ST. AGNES CHURCH

Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

February 11, 2018

2314 Third Avenue, Scottsbluff, Nebraska 69361 (308)632-2541 Mailing address: PO Box 349, Scottsbluff, NE 69363-0349 Fax: 308-632-2146 Website: www.st-agnes-church.com

Parish Office Hours: Tuesday-Friday, 9am - Noon & 1pm - 4pm

Rev. Vincent L. Parsons

Pastor Rev. Michael E. Wetovick

Associate Pastor Sr. Vera Meis, C.S.J.

Pastoral Minister

Mass Schedule:

(October - May) Saturday: 4:00 pm

Sunday: 8:00 & 10:30 am (June - September) Saturday 6:00 pm

Sunday: 8:00 & 10:00 am Monday, Tues, Wed, Friday 7 am

Sacrament of Reconciliation Saturdays one hour prior to evening Mass or by appointment (632-2541)

Sacrament of Baptism Please call the Parish Office

Page 2 Year B February 11, 2018

W ednesday – Ash Wednesday – begins our Lenten journey. We are reminded that there will be some pain involved as

we fast, pray and give alms. The pain will be good pain. Pain that will remind us of God’s presence in our lives, as our stomach growls. Pain as we spend a little more time to pray. Pain as we make a sacrifice by giving up something that pleases us. A man went to his doctor for a physical. The doctor said, “You are going to have to change your whole lifestyle: no smoking, no drinking, no late hours, no activity that will over-excite you. Moreover, I’m putting you on a strict diet.” The man asked, “Will this make me live longer?” The doctor said, “No, but it certainly will seem longer.” Our Lenten practices might feel like a lifetime. They are practices that help us focus on God, not on ourselves. So, let us jump up on our feet, brush off some of our bad habits and start right now to make this lent the best lent possible. It has been tradition and custom in the Catholic Church that the “Alleluia” is not sung during lent. St. Augustine said about the alleluia, “We say goodbye fondly, like parting friends.” In the middle ages the custom was to bury the alleluia just before Ash Wednesday and then resurrect the alleluia on Easter Sunday. We will not be burying the alleluia, just wishing it farewell until Easter. A group of professional people asked four eight year-olds, “What is love?” Here are six answers the children gave: a) “Love is that first feeling you feel before all the bad stuff gets in the way.” b) “Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well” c) “When my grandmother got arthritis, she could not bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So, my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That’s love.” d) “Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other.” e) “Love is what makes you smile when you’re tired.” f) “When you tell someone something bad about yourself and you’re scared they won’t love you anymore. But then you get surprised because not only do they still love you, they love you even more.”

Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time S a i n t A g n e s

C a t h o l i c C h u r c h

Today’s Readings

Leviticus 13:1-2, 44-46 Psalm 32

1 Corinthians 10:31-11:1 Mark 40-45

Parish Administration (308) 632-2541 / (308) 632-2146 (Fax)

office@st-agnes-church.com www.st-agnes-church.com

Pastor Rev. Vincent L. Parsons (ext. 2)

pastor@st-agnes-church.com Pastoral Minister

Sr. Vera Meis (ext. 4) srvera@st-agnes-church.com

Director of Religious Education Mrs. Terri Calvert (ext.5) dre@st-agnes-church.com Church Office Manager

Mrs. Danni Koeteman (ext. 3) office@st-agnes-church.com

School Head Teacher Mrs. Julie Brown (632-6918)

office@stagnesonline.org School Office Manager Kristie Neilan (632-6918) office@stagnesonline.org

Monday, February 12, 2018 Daily Mass (7:00am) Intention: †Jack Bussey by Family Communal Rosary (4:45pm) Liturgy of the Hours (5:05pm) Tuesday, February 13, 2018 Daily Mass (7:00am) Intention: †Felix Koenig by Family Tuesday Discussion Group (8-9 am) Liturgy of the Hours (5:30pm) RCIA (7pm) Ash Wednesday, February 14, 2018 Daily Mass (7am) Intention: Priests/Religious by Youngs (12 noon) †Earl Langel by School Staff & Students (7pm) For the Parish Liturgy of the Hours (5:30pm)

