Principal’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
Read MorePrincipal’s Report 08/15/2014
Dear Lumen Family:
School starts next week and we are looking forward to a wonderful new school year! The first day of classes is on Wednesday, August 20. Most students will arrive around 7:30 AM. Classes start promptly at 7:45 AM. For those of you who are new to Lumen, we start the day with ‘home room’ time where students do the pledge of allegiance, prayer, and devotion. The ‘home room’ is the student’s first (period 1) class. Attached is the bell schedule for your reference.
The first day of school is also the same day as the school’s weekly Mass. Parents are welcome to join for Mass on Wednesday, August 20 at 9:15 AM in St. Benedict’s Parish. After Mass, the students will walk the Light of Christ back to the school, where Fr. Leo will bless the school, students, teachers, and staff. This is a wonderful way to fellowship with other parents, teachers, staff, and students. Please join us for this special Mass if your schedule permits.
This weekend is the 20th Annual Alaska Greek Festival at the Holy Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church (2800 O’Malley Road) in Anchorage. Admission and parking is free. Today the event runs from 11 AM to 10 PM. Tomorrow (Saturday) the event runs from 11 AM to 10 PM. On Sunday the event runs from 11 AM to 7 PM. Students who attend Lumen from the Orthodox faith will be involved in the celebration, and they would appreciate our support.
Next Friday, from 4:00 PM until about 7:00 PM is the annual Lumen Christi ‘Back to School Picnic’ at the school. We welcome parents, family friends, and students to enjoy a picnic with the faculty and staff. The school will provide the hotdogs, hamburgers, drinks, and utensils, but we would ask the parents to bring the rest of the potluck food if you are able (although it is not required in order to attend). It would be helpful if 7th and 8th grades families bring salad and sides, 9th grade bring chips and dip, 10th grade bring fruit (or similar), and 11th and 12th grade families bring desserts.
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.
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 .
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
Read MorePrincipal’s Report 07/15/2014
Dear Lumen Family:
As Lumen continues to grow, we are looking forward to a wonderful new school year! In addition to our returning students, we have new student faces from Boston, Massachusetts to Rio de Janerio, Brazil. Our prayers are with all of our students as they enjoy the final days of summer. Enjoy the final days of summer; school will start before we know it!
To prepare for the new school year, please click on the link for the 2014-15 calendar. Fall registration is on Tuesday, July 29, 2014. Registration is from 2:00 PM until 7:00 PM. Please stop by the school, at your convenience. It is important that all families attend as we assign student lockers, provide information about PVO, class schedules, pre-paid sports card for athletic events, and other important information. New parent orientation is at the school on Tuesday, August 12 from 6:30 until 8:00 PM. The first day of classes for the students is Wednesday, August 20. The back to school picnic for students and families is Friday, August 22 from 4:00 PM until 7:00 PM.
Playing competitive sports, while learning lifelong principles of sportsmanship and fair play, are an import part of the Lumen experience. If you are interested in soccer, please stop by the Athletic Department table at registration. Registration will also be a great time to purchase your Lumen ArchCard, which grants access to all regular season home games for the sports season.
High school soccer practice starts on Monday, August 4. Jr. High soccer starts on Monday, August 11. Any students playing fall sports need to complete all paperwork, physical exam, and submit fees before they can practice. You can download the forms from the LCHS website (under the student/sports section) and return them to Mrs. Estes at the front desk or to Athletic Director Mr. Hunt. If you have any questions, please contact Mr. Hunt at (907) 273-1513.
Dr. Norman Means, MD is a new Lumen parent. As part of the Lumen community, Dr. Means has offered to provide our students the annual physicals as required by the Alaska Schools Activities Association at no charge. Dr. Means will also administer the PPD (tuberculosis) test for a small fee of $10 to cover the cost of the supplies. The PPD (tuberculosis) test is required for 7th graders and any student who has not had this test as of 7th grade. The physicals and PPD (tuberculosis) tests will be offered in 15 minute increments, starting at 10 AM on Monday, July 28 at the school. Please call the front desk at (907) 245-9231 for more information or to schedule an appointment. To ensure the appropriate number of PPD supplies, please make sure to schedule an appointment before July 21. The offer is open to staff and faculty as well.
Fundraisers are an important part of supporting the school. This year the Athletic Department has a new fundraiser. It is a golf tournament on Saturday, August 30. All information and forms can be directly accessed from our homepage . This will be a fun event and we encourage you to participate. All of the proceeds will go to support the Lumen Christi Athletic Department. Please share this event with others.
Lumen challenges its students academically and teaches students how to experience God’s grace and presence in their lives. We look forward to the new school year and encourage all of you to remember the Lumen community, students, teachers, and staff 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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