March 25

Dear SACS Families,          May Easter blessings be with you and your families.
EASTER MONDAY- No SchoolThe Bishop has informed us that in this Year of Mercy, there will be no school on Easter Monday. St. Anna’s will be closed on Friday, March 25th for Good Friday and Monday, March 28th for Easter Monday.
REGISTRATIONIf you have not registered for next year, please note the registration fee increases to $250 on Friday, April 1st. Please send in your registration form and fee before Friday to reserve your child’s spot for next year.
GALA RAFFLE TICKETSPlease help support our annual gala by purchasing tickets for the raffle. There are amazing prizes to be won! The tickets are $20 for 25 or $1 per ticket. 25 tickets with a list of raffle prizes will come home with your child on Tuesday, March 29th. Please check their bags!!!!
On the back of your raffle tickets please write your name, phone number, and the item number for the prize you would like the ticket placed in.  Send your tickets and payment (cash or check made out to St Anna School) in an envelope marked Gala Raffle to the office before Friday, April 8th. Any tickets not returned to the office on Friday will not be entered into the raffle.
If you have any questions about Gala Raffle Tickets, Mrs. Priddy is your go to person!!
CHAPERONESSpring field trips will be coming soon and anyone that will want to volunteer to chaperone must have a CORI, safe environment training AND their fingerprinting completed. If you do not complete your fingerprinting, you will not be able to chaperone any of the spring field trip. Fingerprinting will also be required of ALL volunteers next year as well.  Please find the fingerprinting instructions here.  The school will reimburse you the $35 fee when you return your fingerprinting slip to the office and request reimbursement.
Vision & Hearing ScreeningsThe Lions Club will be here on April 14th to conduct vision and hearing screenings for all students from preschool to grade 8. The Massachusetts School Vision Screening Program has been one of the most successful initiatives implemented by the Department of Public Health for over 50 years. Comprehensive changes to school vision screening in Massachusetts now include new screening guidelines for stereopsis testing which looks at how the two eyes work together as well as near and far vision screening.
The purpose of this screening is to detect any vision and hearing impairments that your child may have that may be affecting his/her learning. If your child wears prescription glasses and/or hearing aids we request that they wear them on the day of the screening. This year your child hearing and vision screening will be on April 14th. They will be conducted through the Lions Club mobile screening lab with the help of some parent volunteers.  You will receive notification after the screenings ONLY if there are any concerns noted during the screening.
The school is very interested in making sure that each child is healthy and ready to learn. We would like to take this moment to thank you for joining us in our efforts in providing the best learning environment.
If you have any questions or concerns about the School Vision and Hearing Screening Program please let me know. If you would like to opt your child out of the screenings, please send an email to Mrs. Priddy (mpriddy@stannaleom.org) BEFORE April 11th.
The Leominster Lions Club will also be collecting used and unused reading glasses, hearing aids and sunglasses during St. Anna’s screening day, taking place on April 14th. Broken frames and glasses will also be collected. Thank you!
DRESS CODEWarm weather dress will begin on Monday, April 4th.
BOYS K-5: Navy shorts, gray or white polo with logo
GIRLS K-5: Navy shorts or navy skorts, gray or white polo with logo
BOYS 6-8: Navy or khaki shorts, polo with logo (navy, light blue, white or gray)
GIRLS 6-8: Navy or khaki skorts or shorts, polo with logo (navy, light blue, white or gray)
School shoes should be dress shoes (navy, black, or dark brown – one solid color). Oxford style, saddle shoes, loafers, top-siders are acceptable. No sandals of any style.
Out of Dress Day Guidelines- Students may wear: jeans, sneakers, shorts no shorter than three inches above the knee, sweatshirts, joggers or loose fitting yoga pants.  Please remember you are still representing St. Anna School on out of dress days, therefore you may NOT wear flip flops, tank tops, low cut blouses/tops or spaghetti straps. Tight leggings are unacceptable.
Students who wear inappropriate clothing to school will be asked to call home for a change of clothes or given something appropriate to wear.
Good Rule: If you think you shouldn’t wear it, you shouldn’t.
DESIGN SQUADWould you like to “Dream It, Build It, Live It”?
Students in Grades 3 – 8 are invited to put their math, science and problem solving skills to work at our next Design Squad Event on Saturday, April 2nd  from noon to 4pm in the school gym.
Design Squad was started in 2011 by a group of parents that wanted to introduce Engineering to the students at St. Anna’s.    The program is based on the PBS Design Squad Series and has been a huge hit with the students over the years.   The day consists of 2 engineering projects and one chemistry project.  Refreshments and pizza will be available. 
All new participants will receive a free Design Squad t-shirt.  Returning participants can be purchase a new t-shirt for $10.   You can register using this link: http://goo.gl/forms/RSbS4sdeov
The deadline to sign up to be sure you receive a t-shirt is Monday, March 21st
Deadline to sign up to participate – Monday, March 28th
Calling all parent engineers and volunteers!   We need your help to continue this wonderful day for the students. Parent volunteers are assigned to a group of 4-5 students and you work with them throughout the day, guiding them through the different projects.
If you would like to help or have any questions please contact Laura Pompei atvalerilaura@hotmail.com  or Sarah O’Toole at jspmotoole1@netscape.com
#MAKE A DIFFERENCEMarch’s Make A Difference focus is on Literacy sponsored by our Preschool!
The preschool will be collecting gently used books (we’re asking each child to bring in one book) that will be donated to a local program that provides books to students who do not have access to books at home. At the end of the month, all students will partner with different grade levels to read books together and complete Dr. Seuss related activities to promote the importance of literacy.  Book collection bins will be in the lobby all month.
YEARBOOKLAST CALL to order the 2015-2016 St. Anna Tiger Yearbook!  Don’t miss out on preserving the memories of another exciting and busy school year. Please fill out and return this order form or the one that was sent home.
THEATRE AT THE MOUNT- HOW I BECAME A PIRATEStudents in grades K-8 will be attending the Theatre at the Mount play “How I Became A Pirate” at Gardner High School on Friday, April 15th at 9:30. Two of our own students (Mary & Elizabeth) will be performing in the play.  We will be traveling by bus and need to leave school by 8:45. Students will be dropped off at school at 8:15 that day.  The cost of the trip is $10 to help cover the cost of the ticket and a portion of the bus (we need 4 busses!!). The PTO will help pay the additional bus costs.  Please contact Mrs. French about family pricing!
Please take a moment to fill out the permission form:http://goo.gl/forms/CxZEzGRTq9
CALLING ALL ALUMNIDo you have a yearbook from any of the following years?
1962, 1963, 1967, 1968, 1970-1975, 1980-1984, 1987-1989,1995-1996,1998
The school is missing copies of yearbooks from the years listed above.  If you would like to donate your copy, please send it to the school.  We can also copy yours and return it. Contact Sylvia Ciuffetti at stbdev@aol.com with any questions
We are also continuing to update our alumni data base. If you or someone you know is an alumni, please help take a minute to complete the alumni information form:
http://goo.gl/forms/bGfwXtNgKR
FRIENDS OF ST ANNA/PTO UPDATES:  (email us at PTO@stannaleom.org)