Contemplative Prayer Group (6:00pm) Thursday, February 15, 2018 Mass at Scottsbluff Care & Rehab (9:300am) Liturgy of the Hours (5:30pm) Friday, February 16, 2018 Daily Mass (5:45pm) Intention: †Catherine Dalton by Tom & Charlene Braddock Liturgy of the Hours (5:30pm) Saturday, February 17, 2018 Weekend Mass (4:00pm) Intention: For the Parish Sunday, February 18, 2018 Weekend Mass (8:00am) Intention: †Larry & †Herb Meis By Doris Flohr Weekend Mass (10:30am) Intention: †Jeremy & †David Young by Jerry & Eileen Young

This Week’s Schedule

Finance Corner Sunday Collections

& ATW Giving

February 4, 2018 Actual $7127.11 Budget $9000.00 Surplus (Deficit) $1872.89 Scholarship Fund $1231.00 Next Sunday’s 2nd collection is for One Rose One Life, the Knights of Columbus program to support Life from the womb to the tomb.

Lenten Rice Bowl Lent is a 40-day journey of prayer, fast-ing and almsgiving. As companions on this journey, we are invited to reach out to our neighbor in need no matter where they live. This Wednesday begins Lent. During Lent you can support the CRS Rice Bowl by picking up a Rice Bowl box from one of the church entrances to use as part of almsgiving. If your child is in the Religious Education program or enrolled in St. Agnes School, they will bring one home for your family. Rest in Peace Dorothy Peters, mother of Rick (Deb) Hilzer.

Page 3 Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

The Dead Sea Scrolls This week’s DVD is titled Biblical

Manuscripts at Qumran & Alternative Views of Qumran and the Scrolls.

All are invited on Mondays at 7pm.

Dates to Remember In 2018 Feb 14 - Ash Wednesday Feb 25 - Open House for Danni Mar 24 - DCCW Shroud of Jesus April 1 - Easter Sunday April 15-17 - Parish retreat with Fr. Jim Sichko

Server Schedule Feb 17 4pm Ashanti Arreola Megan Kicken Feb 18 8am Jed Zulkoski Emily Esselstein 10:30am Addison Gonzales Julian Palmer

Lector Schedule Feb 17 & 24 4pm Sr. Vera Meis Feb 18 & 25 8am Nichole Hoesing 10:30am M.C. Schaff

Ash Wednesday Mass 7am, noon, 7pm

Daily Mass

Mondays & Tuesdays, 7:00am Wednesdays, 8:15am

Fridays, 5:45pm

Communal Reconciliation St. Agnes Church: Mar 18 - 3pm Christ the King: March 18, 6pm

Individual Reconciliation March 26, noon & 6pm

No reconciliation Sat., Mar 31st

Stations of the Cross Every Friday, 5:15 pm

Communal Rosary Mondays, 4:45pm

Fish Fry Friday, Feb. 16, March 9, 23 5:30 - 7:30pm, School Gym

Soup Supper Friday, Feb. 23, March 2 & 16

following 5:45pm Mass Garden Room

Holy Week Schedule

March 29, Holy Thursday, 7pm March 30, Good Friday, noon

March 31, Holy Saturday, 8pm April 1, Easter Sunday

8:00 & 10:30am

2018 Lent/Holy Week Schedule

Mass Times This Wednesday, 7am, Noon, 7pm

This Friday (Feb 16th)

Deep Fried Pollock, Cole Slaw, French Fries, Cheese Pizza,

Dessert, Beverages Shrimp (extra charge)

St. Agnes School Gym 5:30-7:30pm

Adults, $8 Kids under 10, $4

Young at Heart Young at Heart meets this Tuesday at noon in the Garden Room. Everyone of retirement age is invited to attend. Sloppy joes will be served. Please bring a side dish.

The Lenten season is just

around the corner. Ash Wednesday is a universal day of fast and abstinence. Because Ash Wednesday occurs this year on Valentine’s Day, there is a likelihood that Catholics will easily forget the obligation not only to fast that day, but to abstain from meat, especially if they plan on eating out. Remember your obligation, which cannot be dispensed or deputed to another day.

