Parents,

I was talking with a parent this week and we got off topic and our conversation lead to our past occupations.  As I went through the various "jobs" that I have had in my life, probably like most of you, I realized that my occupational path has meandered around and ended up not where I had originally intended.

As a youth, growing up in rural Johnson County, I had every intention to take over my family's 140 acre cattle farm.  I would wake up early, go out and do my chores, go to school, come home and work with my father until dark and go to bed (sometimes I would do homework!).  That type of schedule helped me to develop a good work ethic that I try to keep today and instill in my own children and our students.

As I went through high school I worked on a local dairy farm which allowed me to gain knowledge in many different trades.  Plumbing, electrician, veterinarian, bookkeeper, mechanic, and many other skills were learned working on the dairy farm.  One skill that was not gained was people skills.  Not much interaction with people occurred milking 85 Holstein dairy cows, but I did lean some "cow" skills.

Our family always participated in 4-H.  We showed cattle and I was usually the one that "halter broke" the cattle to lead and to behave.  The experience of showing cattle; halter breaking, grooming, and clipping (giving them a haircut), enabled me to work around the country for various larger purebred cattle farms and for an 18 year old kid from Nineveh, IN, I was traveling around the country and having a blast, doing what I wanted to family's purebred cattle farm, and she decided it would be a good idea for me to attend college (if I wanted to continue to see her!).  As a 24 year old, uneducated cattle jockey, I thought about it for a few minutes and decided that attending college was a good choice!

I have taught at four high schools as an Agriculture teacher, coached varsity basketball and football, and been an athletic director and assistant principal at two high schools, and had the good fortune to coach college basketball for eight years.

A little less than three years ago, I was ready for yet another change in my professional life.  I applied here at St. Mark Catholic School and was hired in June of 2009.  There was no roadmap for me to follow.  I have approached this part of my life like every other, by working hard, putting hours and surrounding myself with good people.  Our school is not perfect, and I make many mistakes every day, but my father always said, "If you make mistakes, going hard, then those mistakes will help you grow."  And he is correct!

APRIL 27, 2012

ST MARK CATHOLIC SCHOOL.... FAITH IN EVERY CHILD

I don't know what tomorrow brings, but I do know how appreciative I am for God putting me in the place at this time of my life.  People that know me well, ask me how long I will be at St. Mark, and I answer them that I am here today, and this all I care about.  With the way life is so fragile, I truly have subscribed to giving God thanks for each day and enjoying that day for what it is.

So my path continues.  It keeps meandering.  I thank God each and every day that He is in my life and that He has put me here, today.  Have a great weekend and we will see you at Mass!!

Thanks and God Bless,

Rusty Albertson
Principal
St. Mark Catholic School.

I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sunrise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous.            

Matthew 5:44-45

EVERYONE SAYS FORGIVENESS is a lovely idea, until they have something to forgive, as we had during WWII. And then, to mention the subject at all is to be greeted with the howls of anger. It is not that people think this too high and difficult a virtue: it is that they think it hateful and contemptible. “That sort of talk makes me sick,” they say. And half of you already want to ask me, “I wonder how you’d feel about forgiving the Gestapo if you were a Pole or a Jew?”

So do I. I wonder very much. Just as when Christianity tells me that I must not deny my religion even to save myself from death by torture, I wonder very much what I should do when it came to that point. I am not trying to tell you what I could do—I can do precious little—I am telling you what Christianity is. I did not invent it. And there, right in the middle of it, I find “Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.” There is no slightest suggestion that we are offered forgiveness on any other terms. It is made perfectly clear that if we do not forgive we shall not be forgiven!—-

C. S. Lewis ranks as one of the greatest Christian apologists of the 20th century. He kept a keen eye for deception and muddled thinking. When it came to spiritual matters, he took on not only the outright atheist, but the lukewarm and halfhearted Christian.

FORGIVING FATHER, give me the spirit of forgiveness even when I would rather nurture my wounds than have them healed.

LENTEN MESSAGE FROM THE POPE

“Let us be concerned for each other,to stir a response in love and good works” (Heb 10:24)

The Lenten season offers us once again an opportunity to reflect upon the very heart of Christian life: charity. This is a favourable time to renew our journey of faith, both as individuals and as a community, with the help of the word of God and the sacraments. This journey is one marked by prayer and sharing, silence and fasting, in anticipation of the joy of Easter.

