From Mr. Stone’s Desk

Greetings Immaculate Conception School Community,

When the past continues to show us the way, applying

to our present and future lives, such examples and

messages are worth ongoing reflection. There are, I

realize, lots of folks who are more knowledgeable

about Vatican II matters than myself. Still, from time

to time I have tried to learn more about one particular

Vatican II document, Gravissimum Educationis.

Highlighting the importance of Catholic education and

the role which parents and teachers play Pope Paul VI

promulgated Gravissimum on October 28th, 1965.

The following represents excerpts from Pope Paul VI’s

proclamation, information which I pray and trust you

will reflect upon, subsequently refreshing and renewing

your understanding and choice for sending your child

to Immaculate Conception School.

* * * *

Parents: “Since parents have given children their life,

they are bound by the most serious obligation to

educate their offspring and therefore must be

recognized as the primary and principal educators.”

“Parents are the ones who must create a family

atmosphere animated by love and respect for God and

man, in which the well-rounded personal and social

education of children is fostered. Hence the family is

the first school of the social virtues that every society

needs. It is particularly in the Christian family,

enriched by the grace and office of the sacrament of

matrimony, that children should be taught from their

early years to have a knowledge of God according to

the faith received at Baptism, to worship Him, and to

love their neighbor.” “Let parents, then, recognize the

inestimable importance a truly Christian family has for

the life and progress of God’s own people.”

Church: “The church esteems highly and seeks to

penetrate and ennoble with her own spirit also other

aids which belong to the general heritage of man and

which are of great influence in forming souls and

molding men, such as the media of communication,

various groups for mental and physical development,

youth associations, and, in particular, schools.” “The

church is bound as a mother to give these children of

hers an education which their whole life can be

imbued with the spirit of Christ and at the same time

do all she can to promote for all peoples the complete

perfection of the human person, the good of earthly

society and the building of a world that is more

human.” “Among all educational instruments the

school has a special importance. It is designed not

only to develop with special care the intellectual

faculties but also to form the ability to judge rightly,

to hand on the cultural legacy of previous generations,

to foster a sense of values, to prepare for…life.”

School/Teachers: “Beautiful indeed and of great

importance is the vocation of all those who aid parents

in fulfilling their duties and who, as representatives of

the human community, undertake the task of

education in schools. This vocation demands special

qualities of mind and heart, very careful preparation,

and continuing readiness to renew and to adapt.”

“Since, therefore, the Catholic school can be such an

aid to the fulfillment of the mission of the People of

God and to the fostering of the dialogue between the

Church and mankind, to the benefit of both, it retains

even in our present circumstances the utmost

importance.” “But let teachers recognize that the

Catholic school depends upon them almost entirely for

the accomplishment of its goals and programs.”

* * * *

Together – Parents, Church, and School/Teachers –

we are charged with a most sacred obligation to do

what we can to further the faith and education of our

children. Challenges may exist and differences of

opinion may arise from time to time. Also, certainly

financial concerns merit serious, proactive planning,

consideration, and effort. However, it is imperative

that we do what is necessary to keep Gravissimum’s

message and our mission at the forefront of our

efforts, to keep the children at the center of all we do.

Parents – Church – School/Teachers…Immaculate

Conception School looks forward to working with our

families to the benefit of the youngsters we serve.

Thank you all for helping to build the kingdom.

Serviam, David

Est. 2001 Principal’s Message - November 2017 - #1 Visit Us on the Web At: www.icsannandale.org

11/09 – LifeTouch Picture Re-Takes Day

11/10 – End of 1st Quarter -and- The Little Mermaid

School Play Opens – See Play Flyer Below

11/16-17: Parent-Teacher Conferences - Early Release

11/16-22: Scholastic Book Fair

11/17 – 6th-8th Grade Dance – See Flyer Below

11/18 – Msgr. Benwell Installation Mass – 5:30p.m.

Prayer for Immaculate Conception School:

Dear Lord, bless our Catholic school. Help us to

continue to be a humble source of wisdom, always

yearning to learn more about your tremendous love for

us. May all who enter Immaculate Conception School

be filled with the gift of your Holy Spirit, coming to

know you in a more meaningful way. Guide us as a

community that respects and welcomes everyone. May

Catholic education continue to grow so that your good

news can be taught to children throughout the world.

Amen.

Volunteerism – Integral to our ICS Community

Check out ‘Sign-Up Genius’ on our website for

available volunteer opportunities, including these…

1. Morning Care Duty - 7:15a.m.-7:50a.m. ‘ish – Gym

We especially need Thursday and Friday mornings!

