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Education for Life
The McDonell Area Catholic Schools are committed to
the formation of community, academic excellence and
the spiritual and physical well-being of each student
in the Spirit of Jesus Christ.
St. Charles Childcare
St. Charles Borromeo Primary
Holy Ghost Elementary
Notre Dame Middle School
McDonell Central Catholic High School
November 2014 School Newsletter
MACS Central Office Hours: Mon - Fri 7 am to 4 pm—6 pm on Thu  School Offices open 7:30 am to 4:00 pm
715.723.0538  www.macs.k12.wi.us Look for MACS on Facebook & Twitter
723.2161
723.5827
723.6478
723.4777
723.9126
Extraordinary Synod for Families - Life Changing
By Jeffrey Heinzen,
opening Mass with Pope Francis,
MACS President
at which all the Synod Fathers
It has been my privilege to be
presided. We had the honor of
invited and participate, along with sitting immediately behind the
my wife Alice ’71, at the ExtraCardinals.
ordinary Synod on the family in
* Monday – Friday (October 7 Rome, Italy from October 5th –
10) the real work began. Pope
19th. We will be developing a full Francis opened the session by
presentation that will be available saying, “This meeting on families
to groups
beginning in
November.
Here are
some of the
highlights.
* The Synod
opened with a
“Festival of
Families” on
Saturday,
October 5th.
We were on the
“platform”
where Pope
Francis
presided over
the evening.
* Sunday,
Above: MACS President Jeff and his wife Alice ’71 Heinzen
October 6th
speak with Pope Francis and his translator. Alice holds items
was the
for the Pope to bless during their visit.
Happy
Thanksgiving!
This is the season for giving
thanks for our health,
happiness, family and friends.
We would like to take this
opportunity to thank you for
your support of Catholic
education and the McDonell
Area Catholic Schools
CENTRAL OFFICE CLOSED
Thursday, November 27
Friday, November 28
HOURS OPEN
M, T, W, F
7 a.m. - 4 p.m.
TH
7 a.m. - 6 p.m.
is to be a free and open discussion of what is
going on in the universal church around
marriage and families. All must speak freely and
openly.”
* Pope Francis was present during seven of
the 11 days of meetings. He had cleared his
calendar to be in the meeting room with about
250 people to listen and take notes for all those
days. Indeed, he is very much a Pope of the
common people.
Continue to page 11
NOVEMBER EVENTS
For full listing, check on website for school’s
monthly events calendars.
Nov. 3
Begin Second Quarter
Nov. 5
Gift Wednesday - Parent Drop Off
Nov. 9
Spaghetti Spectacular held at McD
from 11:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Nov. 10
Spaghetti dinner take-outs delivered to
local businesses.
Open House at ND and McD for
current and new inquiring families for
grades 5 through 11. Tuition drawings.
Time 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Music Booster Meeting - 6:30 at McD
Nov. 10 -11
Parent-Student-Teacher Conferences
HG, SC and BB4C
Nov. 12
NDAA parent meeting 6:00 p.m. McD
Athletic Boosters monthly parent
meeting both in McD library 7:00 p.m.
Nov. 18
Blood Drive at McD 9a.m.-2 p.m.
Nov. 19
Parent Drop Off Day
Nov. 20
Education Commission @ 5:30 p.m.
Nov. 22
Craft Country Expo @ 9 a.m.- 3 p.m.
held at McD
Nov. 24
ND-McD Jazz Ensembles - 7:00 p.m.
Nov. 26-28 NO SCHOOL - Thanksgiving Break
Over 130 years of Catholic education
1
Family Newsletter November 2014
ACADEMIC AFFAIRS & ACCREDITATION
Mary Huffcutt, Dean of Academic Affairs
and Accreditation, 715.723.0538 ext.
3302 or m.huffcutt@macs.k12.wi.us.
Principal Brother Roger has
implemented an exciting new program
called Project Lead the Way (PLTW) at
the middle and high school level. PLTW
is a non-profit organization that has
developed an interactive, hands-on,
Mrs. Mary Huffcutt learning program that focuses on
science, technology, engineering and
math (STEM) curriculum. Last summer, MACS sent three
teachers for a two week intense training to be able to lead
this program. Mr. Kuehl went to the University of Minnesota.
Ms. Pomietlo and Mr. Jacobson attended Milwaukee School
of Engineering.
MACS continues to bring in our Catholic values and
social justices into our curriculum and with the number of
jobs that will be opening up in the STEM fields, we want to
help our students who are thinking about these fields, bring
these values with them.
