat Thompson, Mrs. Lomasto, and the third grade class for leading the Blessing of the Animals. It was a pleasure to welcome and bless our animal friends in celebration of the feast of St. Francis of Assisi.

Sincerely,

Ms. Olivia Carrillo

Important Dates
• October 8 – Trimester 1 Progress Reports
• October 10 – Grade 7 school sponsored mass
• October 12 – All School Mass 8:30 a.m.

Uniform Guidelines Reminder
Please note the following information with regard to the uniform policy (beginning pg. 42). According to the Parent-Student Handbook, slip-on shoes are not permitted for safety reasons. Shoes must have laces or Velcro. Laces may only be black and white. Shoes must be white, black, gray, navy blue, or any combination of these colors. Denim blue shoes or shoes that are any other shade of blue may not be worn. Socks must be white or navy blue and must be visible 1” above the ankle. Athletic/no-show socks may not be worn if they are not visible 1” above the ankle. Students will receive uniform violation notices if the guidelines are not followed; three notices will result in detention. We thank you for your cooperation in following the uniform guidelines.

Students involved in after school sports should come to school dressed in regular uniform. Game uniforms can be brought to school separately, and students can change into game attire after school.

Lunches
Please see the excerpt from Parent-Student Handbook, pg. 11 regarding lunches:
Parents are discouraged from regularly dropping off lunches for their children. If it is necessary to do so because of a forgotten lunch, parents are requested not to bring lunches from fast food restaurants. Please write the student’s name and grade on the lunch and bring it to the front office. Parents are not permitted to drop off lunches in the classrooms.
Hot lunch orders are provided bi-weekly in the Home Messenger. Otherwise parents are asked to pack lunches from home. Thank you for your cooperation.

8th Grade Tuition Awards
The Catholic Education Foundation 8th Grade Award applications are now available in the business office. All 8th graders in need of financial assistance (no set income guidelines) who will be attending a participating Catholic high school may apply. Participating schools include Bellarmine-Jefferson, Bishop Alemany, Cathedral, and Holy Family. Applications must be postmarked no later than October 31, 2010 to be considered. See Mrs. Fenton if interested.

From the Business Office
Enclosed in today’s Home Messenger are the first After School Program (ASP), Morning Care and Homework Club invoices. If you signed up for regular ASP the monthly fees are: 1 child-$135; 2 children-$160; 3 children-$185. The ASP and Homework Club hourly rate is $5.00, the Morning Care rate is $1 per day. Please note: you can combine and pay all of your invoices on one check.

The $200 mandatory SCRIP Participation donation invoices will be included in next week’s Home Messenger to coincide with the 1st SCRIP profit statement. The SCRIP invoices are due by October 20. Please call Mrs. Fenton if you have any questions.

Family Participation Hours
Reminder: participation hours performed from June 1, 2010 to October 22, 2010 must be submitted to the school office by Friday, October 30, 2010. Please see flyer for more information.

SCRIP NEWS
DID YOU KNOW.....
Did you know that Super A Foods is a contributor through eScrip? I know I didn't. If you are a Super A Foods shopper and have your credit card signed up through eScrip, you could be earning profits every time you shop by using that credit card there. I just read that St. Dominic's earned over $1,500.00.
Did you know that Costco is already putting their Christmas items out? There are only 50 more Scrip shopping days left before Christmas. Avoid the rush, plan ahead, and start buying now.
Did you know that you can now purchase a "gift certificate" to present to your teachers/staff in any denomination? They can take the certificate you give them and shop at the scrip table for something they want, taking all the guess work out.
Did you know that Ralphs just sent us a check for $1,553.75? What wonderful news!!! Again, remember to sign up your friends, family, and neighbors and to update your account if you've not done it since September 1st (otherwise, you're not contributing).
Did you know that this was all brought to you by the wonderful and fabulous Scrip Team who are all working very hard to make this our best year yet. Keep up the good work team!

Family Messenger September 28, 2010

2010-09-28T17:42:00.000-07:00

Loving God,
Open our eyes to see
the people who need our love.
Open our hearts to share
your love with them.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

A Message from the Principal
This week students in grades 1-8 will be taking the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS). In order for your child(ren) to receive a complete score report, please make sure that he/she is present and on time. All testing will take place before lunch. Scores are expected to be available at parent-teacher conferences in November. Make up testing will take place early next week.

This Friday is our annual Blessing of the Animals in celebration of the feast of St. Francis of Assisi. The prayer service, prepared by Mrs. Lomasto and the third grade class, and blessing by Monsignor Frilot will begin at 1:00 p.m. and will take place in the kindergarten yard. Parents are invited to bring animals/pets directly to the kindergarten yard beginning at 12:30 for the prayer service beginning at 12:45. Please be sure animals are properly restrained and that you bring plastic bags to clean up after your pets! Animals (regardless of size) will not be allowed in the classrooms. If you are unable to bring your pet to school for the blessing, students are encouraged to bring a photo of their pet. After the blessing, students/families with animals will proceed to the carpool area first, followed by all other students. Please be flexible with carpool on this day—it may be necessary for parents to park and pick up their children.

Sincerely,

Ms. Olivia Carrillo

Prayer Request
Please keep Mr. Sanchez in your prayers as he prepares for back surgery this week.

Important Dates
• September 27 – October 1 - ITBS testing
• October 1 - Blessing of the Animals
• October 8 – Trimester 1 Progress Reports
• October 10 – Grade 7 school sponsored mass
• October 12 – All School Mass 8:30 a.m.

Revised Hot Lunch Menu
The school oven is out of order; therefore some substitutions will be made to the lunch menu this week and next week. A new oven has been ordered and is expected to be delivered by the end of next week. Please note that the Oct. 4th and 5th order forms enclosed in this envelope do not reflect the substitutions listed here.
Sept. 28: substitution for baked potato = ham and cheese sandwich
Sept. 29: substitution for pizza bread = pizza
Oct. 4: substitution for burrito = tamales
Oct. 5: substitution for teriyaki chicken = chicken tenders with rice
Oct. 5: substitution for corn dog = hot dog/dodger dog

Picture Day
Mark your calendars! Picture day is Wednesday, October 27th.

Family Messenger, September 21, 2010

2010-09-21T13:30:00.000-07:00

God our Father,
You walk with us on every journey.
You are with us in all we do.
Help us to trust in you to protect and provide for us.
We ask this in the name of Jesus.
Amen.

A Message from the Principal
Tonight is our first mandatory General PTO meeting of the year. Please note that this meeting will be held at the Incarnation Community Center gym located at 214 W. Fairview Ave. Parking and ASP will be available on the regular school campus. The meeting will begin at 7:00 p.m. The PTO is offering a service hour incentive, and free dress passes will be given to parents for their children at the end of the meeting. Thank you in advance to the Boy Scouts for assisting at the crosswalk. We look forward to seeing you there!

Sincerely,

Ms. Olivia Carrillo

Important Dates
-September 21 – General PTO Meeting 7:00 p.m.
-September 23 - Back to School Night grades preschool through 5; ASP available
-September 27 – ITBS testing begins

Back to School Night
Back to School Night for parents of students in grades preschool through 5 is Thursday, September 23rd beginning at 6:00 p.m. For grades 1 through 5, there will be two sessions: the first session is from 6:00 – 6:30; the second session is from 6:35 – 7:05. ASP will be available. Please note that this evening is intended to help you become familiar with your child’s teacher(s) and classroom expectations, not to discuss individual student progress. If a parent-teacher conference is needed, please make an appointment with your child’s teacher.

From the Business Office
The 2010-2011 school year Book Fees are now due. Also, please note: the $200 SCRIP Mandatory fundraiser invoices will be mailed out in the Home Messenger on October 5 with a due date of Friday, October 15. If you have questions regarding these fees please contact Mrs. Fenton at (818) 241-2269, ext. 112.

Mother-Son Picnic
Save the date for our 2nd annual Mother-Son Picnic to be held on October 24th from 12:00 – 4:00 p.m.

Attention Scouts!
All Scouts can come to school in scout uniform on “Scout Day” this Thursday, September 23rd.

ITBS Testing
The Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) will be administered to grades 1 through 8 beginning Monday, September 27th. The ITBS is a norm-referenced standardized test that provides detailed information about student mastery of content skills. By administering the test in the fall, teacher 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.

Parents can help their children prepare for these tests by ensuring that they get plenty of rest and 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. All testing will take place before lunch.

Parent Student Handbook Amendment – Birthdays
Please see amendment below to Parent-Student Handbook, pg. 11
If a parent wishes to celebrate his/her child’s birthday at school, celebrations must take place during recess or lunch and must be approved by the child’s teacher ahead of time. Celebrations must be simple (one small treat per child—no pizza lunches, etc.). We request that any treats brought to the school be healthy or non-edible (pencils, fruits, etc.). For home parties, unless all students in the class are included, party invitations may not be passed out at school. This policy eliminates the hurt feelings that result from being excluded. Party invitations can be mailed to the home address or emailed provided that the information is listed in the school directory. School staff will not release information that is not published in the directory.

Training for Adult Lectors
Lector training for all interested adults, high school age and up, will take place on Fridays, Oct. 1, 15, 29, Nov. 12 from 7:30 – 9:00 p.m.; Saturdays, Oct. 2, 16, 30, Nov. 13 from 10:00 – 11:30 a.m. To register phone Elly Doyle, 818-421-3432 or Pius Oller, 818-246-1308.

Grief Support Meetings
A 6-week session on Grieving the Death of a Loved One will be offered Wednesday evenings, Sept. 29, Oct. 6, 13, 20, 27, and Nov. 3 in the Parish Center and Thursday mornings, Sept. 30, Oct. 7, 14, 21, 28, and Nov. 4 in St. Michael’s Hall from 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. The meetings include discussions on the grief process and opportunities to share experiences. Call 818-242-2579 to register.

SCRIP NEWS
New and exciting additions to our On-Hand order include WalMart/Sam's Club for $25.00 with 2% contribution, and Michaels for $25.00 with 4% contribution. On our Special Order form, we will no longer be ordering Claim Jumper as they recently filed Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection.

It's time to start planning ahead for Christmas. To help with this, See's is offering an additional 2.5% from now through October 22, 2010, bringing contribution to 25.5%. If my math is correct, that is a $4.11 contribution per $16.10 certificate. Just think, you'll only have to buy 49 to meet your $200 profit goal.

Remember to renew Ralphs/eScrip and sign up all your friends, family, and neighbors.

Family Messenger September 14, 2010

2010-09-20T14:38:00.000-07:00

Holy God,
You sent your son, Jesus into the world
to be the light of the world.
May this Christ light burn brightly
in all we do and say, so that your love
may be known on earth as it is in heaven.
Amen.

A Message from the Principal
Last Saturday was our annual Back to School Hop where we celebrated the beginning of a new school year. It was great to see so many of you there! Thank you to the Student Council and all volunteers that helped with the set-up, games, book-fair, and clean-up. I would especially like to thank our chairpersons, Mrs. Rosy Alonso and Mrs. Lisa Dumansky, for organizing this event once again.

Next Tuesday, September 21st is our first mandatory General PTO meeting of the year. Please note that this meeting will be held at the Incarnation Community Center located at 214 W. Fairview Ave. Parking and ASP will be available on the school campus. The meeting will begin at 7:00 p.m. The PTO is offering a service hour incentive. We look forward to seeing you there!

Sincerely,

Ms. Olivia Carrillo

Important Dates
• September 14 – All School Mass 8:30 a.m.; dress uniform required
• September 16 – Back to School Night grades 6-8; ASP available
• September 21 – General PTO Meeting 7:00 p.m.; ASP available
• September 23 - Back to School Night grades preschool through 5; ASP available
• September 27 – ITBS testing begins

Back to School Night
This Thursday, September 16th is Back to School Night for parents of students in grades 6 through 8. The evening will begin at 6:00 p.m. in your child’s homeroom class. You will have the opportunity to visit each teacher’s classroom in 20-minute sessions. The book fair will be open this evening.

Back to School Night for parents of students in grades preschool through 5 is Thursday, September 23rd beginning at 6:00 p.m. For grades 1 through 5, there will be two sessions: the first session is from 6:00 – 6:30; the second session is from 6:35 – 7:05

ASP will be available both evenings. Please note that these evenings are intended to help you become familiar with your child’s teacher(s) and classroom expectations, not to discuss individual student progress. If a parent-teacher conference is needed, please make an appointment with your child’s teacher.

ITBS Testing
The Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) will be administered beginning Monday, September 27th. Testing will take place all week, and most testing is scheduled in the morning hours. Please do not schedule any appointments for the week of the 27th so your child is present to take the full battery of tests.

Prayer Request
It is with sadness that we inform the school community of the passing of Mr. Clifford Baltazar, father of Kiona in grade 2 and Clifford in grade 6. Please keep the family in your prayers during this difficult time.

Book Fair
The book fair will remain open until Thursday of this week.

Decathlon Coach Needed
The Academic Junior High Decathlon is scheduled for March 5, 2011. We do not have a head coach for this event, and we must have one if we are to send a team to represent Incarnation. If you are interested in being the head coach for the team, please contact Ms. Carrillo ASAP. The head coach will fulfill their participation hours requirement for the year.

Family Messenger, September 7, 2010

2010-09-09T12:45:00.001-07:00

Lord, our God,
Help us to be people of prayer,
turning first to God when we
have decisions to make.
May God’s work be done through us.
We ask this through Jesus’ name.
Amen.

A Message from the Principal
A brand new school year brings a fresh start for your child and for you as a parent. How can your child make the most of this new school year? One way to focus your child’s energies is to work together to set a goal. Working toward a goal energizes your child and, if the goal is a good one, creates a sense of accomplishment.

Here are a few important points to remember when setting a goal with your child:

-Ask your child to think about one thing he or she would like to accomplish this year—a goal must be something your child believes in and wants. Then write it down!
-A goal must say exactly what the child wants to accomplish.
-Describe the steps that will lead your child to achieve the goal. Using the image of a ladder can help a child think through the steps that will lead to the goal.
-Decide when your child should achieve the goal. Be sensitive to the age of your child when setting time frames—the younger the child, the shorter the timeline. You may want to consider monthly goals rather than one long-term goal for the year.
-Be sure the goal will stretch your child while at the same time being attainable.
-Settle on one or two good goals—keep them manageable.

Be sure the goal really is your child’s goal. Allow your child to experience the effort and satisfaction, and sometimes even the disappointment and frustration, that accompany the process of reaching for a goal. As the year progresses, coach your child in working toward the goal. Your encouragement and counsel will serve as important support and persistence.

Sincerely,

Ms. Olivia Carrillo

Important Dates
-September 10 – Deadline to turn in Parent/Student Handbook agreement forms
-September 11 – Back to School Hop/Book Fair
-September 14 – All School Mass 8:30 a.m.; dress uniform required
-September 16 – Back to School Night grades 6-8; child care provided

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 to the school office. Visit www.boxtops4education.com for more ways to earn.

