ANNOUNCEMENTS • UPCOMING EVENTS • NOTEWORTHY ITEMS OF INTEREST
Announcements
Catholic School Management Consulting
We have started a consulting relationship with Catholic School Management, a full-service, comprehensive consulting organization supporting the educational ministry of the Catholic Church with direct consultative guidance, assessment, planning, training programs and publications.
St. Vincent de Paul School seeks to:
- increase enrollment – we are currently at 398 students with a goal of reaching 450 in 3-5 years.
- establish a comprehensive marketing plan
- provide staff and volunteers with the necessary training in best practices that will drive effective implementation of the plan.
The process this week included individual interviews with the principal, pastor, communications director and the parish director of religious education. We also held focus groups with new parents, existing parents, faculty/staff and advisory committee/home & school members. Those who did not participate in these focus groups will have an opportunity to give feedback through a school-wide survey later in the semester.
In the coming weeks, we’ll be receiving feedback from the CSM team and participating in workshops on various topics such as: Decimating Key Messages, Parent Ambassador Program, Data Track & Analysis and Retention & Transfer Strategies.
Teacher Endowment
As previously communicated, on September 27, 2024, we proudly awarded our first inaugural “Gratitude Bonus” to our dedicated teachers from our Teacher Endowment Fund. This bonus, amounting to 7.5% of their base salary for all returning teachers, is a testament to our commitment to recognizing and rewarding the incredible work our educators do every day. Donations can be made at any time to the Teacher Endowment HERE. Your generous support will ensure that we can continue to attract and retain the best educators for our children, providing them with the high-quality, Catholic education they deserve. This link works for anyone who would like to contribute – parents, grandparents, Godparents, or anyone interested in supporting our school. Every dollar counts and brings us closer to our goal of increasing support for our exceptional teachers. For those that were not able to attend the community meeting on October 1st, we have also attached the presentation that was given on the Endowment at that meeting HERE
Voluntary Student Accident Insurance
The Archdiocese of Denver continues to provide families with an opportunity to purchase voluntary student accident plans, which have come in handy for families who have recently lost their insurance coverage, or don’t have any injury insurance coverage. Attached find two documents that you may find helpful for your family.
Camp Wojtyla Lottery
NOW OPENCamp Wojtyla is an amazing summer camp that helps young people fall more in love with Jesus while teaching them the beauty of the Catholic faith. Through epic adventures in the Colorado mountains, awesome community, and huge fun. In a culture that inundates us with noise, time away on the mountain helps us understand who God is and who He has made us to be. Our incredible staff and counselors are joyful role models and are highly trained in areas of wilderness first aid, faith formation, and adolescent development.
Because this camp is so popular, there is a lottery for registrations, which is now open and runs from Oct 12 – Oct 26, so don’t wait to sign up! Scholarships available!
CAMP WOJTYLA WEBSITE
Save-the-Dates
- November 1 – Solemnity of All Saints – School Mass – Students may dress as their favorite saint
Gala Planning
Join us for our first St. Vincent de Paul Gala planning meeting on Monday, October 28th at 8 AM in the school conference room. Whether you’re curious about how you can contribute or have fun ideas for the gala and fundraising opportunities, we’d love to have you! It’s a great way to connect and help support our school. Coffee will be provided to fuel our creativity and start the week off right. See you there!
Feel free to reach out to Melissa Regan with any questions.
- The Winter Warmth drive wrapped up this past Wednesday. We will share our total donations with the community next week. Thank you to our 6th grade students and parents, especially Margie Burns and Kay Watson, for organizing this drive. And thank you to our generous community for all your donations!
- THANK YOU for your generosity during our Halloween Costume Drive. We were able to deliver 5 large black garbage bags worth of costumes to families at Samaritan House and Marisol Homes.
- Save the date for ALL school service on November 26th. We need lots of volunteers to make this day a success. If you have high school students needing service hours, they are welcome as well! Please reach out to Anne Kinney (merranne@gmail.com) with questions.
Thanksgiving Food Drive Kickoff! November 1st – 22nd The season of gratitude is upon us, and as we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving, we have an opportunity to make a meaningful difference in the lives of those in need. We are excited to announce the kickoff of the 8th grade service project, the Thanksgiving Food Drive!
From November 1st to November 22nd, we are asking families to donate non-perishable food items to support local families who might otherwise go without this holiday season. Together, we can help ensure that families in our community have the chance to enjoy a warm, nourishing meal on Thanksgiving.
