September Cathedral Kids Messages

September 27, 2007

Dear parents,

A few things you should be aware of:

1) Next Thursday, at 2:40, we will have the annual blessing of the pets in the lower parking lot.  If you are new to this tradition, parents may bring in a family pet, and one of our deacons will offer a blessing for it.

2) Orders for the McDonald's cookies are flying in.  Word has gotten out about the high-quality of these cookies, and as the 2nd is our last day to take pre-orders, I wanted to remind you to get yours in.  We will send home another form in the Friday folders.  ALSO:  We will need volunteers to help us sort these cookies when they come in on the 9th.  E-mail back if you can help.

3) The parent who otherwise takes care of the soup labels for our school is no longer able to, and we need a volunteer who would be willing to help with this very valuable activity.  Please contact me if you are able to help.

4) Remember that the first in the faith study talks with Fr. Shetler and me will be this Sunday at 6:30 in the Undercroft.  I promise you'll find it worthwhile.

5) Two new dates that didn't make it into our earlier e-newsletter:  

October 18th       4:45 volleyball and cross country pictures to be taken.

March 11th         5:30 basketball and cheer

6) We will be reminding the students today that they should not have cell phones in operation at school.  Please reinforce this message at home.

7) Reminder to all programs that afterschool care is until 4:00 and this group has use of the gym until then.  In addition, students are not to be left unsupervised between the end of the school day and sports activities.

-Spencer Allen

September 24, 2007

Contents:

• Welcome


• Cathedral Parents


• McTeacher’s Night


• Dress-code


• Important Notes


• Upcoming Events

Welcome

Dear Parents and Parishioners,

First off, welcome to the twenty or so new subscribers to this list.  Thank you for joining.  Please feel free to forward this e-mail to anyone who would be interested in the events of the school or who has a vested interested in the education of your child, such as grandparents.

Last week (when it was still technically summer), I wrote about how fall-like it had become outside.  As of yesterday, autumn has officially started.  The poet John Keats calls it the “season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,” and thought we’ve had a few warmer days over the last week, as I went out to recess today, I could feel that we’re finally (perhaps officially) transitioning into yellow leaves and carved pumpkins.

Next week we will do our standardized testing in the mornings.  Help us to get an accurate reading of what the students know by emphasizing a good night’s sleep and a good breakfast.  The testing is a very important part of our goal to constantly improve the educational quality of our school.  Our results allow teachers to pin-point specific skills that need to be improved and to develop strategies for addressing them.

Also, I don’t know how many of you had a chance to stop by Memorial Park to see the chalk art that our students did, along with students from other area schools.  I will admit that I was blown away by the talent in these young men and women.  Amazing!  As soon as they are available, pictures of these works will appear on the website.  In addition, they may still be visible at the park since there hasn’t been rain over the weekend.

Finally, I’ve posted a poll on the website seeking your vote on a name for the baseball field.  These names are student-generated.  We will decide the final choice by taking into consideration your results on the poll, the vote of the staff, and the vote of the students.  You can vote for your favorite here.

-Spencer Allen

September 17, 2007

Contents:

• Welcome


• Cathedral Parents


• McTeacher’s Night


• Stewardship Goal


• School Mid-Term Report


• Upcoming Events

Welcome

Dear Parents and Parishioners,

Last night, my family and I sat outside and started a fire in the pit I built alongside our patio.  Fall doesn’t officially begin until this Sunday, but one wouldn’t know it last evening.  The autumnal cool and the smell of smoldering firewood officially chased summer out of my system.

Fall, with its colored leaves and ripened fruit, is a symbol of old age in poetry.  The hiker in the Robert Frost poem, after all, doesn’t have the luxury of second chances when the two roads diverge in the yellow wood (By the way, if you remember that poem as a positive one, you might want to take another look).

For educators and students, though, the season has a completely different feel.  As we crawl from the overbearing heat of summer, autumn marks a new beginning.  By the time the seasons officially change, enough weeks of school have passed to build up a momentum powered by anticipation and potential.  In a school, everything is fresh and new in autumn.

As we have reached a mid-term point for the first quarter, a later section in this e-newsletter contains a “progress report” for the school so far, to keep you informed of the actual momentum we’ve build.  Much of this is possible because of your support.  Together, the school and parish communities make a great team.

-Spencer Allen

Principal

St. Joseph Cathedral School

Ps. As you will see below, picture day is on Friday the 21st, not Thursday the 20th, as I mentioned in last week’s e-newsletter.  There was a miscommunication in the information we originally received from the photographer.  Remember that picture day is a “dress-up” day.