***

This year I would like to propose a few thoughts in the light of a brief biblical passage drawn from the Letter to the Hebrews:“ Let us be concerned for each other, to stir a response in love and good works”. These words are part of a passage in which the sacred author exhorts us to trust in Jesus Christ as the High Priest who has won us forgiveness and opened up a pathway to God. Embracing Christ bears fruit in a life structured by the three theological virtues: it means approaching the Lord “sincere in heart and filled with faith” (v. 22), keeping firm “in the hope we profess” (v. 23) and ever mindful of living a life of “love and good works” (v. 24) together with our brothers and sisters.

***

Today too, the Lord’s voice summons all of us to be concerned for one another. Even today God asks us to be “guardians” of our brothers and sisters (Gen 4:9), to establish relationships based on mutual consideration and attentiveness to the well-being, theintegral well-being of others. The great commandment of love for one another demands that we acknowledge our responsibility towards those who, like ourselves, are creatures and children of God. Being brothers and sisters in humanity and, in many cases, also in the faith, should help us to recognize in others a true alter ego, infinitely loved by the Lord. If we cultivate this way of seeing others as our brothers and sisters, solidarity, justice, mercy and compassion will naturally well up in our hearts.

***

The good is whatever gives, protects and promotes life, brotherhood and communion. Responsibility towards others thus means desiring and working for the good of others, in the hope that they too will become receptive to goodness and its demands. Concern for others means being aware of their needs.

***

We should never be incapable of “showing mercy” towards those who suffer. Our hearts should never be so wrapped up in our affairs and problems that they fail to hear the cry of the poor. Humbleness of heart and the personal experience of suffering can awaken within us a sense of compassion and empathy. “The upright understands the cause of the weak, the wicked has not the wit to understand it” (Prov 29:7). We can then understand the beatitude of “those who mourn” (Mt 5:5), those who in effect are capable of looking beyond themselves and feeling compassion for the suffering of others. Reaching out to others and opening our hearts to their needs can become an opportunity for salvation and blessedness.

***

Acts of charity towards our brothers and sisters – as expressed by almsgiving, a practice which, together with prayer and fasting, is typical of Lent – is rooted in this common belonging. Christians can also express their membership in the one body which is the Church through concrete concern for the poorest of the poor.

***

In a world which demands of Christians a renewed witness of love and fidelity to the Lord, may all of us feel the urgent need to anticipate one another in charity, service and good works (cf. Heb 6:10). This appeal is particularly pressing in this holy season of preparation for Easter. As I offer my prayerful good wishes for a blessed and fruitful Lenten period, I entrust all of you to the intercession of the Mary Ever Virgin and cordially impart my Apostolic Blessing.

Parents,

Even though most of you have taken down the Christmas tree and put away all of the
decorations, I hope that you are able to carry the renewed sense of Christ in your life and that
you can continue to build upon your experiences from the past few weeks to strengthen your
relationship with Christ.

About a year ago I was approached by a father who has three children enrolled in our school and he
had a piece of paper in his hand that he handed me and said “take a look at this; I think you will
be interested!” I get many things handed to me on the way into school by children and parents. I
get cards, flyers, checks for lunch charges, cookies and other informational items that I usually
stick in my pocket and hope to find later in the day. But this tri-fold, gold piece of paper not
only had some interesting verbiage, but it changed my life in a very positive direction.

The piece of paper had information on the Christ Renews His Parish renewal weekend program (CRHP).
I read over the pamphlet quickly and put it on my desk to be forever lost in a quagmire of papers.
But it kept surfacing to the top and would not go away. I even tried to put it in the recycling
bin, but it showed back up on my desk. After several reminders by this persistent parent, I looked
at the material and decided that I could use some time for myself to renew my relationship with
Christ. My wife had also been “targeted” and we both agreed that even though we had very busy
lives, that this was the time to attend our separate CRHP weekend.

My wife attended the women’s CRHP weekend first and shared very little with me so not to spoil the
weekend for me, but I could tell that it was a very moving experience for her. I won’t spoil the
weekend for you, but I can honestly tell you that having many opportunities to draw closer to God
through his Son, this one was the best experience for me. I arrived Saturday morning very skeptical
and left Sunday afternoon renewed with faith, spirit and hope.