What We Need:
2-6 donations per family
Regular-sized items (bulk size will be too big for our donation boxes)
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Preschool – box of instant potatoes
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KA – canned soup
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KB – cookie/brownie mix
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1A/B – cereal
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2 A/B – canned corn, peas, or green beans
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3 A/B – canned fruit
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4A (Barnes) – stuffing mix
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4B (Siegel) – canned condensed milk
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5A (McGillicuddy) – canned pumpkin
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5B (Hagen) – box pie crust or non-refrigerated crust
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6A (Edgehill) – peanut butter
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6B (Papich) – jam or jelly
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7A (McConaty)- pasta
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7B (Sr. Mara Rose) – pasta sauce
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8A (Brown) – large can of stew or chili
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8B (Espinola) – boxed macaroni and cheese
Where to Donate: Students should bring the donations to school and drop off in bins outside their classrooms. We will also take left-over Halloween candy too. Your food donations will support 4 area agencies, ~80 families and provide over 300 volunteer hours for the 8th grade class!
- There is an opening for vice president of SVdP Serves during the 2024-2025 year. The VP will step into the role of president for the 2025-2026 year. Please reach out to Carrie Schmitt at svdpserves@gmail.com with questions or to volunteer or nominate someone.
- The SVdP Serves committee meets in the Dining Room of the Parish Office on the first Friday of the month from 8-9 am. The upcoming meeting dates are; November 1; December 6th. All are welcome!
Faith & Family:
- Please join the SVdP community for family adoration THIS Sunday, October 27 at 5 p.m in the church. Children can dress up as their favorite Saint for All Saints Day and we will have Halloween treats:-) Please RSVP to: jilliantherese.krueger@gmail.
com for food count! HERE is the link to sign up to help with food/drinks.
Fundraising Opportunities:
Support Home & School, our teachers, students & community!
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Order Your Holiday Wreaths Today! Decorate for the Christmas season with beautiful Fraser Fir wreaths and Douglas Fir garland. All proceeds support the 8th grade class gift to the school! There are 14′ and 20′ wreaths available for $40 and $60 respectively, as well as 25′ garland for $50 each. Wreath pick-up will be on Tuesday, December 3rd from 2:15p-4pm at the lower playground. To place your order, CLICK HERE.
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Family Photo Shoot With Lily Red Studio: Capture your family in a beautiful Holiday Photo Shoot with Lily Red Studio Minis. This is a quick 10 minute photo session that provides you with 5 digital photos. Shoots take place at the Lily Red Studios in East Wash Park and can have up to 5 family members, 2 pets and 3 holiday backdrops! Please use code ‘SVDP’ during the booking process for a $15 discount off the $175 session fee. For larger families, book two back to back sessions for more time and 10 digital photos. More details HERE.
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Shop for SVdP at WISH Gifts: Get a head start on your holiday shopping at WISH Gifts! WISH will be donating 10% of sales from a private shopping party on Monday, November 11th from 6-8pm to SVdP. This opportunity is at the S. Gaylord location only. A maximum of 25 people can attend this event so please sign up here if you’d like to join. This opportunity will fill up quickly and we are working to secure a second date or additional hours.
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Order your holiday cards through Minted and save! Join for FREE to get 20% off Minted cards & gift orders throughout the year, and Minted will donate 15% back to SVdP. Just type in code fundraisevincentdepaul at checkout.
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Shop at King Soopers? Enroll your card to earn rewards for our school. First, log-in to your account, then visit your profile, choose Community Rewards at the bottom left, and use the SVDP code FH5964 to enroll.
2024-2025 – Archdiocese of Denver Catholic Schools Athletic Program Handbook 24-25 School Year
St Vincent de Paul Parish & Community
- The first rehearsal for the SVdP Church Children’s Choir will be Monday, October 28 at 3:00 and will end at 4:15. The choir is for children grades 3-8. Contact Raymond@saintvincents.org to sign up or for more information. This is the choir that sings at Sunday Mass once a month and Christmas Eve Mass.
October is Respect Life Month!
The Respect Life Ministry is hosting a Diaper Drive for Marisol Family. Marisol Family serves Colorado families by providing material assistance, support services and family education. They assist expectant moms and families by providing diapers, wipes, formula, baby supplies, young children’s clothing and family education programs! Please drop off diapers/wipes at the back of the church during the month of October to support this organization!
Foundations for the Future Campaign
Access the latest bulletin HERE
SECOND ANNUAL ADVENT MARKET at CAMP ST. MALO (south of Estes Park, CO on Highway 7)
DEC. 7-8, 2024 | 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Experience the Truth of the Advent season, soak in the beauty of winter in the mountains, enjoy good food (including spiced wine, warm drinks, and festive snacks), and encounter Christ! More information HERE.
