Love

Knowledge

Respect Justice

Back to Basics —

“We Love and Care for Each Other”

Coach Dave Kitchell

St. Pius X School Newsletter

IN THE NEWS

Announcements

www.stpius.org May 7, 2015

Calendar Items

Thursday, May 7

4-4:45pm/New Kindergarten Orientation/McMahon Hall

Friday, May 8

8:15am/Kindergarten “Muffins with Mom”/McMahon Hall

Sunday, May 10

Mother’s Day

Monday, May 11

2:00pm—School Dismissal

PTO Bingo/6:30-8:30pm/McMahon Hall

Tuesday, May 12

11:15am—St. Pius X Talent Show/McMahon Hall

Wednesday, May 13

9:15am—School Mass

Friday, May 15

Volunteer Appreciation Dinner/6-9pm/Community Center

Monday, May 18

2:00pm—School Dismissal

Wednesday, May 20

9:15am—School Mass

Friday, May 22

Noon Dismissal/No Hot Lunch/Staff Development

Monday, May 25

NO SCHOOL/Memorial Day

Wednesday, May 27

9:15am—School Mass

Saturday, May 30

Panther Scramble Golf Tournament/Dinner/Silent Auction

Monday, June 1

2:00pm—School Dismissal

Wednesday, June 3

9:15am—School Mass

Friday, June 5

LAST DAY OF HOT LUNCH

8:15am/Kindergarten “Donuts with Dad”/McMahon Hall 10:00AM—8th Grade Graduation Awards/Church 7:00PM—8th Grade Graduation Mass/Church

Monday, June 8

2:00pm—School Dismissal

2:30pm—Kindergarten Graduation/Community Center

Wednesday, June 10

Last Day of School/3:00PM Dismissal

1:30pm—School Mass

Newsletter article deadline is 3:00pm on Tuesdays. All articles must be in writing. Email: fwilson@stpius.org

It often seems that the more schooling we have the less able we are to handle the ambiguity of Christian living. The logic

of scientific thought encourages us to focus upon one concept at a time. The poetic language of the scriptures

leads us to hold in a healthy tension concepts which, at first glance, seem mutually contradictory.

God calls us to a way of life which makes demands, yet

God’s ways frequently seem to contravene the way we have taken. This was certainly Peter’s experience. Peter thought that only those born in Israel could come to Christ, but the manifestation of the Spirit’s gifts in the life of the Gentile

Cornelius shattered all his comfortable notions.

Christ’s resurrection shattered all notions of how God might work among us. It destroyed all barriers which might hedge in the possibilities of God’s power working in human history. Christ’s victory showed forth the power of love: God’s love

which could draw forth from death the servant who had gone

to death in obedience to love.

For the makers of greeting cards, love might be sentimental and soft. For Christians, love is as strong and as real as the

demands made by friends who are willing to die that the other might live. That gives greater cause for the singing of

alleluias than do fuzzy fantasies about some sort of love which can be reduced to pastel holy cards. Only living in

that sort of love will enable us to know that death and life, obedience and freedom, vigilance and surprise are but

different refractions of one true Light.

(St. Andrew’s Missal, pg. 439)

Happy Mother’s Day!

With God’s Grace,

Fr. Sean Weeks, Pastor

Coming Soon!

St. Pius X School Panther Scramble

Golf Tournament

Saturday, May 30, 2015 at The Reserve

Foursome spots available. Register your team & purchase dinner tickets today!

Don’t miss out on this great event!

www.pantherscramble.org

Happy Mother’s DayHappy Mother’s DayHappy Mother’s DayHappy Mother’s Day

Enter the Construction Zone for our 9th Annual

St. Pius X Volunteer Appreciation Dinner

Friday, May 15th 6:00-9:00pm

St. Pius X Community Center

RSVP: St. Pius X Parish Office/503-644-5264 ext. 100

Newsletter article deadline is 3:00pm on Tuesdays. All articles must be in writing. Email: fwilson@stpius.org

Page 2 May 7, 2015 IN THE NEWS

Included in this Newsletter

� Spirit Week Events May 11-15 � Battle of Book Results � School Construction Update

� Panther Scramble Golf Tournament/Post Event Flyer � Art Literacy for April � A Couple’s Retreat Day Flyer � 2015 Women’s Ecumenical Luncheon Flyer

� Thank-Scrip-ing Day Flyer

Sharing Our Faith

We encourage parents to reflect at home each week with their children and family ways to share your faith.

