REMINDER EARLY DISMISSAL TOMORROW, 12/21. THERE IS NO AFTERCARE

 
Dear SLS Families,


Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!


Thanks to all of you who have generously donated your time, talents, and treasure to ensure the continued success of St Leo's Church and School: i.e., the  Paul Sanfrancesco workshop, Fall Harvest Sale, Jodee Blanco workshop, Christmas Concert, Lunch with Santa, Santa's Workshop, etc. Events like these always uplift our Spirits, illustrate our Catholic Values, and build an enduring Community.


As we continue to improve our School, Website, Social Media Pages, Community Outreach, and messages that St Leo's School is one of the best-kept secrets and priceless value in the Archdiocese of Newark, your testimonials (emails, cards, notes, letters, messages, etc.) go a long way to voice that SLS is a nurturing, rigorous learning environment. 


To that end, please consider emailing ([email protected]) or sending in testimonials that we can post in our hallways, on our website, and on social media to validate our School Mission.


St. Leo's Elementary School (SLS) challenges students to achieve academic excellence in a nurturing yet rigorous, faith-based environment, inspiring them for a lifetime of faith, learning, and compassionate action toward a more just world. 


"Words of Experience" from faithful families, faculty, and friends mean everything to our readers.


May God bless all you do this holiday season.


Sincerely,


Mark Shultz, SLS Principal


Upcoming Events
           
12/21   Early Dismissal 12:15 PM  NO AFTERCARE
          (This is a change to the current calendar)
          Christmas Recess Begins
1/3 - Students Return to school
 

Thank you to Ms. Kelly for her outstanding photography skills. Please see below information on the Christmas Concert and Lunch with Santa photos!


Christmas Concert - The password to download files is 1213 (all free). The link includes photos, practice and the whole show. Enjoy!
 
https://aniakellyphotography.shootproof.com/gallery/23472805


Lunch with Santa -  Here is also the gallery link that everyone got at the event (Password is 1216)
https://aniakellyphotography.shootproof.com/gallery/23516265




Thank you to everyone who participated in the Santa Luncheon.  It was highly successful.  We raised over $3,000, which will be utilized on facility upgrades.


Thank you again for all of your support!
















“The Little Mermaid” play practice
For all cast members of the play, please see the attached practice schedule. If you have any questions, please contact Ms. N at [email protected]


FUNDRAISERS
 
Mermaid Movie Night - SLS is hosting a movie night to support our “Little Mermaid Musical.” Click here to order tickets. See the attached flyer for more information.
Movie Ticket Order Form



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



SLS LUNCH PROGRAM


Pizza Fridays  - JANUARY AND FEBRUARY ORDER FORM

DEADLINE: Wednesday December 20, 2023
https://forms.gle/iwmegTMZiEqRRcon8


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.  


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


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.