Principal's Corner

Hello Parents,

Field trip season is upon us!  It’s the time of year where it seems like every class is going on a field trip or in the planning stages of one.  I thought it would be good to pass along a few reminders.

I first want to thank each of you who volunteers to go on the field trips with our children.  We would not be able to have field trips if we didn’t have your support in driving to and from the experiences.  We also appreciate you helping with supervision on the field trip.  The extra eyes definitely help to make sure our students are being respectful and polite.  We want to be sure to show others how AWESOME Magdalen Catholic School families can be!

When volunteering to drive for the field trip, we ask that you drive your own car instead of riding with another individual.  Many times, when parents have already made their own arrangements with who they are riding with, it causes confusion and chaos for the teachers putting together the field trip.  As long as we have enough drivers to transport the class, you are welcome to choose to drive only your child.  We will not accommodate requests for certain students to ride with other students as this causes too many hurt feelings.

According to page 14 of our handbook, here are some additional guidelines for field trip drivers:

• Drivers must be properly insured.
• There must be one seat belt per child.
• For the safety of our students, drivers may not use a cell phone while driving students and/or employees.  If a cell phone needs to be used, the driver must pull over and stop or let another adult in the car use the phone.
• Each vehicle proceeds directly to the site of the field trip and returns directly to school with no side trips or stops at fast food restaurants, etc.  Similarly, please do not patron concession stands or gift shops while on the field trip.
• In grades K-8, siblings are not allowed to go on class field trips.  In pre-school and pre-K, siblings are allowed to go on class field trips.  We want to ensure the safest experience for the students.  

Thank you again for your support of field trips and helping to make it an educational experience for all!

God Bless,

Mrs. Patterson

04 April 2025

Dear Parents,
THIS IS IT /// April we will be diving into the last Friendzy unit! This year students learned how to create and maintain healthy friendships through Friendzy. And we know friendships take work - this last month we are teaching students what it means when we say the phrase
I AM FOR YOU and how to live it out in order to be a supportive friend.

Catchphrase (main point for students to catch on to):
I Am For You
Key Verses (Biblical anchor points):
Hebrews 10:24 (NLT)
“Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.” Galatians 6:2
“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”

Here are ways to Continue the Conversation by talking through the key points of this unit:

1. I am for you. Jesus asks us to help carry each other’s burdens. We are not meant to do life alone, but help each other out when life is hard. Part of being a good friend and a Christ follower means we carry each other’s burdens;we help each other when things are hard. It can also mean that we walk through the hard times by their side. We stay in the friendship and do our best to help and support them.
2. Seek to understand how others are feeling. When you understand other people’s stories, it will become clear how you can help. Ask questions and listen when they talk.
3. Practice empathy. Empathy is the ability to understand how someone else is feeling. To practice empathy you have to put yourself in the person’s shoes. How might they be feeling? What might they be thinking? Practicing empathy helps us connect to others.
4. Take action. Compassion is empathy in action. Encourage them with your words. Pray for them.  Ask how you can help. Offer them what you can.

GET BY WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS /// We live in a culture of independence, blaze your own trail, and get it done by your own strength. Yet God designed us to need each other. We are to help carry each other's burdens - this means we help others and we ask others for help when we need it. Share with your student a time you asked for help or should have asked for help but did not.

THANK YOU /// Thank you for traveling along on this journey with us! We trust that God has revealed His love and truth to your child and your family along the way. Having you partner with us and Friendzy has been a blessing! It is a joy to teach your students the importance
of friendship. When kids learn friendship, they learn it for life!

Blessings,
Mrs. Patterson

28 March 2025

Hello Parents!

The 4th nine weeks of the school year are peeking at us around the corner.  It’s hard to believe we are ¾ of the way through the 2024-2025 school year!  The 4th quarter of the school year tends to be one of the busiest times of year for us.  We look forward to welcoming the school children back on March 24th for a great rest of the school year. 

When we return, State Assessment season will be in full swing! We ask for your support from home for best practices to help children be ready to go on the day(s) of the exams. To assist you with this, we will be diligent about posting the dates for the next week's tests in the Weekly.  For example, after break, 5th graders will take their Science tests. What do we mean by best practices?

