Dear SLS Families,
Upcoming Events
1/15 - School Close in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
1/16 - Dress Down Day - Maker Space Donation - please see attachment for donation list
1/19 - Early dismissal - 12:15 pm (NO AFTERCARE)
Little Mermaid Movie Night
RE-REGISTRATION FOR THE 24-25 SCHOOL YEAR WILL OPEN UP SHORTLY....PLEASE KEEP A LOOK OUT FOR EMAILS.
Dear SLS families,
As we enter a new year, we are excited to announce upcoming fundraising events that play a pivotal role in sustaining and enriching our educational community. These events go beyond just providing financial support; they strengthen the bonds that make our Catholic school feel like a family. By participating, you contribute to every student's spiritual, academic, and extracurricular growth.
Fundraising allows us to invest in modern technology, updated facilities, and extracurricular activities that enhance your child’s school experience.
Most recently, our lunch with Santa enabled us to purchase a new refrigerator (see picture below).
The Paws to the Wall, Mermaid Movie experience, Valentine’s Dance Party/International Dinner (more information coming soon), and our Easter Bunny Brunch with a Big Bucks 50/50 raffle will be allocated to the cost of new curtains for the stage. By our latest estimates, the cost of the curtains will be approximately $20,000.
Our biggest annual fundraiser, the SLS Tricky Tray, is meant to address much-needed updates to our blacktop (parking) area, playground, and an updated boiler system.
Your involvement in our fundraisers sends a powerful message about the strength of our community.
We are thankful for all of those who volunteer their time, dedication, and resources. However, at this time, very few families volunteer and/or participate in our fundraisers consistently. Because of this, for the 24-25 school year, SLS is re-implementing a fundraising program that will allow families to either pay a lump sum fundraising fee of $350 annually and/or earn points for various volunteering opportunities. More information will be shared shortly.
Let's embrace these opportunities to come together, celebrate our shared values, and empower the future of our beloved St. Leo’s School. Thank you for your unwavering support and commitment to our community.
Blessings,
Mark Shultz, SLS Principal
FUNDRAISERS
Valentine’s Grams - hosted by SLS Student Council - have a Valentine’s Day duck and/or mini teddy bear delivered to your child on Valentine’s Day. Students can send them to each other as well—limited quantities. See the flyer for more information.
3rd Annual Paws - One of our most successful fundraisers is back for a 3rd year. Proudly show your SLS pride by purchasing a small or law paw to be displayed in the lobby. Details below.
Mermaid Movie Night - SLS is hosting a movie night to support our “Little Mermaid Musical.” Students can choose to view the classic version or the newer release!
Spirit Wear - Please see the new easier order form attached https://forms.gle/BKEvZs7amDGuBmpk7
SLS LUNCH PROGRAM
The first come, first serve was stated for emergencies only. We do not have enough extra pizza to cover those who simply have pizza, although they missed the deadline. Moving forward, we ask all families who missed the deadline to please send their child to school with lunch and money to purchase pizza. If we have enough surplus on that day, we will sell the extra slices available.
Francesca's Lunch Program: https://elmwoodparkpizza.com/st-leos-lunch-program
NO PIZZA WILL BE SERVED ON HALF DAYS.
Please remember, SLS does not allow FAST FOOD, GrubHub, Uber Eats, or ANY FOOD DELIVERY service to students. If you are in a situation where you forgot lunch, students will be provided with a muffin and juice. If you need to drop something off, sandwiches, bagels, and salads are acceptable. Thank you for understanding.
SCHOLARSHIPS
Apply Now for Your 2024-2025 Scholarship...
Please be advised that the application deadline for Tri-County Scholarship Fund scholarships is February 15, 2024. Applicants must submit their 2022 1040 forms and 2023 W-2 forms to complete their application. The application process is open and can be accessed at:
https://online.factsmgt.com/aid
For more information, contact [email protected]
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
Tricky Tray Committee
As noted last Spring, St. Leo's School Tricky Tray, organized and run by SLS parents, made a historic profit of $30,597. Thank you all for your generosity.