Cathedral Parents

The last several weeks Cathedral Parents has focused on the authority of the church, from our rejection of a Scripture alone foundation to the role of the Magisterium and the infallibility of the Pope.

This week we will have an intermission before moving into “Salvation”.  In the meantime, I want to make a plug for the adult faith formation group that Fr. Shetler and I are preparing for Sunday, September 30th at 6:30 in the Undercroft (the basement of the Cathedral Church).  We are very excited about this series, which will take place (roughly) every other Sunday.  Fr. Shetler will discuss the deeper theology, and I will cover the basic tools for defending and explaining these teachings to others, including your children.  This is a great way to empower yourself to make use of the graces that God has given you, as parents of these bright young men and women, to bring them into Christ.  I can promise that you will enjoy these presentations and leave each one having learned a number of useful and insightful things.

In the meantime, I thought I would link you to a fun quiz that I had the staff take on the first in-service of the school year.  The World’s Toughest Catholic Quiz is online in an archive of This Rock magazine (click here).  If you feel up to it, you can then visit our poll page on the webpage to record your score (anonymously, of course).  I think this is a great way for us to remember what our kids are experiencing right now as they get back into the routine of tests and quizzes.

McTeacher’s Night

On October the 9th, our school is having a McTeacher’s Night at the McDonald’s near Orscheln’s on Missouri Blvd.  Stop by from 4-8 in the evening (and bring people with you), and profits during that time to directly to the school.  Apparently, the Cathedral school holds the record for this event, and I’m confident we can pass that up.

This year McDonald’s has added another component to this evening, which is the sale of their freshly-baked chocolate chip cookies.  In some areas, these cookie sales have actually surpassed what is collected from the actual menu sales.  The cookies will be presold at school, and your child will have a form if you are interested.

The money is tentatively earmarked for technology and curricula work.

Stewardship Goal

As I type this, I’m dressed as a giant rooster – Reggie the Rooster, to be exact.  If you remember, this was the stewardship challenge from the kindergarteners.  If the parish met its stewardship goal for August, I promised to dress as Reggie when they reached the letter “R” in their alphabet study.

For September, the challenge comes from the 1st graders.  If we meet our goal during this month, the kids get to take aim with whipped-cream pies.  Unfortunately, the month started out a bit rough.  While our collections for week two passed the goal by nearly two-thousand dollars, the first week was rather low.  Not only was this a holiday weekend, but a Mass at the high school pulled many of us from the pews at the parish churches.  To meet our September goal, we need to continue to exceed the weekly goals by around two-and-a-half thousand a week.  Given what went into the collection plate last weekend, this is very possible.  Keep up the good work, and let’s meet that September goal.

I love pie!

School Mid-Term Report

We are off to a great start this year.  As I’ve mentioned several times before, the staff of this school act as nothing more than as your servants in raising your sons and daughters as disciples of Christ.  To that end, I hope to make these reports at quarter and mid-quarter points throughout the year.  Below you will see what we have accomplished or are working on in various areas of the school:

Spirit and Atmosphere

Tightened passing time and dismissal procedures to keep your kids safe and protect the learning environment

A newly decorate lobby/office area (special thanks to the work of the Home and School committee)

Improved classroom atmosphere, with an evaluation of Catholicity in each room

Development of a “spirit” committee to look at ways to improve the feel inside the school

Handbook

Revision of the faculty handbook for clarity, organization, and conciseness

Budget

Development of a spreadsheet to display budget activity to parish organizations

Research into various grants to improve various areas of school, such as technology

Communication

Weekly e-newsletter to all parents, including a polling feature to allow input from all parishioners and parents

Revision of our website update procedures to allow updates to happen more efficiently

Voicemail system set up as of Wednesday of this week (thanks to Home and School)

Curricula

A powerful start to our k-8 overhaul of the religion curriculum in order to help students to more effectively know and defend their faith

The preliminary work for a tightening and strengthening of the junior high academic programs

Safety

Safety glass installed in the front doors of our lobby

Security system in place by the end of September for front doors of lobby

Repair of the emergency alarm system

Evaluation of our drills and the addition of new drills to address a wider range of situations

Registration at a website for emergency personnel to better understand the layout and procedures at our school

The beginning development of a crisis “flip-chart” to allow for all adults to effectively respond to a crisis drill or situation

Adult Education

E-newsletter “Cathedral Parents” section gives resources for

Adult formation classes

Teacher Evaluation

Weekly visits from administration to each classroom (at least once weekly)

Transfer of standardized test data to chart/graph format for teacher development goals