The U.S. Dept. of Commerce estimates that jobs in STEM
will grow 17% by the year 2018. That is more than double
than the growth expected for non-STEM jobs!
We are excited about this opportunity. We are excited
about the critical thinking, the project based learning and
how we are bringing our values to this field of learning.
Education Technology & Media
Val Knobloch, MST Director of Technology
v.knobloch@macs.k12.wi.us 715.723.0538
ext. 3325
This month, our 1:1 ChromeBook pilot,
Project Lead the Way (PLTW) and CVTC
interns updates.
The 6th graders received their Dell
Chromebooks in early October and
Mr. Val Knobloch
have been using them daily at school
and home following the 7th graders who received them
earlier. We have also upgraded our network filter that
will allow us to monitor and enforce filter policies on
school owned devices regardless of location. More
details will be sent home to families in the near future.
In PLTW, Mr. Mitch Jacobson’s Biomedical Science
class has been doing CSI like experiments in Lab 211
where we have new mobile cart with laptops. Mr. Justin
Kuehl’s Gateway to Engineering class has six sections
of 7th and 8th grade students enrolled while Ms. Julie
Pomietlo’s Intro to Engineering Design will welcome
High School students 2nd semester. For more
information on PLTW, go to:
https://www.pltw.org/our-programs.
And lastly, infrastructure improvements are moving
along with the help of interns from the CVTC’s IT
program. Boon Thao and Sean Zimmerman have joined
us for a few months and have already made a valuable
impact. They in turn are learning about Mobile devices
management (iPads and Chromebooks) and user
support.
McDonell Area Catholic Schools
$crip Fundraising News
Barb Gale, Administrative Assistant & Scrip
Fundraising Coordinator 715.723.0538
ext. 3301 or b.gale@macs.k12.wi.us.
web link: www.macs.k12.wi.us/scrip.html
The start of fall and November is a great
time to stock your pantry at home and your
Mrs. Barb Gale
wallet for your Thanksgiving family
gatherings. Being thankful for the bounties
and blessings that have been bestowed, upon us, let us think
about restocking our area food pantry as well or giving a
needy family a grocery Scrip gift card.
Preparing for the holiday season, we have started building
our Scrip inventory weekly. Let us know if there are any
vendors you would like to see stocked for the holiday season.
I have a number of American Girl $25, Cabela’s $25,
Children’s Place $25, GameStop $25, Land’s End $100 and
Starbucks Coffee $10 scrip gift cards.
Remember, we are open until 6:00 p.m. every Thursday
evening, except for holidays.
If there is anyone who has several hours a week to help with
Scrip sales in our office, please give me a call. This volunteer
program is in need of more help anytime from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Thank you for supporting the Scrip program and working
toward 2015-2016 tuition credits!
Advancement News
Jenny Schafer, Director of Advancement
j.schafer@macs.k12.wi.us or 715.723.0538 ext.
3306
Spaghetti Spectacular
is almost here!
Planning is underway for the 7th Annual
Mrs. Jenny Schafer
Spaghetti Spectacular set for Sunday,
November 9th. This is the first of two events that are
fundraisers for the entire MACS system.
I would like to say a huge THANK YOU to all of the
parents who have volunteered. We only have a few spots to
fill on Sunday and Monday! If you have a flexible schedule,
we could really use your help on Monday, November 10th to
to get 600 meals delivered to area businesses on time. The
more drivers we have the better our service to our supporters.
The raffle baskets are coming in and they are once again
fabulous! You can view them on the MACS website under the
parent link of our website. Or click on Br. Roger’s image.
Please help us spread the word to area businesses
about our special Monday delivery. We will deliver a hot
spaghetti meal, with the homemade garlic bread and salad, to
businesses in the Chippewa Falls and Lake Hallie area on the
10th. Tell your employer to let everyone order in! Order forms
are also on the website. We want to beat our record of 600
meals delivered.
Our goal is to raise $18,000 this year. With your help, we
can achieve our goal. We look forward to seeing you on
November 9th!
2
Family Newsletter November 2014
MACS Parent Organizations
www.macs.k12.wi.us
Home and School Association
Notre Dame Athletic Association
email: ndaaboosters@macs.k12.wi.us
web link: www.macs.k12.wi.us/ndaa.html
email: macshomeschool@macs.k12.wi.us
web link: www.macs.k12.wi.us/hns.html
Tina Ferguson, President
We have moved into the season of thanks. We all have
something to be thankful for, whether it is our family,
career or simply this beautiful world God has provided us.
