The mission of Immaculate Conception School is to provide experiences to inspire, challenge, and nurture the mind, body, and spirit  of our student within the framework of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the tradition of the Catholic Church.
"Lord God, our hope is in you, for you can do all things, provide all things and overcome all things!”
February 5,  2010                                                                                                                    v.35 # 32
Dear Parent, Student, Teacher, Friend, and Benefactor,

FR. STEVE GIRA C.S.R.   Fr. Steve’s procedure went well.  Results on Monday.   Please include Fr. Steve and all who suffer from illness in your prayers.  “Love never fails”.

Young Authors Winners & Runners-up for January 2010  Join us on Wednesday, February 17, 2010 at 2 p.m. in the gym for the award ceremony to celebrate all our participants in the Young Authors Writing Program!
A special thank you to our judges: Kim Schwartz, Ame Mathany, Kelly Estes, Kathleen Carter, Kelle Altadonna, Lizanne Young, Krista Schoellhorn, Brian Garcia, Beth Gallagher, Kim Sullivan, Cindy Coleman, Jean Swip, Amanda Megginson, Mara Graff, Brenda Larson, Heather Garcia, Jill Tollett, Cheryl Ritter, and Michelle Gutterman.  Your time is precious, so thanks for sharing it! Penny Prindiville & Teresa Schutzenhofer

Waterman-K   Winner: Noah Newton, Robots, Robots, Everywhere!
Runner-up: Allison Shuler, The Day I was a Chipmunk
Carrow-K        Winner: Autumn Ramey, The Turtles
Runners-up: Andrew Epplin, Lost & Found & Matthew Epplin, Alive Stuffed Animals
Borgmeyer-1   Winner: Molly Bueltemann, The Little Hamsters
Runner-up: Delaney Lundberg, The Pumpkin Contest
Lynn-1  Winner: Jessica Lambert, The Two Best Snow Friends
Runners-up: Anna Adams, I Lost My Pooh Boot & Marie Prindiville, The Snow Day
Waide-2  Winner: Jacob Raisch, Big Food Hockey Game
Runners-up: Alex Bira, The Christmas Beaver & Lexi Hennes, Twizzler Adventure
Stechmesser-2  Winner: Claire Eppinger, Sniffly & the Oragon
Runner-up: Spencer Biske,  The Adventures of Timberland
Greenfield-3    Winner: Delaney Eastep, The Lost Baby Cheetah
Runner-up: Maggie Parks,  The Sleepover
Schauster-3    Winner: Hannah Weiler, He’s a She
Runner-up: Dylan Altadonna, A Day in the Snow The Mystical Hunt
Hopkins-4  Winner: Hannah Gibson, A Little Magic
Runner-up: Zack Gillan, My Great Adventure-Featuring Ronald Reagan
Diewald-4  Winner: Elena Biske, Melissa and the Magic Sketchbook
Runners-up: Lauren Bernhard, Once a Dog Always a Dog & Chloe Valleroy, Sara the Teenage Champion
Meyer & Johnson – 5 Winner: Sam Groppe, Crash
Runner-up: Thomas Herrmann, Winter Wonderland
Vaughn & Hudson – 6 Winner: Nick Gillan,  The Epidemic
Runners-up: Ryan Hoffman, My Remedy & Jackie Merkel, Train With Your Mind, Race With Your Heart
Tolan- 7  Winner: Emma Burns, The Prominent Puppy
Runners-up: Olivia Clements, The Letters & Kelly Grant, Pranks
Weiler-7  Winner: Vincent Burke, Invisible
Runners-up: Claire Mueth, Someone to Watch Over Me & Hannah Plunkett, What if…
Riley & Kassebaum – 8 Winner: Sophia Cygnarowicz, Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow
Runner-up: Samantha Trottier, Raindrops
To those of you how were picked through the lottery to attend the Young Authors Conference on March 27, 2010 please be sure to return the paper work by Monday, February 8.   If you have any questions or are unable to attend please call Penny Prindiville at 281-4026 or email at pmprindy@yahoo.com or call Teresa Schutzenhofer at 618-363-0922 as soon as possible.

 

THANKS to our committee, faculty, students, parents and benefactors for a great Catholic Schools Week!  Some comments from students  honoring Fr. Carl, Fr. Steve, and Deacon Eric:

Fr. Carl --- homilies…sports in your homilies make me pay extra attention
You are constantly supporting us---you’re everywhere---my favorite homily---“no matter how messy the sin” God can always helps us clean it up.  My favorite was when your Mom would not let you go to the Cardinal game---you had Sunday school.  Everything happens for a reason.”   I listened to your homily today and then did better in class and got a good grade!   

