Crusader. Times. Nota Bene / Note Well: The. Upcoming. NEWS FROM THE ATONEMENT ACADEMY Issue 11: October 5, 2015 CATHOLIC SCHOOL MATTERS!

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1 The Crusader Times NEWS FROM THE ATONEMENT ACADEMY Issue 11: October 5, 2015 CATHOLIC SCHOOL MATTERS! "Every Holy Mass, heard with devotion, produces in our souls marvelous effects, abundant spiritual and material graces which we ourselves, do not know." St. Pio of Pietrelcina We have the privilege of attending daily Mass at The Atonement Academy: it is built in to the middle of each school day morning for students and teachers to worship together. But Mass five days a week does not mean that our Sunday obligation is fulfilled by anything less than attendance at Mass. In our modern society, faithfully attending Mass seems to have become an act many Catholics view as optional. The teaching of the Church has never changed. To get directly to the point, it is not optional. Faithful Catholics are obligated to attend Mass each and every Sunday. Upcoming M-F Oct 5-9 Crusader Spirit Week (see p. 2) Wed Oct 7 8th Grade Scholarship Day Fri Oct 9 End of 1st Quarter HALF DAY Wed Oct 14 PSAT (Grades 9-11) Wed Oct 28 1st Quarter Awards Ceremony (after Mass) Th Oct 28 LS October Birthdays, 2:30 pm Nota Bene / Note Well: EARLY DISMISSAL DAY: Friday, October 9 Lower school dismisses at 11:30, Middle School at 11:45 and Upper School at noon. TICKETS FOR Fiddler on the Roof : Over half of our available tickets have been sold! Buy your reserved seat today! LOST & FOUND: Check for lost and misplaced items in the big wooden box just outside of the gym doors AND indoors with Mrs. Adame (front office). BOOK CLUB: In the next week or so, we will have new information on a book club that will include watching a movie, too and discussing differences between the two (and why the book is always better!). Stay tuned! Red Robin Road San Antonio TX info@atonementonline.com

2 CRUSADER WEEK! MONDAY US/MS decorate lockers (Crusader theme/colors) US classes decorate hall banners (1 st place winner announced at the Pep Rally) *The class will receive a pizza party MS decorate class banner (1 st place winner announced at the Pep Rally) TUESDAY US/MS classes continue decorating their banners / lockers LS create spirit posters JV/Varsity HOME Games (5:00/6:00) WEDNESDAY 8 th grade scholarships awarded in courtyard after Mass THURSDAY US/MS Lockers/Banners judged Pep Rally 2:30-3:00 in the gym - MS HOME Volleyball and MS HOME Football FRIDAY (HALF DAY Last day of the 1 st Quarter) MS Tailgate activities- 12:00-4:30 (Crusader field) Decorate fence with posters created by LS classes US football game (5:00) Annapolis Christian Concessions, hair braiding, face painting, baked goods sold by Pro-Life Club Half-time: Recognize US Cross Country/Football seniors

3 Middle School Tailgate! Here are the details: Friday, October 9, :00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. $5.00 admission fee Bring a sack lunch Water bottles and smiles provided Food will be sold at the football game beginning at 4:30 p.m. Come one, Come all Come out and have a ball! This Friday is the Middle Scholar Tailgate! Sign right up don t wait! The fun begins at 12 And into the sack lunches we will delve Then beginning at 1 FUN, FUN, FUN! Open gym and games on St. Nicholas Field Soccer, Basketball and games are the deal At 2:30 Games2U will arrive With Laser Tag for those in sight! Then at 4:30 all students will be taken to the field for the football game Where we will cheer our team to achieve Atonement Crusader fame! Return this bottom portion to the front office with your payment Child s Name Grade My child has permission to attend the Middle Scholar Tailgate Yes No Parent Name and Signature (print name) Enclosed is $5.00 Admission Fee Cash Check No.

