Lumen News – February 7, 2020
Important Upcoming Dates:
- Feb 8th: 25th Anniversary Gala
- Feb 13th-14th: Parent Teacher Conferences (see schedule below)
- Feb 13th: Principal-Parent Forum, 7pm (see details below)
- Feb 14th-16th: St. Benedict High School Winter Retreat
- Feb 19th: 25th Anniversary Planning Meeting, 7pm
- Feb 22nd: Valentine’s Dance (High School)
- Feb 25th: Mardi Gras Pancake Dinner and Open House, 5:30-8pm
- Feb 26th: Ash Wednesday (All School Mass at 9am)
- Feb 27th: Basketball Senior Night vs Birchwood, 5:30pm (girls), 7pm (boys)
- Feb 29th: Fur Rendezvous Parade, 10:30am
- Mar 2nd: All School Rosary, 2pm
- Mar 6th: Inservice Day (No School)
- Mar 7th-15th: Spring Break
- Apr 3-4: Spring Drama Production at APU
Principal’s Update:
What an awesome and busy Catholic Schools Week last week! Thanks to all the staff, students, and parents who made the week a successful and exciting one!
This week, we have turned our attention this week on the 25th Anniversary Gala on Saturday. The gym is decorated, chairs and tables are set up, and the school is transforming into a night “Under the Stars”! We thank all of those working hard to bring it all together, especially Danielle Rybicki, Julie Irving, and Tracy Ross, and we look forward to seeing everyone on Saturday night!
Thanks to all those who attended and watched on Facebook (from as far away as Azerbaijan) at last week’s State of the School. Besides highlighting our academic, athletic, and spiritual excellence, I issued a “Three Ways to Help in the Next 30 Days” challenge. Here you go:
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Bring a prospective family to Pancake Dinner on Feb 25th and other upcoming Lumen events.
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Attend and support the Gala on Feb 8.
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Have your son or daughter write out five note cards to friends and family and help us raise $500 per family following Catholic Schools Week.
I’ll add one additional challenge. As we approach Lent (Ash Wednesday is Feb 26th), perhaps you will consider attending our morning daily Mass at 7:15am as a family? Mass is about 20 minutes long and a great way to start your day! We hope to see you!
LUMENary Drive Update:
We’re holding steady at 93% of our goal with 61% of families having contributed so far. Remember no amount is too small (or too big!) to give and 100% family participation would be awesome.
Virtue of the Week:
This week’s SportsLeader Virtue is CAMARADERIE: The strength to have mutual trust and friendship among people who spend a lot of time together. The opposite of camaraderie is CLIQUISHNESS: The weakness of choosing to connect, associate or communicate with only a select group.
Catholic Schools Campaign Update:
We’re happy to report that “I Support Catholic Education” envelopes are coming through the mail – meaning that students have sent off their “I Love My School” letters to friends and families! Thanks to all of you as parents who undoubtedly made this happen through a certain amount of ‘reminding’ (nagging?!) The extra effort by you and your student makes a difference in the amount of support for our school.
Shout out to the Henry family – the very first donation came in before Catholic Schools Week even ended and included a note “Per request from Michael Henry Jr.!” Thank you Michael!
Campus Ministry:
The Campus Ministry Office is located in the school, students and parents are always welcome to stop by!
“Laugh and grow strong!” St. Ignatius
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Our tenth grade retreat has been rescheduled to Friday, April 24th, at The Holy Spirit Center. We are looking for a parent to organize lunch for the class.
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Lenten Rice boxes will be sent home with students the week of February 26th – collecting and donating your spare change is a great way to support mission work!
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Mai Do our featured senior this week in the St. Benedict Parish bulletin’s “Senior Spotlight.”
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We are now signing up volunteers for our Passion Encounter, Mardi Gras Dinner and Stations of the Cross. Contact Mrs. Loeffler if interested.
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Please send Mrs. Loeffler news and activities happening in your parishes!
Prayer Spot
Please remember the following in your prayers this week:
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For the Helgesen and Goerisch families as they mourn the loss of grandparents.
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For health and healing of the sick in our school and greater community.
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For peace among all nations and peoples.
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For those without adequate food, shelter and clothing throughout the winter.
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For all those who are living with a mental health condition.
If you would like special intentions listed in Lumen News and Prayer Book of Intentions send them directly to Mrs. Loeffler.
All are invited to join us for Mass at 7:15 a.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays in our School Chapel.