Reminder that Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held
on Monday, November 10th and Tuesday, November
11th. Volunteers are needed to provide soup, bread,
salad and a dessert for the teachers at both Holy Ghost
and St. Charles. See VolunteerSpot to volunteer your
cooking skills.
Also, in November will be our next parent HandS
meeting, we invite you to join us on Wednesday,
November 12th at St. Charles School beginning at 6:00
p.m. There are several upcoming activities that we would
appreciate your input and/or assistance to
coordinate. Keep in mind, meeting attendance is applied
to your volunteer hours and we enjoy seeing new faces.
In closing, we thank all the volunteers that provided their
time at the Harvest Hoedown. The children had a
wonderful time and it was a joy to see the little smiles on
all their faces.
Have a blessed Thanksgiving.
Home and School Steering Committee
Music Boosters
email: macsmusic@macs.k12.wi.us
web link: www.macs.k12.wi.us/musboost.html
The fall concession season has ended
and a big thank you goes out to all who
volunteered your time at one of the many
nights. The money raised will help pay for
the cost of the transportation ($6,500) to
Mr. Robert Parkhurst
Nashville for our music students.
President
Next up for the Music Boosters is the
Country Craft Expo on November 22nd.
Tell all of your friends and family to stop by to find
something to purchase from one of the many vendors,
while supporting Music Boosters. Volunteer spots still
available for the event. We are looking for help at the
event! Volunteers are needed to take tickets, concessions
and help set up on Friday VolunteerSpot sign up. Scroll
down to Music Booster Activities.
No pie stand this year.
Watch for the MVP Gold Cards being sold by the music
students in all grades. Reminder to parents that $5 per
card sold goes toward your student’s/family's account to
pay for trips and $10 per card sold for high school
students heading to Nashville.
Meetings are held the second Monday of each month
and we are looking for new ideas for the future. If you
want to be part of new and exciting events for the fine arts
programs at McDonell, please come to the one of the next
meetings.
McDonell Area Catholic Schools
3
The candy bar sales are still in full swing.
We ordered the same number of boxes
as last year, however last year they were
gone in two weeks, and this year we
have many boxes left after the official
end of selling. Please consider taking
another box if you are able. We will be
Mrs. Michele Kressin
sending back the left overs in the next
NDAA President
few weeks.
We also collect Gordy's receipts all year long, please
turn them in regularly as they are only good for one year.
Remember with the receipts, we do not receive funds for
alcohol or service counter sales.
Hope to see you November 12th at our next NDAA
meeting 6:00 p.m. in the McDonell Library!
McDonell Athletic Boosters
email: mcdathboosters@macs.k12.wi.us
web link: www.macs.k12.wi.us/athboost.html
Brian Heidtke, President
Monthly meetings are held on the Second Wednesday
of the month at 7 p.m. at McDonell. Parents, this is a
great way to find out, first hand, what’s happening with
the McDonell Athletic Program. All are welcome and
encouraged to attend.
“Spirit of the Macks” Silent Auction – Thank you to
all who attended and supported the auction this year. We
had some wonderful and unique items that were
auctioned this year. Final numbers are not in yet, but
preliminary numbers indicate that it is close to last year’s
total, which was a record year. AWESOME! Thank you
for all your support!
The first annual “Loop de Loopy” which was held at
Loopy’s was a great success. Planning is already
underway for next year’s event. Thank you to those who
helped make this new event a success!
Football Mania Fundraiser. Thank you to everyone
who sold and purchased Football Mania
tickets. Good luck and best wishes for a lot
of winning tickets! Be sure to check the
boosters website for the weekly winners.
We are in need of a concessions
chairperson for the Silent Auction and the golf
outing. Please come to a meeting and/or contact a
board member if you would be willing to oversee either of
these activities. Upcoming Events:
January 25, 2015 – Kick-off for Catholic Schools week
Brunch held at McDonell
March 27-28, 2014 - Alumni Tournament
April 2015 - Spring Fest
May 2015 - Golf Outing
Family Newsletter November 2014
Notre Dame Middle School | McDonell Central Catholic High School www.macs.k12.wi.us
STUDENT COUNCIL NEWS
GUIDANCE DEPARTMENT NEWS
Jerry Van Dyke, Guidance Counselor
j.vandyke@macs.k12.wi.us
715.723.9126 ext. 3317
BLOOD DRIVE The Student
Council has scheduled the
annual Blood Drive for
Tuesday, November 18th.