Directory Information and Handbook Agreement Forms
Please return the 2010-2011 Directory Information Form to the school office by this Friday, September 10, 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. Parent/Student Handbook Agreement Forms are also due on Friday, September 10. The handbook can be found online at www.incaschool.org.

Back to School Hop and Book Fair
Mark your calendars for our annual Back to School Hop to be held this Saturday, September 11. Join Incarnation families as we celebrate the beginning of an exciting school year. The book fair will be open Saturday, Sunday after mass, and September 13 – 16. Hope to see you there!

Decathlon Coach Needed
The Academic Junior High Decathlon is scheduled for March 5, 2011. We do not have a head coach for this event, and we must have one if we are to send a team to represent Incarnation. If you are interested in being the head coach for the team, please contact Ms. Carrillo ASAP. The head coach will fulfill their participation hours requirement for the year.

Parent Education Class at GCC
Positive Parenting is a free adult-only class designed for parents seeking instruction in positive parenting methods. Discuss your concerns in a safe, welcoming environment. Topics include family goal setting, discipline, sibling relationships, school issues, and more. Classes are Tuesdays from 9 – 11 a.m. Register online at Glendale.edu or call 818-243-5196.

Swim Team News
Reminder: The Swim Team organizational meeting will be held on Wednesday, September 8 at 7:00 p.m. in the auditorium. Swim Team is open to all grades K-8 and all levels. Swim Team practices are every Friday from 2:30 - 4:30 p.m. at Glassell Park Pool. First swim meet is September 26.

From the Business Office
Statements for outstanding balances are included in today’s Home Messenger. Please review your statement and contact Mrs. Fenton if you have any questions. Reminder: ASP statements are mailed through the Home Messenger at the end of each month.

SCRIP NEWS
Welcome back!! Scrip sales are here and ready to go. The Scrip Team is very excited for this year being bigger and better than ever. In the home messenger today, you will find new order forms, eScrip renewal/sign-up information, and Ralphs renewal/sign-up information. YOU MUST renew eScrip and Ralphs in order to continue to get contributions. You can also sign up friends, family, co-workers, and neighbors to help with your contributions. If you do sign up others, please stop by the morning scrip table to give us their names so that we know who to put the contributions towards. As always, we are here to help and are happy to answer any questions or give you ideas how to reach your $200 profit goal.

Family Messenger August 10, 2010

2010-08-15T20:39:00.000-07:00

Dear Parents:

I hope that you have had a pleasant summer and that your children are enjoying the remaining days of vacation. I would like to extend a warm welcome to our returning families and a special welcome to the newest families of Incarnation Parish School. Enclosed is some important information that will help you as you prepare for the beginning of the 2010 – 2011 academic year.

Important Dates
• August 17 – PTO Board’s New Parent Orientation in the Parish Center Patio - All new families are invited to attend this orientation
• Social - 6:00 – 6:30 p.m.
• Orientation - 6:30 – 8:00 p.m.
• August 22 – Kindergarten picnic (more information to come)
• August 24 – School offices closed at noon
• August 25
• School office closed
• 6th grade parent/student orientation 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. in auditorium
• August 30 – First Day of School for grades 1-8 only (½ day: 7:50 - noon); We will have a brief welcome and blessing for the new year, followed by coffee for parents in the auditorium.
• August 31 – Noon dismissal grades 1-8
• September 1- First full day grades 1-8; preschool parent orientation 6:00 p.m.
• September 6 – Labor Day – No School
• September 7 – First day of school for preschool and kindergarten

VIRTUS Training
VIRTUS training is a requirement for all volunteers at Incarnation School. In order to volunteer at the school in any capacity, we must have your training certificate on file in the school office. VIRTUS certification must be renewed after 4 years. Incarnation will offer a VIRTUS session for those who have never been through at training on Saturday, August 21 from 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. For those needing recertification, a session will be offered on August 21 from 4:00 – 5:30 p.m. Both sessions will be held in the Incarnation Community Center’s basement. For more information about this program to protect our children and to find other trainings in the surrounding area, visit www.virtus.org.

Emergency Cards
Enclosed you will find two (2) emergency cards. Both must be completed and returned no later than Friday, September 3. Without these cards on file, we do not have emergency contact information and your child may not continue with classes until you provide us with this critical information. Please make sure that the cards are completed fully and accurately. We strongly suggest that you list at least four names under the Emergency Care Information section. You may attach an additional sheet with more names if necessary. Persons listed in this section will be the only ones authorized to pick up your child(ren) in an emergency or during the school day.

Before School Care and After School Program
Before School Care is offered beginning at 7:00 a.m. for $1.00 per day. Students attending morning care must be signed in by a parent/guardian daily. Parents who do not sign their child(ren) in may lose the opportunity to use this service. Students may not be on campus before 7:00 a.m.

The After School Program (ASP) begins on August 30. The Hours and Fee Schedule and the Registration Form for 2010-2011 are enclosed. Please remember that parents/guardians must sign their child(ren) out of ASP every day.

Hot Lunch Program
M&F Kitchenette will provide hot lunch for purchase beginning September 7. Order forms will be sent home the first week of school. Please be sure your child brings his/her own lunch for the week of August 30.

Supply Lists
Supply lists will be available on the school website (www.incaschool.org) under the Homework Hero tab.

Carpool
All students (except winners of convenient pick-up at the 09-10 auction) must be dropped off and picked up through morning carpool. Enter from Dryden and exit on Central. Please remain in your car, be patient, and mind the carpool volunteers. The volunteers will assist your children in exiting and entering the vehicle. For everyone’s safety, please observe the 5 mph speed limit and do not use cell phones while in the carpool lane. In the morning, please be sure your children have their belongings with them (not in the trunk) so that the carpool line moves quickly. Remind students that they may not walk behind or between cars. Do not use the church parking lot to drop off your children. Please note that all campus gates will be closed and locked at 8:10 a.m. every day.

**Note to kindergarten and first grade parents: Enclosed is a laminated sign to use at morning and afternoon carpool. These signs are to alert carpool volunteers that there are young children that need help exiting the car, and to help the teachers identify parents at pick-up time.
**Kindergarten parents—During the week of September 7, please park in the church parking lot at dismissal. Mrs. Neumeier will release the students at the side gate adjacent to the church lot.

Permission to Walk Home After School
Students who walk home after school must have a letter signed by the parent on file in the school office. Students without this signed release will not be allowed to leave the campus and will be checked in to ASP. The form is available in the school office and will also be in the Parent/Student Handbook online. A new form must be completed at the beginning of each school year.

As a Catholic school, we find strength and purpose in Christ’s teachings. We strive to create a climate that gives witness to Christian faith. Thank you for choosing Incarnation School. We look forward to working with you as we help our children grow spiritually and intellectually.

Enjoy the month of August and we look forward to seeing you all very soon!

Blessings,

Ms. Olivia Carrillo
Principal

Latest News

2010-06-25T18:56:00.000-07:00

The long-awaited electrical upgrade of Incarnation School has begun. Step one is the installation of a substation on campus in the schoolyard next to the junior high building. As a result of the construction, the school's email server will be down until the office is reopened on August 2, 2010. For emergencies, contact the parish office at (818) 242-2579

The Incarnation School office will be closing up for the summer this Friday, to open again August 2. Please take care of your business with the school soon. Yearbooks have arrived and may be picked up now. The first day of school for the children is August 30, 2010.

Family Messenger, June 8, 2010

2010-06-08T10:16:00.000-07:00

Lord God,
You know everything and you know that we love you!
We will follow you in the quiet of our hearts
and in our love for one another.
May we carry the love we’ve experienced this year
out into the world this summer and always. Amen.

A Message from the Principal
The school year always seems to come and go so quickly. With the school year behind us and the summer ahead, I want to encourage your children to continue learning at home. Remind your children to read---visit the library or book store and find books that your child is interested in to promote reading for pleasure. Enjoy your summer experiences and make those learning opportunities for your children. If you are looking for summer programs, please stop by the office to see what is available in the area. On behalf of all of us at Incarnation School, I wish you and your family a healthy, happy, and safe summer! See you August 30th!
I would also like to Thank Fr. Paul for his guidance and leadership of our parish and school community.
We wish him well and will miss him dearly. God bless you Fr. Paul.

Sincerely,

Ms. Olivia Carrillo

Important Dates
. 6/10 – Kindergarten Culmination 9:00 a.m.
. 6/10 – Preschool Culmination 7:00 p.m.
. 6/11 – Last Day of School; 10:30 a.m. dismissal; NO ASP

Last Day of School
On Friday, June 11, students will be dismissed at 10:30 a.m. Carpool gates will open at 10:15. Remember that ASP will not be provided, so please be sure your child is picked up on time. You are also invited to join us on this day for our final awards assembly at 9:30 a.m. in the auditorium.

Virtus Training
Incarnation will hold a Virtus training session on Saturday, June 19 from 9 a.m. to noon. Location has been changed to the school auditorium. Please call the school office to register.

Summer Office Hours
Monday, June 14 – Thursday, June 24 8:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Friday, June 25 8:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Monday, June 28 – Friday, July 30 School office closed
Monday, August 2 – Friday, August 27 8:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
The office will be closed for lunch from 12:00 – 12:30 p.m.

Jog-A-Thon 2010
Many businesses begin planning for their next fiscal year expenses at this time. Enclosed in this envelope are the business sponsorship forms for our Jog-A-Thon in November. It’s not too early to start soliciting business sponsorships. Remember each family is responsible for paying $150 per child or obtain a $250 sponsorship per child to meet Jog-A-Thon fundraising requirements. Use the summer months and meet your requirement early!

Scrip Tip
Marie Callender's scrip is out until further notice. The company we order from doesn't quite know when it will be in again. We will be outside the office this week during normal hours. Your purchase will go towards the 2010-2011 school year, and it's a great way to thank our teachers and staff. Throughout the summer, sales will continue outside of Sunday morning masses. You can still order from the "Special Order" form throughout the summer by dropping it off to the scrip table and it will be available for you to pick up the following week. Keep purchasing scrip throughout the summer so that you are sure that the scrip businesses pay your $200 contribution.

Swim Team News
The Incarnation Swim Team will begin practicing in August on Wednesday mornings from 8 a.m.-10 a.m. at Chevy Chase Country Club: 8/4, 8/11, 8/18, 8/25.
4th-8th graders from 8am-9am
K-3rd graders 9am-10am
Older swimmers can continue to do laps after practice while the smaller ones are practicing since we can use the entire pool.

Glendale Gators Swim Team
INCA swimmers are encouraged to participate in the Glendale Gators Swim Team which runs from June 28-Aug 28 as an additional form of practice this summer- some of the Inca swimmers are already signed up! Laura Medina will be taking applications until June 14. For more information, please contact Laura Fabian-Medina at fourpups@live.com Interested in joining the Swim Team? Open to all grades, K-8. Contact Juliet Mazza-Mendoza at jmazza@mendozaassociates.com
Gators Team applications are in the school office.

From the Business Office
The June statements for outstanding balances are enclosed in today’s Home Messenger. Thank you to all of the families who have already paid their May and June ASP invoices. Daily ASP and AM Care invoices for June will be mailed to your home addresses on Friday, June 11.

Thank you all for your help and support this school year. Have a great summer!

Decathlon Head Coach Needed
Incarnation School is in need of a Head Coach for the 2010-2011 Academic Decathlon team. Without a head coach, we cannot send a team to represent Incarnation. We need you!! If you are able to help, please contact Ms. Carrillo.

First Day of School – Monday, August 30, 2010

Family Messenger May 25, 2010

2010-05-25T22:07:00.000-07:00

Loving and Generous God,
By loving and serving you
we will have life to the fullest.
Help us to recognize what keeps us
from loving you with all our heart
and mind and soul.
Amen.

A Message from the Principal
Last week, the electrical project team held a pre-construction meeting at the school in preparation for the start of the project on June 14. It is anticipated that the electrical upgrade will be completed by the end of August in time for the beginning of school! I would like to thank John Fenton, Rita Guild, Vince Petito, and Rick Thomas for their assistance in pushing this project through.

Wishing you a blessed week.

Sincerely,

Ms. Olivia Carrillo

Important Dates
• 5/26 – Spring Sports Banquet 6:00 p.m.
• 5/27 – Kindergarten Field Trip to Science Center
• 5/28 – Junior High Dance 6 – 9 p.m. (see flyer with guidelines enclosed)
• 5/31 – No School – Memorial Day
• 6/1 – Final All School Mass/ Baccalaureate Mass 9:30 a.m.
• 6/6 – 8th Grade Graduation 2 p.m.
• 6/11 – Last Day of School; 10:30 a.m. dismissal; No ASP

Fr. Paul Tribute Album
Please see enclosed flyer regarding a tribute album for Fr. Paul. See link here .

Participation Hours
The final participation hours update is included in today’s messenger If you have a balance owed, please submit payment to Mrs. Fenton. Families with graduating students should make payments no later than Friday, May 28, 2010.

Spring Sports Banquet
Help is needed for the sports banquet tomorrow. Please contact Veronica Ferrer at veronicaminc@sbcglobal.net if you can be of assistance.

Family Messenger, May 18, 2010

2010-05-18T12:19:00.000-07:00

Eternal God,
With Jesus and with the Holy Spirit
you reign over all the earth.
Strengthen our faith so that one day,
we too will be united with you.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

A Message from the Principal
As many of you have already heard, Mr. Haik Vardanyan, ASP staff member, hot lunch program assistant, and son of Ms. Louiza Petrosyan, passed away suddenly this weekend. As the school community mourns this loss, we ask for your prayers for Ms. Louiza and her family during this difficult time.

We will keep school families informed about any services that are planned in memory and celebration of Haik’s life. If anyone wishes to send any condolences to the family, please do so through the school office.

For students who wish to speak with someone during the grieving process, Mrs. Joanna Hovland (Saporito) will be available on Wednesday and Thursday during the school day. If you would like your child to speak with her, please indicate so on the enclosed permission form. Permission forms must be returned to the school office no later than Wednesday, May 19.

Sincerely,

Ms. Olivia Carrillo

Important Dates
5/20 – Spring Concert – 7:00 p.m.
5/24 – 1st Grade Field Trip to Aquarium
5/26 – Spring Sports Banquet
5/27 – Kindergarten Field Trip to Science Center

Spring Concert
Our concert is this Thursday, May 20th at 7:00 p.m. Mr. Yraola has asked the students to wear Sunday best. Students should be dropped off in their classroom no earlier than 6:30. ASP will be available until 6:00 p.m., but no supervision will be provided between 6:00 – 6:30 p.m.