• Early or on time bedtimes 
• Nutritious breakfast 
• Please try to avoid appointments which will cause a child to miss a test 
• Offer positive commentary only - please do not add to test anxiety with discussion of summer school or threat of retention 
• No "cramming" at home needed! The teachers will have him/her ready to go. 
• Communicate with the teacher if it's been a rough night or start to the day 
• If your child is sick, keep him/her home! We will work with your child when he/she feels better and has returned to school. 
• Lastly, keep testing in perspective - it's one data point for your child, who has many, many gifts and strengths!

Thanks in advance for your support!

Since we will not have a Mustang Weekly on March 14th or 21st, here are the 1st round of tests for after Spring Break.

• April 1st; 5th Grade State Science Assessment
• April 2nd  5th Grade State Science Assessment

Enjoy your spring break!
Mrs. Patterson

07 March 2025

Dear Parents,
THIS MONTH /// As the end of the school year approaches, unit seven teaches the students
how to Stop The Gossip. We will discuss and dive into God’s Word to discover how
destructive gossip and rumors can be in friendships.
Catchphrase (main point for students to catch on to): Stop The Gossip
Key Verses (Biblical anchor points):
Proverbs 26:20 “Without wood a fire goes out; without gossip quarrel dies down.”
Proverbs 21:23 “Watch your tongue and keep your mouth shut, and you will stay out of trouble.”

Continue the Conversation by discussing these key points with your student:
1. Stop the gossip, it’s hurtful. Gossip hurts like fire burns. In the Bible gossip is
compared to a fire. It tells us that our quarreling will continue as long as we keep
adding wood to the fire. As long as we keep gossiping and fighting, disagreement
and hurt will continue.
2. Practice T.H.I.N.K.-ing before speaking. Practice self-awareness by asking yourself
the questions associated with the acrostic T.H.I.N.K. Doing so will help to stop the
gossip before it starts.
3. Be bold and ask a question. When we practice courage in asking others the
question “Why are you telling me this?” it communicates that you are not
interested in engaging in gossip. Be bold and lead your friends in the direction of
building connections that will last - one built on trust instead of gossip.
4. Build trust. Our actions make a difference. Think of what our school, our
playgrounds, our classroom would be like if instead of building weak connections
around gossip, we built strong connections around trust. In choosing to share your
own story, instead of the stories of others, you are building strong connections in
your friendships that will last for years to come.

TALK ABOUT THIS /// This month your student will learn the T.H.I.N.K. acronym. It’s a
helpful way to remind us to think before we speak. Have your student review the T.H.I.N.K
questions with you: Is it True? Is it Helpful? Is it Inspiring? Is it Necessary? Is it Kind? Talk
about how you can use T.H.I.N.K. in your own life. Practice using these questions at home
together. Using these same questions at school and at home will help students stop the
gossip before it starts.
When kids learn friendship, they learn it for life!
Blessings,

Mrs. Patterson

28 February 2025

Hello Parents,

I hope you all survived your snow days this week.  And the cold temperatures too! It’s hard to believe that next week we are looking at temperatures in the 50’s and 60’s!  You’ve got to love living in Kansas!

Several people have asked, with all the snow days we’ve had this year, are we going to have to make up time to hit our requirements for the state.  The good news is we have enough hours built into our calendar that we currently do not have to make up any additional time.  Should we have to take another unscheduled day off, then we will need to look at making up the missed hours.  Pray we are done with the winter weather (both for our calendar and our sanity!)

It's hard to believe that conferences are right around the corner.  In next week’s Mustang Weekly, we will have the signup genius links that will allow you to sign up for a conference for your child(ren).  Just a reminder, as in past years, we will not be accommodating conference requests outside of the scheduled conference times on March 13th.  This is a valuable time for you to meet with their teachers to review the academic progress and set them up to have a successful 4th quarter!  

I look forward to seeing many of you at the Gala on Saturday!  Our Gala chairs have a wonderful evening scheduled and it should be a good time!

God Bless,

Mrs. Patterson

21 February 2025

Hello Parents,

It’s hard to believe that we are halfway through the month of February!  Where has the time gone?  

A week from tomorrow, we will be having our Gala at the Wichita Marriott.  A group of moms, led by Adriana Gray, Monica Ingalls and Megan Metcalf have been hard at work putting together this spectacular event.  The evening will have dining, dancing, live entertainment and auction items you won’t want to miss out on.  New this year: live painting!  Artist Mike Debus, a performance painter, will be doing a live painting that will be auctioned off that evening.  You won’t want to miss out on this!  Tickets are still available so now is the time to get yours purchased!