We are not only encouraging
students who are at least 16
years of age to donate blood,
but also members of our
community. Students can
sign up at school. There is an
online sign-up available for the public. Our goal is to
collect 30 pints of blood to be able to award a $250
scholarship to a worthy student.
ACT—Juniors should take the ACT at
least one time during their junior year.
Mr. Jerry Van Dyke Register online at www.actstudent.org.
You will need to enter the McDonell school code, which is
500-402. When you register, you can select four colleges to
receive your scores. Be sure to do so, or you will end up
paying up to $15.00 per report to send scores to your
colleges at a later time.
Test Date
12-13-14
02-07-15
04-18-15
06-13-15
Registration Deadline
11-07-14
01-09-15
03-13-15
05-08-15
Late Registration
11-21-14
01-16-15
03-27-15
05-22-15
POINSETTIA SALE will be sponsored by
Student Council this year. If you are
interested in purchasing a poinsettia,
please place your order using our email
address: mcd.s.council@macs.k12.wi.us.
Please indicate how many of each color
you would like. You will receive a confirmation reply. All
orders must be placed by Friday, November 7th. The
pickup date is December 3rd, from 1:00-4:30 p.m.. The
poinsettias will be in the McDonell library. The proceeds
will be used to fund events for Student Council and to aid
our missions.
COLLEGE APPLICATIONS If seniors have not completed
the college application process, they should submit them as
soon as possible. A number of schools have a priority date
of December 15th.
SENIOR MEETINGS If you have not yet done so, parents of
seniors are reminded to contact Mr. Van Dyke to set up a
meeting to review post high school planning (including
college applications, scholarships, and financial aid) for your
student. Call or email using information above.
ROTARY ROSE SALE Student Council members are
selling roses for $15/dozen until November 7th. Roses will
be ready for pickup or delivery on Thursday, November
13th. Please be generous and purchase a dozen to help
both the Rotary Club with their programs and support the
Student Council. The Student Council receives a
generous percentage of the sales.
McDONELL YOUTH ROTARS The following students have
been selected as Youth Rotars for the 2014-15 school year.
October
November
December
January
Tessa McChesney
Danielle Baier
Emily Stoffel
Rebekah Heidtke
February
March
April
May
Sydney Schemenauer
Stephen Ortmann
Jacob Horan
Claire Buchmann
STUFF-A-TRUCK There will be a food drive
from November 1st through November 14th.
A collection bin will be in each classroom for
donations.
Congratulations to these students who will be representing
McDonell at the weekly Rotary Club meetings in their
assigned month.
Congratulations to our student council members on a job
well done this quarter! Without their hard work, these
events would not take place.
CAMPUS MINISTRY NEWS
NOTRE DAME MIDDLE SCHOOL NEWS
Deacon Tom Kinnick, Campus Ministry
deacon.kinnick@macs.k12.wi.us
715.723.9126 ext. 2207
ADVENT RECONCILIATION
CHRISTMAS TEA - Please mark your calendars for the
8th grade Taste of Traditions Tea which will be held on
Friday, December 19th at 2:00 p.m.
Reconciliation will be on Thursday,
December 4th. We will begin with a
Deacon Tom Kinnick
short service at 1:20 p.m. in the
Auditorium and confessions will follow beginning
at 1:30 p.m.
HEALTHY SNACKS Notre Dame Middle School Student
Council will be selling healthy snacks on Monday,
Tuesday, Thursday and Friday mornings during break
and everyday after school in Room 109.
RIGHT TO LIFE MARCH Please save the dates of
VETERAN PAPERS Please watch for our 8th grade
Tuesday, January 20th (departing after school) to
Saturday evening January 24th.
McDonell Area Catholic Schools
Veteran papers in the Chippewa Herald in November.
4
Family Newsletter November 2014
Notre Dame Middle School | McDonell Central Catholic High School www.macs.k12.wi.us
STUDENT AMBASSADOR NEWS
SENIOR NEWS
Mary Jacobson
Ambassador Program Advisor
715.723.9126
Carolyn Peloquin, Senior Trip Coordinator
c.peloquin@macs.k12.wi.us
715.723.9126 ext. 1102
Mrs. Carolyn Peloquin
BABY SHOWER FOR MARY Thank you to
everyone who donated to the Baby
Shower for Mary. It is estimated that
Mrs. Mary Jacobson
approximately 100 packages of diapers,
as well as diaper creams and baby wipes were purchased,
brought to school and contributed to this worthy
cause. St. Charles and Holy Ghost students donated
money from two jeans days which was used to purchase
diapers. Notre Dame and McDonell students were able to
participate in various baby shower games throughout the
week. We are hoping the baby shower games brought
some awareness of how expensive it is to have a child in
diapers. There was a competition for the most donations
between the grades at Notre Dame and McDonell, which
proved that the freshman class knows how to rally
together for a good cause. Congratulations to them, and
everyone who donated! The donations will be given to the
local Catholic Charities, the Salvation Army and Chippewa
County Public
Health.