Fr. Paul Farewell Assembly
The school will host a farewell assembly and ice cream party for Fr. Paul (and Merton!) on Friday, May 21st beginning at 12:45 in the auditorium. If any parent has a special message for Fr. Paul, it can be presented then. All parents are invited to attend this special farewell.

Book Fair
The Scholastic Book Fair is open this week. The book fair will also be open on Thursday, May 20th in the evening from 6:00 p.m. before the Spring Show and then after the show until 9:00 p.m.

Swim Team News
Saturday’s swim team car wash fundraiser was a big success. The team raised over $900!! THANK YOU to all the families who helped wash and to those who brought their cars to support the swim team. With these funds, the swimmers are able to practice in August to get ready for the season and first meet in September. A very special thank you to the Ghantous family who created the awesome banner that was hung on Central Avenue. The beautiful banner, along with our yelling kids, attracted many cars into the parking lot!!

Thanks again to all. If you are interested in being a part of the swim team, please contact Juliet Mendoza at: jmazza@mendozaassociates.com. Swim team is open to all students K-8th grade.

From the Business Office
Re-enrollment in the FACTS Tuition Program for the 2010-2011 school year will be completed this Friday, May 21. Please be sure to review your re-enrollment form included in this week’s Home Messenger. If you have any questions or need to make changes please contact Mrs. Fenton IMMEDIATELY.

Also included in today’s Home Messenger are the latest statements. As the year comes to an end please note that report cards will not be distributed to families with outstanding balances. In addition, 8th grade families with outstanding balances will not be allowed to participate in graduation events and diplomas will be held until their outstanding balances are up-to-date.

Last Day of School
As announced at the General PTO meeting last week, the last day of school is Friday, June 11 and class will dismiss at 10:30 a.m. ASP will not be provided.

Family Messenger May 11, 2010

2010-05-11T20:38:00.000-07:00

God our Father,
Jesus showed his great love for the disciples by promising
to send the Holy Spirit. May we open our hearts
to receive this same Holy Spirit.
We ask this through Christ, our Lord.
Amen.

A Message from the Principal
Thank you to all who attended our last General PTO Meeting last night. I would like to thank our outgoing members for two years of dedicated service to our board:
• Ann Marie Smith
• Thom Olona
• Mandy Viole
• Veronica Ferrer
• Doug Bennett

Congratulations to our newly elected 2010-2011 board members! I look forward to working with you in the coming school year.
• Maria Aguayo
• Rene Garcia
• Nick Harris
• Monique Moore
• Maria Rochart

On behalf of the faculty and staff at Incarnation, I would like to thank you for the special treats and kind gestures sent our way during Teacher Appreciation Week.

Sincerely,

Ms. Olivia Carrillo

Fr. Paul Farewell Assembly
The school will host a farewell assembly and ice cream party for Fr. Paul (and Merton!) on Friday, May 21st beginning at 12:45 in the auditorium. If any parent has a special message for Fr. Paul, it can be presented then. All parents are invited to attend this special farewell

Principal for the Day
Tomorrow we welcome Miss Mahan, the winner of “Principal for the Day!”

Important Dates
• 5/11 – 4th Grade Field Trip to Olivas Adobe
• 5/13 – 3rd Grade Field Trip to Lanterman House
• 5/16 – School Sponsored Mass
• 5/17 – Preschool Field Trip to L.A. Zoo
• 5/20 – Spring Concert – 7:00 p.m.
• 5/24 – 1st Grade Field Trip to Aquarium
• 5/26 – Spring Sports Banquet
• 5/27 – Kindergarten Field Trip to Science Center

Library News from Mrs. Hihn
The library is closing for the year on Thursday, May 13th. ALL library books need to be returned on or before that day. Any books returned after May 13th will incur library fines and charges for any lost books. Students may continue to take Accelerated Reader tests in the library and in the classroom until Thursday, May 27th.

On Sunday, May 16th our Scholastic Book Fair opens after the 9:00 a.m. mass and remains open until 1:00 p.m. The fair will continue through next week. The book fair will also be open on Thursday, May 20th in the evening from 6:00 p.m. before the Spring Show and then after the show until 9:00 p.m.

As your child outgrows his/her books at home, the library would be happy to accept all book donations. You may drop them off in the library or at the school office. Thanks for encouraging your children to keep on reading this summer!

Swim Team News
The Swim Team will be holding their annual car wash fundraiser this Saturday, May 15th from 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. in the school parking lot. Bring your dirty cars out and help the Swim Team! Thanks for your support! ☺ The Swim Team is open for any Incarnation student or parish member from K-8th grade (5yrs- 14 yrs). Practices will begin in August. Meets are in September and October. If you are interested in joining the Swim Team, please contact: jmazza@mendozaassociates.com.

Electrical Upgrade
We are happy to announce that the bid has been awarded for the electrical project and we are looking forward to beginning this much anticipated upgrade when school is out in June! Thank you to all families, past and present, for supporting our fundraisers and making this possible.

2010-2011 First Day of School
Mark your calendars! The first day of school for grades 1 – 8 will be Monday, August 30, 2010. The first day for preschool and kindergarten will be Tuesday, September 7, 2010.

-SCRIP NEWS
Scrip is quickly coming to an end for the 2009-2010 school year. The new year will begin June 1st. So far, 48 families have had the participating scrip businesses pay their $200 contribution. This is up from the 33 families last year. Currently, we've made $20,638.57 from the businesses that participate in scrip, which is up $3,000 from last year.

If you'd like to know how you are doing, please stop by the scrip table and we can look up your current contribution. This summer, you will be able to purchase after Sunday masses. These contributions will go towards the 2010-2011 school year.

Family Messenger May 4, 2010

2010-05-05T15:59:00.000-07:00

Loving God,
Bless us with the gift of your peace.
When we are confused or hurt or angry,
Help us to know that you
are always with us.
Amen.

A Message from the Principal
The month of May is a special time when we honor Mary, the mother of Jesus. Mary showed courage when she put her trust in God and said yes to His plan for her. Each Monday in May, the fourth grade class will lead us in the crowing of Mary at our morning prayer service. As we honor Mary this month, we remember that we are also called to say yes to God.

Please join me in praying for the second graders and our Religious Education students as they prepare to receive their First Holy Communion this weekend.

Have a blessed week and Happy Mother’s Day!

Ms. Olivia Carrillo

Important Dates
• 5/3 – 5/7 – Teacher Appreciation Week
• 5/7 – Preschool Mother’s Day Tea 10:30 a.m.
• 5/8 and 5/9 – First Communion
• 5/10 – General PTO Meeting/Elections 7 p.m.
• 5/11 – 4th Grade Field Trip to Olivas Adobe
• 5/13 – 3rd Grade Field Trip to Lanterman House
• 5/14 – Library Closes for 09-10 school year

School Office Hours
Please note that the school office will be closed at 1:30 p.m. on Friday, May 7.

Teacher Appreciation Week
This week is National Teacher Appreciation Week. When we express our gratitude for our teachers, we take the time to reflect on the positive ways they have impacted our students’ lives and our school community. We can probably all recall a special teacher that made a difference in our lives. For these teachers--the listeners, motivators, caregivers, and mentors--we are thankful! At Incarnation, we have a special week planned for our teachers and staff to show them our gratitude for the work they do for our students and our school. We wish all of our faculty and staff a wonderful week!

General PTO Meeting
Our last General PTO Meeting of this school year is Monday, May 10 at 7:00 p.m. We will hold Board elections, so please consider donating your time as part of our school’s PTO Board. The PTO Board meets monthly and needs energetic, driven parents! We hope to see you at the meeting!

Participation Hours Opportunity
Need HOURS? Incarnation’s Safeguard the Children Committee is looking for volunteers for a fingerprinting session to be held at Incarnation. Anyone interested in volunteering to staff the fingerprinting on Saturday, May 8th can contact Jane Fitzpatrick at gsjanefitz@gmail.com (preferred) or home number 818-246-2336.

From the Business Office
8th Grade Parents please note: the Graduation fee 2nd installment invoices are attached to today’s Home Messenger. The final payment was $70 and is due upon receipt. If payment was already submitted ($119) you will receive a Credit Statement as well as an invoice marked “PAID”. Please contact Mrs. Fenton if you have any questions.

Gina Marie Fenton Memorial Scholarship
8th Grade Parents/Students: the Gina Marie Fenton Memorial Scholarship application is due Friday, May 7, 2010. As the anniversary of Gina Marie’s death approaches (Sunday, May 9) please keep her and her family in your prayers.

Family Messenger April 27, 2010

2010-05-05T15:56:00.000-07:00

Good and holy God,
By following the example
of your Son Jesus,
May we be bearers of Christ’s message
in the world today.
Amen.

A Message from the Principal
I would like to thank all of you who supported our Auction Luncheon on Saturday. This fundraiser would not have been possible without everyone’s efforts – volunteers, donors, parents, and parishioners. Your support helps benefit our children and our school. I would once again like to thank our chairpersons, Susan and Jim Theiring, for their willingness to take this project on so late in the year and making it a great success!

Congratulations to the winners of our raffle:
Grand Prize $17,000 – Larry Sepulveda (Godfather of Jasmine R)
1st Prize $1,500 – Iliana Pablo (Mother of Golddy & Javier S)
2nd Prize $1,000 – James Hawkins
3rd Prize $500 – Joseph Aniceto
4th Prize $500 – Carmelita Liwanag (Mother of Carra)
5th Prize $500 – Evelina Fabular (Mother of Cristina)

I am happy to announce that next year’s auction dinner has been scheduled for May 14, 2011 at the Hilton Hotel in Glendale.

Thank you again for your support.

Ms. Olivia Carrillo

Important Dates
• 4/27 – Science Fair Projects Displayed 6 – 7 p.m.
• 4/30 – Progress Reports
• 4/30 – 5/2 – Incarnation Community Center Rummage Sale
• 5/3 – 5/7 – Teacher Appreciation Week
• 5/7 – Preschool Mother’s Day Tea
• 5/8 – First Communion
• 5/10 – General PTO Meeting 7 p.m.

Participation Hours Opportunity
Need HOURS? Incarnation’s Safeguard the Children Committee is looking for volunteers for a fingerprinting session to be held at Incarnation. Anyone interested in volunteering to staff the fingerprinting on Saturday, May 8th can contact Jane Fitzpatrick at gsjanefitz@gmail.com (preferred) or home number 818-246-2336.

From the Business Office
Invoices for the Auction Lunch event tickets as well as Auction Raffle tickets are included in today’s Home Messenger. Please note that this is a mandatory fundraiser. If you have any questions or feel you received an invoice in error please contact Mrs. Fenton in the Business Office. Thanks!

Foothill Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA)
SELPA will be holding a conference on Saturday, May 15, 2010 focusing on issues in Special Education at La Canada High School in La Canada. The conference “Parent-Professional Collaboration” is open to all parents, educators and interested community members. A flyer is attached. If you are interested in attending, please come to the School Office and request a Pre-Registration Form. The cost is $5.00 per family.

Scrip Tip
I have a little of this and that for you all. Fantastic news!!!! H & M has recently been added to our inventory. It comes in $25 denominations with a 5% profit. Please note, that See's Candies is now $16.10, but still has the 23% profit. I have some Bath and Body coupons for $10 off when you spend $30. This is a great Mother's Day gift. Send in your orders and I will include the coupon until I run out.

Family Messenger April 13, 2010

2010-04-15T11:54:00.000-07:00

Heavenly God and Father,
You call us to be one family.
Unite is in our love for you,
and help us to work together
to create a more just and peaceful world.
Amen.

A Message from the Principal
Our annual auction fundraiser is in two weeks. In order to make this event successful, we need your help! Please see the flyers enclosed in this week’s messenger regarding class basket donations. We have the potential to make good profit on the themed baskets, so be sure to bring in items this week. Please continue to sell the raffle tickets. Remember that the luncheon is for adults 21 and over only. If you have not sent in your RSVP or if your RSVP has changed, please notify Susan Theiring (stheiring@incaschool.org). Thank you for your support and cooperation!

Ms. Olivia Carrillo

Important Dates
• 4/17 – First Communion Retreat
• 4/18 – 1st Grade School Sponsored Mass
• 4/20 – All School Mass
• 4/21 – 5th Grade Field Trip to Museum of Tolerance
• 4/22 – Group Pictures
• 4/23 – Junior High Field Trip to Renaissance Faire
• 4/24 – Auction Luncheon

Electrical Upgrade Update
Before the Easter break, members of the committee involved with the electrical upgrade project attended a meeting with four potential bidders to conduct a job walk and distribute the specifications of the project. A second job walk was conducted during the Easter break. Bids are due at the end of the month, at which time the committee will review the bids and make a determination on the contractor.

Notes from the Business Office
The March 2010 After School Program, Homework Club, and AM Care invoices were mailed to your home address before the Easter break. Please note that Mrs. Fenton is out this week and the Business Office will be closed until Monday, April 19, 2010.

Participation Hours
The participation hours update is included in today's home messenger. Please keep in mind the hours include work performed up to and including March 19, 2010. Hours performed through May 31, 2010 will be credited this current school year. All hours performed from June 1, 2010 will be credited towards the 2010 - 2011 school year.

8th Grade Gina Marie Fenton Scholarship
The applications for the Gina Marie Fenton Memorial Scholarship were distributed on Thursday, April 1, 2010 to all 8th graders. If you need another copy please contact Mrs. Rodriguez or Mrs. Fenton.

Welcome, Mrs. Galindo
Just before vacation Ms. Berganza, our 2nd grade aide, left to begin her student teaching assignment to complete the requirements for her teaching credential. Mrs. Karen Galindo joins us as our new 2nd grade instructional aide. We are pleased to welcome her to Incarnation School!

Family Messenger March 30, 2010

2010-03-30T14:11:00.000-07:00

Almighty God,
During these holy days we
recall the great love your Son, Jesus,
had for us. By observing these days,
May we grow in our love and faith.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

A Message from the Principal
We are about to enter into the Triduum, the holiest days of the year. They begin on the evening of Holy Thursday with the Mass of the Lord’s Supper when we recall that Jesus gave his body and blood and taught us to care for others when he washed the disciples’ feet. They continue on Good Friday with the celebration of the Lord’s Passion as we remember Christ’s sacrifice for us. On the night of Holy Saturday, we celebrate the great Easter Vigil, when our Savior bursts out of the tomb, and on Easter Sunday we continue to celebrate the Resurrection with great joy. On these days, we remember the final events in Jesus’ earthly life. The following is Incarnation Church’s holy week schedule:

• Holy Thursday – Concelebrated Mass of the Lord’s Supper (7:30 p.m.)
• Good Friday – Stations of the Cross (2:00 p.m.) and Celebration of the Lord’s Passion (3:00 p.m.)
• Holy Saturday – Solemn Easter Vigil and Concelebrated Mass (8:00 p.m. lasting approx. 2 hrs.)

