Attention SAA Parents - Summer remodeling project scheduled
The remodeling of the second floor of St. Agnes' main building, along with the theology wing, is scheduled to commence May 31. This summer work has been scheduled so it should not interfere with school summer programs and activities. The construction area will be totally enclosed and will be off-limits to all students and non-construction personnel. The school has worked with Fretz Construction, our general contractor, to post alternative parking solutions and denote open access doors. Please refer to the traffic flow map that pinpoints the parking area and the staging area that has been assigned exclusively for the construction personnel. Any questions or concerns should be addressed to the school administration. We will be working hard this summer to greet our returning and new students with a first-class, renovated facility that will match our already completed first floor and the arts wing. Thank you! -Adriana Pineda, SAA Board of Directors Chair

USED BOOK SALE
FRIDAY, MAY 30 (LAST DAY OF EXAMS)   
•   7:00 to 10:30 am -- Current students drop off books to be sold in the auditorium before or after the first scheduled exam.  No books accepted after 10:30 am. 
•   A VarsityBooks representative will be in the Auditorium Foyer to buy used books for their Buyback Program.  If you are interested selling your books, please find the designated table in the foyer from 7:00 to 10:30 am.  Books that will not be used at SAA next year may be sold here! 
•   12:30 to 2:30 pm - Incoming 9th graders and current students buy used books and then used uniforms. Admittance into the auditorium will be in numerical order.  Get your number (Queue Pass) in the Bookroom area of the SAA website.  Those without a number will enter last.
MONDAY, JUNE 2   UNSOLD BOOKS AND MONEY RETURN
•   11:00 to 2:00 pm -- Pick up money and unsold books from the used book sale in the auditorium.  If books not picked up at this time, money will be mailed home within about a week and unsold books become property of St. Agnes Academy.
More information is available in our 'Bookroom'!  

ONLINE USED BOOK SALE NOW OPEN!
In addition to the Used Book Sale at SAA, you can sell your books online.  Check out the St. Agnes Academy Online Used Book Sale in Bookroom on the Web site.  Log in with your student ID.  Select the books you want to put on the list to sell and/or view a list of other St. Agnes students selling the books you want to buy.

Do You Need More Closet Space? - Used Uniform Sale
Don't miss the opportunity to sell or purchase used uniform clothing. All clothing must be clean and on a hanger. An unsealed envelope must be secured to the clothing (not the hanger) using safety pins.

The following information MUST BE SHOWN ON THE ENVELOPE  be attached to each item before that item will be accepted for resale, example: 
NAME Doe, Jane      CLASS/YEAR Sr/2008  
ITEM Blouse L/S        COLOR White  
SIZE 34                       PRICE Desired: Range  $4.00 - $7.00
[For blouses, please indicate long-sleeved (L/S) or short-sleevd (S/S).]
Pre-marked envelopes will be available in the front office beginning May 19th and will also be available on the collection days, May 22nd and May 29th  2008.  

Dates and times to remember:
Thursday, May 22nd - 11:30 a.m.  Senior Drop off after Madonna Day rehearsal in Auditorium foyer.  A $1.00 mandatory handling fee will be collected at clothing drop off. 
Thursday May 29th - 8:30 - 2:00 pm  Drop off Used clothing in the Choral Room. A $1.00 mandatory handling fee will be collected at clothing drop off.  
Friday May 30th - 12:30 p.m.  Used uniform sale in Choral Room

Financial Aid deserves discussion with rising college costs
In the last few years we have seen rising costs in tuition and fees at many colleges and universities. The fear of one's dream school being out of reach due to cost is quite real and, in many cases, dictates how a student and her family go about navigating the college process. To combat the "sticker shock" (some) colleges and universities are helping students of middle and upper income families alleviate costs. Every family that files a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) will be assigned an expected family contribution (EFC) as calculated by the Federal Government.  Here's the sticky wicket: a family's EFC may appear to be a reasonable number on paper, but in actuality the EFC does not always take into account the daily cost of living.  The end result, then, is that many families receive financial aid packages that do not represent their true financial need.  As school endowments grow larger, however, students/families who qualify may start to see financial aid packages made up of grant monies rather than loans.  Reducing the amount of loans is big business in higher education - the more accessible a college education becomes, the more diverse a campus can be.  

This would be a good time to have an honest discussion about how your family plans to pay for college. Remember, a good college "fit" is based on a number of factors including programs of study, extracurricular and/or career building opportunities, location, size, and financial feasibility.  Many schools are willing and able to provide reasonable financial aid packages that include grants, scholarships, work study and student loans. If a school has a large endowment, it is more likely that the financial aid from that school will come in the form of grant and/or scholarship money; two types of aid that can off-set the cost to the extent that attending an out-of-state private institution may be more affordable than attending a public university in Texas. True story: a smaller Midwestern private school awarded one of our students a sizeable scholarship that rivals the price of attending a public school in Texas. By helping your daughter keep her options open, she may feel less hindered as she moves forward in her college search. 

What can students/parents do now?
*Parents of students in grades 9-11 can attend the SAA financial aid seminar that is held every year in September. Waiting until your daughter's senior year to attend is often too late to learn how to fund your daughter's education.

*Juniors should be researching the schools they are interested in and investigating the scholarship opportunities at each school.  Questions to consider: Are the scholarships based on merit?  Need?  How does one apply?  When are the deadlines? Many schools use the application for admission as the scholarship application, but to be automatically considered for scholarships students must submit their application by the "priority deadline" or fill out a separate scholarship application that is also due by a "priority deadline." For example, this year UT's regular admission deadline was February 1, but to be considered automatically for scholarships students had to submit their completed application by Dec 1. Students need to be aware of the different deadlines as they vary by school; public and private.

