MEMORANDUM

TO:             Parents of QPA
FROM:      Sister Nancy Elder, IHM
DATE:      October 2, 2009
RE:            Weekly Update

This Update is being written to you on the afternoon of our Papal Visit. Gathered in St. Peter’s Square at 10:30 AM this morning, September 30, 2009, about 15,000 people waiting anxiously to catch a glimpse of Our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI. The seats were great for all of us who are on this tour/pilgrimage being led by Bishop Emeritus Raymond Boland. The air was filled with excitement as the Pope arrived in his Pope Mobile riding around the square. What a great feeling to be there! What a huge blessing! Emotions run high as people called out, “Viva la Papa!” or simply “Papa!”. The crowd was made up of people from many, many countries all coming for the same reason – to see and to listen to the leader of the Catholic Church. The crowd was ONE people, representative of one Church. We were the young and the old. We were the rich and the poor. We were Italians and Germans and Spanish and Americans. We were the Church!

The Holy Father spoke to us and he gave us his blessing. This special blessing, he said, was for us, but also for our families and all those we left behind in our countries. Quickly, I gathered up each of you and raised you up in that solemn moment. In the quiet and the awe that pervaded, there was no doubt of the great God moment it was. It was a great example of the power of one or more gathered together in God’s name. It was a great reminder of the power each one has as a member of the great community, the Church, to be peace and love and joy for others.

These days in Assisi and in Rome have been full of history, of God, of sharing, of walking, of wondering and new and wonderful experiences. From the magnificence of the churches to the hermitage of St. Francis to the depths of the catacombs, God’s love and mercy have been made known over and over. Whether it’s history or current life, the wonders of God can always be found in the people and the events. They are definitely here, and they are in Gainesville and they are at Queen of Peace.

Be blessed in who you are. Be blessed in the knowledge that God is present in our Church which is each of you!

We Believe

Reminders and Other Things

Be sure to put Thursday, October 8th on your calendar for the parent presentation on Cyber Safety. This presentation will begin at 6:30 PM in Walsh Hall.
The Lunch Menu can now be found on our website using a tab on the left side of the screen - just below the Sports tab.
It is that time again to begin preparing for our annual Halloween parade. We are accepting donations of candy to be handed out during the parade. Please send a bag to your child’s homeroom or to the school office. Thank you for your support in making QPA such a wonderful place to be!

From Nurse Bunde:

The FluMist Vaccine is currently scheduled to be administered on Thursday, Oct. 15th. Please let us know if you have immunized your child after sending in the consent form. We won't know to change the consent form without your correspondence.

Parents are reminded to contact the school nurse (mabunde@qopacademy.org) to report a student illness. Please do not send your children to school sick. If a child has a fever, vomiting, and/or diarrhea along with a cough, sneezing, body aches, etc. he/she most likely has a contagious condition. Until the student has been symptom-free (un-medicated) for 24 hours, he/she should not return to school.

If a child's medical file is delinquent, parents will be getting a formal letter very soon to request the information. Failure to comply is not acceptable and may result in the child missing school.

The Hearing and Vision Screening will be done on December 2nd & 3rd.

See you in Church!