2. Library – Helping to restock books and such.

3. Scholastic Book Fair – Sales, Monitoring, Etc.

Lost and Found – Please check the table. It is

getting quite loaded with clothing, notebooks, etc.

Flyers Galore – Something for Everyone! 😊

Yes, there seem to be a lot of flyers right now. In

looking them over it seems to be that there is just

about ‘something for everyone’ so-to-speak.

The Little Mermaid Please check out

Thanksgiving Feast the related flyers

6th-8th Grade Dance below, according

Spirit Wear Options to your interests.

Meals on Wheels ‘Love Bags’ Thank You.

Teachers and parents, take a look – ICS homepage on

the Scholastic website with all the pertinent info:

http://www.scholastic.com/bf/immaculateconceptionschool54

Mrs. Sonnenschein, who will be returning Nov. 15th,

would also like to encourage folks to sign up on the

Volunteer Opportunities tab on the ICS home page to

choose a day/time to help at the fair. Thank you!

Parent-Teacher Conferences – Nov. 16th-17th

Thursday, Nov. 16th and Friday, Nov. 17th will be

half days of school, with early release taking place

at 12:15p.m. each of these days.

Parent-Teacher Conferences will be available post-

faculty lunch time, until 5:00p.m., by appointment.

If you have not received a conference appointment

time and you desire one then please inquire after

your child’s teacher(s). Teachers will seek to

accommodate parents who request a conference,

beyond those families already pre-scheduled.

With the 1st Quarter marking period having recently

ended on Nov. 10th this is an excellent time for

parents and teachers to discuss how we may

continue to partner with one another as we look

toward providing the best possible opportunities for

students to achieve success.

This Photo by

Unknown Author

is licensed under

CC BY-NC-SA

This Photo by

Unknown

Author is

licensed under

CC BY-NC-SA

ICS will begin taking ‘baby steps’ to become more

green, while also being more efficient with respect to

office operations. After the 1st and 3rd Quarter

marking periods ICS will no longer be printing 1st-8th

hard copy Report Cards. All standard information,

including grades, comments, etc. will still be

available for teachers and parents to review online,

via PowerSchool. If you are uncertain how to access

and review this information then please speak with

your child’s teacher. Our upcoming Parent-Teacher

Conferences could be an excellent time to review or

receive a quick PowerSchool usage lesson.

Hard copies of 1st-8th Report Cards will continue to

be printed after the 2nd and 4th Quarters, for this

school year, as we ease into transitioning to a more

green and efficient operation. Thank you.

After care billing will now be done on a monthly

basis. To catch up from the beginning of the school

year, my understanding is that September will be

billed within the next week, October in a few

weeks, and then November after that.

Our parish business office will be requiring all

families to utilize FACTS for after care billing as

well, as they are seeking to transition to a cashless/

checkless system. Mr. Kevin Liszewski remains as

the primary contact person for this and all FACTS

related matters. Thank You Kindly, -Mr. Stone

ICS Report Cards

After 1st and 3rd Quarters – Online

After 2nd and 4th Quarters – Printed

ICS After Care – Billing

Transitioning to Monthly Billing

FACTS to be utilized for billing.

THANKSGIVING FEAST – Wednesday, November 15th

The Thanksgiving Feast, which we enjoy as a school

community, is a highlight at this time of the year. This

year we will celebrate Thanksgiving with our

special feast on Wednesday, November 15th.

The kitchen staff will be donating the proceeds to help those in need.

The staff asks that all meals be ordered in advance.

Please return the form below, with payment, no later than

Friday, November 10th. Thank you in advance for your help

as we work to further the mission of our school and parish.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You may attach cash in the amount of $6.00 per meal, a check made payable

to ICS, or indicate that you would like your child’s lunch ticket punched twice

in payment for the Thanksgiving Feast. Please return this slip, with payment,

to your child’s classroom in an envelope marked “Thanksgiving Feast”.

Please return a separate slip for each child in your family.

All orders must be received no later than Friday, November 10th.

Name _________________________Grade ________ Teacher ____________________

Method of Payment: Cash ________ Check ________ Lunch Ticket ________

2013 National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence

Re: Meals on Wheels Blizzard Bags, a.k.a. Love Bags

ICS is proud to continue its tradition of service by supporting the Hunterdon County Meals

on Wheels Emergency Meal Program: Love Bags for the Hungry.

Also known as Blizzard Bags, Love Bags for the Hungry provide a shelf-stable meal for

Meals on Wheels patrons and are used when typical meal delivery is interrupted or suspended

due to inclement weather. ICS is asking each student to assist in this effort by donating the

specific food items listed by classroom below. Each Love Bag should be nearly identical in

its contents so please take care to purchase the appropriate food item. All donations will be

assembled into Love Bags by ICS students at the end of November.

