DROP OFF POINT FOR FOOD, DRINKS
Any food or drink donations for student or parent events need to be left at the Front Office or on the table outside the Office of Advancement, not at the Attendance Office inside the student entrance. Thank you!

Notebook Backup Utility
St. Agnes Academy recommends that students use Mozy for Unlimited on-line backup for their notebook. The students can download a free version that gives them 2GB of storage or unlimited backup space for $5 per month! Mozy will backup your daughters computer while on campus and at home. For more information click this link.

Donations needed for Service Day
Those students participating in the in-house service project for 2007 need your donations of small-sized "freebie" toiletries from motels, hotels and tours that will be packaged for distribution to various charities. There will be a collection box for your contributions available at the auditorium drop-off beginning Friday, September 14 and every Friday through October 19. May each of you be blessed for your donations.

Dear junior and senior parents:
On September 18 your daughter will be hearing a presentation by Fr. Roy Bourgeois.  Fr. Roy Bourgeois is the founder of the "School of the Americas Watch," a not-for-profit organization dedicated to informing the public about and shutting down the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation, formerly known as the School of the Americas, located at Fort Benning in Georgia.
Roy Bourgeois was born and raised in a small town in Louisiana.  He was a naval officer for four years and was awarded the Purple Heart after being wounded in combat during the Vietnam War.  He joined the Maryknoll Missionary Order shortly after being discharged from military service in 1968.  He was ordained in 1972 and worked for the poor in Bolivia for five years.  Because he spoke out against the injustices that he encountered, he was arrested and kicked out of Bolivia.
He became involved in El Salvador after four U.S. churchwomen were raped and killed by Salvadorian soldiers.  He was friends with two of the nuns who were killed.  These killings and more, including the murder of Archbishop Romero, were traced back to graduates of the School of the Americas at Ft. Benning.  Although its stated mission may be positive, the School of the Americas has been accused of promoting military tactics that include torture and other atrocities; human rights advocates and faith based peace and justice organizations such as Pax Christi have joined the effort to close the SOA/WHISC because of its long association with human rights abuses.
Some of its more infamous graduates are:
• El Salvador death squad leader Roberto D'Abuisson
• Panamanian dictator and drug dealer Manual Noriega
• Haitian coup leader Raoul Cedras
• 19 Salvadoran soldiers linked to the 1989 murder of six Jesuit priests, their housekeeper and her daughter
• Col. Julio Roberto Alpirez, Guatemalan officer linked in the deaths of an American innkeeper
• Hector Gramajo, former Guatemalan defense minister found liable in United States court for abduction, rape, and torture of Sister Dianna Ortiz, a United States citizen
• Argentinian Dictator Leopoldo Galtieri, leader of the "dirty little war" responsible for the deaths of 30 civilians
• Two of the three killers of Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador
• Ten of the 12 officers responsible for the murder of 900 civilians in the El Salvadoran village of El Mozote
• Three of the five officers involved in the 1980 rape and murder of four United States churchwomen in El Salvador
Fr. Bourgeois has worked tirelessly to get the School of the Americas closed because of the atrocities and human rights violations that have been carried out by its graduates.  His peaceful demonstrations have landed him in prison, yet he is undeterred.  His effort to close the institute has been supported by more than 145 U.S. American bishops, including our own Archbishop Emeritus Joseph Fiorenza, because it is in keeping with the Christian call to be peacemakers and to uphold the sanctity of human life. 
Congress has worked to reform the institute.  Just last June an amendment to cut funding for SOA was defeated by a narrow margin indicating that Congress recognizes some of the problems with SOA.  However, the U.S. military argues that the institute is vital to U.S. security and promoting peace and democracy throughout Latin America.  The military maintains that the institute cannot be held responsible for actions of some of its graduates.  The curriculum has been modified to address human rights concerns.
In our effort to expose our students to efforts for peace and justice and to people who are advocates for the poor and marginalized, we want to give our students the opportunity to hear him speak since he is in the Houston area for speaking engagements.  The issue of closing the institute is a controversial one and so only juniors and seniors who have studied Catholic social teaching, and who have a stronger background for understanding the complexity of this issue, will be hearing him speak.   Any parents who wish to attend are invited to come hear Fr. Roy speak at 9:00 on September 18, in the school’s auditorium.  To learn more about the School of the Americas Watch organization click here.

CHECK OUT THE MOTHERS' CLUB BOOK FAIR ONLINE AT AMAZON.COM
Give a gift to our SAA Isabel Cameron Library! Our online book fair has more than 100 books, CDs and DVDs from which to choose. This link takes you directly to our Library’s Wish List at Amazon.com. You can dedicate your gift in honor of your daughter, or a special teacher, or as a remembrance of her time here.  It takes just a few easy clicks; Amazon ships directly to our library.  Please consider this tangible gift to our Library.  Questions?  Contact Wendy Cain, Book Fair Chair, wkcain@comcast.net  (713-780-4761).

