Carry the Light Forward

On Saturday, April 19^th over 400 pastors, principals, teachers, and parents attended a summit to help develop a plan for the future of Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Joliet.

I will keep you informed of progress as the consultants meet with individual schools and speak to pastors, principals, and parents. The process should take about two years to complete.

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Did you know?

In national and science achievement tests at both the elementary and secondary levels, Catholic school students outscored their public school counterparts.

Catholic school students surpassed public school students by an average of 4.5% in math, 4.8% in science, and 12.5% in reading in the three grade levels of National Assessment of Educational Progress tests of the federal government.

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The playground is here and being fully utilized by all the children. They love it and owe the parents who did the backbreaking work of taking it down and re-assembling it, a vote of gratitude. Thank you to Joe Fernandez (grandpa) who donated it and Juliet Rago who organized all the volunteers needed to complete the project. It looks great and will provide years of enjoyment for the children of HGS.

Spend special time with your children

You have heard again and again about the importance of reading to children. Sharing a book is a special pleasure more personal than watching television. There is time to linger over a favorite part or to reread a phrase or sentence that is particularly meaningful. Children who have been introduced to books at an early age have significantly larger vocabularies than do nonreaders.

Much of the value in this reading activity is the opportunity you will have to help your young person develop thinking skills. A pause in the reading to discuss what might happen next or to talk about why a character acted in a certain way encourages the habit of "reading between the lines" and making inferences. As you read aloud, you can use a tone of voice to emphasize a dramatic or mysterious moment--or one that is happy or sad. You can help your child to sense the rich meanings of the words an author has chosen. Occasionally, ask your child to retell a favorite part of the story, and he/she will gain experience in organizing facts and selecting important details.

Use a variety of books to appeal to children's special interests and also to broaden their horizons, but above all, make reading time fun. Let your own pleasure in books be contagious. You are not only building valuable educational skills in your youngsters, but you are building precious memories of shared pleasure. Through books, you and your child can travel the world, have exciting adventures, and experience the joys and sorrows of your favorite book characters.

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Spring Fever

Students believe that May signifies the beginning of the end of the school year. Nothing could be further from the truth. We still have much learning and many special events taking place before June 4, 2008.

Be on the alert:

∑ Watch for Track and Field Days for grades 1 & 2, 3 & 4, 5 & 6. All are scheduled in May.

∑ The Eighth Grade has some very special upcoming events: Ribbon Day Mass at 10:30 AM on May 14^th and Graduation on May 30^th.

∑ The May Crowning Mass with our Second Graders will be on May 7^th at 9:30 AM. Please plan on joining us. Communion pictures are scheduled for 8:00 A.M. At this Mass CCW Woman of the Year, Rosemary Sumang, will crown our statue.

∑ Sidewalk Art is scheduled for Friday, May 23^rd. Coordinated by Joe Minard, this is always a fun time for our younger grades, Pre-school through 4.

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Holy Ghost School Band Solo and Ensemble Festival Results

Our students recently took part in Music Education Services' annual Solo and Ensemble Festival held at St. Peter's Lutheran School in Schaumburg on Saturday, March 1. The students performed in front of a judge to receive either a first, second, or third place rating according to the preparation of their pieces. Here's how our students rated:

1^st Place (*denotes a perfect score) Josh Jalowiec Victoria Jablonski Alex Jablonski Vicki Jablonski-Nick Fagen-Ben Jalowiec trio* Anthony Barone

2^nd Place Ben Jalowiec Nick Fagen Joe Dones Rachel Moraga

3^rd Place Nikki Pochay

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Thanks to those using our new paper recycle bins in the south parking lot. In March we received $90.15; did not have to pay to have the recycle hauled away; and, saved 23.34 cubic yards of landfill space.

Thanks to all our Target shoppers. We just received a check for over $1,000 as our rebate for all you buy.

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Hawaii and Fashion

The Fashion Show is going to be superb thanks to Andrea Trovato and all her co-chairs who worked tirelessly to put this event together. It is not to late to purchase a ticket if you have not already done so. Join us for a fun evening of friends, food, raffles, prizes, and entertainment. Father Kevin and I will be modeling the latest Hawaiian fashion and Deacon Dino's outfit will be a surprise.

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Manna for Technology Calendar Winners:

April 6 Smith

April 13 Hoblit

April 20 Caira

April 27 Strazecki

Congratulations to our winners and thank you for supporting our technology program.