As we approach the Triduum, I pray that you have a blessed Holy Week and joyous Easter. May your Easter week be filled with peace and happiness.

Ms. Olivia Carrillo

Important Dates
• 3/31 – 4th Grade Bake Sale
• 4/1 – Holy Thursday
• 4/2 – Good Friday – No School
• 4/5 – 4/9 – Easter Vacation
• 4/12 – Classes resume

School Office Hours
The school office will close at 1:00 on Thursday, April 1. The business office will be closed the week of April 12.

Living Stations of the Cross
The 8th grade class will be presenting living Stations of the Cross on Thursday in the kindergarten yard. Stations are scheduled to begin at 11:00 a.m.; however the time may be earlier depending on the weather.

Talent Show
Our talent show last Friday was great fun! It was an opportunity for our wonderful students to share their talents with us. Thank you to all of our performers. We also thank Mrs. Marcellina DeSousa for organizing the talent show and all parents who helped make this possible.

Auction Reminders
Our auction luncheon is approaching. Please see the enclosed RSVP form. We need your response even if you do not plan on attending. Please note that the luncheon is for adults only (21 and over). No children are permitted. We are also still in need of items for our class baskets for our silent auction. Please bring in items for the themed baskets. The Easter break is also a good time to sell raffle tickets to family and friends!

Reminder: The mandatory fundraising donations of $150 each for the Auction Lunch tickets and Auction Raffle tickets are due even you are not attending or not selling your tickets. If you have any questions please contact Mrs. Fenton.

Electrical Upgrade Update
The electrical project has now been sent out for bid, and a job walk is scheduled for this afternoon. We are hoping to make a decision on the contractor by the end of April. The tentative start of the project will be June 14. More updates to come.

TENTATIVE First Day of School 2010-2011
We are currently working on the 2010-2011 school calendar. School calendars must be submitted to the Department of Catholic Schools by April 30. We will tentatively begin the new school year on Monday, August 30, 2010 pending final approval.

Family Messenger March 16, 2010

2010-03-30T14:08:00.000-07:00

Loving and merciful God,
You see what we need, yet
in your love you give us
the freedom to choose your grace.
May we learn to receive your love with
joy and gratitude.
Amen.

A Message from the Principal
On Friday, our teachers and the Incarnation Religious Education staff will attend the annual Religious Education Congress in Anaheim. The Religious Education Congress offers workshops to those in catechetical and related ministries. Please pray for our teachers and catechists as they renew their commitment to the ministry of education.

Have a blessed week.

Ms. Olivia Carrillo

Important Dates
• 3/19 – Religious Education Congress – No School/No ASP
• 3/22 – Trimester 2 Awards Assembly – 8:00 a.m.
• 3/24 – All School Mass
• 3/26 – Talent Show
• 3/28 – Palm Sunday

Spaghetti Dinner
Thank you to all who attended our Spaghetti Dinner on Saturday. We raised $1,084 with this event. We especially thank Leni and Peter Algiers for organizing the event and all parents (and students!) who helped set-up, cook, serve, and clean. Thank you for your support of Incarnation School!

Holy Childhood Association
Please keep collecting money for Senegal in your HCA boxes.
Donations are due next Thursday, March 18.

Auction Reminder
RSVPs for our annual auction are due this week. Please see flyer enclosed.

St. Patrick’s Day
Students may wear free dress with green tomorrow. Greens should be true greens – think shamrocks! Shirts may have St. Patrick’s Day themes. Other writing, pictures, or logos must be school appropriate. Caps, hats, beanies, etc. are not permitted. Thank you for your cooperation.

Box Tops for Education
We are still collecting Box Tops!
Please send in your clippings to help earn money for the school.

From the Business Office
The monthly statements are enclosed with today’s Home Messenger. Please contact Mrs. Fenton if you have any questions.

Family Messenger March 11, 2010

2010-03-12T10:36:00.001-08:00

God of Mercy,
You forgive us our many sins.
May we forgive one another as you forgive us.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

A Message from the Principal
On Saturday our decathlon team participated in the Academic Junior High Decathlon at the Los Angeles Sports Arena. We are very proud of our team and their accomplishments! Eight students competed in individual events, and all 8 placed in the top 10. Congratulations to:

2nd Place – Fine Arts (Rebecca G, 8th grade)
3rd Place – Literature (August O’B, 6th grade)
4th Place – Grammar (Juliana S, 8th grade)
5th Place – Algebra (Jack F, 8th grade)
5th Place – Social Studies (John T, 8th grade)
6th Place – Religion (Carra L, 6th grade)
8th Place – Science (Matthew G, 7th grade)
8th Place – Current Events (Michael C, 6th grade)

Incarnation placed 7th in the Super Quiz team competition. In addition to the above winners of the individual events, Dani C, 8th grade and Jasmine R, 8th grade competed in the Super Quiz. The team placed 14th place overall out of 98 Catholic schools and brought home a trophy.

Mrs. Imelda Rodriguez, 2009-2010 INCA ACADECA Head Coach, would like to thank all the coaches (logic, super quiz, and individual events) researchers, test creators, food donors, miscellaneous committee, ACADECA parents, and INCA faculty, staff, and students for their prayers and generosity. We are grateful to her for the extra time she has put in to help prepare our students. Thank you!

Ms. Olivia Carrillo

Important Dates
• 3/12 – Report Cards
• 3/13 – Spaghetti Dinner - 6:30 p.m.
• 3/15 – Confessions grades 2 and 3
• 3/19 – Religious Education Congress – No School/No ASP
• 3/22 – Trimester 2 Awards Assembly – 8:00 a.m.

Holy Childhood Association
Please keep collecting money for Senegal in your HCA boxes.
Donations are due next Thursday, March 18.

8th Grade High School Acceptance
This weekend, our 8th graders received their letters from various high schools. Our graduates have been admitted to the following Catholic high schools: Bellarmine-Jefferson, Bishop Alemany, Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy, Loyola, Immaculate Heart, Mayfield, Notre Dame, Providence, and St. Francis. One student was also admitted to the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts.
We continue to pray for these students and their parents as they decide which school is best for them.

Family Messenger February 23, 2010

2010-02-23T12:08:00.000-08:00

Almighty God,
Jesus taught us to call you father.
We give you thanks for loving us as your children.
May we ever seek to please you.
We ask this through Christ, our Lord.
Amen.

A Message from the Principal
You are invited to join our parish community for the Lenten Soup Suppers each Wednesday during Lent from 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. in the school auditorium. Bring your own bowl and spoon and enjoy delicious soups in the company of fellow parishioners!

This evening, the second grade class and the Incarnation Religious Education students will be receiving the sacrament of reconciliation. Please keep them in your prayers as they make this special sacrament in preparation for their first holy communion. We also ask for your prayers for Michael Armstead (8th grade) who is undergoing treatment for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

May you have a blessed Lenten season.

Ms. Olivia Carrillo

Important Dates
• 3/5 – End of Trimester II
• 3/6 – Academic Decathlon
• 3/8 – Confessions grades 4, 6, 8
• 3/9 – Confessions grades 5 and 7
• 3/12 – Report Cards
• 3/15 – Spaghetti Dinner 6:30 p.m.
• 3/15 – Confessions grades 2 and 3

2010-2011 Tuition
Enclosed you will find the tuition for the 2010-2011 school year. This fee schedule includes an approximate 1% increase in tuition without a change in other fees and fundraising requirements. The Catholic Education Foundation offers tuition assistance for families who meet specific income guidelines. Incarnation also offers tuition assistance. Please see Mrs. Fenton for an application.

Re-Registration
Re-registration for current students began last week. To reserve a space for next school year, please submit the required paperwork and fees no later than March 1. After March 1, we will begin filling seats with new student applicants. To re-register your account must be up-to-date. Please call Mrs. Fenton if you have any questions. Please let us know if you do not intend to return for the 10-11 school year.

Welcome, Mrs. Riley
We are pleased to welcome Mrs. Riley as our long-term substitute in kindergarten! Mrs. Riley will be substituting in kindergarten while Mrs. Neumeier is on maternity leave.

Family Messenger, February 9, 2010

2010-02-09T15:37:00.000-08:00

Lord our God,
May we always show respect for
the places where people gather to
give you praise.
Amen.

A Message from the Principal
I am happy to report that our WCEA/WASC visit last week was very positive! The committee was quite impressed with Incarnation—the students, teachers, parents, and all the school has to offer. We were blessed to have such a supportive team working with us in the last stages of the process. There are approximately 30 elementary schools going through WASC this year from now until the end of March. After all visits have been completed, the WCEA Commission will read through each school’s report and will make a determination on the term of the accreditation in June. Our critical areas for growth, as approved and recommended by the visiting committee, are as follows:

1. Revise the school’s mission and philosophy statements
2. Though reading comprehension ITBS scores are high, we will focus on continued improvement in this area and closely analyze test scores
3. Provide more authentic Christian service opportunities for students with a connection to the larger world
4. The administration will work with the Consultative School Board to develop a long-range strategic plan
5. Develop a professional growth plan to address inclusion practices

Thank you for your support during this important process.

Blessings,

Ms. Olivia Carrillo

Important Dates
• 2/10 – 3rd Grade Bake Sale; Crazy Day
• 2/11 – 8th Grade Graduation Pictures 8:00 a.m.
• 2/12 – Valentine’s Day Parties 1:00 p.m.; Students may wear free dress in pink and red
• 2/13 – Father/Daughter Dance 6:00 – 9:00 p.m.
• 2/15 – No School: Presidents’ Day
• 2/17 – Ash Wednesday: All School Mass 11:00 a.m.

2010-2011 Re-Registration
In this week’s envelope, you will find paperwork for re-registration for the 2010-2011 school year. To reserve a space for next school year, please submit the required paperwork and fees no later than
March 1. After March 1, we will begin filling seats with new student applicants.

Catholic Education Foundation
The Catholic Education Foundation (CEF) offers Tuition Awards Programs (TAP) to children from low income families in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles who desire a Catholic education. The basic TAP provides $1,000 in assistance to elementary school students and $2,000 to high school students. Parents of scholarship recipients must meet criteria at or below the Federal guidelines for poverty. If you are eligible and would like to obtain an application for CEF assistance, please contact Mrs. Fenton in the business office. TAP applications are available for elementary school students as well as 8th graders attending Catholic high schools in the fall. All applications and supporting documents must be received by the school no later than March 12, 2010 for processing.

Crazy Day
Crazy Day is back by popular demand! It was not included in the celebration of Catholic Schools Week last week, but the student council has designated tomorrow, February 10th as Crazy Day. If this is your child’s mass day, he/she should come in uniform and can change following mass.

Christmas Concert DVDs
The Christmas Concert DVDs are in! If you ordered a copy, please come to the school office to pick it up.

Morning Drop Off
Please enter the parking lot through the Dryden gate and exit through the Central gate. This also applies if you are dropping your child off for before-school care or early morning classes. Thank you for your cooperation.

Convenient Pick Up
All students must be dropped off and picked up through the a.m. and p.m. carpools with the exception of three families who purchased convenient pick up at last year’s auction. If your family did not purchase this item at the auction, you may be asked to follow carpool procedures. Please communicate this to friends or family members responsible for picking up your children.

Family Messenger February 2, 2010

2010-02-02T09:39:00.000-08:00

Lord God Almighty,
You reveal your loving plan
to those who wait and trust in you.
Fill us with your Holy Spirit,
so that we may see your face.
Grant this through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

A Message from the Principal
Our WASC accreditation has finally begun! We are pleased to welcome our visiting committee and are looking forward to working with them these next couple of days:

Steffani McMains (Chair),
Principal of Our Lady of Perpetual Help School
Jim McMains (Co-Chair),
Principal of St. Michael School
Marie Bournoutian,
St. Elizabeth School
Ninette Reyes,
St. Sebastian School
Joellyn Jaster,
St. Euphrasia School
Aida Martinez,
Our Lady of Loretto School

Pictures from the Open House

We are also celebrating Catholic Schools Week. Thank you to all who attended the Open House on Sunday. The teachers and students worked very hard to prepare their displays for you to enjoy. The schedule of activities for the remainder of Catholic Schools Week is as follows:

• Wednesday, February 3 – Blue and Gold Day: Wear blue and gold to show off your school spirit
• Thursday, February 4 – Faculty/Student Volleyball Game 1:30
• Friday, February 5 – Movie and Pajama Day: A permission form for the movie “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs” (rated PG) is enclosed. Please return the form to your child’s teacher only if you do not give permission for your child to watch the movie.

Blessings,

Ms. Olivia Carrillo

Important Dates
• 2/2 – 2/4 – WASC Visit; No Homework Club
• 2/5 – Noon Dismissal; ASP available
• 2/7 – 4th Grade School Sponsored Mass
• 2/10 – 3rd Grade Bake Sale
• 2/11 – 8th Grade Graduation Pictures 8:00 a.m.
• 2/12 – Valentine’s Day Parties
• 2/15 – No School: Presidents’ Day

Catholic Education Foundation
The Catholic Education Foundation (CEF) offers Tuition Awards Programs (TAP) to children from low income families in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles who desire a Catholic education. The basic TAP provides $1,000 in assistance to elementary school students and $2,000 to high school students. Parents of scholarship recipients must meet criteria at or below the Federal guidelines for poverty. The criteria per household size are enclosed. If you are eligible and would like to obtain an application for CEF assistance, please contact Mrs. Fenton in the business office. TAP applications are available for elementary school students as well as 8th graders attending Catholic high schools in the fall. All applications and supporting documents must be received by the school no later than March 12, 2010 for processing.

Pajama Day Guidelines
This Friday, students may come to school dressed in pajamas. Please keep in mind that since they are at school, safe shoes should be worn. Slippers are comfortable, but they not the best for playground activity!

Hats for Haiti Campaign - Preschool
Our preschoolers also participated in the Hats for Haiti Campaign and collected over $220! Thanks to our little ones for their contributions!

Homework Club Notice!
Please note that there will be NO homework club on February 3, 4, and 5 due to our WASC visit. Teachers will be meeting with the committee after school on these days.

Christmas Concert DVDs
The Christmas Concert DVDs are in! If you ordered a copy, please come to the school office to pick it up.

From the Business Office
The January 2010 After School Program, Morning Care, and Homework Club invoices are enclosed with this week’s Home Messenger. I have noticed that many families who use some or all of these programs and receive more than one invoice send a check for each invoice. I apologize for not bringing this up before, but if you would prefer you can pay for ALL of your invoices on one check. Just be sure to write the invoice numbers in the memo section of your check. Please let me know if you have any questions. Thanks!

2010-2011 Re-Registration
Information regarding re-registration for the 2010-2011 school year will be sent home in next week’s messenger.