I often tell parents that Catholic education is not for everyone, the same goes for CRHP, but if
you are searching for direction in your faith journey or you want to strengthen your sense of
spiritual direction, then I would suggest that you attend the CRHP weekend. The women’s CRHP
weekend is January 21 & 22nd and the Men’s CRHP weekend is March 3rd and 4th all here at St. Mark
Catholic School. You can get registration forms in the Narthex or in the parish center and it is
free. For more information on registering for the women’s weekend contact Deanne Jackson at
784-4367 and for more information on the men’s weekend you can contact Bob Jones at 889-6155. There
will also be information after Masses on January 14th and 15th.

A reminder to all school families that you will receive your “letters of intent” in the mail next
week for the 2012-2013 school year and because of limited class space for next school year, it is
very important to return your letter of intent and registration fees as soon as possible. Please
note that we are only using the FACTS online for completing FACTS information and we will
not be using paper forms any longer for FACTS. All parents (veteran and new) must register
online with your information for FACTS. You can find the FACTS website to register on our website
soon!

Thanks for your continued support of our school and parish. As we continue to grow in Christ as a
school, we draw from you God’s strength through prayer and support. Have a great weekend and enjoy
this tremendous January weather! See you at Mass and maybe we will see you at the CRHP weekend!.

Thanks and God Bless,
Rusty Albertson




 

Parents,

As we get ready to head home and enjoy a joyous Christmas season, I would like to thank you for a great
first half of the school year. We have gone through many changes including welcoming over 50 new
families to our school. With our physical growth we also have grown in our faith. Our service projects,
our reaching out to those in need, our being kind to one another each day, are all a testament to God’s
presence in our school.

Our Roadmap to Success capital campaign is in full swing and we are getting closer to our goal of putting
a new HVAC system in our school. But we won’t stop there. We will continue to improve our learning
environment at school so students and staff have the best opportunity to grow in their faith, academics,
leadership and service. We will continue to plan to update and transform our infrastructure of our school
so that the future legacy of St. Mark Catholic School is secured.

We will not stay status quo. I have always subscribed to the theory that you don’t “stay the same” you
either get better or you get worse, and we will only get better. With your help our vision of the future will
be focused on what is best for our students. We will determine what technology, what classroom
environment, what school calendar, what lunch menu, what daily schedule, what additional class
offerings, what new facilities are all in the best interest of our students, and then we will work together to
provide the best education possible for our children.

Our niche is our size. We embrace our one class per grade size. We won’t ever be the biggest school, but
we will continue to strive to be the best school. Our niche is our diversity. We will continue to welcome
children of all religious, ethnic, racial, socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds. We pride ourselves in
providing a daily environment that promotes Christ’s teachings in everything we do. Our niche is our
parent involvement. We have parents that take an active role in their child’s education. Our niche is our
staff. Simply put, we have a tremendous staff. A staff that loves your children, cares about your children,
and goes the extra mile for your children.

So as we prepare to make some great holiday memories, let us recommit ourselves to our children. Let’s
recommit ourselves to taking our children to Mass EVERY weekend and not just at Christmas and Easter
or when it is convenient. As parents and educators, let’s be shining examples of God’s light to our
children. When you bring children into this world, you take on many responsibilities, but the greatest is to
help them grow in faith. I don’t say this enough, but we have tremendous parents at SMCS. You are the
primary educator of your children. Thank you for all you do! We will see you at Mass…….every
weekend!

Have a joyous Christmas and a blessed New Year,
Rusty Albertson
Principal
St. Mark Catholic School



 

Parents,

As we begin the week of Thanksgiving, I want to share with you a list of things I am thankful

for:

• My Faith

St. Mark has allowed me to not only use my faith, but to have it grow each day that I am here. We have a great pastor in Fr. George, great music with Andy Eagan, and great youth and spiritual formation with Mary Lynn and Josh. As I continue down my own spiritual journey, I know that I am surrounded by people of tremendous faith.

• My Family

 I am blessed with a beautiful and loving wife and four children that are healthy and that all have their own great qualities. My own mother and father are still with us and each day I live the reward of their hard work. I am very blessed to be their son.

• A Tremendous Staff

Words cannot describe how much I appreciate each member of our SMCS staff. They are loving, Christ filled, devoted, talented, hard working, and very fun to be around. I would not trade any one of them for any other staff member in the world. The time and effort they put in with your children is inspiring. I love each and every one of them!

• Our Students

We have students at SMCS that grow in their faith. They care about one another and they care about their school. They are dedicated, prepared, well mannered and will make a positive difference in our world. We are blessed to have each one of them as Lions!