To achieve this level of success again this year, we ask all of our SLS parents to commit again to the planning and preparation for this pinnacle event.
Tricky Tray Volunteer Sign-up Form
Click here to volunteer https://forms.gle/3pZ5iRSRfuDjdC8X7
TUITION PAYMENTS:
January payments are coming due; if you still have issues with Smart Tuition or payments, please contact the school office.
“THE LITTLE MERMAID” PLAY PRACTICE
Please see the attached practice schedule for all cast members of the play. If you have any questions, please contact Ms. N at [email protected]
Housekeeping Items (PLEASE CHECK FOR ANY ADDITIONS OR UPDATES):
Email Correspondence - It is beneficial to our school staff and teachers to include your child's name and grade in your correspondence; many families have different last names or just provide an email, making it difficult to determine who the child is.
School Payments - Please be sure that all payments to the school are separate; we cannot make changes, and monies go to different organizations (HSA, School, Classroom, Sports Group, etc.) Any funds received as a "grouping" or need will be returned to the family. We will assume any extra money is a donation.
Deadlines - We cannot express enough the need to adhere to deadlines and cut-off dates. Starting October 1st, any payments, notices, etc., that are received after a deadline will be returned to the student. Our school, parents (HSA), and teachers work very hard to ensure that fundraisers, lunch orders, etc. are correct. When deadlines are not followed, mistakes may be made.
Nut-Free School - Remember, SLS is a nut-free school. Parents should check the contents of their lunchables and other pre-packaged items. We want to ensure the safety of every child.
Visitors to the school - all visitors to the school, including parents, HSA, vendors, etc., must sign in at the front desk and receive a visitor's badge. It just provides us another level of safety for our students and staff to be sure that anyone who is visiting the school is allowed to be there and, in the event of an emergency, an accurate audit of who is in the building.
Aftercare - This service begins at 3:45 daily and ends 6pm. Parents must sign out their child at pick up and pay promptly the day after receiving their statement.
Late Arrivals - Any student arriving after 8 AM without previous authorization will be marked late. ALL Parents MUST come into the building and sign their child in; students are not permitted to sign themselves into school.
Daily Drop Off - 7:45 - 8:00 AM Thank you for driving safely and being on time.
Recess Equipment: Students can bring their recess equipment daily; however, it must be safe and approved by the student's HR teacher and shared at Recess. SLS is not responsible for lost equipment (i.e. balls in a dumpster or on the roof of the building).
PowerSchool Access - All students have a PowerSchool account. This is where you will check grades, progress reports, report cards, etc. New students will be provided access to PowerSchool within the first week of school.
Drop-Off Guidelines We have received many positive comments about the increased safety of our new drop-off procedure. I have a few requests to ensure that it remains timely since being on time is a Life Skill that will serve your students well moving forward.
1. Please drive all the way to the end of the building (Last Year's Lower School Entrance). "Stairwell B" gives Middle School students direct access to their classrooms. Having them walk a short distance further to their homeroom upstairs will help expedite the drop-off process. Another option would be to drop your children off before entering the line so they can walk independently on the sidewalk into the building.
2. Currently, we have cones to mark the drop-off path; as soon as weather permits, we plan to paint a line marking this drop-off path. For safety reasons, we ask that you only allow students to exit from the passenger side of your vehicle (nearest the building) and that you do not try to pass a stopped car.
INCLEMENT WEATHER NOTICE
Please note that we DO NOT USE robocalls. All inclement weather and/or emergency closings will be sent to your email no later than 6 am the day of the closure. In most situations, we will close the evening before. In addition, all closures will be listed prominently on our website.
PARKING REMINDER - Please see the important notice from Chief Foligno regarding parking around St. Leo’s School. Please be sure to adhere to Elmwood Park’s parking guidelines.