2010 Spring Auction
Auction packets, including raffle tickets, are included in this week’s home messenger.

Help for Haiti

2010-01-19T09:52:00.001-08:00

Haiti Relief

Catholic Relief Services (CRS), the official international
humanitarian agency of the U.S. Catholic Church, is
responding to victims of the massive earthquake in Haiti.
If you wish to make a donation there are Special
Collection envelopes at the church entrances or you can
put your check in the basket and please make the notation
Haiti Earthquake in the memo portion of your check. We
will forward all donations. You may also donate online:

DONATE NOW

Family Messenger January 19, 2010

2010-01-19T09:49:00.000-08:00

Loving God,
You care for us as a shepherd cares for his sheep.
Help us to stay close to you
and to listen for your voice.
Amen.

A Message from the Principal
The recent earthquake in Haiti has caused much devastation. At a time like this, we are all called to help those in need. Catholic elementary and high schools in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles are participating in a campaign called “HATS FOR HAITI.” On Friday, January 22, students can wear hats to school– baseball hats, cowboy hats, crazy hats, etc. - and each participant is asked to donate $1.00 (although a larger donation is certainly welcome) toward our “Hats for Haiti” cause. The money collected will be sent to the Holy Childhood Association – Haiti Fund.

The diocese has an anonymous donor who will match dollar for dollar all funds collected through this effort – up to $100,000. Then, 100 % of all funds will be “wired” directly to the Archdiocese of Port au Prince, Haiti, on January 29th. It is our hope that together we can raise at least $100,000 for the Holy Childhood Association – Haiti Fund. If 200 schools in the diocese participate and each school raises at least $500.00, we will meet our goal. With the donor matching our gifts, there is a possibility that we can donate up to $200,000 to this cause! Please help us support this effort, we ask that you keep the people of Haiti in your prayers.

Blessings,

Ms. Olivia Carrillo

Important Dates
• 1/22 – “Hats for Haiti” Day; Progress Reports
• 1/29 – Noon Dismissal
• 1/30 – High School Placement Test
• 1/31 – Open House 10:00 a.m. - noon

Family Messenger January 12, 2010

2010-01-13T09:36:00.001-08:00

Most loving God,
May we learn to bring our need to you
and always to trust that you hear our prayers.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

A Message from the Principal
Last Thursday our WASC Visiting Committee was here. We are fortunate to have a dedicated group of people working with us to validate what we do for our students. Each member of the committee has now received a copy of our self-study. They will be reading through the document as they prepare for the actual visit in early February. In addition to visiting classrooms, the team will also be interviewing students, faculty and staff, parents, and Fr. Paul. We look forward to the final stages of the accreditation process!

Have a great week!

Ms. Olivia Carrillo

Important Dates
• 1/18 – No School: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
• 1/22 – Progress Reports
• 1/29 – Noon Dismissal
• 1/30 – High School Placement Test
• 1/31 – Open House 10:00 a.m. - noon

New Father-Daughter Dance Event at Incarnation
Join us for a special evening at Incarnation's first first Father-Daughter Dance which will take place on Saturday, February 13th from 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. at the Inca Auditorium. We look forward to Inca girls grades K-8 creating a lifetime of cherished fun-filled memories at this new event.

Volunteer opportunities are still available! For questions or volunteer opportunities contact Elena Galvez via email at egalvez@santa-clarita.com or at cell # (661)-510-0885.

School Marketing
Please take a moment to write a brief review and rate our school. Your input is important as prospective families consider us for enrollment!
www.greatschools.net
www.localschoolsdirectory.com

Annual Auction
Packets for our spring auction were distributed in the home messenger just before Christmas vacation. If you did not receive a packet or need more information, please call the office or contact Susan Theiring (stheiring@incaschool.org).
There will also be a meeting next Wednesday, January 20 at 6:30 p.m. in the auditorium for anyone interested in volunteering for the auction.

SCRIP TIP
Congratulations to us all!! Over the Christmas Holidays, through your direct scrip purchases and rebates from Ralphs and eScrip, we made $10,095.19. AMAZING!!!!!!

Unfortunately, our Ralphs rebate is down by half. In the reporting that went from June to August, we earned $1,631.00. In the report from Sept. to Dec., we earned $828.23. What this means is that many of you are not signed up. Again in the home messenger, you will find a step by step instruction sheet of how to sign up. If you are having to much difficulty, please use the other side to have the checker scan the bar code and your Rewards card. If you end up using the bar code, I won't be able to give you family credit, BUT you will be helping the school. Please continue to solicit friends, family, and neighbors to do this as well. Every little bit helps. If you want to verify if you are currently signed up, I have a list at the scrip desk that you can review. You can also check the bottom of your receipt when you shop. It will say that you are contributing to Incarnation School.

Go to https://customer.ralphs.com to sign up your Rewards card for Incarnation.

Family Messenger January 5, 2010

2010-01-06T12:42:00.000-08:00

A Message from the Principal
Happy New Year! I hope all of you enjoyed the holidays in the company of family and friends. It is nice to be back and see the students and teachers back in action. Visits to the classroom showed that everyone was hard at work! Yesterday the student body had its first morning prayer service of 2010. It was also Father Paul’s birthday, and the students presented him with special notes. He has quite a bit of reading to do!

The next couple of months will be filled with excitement as we prepare for our accreditation visit. Our visiting committee will be here this Thursday to familiarize themselves with Incarnation and meet the teachers. They will each receive a copy of our completed self-study to prepare for the visit next month. On Monday, January 11, we will have our final WASC noon dismissal day. ASP we be available, but hot lunch will not be served.

We will also have our second General PTO meeting next Monday at 7:00 p.m. in the auditorium. Please join us for information about the upcoming auction, the electrical project and the school’s marketing committee.

Wishing you all the best for a peaceful and blessed new year!

Ms. Olivia Carrillo

Important Dates
• 1/6 – All School Mass 8:30 a.m. – wear mass uniform
• 1/7 – WASC Team Pre-Visit
• 1/10 – 5th Grade School Sponsored Mass
• 1/11 – Noon Dismissal; General PTO Meeting 7:00 p.m.
• 1/18 – No School: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Epiphany Parties
Parties in celebration of the Epiphany will be held on Wednesday, January 6 at 2:15 p.m. Room parents are asked to keep class parties simple (1 drink and treat per child).

Writing to Read Meeting for Kindergarten Parents
There will be a Writing to Read (WTR) orientation meeting on Monday, January 11 at 6:00 p.m. in the computer lab. This meeting is for new kindergarten parents to learn about this computer-based reading and writing program. If you have already had a child go through the WTR program, you do not need to attend. The meeting will end in time for the General PTO meeting which begins at 7:00 p.m. in the auditorium.

St. Columbkille Gift Collection
Thank you to all families who generously donated a gift for the students at St. Columbkille. We were able to collect enough gifts for all of the students! We also thank the parents who volunteered to take the gifts to the school.

Fundraising Updates

Americana Holiday School Program
We are happy to report that Incarnation will be receiving $3,133 from the Americana at Brand Holiday School Program! Thank you to all families and parishioners who supported this fundraiser by submitting receipts for the school. We will be donating a portion of this gift to the Incarnation Church Building Fund.

Barnes and Noble Book Fair
We earned a profit of $519.69 from the Barnes and Noble Book Fair held the first week of December. Thank you Mrs. Hihn and Mrs. Federis for your efforts! Proceeds will benefit the library.

See’s Candy Profit
Our total profit from the See’s Candy Fundraiser to benefit our P.E./Athletic Program was $1,410.42! Thank you to all who supported this fundraiser, and special thanks to Lisa Dumansky and Margie Cua-Leon for their help in organizing the sales and distributing the candy.

Box Tops for Education
We received a check in the amount of $124.60. Thank you to Mrs. Camacho for organizing the program and to all families who are submitting box tops. Keep bringing them in!

Business Office
December invoices as well as statements and late fees are included in today’s Home Messenger. Please take a moment to review your statement/invoice and direct any questions to Mrs. Fenton.

Family Messenger December 15, 2009

2009-12-15T12:18:00.000-08:00

God of hope,
We await the celebration of the birth of your Son, Jesus.
Help us to make good decisions and to show our love for you
by our actions and our words.
Amen.

A Message from the Principal
Our annual auction will be held on April 24, 2010. In this week’s envelope you will find the auction information packet which includes letters to solicit business sponsors and ideas for donations to our live/silent auction. If you have any questions about our auction, please contact our chairperson, Mrs. Susan Theiring.

May the blessings of the season be with you throughout the New Year. On behalf of the faculty and staff of Incarnation School, I would like to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas. We look forward to seeing you in 2010!

Ms. Olivia Carrillo

Important Dates
• 12/16 – 7th Grade Bake Sale
• 12/17 – Christmas Concert 7 p.m.
• 12/18 – Noon Dismissal; NO ASP
• 1/4 – School Resumes

Year-to-Date Church Contribution Statements
In order to receive the parishioner rate for the 2010-2011 school year, families must have contributed a minimum of $500 to the church in the previous calendar year (1/1/09-12/31/09). Contribution statements have been mailed to school families. Donations must be made by December 27th in the Sunday collection or by December 30th in the Parish Office to be counted towards this year’s contributions. The Parish Office will be closed on December 31st, and there is no mailbox. Please do not drop off donations at the Rectory.

From the Business Office
Statements for outstanding balances are included in today’s Home Messenger. Please take a moment to review your statement. Note: A $25 late fee will assessed if payment is not received by Monday, January 4, 2010 unless prior arrangements have been made. If you need assistance or have questions regarding your statement please call Mrs. Fenton no later than Thursday, December 17.

See's Candies:
Several Inca families did not come to pick up their See's Candies orders last Sunday after all the morning Masses. If you are one of these families, you must pick up your orders from the School Office before Friday. Thank you to all participating families for your generous support of our Holiday Fundraiser. Merry Christmas!

Christmas Concert
You are invited to our Christmas concert, “Peace on Earth” this Thursday, December 17 at 7 p.m. in the church. Main entrance doors to the church will open at 6:30 p.m. Students can be dropped off in their classrooms beginning at 6:30. Please note that guests will not be permitted to remain in the church following the 5:30 mass. Thank you for your cooperation, and we look forward to seeing you at the show!

No ASP Friday, December 18
Please note that we will dismiss at noon next Friday, December 18. ASP WILL NOT be available. Please make arrangements so that your child(ren) is(are) picked up promptly at noon.

Epiphany Parties
Parties in celebration of the Epiphany will be held on Wednesday, January 6 at 2:15 p.m. Room parents are asked to keep class parties simple (1 drink and treat per child).

Family Messenger December 8, 2009

2009-12-09T09:46:00.000-08:00

God of hope,
May we, like Mary,
do our part in your saving work.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

A Message from the Principal
Today we celebrate the great solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. People all over the world go to church today to worship God for giving us Mary, who was pure, holy, and worthy of becoming the mother of Jesus Christ. When Mary was still inside her own mother’s body, she was chosen to be different from all other people. God gave Mary the special grace to be completely pure—free from any stain of original sin. Mary is the patroness of the United States, and so this day is particularly wonderful for all of us here.

As we continue through the season of Advent, we ask God to give us strength to prepare the way for Jesus’ coming.

Blessings,
Ms. Olivia Carrillo

Important Dates
• 12/10 – Fall Sports Banquet 6 p.m.
• 12/11 – Santa Pictures; Awards Assembly 12:30 p.m.; Junior High Dance 6 – 9:30 p.m.
• 12/13 – 2nd Grade School Sponsored Mass
• 12/16 – 7th Grade Bake Sale
• 12/17 – Christmas Concert 7 p.m.
• 12/18 – Noon Dismissal; NO ASP

Barnes and Noble Book Fair
Thank you to all who supported our book fair on Saturday. We would also like to thank Mrs. Hihn, Mrs. Federis, and all parents and students who helped organize and prepare the program. Profits earned will be published as soon as figures become available.

St. Columbkille Gift Collection
As Christmas approaches, it is once again time for our annual collection of the gifts for the students of St. Columbkille. Each Incarnation student was given or will be given the name of a St. Columbkille student. Please wrap a new, unused gift and label it with your child’s name and the name of the recipient. Please turn in gifts no later than Monday, December 14. Gifts will be blessed and will be delivered to St. Columbkille. Thank you for your generous support.

Americana/Grove Holiday School Program
Thank you to all who have shopped at The Americana and have submitted receipts to the concierge desk. As of yesterday, Incarnation will receive a total of $749.20! The program will continue until The Grove and The Americana at Brand give away a combined amount of $100,000, so continue to turn in your receipts and earn as much for Incarnation as you can!

Christmas Concert
You are invited to our Christmas choral concert which will take place on Thursday, December 17 at 7 p.m. in the church. Come and see the preschool through eighth grade choirs perform music of the season! The choral concert is directed by our music teacher, Mr. Christopher Yraola.

Lost and Found
If you are missing any uniform items, please be sure to check the lost and found. There are many sweaters and jackets in our pile!

No ASP Friday, December 18
Please note that we will dismiss at noon next Friday, December 18. ASP WILL NOT be available. Please make arrangements so that your child(ren) is(are) picked up promptly at noon.

SCRIPTIP:
Plan ahead, plan ahead, and oh yeah, plan ahead! First verse, same as the first, "Plan ahead, plan ahead, plan ahead." We do our best to have everything, but sometimes we sell out and we'd hate for you to miss out on the profit.
In addition to last weeks profit increases, they have now added Starbucks 9%, Kmart 10%, and Sears 10%. In case you forgot what last weeks list was: Barnes & Noble now 11%, ITunes 8%, California Pizza Kitchen 5%, Home Depot 6%, Lowes 6%, Build-a-Bear 10%, and LL Bean 17%. All of these until Dec. 11th (but sometimes they'll do it until Dec. 18th--stay tuned).
Finally, this week for a $1.00, we will have velum bags with ribbon and gift tags, and pillow boxes that are holiday themed. You'll be able to pop your scrip card in one of these beautiful options and, your gift is ready to go under the tree.

See's Candies:
Attention Inca Families -- Your See's Candies orders will arrive and be available for pick up this Sunday, December 13, next to the church/school parking lot after all the morning Masses. Also, there will be an additional limited selection of See's Candies available for sale. We look forward to seeing you Sunday morning!

Family Messenger, December 1, 2009

2009-12-01T15:22:00.000-08:00

God of power and love,
We thank you for the grace of this Advent season.
Help us each day to remember your greatness
and your love for us, so that we, like your Son,
will serve you with reverence.
Amen.

