We Are St Pat's!

Spread the Word - School Day Open House

Parents,

On Thursday, February 6th our school is inviting parishioners,  parents and anyone interested in our school to attend our 9am all school Mass. Following Mass we will host an open house for people to come into our school, receive a tour, view active classrooms and have an opportunity to speak with school parents and the principal.

Please join and/or spread the word!

Catholic School's Week

Catholic School’s Week

Saturday – St. Patrick Candyland Carnival

Monday -     A+ America Catholic Education Day

·         Non uniform day – students should wear red, white and blue.

·         Students make religious cards to take to Schneider Manor and send the rest of the cards to Laurels of Kent.

·         3-8 write essays on their A+ education at St. Patrick School.

·        Bingo at 2pm -- K-8 sit with their reading buddies.

Tuesday – Catholic Spirit Day

·         Non uniform day – students may wear their favorite sports shirt.

·         Pep rally at 2pm – former students have been invited to share with St. Patrick students.

Wednesday – Catholic Community Day

·         Regular uniform day.

·         K-5 sing and entertain seniors at Schneider Manor 10am to 11am.

·         Luncheon to honor parents who are on all of our special boards: Education Committee, Boosters, Hospitality Committee, PTO, Gala Committee, etc.
Marketing Committee, Gala Committee and Father Mark.

Thursday – Catholic Education Day

·         Regular uniform day.

·         Mass

·         Open house for people in the Parish and parents who would like to find out more about our school.

Friday – Catholic Role Model Day

·         Dress like your favorite saint or wear regular uniform.

·         Saint movie and popcorn at around 1:45.

·         Rosary at 2:25

Saturday and Sunday – Students take an active part in each of the Masses.

Lowell Arts Council - Information and Opportunities

Opening This Weekend

 
Beanie and the Bamboozling Adventure Machine

Our first theatre production of 2011 opens this weekend.  If you are looking for a great family-friendly experience, consider the Thebes Players presentation of Beanie and the Bamboozling Adventure Machine, written by Roy C. Booth and Bob May and directed by Laura Leasure, this production is perfect for the youngsters. Tickets are $6 in advance, $8 at the door.  January 28 – February 6 – Lowell Performing Arts Center.
Call (616) 897-8545 for tickets.
 For additional information, contact the Lowell Area Arts Council @ (616) 897-8545, e-mail info@lowellartscouncil.org or click here.


Applications Being Accepted
Art
Applications forms are now available for the Annual West Michigan Regional (Art) Competition which runs February 22 – April 8 with drop-off February 11 - 12.  This is the 25th year and we are very excited to have as this year’s juror Joseph Antenucci Becherer, founding Director and Curator of the Sculpture Program at Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids.  This competition awards five cash prizes up to $500.  For more information and an artist’s form, contact the Lowell Area Arts Council @ (616) 897-8545, e-mail info@lowellartscouncil.org or click here.

Music
February 15 is the Call for Musicians application deadline for Lowell Showboat Sizzlin’ Summer Concerts – 2011. The Lowell Showboat Sizzlin’ Summer Concerts is seeking the best band groups in West and Central Michigan to perform in the summer of 2011.  The Thursday night concert series begins mid-June through end-August, and is located on Riverwalk Plaza on an outdoor covered stage in front of the Lowell Showboat. Blues, World Music, Country, Rock, Big Band, and Jazz are some of the music styles we are looking for. 
For more information call (616) 897-8545, e-mail info@lowellartscouncil.org or click here.

FestivalsThe application deadline is April 1 for the 43rd Annual Fallasburg Fall Festival.  One hundred fine arts and fine crafts artists will be selected for the September 17 – 18 festival.  Attended by thousands of visitors each year, Fallasburg Fall Festival is an appealing combination of fine arts, traditional craft demonstrations, musical entertainment and food, all in a historical park setting, making it a unique “arts event” and one of many favorite festivals in the state of Michigan.  The goal of the selection committee is to invite a diverse range of artists with broad representation of art media and creativity within media.
For more information or to receive an application, contact the Lowell Area Arts Council @ (616) 897-8545, info@lowellartscouncil.org or click here.

And finally, if you haven’t stopped by the Lowell Arts Council galleries, come in soon and take a look at Art That Speaks: Now Say It Out Loud.   Our first art exhibition of 2011 features work ranging from traditional watercolors to found-object sculpture. For more information call (616) 897-8545,
e-mail info@lowellartscouncil.org or click here.


For complete information on our other programs, including theatre, classes, Calls for Artists, and more, see click here.  We look forward to seeing you soon.

Welcome Addie Clark

Hello!

            My name is Addie Clark and I will be helping in the Preschool on Mondays.  I am a Junior at Central Michigan University, studying Psychology and Sociology.  I will be applying for Graduate school in the fall, with hopes of being accepted into the Occupational Therapy program.  I attended St. Patrick's from K-8th grade (class of 2002!), so it will be nice to give back to the school that taught me everything.  I look forward to working with the children, and maybe learning a thing or two from them!

Thank you,

Addie Clark

Spelling Bee

On Wednesday, our 5th-8th graders will be participating in the spelling bee in our gym at 1pm. Please join us and support all of our participants who have put in extra time to prepare for the competition.

A big thank you to Barb Vezino for organizing the event and to Mr. Pat Firlik for being our pronouncer!

Good luck students!