We acknowledge
that these donations
were expensive, so
we cannot express
enough how grateful
we are, to you, for
supporting your
child in this cause.
We know we are
making a difference in our community.
WREATH DELIVERY
DATES Wreaths
will be delivered
Tuesday and Wednesday,
November 18th and 19th. Seniors
or parents MUST pick them up
BOTH days after school. Wreath
money is due Dec. 3rd. Your next
payment of $400 will be due
December 10th. The profit from the
wreaths will be deducted from the Dec. 10th payment for
the senior trip. See Mrs. Peloquin for questions.
SENIORS — You must remember to have your senior
photos sent in JPEG form to Mrs. Wacker. Her email
address is: j.wacker@macs.k12.wi.us. The deadline is
November 1st. Also, you will need to turn in one senior
for office use. It must be the same head and
wallet
shoulder pose.
SENIOR PARENTS/GUARDIANS Orders
will be placed on Wednesday, November
12th at 11:20 a.m., after Mass, with Jostens for
the senior graduation announcements. On
Wednesday, November 19th, seniors will be fitted for caps
and gowns at 11:20 a.m. If your son/daughter fails to bring
the order form home, it will be your responsibility to
directly place an order by calling Jostens at 832-0762.
This order needs to be placed as soon as possible.
“For I was hungry and You gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave
me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed.” Matthew 25:35
SCHOOL MUSICAL NEWS
MUSIC NEWS
Monday, November
10th---AUDITIONS
for McDonell's
Musical Peter Pan-after school in the
auditorium for all
middle and high
school students!
November 11th
call back auditions
and auditions for Holy Ghost and St. Peter's 4th and 5th
graders. Performance dates are January 23rd and 24th
at 7:30 pm and January 25th at 2:00 pm
Calling all MACS Dads! Alumni! and other helpful
men! McDonell's Musical Peter Pan absolutely needs
your assistance. Minimal rehearsal time and little to no
dancing! Only four to five Tuesday evening rehearsals and
three dress rehearsals. Contact the school 715.723.9126.
Amy Vogt, Choral Director
a.vogt@macs.k12.wi.us
715.723.9126 ext. 2216
Sean Hanson, Band Director
s.hanson@macs.k12.wi.us
715.723.9126 ext. 1114
Mrs. Amy Vogt
Mr. Sean Hanson
Nov. 24: Jazz Concert featuring McDonell and Notre
Dame jazz bands and new vocal jazz ensemble, 7:00 p.m.
Dec. 15: McDonell/Notre Dame choir and band Christmas
concert, 7:00 p.m.
Wanted: Parents of McDonell and Notre Dame students
are invited to share music together in a meaningful way for
the Dec. 17th school Mass. Please come worship with us
and share your talents. Email Ms. Vogt (address above) if
you have questions.
McDonell Area Catholic Schools
5
Family Newsletter November 2014
Notre Dame Middle School | McDonell Central Catholic High School www.macs.k12.wi.us
OTHER SCHOOL NEWS
PEANUT ALLERGIES Please be aware that we
MARK YOUR CALENDARS. . . An open
house for all current students and inquiring
families grades 5 through 11 will be held
held at McDonell High School and Notre
Dame Middle School on Monday, November
10th from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Brother Roger will speak at 6:30
p.m. Tuition vouchers 1) $250 middle school and 2) $500
high school for the 2015-2016 school year will be drawn!
have students in our building with life-threatening
peanut allergies. Please be mindful when bringing personal items containing nuts to school so
that you do not cause a risk to those involved.
Sr. Petra Rose of the
Institute of St. Joseph came
to visit the sophomore
Church History class to talk
about Iconography. She
discussed the history,
creation of, and symbolism/
theology of icons with the
students.