A Message from the Principal
On Sunday, we began the season of Advent. Advent is a time of quiet, joyful preparation for the celebration of Jesus’ birth and also a time to remember that we wait for Christ to come again in glory. It is a season to enjoy the hope that Christ’s resurrection points to. This is a time of anticipation and new beginnings! At home, you can create a mode of anticipation with your family by displaying the empty manger from a Christmas nativity scene; you can also set an advent wreath at home and light it each week as we approach Christmas. May this season of Advent fill your family with joy!

Ms. Olivia Carrillo

Important Dates
• 12/2 – See’s Candy orders due
• 12/3 – 12/4 – Santa Shop
• 12/5 – Barnes and Noble Book Fair @ the Americana
• 12/8 – Immaculate Conception All School Mass 8:30 a.m.
• 12/11 – Santa Pictures; Awards Assembly 12:30 p.m.

Jog-A-Thon Totals
As of November 30, 2009 we have collected $39,205.18 from our Jog-a-thon!! Congratulations to the following students for raising the most money:

Pizza Party – 4th Grade, $5,467
1st Place, $100 gift card – Tie:
Shaun T, 5th Grade, $1,000
Phillip R, 4th Grade, $1,000
2nd Place, $75 gift card – Candice Le F, 3rd Grade, $750
3rd Place, $50 gift card – Brynne R, 2nd Grade, $570
4th Place, $25 gift card – Roger R, 7th Grade, $550

If you have not sent in your mandatory donation please do so as soon as possible. If you have any questions please call Mrs. Leti Fenton in the Business Office.

See's Candies Holiday Fundraiser
Please return all completed order forms with payment to the School Office by Wednesday, December 2.

WASC Update
Last Wednesday, the final draft of our self-study document was sent out to the WASC reading team. We look forward to the reading team’s comments and feedback so we can make our last revisions before the visiting team arrives.

Barnes and Noble Book Fair
It’s December and time for the Barnes & Noble book fair at the Americana on Saturday, December 5th! The library earns 10% on any purchases made at Barnes & Noble during its store hours of 9:00 am to 11:00 pm. Just mention our voucher number 598680 when you check out. All purchases earn our school a profit. Buy a book, CD, DVD, coffee, food, games, etc. anytime on Saturday during store hours. The Americana is offering an additional 5% to our school. Just take your Barnes and Noble receipts to the concierge desk on Saturday before you leave.

We are planning a fun, holiday program Saturday morning starting at 9:30 am. There will be Christmas carols, Story Time, a Puppet Show and a new holiday tradition, the Kris Kringle book exchange. For the book exchange, guests will fill out a sticky label with the following information: Child’s name, Grade, Reading Level, Topic/Book interest). The label goes into a box. Guests will choose a label that has already been filled out by another child. They will then purchase a book from Barnes & Noble for the child they picked and stick the label on it. The purchased books will go into a basket. These books will be distributed by calling out the names on the label later in the morning. If the child is not present, the books will be distributed at school.

Can’t shop on Saturday in Glendale? Just pick up the phone, dial 818-545-9146, and place a phone order, mention our voucher number 598680 and our school earns 10%. Any purchases, in person or by phone made on Saturday, December 5th giving our voucher number will be included in our 10% profit. This means that out of area grandparents and family can phone in a book order on Dec. 5th and Barnes & Noble will ship it FREE!

Come and share in the fun. See you there!

Mrs. Hihn

Recent School Pictures

2009-11-29T11:29:00.000-08:00

Incarnation School Jog-a-Thon, November 2009

Incarnation Harvest Stewardship Fair, November 2009

Incarnation's New Preschool in the Glendale News-Press, November 2009

News coverage of the Incarnation Stewardship Fair, November 2009

Recent Pictures of our New Preschool, November 2009

Family Messenger November 17, 2009

2009-11-29T11:10:00.000-08:00

Loving God,
You see the good in every person.
Help us to remember that we
are all your children.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

A Message from the Principal
This Friday, report cards will be distributed to students in grades one through eight. Please take this opportunity to sit down with your child and praise his/her first trimester successes and accomplishments. This is also an excellent time to review areas in which your child can improve upon over the next trimester.

This Friday is also our annual Jog-a-Thon. Students will have lunch from 11:15 – 11:45, and the Jog-a-Thon will begin at noon. Thank you to all who solicited sponsors to make this event successful. I would also like to thank Mrs. Anne Marie Guinane, our Jog-a-Thon chairperson, as well as all of the other parents who are volunteering behind-the-scenes and on the day of the event.

Next week we dismiss at noon for parent-teacher conferences. ASP will be available from noon until 6:00 p.m. M&F Kitchenette will not serve lunch next week. Therefore, if your child will be in ASP, please send him/her with a lunch from home.

I hope to see you at the Jog-a-Thon!

Ms. Olivia Carrillo

Important Dates.
• November 18 – 5th grade bake sale
• November 19 – Blessing of the food for St. Columbkille
• November 20 – Jog-a-Thon; Report Cards

St. Columbkille Food Drive
A list of suggested items was sent home last week, but any food donations are welcome. The blessing of the food for St. Columbkille will take place this Thursday morning and the food will be delivered following the blessing. Thank you for your generosity.

Parent-Teacher Conferences
Parent-Teacher Conferences for grades K-8 will be held from November 23-25. Please call or visit the school office to sign up for a conference with your child’s homeroom teacher.

Picture Day Make-Up
If your child was absent on picture day, he/she will be able to take make-up pictures on Thursday, November 19. Please note that this make-up day is only for students who missed picture day and not for re-taking photos. If you are interested in having your school photos re-taken, you may schedule an appointment at Bronson Photography (818-249-5864).

From the Business Office
Reminder: the Jog-a-thon mandatory donation ($150 per child) is due now. If you are not sure whether you included Jog-a-thon in your FACTS Tuition payment please call Mrs. Fenton in the Business Office.

SCRIP TIP
It's almost Thanksgiving. Don't forget to buy your scrip for all your special needs this year, especially for Black Friday. We have a few changes to the On Hand Scrip. We will now carry Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf ($25-9%). Domino's will no longer be available in $5, but will be available in $10 (5%). Itunes has increased profits to 5% and Outback/Roys/Flemings has increased to 8%. KFC has been reduced to 8%.

Many additional changes have been made to the Special Scrip Order form. Rubys Diner $25-5%, F.Y.E. has been removed, Eddie Bauer $25-10%, Aeropostale $25-7%, Nike $25-12%, Henrys Market $25-3%. Make sure you think ahead when purchasing from the Special Order form since we need time to order it.

Finally, Bath and Body Works has sent me some $10 off coupons when you spend $30.
When you consider the 13% profits, that's a VERY good deal.

Stop by the Scrip table in the mornings, we're here to help with your holiday needs.

Family Messenger November 11, 2009

2009-11-29T11:02:00.000-08:00

Almighty God,
We pray that leaders everywhere,
in our world, in our church,
and in our communities, will follow your example.
May they serve you and use their power
to create a just and peaceful world.
Amen.

A Message from the Principal
As Thanksgiving approaches, we remember to give thanks for our abundant blessings. We also remember those in need and our call to help others. Our student council will be sponsoring the annual collection of food for our sister school, St. Columbkille. A flyer is enclosed in this week’s envelope with suggested donations for each class, though any non-perishable donation is welcome. This is a wonderful opportunity for our students to practice one of Incarnation’s Schoolwide Student Learning Expectations: serving the community according to God’s call as evidenced by local and global outreach. Thank you for your support of this drive.

Have a great week!

Ms. Olivia Carrillo

Important Dates.
• November 11 – No School: VETERANS DAY
• November 12 – 8th grade graduation meeting 7:00 p.m.
• November 13 – End of Trimester I
• November 15 – 6th grade school sponsored Mass
• November 18 – 5th grade bake sale
• November 19 – Blessing of the food for St. Columbkille
• November 20 – Jog-a-Thon; Report Cards

Annual Auction – Chairperson Needed!
We are in need of an auction chairperson for our event to be held at the Castaway Restaurant on April 24, 2010. If you are interested in this service hour opportunity (automatically earns 40 participation hours), please contact Mark Richardson (mrichardson@cbbank.com).

Parent-Teacher Conferences
Parent-Teacher Conferences for grades K-8 will be held from November 23-25. Please call or visit the school office to sign up for a conference with your child’s homeroom teacher.

Stewardship Fair
Are you interested in learning about how your family can be involved with Mass? Join us for the celebration of the grand opening of the Incarnation Community Center this Sunday from 8:30 – 2:00. Be sure to visit the Liturgy Committee’s table to learn more about getting involved.

Picture Day Make-Up
If your child was absent on picture day, he/she will be able to take make-up pictures on Thursday, November 19. Please note that this make-up day is only for students who missed picture day and not for re-taking photos. If you are interested in having your school photos re-taken, you may schedule an appointment at Bronson Photography (818-249-5864).

Varsity Football
Congratulations to the Incarnation Eagles Varsity Football Team! The team made it to the playoffs this weekend. Way to go Eagles!

Girls’ B Basketball
We are in need of just one more coach for our spring sports season! I you are interested in coaching the 4th – 6th grade girls’ basketball team, please contact Veronica Ferrer at veronicaminc@sbcglobal.net The coach will need to be Virtus trained, fingerprinted, complete a TB test, and participate in CYO training prior to beginning practices. Head coaches receive 40 participation hours.

See’s Candy Fundraiser
Enclosed in this week’s envelope, you will find information about the optional See’s Candy fundraiser. All proceeds from this fundraiser benefit the school’s P.E./Athletic program.

Incarnation in the Glendale News-Press

2009-11-16T09:24:00.000-08:00

A brand-new Incarnation

See: http://www.glendalenewspress.com/articles/2009/11/16/news/gnp-thanksgiving111609.txt

Father Paul Hruby blesses the Incarnation Community Center at the Church of the Incarnation's "A Harvest of Thanksgiving" Grand Opening and Stewardship Fair on Sunday. (Scott Smeltzer/News-Press)
Community center at local Catholic church opens three years after it was blessed.

By Christopher Cadelago
Published: Last Updated Sunday, November 15, 2009 8:28 PM PST

DOWNTOWN — It’s been more than three years since Church of the Incarnation parishioners saw their community center blessed.

On Sunday, a diverse group of churchgoers, students and community leaders showed up at the three-story campus complete with a preschool gym and office space to officially christen and open the center during a ceremony titled “A Harvest of Thanksgiving.”

Father Paul Hruby stood in the courtyard and re-blessed the plot of land as elders of the church, Boy and Girl Scouts, and religious groups looked on.

“In stewardship we give back to God what God has offered to us,” he said, before sprinkling the land with holy water.

The rededication put a swift end to a long wait, making the space available for various functions, including basketball and volleyball in the gym, weekly Boy and Girl Scout meetings and getting the word out about the small Catholic preschool nestled between a large playing field and outside play structure, said Marguerite Lincoln, director of marketing and special events for the Incarnation Community Center.

“We want it to be a place where we can have fellowship for all of the parish community,” she said, sitting in one of the building’s lounge areas.

She attributed delays in opening the center to a protracted construction schedule and other technical issues. But even that didn’t stop the school’s Boy Scout troop from using the project as a way to acquire coveted merit badges, troops said.

“The fix-up became an Eagle [Scout] project for two students here,” said John Parker, a freshman at St. Francis High School who is five merit badges away from becoming an Eagle Scout. “It’s a lot better than when it started.”

Erin Sanchez, Incarnation’s representative of the Crescenta Valley-Glendale Service Unit, said her Girl Scout troop is just two grades — second and fifth — away from turning out a full roster, and plan to use the newly opened space for World Thinking Day, where they exchange global information.

Holiday events are being planned, and a summer luau looms for organizers excited to finally have a place to gather.

This weekend children darted around a fall harvest spread, and visitors were welcomed by the sign: “May the bounty of the season fill your heart and home.”

As part of the multipurpose event, St. Vincent de Paul Society spent the day gathering volunteers for its winter giving effort, including food drives, information on social services and help with utility bills.

“Some people don’t know where to turn. They don’t know how to get that help,” said Ray Shinn, vice president of the organization’s local chapter. “You’d be surprised that some don’t know whether they qualify.

Dozens of groups participated in the stewardship fair, including Mission of Divine Mercy, Heart of Jesus, Legion of Mary, Knights of Malta and Couples for Christ.

Elaine Quada, an organizer for Kids for Christ, joined the rest of the parish’s leadership in welcoming the new center, located about two blocks away from the Brand Boulevard church at 214 W. Fairview Ave.

“We love the space,” she said.

Family Messenger, November 10, 2009

2009-11-12T14:39:00.000-08:00

Almighty God,
We pray that leaders everywhere,
in our world, in our church,
and in our communities, will follow your example.
May they serve you and use their power
to create a just and peaceful world.
Amen.

A Message from the Principal
As Thanksgiving approaches, we remember to give thanks for our abundant blessings. We also remember those in need and our call to help others. Our student council will be sponsoring the annual collection of food for our sister school, St. Columbkille. A flyer is enclosed in this week’s envelope with suggested donations for each class, though any non-perishable donation is welcome. This is a wonderful opportunity for our students to practice one of Incarnation’s Schoolwide Student Learning Expectations: serving the community according to God’s call as evidenced by local and global outreach. Thank you for your support of this drive.

Have a great week!

Ms. Olivia Carrillo

Important Dates.
• November 11 – No School: VETERANS DAY
• November 12 – 8th grade graduation meeting 7:00 p.m.
• November 13 – End of Trimester I
• November 15 – 6th grade school sponsored Mass
• November 18 – 5th grade bake sale
• November 19 – Blessing of the food for St. Columbkille
• November 20 – Jog-a-Thon; Report Cards

Annual Auction – Chairperson Needed!
We are in need of an auction chairperson for our event to be held at the Castaway Restaurant on April 24, 2010. If you are interested in this service hour opportunity (automatically earns 40 participation hours), please contact Mark Richardson (mrichardson@cbbank.com).

Parent-Teacher Conferences
Parent-Teacher Conferences for grades K-8 will be held from November 23-25. Please call or visit the school office to sign up for a conference with your child’s homeroom teacher.

Stewardship Fair
Are you interested in learning about how your family can be involved with Mass? Join us for the celebration of the grand opening of the Incarnation Community Center this Sunday from 8:30 – 2:00. Be sure to visit the Liturgy Committee’s table to learn more about getting involved.

Picture Day Make-Up
If your child was absent on picture day, he/she will be able to take make-up pictures on Thursday, November 19. Please note that this make-up day is only for students who missed picture day and not for re-taking photos. If you are interested in having your school photos re-taken, you may schedule an appointment at Bronson Photography (818-249-5864).

Varsity Football
Congratulations to the Incarnation Eagles Varsity Football Team! The team made it to the playoffs this weekend. Way to go Eagles!