• Our Parents

Without you none of this would be possible (literally!). You have laid the foundation of Christ that we build upon each and every day. You reinforce our efforts at home and you love your children. I can be honest with you and I know that you are honest with me. Keep loving your children, it shows in their actions!

• Our Parishioners

Without our parishioners at St. Mark, we would not have a school. Without their prayers, their financial support, their giving of their talents, we would not be the growing, vibrant, Catholic school that we are now. As our school grows, so grows our parish. We welcome more parishioners to send their children to St. Mark Catholic School and look for many years of parish growth!

November 18, 2011

ST MARK CATHOLIC SCHOOL…..FAITH IN EVERY CHILD

We have much to be thankful for. As we head into Thanksgiving week, take time to thank someone that you do not normally thank. It will make their day and yours too. We will see you at Mass and at the “Giving Back” Pancake Breakfast after 7:30 and 9:30am Masses!

Thanks and God Bless,

Rusty Albertson

Parents,

We are entering into the last few days of the first nine weeks of school. Next Wednesday is the last day of
the nine weeks and we will have fall break on Thursday and Friday of next week. As we prepare for the
end of the first grading period, we do so knowing that we have had many successes and a few setbacks
along the way. While the report card will give you a visual feel for how your child is doing in school, I
suggest you look further than the report card to get a broader picture of their growth.

Take one hour and set it aside for each of your children over fall break and just listen to your child. Make
sure you silence your cell phone, turn off the TV, get away from your Facebook and just sit down and
have a conversation with each of your children individually. While it seems easy, it can be a daunting
task. Start small and then be a great listener. Let them talk; let them have the floor, just listen.
And when they feel ready, they will ask you questions. Questions that seem silly, or that they already
know the answer to, are important to your conversation. Questions about faith, love, jobs, friends, music,
books, relationships, sports, and for some, even the weather are all possibilities. And when you feel that
the time is right, ask them “How is your relationship with God?” They may get quiet, they may not know
the answer, they may say “Boy the weather is great!” but be persistent and be ready for them to ask YOU
how your relationship with God is.

Know how your child communicates with others. He may be four or she may be 13 years old, but you
should know how they communicate with others. Verbal, non-verbal, texting, Facebook, Twitter, phone
calls, writing letters and other forms of communication I am not hip to, are all possibilities. Sit down
with your child and just do a little talking and a lot of listening. If you think you don’t have anything to
talk to your children about, you have not tried very hard. If you think your child does not want to talk to
you, you are wrong, they crave a conversation with you, but they want to talk and have you listen.
Whether you have one child or many, each one is different, each one has varying needs and each one will
have a totally different one hour conversation with you. You will learn much about your child and
yourself. I can tell you from experience, you will start to seem much more intelligent to your children as
they get older! So get out your iPhone, your Blackberry, your calendar and set a date with your child for
one hour to talk and to listen. You may find that it becomes a “recurring” event on your Outlook
calendar! Have a great weekend, buy some mums and pumpkins from the 8th graders today and we will
see you at Mass this weekend.

Thanks and God Bless,
Rusty Albertson
Principal
St. Mark Catholic School
October 14, 2011
ST MARK CATHOLIC SCHOOL…..FAITH IN EVERY CHILD
GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

Parents,

As parents of four children, my wife and I had just about every emotion when it involves raising children.
We have had those late night emergency room trips, witnessed triumphs and struggles of our children as
they have grown up, tried to teach them with Christian principles and been there for them when they need
a hug or when they need corrected. But one of the greatest gifts we can give to our children is the gift of
Christ in their lives.

Damon, our senior at Roncalli has been attending senior retreat this week. Some of you have been on
senior retreat and you know what an awakening experience of your faith it can be. The retreat is much
like our Christ Renews His Parish (CRHP) program here at St. Mark, where it allows each individual to
examine their own relationship with God, through His Son Jesus Christ. We will attend the closing
ceremony to the seniorretreat this afternoon and we will take this chance to renew our own relationship
with God as well.

The world has many “fast fixes” for many things. You can lose weight by taking a pill, fix those wrinkles
with a cream, take stains out with quick spray, and boost your computer speed with a simple download.
But what about losing the devil, what about fixing your relationship with God, what about taking out what
is bad in your life and putting in what is good, what about boosting your kindness with one download?
John 14:6 says: Jesus said to him, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the
Father except through Me.” How do we go to the Father through Christ? We can get closer by prayer,
by reading God’s word, by attending Church with our family, by listening to God, and by being examples
of Jesus each and every day. Not just when we feel like it, not just when it is convenient or when we want
something, but each and every day.

