Upcoming Events


11/8 - Today, Early Dismissal (12:15pm) NO AFTERCARE - STAFF PD
Jodee Blanco Seminar for students and parents - 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm
 

            (PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT THE SEMINAR WILL BE HELD IN THE CHURCH HALL DUE TO THE VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT THIS EVENING)


11/10 - Friday, Early Dismissal - (12:15 pm) NO AFTERCARE


HSPT EXAM -  8TH Grade Only (Dismissal will be at 1:00 pm for 8th grade only at the main entrance)



Give The Gift of Education!
With Giving Tuesday almost here, now would be the perfect time to show your support
to St. Leo's School and join our community efforts in helping our students thrive.
Donations can be made by check, cash, credit card (over the phone or in person) or by Venmo (@stleosschool).  Please be sure to indicate your donation is for “Giving Tuesday.”




The Power of a Catholic School Education
 

                                  

     

                             

REMINDERS
Middle States Survey (urgent) -      As you may know St. Leo's School (SLS) is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (MSA). This 12-18 month required certification process is renewed every seven years by completing a chosen self-study protocol, "Excellence By Design." 
This Protocol measures St. Leo's School's essential standards and requires all stakeholders (students, parents, faculty and staff) to complete surveys in a timely fashion. I request that we have a 100% return no later than Monday, November 6, 2023.   If you haven’t completed this very important survey, please complete it ASAP.
Once completed, our planning team will examine the surveys:
             1. To determine where SLS meets our standards 
             2. To identify areas for improvement
             3. To create an action plan for continued growth
By completing the attached surveys as soon as possible, your participation in this process is assured. Once our protocol is completed, we will share our results and action plan with you.    

CLICK HERE - Parent/Faculty Survey

Anti-Bullying Seminar - Wednesday, November 8, at 6:30 PM, Church Hall
We are thrilled to see so many parents signing up for this very important and informative seminar. Parents and students are encouraged to attend.  Please make sure to RSVP to save your spot. 
Parents who attend the workshop will earn a Free Dress Down Day for their children on Thursday, November 9. 
 

On Saturday, November 4, I completed my annual Sleepout to show solidarity with the Homeless and raise funds for Covenant House. There is still time to donate this week:

My direct personalized fundraising link: https://www.sleepout.org/participant/Markshultz

 
FUNDRAISERS

Lunch with Santa - December 16th - please see the attached flyer.  Reserve your spot early.  Tickets will sell out!

Chocolate Raffle SLS - Genevieve’s Chocolate has generously donated a chocolate basket to raffle off with all proceeds going towards the purchase of a new Gym Volleyball Net.  Please see the attached flyer for more information.  Thank you to Genevieves for your continued generosity. 

Gym Volleyball Net Fundraiser -  SLS currently does not have an indoor/outdoor volleyball net at our disposal.  We currently borrow one from the Sports Group, but Mr. Luketich, our current gym teacher in lieu of an Amazon wish list, is asking for donations towards the purchase of a high-quality volleyball net that can be used indoors or outdoors for gym, enrichment, and events. 

PHOTO FUNDRAISER  “CAPTURING HOLIDAY MAGIC IN SILVER & GOLD” 
brought to you by St. Leos’s School and Ania Kelly & David Carlo Photography
$85 for 10 minutes sessions - includes: 5 digital images (edited) & Online Gallery available one week after the session & Choice of two beautiful backdrops
LOCATION:  St. Leo’s School
DATES: Sunday 11/19/23 *Families of 6 & more must purchase two sessions
https://ania-kelly-photography.checkcherry.com/mini_sessions


Booking can be made directly via link:  Ania Kelly & David Carlo Photography Mini Sessions


Deposit ($45) is required to reserve your session. 
Payment will be made directly to the photographer via credit card, Paypal or Venmo. 
The balance must be paid the day of your session. 
Contact Photographer directly if you should have any questions -  Ania Kelly - Cell: 201-838-1043 or email: [email protected]



8th Grade Pie Sale - Back by Popular Demand!  The annual Thanksgiving Pie Sale to benefit 8th grade is kicking off.  Please see the attached order form. 


Spirit Wear - Please see the new easier order form attached  https://forms.gle/BKEvZs7amDGuBmpk7




IMPORTANT UPDATES


Lost and Found
We have several nice items available in our lost and found box including sweaters, jackets, pants, water bottles, lunch boxes, books and pencil cases.  Anything that was labeled was delivered directly to your student.  If you believe your child is missing any of the above items, please, have them come to the lobby to check the bin.  Parents are welcome to check the container after 2:30 pm.  Any items not claimed before Thanksgiving Break will be donated to Catholic Charities. 




VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITES

Tricky Tray Committees

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


Santa’s Workshop - Santa is already looking for elves to help coordinate one of the student’s favorite events!  If you are interested in chairing this event, would like to donate items, or help the children shop, please sign up here.  

https://forms.gle/sVQguWTJxRQ7Vfbq8





 
SLS LUNCH PROGRAM
Pizza Fridays 
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 your 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.  


Tuition Payments:

November payments are due; if you still have issues with Smart Tuition or payments, please contact the school office. 


 SLS Sports Group
Lady Lions volleyball teams will be collecting food donations for the St. Leo's Food Pantry. See the attached flyer. 

Archdiocese of Newark
An Advent Carol, a musical drama which will be performed at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart on Sunday, December 10th at 4:00 PM.
Please see the attached flyer for more information. 


Housekeeping Items:
Email Correspondence - It is beneficial to our school staff and teachers if you include your child's name and grade in your correspondence; many families have different last names or just provide an email, which makes it difficult to determine who the child is.
School Payments  - Please be sure that all payments to the school are separate, we are unable to 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. are required to 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.
Late Arrivals - Any student arriving after 8 a.m. 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.
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 on the sidewalk into the building on their own. 
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