Visibility

Frequent administrator visibility at extra-curricular events

Administration frequently visiting classrooms and participating in lessons with the students

Fr. Shetler set to regularly visit classrooms every Tuesday

Administrator visit to each child on his/her birthday

Student development

Quarter "retreats" coordinated (along with Home and School enrichment committee) to provide enrichment formation throughout the year

Upcoming Events

• 9/21 School Pictures (Dress-Up Day)


• 9/22 Volleyball in school gym from 9 a.m. until 1:00


• 9/30 (6:30) Adult formation night in Undercroft


• 10/7 Dedication of the Chancery (with Archbishop Burke)


• 10/9 McTeacher night (4 pm until 8) at McDonald’s next to Orscheln’s

September 13, 2007

Dear Parents,

There seems to be some confusion about tomorrow night's dance.  The official calendar notes that it is a junior high dance, and it is this information I used for my last e-newsletter.  As 6th grade is part of junior high, some have wondered whether or not 6th grade students can attend.  This dance, in particular, is open only to 7th and 8th grade students.  I apologize for the confusion and have asked that there be some clarification made on the calendars for future months, which will also correct the problem when I use that information in my Cathedral Kids notices.  I also know the 6th grade students are anxious to be able to attend some of these events, and it is my understanding that there will be such opportunities throughout the year.

One last note - next week, on Thursday the 20th, is our school pictures day.  This is on the calendar, but what it does not specify is that this is also a dress-up day for the photographs.

In Christ,

Spencer Allen

September 11, 2007

Contents:

• Welcome


• Cathedral Parents


• Prayer Intentions


• Dismissal of Students – Lower-Level Pick-Up


• Important Notices


• Upcoming Events

Welcome

Dear Parents and Parishioners,

This week we will begin one of the most exciting parts of our long-term development as a school.  A team of staff members will start the process of revising the curricula of our various academic areas.  The focus for our work this year and this summer will be the religious curriculum, which will provide a nice starting point for the other areas of instruction, as these must all be viewed through the lens of what God has revealed to us.

Our work right now is in the beginning stages, but I can tell you that, as an educator and as someone who works in faith development, I am tremendously excited about the guidelines we are using for this work.  If these guidelines are an indication, our curriculum will have the following improvements:

• An orchestrated and aligned development from kindergarten through 8th grade;


• An approach that teaches our students to successfully defend and explain the faith;


• A basic (grade-level appropriate) foundation for deeper theological study in high school and college;


• A multi-faceted look at various items of doctrine (to help understand them on various levels) taking into account important theological expressions;


• A comprehensive and distinctly Catholic presentation of teachings and practices;


• Alignment with diocesan curriculum and the Catechism of the Catholic Church;


• And yearlong guidelines and assessments to ensure effective instruction is taking place.

There are many more exciting aspects of this plan, most of which cannot be expressed concisely in newsletter form, but I can assure you that, as this curriculum is developed and implemented, it will lead to very powerful growth in our religious instruction.  Look to this newsletter for more information as this work progresses.

-Spencer Allen
Principal
St. Joseph Cathedral School

Cathedral Parents

Over the last few weeks, we have looked at the relationship between Scripture and Tradition.  There is, of course, one more component to this relationship, which is that of the teaching office of the Church, which we call the Magisterium.  This is a complicated topic, which I will treat very lightly in this letter.  As always, I have linked to a more thorough examination of the topic (click here).

The infallibility of the Pope is one of the toughest doctrines for people to understand.  Many, Catholics included, tend to outright reject it.  Most of the time, though, this happens because people misunderstand what infallibility is.  So here is what infallibility is not:

1)      Infallibility is not impeccability.  It doesn’t mean that the Pope cannot sin or that he doesn’t make mistakes.

2)      Infallibility also does not mean that the Pope receives new revelation from God.  Catholics acknowledge that the time of public revelation ended once the apostles had all died.  The Pope isn’t on God’s e-mail list, and to make an infallible proclamation, he still has to rely on much study (of Scripture and Tradition) and much prayer.

Infallibility, in fact, is not some special power given to the Pope.  Rather, it is a restriction placed upon him.  Simply put, God will not let a mere man mess up the Church that Jesus founded.  That makes sense, doesn’t it?  If you were God, wouldn’t you keep man from messing up your church?

So … the definition of infallibility is that, when the Pope (or the bishops in communion with the Pope) speaks on matters of faith and morality, and he speaks in such a way that he intends it to be from his office as pope and binding on all Christians, God will not allow him to teach error.  The Pope is not infallible in matters of baseball game predictions, for instance, and his personal letters to a friend would not be infallible either.