It is not easy; it takes discipline, dedication and hard work to develop and maintain this relationship. It
takes commitment. It takes a person that has their priorities in the right order. We all know people,
including ourselves, that at times are lost in their faith. When we are weak physically, we workout, run,
lift weights to strengthen our body. When we are weak in our faith, we doubt, question, and look to other
things to fill the void that should be filled with Christ. Start your own “Christ Workout”. Find your Bible,
a quiet place, your favorite beverage and begin to renew your faith. Once you start this workout, you will
want to share it with others, you will want to have a workout partner, and you will want to involve your
family and friends.

I often don’t know what I am going to write about when I start this process on early Friday mornings (and
sometimes I don’t ever figure it out!) but getting the opportunity to pray for my son at retreat is one of the
most fulfilling things I have ever done. Our children are our lives and they are our opportunity to move
closer to God. Whether your child is a few days old, or a senior in high school, enjoy them, love them,
and pray for them. Have a great, super, terrific weekend and we will see and pray with you at Mass this
weekend!

Thanks and God Bless,
Rusty Albertson
Principal
St. Mark Catholic School
October 7, 2011
ST MARK CATHOLIC SCHOOL…..FAITH IN EVERY CHILD

I had the good fortune to be a part of a school visitation team yesterday that the Office of Catholic
Education does for various Archdiocesan schools. The school I visited was a Catholic elementary school
on the near north side of Indianapolis. The school had an enrollment of around 450 students K-8 and our
visitation team spent time interviewing teachers, support staff, parents and students to see what areas of
their school could be improved.

The school had just gone through a 2.5 million dollar renovation recently that included all classrooms
renovated, new technology throughout their building and various other upgrades. The school had students
that were friendly, parents that were involved and a staff that was dedicated to their students. Their test
scores were some of the highest in the state and they had alumni that did well at the high school, college
and professional level.

As I traveled back down Meridian Street and headed to the southside, I started to compare our school with
the one I had just visited. While the obvious comparisons are evident, I came to the conclusion that we
have so much going for us at St. Mark that is unique to our school and our parish. While we might not
have some material things that other schools have, we do have a tremendous spirit that is evident when
you walk in our building.

Our spirit comes from our parents, which work hard each day to send their children to St. Mark Catholic
School even when some months the ends do not always meet. Our spirit comes from helping those that
are less fortunate than us, even when we are tired, busy or tapped out. Our spirit comes from our students
that welcome other students of all kinds and treat them like a brother or sister. Our spirit comes from our
staff, who works hard to make students feel like they are special each and every day. Our spirit comes
from our parishioners who support our Catholic school, even when they do not have children that attend.
I would not trade our staff, students, parents and parishioners for any others. We have something very
special here at St. Mark Catholic School. It is hard to put a finger on what “it” is, but you know it is here
when you enter our building, when you go to an all school Mass, when you sit in a classroom, when you
walk our halls.

I heard from Chuck Weisenbach today, Principal at Roncalli High School, and he informed me that
Elizabeth Corcoran (SMCS class of 2008) was named a National Merit Commended Scholar (top 5% of
all high school seniors in the country) and Brian Rainey (SMCS class of 2008) was named a National
Merit Semi-Finalist (top 1% of the best and brightest seniors from all of the high schools in the country!).
Congratulations to these former Lions and their families! He also gave credit to our staff for such a great accomplishment.

We continue to work hard, to pray hard, to celebrate our faith and to grow in Christ. Thank you for being
a part of your child’s growth. Thanks for giving up to have your children at St. Mark Catholic School.
Thanks for instilling a spirit into our school and church. Have a great weekend and we will see you at
Mass this weekend!

God Bless

Rusty Albertson, Principal

Parents,

What a great Fall Spirit Week! We had great dress up days, we had super posters on the walls,we had a terrific pep session, but what made it a true Spirit Week were our student’s spirited actions.