This is our only fundraiser for the year and we appreciate all of the support so many of our parents have provided to make this event successful through donations and purchasing items through the silent and live auctions.  The money raised from this event will go towards the purchase of improvements around the school.  If you need a refresher on what the funds will be going towards, here is a recap!  For increased safety and security we will be fencing in the playground to help keep the kids and recess equipment in while keeping individuals out.  We will also be doing some work on the playground itself by replacing perimeter materials that have been worn or rotted away.  

We will also be using funds to upgrade some technology pieces in the building.  The computer lab will get a refresh of new tables, mice, mouse pads and headphones.  As time goes on, our chrome books are showing their wear and tear so we are slowly replacing those and will buy a new class set for next year.    We also have some technology pieces in the classroom such as document cameras and interactive boards that need to be updated.

Finally, we will re-landscaping the front of the school.  The school plaza will get a new look to complement the new classrooms and front walkway that was used during the capital campaign.  

On this St. Valentine’s Day, I leave you with a prayer about love because you can never have too much love in your life!

O Saint Valentine, lover of Christ and of the Church, we ask your intercession that we may learn how to love God above all things and to selflessly love one another.  O glorious Saint Valentine, pray for us, that we too may have the steadfast faith of the martyrs.  Amen.

God Bless,

Mrs. Patterson

14 February 2025

Dear Parents, 

DID YOU KNOW? /// We only have three units left until we wrap-up Friendzy for the school year?! With that in mind, we are going to put everything we have into making these last couple months great! 

During this unit, students will discover that beauty is found in the different ways God has made each and every one of us. By the end of this unit students will see how He made all of us unique for a reason and that our differences make us stronger!

Catchphrase (main point for students to catch on to):  I Get to Be Me, You Get to Be You

Key Verses (Biblical anchor points):

1 Corinthians 12:18-19 

“But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. How strange a body would be if it had only one part!”

1 Corinthians 12:26

“If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.”

Encourage your students to recognize their strengths this month. Once we come to a place where we know who we are in Christ, and what strengths we carry, then we can celebrate the strengths and gifts of others. This is how we can live out the Catchphrase: I Get to Be Me, You Get to Be You! Here are some ways you can Continue the Conversation at home this month: 

1. We are designed to be different. Our differences make us a stronger classroom. What one person is good at, another is not. We need each other and are better together.
2. Celebrate your strengths. There is no one else in the world just like you. You are the only person able to fulfill the potential of your life. Stop and consider your strengths, what you are good at. You get to be you!
3. Celebrate your friends’ strengths. Stop and consider what your friends are good at. Thank God for them. 
4. Stop comparing and competing. Comparison destroys friendships and teams. When we compare and compete with each other, everyone loses. 

Your students are learning relationship skills that will benefit them for a lifetime!!

Blessings,

Mrs. Patterson

07 February 2025

Hello Parents!

What a week! We properly celebrated Catholic Schools Week with a whole lot of fun, mixed in with a little crazy, a whopping dollop of faith, and kept up with many traditions along the way. In the mix of it all, we remain profoundly grateful for our Magdalen school community and all the joy each of your children bring to us each day.  

Congratulations to Joan Ernstmann, awarded the Mary, the First Disciple Extraordinary Educator award!  The award is the highest honor that the diocese awards to a teacher and is given to a teacher who exemplifies the “very best” of our Catholic schools.  We are so blessed to have Mrs. Ernstmann as part of our Magdalen family.  There are pictures and video posted on Facebook and Instagram of the award presentation!

Please pray for each of our adult educators at Magdalen Catholic School - teachers, aides, cafeteria, school and church office, nurse, maintenance, priests - it is a total team effort here, and if I may so, I think we are blessed with the best! I know they would appreciate your prayers. 

Lord God, your spirit of wisdom fills the earth and teaches us your ways. Look upon these teachers. Let them strive to share their knowledge with gentle patience and endeavor always to bring the truth to eager minds. Grant that they may follow Jesus Christ, the way, the truth, and the life, forever and ever. We will feel your prayers!

St. Joseph, Pray for Us! 

St. Mary Magdalen, Pray for Us!

Yesterday was the start of our online auction leading up to the Gala.  This is the one time each year we raise funds for many projects at Magdalen from security to technology to playground enhancements.  If you haven’t checked out the online auction yet, I would encourage you to do so.  There have been several new class party auction items added this year!  The auction will end on Sunday at 9PM.  