Summer Tips to Keep You and Your Family Safe

According to the Consumer Products Safety Commission, while summer can mean more fun, it also means more trips to the emergency room for many Americans. Here are some of the Commissionπs summer safety tips:

∑ Always wear a helmet and other safety gear when biking, skating, and skateboarding, and also when riding scooters, all-terrain vehicles, and horses. Studies have shown that bicycle helmets reduce the risk of injury by 85 percent.

∑ Prevent swimming pool tragedies by placing barriers completely around your pool to prevent access. Use door and pool alarms. Closely supervise your child when he or she is around or in your pool.

∑ Never bring a charcoal grill indoors. Burning charcoal produces carbon monoxide, which can be deadly.

∑ When cooking out on a gas grill, check the air tubes to ensure there are no blockages from insects, spiders, or food grease. Check hoses to make sure they are in good shape. Check for cracking, brittleness, holes, and leaks. Make sure there are no sharp bends in the tubes. If you detect a leak, immediately turn off the gas and do not attempt to light the grill until it has been fixed.

∑ Make sure your playground area is safe. Most playground accidents are from falls, so make sure the surface is soft; use at least nine inches of wood chips or mulch. Concrete, asphalt, or packed dirt surfaces are too hard and can cause injury.

∑ Allow only one person at a time on a trampoline. Do not allow somersaults. Use a shock-absorbing pad to cover the springs, and place the trampoline away from structures and other play areas. Children under 6 years old should not be allowed to use a full-size trampoline.

∑ Warn children not to allow a game of hide-n-seek to become deadly. Make sure they cannot get into any old cedar chests, latch-type freezers or refrigerators, iceboxes in campers, clothes dyers, or picnic coolers. Childproof all old appliances and warn children not to play inside them.

∑ Install window guards to prevent children from falling out of open windows, or install window stops that permit windows to open no more than four inches. Keep furniture away from windows to discourage children from climbing near them.

∑ If youπre mowing your lawn and children enter the area, turn the mower off. If your lawn slopes and youπre mowing with a push mower, mow across the slope, never up and down. With a riding mower, drive up and down the slope, not across. Never carry children on a riding mower.

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Family Meals Establish Lifelong Habits

Eating together establishes good habits later in life, researchers at the University of Minnesota say. In a recent study, more than 1,500 participants were surveyed once during high school, then again when they were 20 years old. Participants were asked questions about how often they ate with their families, how much they liked sitting down to dinner with family and friends, if they had a tendency to eat and run, and how often they ate breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

The researchers say that those who ate meals with families as adolescents were more likely to eat fruits and vegetables and drank fewer soft drinks as young adults. The frequency of family meals during adolescence also predicted eating meals with family more frequently as adults. Those who experienced more family meals were more likely to have higher intakes of key nutrients, such as potassium, calcium, and magnesium.

The researchers say the results show that structured mealtime with family is associated with improved diet quality for young adults. Families should be encouraged to eat meals together as often as possible, they say.

The results were originally published in the journal of the American Dietetic Association.

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Avoid Mosquitoes and West Nile Virus

To keep mosquitoes out of your yard:

∑ Stock your pond with goldfish that feed on mosquito larvae.

∑ Use yellow bug lights outside to discourage insects from swarming.

∑ Mow tall grass and weeds where bugs like to hide.

∑ Change water in birdbaths twice a week.

∑ Crush marigold leaves and petals between your fingers and rub the oil on your skin for a mild repellent.

∑ Empty collected rainwater from plastic tarps on firewood and equipment.

∑ Toss rosemary and sage onto your grill to act as a repellent.

∑ Keep trees and shrubs well pruned to bring sun and wind into the yard. Bugs like shade and dislike wind.

∑ Water grass and gardens early in the morning so water doesnπt pool.

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Water Safety Tips

From the National Safety Council:

∑ Never leave small kids alone near water, including near the beach, pool, or bathtub.

∑ Beware of neighborhood pools. Make sure that kids will be supervised when invited over to swim.

∑ Teach kids the three swimming rules: Always swim with a buddy, never dive headfirst into unknown bodies of water, donπt jump on or push others.

Adults should have a cell phone and a first-aid kit available during family outings. Warn older children not to take chances or underestimate water depth.

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"Life's most urgent questions is: What are you doing for others?"

Martin Luther King Jr.

OUR FINAL DAY

June 4, 2008 is our last day of school for the 2007-2008 school year. We will end the year with a 9:30 A.M. Mass. Pre-school, Kindergarten, and 8th grade students are invited to attend this Mass with the rest of the school. After Mass, the children in grades 1 – 7 will return to their classrooms, receive their report cards and then be dismissed.

HAVE A SAFE AND HAPPY SUMMER!