Principal’s Report 09/12/2014
Dear Lumen Family:
Last week was a time of inspiration, blessing, fun, and success. During last Monday’s Assembly Father Michael Shields shared with all of the students about his mission in Magadan, Russia. The presentation inspired staff and students to help those in need. On Wednesday Lumen was inspired and blessed as the Archbishop presided over Mass for the faculty, staff, and students. On Thursday (9/11) the students celebrated Patriot Day — remembering those who served and continue to serve our country by their service — and dressed up in their best red, white, and blue patriotic colors. To end the week, the soccer teams won all of their weekend matches.
Gala Pot Luck Dinner
Lumen’s annual gala event is its largest annual fundraiser. It takes time, talent, and planning. There will be a meeting at 6 PM in the Parish Hall on Thursday, September 18. Please bring a dish to share with others. Also, those attending will receive share hour credit and, more importantly for your students, you will earn a dress down day for your student(s) during the following week at school. It will be a great time of fun, fellowship, and planning. We hope to see you there!
Athletic Department Update
The Lumen Christi Senior High soccer team continues with a winning season, playing some of its best games all year this weekend, defeating Holy Rosary Academy 3-2 and winning against Wasilla Lake 1-0. Coach Billy was pleased with all of the players. There was hustle on the field and the defense maintained its cool, with the continued pressure of the opposing teams. Great job to all!
The Junior High soccer team also continued on with their winning season, with two great games on Friday and Saturday. Friday the Jr. Archangels beat Holy Rosary Academy 8-2 and then Saturday they beat Wasilla Lake 7-3. The defense did a great job and all of the players deserve a lot of praise for their effort!
Gold Cards
Please turn in all Gold Card money and unsold cards to the office ASAP. Any cards not turned in will be considered lost and your student’s ledger will be charged for them. This is an important fundraiser for the school. PVO is also looking for a parent to chair this event next year. If you are interested in chairing the Gold Card fund-raiser or would like more information, please contact Gail Grafton.
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton School Auction
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton’s annual fundraiser “An Evening in Paradise” is Saturday, November 8 at the Anchorage Marriott Downtown starting at 5 PM. Tickets are available at the auction office inside the school. They are looking for donations of new items, basket items, and artwork. If you have any questions, contact the SEAS auction office at (907) 345-2327 or auction@akseas.com.
Community Service Opportunity
Lumen Christi students can volunteer to work at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton’s auction on Saturday, November 8 from 4:30 – 11 PM. Volunteers must be 15 years or older. Dinner will be provided. If your student is interested in volunteering for this event, please contact Jessica Estes at the front office.
Parent Volunteer Organization (PVO)
Last week was the first PVO meeting. A special thank you to all who attended! There are many great opportunities out there. Please visit the website: http://vols.pt/9tj8Ji?utm_source=group-badge-volunteer-green. Here are some important upcoming events.
9/16: Marketing Committee Meeting at 7 PM in the Library (all welcome to attend)
9/18: Gala Pot Luck Dinner and Meeting at 6 PM in the Parish Hall (all welcome)
9/25: Picture Retakes
9/29: Fall Academic Awards at 2 PM (all welcome to attend)
10/3: Clean-up Day (all welcome)
10/3: Archangel Attic First Friday (please sign-up online)
10/7: PVO meeting at 6:30 PM in the Library (all welcome to attend)
We are off to a wonderful year. May God bless all of those who support the LCHS ministry of St. Benedict Parish!
God Bless, Mr. John Harmon
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Principal’s Report 09/05/2014
Dear Lumen:
Lumen is very blessed! What a great week for faith activities. The school used the regular Mass time to pray the Rosary; and on Friday the students participated in the ministry of the “Story and Song Tour” by Jesse Manibusen, Sarah Hart, and Steve Angrisano.
Picture Day.
Tuesday, September 9. Please dress in your best Lumen outfit!
Gold Card.
Gold card money and unsold cards to be returned Monday, September 8 to the front office.
Back to School Night.
Are you interested in experiencing a day in the life of your student at school? Well, we have an opportunity for you! “Back to School” night is Thursday, September 11 from 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM. You’ll have the opportunity to follow the class schedule of your student, meet the teachers, and better understand Lumen’s high academic standards.
Athletic Department Update.
Friday night, September 5, Lumen defeated Wasilla Lake 3 to 1. Jarrett Fortune had 2 scores and Ryan Heilala had 1. Joey Brown had another good game as goalie.
A shout out to the women Archangels in this game! Megan Childs, Sophia Thorsness, Maeve Bakic, and Annie Thorsness did a great job protecting the goal. JoJo Estes played a great game and Lexi Adams had a good comeback from her injury last week. Amber Lopez showed us a good play and so did Natalie Dickhaus in the offense.
JR High Soccer. This week’s games: September 10 vs. Wasilla Lake in Palmer at 4:30 PM, September 12 vs. Holy Rosary on Kincaid at 4:30 PM, and September 13 vs. Wasilla Lake on Kincaid at 5 PM.