Have a wonderful weekend!

God Bless,

Mrs. Patterson

31 January 2025

Hello Parents!

Each year starting on Epiphany and going through the Feast Day of St. Katharine Drexel (March 3rd), all students in the Catholic Diocese of Wichita learn about St. Katharine Drexel and the life that she lived as part of the Walk in Sisters Shoes campaign.

St. Katharine Drexel was the 2nd American born saint to be canonized by the Catholic Church following St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. She was born into wealth, but through the example of her parents she became a brilliant educator and advocate of those less fortunate through spiritual and corporal works of mercy. During a private audience with Pope Leo XIII, he suggested to her that she become a missionary. From the age of 33 until her death, she dedicated her life and fortune. At the time of her death, she had established 50 missions in 16 states for Native Americans. 

The St. Katharine Drexel Catholic School fund provides financial support to those parishes that struggle financially to carry out the mission of Catholic education in a parish school. During the Walk in Sisters Shoes campaign, our Magdalen community has the opportunity to donate funds that go directly to support the Catholic schools in our Diocese. Our students participate in a monthly jeans day where for $.50 they can wear jeans and a spirit wear shirt. The money collected during the months of January, February, and March go to support this fund as well as the money we collect during Catholic Schools Week.

As a stewardship diocese, it takes all of us to sacrifice in order for our Catholic schools to thrive and be successful. If you feel called to donate to the St. Katharine Drexel Catholic School fund I would encourage you to do so during the Walk in Sisters Shoes Campaign. Here is a link to more information: https://give.catholicdioceseofwichita.org/drexel

God Bless,

Mrs. Patterson

24 January 2025

Hello Parents, 

In two weeks we will be BIG celebrations here at Magdalen Catholic School! In order for focus on all that is happening, my principal’s corner this week will be dedicated to these events so next week’s corner will be more in depth on other events happening!

On the horizon, we have Gala Week, Catholic Schools Week, and our 2nd graders receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation! All of these are tied directly in some form or another to our mission here at the school. 

Most importantly, the Sacrament of Reconciliation, where our students receive God’s forgiving grace.  Will you pray for our 2nd Grade students ahead of their sacrament on February 2nd? 

“Oh my God, without You I can do nothing. You have told me, “Ask and you shall receive.” In full confidence in Your promise, therefore, I beg You to accept the confession I am about to make and grant me true contrition for my many offenses. Saviour of the world who gave Yourself to the death of the cross to save sinners, look with mercy on me, a sinner. Regard not my wickedness in such a manner to forget Your pardon. For my offenses I deserve condemnation, but presuming upon the ransom of Your blood, I ask forgiveness. Heal my wounds, Lord Jesus. Send the light of Your truth into my soul so that I may worthily confess my shortcomings. Give me a contrite heart and true sorrow for my offenses. Although I am unworthy of Your love, because of it I come to You for forgiveness. Have mercy on me, O Lord, have mercy! Amen.”

Catholic Schools Week (Jan 26 – Feb 1) celebrates our mission, including the various ways we prepare children for Sacraments as well as the daily faith formations that are present through our classrooms and Church. We are so proud of our mission to accompany families, grow disciples and inspire life long learning.  We are helping each child to have a personal relationship with God. Intentionally, we infuse faith into multiple subjects, pray with one another daily, attend Mass, have opportunities for Adoration and Confession, to name only a handful of ways we further mission together. Will you pray for our Catholic school ahead of Catholic Schools Week and for our partnership together to further our mission and form our children? 

“O God, we ask You to help our schools do their work in Your name. Bound by charity to one another may we be penetrated by an apostolic spirit, which reaches out to all the faculty, staff, and administrators in our schools, joined in this ministry of Catholic education. We ask You to help them give witness to Christ, the unique teacher, by their lives as well as by their teachings. May all the students and families of our schools follow Your example and be generous, pure, respectful, and sincere and find You the prophet of truth and love, the companion and friend of all, present and active in their lives. Amen.”