FREE ADVENT COMPUTER
CLASSES In appreciation for
our community’s commitment to
Catholic Education, McDonell
High School is once again
offering FREE computer /iPad
sessions each Monday during
Advent. Faculty member Tony
Reiter, along with high school students, will teach YOU what
you want to learn. Classes will run from 3:30 to 5:00 p.m.
on Mondays, December 1st, 8th, and 15th at McDonell
High School. Space is limited. Please contact the school
office at 715-723-9126 to register.
STUDENT PHONE BOOK. . . If you would like a printed
copy of the phone book, please contact the office.
GET THAT YEARBOOK ORDERED McDonell yearbooks
are available to order for $50 in office until December 1st.
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OUR FALL ATHLETES
GOOD LUCK
To all those who are
still competing
McDonell Area Catholic Schools
6
Family Newsletter November 2014
St. Charles Borromeo Primary School | Holy Ghost Elementary School
www.macs.k12.wi.us
1,680 diapers for Mary’s baby shower!
As part of MACS’s Baby Shower for Mary, St. Charles and Holy Ghost
families donated money to buy 1,680 diapers, 3,200 baby wipes and five
tubes of baby cream for needy families in our community. On the two Friday
jeans days (and one pajama day at Holy Ghost!) during October, the boys
and girls could skip their regular uniforms if they brought in money for the
shower. There will be lots of happy babies out there – Thank you!
Let’s have a pajama party! Holy Ghost
students were able to dress up in PJs
on October 17th if they made a donation
to Mary’s baby shower (above).
Several Holy Ghost students proudly
show off some of the diapers bought
for the shower (left).
How do worms respond to stimulus?
One day, one hour, one million
On Friday, October 3rd, St. Charles students were
part of the Worldwide Children’s Eucharistic Holy Hour
requested by Pope Francis. The children began their
day in the gym to light the adoration unity candle and
bring petitions to the prayer box. Each classroom then
spent 10 minutes in prayer in the St. Charles Adoration
Chapel. With six homerooms, on this one day, they were
part of the one million who spent one hour with Jesus.
McDonell Area Catholic Schools
These two girls (above) hold out their cup of soil which
houses their earthworm. Mr. John Flanagan’s fourth
grade science classes used earthworms recently to
study the concepts of stimulus and response.
7
Family Newsletter November 2014
St. Charles Borromeo Primary School | Holy Ghost Elementary School
www.macs.k12.wi.us
Aladdin flies into school
On October 23rd, our K-5 students were
treated to a performance of “Aladdin” by the
Windy City Players. The Windy City Players
is a national touring company from Chicago
that enforces positive life skills in each show.
This is their 29th season of educational
theatrical performances. Three members of
the theatre troupe played all the roles in the
production. Much to the delight of our boys
and girls, several extras were pulled from
the student audience to assist in the shows
at both St. Charles and Holy Ghost Schools.
It was a very different and special rendition
of a favorite fairy tale!
The three members of the Windy City
Players act out the flying carpet scene
from “Aladdin” (left).
A third grade girl was the keeper of the
magic lamp that housed a powerful genie
(right).
Symmetry is found through art
Where in the world is that place?
Ms. Deb Blake and a second grader (above) show
the steps in making a symmetrical mask. The boys
and girls studied bilateral symmetry which is a regular,
balanced arrangement on opposite sides of a line.
They enjoyed designing Native American masks
which are excellent examples of this type of symmetry.
Students in Ms. Cheri Miller’s third grade class (right)
discovered that the most accurate map of the Earth is
a globe. They learned and then practiced how to figure
out latitude and longitude by using the lines and points.
McDonell Area Catholic Schools
8
Family Newsletter November 2014
St. Charles Borromeo Primary School | Holy Ghost Elementary School
www.macs.k12.wi.us
St. Charles 2014
Harvest Hoedown
Estimation
Winners
Large Pencil Jar
Rukia Lynch - Gr. 1
Guess the weight
of the pumpkin
Sarah Moen - Gr. 1
On Friday, October 24th, the Home
and School Association, as well as many
fantastic parent volunteers, transformed
the St. Charles gym into the annual
Harvest Hoedown. Pre-K through second
grade children enjoyed rotating through
a dozen activities such as the Estimation
Stations, Spider Drop, Pin the Mouth on
the Skeleton, Ghost Bowling, Pumpkin
and Witch Hat Ring Toss and many more!
McDonell Area Catholic Schools
Smaller Estimation
Jars of Candy
Ryan Boos - Gr. K
Zoie Geissler - Gr. 1
Sophia Schmidgall
- Gr. 2
9
Family Newsletter November 2014
St. Charles Borromeo Primary School | Holy Ghost Elementary School
www.macs.k12.wi.us
Apples, anyone?