We found out this week from the Office of Catholic Education that we, St. Mark Catholic
School, had the 2nd highest percentage enrollment growth in the entire Indianapolis Archdiocese for 2011, 2nd only to St. Francis and Clare that added three additional grades and a pre-school. We embrace our growth with humbleness, and we see this opportunity to teach the word of God to many more students and families. With such rapid growth comes a new opportunity for our school and parish. But more important than the numbers are the individual stories that now become a part of our St. Mark family. The stories of students that have only been in our country for a few years and are now an active part of our school and parish, the stories of students that were nervous about a transition from public
to parochial school, but now feel like they have been here forever, the stories about students of all ethnic, social, and cultural backgrounds coming together each day to pray and to learn the Gospel together.

What stands out most about our school this year, is the acceptance of all. We do not see color, we do not see monetary status, and we do not see past issues, we only see our brothers and sisters of Christ. While we are not perfect, and we often have to remind ourselves of how Jesus would react to things, our students and staff have God in their hearts. Like all, we sometimes stray from what is right, but we have you, the parents, to reinforce God’s teaching at home. Our staff will not rest on our past success. We will continue to find ways to improve the academic, faith, leadership and service growth of all of our students. Since I began here at St. Mark Catholic School, I have asked many things from our parents. We continue to ask that you be active parents in our school and in church. Grow in your faith together with your children. Pray as a family, come to Mass as a family, and grow as a family. Let’s get back to basics and


Mr. Rusty Albertson, Principal

Roadmap to Success

Fundraising Campaign

The Roadmap to Success Task Force, made up of St. Mark Parishioners representing various age groups and interests, met throughout the past school year. As Ed Balint, a member of the Task Force, mentioned to you several weeks ago, the task force recommended to me that our immediate need in the school is a new HVAC system, especially as school begins earlier each year.

At the same time, Saint Mark School is growing and has experienced a rather rapid growth in the past two years. From 179 students two years ago, there are now 250 students from pre-school through eighth grade.

The heating system is old, most parts are out-of-date, and it is only 40% efficient, wasting energy and causing much higher operating costs. The wisdom given to me is that the school needs a new heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system, thus the abbreviation HVAC. Presently, our school is lagging behind, as we are one of only three schools without it.

The cost of the project for new HVAC is about $500,000. Not having that amount of financial resources on hand, we are undertaking a funding campaign to raise the money needed to bring the school facility up to standard.

The fundraising campaign will begin in the coming weeks and our goal is to have all pledges in by February 1st, 2012, with $225K received in cash by that date. In so doing, we will be able to install the new HVAC system, before the start of school next year. It is a tall order, but one which I and the campaign team, are confident we can achieve. St. Mark Parish, like most parishes, is always strongest, when we have a challenging goal before us.

The process of the campaign will begin in the next few weeks, involving conversations with prospective lead and major donors, and it will conclude later this year with a parish-wide appeal. Therefore, if you do not hear from us for a while, it will be because we are going through this process, which will probably take from now until early January to fully complete.

There are a few important points I wish to stress. Since this is an extra-ordinary funding campaign, it is important to continue your regular offertory contributions, because we will still need to run the parish and pay the regular bills in the process. Also, this capital campaign will differ from more recent campaigns, in that 100% of your gifts and pledges will come directly to the parish for this project. This campaign is NOT being dove-tailed with an Archdiocesan capital campaign. There will be the usual annual United Catholic Appeal by the Archdiocese, but your contribution to the United Catholic Appeal is separate from the Roadmap to Success Campaign.

Johnson-Grossnickle & Associates is the firm which is directing us through the process, under the guidance of Angela White and Dan Schipp. However, to be as cost effective as possible, most of the work of the campaign is being done by your fellow parishioners, under the leadership of co-chairs Dawn and Pat Collier and Jill and Joe Mendoza. Please keep the Roadmap to Success campaign in your prayers, and when called upon to donate, please be as generous as you can be. Your generosity will be greatly appreciated.

 Parents,

I want to take this opportunity to communicate some positive things at our school this year. While
we
continue to improve each day, we understand that your role as a parent is the most important piece of that improvement.  We are constantly looking for more ways to help all of our children reach their potential in faith, academic, leadership and service growth.  Here are some ways that will help with that
growth.

ALEKS- as most of you know, every child in grades K thru 8th has a user name and password for ALEKS online Math program.  All students should have finished their assessment and should be able to logon from home or school to work at their own individualized level for Math. If you do not have a username or password for your child, contact their teacher.  Our computer lab has been very busy and we have seen great growth in only a few weeks in our Math efforts. If you have any technical questions about ALEKS you can contact our rep Steve Harris at (317) 413-3607 or email him at:   harriseducation1@gmail.com. The technical support for ALEKS is: (714)-619-7090 from 7:00am –11:00pm.