Girls’ B Basketball
We are in need of just one more coach for our spring sports season! I you are interested in coaching the 4th – 6th grade girls’ basketball team, please contact Veronica Ferrer at veronicaminc@sbcglobal.net The coach will need to be Virtus trained, fingerprinted, complete a TB test, and participate in CYO training prior to beginning practices. Head coaches receive 40 participation hours.

See’s Candy Fundraiser
Enclosed in this week’s envelope, you will find information about the optional See’s Candy fundraiser. All proceeds from this fundraiser benefit the school’s P.E./Athletic program.

Family Messenger, November 3, 2009

2009-11-03T17:59:00.000-08:00

Generous Lord God,
In your great love, you invite all people
to follow your commandments so as
to live with you forever in heaven.
Help us to follow your example
and share what we have with everyone.
Amen.

A Message from the Principal
Our annual Jog-A-Thon is quickly approaching. Congratulations to Gabriela C, grade 8, who won the T-shirt design competition! To make this fundraiser a success, we need your help in soliciting sponsors. Sponsors contributing a minimum of $250 will have their name printed on the Jog-A-Thon shirts. Please note, however, that sponsor forms must be received by tomorrow, November 4 to meet the T-shirt order deadline. Sponsor forms/donations received after November 4 will not be included on this year’s T-shirt.

Enclosed in today’s Home Messenger is an article from the Parent Partnership Handbook by Dr. Pat McCormack. The article is about mentoring your children through mantras. Please take a moment to read the article and consider ways in which your children, regardless of age, can use family mantras to set goals for themselves.

I would like to thank Mrs. Lomasto and the third grade class for leading the All Saints Mass this morning. The students worked hard to research the saints and present information about their lives to the congregation. Thank you for a beautiful Mass!

Have a great week!

Ms. Olivia Carrillo

Important Dates:
• November 11 – No School: VETERANS DAY
• November 13 – End of Trimester I
• November 15 – 6th grade school sponsored Mass
• November 19 – Blessing of the food for St. Columbkille (more info. to follow)

Parent-Teacher Conferences
Parent-teacher conferences for grades K-8 will be held from November 23-25.
Please call or visit the school office to sign up for a conference with your child’s homeroom teacher. Preschool parent-teacher conferences will begin on Friday, November 20 and will end on Tuesday, November 24. Please make arrangements for your conferences at the preschool office.

Picture Day Make-Up
If your child was absent on picture day, he/she will be able to take make-up pictures on Thursday, November 19. Please note that this make-up day is only for students who missed picture day and not for re-taking photos. If you are interested in having your school photos re-taken, you may schedule an appointment at Bronson Photography (818-249-5864).

7th and 8th Girls’ Basketball
CYO registration for the 7th and 8th grade basketball season is due this Friday. We cannot register a team unless we have a committed coach for the season. The coach will need to be Virtus trained, fingerprinted, complete a TB test, and participate in CYO training prior to beginning practices. If you are interested in coaching the 7th and 8th grade girls in basketball beginning December/January, please contact Veronica Ferrer at veronicaminc@sbcglobal.net. Head coaches receive 40 participation hours.

Participation Hours Update
Enclosed you will find the first participation hours update. Please note the hours listed reflects work completed from June 1, 2009 - October 23, 2009. If you have not yet submitted your yellow slips for this period, please send them to the school office. If your records do not reconcile with ours, please send inquiries via home messenger or to jrconde@sbcglobal.net. Thank you for your continued support and commitment.

Swim Team News
The Incarnation Eagle Swim Team finished up a great season with their Championship Meet on Sunday.Our swimmers improved a lot individually and as a team. The following swimmers earned medals and points for the team: Ryan B, Madison C, Gabriela C, Celine C, Rose C, Sophia F, Paloma L, Sebastian M, Valentin M, Matteo M, Audrey M, Matthew R, Fiona R, Golddy S and Olivia S.

Our 6 and under relay team of Quinn R, Audrey M, Nicolas D, and Megan S scored 14 points for the team. Also, the 11-12 Relay Team of Sophia F, Paloma L, Sebastian M and Amanda V scored 14 points also for the team. Congratulations to Matthew R who won a 5th place trophy for overall high points in the 13 boys category. Congratulations to all the swimmers for a very strong season

Family Messenger October 27, 2009

2009-10-27T14:02:00.000-07:00

Eternal God,
We give you thanks for your saints.
May we learn from their example
and praise you through our words and actions.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

A Message from the Principal
With Halloween just days away, there is much excitement in the air! The students are excited about the costume parade and parties on this fun-filled day. It is important to remember, however, that Halloween is part of the celebration of a Catholic feast day. Halloween, or All Hallows Even, is the eve of All Saints which is celebrated on November 1. On the Solemnity of All Saints, we celebrate all saints in heaven who pray for us and encourage us through their lives.

On Tuesday, November 3rd at 8:30 a.m., Mrs. Lomasto and the third grade class will lead the All School Mass in celebration of All Saints Day. Each student will be dressed as a saint and will briefly present some information about that saint. You are invited to join us for this special Mass.

Sincerely,
Ms. Olivia Carrillo

Important Dates
• October 28 – 2nd grade bake sale
8th grade retreat
• October 29 – Preschool and kindergarten field trip
• October 30 – Halloween festivities
• November 2 – No School: WASC DAY
• November 11 – No School: VETERANS DAY

Parent-Teacher Conferences
Beginning next week, parents will be able to sign up for parent-teacher conferences to be held November 23-25.

Incarnation Community Center Grand Opening
You are invited to join the Incarnation community in celebration of the grand opening of the Incarnation Community Center on Sunday, November 15. There will be a stewardship fair from 8:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Please join us for a day of fun!

Halloween
Parents and guests are invited to our annual Halloween Parade which will be held on Friday, October 30 at 12:45 p.m. Class parties to follow. On this day, students may come to school dressed in costume, provided that the costume meets the guidelines distributed last week. Any student who is inappropriately dressed (as determined by school personnel) will be asked to change. It is recommended that students bring their uniforms to school on this day in case they are required to change out of their costume.

Coaches Needed!
The spring sports season is a few months away, but we are looking for volunteers to coach the girls’ A and B basketball teams. Coaches need to be Virtus trained and fingerprinted, have a TB test on file in the office, and complete CYO training. Coaches will receive 40 participation hours! If you are available after school for games and practices and can give of your time and talent in this way, please contact Veronica Ferrer at veronicaminc@sbcglobal.net.

Library News
Looking for family participation hours???
Mrs. Hihn needs help planning a program and advertising the Barnes & Noble Book Fair at the Amerciana on Saturday December 5, 2009. Barnes & Noble has provided us with sample advertising pages to adapt to our needs. Also we would like to schedule a program with a holiday theme for that day. Please contact Mrs. Hihn at nhihn@incaschool.org if you can help.

Family Messenger October 13, 2009

2009-10-19T11:33:00.000-07:00

Dear God,
Send your Holy Spirit daily to lead and guide us.
Help us to grow in wisdom, in grace and knowledge,
in kindness, compassion and love.
May we serve you faithfully with our whole hearts devoted to you.
May we discover the joy of your presence
through our relationship with your Son, Jesus.
Amen.

A Message from the Principal
Yesterday, Incarnation’s faculty and staff joined other Catholic elementary schools in the San Fernando Region for an all day workshop at Bishop Alemany High School. The workshop was presented by Dr. Debra Pickering and was titled “Effective Teaching and Effective Learning.” It was a great workshop with lots of opportunity for collegial conversations about student learning. These professional development days help us return to the classroom with validation of what we do and with new ideas and food for thought for improving our practices.

Autumn weather is now here, and with that comes the start of the cold and flu season. To help prevent the spread of colds and flu, please keep your child home if he/she exhibits any of the following symptoms: cough, stuffy nose, sore throat, fever, vomiting. If your child does display any of these symptoms while at school, his/her teacher may request that your child is sent home. Please remember that if your child does have a fever, he/she needs to be fever-free (without the use of a fever reducer) for 24 hours BEFORE they can return to school. Thank you for your cooperation.

May your week be blessed!

Ms. Olivia Carrillo

Important Dates
• October 22 – High School Night
• October 26 – WASC Day – Noon dismissal/ASP available

Incarnation Pictorial Directory
We are still encouraging families to sign up for the pictorial directory. To schedule an appointment for October, please follow the link on the church website (www.incaglendale.org) or call 800-845-1157.

Coaches Needed!
The spring sports season is a few months away, but we are looking for volunteers to coach the 4th-6th boys’ and girls’ basketball teams and 7th-8th girls’ basketball team. Coaches need to be Virtus trained and fingerprinted, have a TB test on file in the office, and complete CYO training. Coaches will receive 40 participation hours! If you are available after school for games and practices and can give of your time and talent in this way, please contact Veronica Ferrer at veronicaminc@sbcglobal.net.

High School Night
Attention 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students and parents! On Thursday, October 22, Incarnation School will host its annual High School Night. Come and meet students and representatives from local Catholic high schools and learn about the admissions process. Schools that have confirmed their attendance are Alverno, Bellarmine Jefferson, Bishop Alemany, Flintridge Sacred Heart, Holy Family, Immaculate Heart, Loyola, Mayfield, Notre Dame, Providence, Ramona Convent, Sacred Heart, and St. Francis. The auditorium will be open from 6:30 – 8:00 p.m.

Family Messenger, October 6, 2009

2009-10-07T19:13:00.000-07:00

God of wisdom,
You continue to speak to us. Teach us to listen to your voice.
Free us from the many distractions that make it hard for us to hear you.
Help us to recognize the sound of your voice.
Amen.

A Message from the Principal
ITBS testing and make-up testing continue this week. We anticipate receiving score reports in time for parent-teacher conferences next month.

With October now in swing, many of the students are excited about Halloween. With this excitement approaching it is sometimes difficult to stop and take time to think and pray for others in need. Recently, people of the Philippines, Indonesia, and Samoa were affected by natural disasters. Please take time to pray with your children for all those in need and give thanks for all that we are blessed with.

This month, we celebrate Our Lady of the Rosary. When we pick up a rosary, it is as if Mary holds us by the hand and takes us to the throne of her Son in heaven, where we can see, through her eyes, his amazing light. Consider taking some time to pray the rosary as a family!

May your week be blessed!

Ms. Olivia Carrillo

Important Dates.
• October 8 – Picture Day/Student Council Bake Sale
• October 9 – Progress Reports
• October 11 – 7th Grade School Sponsored Mass
• October 12 – No School/No ASP: Faculty In-Service
• October 13 – All School Mass

Preschool News
Our preschool now has a 2 and 3-day option (half day or full day) available. If you would like more information about the various options, please contact Mrs. Muscarella at 818-241-2264.

Thank You
We give special thanks to the third grade class, Mrs. Lomasto, and Fr. Paul for the leading the blessing of the animals last week.

A Note about Morning Drop-Off
The morning carpool gates open at 7:00 a.m. If your child is in morning care or early morning math between 7:00 and 7:30, please enter through the gate on Dryden. Students should not be dropped off in the church parking lot. The black side gate will not open until afternoon carpool has ended. Thank you for your cooperation.

Scrip Tip
Updated forms on in the home messenger today. On Hand form has added Pinkberry $10 (5%) and Cheesecake Factory $25 (5%). KFC profit has been reduced to 8%. On the Special Order form, Guitar Center $25 (4%) and Dell Computer $100 (4%) have been added. Spa Finder increased their profit to 12%. It's never to early to start thinking of all your holiday needs. We're here to help.

Girl Scout Troop Leaders Needed
We are looking for volunteers to form/lead troops for 2nd grade and 5th grade. If interested, please contact Erin Sanchez via email at erinrobert@roadrunner.com or by phone at 818-521-5697.

Coaches Needed!
The spring sports season is a few months away, but we are looking for volunteers to coach the 4th-6th boys’ and girls’ basketball teams and 7th-8th girls’ basketball team. Coaches need to be Virtus trained and fingerprinted, have a TB test on file in the office, and complete CYO training. Coaches will receive 40 participation hours! If you are available after school for games and practices and can give of your time and talent in this way, please contact Veronica Ferrer at veronicaminc@sbcglobal.net.

Upcoming VIRTUS Training Sessions
• Sunday, October 11 at 6:00 p.m. - St. Mel Church (Woodland Hills)
• Monday, October 12 at 6:30 p.m. - St. Mel Church (Woodland Hills)

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.

Library News from Mrs. Hihn
Thank you to everyone who supported the Scholastic Book Fair! Scholastic allows us to split our profit into books and cash. The library was able to buy 65 new books from the fair and we have $1,011.06 in cash to spend on library bound books from other vendors!

Our next book fair will be at Barnes and Noble at the Americana on Saturday, December 5, 2009. Our school earns 20% of all sales on that day with Incarnation vouchers, which we will provide. So, please keep this date in mind when you are shopping for Christmas gifts. We can also use our Barnes and Noble scrip for all purchases, so the school earns money on the scrip and store sales too.

Finally, the library welcomes donations of all gently used books for our book collection, so when you are cleaning out your bookshelves, please make a box for Incarnation and drop it off at the office.

Swim Team News
Incarnation Swim Team did very well on their second meet this past Sunday. Our swimmers are getting stronger, faster and are improving their times with every meet. We had two freestyle relay teams and three medley relay teams who did an awesome job. The team won twenty seven medals adding extra points to the team's total score. Congratulations to medal winners, Javier A, Ryan B, Madison C, Sydney C, Gabriela C, Maria C, Celine C, Emmelene G, Sebastian M, Valentin M, Matteo M, Mila M, Amanda P, Matthew R, Fiona R, Golddy S, Olivia S, Megan S and Amanda V. A BIG thank you to all the parents who volunteered with timing and setting up canopies.

Family Messenger, September 29, 2009

2009-10-01T10:03:00.000-07:00

God our Father,
You are always trying to speak to us.
We thank you for sending us angels with your messages.
Help us to be alert for them and for all they ways you touch us.
We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

A Message from the Principal
Today, students in grades 1-8 began taking the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS). Testing will continue all this week through the beginning of next week. In order for your child(ren) to receive a complete score report, please make sure that he/she is present and on time. All testing will take place before lunch. 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 kindergarten yard. Parents are invited to bring animals directly to the kindergarten yard beginning at 12:45. To minimize distractions during instruction, live animals (regardless of size) will not be allowed in the classrooms. Please make sure that you bring plastic bags to clean up after your pets! If you are unable to bring your animal to school for the blessing, students are encouraged to bring a photo of their pet. After the blessing, students/families with animals will proceed to the carpool area first, followed by all other students. Please be flexible with carpool on this day—it may be necessary for everyone to park and pick up their children.

Thank you and have a great week.

Ms. Olivia Carrillo

Important Dates
-September 29 – October 6 – ITBS Testing
-October 2 – Blessing of the Animals 1:00 p.m.
-October 8– Picture Day grades K-8 (wear full dress uniform); Student Council Bake Sale
-October 9 – Progress Reports go home
-October 12 – No School – Teacher In-Service

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!