Letters from home
The St. Charles second graders recently
visited Connell’s Family Orchard. They toured
the orchard and learned how bees pollinate the
trees. Later the boys and girls enjoyed a wagon
ride through the orchard and were able to pick
their own apples for a snack. It was a totally
“delicious” trip!
Mrs. Keri Brugge’s second grade class has adopted a soldier
to write to during the year. His name is Sgt. Mark Hall of Florida.
The class has had opportunities to talk to Sgt. Hall through emails
and has written him letters. They also put together a special
Halloween care package to send to their overseas friend. The boys
and girls donated candy and sweet treats and made cards to help
Sgt. Hall celebrate Halloween even though he is so far from home!
At Holy Ghost, Mrs. Rebecca Collins’ fourth and fifth grade
English classes are working on their letter writing skills by writing to
soldiers in the U.S. military. They are sending their correspondence
through Operation Gratitude to show how much they appreciate the
men and women who serve our country!
Gift of words
Have you ever enjoyed
Optimist Club cheese curds
at the Northern Wisconsin
State Fair? The money
raised helps the Optimists
donate dictionaries yearly
to over 600 third graders
in Chippewa County!
Three third graders show
off their new dictionaries.
Fire Safety Poster Contest winners
These three smiling young ladies (above) are
obviously enjoying the beautiful day at the
apple orchard!
The theme to this year’s Fire Safety Poster contest
was “Working Smoke Alarms Saves Lives: Test Yours
Every Month”. We had two winners this year:
3rd Grade: Kenny Schafer, 3rd place
5th Grade: Clare Matott, 4th place ~ Congratulations!
Fire Inspector Justus Busse also recently visited the third grade
classes to talk about fire safety and the importance of smoke alarms.
Members of the Holy Ghost Kids Club were invited recently to
help out at the Feed My People warehouse in Eau Claire. A total
of 19 people, including four Holy Ghost staff, nine students and
six family members attended the after school event. Participants
spent two hours packaging cereal and pretzels to be included in
bags for children who are part of the area Weekend Meals
programs. Thank you to everyone who helped with this project!
Hunting season is just around the corner . . .
As you prepare for hunting season, keep in mind the Chippewa Area Mentor Program is
also hunting for bucks (male mentors, that is!). Our waiting list for male mentors continues
to grow. There are currently 20 boys waiting to be matched. These boys are just looking for
a “guy friend” to hang out with; someone they can look up to and aspire to be like. All it takes
is 30 minutes per week to help a child feel important and cared about. Please contact Ashley
Yakesh by email (yakeshae@chipfalls.org) or phone (726-2400 ext.2516). You can also visit
our Facebook Page to learn more (www.facebook.com/ChippewaMentorProgram).
McDonell Area Catholic Schools
10
Family Newsletter November 2014
Early Childhood Center
Making strides against cancer
www.macs.k12.wi.us
BB4C trip to the apple orchard
On Saturday, October 18th, four of the staff
members from St. Charles Early Childhood Center
took part in the "Making Strides" against breast cancer
walk. Laura Stensberg, Paula Hanson, Kathy
Hershberger and Shelley Burrier are encouraging
others to walk next year. Great job Ladies!
by Miss Jamie
Our trip to Bushel & A Peck was a load of fun. We got to see
where apples are stored and how they were washed. Some of
the favorite activities were the wagon ride, picking our own
apple and tasting the homemade apple cider.
A special thank you to those who volunteered!
Extraordinary Synod continued from page 1
* On Tuesday of the first week, Alice
and I presented our written testimony.
We were seated with a microphone
between us, three cameras recording
what we said and across the front of
the room were four monitors with
clocks on them counting down from
four minutes to zero. We finished in
three minutes and fifty-six seconds
with a nod and smile from Pope
Francis.
* On Monday, October 13th, as we
were being read the unedited
summary of the first weeks work,
unbeknownst to us the media was
getting the working notes handed out
to them. We were all VERY surprised
by this. Alice and I were called upon as
Auditors to meet with the press. They
asked about our thoughts on the
annulment process.
* We spent the balance of the week
working in small groups of 25. We
worked hand in hand with the Synod
Fathers and discussed the key points,
paragraphs and cultural impacts.
When we were done we submitted our
60 paragraphs to Cardinal Baldisseri,
chair of the Synod, and 24 hours later
they met with us in a large group with
a consolidation of the document.
* The Synod Fathers needed a 2/3
majority to approve each paragraph.