How does Gala Week (Jan 30th-Feb 2nd) tie into these celebrations! One, first and foremost, Gala Week is a celebration of community! A time to come together and support one another. Whether through Gala Week with the online auction and various activities or a short time away during our evening of social with one another. Gala Week and our MCS Masquerade, however, serves another important role of extraordinary fundraising for specific projects to support our school and mission. From facility and academic improvements, the money raised during our online auction and evening of Masquerade, will assist us to have cutting edge facilities, improved security, upgraded technology and curriculum for years to come. Will you please pray for our community to celebrate and support one another? 

“Good and gracious God, we recognize all life is a gift and a blessing. We thank you for your most generous love. Encourage us to be persons of honesty and integrity, worthy of proclaiming the Gospel, in this sacred ministry of fundraising. Help us to always reverence the sacred space where our donors and our missions meet. Give us openness to listen to the needs of our donors. Give us joyful spirits, and an eagerness to engage others. Give us hopeful imagination and creative vision, recognizing generosity in even the smallest gift. Give us strong, steadfast hearts in times of discouragement. Give us trusting hearts, knowing that the fruits of labors will be realized long after we are gone. Give us faithful hearts, deeply committed to Your realm. Let us feel Your Presence so that we know we are never truly alone. Remind us always that what we do for the least of our sisters and brothers, we do for you. We ask this in Jesus’ name and in unity of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”

God Bless,

Mrs. Patterson

17 January 2025

Hello Parents,

This week we are starting our 5^th Friendzy Unit.  If you remember, Friendzy is our faith based character education program we adopted last year.  Each month there is a “catch phrase” and key Bible verses used to anchor our students positively in the classroom, hallways, lunchroom and home as well!  It amazes me when I’m walking in the halls or in a classroom and I hear a student use their catch phrase in conversation. 

This month our catch phrase is I Am Brave.  This unit is so important in teaching students to be BRAVE, stand firm in what is RIGHT, and make WISE DECISIONS.  Along with our key verses:  

• "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous.  Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9
• "Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong." 1 Corinthians 16:13

I would encourage you to continue the conversation at home.  Here are the main points of the unit:

1. Bravery is a choice. When we are afraid, when we fear, we have a choice. People either let the fear of failure stop them from pushing through OR they choose to be brave. Bravery doesn’t mean that you aren’t still a bit scared; it just means you choose to keep going. Even small acts of bravery develop our character and strengthen us to be who God calls us to be.
2. Bravery has a domino effect. Standing firm in what is right is vitally important and requires us to be brave. When we choose to be brave it strengthens us and those around us.
3. Don’t make decisions out of fear. By focusing on our fear, we give it power to keep us from standing firm. Fear of failure can keep us from doing the right thing.
4. Courage helps us overcome big and small challenges. Being brave isn’t always easy. Failure is a fear for all of us. But the ability to pick ourselves up and try again shows true courage and develops the habit of never giving up.

When kids learn friendship, they learn it for life!

Blessings,

Mrs. Patterson

10 January 2025

Happy 3rd Sunday of Advent! 

Anyone else in disbelief that 1st semester ends next Friday with a Noon dismissal? What a fast...very, very fast...first half of the year. Together, as the Magdalen family, we've prayed, worshipped, celebrated, problem solved, collaborated, united, and learned together! I'd say that's pretty impressive for a semester together. I hope everyone experiences a blessed remainder of Advent, a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year! We hope you enjoy your family time and break from the routine of school. 2nd semester begins on Tuesday, January 7th. 

IMPORTANT: If you have not already completed your stewardship packet, please fill out it out. It’s all online! This is mandatory paperwork to be considered for sponsorship by the Parish at either Magdalen Catholic School or Kapaun Mt. Carmel. Families will not receive their Pre-Registration paperwork until completed. Thank you! 

During the holidays and school break, there will be many opportunities to pray together as a family at mealtimes~ breakfast, lunch and dinner! Looking for some ways to expand on your mealtime prayers? Consider the following suggestions: Start with Silence: Try 15 - 30 seconds of quiet time before saying your prayer together Bless Your Family: Beside blessing the food, you can also ask for God's blessing on your family and your conversation. Pray after the meal: You can either pray before everyone is excused or, if you want to keep it simple, encourage your children to say a quiet prayer and do the sign of the cross. Offer a menu of prayers: Use Table Triangles as aids to learning new mealtime prayers Let the kids lead: Mealtime prayer is an excellent time to teach children how to lead prayer! 

God Bless your family during this holiday season! 