All donations are due by November 21, 2017.

** Please note: Meals on Wheels has requested these very specific items. This is to ensure

that all Meals on Wheels recipients will be able to use and open the items. While we are

thankful for all donations, those that don’t match this description can not be used in the bags.

We appreciate your understanding and adherence to their request. **

Kindergarten & First Grade Students:

(2) - 8 packs of No Sugar Added Apple Juice (Apple and Eve or Juicy Juice)

2nd & 3rd Grade Students:

(4) - 8.5 oz. Pop Top cans of vegetables (DelMonte: Lima, Green Beans, Sweet Peas, Corn)

4th Grade Students:

(2) - 6 pack of Raisins in 1 ounce boxes (DelMonte, ShopRite, SunMaid)

5th & 6th Grade Students:

(1) - 6 pack of 8 oz. Milk in boxes (Whole, 1% or 2% of Horizon, Parmalat, TruMoo or Natrel)

7th & 8th Grade Students:

(1) - 3 pack of BumbleBee Chunk Lite or Solid Albacore Tuna in Water with a Pop Top Can

Please feel free to exceed your donation of any of the food items listed above. All donations

will be used in the Love Bag assembly and extra food items will be donated to our local

Meals on Wheels Chapter to help stock their pantry.

THANK YOU for your generosity and support of our local Meals on Wheels program!!!

Veteran’s Day is Saturday, November 11th – Thank you to all of our veterans and active duty military

personnel for your service. We are fortunate to enjoy the freedoms and safety which you provide.

A Letter from a Kindergartner to Mom and Dad! Here's How to Help!

July 15, 2014

Dear Mom and Dad,

I know that you are excited about me going to

Catholic school…So am I. You both have always told

me that you would help me do my best. So here are

some ideas of how you can help me have a great

Catholic school year, and a great Catholic school

life.

1. I know you work hard, and sometimes you get

tired. Please do not get too tired to take me to

Mass every Sunday. In class, we have learned

that the Mass is a gift from God, and our

attendance at Mass is our gift back to God. It

makes me feel very sad when I do not give this

gift back to God every Sunday.

2. There are certain rules at our school, like when

to arrive and where to park, and when to pick me

up. When I am late, or you do not follow the

traffic rules, or you are late picking me up, it

makes me worried and sometimes even afraid.

3. I know you want me to be the very best student

I can be. Sometimes, even though I try hard, I

may not do as well as you think I should. I love it

when both of you are proud of me for trying my

best. Even if I do not get the top grade.

4. Please let me begin to know how to stand up for

myself. When you go to the teacher to say I was

not chosen for a recess team, or to be this

week’s line leader, I think that you do not think I

am able to handle some of my own problems. I

promise to let you know if something happens

and I really need your help, but I need to learn

to be a problem solver, too.

5. Mom and Dad, I know you are busy and when you

get home from work, there is a lot going on. I

love my school and I love to talk about some of

the special things that happen there each day. I

really love it when you both take the time to

listen. It makes me feel grown-up and very

important.

6. Please do not forget to pray with me every day,

Mom and Dad. I like to talk to God and I like it

when we talk to God together. We have lots of

reasons to tell God, “Thanks!”

7. Please read with me every day. I love to listen

to you, Mom and Dad, and I love to sit close by

you when we read. Can we do this forever?

Please?

8. Mom and Dad, sometimes I am going to forget

things and I know I will get in a little trouble at

school. That’s ok. It will help me to learn to

remember, if I serve the consequences. You do

not have to fix it for me. I will learn and be

better. Besides, my teacher will still like me!

It will be okay to learn about not forgetting.

9. I think that sometimes I will not want to do my

homework. I am just a child. Please remind me

and please do not let me not do it. And, don't

you do it! If you do it, I will not learn. You

always tell me I can do anything, so I know I can

do my homework! Even, when I do not want to

do it.

10. Finally, please know that some days I will be

tired and some days I will be sad, but every day

I need your love. Okay?

Thanks, Mom and Dad, for being great parents and

for giving me the gift of my Catholic school. We

are going to have a great year!

Love,

Your child

Congratulations ICS Parent Jodi Stem

ICS Parent Jodi Stem – Trunk or Treat,

Father/Daughter Dance Chair, etc. – ran in and

completed the recent New York City Marathon.

After running 26.2 miles I’m thinking her high level

of involvement with ICS activities is a breeze!

Woo-hoo and well done Mrs. Stem! 😊

Save the date!

Friday, Dec. 15th – 6:30p.m.

ICS Christmas Program

in the church.

All Are Welcome.