High School Soccer. This week’s games: September 10 vs. Wasilla Lake in Palmer at 6 PM, September 12 vs. Holy Rosary (Location TBA) at 6 PM, and September 13 vs. Wasilla Lake on Kincaid at 6:30 PM.
Parent Volunteer Organization (PVO). The PVO will meet Tuesday, September 9 at 7 PM. We encourage all parents to attend. Parent involvement is very important for the success of Lumen Christi. If you are interested in helping with an event, here is the link for opportunities: http://vols.pt/9tj8Ji?utm_source=group-badge-volunteer-green. We have also added community service forms to the website for the students. Please download, at your convenience.
Other Announcements. We have extra student planners available for purchase on a first come first serve basis. They may be purchased at the front office for $5 each.
May God bless all of those who support the LCHS ministry of St. Benedict Parish!
God Bless, Mr. John Harmon
Read MorePrincipal’s Report 08/29/2014
Dear Lumen Family:
It’s been a very active week. The varsity soccer team travelled to Fairbanks, the junior and seniors visited the Alaska State Fair, and all of the rest of the students settled into their first full week of school. Regarding next week, please remember there is no school on Monday (Labor Day). Wednesday, the students will be reciting the rosary during the regularly weekly Mass time as Fr. Leo and Fr. Jacob will be at an all Archdiocesan Priest Retreat. On Friday, the soccer team will be back in Healy at a tournament and the remaining students will have a wonderful opportunity to hear the ministry of the “Story and Song Tour” by Jesse Manibusen, Sarah Hart, and Steve Angrisano. Here are other important updates:
Back to School Night.
Are you interested in experiencing a day in the life of your student at school? Well, we have an opportunity for you! “Back to School” night is Thursday, September 11 from 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM. You’ll have the opportunity to follow the class schedule of your student, meet the teachers, and better understand Lumen’s high academic standards.
Athletic Department Update.
It was a great week for Lumen sports. The Jr. High Soccer team had two good games this week. They beat Holy Rosary 5-2 and were barely defeated by St. John’s 1-2. Nathan Dickhaus, Julia Alfano, and Luc Merrill lead the team with goals. Robert Llaneza made some key plays on defense and everyone did their best.
The high school team came out strong this week with a win against Rosary 4-2. The soccer team left for Fairbanks on Wednesday and lost to Healy 2-4, but came back with a great 3-2 win over Nenanna. Ryan Heilala, Jarrett Fortune, Natalie Dickhaus and Anna Rose Barnes all scored for LCHS. Joey Brown, Riley Jones, Randel Malijan helped with the wins, and we are proud of all of the players for their efforts.
Grade 10 Gala Project. Mrs. Fortune is looking for unique wooden chairs for the 10th grade Gala project. She will come by to assess the item to ensure that it is appropriate for the student project. Please call her at (907) 337-8964 for assessment and pick-up.
Parent Volunteer Organization (PVO). Parent involvement is very important for the success of Lumen Christi. If you are interested in helping with an event, here is the link for opportunities: http://vols.pt/9tj8Ji?utm_source=group-badge-volunteer-green. We have also added community service forms to the website for the students. Please download, at your convenience.
Ninth Annual Ian Robbins Memorial Trick or Treat in the Heat. Sunday, September 7, 2014. Pre-event festivities start around 5:30 PM at the end of Yukon Charlie Loop, with door-to-door Trick or Treating from 6 to 8 PM. Trick or Treat in the Heat is a neighborhood-wide early Halloween celebration. If you are interested in helping out with the event, please contact Lumen parent Erica Dufrane at (907) 248-9513.
Defensive Driving Course. Doug Berry, a driver trainer at UPS, will offer a safe driving course for youth on Sept. 6 from 1 PM – 4 PM in the upper room at Lumen. Driving safety is important; please encourage your students to attend, especially if they are new drivers!
We are blessed with an outstanding group of students, teachers, parents and staff. Please remember the Lumen community in your daily prayers. May God bless all of those who support the LCHS ministry of St. Benedict Parish.
God Bless, John
Read MorePrincipal’s Report 08/22/2014
Dear Lumen Family:
It was a wonderful first week of school! Our enrollment numbers are strong and we have more students at the school now than we did this time last year. You can feel the excitement of faculty, staff , and students as we begin the new school year. Although most of our faculty is the same from last year, we are pleased to have the Parochial Vicar of St. Benedict’s, Rev. Jacob Stronach, O.S.B., join the Lumen faculty in our Theology Department. Fr. Leo and Fr. Jacob are both inspirations to the school and to the students. It is a real blessing to have two priests serving Lumen Christi with daily visits. We were also pleased to receive the school results from the ACT, test a college admissions test, used by most universities. Lumen’s average school score was a 25 composite, 4 points higher than the state and national average composite of 21. We thank you for your prayers as we begin the new year and would encourage you to visit our Facebook page to experience the new year through photos. Other important announcements include:
Athletic Department Update. In a great start to the season opener, LCHS Jr High beat Birchwood 7-0. The team was led by Nathan Dickhaus with 5 goals, Kirsten Marshall with 1 goal and 2 assists, Julia Alfano with 1 goal and 1 assist and Kaiya Thorsness with 2 assists. It was a great team effort by all.