Mrs. Patterson

13 December 2024

Hello Parents, 

There is a certain energy in the air that comes with the start of December and Advent as everyone gears up for Christmas and a nice, long break! We love hearing the stories of moving Elves/roaming Shepherds each morning (you all are creative!), Santa wish lists, and excitement over seeing relatives for the holidays. The next two weeks may be long for everyone involved, but we are super close to Christmas and break, and we are still keeping our hearts on Advent as best as possible. Here are some more ideas for how to keep our focus on Advent: 

I challenge you to find JOY throughout our days.  So even when we are getting anxious for a break and Christmas Day, we can look around throughout each day and intentionally identify ways we see JOY and help our hearts grow a little more as we await the Birth of Christ! Make a list and share at the dinner table with one another how each person found JOY in his/her day! We continue to encourage our families to engage in our Advent Challenge in a variety of ways available to you.  Listen to something on the Hallow App such as Mary’s Little Lamb or ‘Twas the Night; read a chapter of Luke out of the Bible each night; attend the Parish penance service on Sunday, December 15th at 2PM

A prayer for Advent: 

Lord God, we adore you because you have come to us in the past. You have spoken to us in the Law of Israel. You have challenged us in the words of the prophets. You have shown us in Jesus what you are really like. Lord God, we adore you because you still come to us now. You come to us through other people and their love and concern for us. You come to us through men and women who need our help. You come to us as we worship you with your people. Lord God, we adore you because you will come to us at the end. You will be with us at the hour of death. You will still reign supreme when all human institutions fail. You will still be God when our history has run its course. We welcome you, the God who comes. Come to us now in the power of Jesus Christ our Lord. 

God Bless,

Mrs. Patterson

06 December 2024

Hello Parents, 

We will not be having a Mustang Weekly next week due to our Thanksgiving Break the following week so I am putting lots of information in this principal’s corner that might seem premature in writing.  Our next Mustang Weekly will be on Friday, November 29th.  

Every other year, all the teachers of the Diocese participate in the Regan Institute during the Monday and Tuesday before Thanksgiving.  Teachers get the opportunity to attend up to 4 breakout sessions on a variety of topics related to Catholicism, as well as Mass with Bishop Kemme and Fr. Gale Hammerschmidt, Adoration, Confession, and Jon Leonetti (keynote speaker).  Magdalen will be hosting this event for the second time.  Will you please pray for our Diocesan teachers as they attend these two days?  For an openness to learning more about our beautiful and rich faith, to enjoy one another’s company and for a desire to share this energy back with the students in mission.

Advent is almost upon us! It is so easy to lose this beautiful liturgical season amid Christmas preparations and busyness, but we extend a challenge to our families to celebrate Advent! We will be intentionally engaging in Advent here at school even though the world seems to miss this important preparation piece for the Christmas season. Fr. Jirak will once again be introducing an Advent Challenge for families to participate in throughout the Advent Season, what a wonderful way to spend the Advent season together as a family.  Look for the challenge sheets to come home next week with your students.  Today, we share an Advent activity to enhance your focus as a family. Enjoy! 

http://www.catholicfamilyfaith.org/for-families.html 

The same day we start Advent, is the same day our Parish Mission begins!  This year Casting Nets will be leading our Mission.  On December 1st, 2nd and 3rd there will be a different talk each night.  I would encourage all families to make this a priority to attend.  There will be babysitting being offered so be on the lookout for information to sign your kids up.  

God Bless,

Mrs. Patterson

15 November 2024

Hello Magdalen Families,

It’s hard to believe that I am writing about registration for the 2025-2026 school year in November.   Our application for Early Childhood enrollment goes live on our website on December 2ND .  This is your chance to apply for your child to be in preschool, prek, or Kindergarten.  In order to be eligible for preschool, your child must be 3 and fully potty trained by August 31, 2025.  To be eligible for pre-k, your child must be 4 by August 31, 2025.  Kindergartners must be 5 by August 31, 2025.

With the support of the Pastoral team and School Council, last year we made the decision, when looking at preschool and preK applications, to follow the same guidelines as we do for our new students in Kindergarten through 8th grade.  This means that based on our order of admittance policy, we will first look at children with siblings in K-8 already attending Magdalen with a history of active stewardship and Mass attendance.  Next, we will prioritize Magdalen children who do not have siblings in K-8 already attending Magdalen, with a history of active Stewardship and Mass attendance.  Third priority will be Catholics from another parish with no school, with siblings in K-8 already attending Magdalen with a history of active stewardship and Mass attendance.  Finally, we will admit Catholics from another parish with no school, with no children in K-8 already attending Magdalen with a history of active stewardship and Mass attendance.

