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November 2015 / Forms and links

Lunch menu

Volunteer survey for 2015-2016

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Teacher emails

Annual calendar 2015-2016

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Scrip order form

Option C (grades)

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Sports forms

Calendar

School website

Remembering our Veterans

Please join the Sacred Heart School community on Wednesday, November 11, in the Activities Building to celebrate Veterans Day. The school choir and the eighth grade school band, under the direction of Sr. Rosie and Mrs. Sherry Traugh, will perform traditional and poignant patriotic songs. The "Living Flag" will be unfurled during the solemn ceremony.

The children will honor all living and deceased veterans, as well as all men and women who currently serve our country. If you have a picture of a veteran or someone now serving in the Armed Forces, please bring it with you.  The children will give a special tribute as the assembly sings "Thank You, Soldiers.”

If you are able to attend the ceremony, please arrive in the gym at 10:30 a.m.

Notes from Father Grecco

On October 30, the rectory staff and we priests will welcome the children of the preschool and kindergarten classes to our house for "Trick or Treat".  For the past nine years, we have enjoyed their visits and look forward to sharing a treat with them.

Recently, I visited the preschool, kindergarten, first and second grade classrooms with "child-friendly" images of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. I had become fond of the artist of these images when I was teaching first grade in my earlier life. Before we placed the picture on the wall in each room, we asked God's blessing on the images well as the children and together, through prayer, we honored the Sacred Heart. I hope that you will have a chance to see the picture hanging in your young child's classroom.

I was able to provide monies needed to enhance the school library with additional religious/spiritual books. I approached Ms. Kilbane with the offer to make funds available for such books and she searched and placed orders for books she thought were best for the library and for the appropriate grade levels that the library serves. 

On September 18,  I visited the eighth grade to give them an introduction to the "Youcat" youth catechism. I purchased these a while back for the eight grade to be used as reference by both the teachers and students when questions arose concerning the teachings of the Catholic Church. On October 16, I gave the same students a "snap-shot" history of Sacred Heart parish and the building of the present church. 

Coming up in November, I will be meeting with each Confirmation candidate to "test" their knowledge of basic Catholic prayers and doctrine that should have been mastered by grade eight.  I always enjoy this opportunity because it gives me a chance to discuss, one on one, the importance of practicing the Catholic faith and looking forward to the sacrament that will complete the initiation of these young Catholics.

Notes from the Office

Be sure to check out the Scrip ordering dates on the schedule enclosed in this monthly envelope. Please plan ahead for any special holiday purchases from Scrip as the last day to order Scrip before Christmas is December 9.

Also, a Scrip summary of your participation in the Scrip program to date is going home with report cards at Parent/Teacher conferences.  These reports are done quarterly, and the last purchasing date included in this summary is the order from October 22.

Applications are being accepted for the 2016-1017 kindergarten and preschool classes.  A registration form must be submitted for these grades.  Forms are available at the school office or on the website. These classes tend to fill up by Christmas so if you have younger children at home, enroll them soon.

The long-awaited 2015-16 Family Directory is being finalized and will be ready for distribution with the first quarter report cards, one per family, with your oldest child.  Please be on the lookout for it. 

2015 Gingerbread house event

On December 6, Sacred Heart’s annual family gingerbread house event will be held in the cafeteria. A great time and lots of holiday spirit is guaranteed! The creativity of our Sacred Heart families is just amazing! Registration forms will be sent home with your child. Family and friends are invited to join the fun to kick off the holiday season!

Treats from our hearts

The children in the Primary Department, first, second and third grades, have participated in a service learning project called "Treats From Our Hearts."  The students decorated paper pumpkins and packed them with sweet treats.  They will share these offerings with the people who visit the East End Cooperative Ministry soup kitchen and food pantry over the Halloween holiday.

Sacred Heart ski club

The Sacred Heart Ski Club is gearing up for the 2016 season! We have had a huge response and have begun to coordinate dates and packages. 

Hidden Valley has agreed to give us special group rates, for a three week program.  The program fills up fast with other schools, so we need to reserve our spot by November 1. 

The Ski Club is open to the first 42 students (6th, 7th and 8th grades) and your spot will be guaranteed by a $100 deposit due by Oct 30, 2015. This deposit is non-refundable as we need to secure group rates, for skiing and transportation.

Tentative dates for 2016 are as follows: January 8, January 29, and February 19.  We will have additional dates as weather permits.

On ski club days, the bus will depart from in front of the school promptly after school (3:00 p.m.) and return to the same location between 10:45 p.m. and 11:15 p.m.  Ski sessions are from 4:00 p.m.-9:30pm.

There will be an informational meeting in December for skiers, parents, and club sponsors. Be on the lookout for additional information or contact amy.volpe@bnymellon.com.

Hunt Armory Update

Many of you learned of the proposed plans for the Hunt Armory during Open House.  As a follow up, there will be a community meeting on Monday, November 2 from 6-7:30 p.m. at Calvary Episcopol Church, 315 Shady Ave.