If we chose to reject the idea of infallibility (because it is easier than accepting a particular teaching, such as a male-only priesthood), we have some big problems.  After all, some of the things that the Church has declared infallibly include the inspired table of contents for the Bible, the divinity of Christ, and the nature of the Trinity.  Thus, if we think the Church could be wrong on, say, its opposition to birth control, we are rejecting the same authority which gives us hope of Heaven.  After all, our knowledge of the kingdom of God and how to get there depend on the words of Christ, the preservation of which depend on the infallibility of the Church.

Scripture, by the way, tells us very clearly that Peter and his successors will be given this divine guidance from error.  1 Tim. 3:15 tells us that the Church is the pillar and foundation for truth.  In Matthew 16: 17-19 Peter is promised that what he binds on earth will be bound in Heaven, and what he loosens on earth will be loosed in Heaven.  Luke 10:16 tells us that whoever accepts the leaders of the Church accepts Christ, but whoever rejects them rejects Christ.

This last verse is especially important.  Just as we would end up in deep trouble for rejecting the sheriff’s deputy, we are putting our salvation on the line by ever rejecting those who have been deputed with the authority of Christ to guide us on earth after his ascension into Heaven.

Prayer Intentions

As needed, I’ll add this section of prayer intentions.  Feel free to e-mail me if you have an intention for a future newsletter.  I will not publish names without the actual permission from those individuals.

This week’s intentions:

·         A school family struggling with cancer

·         A school family whose dad was hospitalized for tests

Lower Level Pick-Up

We’ve focused some attention on the lower lot recently as there appear to be some safety concerns there during dismissal times.  Some students are darting right out into the parking lot, where a distracted driver might not see them.  Others are perched on the retaining walls, which poses a couple problems.  For those of you who pick up there, we ask your cooperation as we try to make this process safer and more efficient.

For one, you may have noticed that our students are now being directed to a new waiting area near to the garages underneath the rectory.  This will eliminate the clutter near the door and will allow the students to spread out.

Also, we need to move back to the original design of this plan, which is that a student may not leave this area unless his parent either pulls up or comes to receive him.  Many of you park, which is fine.  We ask that you come and lead your child back to your car so that you can ensure his safety.

Thank you for your cooperation as we look at these minor changes.  The safety of your children is one of our top priorities, and we are always open to suggestions on how to improve this.

Important Updates

• I need to apologize for an error in last week’s newsletter.  The dance on that Friday (9/7) was sponsored by the 8th grade class for field trips and class projects, not the Home and School association.


• If you have a vacuum that is not being used, we would like one upstairs at school for teachers to use in their reading stations.

Upcoming Events

• 9/11 2:00 dismissal from school/dress-down day/EDGE program.


• 9/14 Knights of Columbus Jr. High Dance UC (7:00-10:00 p.m.).


• 9/16 Catechetical Sunday / K of C Breakfast, after Sunday Masses in UC


• 9/17 Girl Scouts 3-5 p.m. UC / Boy Scouts 6:30 UC


• 9/18 Boy Scouts Pack 104 6-8:30 p.m., UC

September 5, 2007

Contents:

• Welcome (and Cathedral Poll)


• SCRIP


• Cathedral Parents


• Important Notices


• Upcoming Events

Welcome

Dear Parents and Parishioners,

Well, we did a great job with Stewardship in August.  The kindergarten students have challenged me to dress up as “Reggie the Rooster” in a couple weeks as they reach the letter “R” in their study of the alphabet.  I’ll probably start the day with an official “cock-a-doodle-doo” over the intercom and keep the costume on for most of the day as I visit classes.

The students recently made birthday cards for Mgsr. Gerard Poelker, who celebrated his 90th birthday on September 1st.  Be sure to remember Mgsr. Poelker in your intentions during family prayer.

Finally, those of you who are newer to the list may not be familiar with our Cathedral Poll, a feature I will use occasionally to get a snap-shot of where many of you stand on issues that the staff or school board are considering.  For instance, in a few days, the students will have a contest to name the baseball field (you can help your child start thinking about this now).  I will put the top five or six choices in a poll and let the winner be selected through your vote.  For now, however, so you can experience the poll, stop by the school website (click here) and let Fr. Shelter and me know which area of faith study you are most interested in for our work in that area.

-Spencer Allen
Principal
St. Joseph Cathedral School

SCRIP

At Welcome Back Sunday, I made a challenge to the parish to increase our financial support of the school. One way you can do this is through participating in the SCRIP program. This is a great way to raise money because it costs you nothing.