Sunday, May 10 ~ Sixth Sunday of Easter

~ Read together John 9-17 ~

How do you show your love for others? Why is it

important to love one another?

Mentor Program

Are you interested in being a mentor to a new family next year? We are in need of mentors in every grade. The time commitment is a minimum of two hours, mainly in the fall

answering questions that your new family may have as they are acclimating to St. Pius X School. Please contact Jeanie McGuire at mcguire10@comcast.net if you have

questions about this valuable program or are interested in being a mentor for the 2015-16 school year.

2015-16 School Calendar

First Day of School: Tuesday, September 8, 2015

Christmas Break: December 21, 2015—January 1, 2016

Spring Break: March 21-25, 2016

IMPORTANT

There are many important articles and flyers included in the newsletter each week. This information is very important for everyone. Please take the time to go

through and read not only the body of the newsletter, but the enclosed flyers as well.

Scrip

Mother’s Day is THIS SUNDAY May 10th! Give her scrip gift cards for her special day! See’s Candy, Bath & Body Works, garden supply at Home Depot or Fred

Meyer, craft supplies at Craft Warehouse, Michael’s and JoAnn’s, movie tickets and restaurants so she doesn’t

have to cook! Don’t forget flowers or wine (New Seasons,

Whole Foods, Fred Meyer, Safeway, Thriftway). So many choices!

Staff Appreciation Scrip Gift forms will be sent home with

students on Thursday, May 14th. Please return them no later than Thursday, May 21st.

Thank-Scrip-ing Day is back! Mark your calendars for May 11th! You won’t want to miss 24 hours of awesome

ScripNow rebates from dozens of your favorite retailers. To participate, make sure you’ve created a

ShopWithScrip.com account and activated PrestoPay for your secure online payments. PrestoPay enables you to purchase Scrip online, 24/7 to print at home or redeem them from your mobile device. For full Thank-Scrip-ing

Day details, please see the flyer at the end of the newsletter.

St. Pius X Spirit Week

May 11th—15th

Show your school spirit and join in the fun!

Monday—Pajama Day

Tuesday—Olympics Day/Talent Show Lunch All school lunch at 11:15am in McMahon Hall

Talent Show during lunch

Wednesday—Hats On Day

Thursday—Character/Career Day

Friday—Crazy Day

Please see the enclosed flyer for guidelines and

more details!

School Expansion Grade Splitting

As the school year is coming to an end, we are getting questions regarding placement in the grades that have two classes for the 2015-16 school year. We want our

families to know our process/policy we use in assigning classes.

Dividing students for the next year is the responsibility of the previous and next year’s teachers (and may include input from specialists) and is subject to approval of the

administration. Students added during vacation are

placed by the administration. Students are divided as evenly as possible by gender, academic ability and special needs. Strong efforts are made to change the mix yearly.

Parents are notified of class placement in the August

school newsletter.

Important Kindergarten Dates

Friday, May 8

Muffins with Mom—8:15-8:45am/McMahon Hall

Friday, June 5

Donuts with Dad—8:15-8:45am/McMahon Hall

Monday, June 8

Kindergarten Graduation—2:30pm/Community Center

Student Tardiness and Absences

Please call the attendance line at (503)213-1379 or

mbanderson@stpius.org/fwilson@stpius.org each

day when your student will be more than 15 minutes late or will be absent from school. Students arriving at school

during or after the morning prayer are

considered tardy.

Newsletter article deadline is 3:00pm on Tuesdays. All articles must be in writing. Email: fwilson@stpius.org

Page 3 May 7, 2015 IN THE NEWS

PTO News

For questions or feedback for PTO, please contact us at pto@stpius.org.

Happy Mother’s Day!Happy Mother’s Day!Happy Mother’s Day!Happy Mother’s Day!

Daily School Schedule

Monday

8:00am—2:00pm

Tuesday—Friday

8:00am—3:00pm

Sports Plus Day Camp

Sports Plus Day Camp is a unique summer program geared to your child’s physical and social development. Four sessions are available here at St. Pius X School Smoluch Gymnasium!

Session 1: June 22-July 3

Session 2: July 6—July 17 Session 3: July 20—July 31 Session 4: August 3—August 7

All sessions are from 9:00am—4:00pm. For more information, call (503)972-8190 or www.sportsplusdaycamporegon.com.

BINGO Night: May 11th

Come to Family Bingo Night and enjoy and evening of family, friends, and prizes!