• Next Meeting:  Monday, April 4th  at 6:00. Childcare will be Available!
• Meeting Minutes & Agenda will be posted on the website.

• Don’t forget to keep clipping those Box Tops and Labels for Education!!!!  
  • We will be looking for a new Box Tops Director this Spring! Mrs. Guthrie is retiring from her job as box top and label cutter, organizer, shipper! Please let us know if this is something you’d like to help with!

 Shoe Recycling- Don’t forget to send in your shoes as you start your spring cleaning. There are collection boxes in the cafeteria and at the church!
ACTIVITIES:Allen’s March Madness Sale going on now-flyer
Easter Funday on March 25th –flyer
AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS- (beg. week of March 7th-April 15th)
Minecraft 4-8 Mondays
Lego Club grades 1-3 Tuesdays 
Cooking grades 2-8 Thursdays
Minecraft 1-3 Thursdays   
STEM Beginnings PK & K Wednesdays 3:15-4:15


UPCOMING EVENTS3/25 No School for Good Friday
3/28 No School for Easter Monday
4/2 Design Squad 12-4
4/4 Report Cards
4/4 Mass for Life grades 7 & 8
4/9 17th Annual Gala
4/11-4/15 Science Fair Week
4/14 Science Fair evening presentations/awards
4/12 PTO Out of Dress
4/15 Trip to Theatre at the Mount “How I Became a Pirate”
4/18-4/22 Spring Vacation
4/25-4/29 Book Fair
4/26 NED (yo-yo) Show
4/28 PK-4 Spring Concert 6:30
4/29 Books & Beyond ends
4/30 First Communion
5/6 NC Consortium Field Day grades 5-8
5/6 First Grade’s Mother’s Day Tea 9:15
5/6 St. Anthony’s Dance
5/7 Mother Son Bowling 4:00-6:00
5/10 PTO Out of Dress
5/12 Drama Production of “Alice in Wonderland” 7:00
5/13 Drama Production of “Alice in Wonderland” 7:00
5/17 Preschool Fashion Show 9:30
5/20 Crowning of Mary 2:30
5/20 Last day of Books & Beyond
5/23-5/27 Nature’s Classroom grade 6
5/24-5/26 New York grades 7 & 8
5/30 No School Memorial Day
6/7 PTO Out of Dress
6/9 8th grade Graduation
6/10 Preschool Graduation
6/15 Last Day of School- early dismissal 11:30
6/18 Golf Tournament