This year, we offered 2 preschool class options.  One class met on Mondays and Wednesdays from 7:30-10:45 and the other class met on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the same time.  We are able to take 13 students in each of these classes.  Our preK options this past year were a class of all day preK who came to class Monday through Friday from 7:30-3:20 and followed the same schedule as our Kindergarten through 8th grade students.  We are able to have 20 students in this class.  Our 2nd option for preK was half days which met Monday through Friday from 12:10-3:15 and had 20 students in the class.  We anticipate offering the same classes next year as we are offering this year.

As we begin to notify families in late January of acceptance into our early childhood classes, we will invariably have some students who will not make it into one of our classes due to the class being full.  While we would love to take everyone that applies, we just don’t have the space to take more than our current limits.  Please do not get discouraged!  While our preK program can only take a max of 40 students, our Kindergarten can take up to 56 students.  If you don’t make it into our preK program, please apply again for Kindergarten.  We do not want to lose our Magdalen families!

God Bless,

Mrs. Patterson

08 November 2024

Hello Parents,

Today, we celebrate All Saints Day. We encourage families to attend Mass together at Magdalen, as well as enjoy family time together. We have several Mass options at Magdalen for you to attend! By the time you get this our noon Mass will be starting and we will have a 7PM Mass tonight!  How amazing would it be for every one of our school children to attend with their family at our parish? 

Wanting to learn more about this Holy Day? There is great information here at this link for you to read and discuss as a family: 

https://www.nationalshrine.org/blog/what-is-the-significance-of-all-saints-day/

Feeling very creative and maybe want to do an activity together on the day off of school? Check out this blog! https://www.elizabethclareblog.com/16-ways-to-celebrate-all-saints-day/ 

Have some time on November 4th and would love to visit our 5th grade Saint Museum? We'd love to see you! Our Saint Museum will be that morning from 9-11 in the Parish Hall. The 5th graders have worked very hard to present a fabulous event for all who can attend! It is a come and go museum, so feel free to swing by even if you have a little bit of time. 

St Mary Magdalen, Pray for Us! 

Have a wonderful weekend!
Mrs. Patterson

01 November 2024

Hello Magdalen Parents,

It’s about this time of year where we need to send out a few reminders in regards to the safety of our students, staff and parents on campus, especially in the parking lots.  One of the most important reminders that I can send along is to practice patience and kindness during pickup and drop off.  It takes many volunteers and staff members to move 400 plus kids in a timely fashion (it usually takes us under 20 minutes to accomplish this task!).  Each person helping to get students to the building, or to their cars are doing it with one thing in mind: safety of all, especially the children.  Please follow the directions of these staff and volunteers who are trying to accomplish this task.  They are working hard for all of our students and having individuals get upset or frustrated with them doesn’t help.

Speed is a big factor that needs to be addressed.  Just in the past 24 hours, I have heard from multiple individuals and their concerns at how fast drivers are driving on campus.  This includes both the school side of campus as well as the parish side.  We have many parishioners (and priests!) who are walking in the parking lots between the church and school, their cars, and the rectory.  Please slow down!  Taking a few extra seconds to go slower is well worth the safety of individuals who are on foot on campus.  While this may seem like it’s only happening at pick up, I’ve actually heard about the morning being just as crazy!

We ask that you stay off your cell phone while driving on campus.  The distraction of your phone is just not worth the risk of the accidents it may cause.  By being distracted by your phone, you can’t pay attention to the directions of the individuals.  You also can’t see if an individual darts out in front of your car.  

In the morning, when you are dropping off, whether you are in the lane closest to the building or the one on the east side of the drop off lane, please stay in your lane.  The lane closest to the building stays along the curb, past the Parish Hall and Church and exits onto 21st.  The lane on the east side, stays on the east side and exits onto 127th St.  There is no switching of lanes.  If you know you need to exit to a certain street, then please be sure to enter the campus in the direction that will get you to your exit.

A couple of reminders from the zones during pick up.  Zone 4 (south of the Parish Hall) and Zone 3 locks down at 3:15 and stays locked down until 3:30. If you arrive after 3:15, then you will need to proceed to Zone 2.  Parking in the parking lot between the Church and Rectory is not allowed.  Once again, it is for the safety of our campus.  Please pull into Zone 2.  The Zone 2 staff members will be sure to get your kids over to this zone from Zone 3 or 4.    