Monday, May 11

6:30 – 8:30 pm McMahon Hall

**Prizes Needed!**

We are collecting prizes in the school office if you have any items you’d like to donate.

Movie Night: May 29th

Join us for Movie Night! Only $20 per family.

All proceeds support the auction.

Friday, May 29 Evening (Time TBD)

St. Pius X School

To RSVP please email pto@stpius.org.

Battle of the Books

1st Place Winners!

Congratulations to the 4th/5th grade B.O.B. team that won the 1st place trophy over Cathedral and Holy Trinity schools. The teams participated in a round robin

competition that culminated in a large St. Pius X win over both teams. Members have been working since this past fall, reading 16 books and memorizing

the many details in each.

Excellent work team!

Team members: Austin Bodner, Nolan Emslie, Bianca Haldorsen, Bella Klucevek, Sadie Nanson, Ella Neifing, Melaudie Palazo, Liam Reger (not pictured),

Samantha Rickman, Sophie Sajnani, Kate Williams, Mrs. Margaret Burd, Team Coach and Mrs. Nancy Sajnani, Asst. Team Coach.

School Construction Update

Dear School Families,

We were recently informed by our General Contractor, Deacon, that in order to maintain our schedule to open the school by September 8, 2015 (for the start of the

2015-16 school year), we would have to modify our existing school schedule. Our construction plan requires Deacon to renovate existing portions of the school building:

1. Convert school office into classroom space.

2. Convert school counselor office into staff restroom.

3. Convert PTO/Scrip office into janitor’s closet.

4. Convert math ability classroom into the middle school art classroom.

To achieve our schedule, we will be packing and moving out of our existing office and classroom space on Thursday, June 11, 2015.

Effective immediately the following changes will be instituted:

1. The last day of school for grades K-7 will be Wednesday, June 10, 2015, at

3:00 pm. The Wednesday school mass will be moved from 9:15 am to 1:30 pm.

2. Field Day, scheduled for Thursday, June 11, 2015, will be canceled.

3. Report cards will be handed to the K-7 students on the last day of school,

June 10, 2015. Eighth grade report cards will be mailed.

4. The school administrative offices will temporarily be moved to the Community Center starting June 22 through September 3, 2015.

School Summer Office Hours

June 22 – August 21 (Tuesdays only) From 8:00 am – 12:00 pm (Noon).

August 24 – September 3 (Monday-Friday)

Open 8:00 am – 12:00 pm (Noon)

We do not anticipate changes to the following scheduled events/activities:

1. Eighth grade graduation and all activities associated with graduation scheduled for Friday, June 5, 2015, will proceed as scheduled. Please check with Mark

Anctil if you have questions.

2. Year-end class parties scheduled for Friday, June 12, 2015, will proceed as

scheduled. Please check with your homeroom parents if you have questions.

Thank you for your patience during construction of our East Wing. Once construction is completed, we will have much to celebrate for the start of the 2015-16 school year.

Art Literacy—April

Maya Lin

Our artist last month was Maya Lin. She is an American designer and artist who is

known for her work in sculpture, landscape art, and architecture. Lin is best known as the designer of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Growing up, Lin loved math and art. By studying architecture at Yale University, she

found a way to combine the two. At age 21 while still an undergraduate, she won a

public design competition for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial design. She continues to design other memorials, including the Civil Rights Memorial in Montgomery, Alabama.

Maya Lin is a committed environmentalist who is drawn to critical social and historical

issues of our time. She addresses these issues in works—which are diverse—including large-scale, site-specific installations; intimate studio artworks; architecture (including

private commissions, non-profit buildings, and independent homes); and memorials.

Lin’s works address how we relate and respond to the environment, and present new ways of looking at the world around us. She is inspired the beautiful landscapes in

nature. Lin uses technological methods such as satellite imagery, aerial mapping and sonar to visualize the natural world and translate that vision into art, including

drawings, sculpture, and environmental installations.

Several of her landscape installations can be seen near Portland, and might be worth a

trip! The project, called The Confluence Project features six sites along a 450-mile stretch of the Columbia River that commemorate the Lewis and Clark expedition and

acknowledge the importance of Native Americans and the environment. The project intertwines the history of Lewis and Clark with the history of the Native Americans in

those regions, as well as the environmental changes that have shifted in the last 200 years. This 10-year project has helped bring ecological restoration along the Columbia

River basin, with park renovation, refurbished waterfronts, and restoration of historical landmarks.

For the project, your student(s) created his/her own interpretation of landscape art,

using rhythm and motif to create movement in the art.