Deacon Eric---taught us the shema, I love your sense of humor, jokes, Scripture, your family tradition of the birthdays…good at shooting marshmallow guns
Ps  We’re crossing our fingers that Bishop Braxton assigns you to our parish---(sorry Ryan---he has to be a Diocesan priest, not a Resurrectionist! )

Fr. Steve ---do you remember helping us make stone soup? …you taught me to pay it forward and be nice---you are the sower and we are the seed… You showed me that there is suffering in the world and we have to overcome it.

PARENTS AND FRIENDS   Meeting on Monday night.  Lots on the agenda --- full steam ahead!
We have the fire pit poker in the office for pick-up.

OPEN HOUSE… Lisa Gilbreth won our $25 SCRIP prize, the Sullivans won the Duffel Bag from Gillan Graphics, the Frierdich Family won the long sleeve T from Gillan Graphics,  and the Matthews Family won the Sweatshirt.  Congratulations and thanks to Gillan Graphics for honoring us again!
Thanks again for coming!

TUITION ASSISTANCE FORMS were sent home last week to help plan for next year.   Please apply if you need assistance.  No one should be denied a Catholic education because of need. 

GIBAULT’S CHICKEN & DUMPLING DINNER will be Sunday, February 21st from 11-am-3 pm.  Don’t miss it and take a carry-out home with you for the 22nd!...it’s that good!
CHESS TEAM PRACTICE:  The chess team will have a practice on Tuesday, February 9, in the cafeteria right after school until 4:30 p.m.  We'll have snacks that are left over from our meet.  Congratulations to our team for the tie for 2nd place.  Unfortunately the tie-breaker dropped us to 3rd, but that is still a wonderful performance.  Queen of Peace is having a chess meet on Saturday, February 13.  Registration starts at 8:30 a.m. and games start at 9:00 a.m.  I'm unable to be there because of Speech Meet so if any of you plan to go, please let me know at practice so you can take a few boards for Queen of Peace to use for their meet.  Blessed Sacrament will have a meet on March 20.  Janet  281-7763 or ulivi@htc.net.

KC SPELLING BEE  Grades 6-7-8 are invited to a spelling bee at 12:45 on Monday in the Science Lab.  We need the top 3 students for the upcoming KC spelling bee and the best of each grade for the Bi-county meet coming up on April 13.  Spell psychokinesis!

29th ANNUAL MAGAZINE DRIVE  Our top 10 students did 32.5% of our drive!:   Michael Kreutzer-200, Mitchel Meyer-127,  Nick Gillan-95, Seth Watters-79, Lexi Hennes-55, Zac Epplin-54, Madilyn Gummersheimer-53, Paige Lane-47, Ethan Stumpf-44, and Sam Sippel-40
Top Classrooms:  Mr. Kassebaum-587, Jennifer Schauter-167, Mrs Stechmesser-142, Mrs. Hopkins-167, Mrs. Vaughn-182   Thanks again to Nancy Metter and Crew!  We’ll be around to order prizes

Our ICS SCHOLASTIC BOWL TEAM was beaten Tuesday by Queen of Peace.  The scores were QP 210, ICS 128 for Round 1 and QP 235, ICS 108 in Round 2.  The team record now stands at 2-2.  Our next event is the Mater Dei Tournament on February 13.

The ICS School Board is working hard on updating our alumni list and getting addresses.  However, the school board could use some additional help in tracking down our alumni. This is short term help for about 1-2 weeks. If you could help with this project please contact Rita Belaska  281-1959 or e-mail rbelaska@htc.net.   We would like to work on this project the week of Feb. 1st-5th.

CONGRATULATIONS to Kirsten Petersen, Bella’s Mom, for her recognition as a Master Teacher.  Kirsten teaches the visually impaired for the Perandoe Special Education District.  We are proud of you!  Hard work deserves recognition and your students benefit!

Long ago ---  When men cursed and beat the ground with sticks, It was called witchcraft... Today, it's called golf. 

THE SPORTING NEWS… The Columbia Khoury League season is getting close and we are looking for new player registrations as well as students who will be the age of 13 prior to May 1, 2010 for umpire candidates.  If you are interested please sign up on Saturday, February 6th  or 13th, from 8:30 am until 2pm at the Columbia High School cafeteria.  

Initial Child Protection Policy Trainings:  Anyone volunteering with youth ministry, as the Diocesan Youth Conference is coming up,  winter events/trips, coaches, retreat team members (TEC, Quest, Luke 18), as well as new employees or new school parents.  You have to be certified to help!
*Sat., Feb. 6, 2010  St. Henry, Belleville 10:00am-12:00pm  Karen @ 618-397-2287 (Space Limited)

Practicing Nonattachment    Allowing Our Children To Be
Truly loving our children requires us to set them free and practice nonattachment.  Trust and allow.