Page 4 February 11, 2018

The Jewish people saw sin as a factor that affected the whole body and one’s acceptance in the community. A leper did not have sores on his skin because of a physical in-vasion by a bacterium as we know today. Instead, leprosy was God’s method, according to the Jews, of identifying and punishing a sinful person. Even when a person outwardly appeared to lead a scrupulous life, the Jews were sure that there must be some hidden cause for God’s chastisement of the leper. Society thought the leper was unclean and therefore a threat both to the physical and spiritual well-being of the community. The leper had to verbally identify himself as unclean as he encoun-tered people along the road. He was forbidden to touch anyone that did not have leprosy or anything that a clean person might use. The leper depended on alms for clothing and food, the castoffs and the inedible from other people. The Jewish considered any skin sore as the possible onset of leprosy and required a priest’s inspection. If the sore was questionable, the person was ex-pelled from the village until he or she could prove that the sore was not leprous. If the priest determined the skin ailment was something other than leprosy, the person could return to society after a required religious purification rite. Those identified to have leprosy were destined to a life of isolation, of abject poverty and, for the Jewish culture, a disgrace even to God.

Jesus’ curing the man of leprosy was indeed a miraculous event. In an instant, the man’s sores disappeared. He no longer would be ostracized by the Jewish society as being a sinful man. It was as if the man was brought back to life for he could return to his village and family and lead a normal existence.

When we sin, we may think of it as a smudge or a blackening on our soul because we have turned away from what pleases God. If we ignore the effects of sin, this darkening can increase in intensity and size until sin threatens to con-sume us with evil. While we may not relate sin to physical changes as the Jewish people did with leprosy, at times a self-imposed physical and mental torment can result from sin. We may have a loss of appetite or become despondent in doing daily activities. We are eaten away by thoughts of ‘How could I have said those words?’ or ‘Why did I do that?’ We may compare ourselves to a leper and isolate ourselves as we feel unworthy of God and those we love.

Just as the leper in the Gospel, we can become clean from sin through the healing hand of Jesus by the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The freeing of our soul from the disease of sin is just as miraculous as the cure of the leper. We too should go joyfully out into the world praising the glorious works of the Lord. May God Bless You,

Journey of Grief Program To aid in the healing of grief

7 week session by Doug Manning Sunday Feb 11, 2018 - 5pm

St. Agnes Garden Room call Ellen 631-0811 or Sr. Vera 632-2541

This Lent, become companions on the journey through

• Daily prayer • Weekly fasting • Almsgiving that changes lives

The Grand Island Diocesan Council of Catholic Women is sponsoring

a Scholarship for Senior Girls who exemplify their Catholic Faith with service,

leadership, and faith. This is a $200 scholarship. For additional information,

contact Kristin Linton 5261Road 105, Dalton, NE 69131

Or go to www.gidccw.org Application is due MARCH 1, 2018.

at St. Agnes Church

Oliver Robert Vath December 30, 2017

Son of Adam & Hollie Vath

L i v i n g O u r C at h o l i c Fa i t h

Treasures from our Tradition Today’s Gospel centers on the plight of a leper and Jesus’ response of healing. In Hawaii, the bacterium that causes leprosy probably entered from China in the mid-1800s, and the native islanders were susceptible to the dreaded disease. In 1866, the government literally dumped the sufferers on a remote and virtually inaccessible island peninsula with towering cliffs. Thrown off ships into the sea, the sick people were told to swim for the beach and head for caves, and for seven years the only supplies were similarly cast into the

sea to drift ashore. It was then, 1873, that a thirty-three-year-old Belgian priest, Damien de Veuster, went voluntarily to Kalaupapa. Before long, he cajoled the government into funding his mission and its hospital, built a village with proper homes and sanitation, and recruited Mother Marianne Cope to bring sisters from Syracuse, New York, to nurse the sick. Damien, who eventually died of leprosy, has been canonized, and Mother Marianne as well. Although leprosy has been curable since the 1940s, today a few patients remain

in their lifelong home, now a national historic site. The peninsula is still utterly isolated from the outside world, and the speed limit for the few cars there is 5 mph since there’s nowhere to go! The hospital is still well-staffed and equipped, but access is regulated and visitors must take an official tour, often involving a descent down the cliffs by “Molakai mule.” There are few places on earth that evoke the healing power of Jesus, or our call to follow the Healer, more than Damien’s beloved island mission. —Rev. James Field, Copyright © J. S. Paluch Co.