4 Notes from the Headmaster: The Blessings of Tension Horticulturists know that transplanting hot house plants to a natural outside environment requires specific preparation. The plants need to be primed to move from a stable, predictable, literally sheltered environment, to one that exposes them to unpredictable rains, wind and sun, unreliable food sources and critters of all kinds. How are they prepared? During their early growth, plants are intentionally stressed to simulate what the conditions will be like when they are moved to the real world. They are deliberately deprived of water and nutrients to get their roots to grow deeper into the soil. Fans are directed at them at random speeds and times to simulate wind gusts, and their stems and petals are brushed to simulate contact with other plants or animals. These purposeful stressors prepare the plants for the next phase of their development to flourish in their natural and permanent environments. A common perception in our society and culture is that our kids should experience stress free lives. There are parents and educators that believe that stress is bad and should be avoided because it can produce emotional, mental and physical hardships on students. Is it possible that quite the contrary might actually be true? Stress might be a good thing because it helps to prepare our kids with the determination and persistence they will need to successfully navigate the real world challenges that lie ahead. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. had it right when he argued that how we rate ourselves should be based on how we meet stressful moments, because that s when our character counts. King said, The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. Who we are in a critical moment when events and people are unpredictable matters most. When events seem overwhelming, being trained to deal with stressful situations will always result in a better outcome. Being prepared to exit our shelter and plant ourselves in an unpredictable world requires that we learn, early on, how to deal with stress. Pope Emeritus Benedict once stated, the world promises you comfort. But you were not made for comfort, you were made for greatness. Society appeals to our vanity and pride in an attempt to convince us that leisure is our reward for a life lived well. Yet, a good life is one that disturbs our rest, unsettles our minds and challenges us to aspire to great things. Like a plant that is strengthened by the tension acting upon it, we grow in a pressurized, intense, more unsettling environment as we flourish toward greatness. An over-stressed child is most certainly a situation we want to avoid. As they mature children can take on too much work or assume too much responsibility while they discern their talents and test their limits. We, as teachers, counselors and parents, can enact any number of strategies to moderate the pressure children place on themselves. However, that doesn t mean we should make all paths straight to remove stress from our children s lives. We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, endurance produces character, character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint, says St. Paul in his letter to the Romans. (5:1-5) In other words, difficulty is not to be viewed as a set back or a curse but a blessing. In that suffering we grow confident in our abilities, that confidence develops our character. and we are in turn inspired with hope that our ability, given to us through God s grace, is enough to handle whatever is to come next. Starring Artemi Gutenberg as Tevye! INTERESTED IN THE PEP SQUAD? Girls in Middle School and Upper School are welcome to join! Sign up sheets in the second floor hallway. October 16 & 17 7 pm St. Anthony Hall See Mrs. Adame at the front office reserved seats are $10 for adults and $5 for children under 12.

5 Crusaders Tutor Crusaders The next issue of the newsletter will include a revised list of tutors! If your middle school or upper school child is interested in getting on the list as a tutor, please see Mrs. Adame for a form. Fill it out and return it before the end of the week to be included on the next list! CRUSADER SPIRIT WEAR Orders for Crusader merchandise are now being accepted at Click on the Crusader Merchandise link and browse the great selection of shirts and polos being offered. We are also accepting orders for the popular Crusader sweatshirts. Hurry and order before the deadline of October 16 th! Memorial Rosary for Mrs. Pamela Clarkson Wednesday, October 7 at 4 pm Mrs. Clarkson was quite the spirited Crusader so it is fitting that we have a memorial prayer service for her in the middle of Crusader Week. Mrs. Clarkson was interred in The Sacred Heart Chapel after an intimate Funeral Mass,and our Atonement community is invited to gather in the Chapel to pray for the repose of her soul on Wednesday,October 7 at 4 pm. All of our Atonement family is encouraged to attend, especially her former students.

6 Atonement Middle Scholar 80 s Night! THANK YOU TO ALL WHO MADE 80s NIGHT SUCH A SUCCESS! Middle School 80s night was a huge success with over 95 students in attendance as we danced, played PacMan, Space Invaders and Centipede at the 1980 s arcade, competed at the Simon game, and learned the Electric Slide, Moonwalk and various other dances. We even had special student guest appearances by A.J Pena who showed off his Moon Walk skills and the girls who taught the crowd several 80 s dance moves. Special thanks to Mrs. Dye for concept and execution, Mrs. Kennedy for her support, and all the parent volunteers who donated food items and water, set-up, chaperoned, worked at stations and served as clean-up crew. Very special thanks to the following: Caroline & Alexander Peña for their generous donation of all the treats from Chik Fil A, Jack & Gina Abramson for the use of their sound system and special lighting, Dr. David Cordero for creating the 1980 s mix CDs, and Sam & Tomasa Vester for all the prizes used throughout the event.