Falcon’s Quill Holy Family Catholic School, rooted in the teachings of Jesus Christ, models the virtues of love of God, neighbor, and respect for all. The school, supported by the entire community, cultivates a passion about and provides the foundation for academic and life-long learning in a safe, nurturing, and challenging environment. January 20, 2015 786 26 1/2 Road Grand Junction, CO 81506 P 970.242.6168 F 970.242.4244 www.holyfamily-gj.org 1/22 - 8am School Mass at IHM with Fr. Mike 1/23 - Spirit Day 1/27 - 8am School Mass at IHM with Bishop Berg 1/29 - Grandparent Luncheon and Talent Show 1/30 - Spirit Day and Ice Cream Social 2/5 - 8am School Mass at IHM with Fr. Joachim  Mass with Bishop Berg will be on Tuesday, January 27 at 8am  Spirit Day has been added to Friday, January 30 Issue 21 Principal’s Corner In honor of Catholic School Week, here is an in depth look at our mission statement. The purpose of Holy Family Catholic School and Catholic education is student formation and the nurturing of souls. Holy Family’s focus is developing an environment where students learn to encounter Christ as part of their daily life while pursuing literature, history, science, math, and, above all, Truth, beauty and goodness. The late Fr. Vincente Paz en la Casa once gave a homily for a Holy Family staff back to school mass. His message was about the importance of the beauty of teaching. He told a story about his days in grammar school on a cold winter day in England. As he and his classmates sat in class with a teacher whom he perceived as the strictest disciplinarian ever, they worked away on their assignments, scared to make a sound. It began to snow. As the teacher moved to the window and stopped, every boy in the class looked up and paused as the teacher motioned for the class to join him at the window. Coming out of the snow covered trees and down the lane was a sled being pulled by a team of horses. Father Vincente’s instructor simply said, “Take it in boys, you may never see a more beautiful sight.” Father’s message has stuck and continues to impact life at HFCS. Never forget to teach what is beautiful. Holy Family’s foundation is based on the belief that all truth and beauty ultimately converge in their source - God, and God is the center of everything we do. Holy Family’s educational community works to develop students into complete citizens, ready to become productive members of society. HFCS strives to prepare students for life, but college and career cannot be the sole or primary objectives. Education focused solely on secular achievement is shallow and hollow, and can lead to either pride or despair. Holy Family Catholic School strives to give our students the 1 tools they need to combat the complexity of secular culture and to view the world through the lens of Jesus, full of empathy, courage, and a positive attitude. We work with students to help them understand that the pathway to happiness cannot come by secular desires or by marginalizing others. HFCS has embraced Pope Francis as a role model. His examples of austerity, humility, compassion, and kindness have been a breath of fresh air. He is about forgiveness not condemnation. He is a living example of the idea that we are called to live like Jesus. Bishop Berg was able to spend some time with the students this fall and left them with three ideas to help them on their journey: 1. They are important. God has a plan for each of them; they are unique and special. Their life has value and God loves them even in their darkest moments. None of them were created by accident. 2. When you fail or make mistakes, get up and get over it. Be forgiving of yourself and others. DO NOT DWELL ON YOUR MISTAKES! Keep moving forward with courage and empathy. Do not allow your mistakes or shortcomings to paralyze you or your future efforts. 3. Try – Each day is a gift from God and worthy of your best effort. Please join us next week as National Catholic School Week. The list of events is on this front page. One great event is the Grandparents luncheon where we will serve 400+ people. We need about 20 helpers. Please call the office if you can help serve lunch, wipe down tables, check in visitors, or take money. Please keep in your prayers:               Sara deBever ~ Aunt of Megan Formicola The Seabert Family ~ Family of Kathy Pike Danny Huber ~ Son of Frank & Gwen Huber Sadie Harper ~ Cousin of Akelia Whitney Nuala Whitcomb ~ Kindergarten Teacher Morgan Rister ~ HFCS Student Jiwen Yang ~ Grandfather of Zachary Smith Roman Longo ~ HFCS Student Brent Metzler ~ Son of Diane Metzler Repose of the Soul of Mr. Joe Prinster Sally White ~ Mother of Yolanda Pacheco, Middle School Teacher Repose of the Soul of Donald “Don” Sattler ~ Husband of Rosemary Sattler, one of our RSVP Volunteers Marilyn Veselack ~ Wife of Mr. Ron Veselack, Band/Orchestra Teacher Kyley Cornell ~ Family Member of Rikki Gustamantes Parents of an 8th Grader….. Wednesdays - January 21st & 28th during 8th period, 8th graders will have their pictures taken for the yearbook. The pictures will be available for viewing and ordering at a later date. Students may wear appropriate street clothes on those Wednesdays for their pictures. The January 26 - 30 lunch menu is on our website. Go to ww.holyfamilygj.org and scroll to the bottom for a lunch menu update. Spelling Bee Judges & Emcee Needed Intermediate is in need of a couple judges and an MC for the Spelling Bee during Catholic Schools Week. The spelling bee will be the afternoon of Tuesday, January 27th. Judges devote an hour to tracking the children's answers and possibly looking up a word in the dictionary. They will also need to meet with Mrs. Jamsay for 15 minutes to discuss the rules. Unfortunately, if your child is actually in the spelling bee, you cannot be a judge! Please contact Mrs. Jamsay at [email protected] if interested in helping. 