Lowell Area Arts Council

A fantasy adventure for children

and sequel to Beanie & The Bamboozling Book Machine

by Roy C. Booth and Bob May

Directed by Laura Leasure

Lowell Performing Arts Center

Lowell High School, 11700 Vergennes St. SE, Lowell

January 28, 29, February 4, 5 @ 7:00 p.m.

January 30, February 6 @ 2:30 p.m.

Tickets: (General Seating) Advance: $6

Day of Show at Box Office: $8

Gidget-Mae Brown

Mary Leasure

Beanie Boren

Zain Olson

Principal Wright

Calina Mills

Professor Librum

Jess Graves

Robin/Arthur

Quinn Summerfield

Werewolf

Claire Kryger

Queen

Brianna Massey

Morgan Lafey

Monica Bussell

Mordred

Collin Kryger

Black Knight

Blythe Carvajal

Snow White

Eden Nethercott

Dewie

Emily Toppen

Hewie

Sarah Dec

Louie

Cassie Dean

Merlin

Donald Trierweiler

Robin Hood

Ivan Reynolds

Maid Marian

Keana Fahrni

The Cast

For tickets or more information, call 616.897-8545, e-mail info@lowellartscouncil.org or visit

www.lowellartscouncil.org.

Lowell Area Arts Council & the Thebes Players

present a theatre production for the entire family!

Vocations Week Pics

Drum Roll Please...

We received the results of the fall Creative Communications Poetry
Contest, and there were seven winning entries from St. Patrick Middle School.  They will have their poems published in the annual anthology of student poems.  A winning poem was authored by collaboration of St. Pat's 7/8th graders, as well as winning poems by individual authors Annie Brooks, Maura Fitzpatrick, Elise Marshall, Nekotah Mask, Tom Myles and Alex Richmond.  Congratulations, authors!

FAITH MAGAZINE

Dave Faber, the new superintendent of our Diocese, is featured in this months issue of Faith Magazine. I encourage you to take the time and learn a bit more about his background and vision for our Catholic Schools.



Vocations Week

Vocations’ Week-January 10, 2011

Monday – Adopt a seminarian or retired priest. 

·        Students will write to 3 or 4 seminarians to thank them for considering the call to the priesthood and offer prayers.

·        Each classroom will collect items for care packages.  Packages will be sent at the end of the week.

Tuesday – Movies/Speakers

·        Movie available for K-2 on vocations.

·        Movie Fisher of Men for 3-8 (20 minutes)

·        10:50 - Panel of 7-8 people: Fr. Mark, Deacon Ken (IHM), two seminarians, Consolata sisters (Belmont), Fr. Bill, and one Franciscan sister. Each will give a 3-5 minute speech for grades 3-8.  They will make a short visit to K-2 students after lunch. 

·        11:20 – Break for students to get lunches. 

·        11:30 – Lunch with panel.  Hospitality will provide lunch for panel participants.

Wednesday – All-school Mass with vocation theme. (Intro., petitions, Fr. Mark will                                                                                                          talk about vocations)

Thursday – Field trip to Carmelites.

·        Mass 9:00.  (K-8)

·        Tour of monastery (3-8) return to school at 11:20. 

·        K-2 return to school after Mass.

·        Wed., Jan. 12, will go to practice at Carmelites-Time?

Friday – Rosary

·        Send out care packages/letters to seminarians.

·        Dedicate Rosary to vocations.

Seminarian Care Package Ideas – Please send in something from this list that we can send to our Seminarians.

Fast food gift card

Nice pens

Homemade cookies

Salty snacks

Candy/chocolate

Notepaper & envelopes

Stamps

Hobby related magazines

Instant hot chocolate or cappuccino mix

Warm gloves

Bookseller gift card

Sticky notes

Highlighter

Interesting news articles from GR/St. Patrick School

Prayer card/books

Laundry pen

Book light

January Update

Dear Parents:

Happy New Year to all of you and your families. I hope that you all enjoyed the break and the much needed time spent with your loved ones. The staff at St. Patrick School appreciates all the generous gifts that were offered to us in 2010. The most precious of those gifts has been the support we have felt from day one. It's extremely gratifying to help serve the mission of the church by providing quality Catholic Education to all of your children. We need to continue to act as one community, one entity as we strive to make St. Patrick School achieve its utmost potential. Leading into the new year, I feel extreme excitement and optimism for the future of our school and parish. We are working diligently to make St. Pat's a viable and sustainable school for years to come. Thank you all for the immense support and the hard work that is put in every day to make our school a continued success.

BAND:

We are currently looking into options to provide band for the students in 6-8th grades. If there is an interest, please call the office so that we can assess the demand and communicate with you as we look at the different opportunities available.

LONG-RANGE PLANNING:

Members of the Education Commission and a few dedicated parents have been working together to generate ideas and formulate a plan to assure the viability and sustainability of our school. Your input is valued and is certainly welcomed. I will continue to update all of you as the process progresses over time.

EDUCATION COMMISSION:

The purpose of the St. Patrick School Education Commission is to serve as a consultive body that assists the principal and pastor in fulfilling the mission of the school. For the 2011-2012 school year, we will be looking to fill multiple positions. If you are interested in taking on an active role during this exciting time of transition, please contact me or a current Commission member.

In Christ,

Scott Czarnopys

scottczarnopys@gmail.com

616-691-8833

Friday Rosary

Parents,

Friday Rosary will be held just inside the main entrance of school where we gather for morning prayer. There is a wedding in the church but we would all love to see you join us for our community prayer to end the week.

In Christ,

Mr. Czarnopys