We, the community of St. Ignatius School, in the tradition of Mother Marie Rose and St. Ignatius of Loyola, provide a faith-centered Catholic education guiding God’s children toward building a just and compassionate world.
Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon
As we enter our third week of school, the learning adventure is flourishing! We deeply value the home-school partnership that strengthens our educational foundation. Your child is settling into their classroom rhythm, connecting with their teacher, and adapting to new routines.
Key developmental milestones this year include:
Your patience and encouragement are essential during this adjustment period. Thank you for your partnership in your child's education. With our combined support, your child will confidently adapt and thrive throughout this journey.
Mass: Our 8th graders led us through a beautiful Mass this week. Fr. James delivered an inspiring homily to our students about the gift of the Holy Spirit, leaving the kids amazed through a vivid demonstration of the spiritual fire that the Holy Spirit kindles in every heart. At the end of Mass, our 8th graders receive a special dove pin to wear when they serve as Family Group leaders throughout the year. Then the entire congregation blesses our 8th grade class as the official student leaders of our school.
Jog-a-Thon- We have officially kicked off fundraising for this year’s Jog-a-thon. Thank you for spreading the word to your friends and family in helping us Groove Our Way to $50K! You should have received an email for your student’s shareable ‘page’ through the same platform we used last year- 99 Pledges. Please encourage your friends and family to make a donation and leave a small ‘tip’. The ‘tip’ covers the fees that we are charged by 99 Pledges to process the credit card donations.
The following are some highlights of our Groove Our Way to $50K Jog-a-thon.
Incentive Prizes:
Thank you for making this first fundraising event fun and successful.
Transition Projects- We are once again taking up the call to provide 80 sack lunches for Transition Projects. ****This year we will be returning to using parent volunteers to deliver the sack lunches to Transition Projects. Their community canvassing team delivers the lunches directly to those in need living on the streets of Portland. Please consider signing up to drop off the lunches or to make a batch of twenty sandwiches, if you are able. We also need donations of granola bars, chips, and fruit cups too.Thank you for supporting this whole school service learning opportunity.
Drop-Off or Make Sandwiches: https://tinyurl.com/schoolwideservicesignup
Fill the pantry Amazon wish list: https://tinyurl.com/TRANSPROWISHLIST
Jubilee Service for September: Our parish has spent this Jubilee year serving various, local non-profits each month. For the month of September, St. Ignatius Church is collecting much needed toiletries for St. Andre Bessette Catholic Church in downtown Portland off of Burnside. School families are invited to participate by bringing in the following travel size items to our school office for St. Andre Bessette:
Emergency Drills: This week we held our first fire drill of the year. We prioritize safety and preparedness by practicing fire drills every month. These regular drills help students and staff learn the safest routes and evacuation locations for both fire or earthquake situations. We conduct earthquake and other safety drills quarterly to ensure everyone is ready for a range of emergencies. We’re proud of how calmly and responsibly our students handled the drill—it was a great reminder of the importance of teamwork and being prepared.
School Advisory Coucil (SAC): Our School Advisory Council (SAC) met this past week. The School Advisory Council is an important service for our school. The purpose of the School Advisory Council is to provide input and recommendations to the principal and parish priest for achieving goals set forth in the school’s master plan. The SAC members participate in one of three committees- Finance, Marketing, or Facilities. Our SAC team has been instrumental in attaining school goals. This year’s SAC members are: Mike Pettinger (chair), Amanda Williams (secretary), Derrick Lau, Dan Kenron, Amy Rozelle, Amanda Evenhus, and Eben Dickinson. We are in need of one to two more members for this school year. Please contact Mike Pettinger if you are interested in possibly joining SAC. During a SAC meeting, members receive school and parish updates and work in committees for school improvement goals. I am thankful for their efforts, expertise, and assistance. We are blessed by the many gifts and talents our members share as we work together to continue the legacy of St. Ignatius School as a welcoming community committed to building a just and compassionate world for all.
May we reflect in gratitude for our time together this week, “Until now you have not asked anything in my name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.” John 16:24.
Peace be with you.
Carol Pausz
Principal
Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon, exist to give witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As an apostolate of the Church, Catholic Schools minister the salvation of Jesus Christ, exercising His mission to teach (Mt. 28:19-20) by providing Mission Passionate Catholic Education.
Many hands are needed to make this a success and continue this long standing tradition. You can help in one of the following ways:
Thank you so much for your continued support of this important service project!
School Pictures will be taken on Tuesday, September 24th. Order packets were sent home on Back to School Night. You can also visit the Bell Imaging site to order: https://shop.imagequix.com/g1001296386
Picture day is a dress up day. Please see the School Handbook for details: https://tinyurl.com/dressupMassevent
Please remember to check your contact information (address, email, phone number) in SchoolSpeak to ensure that you are receiving important updates and announcements from St. Ignatius School. Parents have the ability to make changes to their own profile. Thank you!