At this meeting, the three finalists for the development of the Armory will be present.  All three will present their proposals and answer questions from the community.  Representatives from Councilman Dan Gilman’s office, the Urban Redevelopment Authority, and City Planning will also be present.

Questions related to this project can be directed to Councilman Gilman's office at 412-255-2133.

Athletic wear sale extended

The deadline to order athletic wear has been extended to October 30. The order form link can be found on the school website or by clicking here: http://www.sacredheartpgh.org/downloads/LogoWear2015.pdf. Please send the order form and payment to the main office with your student(s) in an envelope marked "Athletic Wear Order".  All orders will be filled before the holidays and make great gifts for students, families and Sacred Heart alumni.  Please contact Maria Mastriano with any questions at iandmprint@gmail.com.

“Advent”ure: Journey to the Star

Mark your calendars now for this special day "Advent”ure: Journey to the Star!  On Sunday, December 6, come delight your senses in a day set aside to assist families of Sacred Heart Parish to prepare for the coming of Christ.  The event will be held after all morning Masses in the Auditorium. There will be children and adult activities, enrichments and refreshments provided at no charge! For more information, please contact Sharon Smoller at sacredheartparishreled@gmail.com.

Clearance Information

There are many clearances that all volunteers need to secure in order to be involved with children in any capacity.  These clearances are necesary in order to guarantee the safety of the sacred trust that is ours, OUR CHILDREN. 

The PA State Police Criminal Record, Child Abuse and FBI fingerprint clearances must be renewed every five years. You will be reminded by the office when it is time for you to renew your clearances.

The Diocesan Database Application and the Protecting God's Children class are only required once.  If you have not yet completed either of those, please note instructions below. 

Acquiring the necessary clearances is more user friendly than in previous years. Here are the steps to take:

1. Enroll in Diocesan Safe Environment Database: www.diopitt.org. The code word for the site is protect.

2. PA State Police Criminal Record Clearance: Visit the State Police website to obtain your clearance:  https://epatch.state.pa.us/ .  You will receive your clearance instantly.  Please print a copy and send it to the main office.  You may also email an electronic copy of your clearance to info@sacredheartpgh.org.

3. PA Child Abuse Clearance: Our school office will provide you with the Child Abuse Clearance application.  Once you have completed the form, return it to Sr. Lynn who in turn will submit it to Harrisburg with other school applicants. 

4.  Protecting God's Children Workshop:  Visit www.virtus.org.  The Protecting God’s Children class, which was previously onsite for three hours, is now offered online and takes a little over an hour. Once on the website, click the Registration link.  Once you have completed the online class, you will receive a certificate.  A copy of the certificate should then be submitted to the main office.

5. FBI Clearance:  If you have lived in the state of Pennsylvania for ten consecutive years, you may complete a WAIVER for the FBI clearance.  If you need a copy of the waiver, please contact the main office.  However, if you have not lived in the state of Pennsylvania for ten years, you must obtain the FBI clearance.  This will require you having your fingerprints taken.  Go to the link below to register and obtain a PAE number: www.pa.cogentid.com. Click on Department of Human Services.  Once you have your PAE number, you may go to any participating location to obtain your fingerprints.  The closest locations are the AIU in the Waterfront and the UPS store on Forbes Avenue in Oakland.

Volleyball season coming to an end

Volleyball is wrapping up a fantastic fun filled season.  All the hard work throughout the Summer and Fall has paid off!

The JV team earned a bye in the playoffs with a 2nd place section finish.  The girls lost an exciting three set match in the second round.

Varsity Red improved on last year's record and is hosting a season ending Invitational at 9 a.m. on Halloween at the gym.  All are welcome to come cheer on your schoolmates.

Varsity Black won its first playoff game and at post time is still in the playoffs.

Look for announcements for Volleyball Open Gyms for 4th - 8th graders.

Come see what the fun and excitement is all about!

Sacred Heart Moms

Sacred Heart Moms is a new group forming for all moms of the parish to come together in prayer, worship and social activities. 

The group will gather on the following dates:

November 5 at 8:10 a.m. to pray the rosary in the Lady’s Chapel prior to 8:30 a.m. Mass.

November 6 anytime between 9 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. for First Friday Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel

November 19 at 8:10 a.m. to pray the rosary in the Lady’s Chapel prior to 8:30 a.m. Mass.

November 19 from 6:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. for a social gathering at Panera Bread, Bakery Square

More information can be found on the parish website: http://www.sacredheartparishshadyside.org/sacredheartmoms or by contacting Sharon Smoller at sacredheartparishreled@gmail.com.

Bring a friend and join us!

November food: Instant Mashed Potatoes

In conjunction with Sacred Heart Parish, the school will collect instant mashed potatoes to be contributed to the food bank run by the East End Cooperative Ministry.

Each month, the Student Council members encourage all of us to contribute a different featured food to share with our neighbors in need. Thank you for your support.