Parenting asks us to rise to some of the most difficult challenges this world has to offer, and one of its greatest paradoxes arises around the issue of attachment. On the one hand, successful parenting requires that we love our children, and most of us love in a very attached way. On the other hand, it also requires that we let go of our children at the appropriate times, which means we must practice some level of nonattachment. Many parents find this difficult because we love our children fiercely, more than we will ever love anyone, and this can cause us to overstep our bounds with them as their independence grows. Yet truly loving them requires that we set them free.

Attachment to outcome is perhaps the greatest obstacle on the parenting path, and the one that teaches us the most about the importance of practicing nonattachment. We commonly perceive our children to be extensions of ourselves, imagining that we know what’s best for them, but our children are people in their own right with their own paths to follow in this world. They may be called to move in directions we fear, don’t respect, or don’t understand, yet we must let them go. This letting go happens gradually throughout our lives with our children until we finally honor them as fully grown adults who no longer require our guidance. At this point, it is important that we treat them as peers who may or may not seek our input into their lives. This allows them, and us, to fully realize the greatest gift parents can offer their offspring —independence.

Letting go in any area of life requires a deep trust in the universe, in the overall meaning and purpose of existence. Remembering that there is more to us and our children than meets the eye can help us practice nonattachment, even when we feel overwhelmed by concern and the desire to interfere. We are all souls making our way in the world and making our way, ultimately, back to the same source. This can be our mantra as we let our children go in peace and confidence.

DAFFODIL DAYS 2010
Daffodils are the 1st sign of spring and they are a sign of hope for those battling cancer. Come join us in the mission of Daffodil Days to give hope through the sale of cut flowers, bulbs, a cuddly bear, vases, or just a donation.  Order your Daffodils or other items starting Jan. 18– Feb. 19, 2010 by contacting Rita Belaska at 281-1959 or email rbelaska@htc.net
All orders must be prepaid and will be available for pick up the week of March 15, 2010.
The daffodils represent a donation to the American Cancer Society’s mission to eliminate cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives, and diminishing suffering from cancer through research, education, advocacy and service.  Rita Belaska and Madelon Howell are the chairpersons for the Monroe  County IL, Daffodil Days fund raiser for the American Cancer Society.
Purchase flowers for yourself or brighten someone’s day and help the American Cancer Society.

St. Raymond’s   $151.81   Thanks for your generosity!

2010 Knights of Columbus  Catholic High School Essay Contest  Sunday, Feb,. 21 at 12:15 p.m. in the cafeteria. Winner receives a $1,000 scholarship payable to a Catholic High School over 4 yrs.

TACO NIGHT   Mon., Feb. 8   4:30-7:30   75 cent tacos and 50 cent soda for Youth Ministry

GRIFFIN CENTER  The fourth grade classes are doing a service project for the Griffin Center. The Griffin Center helps approximately 475 children at four different centers. Our fourth grade classes are making Valentine treat bags for  100 children. They could also use books (for all ages) and Valentines. We'll accept any donations. If you could mention this to your students it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you and have a great day! Patti Hopkins and Sarah Diewald.

Haiti’s Reality Catholic Relief Services has worked in Haiti for over 50 years. Even before the devastating 7.0 magnitude earthquake, Haiti was a country in need. The nation is the poorest in the Western Hemisphere with 80 percent of the population falling below the poverty line. Estimates are 150,000 people were killed and 800,000 were left homeless. Latest News from CRS/Caritas Haiti
"It may look to many in the rest of the world that those in need are not receiving any aid, but actually thousands here in Port-au-Prince are getting help," said Karel Zelenka, the CRS country representative in Haiti. To date, CRS has: Provided food to 74,458 people, and non-food items to 15,692 people, distributing an average of 62 metric tons of food per day.  Sent in medical teams that are treating 300 people per day.  Supported 2,500 people at Missionaries of Charity centers.
The U.S. Catholic Community Responds CRS has received $26 million in cash donations and commitments.    For up-to-date information visit www.crs.org or crs-blog.org.

Benefit for Jerry Pretto(to help cover medical bills due to a  Heart Condition)--Mouse Races and Live and Silent Auction.  Saturday, March 20th, Turner Hall.  Doors open at 6:30, First Race at 7:00.  Live music by "The Sofa Kings"  Call Joe Menner at 281-4436 or Chris Becker at 281-4384 for more information or to order tickets.