Thank you to everyone for taking these reminders into consideration and please share them with any individuals who may be responsible for dropping or picking up of your students.  We love our students so much and want to see nothing but the best for them in all aspects of their school day!

God Bless,

Mrs. Patterson

25 October 2024

Hello Parents,

The pumpkins are here!  The pumpkins are here!  The excitement from the students as they see the pumpkins for the 1st time is one to witness.  They talk about their favorites and which character is what.  They strategize with their friends on how much they think each pumpkin will weigh.  It is definitely a sight to behold.  I’ve included pictures of this year's pumpkin family!

For those of you new to our school, each October we have an event called The Great Pumpkin.  A group of students with help from some of our very talented teachers paint the pumpkins to look like characters from our theme.  Each year the students try to guess and figure out each of the pumpkin characters and the theme for the year.  

The students are trying to figure out the weight of all of the pumpkins added together.  Accessories such as hats, hands, eyes, etc don’t count in the total weight.  Each student gets a free guess and then they may purchase more guesses from their teacher for a suggested donation of $.25 or 5 guesses for $1.00.   The student or students who guess the correct weight win a cash prize!

 All of the guesses are entered into our drawing for prizes!  Thanks to your generous contributions, we have a variety of prizes to give away at our Great Pumpkin Assembly on October 31st at 1:30PM in the Parish Hall.  If you are available, please join us!  All of the money we raise during The Great Pumpkin goes to fund our Catholic Schools Week and other PTO activities.

Gallery

18 October 2024

Hello Parents,

I pray you are enjoying your extra long weekend with your child(ren).  These weekends are always a great time to relax and rejuvenate the mind and body.  Perhaps your family was able to get away and spend some quality time together.

We had a busy week on campus for being such a short week!  It was so great to see you on Thursday at conferences.  The partnership we have is so important to the success of each of our students.  Sometimes there are tough conversations that have to take place but I know that all of us are having those conversations out of love for each child.

Our Middle School students attended a presentation at Kapaun on Tuesday called, “Think Before You Post.”  Chet Kuplen, founder of “Think Before You Post” and Sports in Kansas had a message of how your digital footprint will follow you wherever you go.  He was able to get his point across through the stories he told.  One of the stories he told was the story of Josh Allen and how he battled through adversity in junior college and at the University of Wyoming.  He was projected to be the number one draft pick in the 2018 draft.  Prior to being drafted, it was discovered that when he was 13 years old, he posted racial comments on his social media account.  The decision he made in junior high cost him 13 million dollars on draft day because he ended up being picked 7th overall instead of 1st.  

I hope our students were able to take away from this presentation that what they are doing now in the digital world WILL affect their future.  I encourage parents to have a follow up conversation at home with your child.  It’s never too early to talk about the pros and cons of using technology whether it be a laptop, ipad, or cellphone.

God Bless,

Mrs. Patterson

11 October 2024

Hello Parents,

Earlier this week, while having dinner with some friends, the subject of end of the year giving came up.  We were discussing the many wonderful organizations out there that could be potential recipients of an end of the year financial gift including Support for Catholic Schools.  

Support for Catholic Schools was created because of a law passed in 2014 that established a Low-Income Student Scholarship program.  This program creates $10 Million dollars in tax credits available to individuals who donate money to one of the qualifying institutions.  Support for Catholic Schools is the scholarship granting organization that the Catholic Diocese created to be eligible for the credit.  All 38 schools in the Catholic Diocese have benefitted from this tax credit program, including Magdalen!

How does the credit work?  For every dollar donated to Support for Catholic Schools, you get a 75% tax credit.  This information didn’t make much sense to me until it was explained that it was like a coupon.  If you give $1000 to SCS, then you will get a coupon for $750 to use when paying your taxes.  This is a great way to make a charitable contribution while receiving the benefit for yourself by reducing your tax bill to the state!  

If you are interested in learning more about this program, I highly recommend you check out their website, https://supportforcatholicschools.org/tax-credit-program/.  Their website will not only give you more information on donating, but it will also allow you to see how many tax credits are still available for the calendar year.

Have a blessed weekend!
Mrs. Patterson

04 October 2024