All Saints has a new Principal

It’s been a long time since this blog was updated but I figured now was a good time.

All Saints has been blessed with a new principal for the 2009/2010 school year, Sister Denise. We are all excited to be starting a new chapter in our school’s life. ASCS’s former principal, Mrs Pishko, has decided to retire and we wish her well. Also, leaving is Mrs Bristow our longest tenured teacher. She has decided to go back into the classroom and leave administration.

We at ASCS feel Sister Denise will be a great fit for our school and her ideas seem exciting. GOOD LUCK SISTER. We will miss you Mrs Pishko and Mrs Bristow.

One Nation Under God: Catholic School Receives Recognition for Patriotism

(Dallas, TX)  All Saints Catholic School (ASCS) students will receive a special recognition on May 23, 2008 for their exemplary support of our nation’s troops.  The Ladies Auxiliary to the Casey Joyce All America VFW Post 4380 in Plano will present the school with an award for the school’s Send Off With Love Program. 

 

For weeks, thousands of items such as DVD’s, candy bars, toiletries, movies and games, were collected by ASCS students.  On November 14, 2007, the All Saints Catholic School Student Council presented six service men and women, and representatives of the VFW of Plano with the goodies.  The military personnel were honored with music by the All Saints Catholic School band and songs from the Kindergarteners through fourth grade students.

 

All Saints Catholic School principal, Marie Pishko comments, “The Send Off With Love Program is a testament to the students’ gratitude to the brave men and women of our armed forces.  Our children wanted to show their support by sending those overseas, items that would put smiles on their faces.  I am so proud of the sponsors of this event, teachers Karen Beacham, Ellen Hollister, and Jennifer Meyer, and our Student Council.  They are to be commended for such an inspiring tribute.” 

 

“We would like to present the school and students with a token of our appreciation for their outstanding patriotism and troop support,” says Bobbi Roberts, Senior Vice of the Ladies Auxiliary of the All America VFW Post in Plano.

 

The recognition presentation will take place just in time for Memorial Day, at 7:45am on Friday, May 23, 2008 at the students’ morning assembly.  For more information, please contact Mary Reiter at 214-214-3303 or mreiter@AllSaintsK8.org.

 

All Saints Catholic School is a nationally recognized, Blue Ribbon school, providing exceptional Catholic education to children from Kindergarten to eighth grade.  For more information, visit www.AllSaintsK8.org.

ASCS Parent Survey Results

The parent survey completed in February and complied in March was overwhelmingly positive. We received 131 signed returned surveys with a nice sampling of parents new to the school and experienced at the school. Also results were from all grades.

As an example the first five questions were related directly to the school’s mission statement and each response was outstanding:

• ASCS is meeting my child(ren)’s educational needs. Percentage of respondants who checked Strongly Agree/Agree 90%
• ASCS has encouraged my child to maximize his/her God-given gifts. Percentage of respondants who checked Strongly Agree/Agree 90%
• The prayer buddy program enhances my child’s religion experience. Percentage of respondants who checked Strongly Agree/Agree 88%
• My child’s behavior, as evidenced in his/her daily decisions, demonstrates the moral and spiritual Gospel values provided through education at ASCS. Percentage of respondants who checked Strongly Agree/Agree 94%  
• There is a shared partnership between the school and parents in preparing my child(ren) for life-long learning and Christian service. Percentage of respondants who checked Strongly Agree/Agree 84%

With results like these it is not a surprise that our enrollment remains strong and parents are happy to have their children attend our school.

 

Joe DeFina

SAC Chairman

Parent Survey

This letter was orginially written on March 31, 2008 by Jackie Ondracek.

 

March 31, 2008

 

Dear Teachers,

 

The School Advisory Council (SAC) received 131 signed 2007-2008 parent surveys, which is approximately 58% of the ASCS families. This high response is just another reflection of the strong parental involvement at ASCS and the open communication in our partnership.

 

Attached is the survey with the results inserted in red ink. Below are some interesting facts about the returned surveys:

 

Of returned surveys:

67%         of families have been a parent at ASCS for 1-3 years

21%         of families have been a parent at ASCS for 4-7 years

12%         of families have been a parent at ASCS for more than 7 years

 

Of returned surveys:

31%         from parents with students in only primary grades K-2 (P)

25 %        from parents with students in only intermediate grades 3-5 (I)

14%         from parents with students in only middle school (M)

13%         from parents with students in intermediate and middle school grades (IM)

8%           from parents with students in primary and intermediate grades (PI)

7%           from parents with students in primary, intermediate, & middle school (PIM)

2%           from parents with students in primary and middle school (PM)

 

Of the returned surveys:

52%         of the students in primary grades were represented in a survey

56%         of the students in intermediate school were represented in a survey

52%         of the students in middle school were represented in a survey

 

The comments on the surveys are currently being categorized and sorted. These comments will be reviewed by the appropriate school organization (i.e. SAC, H&SA, the Administration). Many comments were expressions of appreciation for ASCS teachers, staff, organizations, and programs. Other comments offer opportunities for us to improve. We can all look in the future for changes made based on the input received.