Page 5 Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

These first days of Jesus’ ministry present him preaching, teaching, and healing to bring people to know that God is near. His message and his deeds bring people back to full life in the community. By casting out demons and curing the sick he restores to full humanity those suffering from possession and illness. Today we find Jesus confronting a condition that must have been even more excruciating—leprosy. To be a leper was to be cut off from others in all ways. You were cast out of the community, isolated, doomed to live in deserted places, no longer part of the human family, unable to participate in any social events, and considered unfit to worship God. It was assumed that if you had leprosy, you had sinned in some way. Your life was summed up in the words the Law of Moses told you to cry out whenever anyone came near, “Unclean, unclean!” For Jesus to touch a leper meant that in the eyes of others he also be-came unclean and unfit to associate and worship with others. Even so, when a leper asked for healing, Jesus was unequivocal in his reply: “I do will it. Be made clean” (Mark 1:41). It is easy to hear in his response the authority of the Son of God, set on giving glory to his Father. Yet Jesus, ever respectful of the law, sent the man to the priest, as commanded in the book of Leviticus. In Jesus, pity took precedence over the law, but did not abolish it.—James A. Wallace, C.Ss.R. Copy ight © 2014,

This Week’s Readings

Monday: Jas 1:1-11; Ps 119:67-68, 71- 72, 75-76; Mk 8:11-13 Tuesday: Jas 1:12-18; Ps 94:12-13a, 14-1 5, 18-19; Mk 8:14-21 Wednesday: Jl 2:12-18; Ps 51:3-6ab, 12-14,

17; 2 Cor 5:20 - 6:2; Mt 6:1-6, 16-18 Thursday: Dt 30:15-20; Ps 1:1-4, 6; Lk 9:22-25 Friday: Is 58:1-9a; Ps 51:3-6ab, 18-19; Mt 9:14-15 Saturday: Is 58:9b-14; Ps 86:1-6; Lk 5:27-32 Sunday: Gn 9:8-15; Ps 25:4-9; 1 Pt 3:18-22; Mk 1:12-15

St. Agnes Catholic School Foundation Hires New Executive Director

St. Agnes Catholic School Foundation has hired Jackie Seymour as its new executive director. Jackie, a graduate of the School of Journalism and Mass Communications at Kansas State University, recently relocated to the area with her husband, Casey, and three children. Her professional experience includes multiple retail management roles, complemented by extensive volunteerism at Resurrection Catholic Church in Wichita, Kansas. In addition, Jackie and her

husband developed Moving Iron LLC, a website for agricultural equipment dealers, and she is instrumental in planning and executing the company’s annual networking event. Having previously lived in Scottsbluff for several years, professional opportunities took the family to Kansas, but then in 2017, Casey’s position with 21st Century Equipment brought the family back to Scottsbluff. During her previous residence in Scottsbluff, she co-founded the St. Agnes Premiere, which has grown to be a major fundraiser in the region. Jackie says, “I have always been drawn through faith to Catholic Education.” The foundation is ecstatic to welcome her back as its executive director! The St. Agnes Catholic School Foundation ensures the long-term financial stability of the school. For more information, visit http://www.catholicschoolfoundation.com/home.html or call Jackie Seymour at 308-632-6918.

Grade School (pre-school—5th grades) Formation Sessions will begin on Sunday, October 2nd from 9:15-10:15 a.m. in the school building.

Sunday Schedule: Feb. 4th, 11th,

18th ( No formation sessions), & 25th Middle School Formation Sessions (grades 6th-8th) meet from 7-8:15 p.m. in the school building.