We will begin the NWEA MAP test in a few weeks for grades K-7. This test allows for true assessment of our students and gives our teachers an actual grade level performance in Math and Language Arts. The MAP test is computer based and is done in our computer lab. Parents will be sent home the results of the MAP test a few weeks after its completion and our staff uses these results for ability placement and individualized curriculum.

As some schools are decreasing their fine arts classes, we are looking for ways to increase their offerings at St. Mark Catholic School.  Spanish is once again being offered to grades Pre-K thru 8th grade and new clubs are being offered for our middle school students. Scouting is also a big help to our students in building character and leadership. We are happy to have Josh Schaffner more involved with our school and the opportunities for our students in youth ministry activities.

Our middle school 7th and 8th grade students, through their leadership classes, are working with our Pre-K thru 5th students to mentor, tutor, read to, and assist in their growth. This not only aids the younger students, but instills positive, Christ-centered principles in our older students. Our 8th grade will go to the Cathedral Soup Kitchen and volunteer to help feed the homeless of our community on Friday’s and many middle school students are a part of the parish youth choir.

Much is going on at St. Mark Catholic School. We need your help, support and prayers.  We will be asking each staff member and family in the school to help with the Roadmap to Success Campaign to install new HVAC by August, 2012.  I hope you will give prayerful consideration to leaving a positive legacy to present and future students of our school. We are growing in Christ, but we cannot be happy with where we are currently at. We must keep giving our children the best education possible, so they can be strong, Christian leaders in our community and our world.  Have a terrific day and we will see you at Mass this weekend!

God Bless,

Rusty Albertson
Principal
St. Mark Catholic School
September 16, 2011
ST MARK CATHOLIC SCHOOL…..FAITH IN EVERY CHILD




 

Parents,

Our verse that we have chosen to use this year as a theme is from I John, 3:18 and it is written:

"Children, let us love not in word or speech but in deed and truth."

While we often see people use verses from the Bible as tag lines, we have chosen this verse to not only represent our school, but to represent our Catholic mission and teaching at St. Mark Catholic School. While the verse is short, easy to remember and would fit nicely on the back of a T-shirt, we look past fourteen words and look at its meaning.
It is easy to tell someone that you love them with words, but it is much more difficult and much more meaningful if you show them in action. It is easy to write, “I love you” and it is much more difficult to stop what you are doing, pull yourself away from work and spend time doing something meaningful with someone you love.

Words are cheap, actions are priceless. Words can be hollow; deeds can make for
memories that last for a lifetime. I can remember when I was young, my dad used to bring young men from nearby Camp Atterbury to have supper with us. These young men, barely out of high school, were far from their families and their homes. I would come in from working on our farm and three total strangers would be sitting across the table from me (made for some awkward silent adolescence moments for me!) ready to break bread with
me and my five siblings. I can only imagine the positive impact that meal with our family had for those young men. I have been taught at a young age that talk is cheap and actions are priceless. We are instilling action into our students this year. It may be a canned food drive, a giving tree, a rice bowl, working at the soup kitchen, helping our St. Mark parishioners, visiting shut-ins, working at Holy Family Shelter, giving hats and coats to the needy or simply being kind to each other here at school.

We need your help. We need the parents to continue the pattern of “deeds and truths” at home. We need families working together in their community to give those a hand that need it. We need to love with our actions and not just our words.
You have given your child a great foundation. You have built the first floor of their “house” by sending them to St. Mark Catholic School. Finish the work in progress. Work side by side with them to teach them to be GIVERS and not TAKERS. You want an instant high? Take your children to a food pantry and help sort cans. You want a feeling of accomplishment? Rake some leaves or shovel some snow for an elderly person. You want to walk the walk? Visit someone that doesn’t get many visitors. God put
you here for a purpose, don’t waste it. Our parish is going through many positive changes. Become active in our school and parish. As we remember all of the victims of 9/11 this weekend, let us honor them with our actions of faith and love to others. Have a great weekend and we will see you at Mass this weekend!

God Bless,

Rusty Albertson
Principal
St. Mark Catholic School



 

Take Advantage of new IRA Charitable rollover legislation

Greetings!

New federal tax legislation was enacted in December 2010 regarding IRA Charitable Rollovers.