 

As one parent commented, “I do look forward to the future here, All Saints has some very wonderful teachers and they make all the difference. Thanks for your time.” Another parent commented, “Thank you very much for all that you do for the students. ASCS has really enriched our family and helped instill a deeper faith in our kids.”  As a member of the ASCS community, we should all feel proud of these positive survey results and look forward to continued improvements and success.

 

A special Thank You should be given to Jack Ondracek for all her work on this project.

 

All Saints Women’s Soccer Team

All Saints Women’s Soccer Team

There are about 20 women who have created a women’s soccer team that are mom’s at our school. Most of these mom’s have not played soccer before or at least since middle school. They have been practicing Sundays and Wednesdays for the last month and had their first scrimmage yesterday against an established team. The mom’s played GREAT. They were athletic, tough, fair, and teammates. All their daughters and sons and husbands should be proud of them. The game was a lot of fun and they won.

HSA Meeting of January 29, 2008

The general HSA meeting held January 29 was outstanding. Nicole Ramirez did a good job updating us about Grandparents day, the auction committee gave a great update about the needs and wants of Vegas, Live, & Swingin’ Auction. However, Mrs Pishko and Father Tom were the stars of the meeting. Mrs Pishko gave a state-of-the-school address describing her first six months in our community and at our school. I believe she did a great job and is doing a great job. And Father Tom wow! He told us about his first 10 years with us and how important the All Saints Parish Family and All Saints Catholic School is to him.

We are still looking for help on the technology committtee and writing the strategic plan.

Friday Mass

This Friday, Father Tom gave a homily for the children of All Saints at the Friday school mass that had all the adults in attendance nodding their heads and smiling. Father Tom spoke about getting to the Kingdom of Heaven. He  illustrated that a straight line is the shortest distance between two points but that most of us do not take the shortest distance to achieve our goal because we are not perfect. We waver, we make false starts, we make short stops, we turn left, or right, and we start over again. While the homily was aimed at the children/students I think all the parents/adults walked away with an idea for themselves of how better to achieve the goals for which we are aiming and for me it was a reminder my children are just children not small adults. But that they have to learn and figure things out. They will not always on the straight line to success, or God, or the Kingdom of Heaven.

I can only add that we are lucky to have Father Tom as our Pastor and spiritual leader.

All Saints Catholic School SAC Meeting Dec 20, 2007

All Saints Catholic School SAC Meeting Dec 20, 2007

Attendees:
Fr. Stan, Marie Pishko, Joe DeFina, Stephen Jones, Carolyn Carlson, Jean Power, Jackie Ondracek, Kathy Thompson, Dawn Brown

I. We started with an opening prayer.

II. Principal’s Report:

• As of January 14, we will have 341 students
• A budget review was performed, and we are tracking well to our 2007/2008 budget
• On January 16th, report cards will go out. ASCS will more fully utilize RenWeb after report cards.
• From a staff standpoint, Linda Watts in 8th grade resigned. Joanne Tesserio will teach all religion for middle school and Jennifer Meyer will teach all middle school social studies.
• January 13th is the last open house.
• Re-enrollment packets will be sent out on 1/8.
• On 1/27, Catholic Schools Week begins

III. Presidents Report:

• Short term goals will be reviewed and updated
• The mid-year survey will be sent to parents.

IV. HSA Report

• On-line auction raised $20K. Very good for new auction format.
• The Teacher Gifts were given out and VERY well received
• The next HSA meeting is on 1/29.

V. School Finance Council

• Recommended tuition approved by PFC.

VI. Old Business — we will need a small group to review and establish strategic plan. Joe is working to get a copy of other area school’s plans as a baseline.

Christmas, Hanukkah, and Dreidels

Christmas, Hanukkah, and Dreidels (a Jewish game played with top-like toy)

Laura, the kids, and I visited a cousin of mine one day New Jersey over the Christmas Holiday. My cousin is Catholic and his wife of 29 years is Jewish. Their wedding was the first Jewish or mixed religion wedding I attended.

Although both of their children have been raised Jewish, a very reformed Jewish but still Jewish, they have always had a Christmas tree and stockings by the fireplace at Christmas time. While the adults were visiting my younger cousins (both college age) were entertaining my children; they were playing dreidels under the Christmas Tree and exchanging Christmas and Hanukkah gifts. It was very amusing and sweet to watch. On the drive back to my family’s house the kids sang the dreidel song. It doesn’t get much better than that.

Church Letter

I know some of you have received a letter from the parish this past week. Although the timing of the letter is not prefect the content is to remind you of an obligation. The parish counts on both the annual stewardship (tithe) and the capital campaign. If everyone parish member contributed something to both programs most of our financial issues would go away. For example, the parish believes it has about 2100 families as members yet only about 900 families filled out a stewardship commitment card and only about 900 families make regular tithing donations. The same is true for the current capital campaign. 

 So please do not allow the letters to get you mad or upset. Think of it as a reminder.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.