Blake Braun's cousin, David Buettner, who is 22 years old, is   receiving a stem cell transplant from his sister, Rhonda, this  week....she fit all of the criteria....there was a 1 in 4 chance of   an exact match ....he is the youngest, she is the oldest child in  the family. He will be at Barnes for 3 weeks as he will need to be kept under observation due to the risk of infection and our fervent   prayers are that his body recognizes and accepts the transplant.  He was diagnosed with stage IV Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma in Oct. 2008.   He has been at Barnes for the last week receiving heavy  doses of chemo designed to clear his system in anticipation of the  transplant.  Thanks very much for your prayers...we appreciate all of them. The Braun Family

Danielle Bergmann is home from Cardinal Glennon hospital after tests.  Prayers please!    
                                                                                            
Please pray for: Danielle Bergman, Fr. Steve,  David Buettner, Ellie Waide, Glenda Sexauer, Jennifer Latinette, Fr. Jerry Kleba, Irma Naumann,   Emily Schmidt,  Steve Vaughn,  Judy Stroker, Bill Wylder,  Mary Eppinger, Susie Settle

EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED   Jesus does a bit of grandstanding this week as he catches a ton of fish and a couple of Apostles without even leaving shore.   How often in life do we simply shake our heads in disbelief when the unexpected happens?  It has happened often for me --- when I see a student master something they don’t think they can understand --- when we set lofty goals and meet them --- when people all around me pick up all the pieces and make this place work!  It is an amazing story --- it only took a good catch of fish to hook disciples!  Come and get hooked this weekend!  Don’t be afraid --- we are all sinful people!

Sincerely,

Michael L. Kish

PS  Good luck to the Mathcounts Team tomorrow at SIUE!
Attachments:
Camp Invention Parent Letter and Flyer(2)
Parents and Friends minutes
Game Room Stained Glass Raffle
KC Bowling Night
Taco Night

UPCOMING ACADEMIC COMPETITIONS
February 6                 Mathcounts---SIUE,   Build---Engineer in the Classroom---Gr. 6---at ICS
February 8                 Team Quest Gr. 5-6 at Hope Christian Church
February 9                 Team Quest Gr. 7-8 at Hope Christian Church
February 10               Team Quest Gr. 3-4 at Hope Christian Church
February 12               8th Grade to Shakespeare’s “a You Like it” at the Edison Theatre-Wash. U.
February 13               Speech Meet at St. James 8:30     Build---EITC---Gr. 6---at ICS, Mater Dei Meet

Band Schedule: Week of Feb 8-12
Monday       11:00-11:30 4th Grade Clarinets
                    11:30-12:00 4th Grade Saxophones
                    12:50-1:20 5th Grade Clarinets
                    1:20-1:50 5th Grade Saxophones
                    1:50-2:20 6-8th Grade Clarinets
                    2:20-2:50 6-8th Grade Saxophones
Tuesday      7:15-7:50 Jazz Band
                   11:00-11:30 4th Grade Trumpets
                    11:30-12:00 4th Grade Low Brass
                    12:50-1:20 5th Grade Trumpets
                    1:20-1:50 5th Grade Low Brass
                    1:50-2:20 6-8th Grade Trumpets
                    2:20-2:50 6-8th Grade Low Brass
 Wednesday 12:50-1:50 Intermediate Band Full Band 
                    1:50-2:50 Concert Band Full Band 
Thursday     7:15-7:50 Jazz Band
                    11:00-11:30 4th Grade Percussion
                    11:30-12:00 4th Grade Flutes
                    12:50-1:20 5th Grade Percussion
                    1:20-1:50 5th Grade Flutes
                    1:50-2:20 6-8th Grade Percussion
                    2:20-2:50 6-8th Grade Flutes
Friday          12:50-1:50 Beginning Band Full Band 
                    1:50-2:20 Mallet Percussion

 

 

 

 

 

 

Is the school bus going left or right?

Dear ICS Families:
In years past we have collected monies for Autism Speaks and participated in the Walk for Autism as a family.  This year we are turning our efforts locally to Happy Trails Therapeutic Horsemanship.  This is a non-profit organization run by Jim Donley and his family. It is an equine therapy that assists with rehabilitation and one to one therapy for the developmentally disabled.  Therapeutic riding takes disabled riders through complex movements which uses all the bodies’ muscles. This type of therapy has had excellent results when used on individuals living with autism.
Some of you may not know that our youngest son Aidan was diagnosed at age 16 months with Autism. Through hours of therapy and love and support from family and friends Aidan is doing really well and will be attending ICS next fall. Happy Trails was a large part of his recovery effort and is run completely from donations. Happy Trails also offers rehabilitation for returning soldiers who have been injured in wars. The most amazing thing is that this help comes free of charge!
Happy Trails is in danger of closing because of large land developers that are trying to take over the family farm. I can think of no better charity to give to and the fact that it is one of two centers in Illinois that works with veterans with disabilities in the Horses for Heroes program I want to assist them in keeping the barn doors open for all who are in need of their services. Please donate what you can or if you are unable to donate say a prayer for this family that has done so much for so many.
Thank you,
The Sullivan family
Donations may be sent through school Margaret 8(K)
Or mailed to Kim Sullivan, 201 Heritage, Columbia IL, 62236