Scrip Tip
Good News!! We will now be carrying in On Hand Scrip Pink Berry $10 (5%) and Cheesecake Factory $25 (5%).

For those of you having trouble signing up your Ralphs cards, please see the step-by-step instructions from Ralphs in the home messenger. Signing up friends, neighbors, and family members, are a great way to help increase our profits. If you sign up any additional people, please send me an email so that I can be sure to give you the credit.

Census 2009
Incarnation School will be completing the annual census. Enclosed is a questionnaire that will help us provide accurate responses about our student population. Please complete one form per child and return no later than tomorrow, September 30. Students who return this questionnaire by tomorrow will receive a free dress pass to be used at a later date. Thank you for your assistance!

Upcoming VIRTUS Training Sessions
-Recertification Classes – (must have attended 3hr. class in 2004-2005 to attend)
-9/30 @ 9:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. - St. Mel (Woodland Hills)
-9/30 @ 7:00 p.m. – Our Lady of Lourdes (Tujunga)

-Virtus Classes
-9/30 @ 6:30 p.m. - St. Ignatius of Loyola (Los Angeles)
-10/3 @ 9:00 a.m. – Our Lady of Lourdes (Tujunga)
-10/4 @ 12:30 p.m. – St. Mel (Woodland Hills)

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.

SELLABRATION 2009 – Sat, October 3
The National Charity League, Inc. Glendale Chapter is holding their annual GIANT RUMMAGE SALE is being held at a new location this year: The Pacific Community Center, 501 S. Pacific Ave., Glendale, from 8 a.m. to 2 a.m. This is a cash only sale benefits Twelve Oaks Lodge, the YMCA, the Salvation Army and provides scholarships to local students.
Hope to see you there!

Family Messenger, September 15, 2009

2009-09-17T16:03:00.000-07:00

Notes from the Principal

Thank you to all parents who were able to attend the General PTO Meeting last night. Over the next two weeks, you will have the opportunity to meet your child(ren)’s teachers at Back to School Night. This Thursday, September 17 is Back to School Night for parents of students in grades 6-8. You will follow a rotating schedule just as your children do. Meet in your child’s homeroom class beginning at 6:30 p.m. Back to School Night for parents of students in grades K-5 will be held next Thursday, September 24 at 6:30 p.m. and will be conducted in two 20-minute sessions (6:30 – 6:50 and 7:00 – 7:20). This is an opportunity to familiarize yourself with the classroom policies, procedures, and expectations. We look forward to beginning the home-school partnership with you, the primary educator.

I hope to you many of you this weekend at our annual Back to School Hop. Please join us for the opening of our Book Fair, delicious food (catered by Tommy’s Burgers), games, and fun! Special thanks to Mrs. Rosie Alonso and Mrs. Lisa Dumansky for planning this special community building event.

Last year, our school families participated in a wristband fundraiser for Jaylon Fong, a 3rd grade student at St. Stephen School who was diagnosed with Leukemia. Below you will find an update from Jay’s family.

May you have a blessed week!

Ms. Olivia Carrillo

Important Dates
• September 17 - Back to School Night 6:30 p.m.(Grades 6-8)
• September 19 – Back to School/Hop ~Book Fair 3:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.- Please join us!
• September 24 – Back to School Night 6:30 p.m. (Grades K-5)

Hello Week
The Student Council planned several activities for “Hello Week” last week. Students enjoyed the activities including a scavenger hunt and poster contest. Winners of the poster contest were 5th grade (2nd place) and 2nd grade (1st place). Student Council also led the All School Mass today. Thank you, Student Council, for a great start to the school year!

The Scholastic Book Fair is Coming! The book fair opens on Saturday, Sept. 19th at the Back to School Hop. It will also be open after Mass on Sunday Sept. 20th from 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. and next week at recess, lunch and after school. Look for us in the auditorium!

Parent-Student Handbook and Emergency Cards
Please remember to turn in your Parent/Student Policies Agreement Form (p. 54 in Parent-Student Handbook) and two (2) emergency cards to the school office. We must have this information on file for all families.

SCRIP Tip
Your Scrip envelope should be with your home messenger today. If you don't receive it, please contact us ASAP incascrip@gmail.com. Remember you must sign up your Ralphs and Vons cards every year. As of Sept. 14th, we only had 10 families signed up. To renew with Ralphs, go to www.raphs.com and search community contribution. To renew with Vons, go to www.escrip.com. Questions? We're here to help with all of it. Stop by the Scrip table Mon-Fri 7:45-8:30am, email to incascrip@gmail.com, or call Jennifer Bunt 818-240-7155.

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.

Swim Team News:
The INCA Swim team is off to a great start. On Sunday the team competed in the first meet of the season at St. Frances de Sales. The team took home twenty five medals! Congratulations to Madison Cahill, Sydney Cahill, Emmelene Guzon, Sophia Ferrer, Paloma Lugo, Sebastian Medina, Matteo Mendoza, Mila Mendoza, Amanda Perez, Matthew Reyes, Fiona Riley, Quinn Riley, Golddy Saldana, Javier Saldana, Olivia Shaw and Megan Spensiero for winning medals. The team also participated in six free style relays, adding 67 points to the team's overall score. Thank you to all swim parents and Coach Brandi who volunteered on such a hot day!

A Message from the Fong Family
Dear Incarnation Students, Teachers, Parents, and Family,
We are writing this letter to give you an update on Jaylon Fong. Overall Jaylon is doing well in his recovery. He is now in the maintenance phase of his chemotherapy. The summer was a very intense time for him as he endured the most difficult phases of his treatment. Although he lost his hair and was weakened during that time, he never lost his spirit. He will still have another 2 ½ years of treatment which would make him 11 years old when it is done. With Jaylon's Wristband Fundraiser, we were able to make contributions to the City of Hope, ThinkCure, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and CureSearch. Jaylon is back in school this fall at St. Stephen's and continues his monthly visits to the City of Hope. Please visit jaylonfong.blogspot.com for updates, pictures, and news about Jaylon. Thank you all again for the prayers, support, and donations.

Sincerely,
The Fong Family
September 6, 2009

Family Home Messenger, September 1, 2009

2009-09-01T16:05:00.000-07:00

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.

September 1, 2009

A Message from the Principal
On behalf of the faculty and staff of Incarnation school, we welcome you to the 2009-2010 academic year!
As a new school year begins, out come the backpacks, the books, and new school supplies all ready for the learning that lies ahead. For our students, it’s a time of anticipation of the beginning of a new adventure. It is also a year of anticipation for the faculty and staff. After months of and hard work, we continue to prepare to for our WASC/WCEA accreditation visit in February 2010. We look forward to working with you and hope that our students and their parents share our enthusiasm as we begin and prepare for the exciting school year ahead.

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 in familiarizing 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. As part of your enrollment agreement, we require all families to sign and return the Policies Agreement Form no later than Friday, September 11.

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. 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

Welcome Back, Father Paul!
We are delighted to welcome Fr. Paul back full time! We would also like to thank Fr. Tom for his presence while Fr. Paul was away.

Important Dates
• September 2- 4 – Noon Dismissal (all grades)
• September 4 – Deadline to submit Emergency Cards; Please submit 2 cards
• September 7 – No School – Labor Day
• September 8 - First Day of School for Preschool and Kindergarten
• September 19 – Back to School Hop

09-10 Calendar Changes
In order to make up for the postponement of the opening of school, we have made some changes to the WASC In-Service dates in our 09-10 calendar. Rather than take 3 full days as originally planned, we are taking 2 full days and 2 half days. Our last day of school will still be June 11. Please note the following changes:
• Monday, September 28 – WASC In-Service Day: No School
• Monday, October 26 – WASC Day: Noon Dismissal
• Monday, November 2 – WASC In-Service Day: No School
• Monday, January 11 – WASC Day: Noon Dismissal

After School Program
ASP begins this week from noon to 6:00 p.m. Please note that all school rules and policies remain in effect for ASP. If your child will be in ASP, please make sure he/she brings lunch this week.

Hot Lunch Program
Order forms for hot lunch beginning on Tuesday, 9/8 through Friday, 9/11 are enclosed. Please turn in orders with payment no later than Friday, 9/4. Hot lunch must be ordered in advance.

Visitors to Campus
All visitors to campus, regardless of the nature or length of the visit, must check in at the front office to obtain a name tag/visitor’s badge which must be worn at all times while on campus. Thank you for your cooperation.

Swim Team News
The Swim Team is holding an organizational meeting on Thursday evening at 7 p.m. in the school auditorium. All participating and interested families need to attend. At this meeting we will be discussing the new pool for our meets and the meet dates and times as well as other important info. In addition, we will be collecting the $50 per child registration fee at this meeting which is used to pay for the pool rental and coach fees. We have been practicing during the month of August and everyone is really improving!!! We look forward to seeing you then!
--Laura Fabian Medina and Juliet Mazza Mendoza, Swim Team Co-chairs

2009-2010 Faculty/Staff
K: Mrs. Neumeier and Sr. Doris
Science: Mrs. Salazar
1st: Mrs. Girskis and Mrs. Rueff
Computer: Mrs. Theiring
2nd: Mr. Tiu and Ms. Berganza
Physical Ed.: Mr. Brienco
3rd: Mrs. Lomasto and Mrs. Suarez
Music: Mr. Yraola
4th: Ms. Rickert and Mr. Huizar
Art: Mrs. Cuevas
5th: Ms. Marriott and Ms. Castillo
Library: Mrs. Hihn
6th: Mrs. O’Sullivan
Secretary: Mrs. Rodela
7th: Mr. Sanchez
Bookkeeper: Mrs. Fenton
8th: Ms. Rodriguez
Health Room: Mrs. Reiner
Jr. High Math: Ms. Hong
ASP: Ms. Louiza, Ms. Sofiya, and Mr. Haik

Family Messenger, June 9, 2009

2009-06-09T17:45:00.000-07:00

Lord,
We have spent this year listening closely to your words
and to the words of your prophets and saints.
May your law of love sink into us and rule us so
that in joy we will give our thankful hearts to you completely.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

A Message from the Principal
As we enter the summer months, it is important to remind students that learning does not stop. Research shows that independent reading, even as little as 20 minutes per day, will help students maintain or increase reading achievement. Learning can continue whether or not a child attends summer school. I want to thank you for all your help and support this year. All of us at Incarnation School wish you and your family the best for a healthy, happy, safe summer.

God Bless,

Ms. Olivia Carrillo

Important Dates
• 6/11 – Kindergarten Culmination 9:00 a.m.
• 6/12 – Last Day of School
o Awards Assembly 10:00
o Noon Dismissal – NO ASP
Final Awards Assembly
Please join us for our last awards assembly on Friday, June 12 at 10:00 a.m. in the auditorium.

No ASP on June 12
There will be no ASP on the last day of school. Please pick up your children promptly at noon!
The school office will close at 12:30 p.m. on Friday.

Summer Office Hours
Monday, June 15 – Thursday, June 25 8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. *
Friday, June 26 8:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.*
June 29 – July 31 School office closed
August 3 – August 28 8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.*
*closed for lunch between 12:00 – 12:30

Incarnation Preschool
We are now accepting applications for our preschool for fall 2009 enrollment. If you are interested in registering, please pick up a packet from the school office. The preschool is open for children ages 3-5. We can accommodate 30 students, and registrations will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.

Spring Concert DVDs
The Spring Concert DVDs are now available for pick up from the school office.

Farewell to Teachers/Staff
This is the time of year that we bid farewell to some of our staff members. With much gratitude, we say goodbye to:
Mrs. Olivia Weber (grade 2 assistant)
Ms. Monique Ohanessian (grade 5)
Ms. Janis Massey (music)

Please keep them all in your prayers, especially Ms. Ohanessian and Mrs. Weber as they will be moving out of state this summer. We wish them all the best in their future endeavors.

2009-2010 Faculty/Staff List
Kindergarten Teacher: Mrs. Neumeier
Grade 1 Teacher/Vice Principal: Mrs. Girskis
Grade 2 Teacher: Mr. Tiu
Grade 3 Teacher: Mrs. Lomasto
Grade 4 Teacher: Ms. Rickert
Grade 5 Teacher: TBD
Grade 6 Homeroom; 6/7 Language Arts; 6 Religion: Mrs. O’Sullivan
Grade 7 Homeroom; 6-8 Math; 7/8 Religion: Mr. Sanchez
Grade 8 Homeroom; 6-8 Social Studies; 8 Language Arts: Mrs. Rodriguez
Junior High Math: Ms. Hong
K-8 Science: Mrs. Salazar
K-8 Computer: Mrs. Theiring
K-8 Art: Mrs. Cuevas
K-8 P.E.: Mr. Briceno
K-8 Music: TBD
Library: Mrs. Hihn
Health Coordinator: Mrs. Reiner
Secretary: Mrs. Rodela
Business Office: Mrs. Fenton
ASP: Ms. Louiza, Ms. Sofiya, and Mr. Haik
Instructional Assistant: Sr. Doris
Instructional Assistant: Mrs. Rueff
Instructional Assistant: Ms. Berganza
Instructional Assistant: Mr. Huizar
Instructional Assistant: Ms. Castillo
Instructional Assistant: Ms. DeAnda

Business Office
Reminder: all balances must be paid in full by Friday, June 12, 2009. The only exceptions are the invoices mailed on June 12 which are due by Friday, June 19, 2009. Please call Mrs. Fenton if you have any questions or need assistance. Thanks!

Scrip Tip
If you still have your plastic envelope, please send it the office. We will recycle them for next year. Each one that is returned saves us $1.25. Don't for to use scrip for Dads (Father's Day), Grads (Graduations), and Teacher's thank you gifts. .Summer Sales will happen on Sundays 8:30 - 12:00 noon. All sales will earn profits towards the 2009-2010 school year.
Thanks again for a very successful year. Let's all work together to make next year even more successful.

Child ID Cards
Child ID cards are expected to be delivered tomorrow.

Fingerprinting Day
Incarnation Church is hosting a fingerprinting day on Saturday, July 11 in room B102 (next to ASP room). To schedule an appointment, please call 818-242-2579. Please remember to retain a copy of the Livescan form to submit to the school office in August or September.

Virtus Training
Please remember that Virtus training is a requirement for all parents for the 2009-2010 school year. See below for upcoming trainings in the San Fernando Valley. Additional trainings in the surrounding area can be found at www.virtus.org.
Thursday, June 11, 6:30 p.m. – St. James the Less (818) 248-3422
Saturday, June 13, 1:00 p.m. - Sacred Heart, Lancaster (661) 209- 1504
Saturday, August 22, 9:00 am. and 1:00 p.m. – Incarnation School

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL - MONDAY, AUGUST 31, 2009