Three paragraphs failed to meet that
vote.
At the conclusion of the Synod,
Pope Francis after two weeks of
listening spoke at length with us. Here
are a few quotes;
McDonell Area Catholic Schools
* “…I have seen and I have heard –
with joy and appreciation – speeches
and interventions full of faith, of
pastoral and doctrinal zeal, of wisdom,
of frankness and of courage: and of
“There were moments of profound
consolation listening to the testimony of
true pastors, who wisely carry in their
hearts the joys and the tears of their
faithful people.” - Pope Francis
parrhesia.”
* “now we still have one year to
mature, with true spiritual discernment,
the proposed ideas and to find
concrete solutions to so many
difficulties and innumerable challenges
that families must confront; to give
answers to the many discouragements
that surround and suffocate families.”
* “…There were moments of
profound consolation listening to the
testimony of true pastors, who wisely
carry in their hearts the joys and the
tears of their faithful people. Moments
of consolation, grace, and comfort
hearing the testimonies of the families
who have participated in the Synod
and have shared with us the beauty
and the joy of their married life. A
journey where the stronger feel
compelled to help the less strong,
where the more experienced are led to
serve others, even through
confrontations. And since it is a
journey of human beings, with the
consolations there were also moments
11
of desolation, of tensions and
temptations, of which a few
possibilities could be mentioned:
* “…- The temptation to transform
stones into bread to break the long,
heavy, and painful fast (cf. Lk 4:1-4);
and also to transform the bread into a
stone and cast it against the sinners,
the weak, and the sick (cf Jn 8:7), that
is, to transform it into unbearable
burdens (Lk 11:46).
* The temptation to come down off
the Cross, to please the people, and
not stay there, in order to fulfil the will
of the Father; to bow down to a worldly
spirit instead of purifying it and
bending it to the Spirit of God.
* - The temptation to neglect the
“depositum fidei” [the deposit of faith],
not thinking of themselves as
guardians but as owners or masters [of
it]; or, on the other hand, the
temptation to neglect reality, making
use of meticulous language and a
language of smoothing to say so many
things and to say nothing!”
* Pope Francis concluded, “So, the
duty of the Pope is that of
guaranteeing the unity of the church; it
is that of reminding the faithful of their
duty to faithfully follow the Gospel of
Christ; it is that of reminding the
pastors that their first duty is to nourish
the flock. To nourish the flock that the
Lord has entrusted to them, and to
seek to welcome, with fatherly care
and mercy, and without false fears, the
lost sheep. I made a mistake here. I
said welcome: [rather] to go out and
Family Newsletter November 2014
Craft Country Expo ‘14
30th Annual Craft Show
Saturday, November 22, 2014
9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
McDonell Central
Catholic High School
1316 Bel Air Blvd
Chippewa Falls, WI
Lunch Available
Door Prizes
$1.00 Admission
Over 85 Exhibitors
Sponsored by the McDonell Music Boosters
POINSETTIA ORDERS
$11.00 each - pots are 6 1/2 inch
Florist Quality Plants – Professionally Grown
Student’s name__________________________Grade_______Teacher____________
Parent’s name_________________________________________________________
Family’s phone numbers_________________________________________________
Email address: _________________________________________________________
IMPORTANT DATES:
Taking orders now! Return this form to your child’s school by Fri., Nov. 7.
PICK UP DATE: Wednesday, December 3rd from 1:00 to 4:30 p.m.
These beautiful plants are perfect for gifts for your piano teacher, your neighbor, your
daycare provider, those in the nursing home, your boss, the grandparents and special
friends. They are also beautiful for your home, school and office decorating.
Please submit a check payable to “McDonell Area Catholic Schools” (or “MACS”) for total order
when picking them up. The checks will be held for one week.
COLD WEATHER CAUTION:
Poinsettias are extremely sensitive to the cold. Each plant will be wrapped in pretty foil and
placed in a plastic sleeve when you pick them up. You must protect them from the cold air. You
cannot leave them in your vehicle or uncover them until they are in a warm environment.
Name of buyer
Example John Doe
Address/phone #
123 ABC St 555-1234
Totals:
Red
2
White
1
Pink
3
#
#
#
Total sold
6
#
Total $
$66.00
$
I will pick up my plants on Wednesday, December 3rd between 1:00 to 4:30 p.m. from the
McDonell library.
Proceeds from this sale go to support the Student Council and the promotion
of the McDonell Area Catholic Schools.
Thank you and Merry Christmas!