Pray for Peace. Act with Peace.
Archangel Sports Update:
The Basketball teams had an amazing time on the road last week and came home with both wins and losses behind them. The Girls were bested by CIA, Nikolaevsk and Ninilchik, the Boys were able to take down CIA and Nikolaevsk but lost to Ninilchik.
Back on their home turf against King Cove Tuesday night, the Girls went down but the Boys pulled out a victory – it’s worth noting King Cove were the State Champions last year so this was a nice win for our team. Games next week are Monday (v. Anaktuvuk Pass) and Wednesday (v. Noatak) here at the school (5:30p/Girls; 7:00p/Boys) and Tuesday out in Birchwood, same times – 5:30p/Girls and 7p/Boys.
Switching gears to volleyball, it’s great to see that our Jr. High players are really coming together as a team. In their scrimmage against Grace Christian last Thursday they won 3 out of their 4 matches. They continued to play well the next day at the All School Rally and won the majority of those games as well. The next Rally will be Thursday, February 13th, time TBD. We’re always proud of our newest players as they figure out team play for the first time!
Archangel Shout Outs
Our students are amazing both on campus and off, shout out to the following for particularly impressive work in the past week:
*10th graders Jack Murkowski and Vaeda Michaelson who coached by Ms. Kelli Reed took second place in their most recent Public Forum Debate as they argued “Should the United States replace a Means Tested Welfare System with Universal Income?” This win was particularly impressive as Jack & Vaeda were up against not just the South/East/Service/Eagle River/West High teams that they normally debate but also additional teams from Kodiak and the Kenai Peninsula as well. Jack, Vaeda & Mrs. Reed are headed to the State Tournament in Juneau next week. We’re enormously proud of these two and their amazing Coach, Ms. Reed!
*8th graders Kateri Everard and Ryan Solberg…aka Team Black Swan…who competed through Raven Home School last week in the middle school Battle of the Books competition. They blew their first round competitors out of the water with a score of 104 to 64! They went on to defeat their second round competitors as well and are now headed to State Competition at the end of the month. Way to go Kateri and Ryan – your perseverance and dedication to BOOKS is something to be celebrated for sure!
School Announcements:
Senior Slide Show
Attention senior parents: In preparation for graduation (ahhhh! it’s coming!), please send Mrs. Spillers a photo collection of 10-20 pictures of your graduating senior. These typically range from when they are little to their current age. Please send by February 28th to mspillers@lumenchristiak.org. Thank you!
Parent Teacher Conferences
As a reminder, Parent Teacher Conferences are next Wednesday, February 13th from 3p – 7p and Friday, February 14th from 1p – 4p. You meet with teachers on a walk-in basis: first come, first served! All will be set up in the student room for ease of meeting with them one after the other.
Principal/Parent Forum
Thoughts? Questions? Concerns? Ideas? Come and share them all with Principal Ross on Thursday, February 13th at 7p. Yes, this is directly after the first day of Parent/Teacher Conferences. You might as well stay and make an evening of it. Wine & snacks served starting at 6:30p.
25th Anniversary Gala – TOMORROW!
Our event is sold out! If you’re not attending please note that we still could use an adult or two to help keep student volunteers on task tomorrow night, and a few more hands helping clean up on Sunday would be fabulous. To volunteer for either of these jobs sign up here: https://signup.com/go/BfFnxAD or call the Front Office by 3p today.
If you signed up to bring a dessert for the Dessert Dash, you can bring it to the school by 3p today and we will refrigerate it overnight, or you can bring it Saturday in between 8a & 3p. Please don’t bring it with you at 5:30p when you arrive to attend!
THANK YOU to one an all who have signed up and been helping so far. We couldn’t pull this off without all of your help.
St. Benedicts & Other Community Events:
St. Benedict’s Youth Group
All Lumen students are welcome, regardless of parish affiliation or faith background.
High School Youth Night: Wednesday, February 12, Celebrating Our Lady of Lourdes and Sledding. 7-9p, meet in the Upper Room.
Junior High Youth Night: TONIGHT!! Thursday, February 6th, 6-8p in the Upper Room.
Annual Winter Retreat! Who: all St. Ben’s Youth Group members. When: Friday, February 14th/3:30p – February 16th/3p. Where: St. Therese’s Camp in Wasilla. For more information, including permission slips and volunteer forms, please see Ms. Gore at the Front Desk.