LCHS Sr. High did a great job coming back from a 3-0 deficit early in the second half and scored two quick goals to make Birchwood sweat out a hard earned victory. LCHS was led by Ryan Heilala with 1 goal, Jarrett Fortune with one 1 goal, and Riley Jones with 1 assist. Sophia Thorsness played the whole game and was a great team leader on defense. All players gave a great effort in fighting back and never giving up.
The school sports calendar is on the webpage. Please come to a game to cheer on and support our students at a future game. We are very proud of our teams, the Christian example they show on the field, and their wonderful sportsmanship. Go Archangels!
Schedule Changes. All student schedule changes must be completed by 2:30 PM next Friday, August 29. More information regarding class change polices can be found in the Student Handbook.
Grade 10 Gala Project. Mrs. Fortune is looking for unique wooden chairs for the 10th grade Gala project. She will come by to assess the item to ensure that it is appropriate for the student project. Please call her at (907) 337-8964 for assessment and pick-up.
Girls Basketball Coach. Elgin and his wife are expecting their third child and due to the long commute from the Valley, he does not believe he can coach for us this year. Therefore, we are looking for a new HS girls’ team basketball coach. If you are interested and/or know someone, please have them contact Mr. Hunt at (907) 273-1513.
Gold Cards. Gold cards are an important way to raise money for our science department, so the school can buy materials and supplies for the laboratory experiments. This is the last weekend to sell Gold Cards at St. Elizabeth’s Parish. Money from gold card sales should be turned in soon. Please do your best to sell as many cards as possible. If you are out of cards and want to sell more, please see Mrs. Estes at the front desk.
Fostering a Christian Home. Dr. Marcellino D’Ambrosio will be giving a presentation about “Keeping Your Kids Catholic” at Lumen Christi on Sunday, August 24 from 2 PM to 4 PM in room 104. The presentation will cover how to strike the balance between formal religious education in the home, and teaching by example, between affection and discipline, the role of parents and the help of other adults. You’ll walk away with clear strategies that you can implement in your own family life.
Alaska State Fair Visit. The Juniors and Seniors will be taking their annual pilgrimage to the Alaska State Fair on Thursday, August 28. They are looking forward to an afternoon of fun and Christian fellowship.
Community Service Opportunity. St. Elizabeth Ann Seton is looking for a few Lumen Christi High School volunteers to help watch children in the nursery for their “Back to School Night” on August 28 from 6 PM until 8:30 or 9 PM. Please contact St. Elizabeth Ann Seton at (907) 345-3712 if you have additional questions or to volunteer.
Ninth Annual Ian Robbins Memorial Trick or Treat in the Heat. Sunday, September 7, 2014. Pre-event festivities start around 5:30 PM at the end of Yukon Charlie Loop, with door-to-door Trick or Treating from 6 to 8 PM. Trick or Treat in the Heat is a neighborhood-wide early Halloween celebration. Anyone who has experienced Trick or Treat with late October Alaskan weather knows what a borderline-miserable experience it can be for our kids (and parents)! By holding it in early September, the kids get to wear their costumes without the cold weather gear. If you are interested in helping out with the event, please contact Lumen parent Erica Dufrane at (907) 248-9513
Parent Volunteer Organization (PVO). Parent involvement is very important for the success of Lumen Christi. If you are interested in helping with an event, please be aware that we’ve largely switched our signups to VolunteerSpot from Signup Genius, though going forward we may use Genius for some signups as well. VolunteerSpot has a single page where all our current signups should always be listed. Here is the link for opportunities: http://vols.pt/9tj8Ji?utm_source=group-badge-volunteer-green .
Remember, if you sign up for something on-line or not, you still are responsible for keeping up with your share hours and recording them in the share hour book in the front office. If it isn’t convenient to go in, you can email them to Mrs. Estes in the front office and she will get them recorded for you. Also, another reminder — time spent selling gold cards can’t be counted as volunteering for parents or students.
We have some open positions in PVO. We are looking for a ‘PVO Vice-President’. This person will shadow PVO President Gail Grafton and eventually take over as PVO President at the end of Gail’s term. We are also looking for a ‘Gold Card Chair’. Our current chair is stepping down after this year and is ready to train her replacement. This is an important position that helps raise money for the school. The ‘Teacher and Staff Appreciation Chair’ position is also open. This person takes the lead in organizing small activities and events to show our awesome teachers and staff much we appreciate them. And finally, we are looking for a ‘Craft Bazaar Assistant’. This person will help Michell Goodwin, the Craft Bazaar Chair, organize the volunteers, secure vendors, and run this important fundraising event. If you are interested in a position, please leave a message at the front desk and we will ask someone to follow-up with you.
We look forward to the new school year and encourage all of you to remember the Lumen community in your daily prayers. May God bless all of those who support the LCHS ministry of St. Benedict Parish.
God Bless, John
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