2015 National Geographic Bee School Champion A group of middle school students including Alesia Yanowich, Lydia Welling, Colin Lake, Melissa Weber, Watts Erb, Sam Adamson, Maura Lake, Logan Tarman, and Marcin Latek recently competed for the title of champion in the 2015 edition of the National Geographic Bee. Maura took third place with Logan in second and Marcin repeated as the school champion. Marcin will take the qualifying test to determine if he advances to the state competition in Denver in the spring. Congratulations to Marcin! Pro-Life Adoration Thursday, January 22nd Immaculate Heart of Mary parish will sponsor a Pro-Life Adoration in our chapel from 12:00 – 4:30 pm. You are invited to spend some one on one time with Our Lord in adoration and prayer for respect for life. Candlelight Vigil and Walk for Life that evening beginning at 5:30 pm at the old county courthouse, 6th & Rood. Call Irene Fritzler at 242.6121 for additional information. After school Spanish classes will once again be offered for students in Kindergarten through 5th grades. The classes will be every Monday (advanced classes) beginning January 26th and every Wednesday (beginning/intermediate classes) starting on January 21st and will continue for 7 weeks. Classes are from 3:004:00 pm. I will contact you with specific dates when you sign up. The cost is $70 per student (checks payable to Señora Gipson). Snacks and all materials will be provided to the students. If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Gipson at 242-6168 or [email protected] Student Name:____________________________________________Age and Grade:_______________________ Student Name:____________________________________________Age and Grade:_______________________ Parent/Guardian signature:______________________________________________________________________________ Street Address:______________________________________________City:____________________Zip:_______________ Phone:_____________________________________E-mail:__________________________________________________ Day Preferred:_____________________________________ Best time to reach you:_______________________________ Wed. 1/21 Thu. 1/22 Fri. 1/23 Turkey & Gravy Chicken Alfredo Mashed Potatoes Mon. 1/26 Tues. 1/27 Taco Salad Hamburgers Chicken & Noodles Pinto Beans w/Lettuce & Tomato Crackers Fruit Cocktail Strawberries & Bananas Roll Salad French Fries Roll Pineapple Chunks 2 Apple Crisp Pickle Spear Peaches Salad Brownie Grandparent Luncheon Please join us on Thursday, January 29th and help us celebrate Catholic Schools Week. Enjoy a delicious meal and some chicken tenders and great company. Lunch is $3.00 (correct change is appreciated) and all grandparents, great-aunts and uncles, nearest and dearest are invited. Lunch Schedule Pre-K, Pre-School 10:45 am Kindergarten 11:10 am 1st Grade 11:20 am 2nd Grade 11:25 am 3rd - 5th Grades 11:50 am Middle School 12:15 pm Grandparent Lunch—Catholic Schools Week Grandparent Name: _____________________________________________________________________________ Grandparent Name: _____________________________________________________________________________ Grandparent Name: _____________________________________________________________________________ Student Name: ____________________________________ Homeroom: ___________________________________ Total # adults attending: _____________ Thanks for coming - we’re excited to see you! Primary: Abby Kearl This month’s student of the month for Primary level is Abby Kearl. She is a hardworking, caring 2nd grader. She is always kind to other people. Abby is helpful and willing to do anything that is asked of her. She always has a positive attitude and is very responsible. Stacey Marsh Mrs. Marsh is an incredible light in this school. She shows courage, empathy and a positive attitude every day. Her smile can light up a room. No job is too big or too small for her. She loves all of her students as if they were her own. She treats them with love and respect. She has a strong desire to see all of the students succeed and develop a love for learning. She encourages all the students every day to do their best and is always willing to help others. We are blessed to have her in our school! Unbound has let me know that the $3,300.00 raised this last September will be going to 31 families in Honduras to build water storage tanks. This allows these families to have water even when supplies are low. Thanks so much for all your support. Together we can make a difference! Jennifer Stuckenschneider Intermediate: Anna Dery Anna Dery is an example for all to emulate. “Desire” is a key word for Anna. Therefore, she has: A desire to learn, A desire to excel, A desire to achieve, A desire to complete, A desire to compete, A desire to encourage, A desire to please God, family, and others, A desire to be empathetic, A desire to succeed, A desire to be a positive influence in other lives, A desire to explore, A desire to work hard without recognition, A desire to investigate, A desire to prove a premise, A desire to laugh and have fun, and A desire to live life, as God directs! Middle School: Reagan Thompson Reagan Thompson displays the qualities of an outstanding all around student. She excels at academics, consistently earning the Principal's Award. In the classroom she exhibits a quiet leadership as she always follows what is going on and does not allow herself to lose focus or selfdiscipline. Every day she thanks her teachers as a show of appreciation. She has a pleasant personality and a smile for everyone. In sports she participates in soccer, where her skills have earned her a recommendation to play with other players from all over the country in Scandinavia. Girls on the Run News Calling all 3rd through 5th grade girls! GOTR is starting up soon, register online at gotrwesterncolorado.org STARTING JANUARY 20. Hard copy forms are also available at the front office. Hurry, registration ENDS FEBRUARY 1! Practices will be held Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:10 to 4:30, starting on February 10. The program goes for 10 weeks and culminates in an exciting 5K run on May 2. We look forward to seeing you girls! If you have any questions please contact Coach Erin Lielkoks at 970.260.8280 There will be a basketball free throw contest sponsored by the IHM Knights of Columbus group. It will be held in the HFCS gymnasium at 11AM, on Saturday February 7, 2015. Boys and girls ages 9 through 14 are encouraged to participate. So come and take your shot at the free throw line! Students can Pick up an Entry Form at the front desk. Congratulations to the following middle school students for winning classroom bees. They will advance to the school bee next Tuesday. Good luck! Eight Grade Danny Chamorro Katie Commons Maura Lake Logan Tarman Seventh Grade Watts Erb Miles Hobart Mario Serra Melissa Weber 3 Sixth Grade Mia Figueroa Colin Lake Magdalena Latek Lexi Thomas Alesia Yanowich 4