*Juniors should be checking with Naviance, our new Web-based college organizing program. We have listed many of the common scholarships funded by private businesses, foundations and/or organizations as well as a variety of university based scholarships. Of course this list does not include every scholarship available.

*Signing up with scholarship websites such as www.fastweb.com is also a great way to learn about different scholarships opportunities. Some other websites that are helpful: www.FinAid.org or more specifically, (www.finaid.org/questions/noloansforlowincome.phtml) and www.projectstudentdebt.org.

Dealing with the rising costs of college and the thought of having to make that first in a few years may be quite daunting.  Take time to educate yourself about the various opportunities that exist to help students' dreams become a reality.  As is true with most things, defining your goals, knowing your limits, and making choices that reflect your priorities and interests will go a long way in the college process.  The more you know going in, the more likely you are to achieve outcomes that reflect "best fit" kinds of options.  Do yourselves a favor and get started now! 

Dealing with grief, understanding stages of emotions imperative
As the year comes to a close we are mindful that our community continues to grieve the death of Ms. Contreras. Summer is upon us and your daughters will be out of the school routine. In light of this we wanted to take an opportunity to share with you some of the tools we have used to help your daughters cope with this loss.

In the acute stages of grief there is typically a traumatic response.  This usually lasts for about six weeks from the onset of the crisis. A simple way to monitor your daughter's progression through this process is to be aware of the following: "SAME C"
  
Sleep-sleeping too much or inability to sleep; structured time for sleep is always important especially at a time like this.
 
Appetite-eating more; eating less-a balanced diet is recommended.  During a crisis comfort foods can help in getting back to healthy eating habits.
 
Mood-ups and down in affect are expected.  Encourage conversation.
 
Energy-physical and emotional fatigue is typical. Rest, exercise can help re-energize.
 
Concentration-Focus can wane during a time like this.  Monitoring the above and active positive interventions can restore concentration.

As they work through this acute phase the natural grieving process ensues. Each individual's response will be unique depending on their connection with Ms. Contreras or other personal losses that may be brought up by this death. The grieving process is dynamic; there is no timeline, no right or wrong way to grieve and, inevitably one's grieving ebbs and flows.

Knowing about the stages of grieving can help as you work with your daughter during this time.  They are as follows:

I. Denial and avoidance-characterized by disbelief, confusion and cognitive dissonance-how did this happen?  This stage often coincides with the first six weeks of the traumatic response but can linger.  (Monitor her behavior and talk with her.)
II. Confrontation -the reality of the loss begins to set in and feelings become more intense---anger, sadness, loss, confusion, abandonment.  Anger at this stage can surprise them and it may get displaced---taking it out on others. (Encourage her to express her feelings-talking is healing.)
III. Disorganization-not quite being able to get it together, feeling restless over loss of predictability and routine. (Check in with her to see if she needs help getting ready for exams.)
IV. Accommodation-coming to terms with the death, being more invested in life and daily routines.  (Encourage her to participate in rejuvenating activities.)

Remember the routine of school provides a container for dealing with these feelings. As we approach summer and the school routine is not there, your daughter may experience a reoccurrence and even an intensification of some of the initial feelings associated with the trauma and the loss.  A predictable routine for the summer will help your daughter in managing her grief. If you are unsure how to begin, you might say, "It has been several weeks since the death of Ms. Contreras, how are you doing?" She may not want to talk, but let her know you are there.  Monitor her behavior by noting "SAME C." Trust your gut.  If something concerns you address it and get outside help if you think you need it. Please feel free to contact either Mary Ann Miller, Debbie Sieck, or Lisa Crank in the counseling office for resources or assistance.

CONGRATULATIONS to the 2008-2009 St. Agnes Mothers' Club Board! 
President - Marina Cernoch
Vice President - Linda Schroeder
Treasurer - Debbie Thompson
Recording Secretary - Cindy Lattanzi
Corresponding Secretary - Mary Goodyear
Parlimentarian - Karen Counter
Historian - Karen Crawford
Data & Volunteer Coordinator - Elizabeth Johnson

Installation took place at the Celebration Luncheon at The Junior League this past Tuesday. We celebrated the new board, thanked the 2007-2008 outgoing board, welcomed the new incoming mothers and celebrated the senior mothers.  Thank you to Janeal Whitefield and Karen Crawford and their volunteers for planning such a lovely day.

The Pizza Party and Lunch for Seniors is Thursday, May 22 during graduation rehearsal. Contact Colleen Akers  colleenakers@att.net  if you would like to help serve pizza for the seniors.

Madonna Day, the awards ceremony for the seniors, is Friday, May 23.  If you could help with this reception please contact Eileen Johnston Johnston3915@comcast.net .

Sophia Furnace is coordinating snacks for the students during finals week. If you can spare an hour or two in the morning during finals or donate some snacks..please contact Sophia at sfurnace@st-agnes.org

...and last but not least..a very important sale:

The Used Book and Uniform Sale is Friday, May 30.  A few more volunteers are needed. If you work the sale you will be the first to buy your books. Please contact Claire Rabalais cmrabalais@sbcglobal.net if you would like to work at the sale. It is a great opportunity! 

St. Agnes Academy 9000 Bellaire Blvd. Houston, TX 77036-4683