WEEKLY SCHEDULE
Click Weekly Schedule to view what's happening at St. Agnes next week.
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ACADEMY NEWS
Lead the way with Learning Today, Leading Tomorrow
The 2008-2009 Learning Today, Leading Tomorrow Annual Fund is off to a great start! Many thanks to those of you who have already given a gift to the Annual Fund. Thirty-four percent of the current parents at St. Agnes have participated so far this year in helping us reach our goal of $1 million. Please consider a gift to the Annual Fund today. Online donations can be made here .
BOOSTER CLUB MEETING
Please mark your calendars for the next meeting of the St. Agnes Booster Club! The Booster Club will meet Wednesday evening, Nov. 19 at 6:30 p.m. in the Choral Room near the gym. Everyone is invited, so please come!
Get ready for Grandparents' Day!
SAA Grandparents' Day will be 10 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 2 beginning with Mass in the Auditorium, followed by campus tours and a luncheon in the Old Gym. Invitations were mailed to the St. Agnes grandparents and we already have heard from many who will attend. The RSVP deadline is November 21. Please contact Anne Beyer at 713-219-5402 or anne.beyer@st-agnes.org if you have any questions, or would like to RSVP on behalf of grandparents.
Get ready to celebrate the holiday season!
Mark your calendar for Dec. 5th for a Holiday Luncheon for SAA Mothers- Past and Present. Join us at the Briar Club with our guest speaker, Louise Parsley- SAA mother and author. Invitation to come. To RSVP click here.
Support SAA's Legacy Paver Program
Our fourth order of pavers is about to be sent to be engraved! We invite you to participate in the ongoing Legacy Paver Program. Pavers make excellent gifts whether you are honoring members of your family, teachers or close friends; commemorating a special event or occasion such as birthdays, Christmas, or as a loving tribute to a loved one. Our next deadline is Thursday, Nov. 20. To place your order, simply download the Paver Order Form, complete it, and mail it along with your payment to St. Agnes Academy, 9000 Bellaire Blvd, Houston, TX 77036-4683. For questions or more information, please contact Nanette Bledel in the Advancement Department at (713) 219-5420. All gifts are tax deductible.
Open Auditions Call for "Les Miserables"
The St. Agnes Academy music department invites all interested students to audition for this year's spring musical spectacular, "Les Miserables." You don't need to be a member of the choir to audition for this year's large cast. Auditions are scheduled as follows:
Tuesday, Nov. 18, 4-6 p.m. for female lead roles
Wednesday, Nov. 19, 4-6 p.m. for male lead roles and male chorus
Thursday, Nov. 20, 4-6 p.m. for female chorus
All students auditioning for leading roles must dress as the character for which they are auditioning.
All of the audition music is available outside. Music Director Jeremy Wood's office. Please come by his office soon to pick up a copy.
Please participate in SAA's Mothers' Club Bookfair
The Online Book Fair at Amazon.com is active! Recognizing the many demands on the St. Agnes Academy community's time to attend events, the Mothers' Club moved the annual Book Fair, supporting the Isabel Cameron Library, online. From the convenience of home or office, supporters can now donate books to the Academy's library with the click of a mouse. Many items have been purchased for the library already this school year. Click here to go to the St. Agnes Wish List at Amazon.com. Look over the list of books, CDs and DVDs, then choose what you would like our library to have With just a few clicks you're finished and Amazon ships directly to our library. It's that easy. Every donation further builds on the resources and strength of the Cameron Library. Thanks for participating!
Hear Ye, Hear Ye: Triple Trios News
The St. Agnes and Strake Jesuit Triple Trios will once again step back in time with their last appearance of the 2008 season when they perform Saturday, Nov. 22 and Sunday, Nov. 23 at the Texas Renaissance Festival in Plantersville. Come on out and support the trios at the RenFest and have a royal good time.
Toiletry items needed!
Please support the collection of travel-size toiletries for the Christmas ministry of Martha's Kitchen which supports Houston's homeless. Also needed, disposable razors, combs, travel toothpaste and toothbrushes. Please bring your extras between now and December to the drop-box at the Administrative Office front desk with Mrs. Cox.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR SOPHMORE RETREAT 2009!
We are in need of sophomore parents to help with our retreat to Galveston on Thursday, Jan. 15 and Friday, Jan. 16. The girls will be working in a variety of jobs to help rebuild the community, and we need parents who can supervise the girls' activities, as well as help feed and transport them. This is a great opportunity for moms and dads to spend time with their daughter and her friends! Interested volunteers please contact Laura Hannon at lhannon@comcast.net.
First Annual SAA Mother-Daughter Retreat scheduled for January
A brand new retreat is being offered this year for the St. Agnes community. It's a retreat for current students and their mom (or female guardian figure.) The goals of this retreat are:
- To have fun
- To spend some quality time with someone you love
- To get away from the busy-ness of life to focus on your relationship with your daughter
- To build community with other SAA daughters and moms
- To have quiet time to pray and reflect
- To have time for open and honest discussion
The retreat will take place at Circle Lake Retreat Center in Pinehurst, TX on the weekend of January 9 - 11, 2009. The retreat is limited to the first 30 moms and daughters (total of 60 people) who sign up. If you are interested, a deposit of $100 will secure your spot. Please e-mail our campus minister, Mr. Martin Nguyen (mnguyen@st-agnes.org), if you would like more information or if you would like to register for the retreat.
Senior/baby ad space for 2009 yearbook available
It is her last year of high school, show her how proud she has made you. Contact Ms. Thompson at 713-219-5506 or at kthompso@st-agnes.org to purchase an ad in the 2009 edition of the SAA yearbook, Veritas. Space is limited so be sure to contact us early, we are on a first-come basis. ALL ARTWORK AND MONEY DUE 12/1/08.
COUNSELORS' CORNER
Executive function and ninth graders
Last night, in our ninth-grade parent meeting we talked about the transition to high school and the many challenges ninth graders can experience. Social, physical, emotional and academics are only a few of the developmental changes adolescents may face at this time. The ability to manage these on-going issues is a natural part of the high school learning process. Paramount to this time of life is the development of each individual's "executive function." This is the psychological term that includes:
- Organizational and planning abilities
- Working memory
- Inhibition and impulse control
- Self-reflection and self-monitoring
- Time management and prioritizing
- Understanding complex or abstract concepts
- Using new strategies
(The Complete Guide To Asperger's Syndrome. Tony Attwood, Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2007.)
The executive function emerges as early as pre-school in most children. In the middle school years there is a real leap in the development of the executive function as the curriculum becomes more intense and self- directed. Despite this growth, the child's ability to navigate all of these competencies does not happen miraculously. Children continue to need guidance even in high school and most often in the 9th grade. For parents and guardians, this means continued guidance and assistance with the structure and planning of school work. For instance, if a student is continuing to lose things or is not following through, they probably need you (or someone) to sit with them and help figure out what might be causing them to struggle in these areas. It is important to stay connected without being overbearing; take time to talk with them about what's going in their world - socially, physically, emotionally and academically. These are life skills that will make a significant difference in how effectively they are able to manage their lives.
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