I’d like to thank those who have made this program a success. Without this program Home and School could not afford to purchase many of the items that are used to enhance your children’s education. For those who don’t participate, I’m asking you to give it a try.

If you have any questions about how the SCRIP program can work for you, contact Bonnie in the school office. She is here to help. Administering the SCRIP program is one of her regular duties. Bonnie is the number one asset to the SCRIP program and she is committed to making it work. Now all we need is you.

Cathedral Parents

This week we will finish our study of revelation.  As we’ve learned, Christianity is not meant to be built on the Bible alone.  This is of tremendous importance for a couple of reasons.  For one, Catholics are often wrongly criticized by not going by the Bible alone, when it turns out that Christ never intended that for his Church. 

Secondly, a “Bible alone” approach has several problems:

1. What did people use before the invention of the printing press, when a personal copy of the Bible could cost (if we adjusted for inflation and currency) the equivalent of $100,000 or more?


2. The Bible was not compiled and officially recognized in its present form until a couple centuries after Christ, when the Catholic Church decided the canon at the Synod of Rome (382 a.d.) and the councils of Hippo and Carthage shortly after that.  A Bible-only approach was impossible before then.


3. Going by the Bible alone leads to confusion.  Many groups who claim to go by the Bible and guidance of the Holy Spirit disagree sharply with one another, as any casual glance at the religion section in the yellow pages can attest.  Christ prayed that we would be united as one (John 17), but a Bible-only approach has shattered Christianity into thousands of pieces.


4. A Bible-only approach leaves one with an impossible task when trying to prove the inspiration of Scripture or to explain how the right books were picked for it in the first place, which means we would have to doubt everything we know to be true as Christians.

So … what is a Christian supposed to use in addition to Scripture?  The answer is Sacred Tradition.  To understand the specifics of this, you might want to read this essay on Scripture and Tradition.  To put it simply, though, not only does the Bible not tell us to go by the Bible alone, but it also tells us to follow the traditions of the Church (2 Tim. 2:2; 2 Thes. 2:15).  In fact, John even tells us in his gospel that much of what Christ did was not written down, and in his epistle he expresses his desire to abandon pen and paper and to pass on his message orally (2 John 12).

Think about it, expect for an enigmatic scribble in the sand, Jesus never wrote anything down that we know of today.  Nor did he command his apostles to commit all his teachings to writing.  A Bible-only approach is simply unbiblical.

In everyday terms, imagine your child signs up for a sports team, let’s say baseball.  Instead of pulling upon that great coaching tradition that makes for a great team, the coach of your child’s team simply hands every kid a copy of the book of rules and tells them to be ready for the game in three weeks.  While the book of rules tells us that we have to hit the ball with a bat, it is the “tradition” of baseball that shows what this looks like.  That great coaching tradition shows us how to keep our eye on the ball, how to stand, and how to grip the bat and follow through.  If we went by the book of rules alone, the team would be a disaster.

So, too, is Christianity a disaster when it goes by the book of rules alone.  Sure, the “book of rules” tells us that we need to be baptized, but it is the Tradition of the Church that tells us what it looks like, that from the earliest days of Christianity, as one can see through a study of early Christian writings, this doctrine has included infant baptism, pouring of water as well as immersion, and a belief in the regenerative power of this sacrament.  Scripture and Tradition must go hand-in-hand, and the Catholic Church has taught this way for 2000 years.

Yes, the Holy Spirit can guide us to an understanding of revelation (John 16), but He does this only when, as Paul says, we follow those teachings that have been passed on by word of mouth, as well as by letter.  There is, of course, one more component, which is the Magisterium, and we’ll look at this topic in a few weeks.

Important Updates

• $300 resource fee (or payment plan) due by the end of September


• Super Saver cards went home in the Friday folders last week.  However, the price was not included.  These cards are $10 each.


• Remember to send in room parent surveys (with your $5) by this Friday, Sept. 7th.

Upcoming Events

• 9/7 First Friday all-school Mass (come join us)


• 9/7 7th and 8th grade dance from 7-10 in the Undercroft (sponsored by Home and School).


• 9/11 2:00 dismissal from school/dress-down day/EDGE program.


• 9/14 Knights of Columbus Jr. High Dance UC (7:00-10:00 p.m.).


• 9/16 Catechetical Sunday / K of C Breakfast, after Sunday Masses in UC


• 9/17 Girl Scouts 3-5 p.m. UC / Boy Scouts 6:30 UC


• 9/18 Boy Scouts Pack 104 6-8:30 p.m., UC