Booster Club Meeting and Sale Dates
SAA merchandise will be available for sale before school (7:30 a.m. to 8:15 a.m.) Wednesday at the concession stand. The first Booster Club meeting of the year also is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Wednesday in the school's choral room. Please join us!

St. Agnes & Title V
St. Agnes Academy is fortunate to participate in the federally funded Title V program.  This program provides the school with additional funds to purchase equipment and materials each year.  Traditionally these funds have been given to the library to purchase books and/or equipment.  The 2006/2007 funds were used to purchase additional digital cameras, camcorders, camera cases, memory cards and batteries (for the cameras) and desktop speakers for classrooms.  Though these materials are primarily housed in the library, they are available for classroom use by all faculty and students. We welcome suggestions from faculty, students, and parents on any materials you would like to see the library purchase with future funds.  Contact: Herman Sutter, Library Director, at hsutter@st-agnes.org.

Teacher welcomes team members for Tour de Pink
Theology teacher Julie Donati will be leading a SAA team for the third annual Tour de Pink Sunday - the only Texas bike ride solely benefiting breast cancer - at Prairie View A&M University. If you would like to join, the Web site is: www.tourdepink.org.  There are a variety of distances and the event can serve as service points. Please contact Julie Donati at jdonati@st-agnes.org.

Reminder to Seniors: As you pick out your Senior pictures, don't forget to look into sorority packages for 2008 recruitment!

SPRING BREAK IN SOUTHERN SPAIN  - HOLY WEEK 
Mrs. Clark and Mrs. Wische will be the chaperones for a spring-break trip to Madrid, Toledo, Seville, Granada, Cordoba, Malaga, Ronda and Gibraltar. We will visit museums, castles, cathedrals, synagogues, mosques, and beaches. We will even watch an authentic flamenco show. The all inclusive price is $2,770. We will leave on March 14 and return on March 24. We have arranged to have private guides at all points of interest and a private bus at our disposal at all times. This trip is open only to St. Agnes students who are taking Spanish now or who have taken Spanish during their matriculation at SAA. For a day-to-day itinerary, please ask your daughter to see Mrs. Wische or please call her at extension 5535. A sign up fee of $95 will hold the cost to $2,770. The fee will increase on Sept. 11. Don’t miss the opportunity to give your daughter memories to last a lifetime.     

To The Parents of the Class of 2008

We began meeting with the seniors on Tuesday, September 4.  They are encouraged to stop by their counselor’s office and sign up for an individual appointment.  This is an exciting time for our students and it is apparent that many of them have done their research and are ready to go with the process.  We ask that you aid us in making this application season a good one for your daughters.  Here are just a few tips.

1) If your daughter has an early deadline of November 1 or 15, we would like to see her in the next couple of weeks. Gently ask her if she has made an appointment.

2) Review your daughter’s choices with her. Nothing is more disappointing for all if we, the counselors, have to tell her that a school is beyond her reach. Good research will prevent these kinds of conversations. Most schools list their requirements on their websites.

3) Review essays for your daughters. Please be available as another set of eyes to look for grammatical and technical errors.

4) Encourage your daughter to apply on-line. Colleges prefer to receive applications electronically and the chances of something being lost in the process are minimal.

We look forward to working with you and your daughters.  We hope that you have marked next Tuesday, September 11 in your calendar for Senior Parent Information Night. The meeting starts at 7 p.m. in the Strake Family Cafeteria at St. Agnes Academy. We hope that you are able to come for this informative meeting!

SAA Mothers’ Club Tiger Tracks...A SPECIAL Thank You to..

•Marla Wolters and her team for the delicious refreshments at Follow Your Daughter’s Schedule Night this past Wednesday.
 
•Donna Grehn and her chaperones for providing a safe environment at the Orientation Dance this coming Saturday.

•Colleen Akers and Cathryn Penn and their large circle of volunteers for making Big Sister/Little Sister Week such a special time for the girls. 

A Look Forward...

•Wendy Cain is getting the word out about the on-going Book Fair. Please be sure to go to the Book Fair link on the St. Agnes homepage.

•Carol Lester (carlester@comcast.net)  and her Service Day team are busy organizing All-School Service Day, which will be held Wednesday, October 24.  Mark your calendars.  We need many, many volunteers (drivers) for this special event.  Be sure to register to work this event on-line..more info to follow

Next SAA Mothers’ Club Meeting will be held Wednesday, October 3 at 11:30 a.m.  Please mark your calendar and join us!

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