Normally, a distribution from your IRA is taxed as ordinary income. Under the new tax legislation -for the remainder of 2011- if you are 70 ½ or older you are allowed to make a direct gift from your IRA to St. Mark without the distribution taxed as income to you. The IRA charitable rollover law may provide a very good charitable giving vehicle if you are age   70 ½ and take the standard deduction rather than itemize deductions on your tax return. The law also may reduce the tax impact on your Social Security benefits. Your IRA could be considered a special resource for distributions to St. Mark without the normal consequences of reporting additional taxable income.

The distribution must be from your IRA, not a 401(k) or other retirement plan. Do consult with your financial or tax advisor about the possibility of transferring funds from one of these other plans to establish an IRA, with the distributions charity coming from the newly established IRA. The IRA distribution must be a direct charitable gift and not a distribution to a charitable gift annuity or a charitable remainder trust.

To take advantage or the IRA charitable rollover to help support St. Mark, please review the following helpful tips on how to correctly handle your charitable gift:

• Contact your IRA custodian or representative-before making a gift- to arrange for the proper transfer of funds from your IRA directly to St. Mark. The check issued from your IRA must be made payable to St. Mark Catholic Church.
• If you have elected to have income tax withheld from your normal IRA distributions, advise your IRA administrator not to withhold taxes from distributions to St. Mark.
• Allow for plenty of time to process the gift as it may take longer than anticipated.
• While this topic is fresh on your mind, ask your attorney and financial advisor how to make St. Mark a beneficiary of your will, trust or IRA.

These helpful tips are only for your information regarding the change in the IRA law and are not to be considered as legal, tax, or financial advice. You should consult your legal, tax and financial advisors to implement the benefits of the IRA charitable rollover law.

I would be remiss if I did not mention many are already so generously giving of your resources – both financially and your God-given abilities.  This parish community is so deeply grateful for those gifts.  The ministries of St. Mark, simply, could not happen without your wonderful generosity.  Thank you! Living as faithful stewards of God’s gifts is the best gift we can offer.  God will do the rest!  We promise to be responsible stewards of the support you give to the work of our parish.  We are all partners in this journey of faith!

May we continue to be blessed by our most wonderful Lord!

Kevin Sweeney                                                                                                                   Parish Business Manager

From the Desk of Pastor Plaster

“The Laborer Is Worthy of His Wage.” (Luke 10:7)

Labor Day 2011

Labor Day Weekend is always a spiritual time for me. The weekend offers us a time to reflect, and yes perhaps, even begin to mourn the days of summer coming to a close. We cannot help but wonder what the autumn months will have in store for us, after the long, hot summer. For children, even though they have been in school for a few weeks, it is a time to remember the happy days of summer vacation and the busy school year ahead of them.
Labor Day is also a spiritual time, as we offer gratitude for the gift of work, pray earnestly for those who suffer from unemployment, and recognize that all of our earthly labors, when dedicated to God, are holy. In fact, when we open the Bible to the first chapter of the Book of Genesis, we read that God, Himself, was the first one who worked! God worked in creating the Heavens and the Earth. Our Creator worked, and He found that all He made was very good!
We, too, can find that as creatures, made in the image and likeness of our Creator, our work can be holy, too. We can say that all we have done is good; indeed, it is very good. God, our Creator, works through us. When we are one in mind and heart with Him, our work is a prayer of glory and praise to God. No matter how humble or exalted, we may consider our work to be, in the total scheme of things, our work is important to God, for He calls us into our vocations and occupations in life.
What God gives to us, is truly God’s gift to us. What we do with our talents, our individual qualities, and our work, is truly our gift in return to God. Perhaps we forget these basic facts, these basic truths about God in the business of our everyday lives, and that is why it is good to reflect this weekend, Labor Day
Weekend, on all that God in His goodness has given to us, and all that God in His goodness has done for us. Particularly, we should reflect this weekend on what God has done for us by working through us to enable us to accomplish all of our earthly tasks. God’s work must truly be our own work.
At the same time, we pray this weekend for many, who are unemployed that they may soon find satisfactory and secure employment. The past few years have been particularly difficult years economically, and so we pray that the Holy Spirit may enlighten all who possess a guiding influence over commerce and industry to work diligently for the common good of all people. May we seek together the ways of justice in the workplace enabling us to live in peace and harmony. Indeed, there is nothing better, for which we could pray, on this Labor Day Weekend.