Wednesday Schedule: Feb. 7th,

14th (Ash Wednesday Mass at 7pm), 21st, & 28th (Lent Adoration &

Reconciliation in the Church at 7pm)

High School (CYM) Formation Sessions youth gather in catechist’s

homes from 7-8:30 p.m. Wednesday Schedule:

14th (Ash Wednesday Mass at 7pm), 21st, & 28th (Lent Adoration &

Reconciliation in the Church at 7pm)

11th CYM Schedule:

February Schedule

7th - Confirmation - Garden Room 14th - Ash Wednesday Mass - 7pm 21st - Confirmation - Garden Room 28th - Lent Adoration & Reconciliation -Church 7pm 31st - CYM - Leader’s Home 29th - Confirmation - Garden Level

Celebrating Sunday for Catholic Families

Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time Gospel: Mark 1:40-45

On the Way to Mass: If you were the leper, would you have told others about what Jesus did? Why or why not? On the Way Home From Mass: What does it mean to be clean on the inside versus the outside? Living the Word: Propose to the family that a room be chosen to clean. Family members should see this cleaning as a chance to change the space both physically and with intention. For instance, if you clean the kitchen, rearrange things to promote hospitality or a feeling of nourishment. Or if you clear out a closet, use the time to think about clearing out a space in your life and what needs to be cleansed that you have hidden away. You might decide that the family cleans a room together or that each family member may pick a room for cleaning. Either way, see how this can be turned into a cleaning of both the inside and outside..

Celebrating Sunday for Catholic

Families 2017-2018

Find Us On

Facebook

Twitter: stagnes-church Instagram: st.agnescatholicchurch

Parish Website www.st-agnes-church.com

Pick of the Week The Suitcase is a story about Giving. Zeal and excitement are a part of every child. This picture book celebrates a

young boy’s enthusiasm to put into practice the words of Christ: to feed and clothe the poor; help the needy; and love one’s neighbor. Go to formed.org and watch and listen to this storybook with your family. If you haven’t registered yet, do it today! 1.Go to formed.org/register 2. Enter Access Code: J97Z6Y 3.Enter your email and create a

password (you need this to login later)

4.Enjoy and share with others in

our local community!

Ash Wednesday Mass Times February 14th

7 A.M. - Noon - 7 P.M.

Page 5 February 11,2018

Religious Education Program Email—dre@st-agnes-church.com Religious Education Office—308-635-1362

Page 6 Sixth Sunday in Ordinary time

Meet the

Confirmation Candidates

My name is Madelin Parks. I live in Gering and attend Gering High School where I am a junior. I have two dogs, one recently passed. My parents are Stephanie and Jason Parks. My brother is Ethan Parks. I am involved in many clubs at school. I play traveling soccer year round. I also play soccer for GHS. My goals for Confirmation are to become more connected with Christ, and to help out with the Church anyway I can.

Meet the Catechists

My name is Pamela Brezenski. I have been married to Allen for 23 years and we have three daughters; Gabrielle, Josephine, and Leona. I have been a catechist for 11 years in Arizona, North Dakota, and Nebraska. I am currently one of the catechists for the 6th grade formation sessions on Wednesday evenings. I work at ESU 13 as the Transition Coordinator, Special Education. My goal for this year is to help students grow in their faith and deepen how they talk to and hear God.

Sharing Lent with children Lent can be an opportunity to share the rich traditions of penance and piety we learned as children with our own families. For example: Meatless Fridays. “Fridays in Lent meant dried-out fish sticks,” said Lisa. “We all hated them, which Mom said was the point. She said to offer our suffering to Jesus. I serve spaghetti on Fridays to my own family. It’s also a simple meal but it’s not fish sticks.” Fasting. “Rather than give up one thing for Lent, we gave up something new each day,” Nora said. “At bedtime we would write on a sticky note what we gave up that day and tape it to the refrigerator. It was great fun to try to cover the fridge with sticky notes by Easter.” Family Prayer. Paul remembered, “Lent usually came during basketball season so I would race home from practice to join my family for prayer. We took turns choosing how we prayed that night – the Rosary, Chaplet of Divine Mercy, Novenas. Sometimes it was the only time each day we gathered as a family.” Favorite Devotions. “My favorite Lenten devotion is the Stations of the Cross,” said Jane. “Our parish hosts a meatless meal every Friday and we pray the Stations of the Cross right afterwards. I love sharing my favorite devotion with my own family.” Why Do Catholics Do That? Why do Catholics make sacrifices during Lent? Catholics make sacrifices during Lent to imitate Jesus’ 40 days of fasting in the desert. This was his period of purification and enlightenment before beginning his public ministry. Our sacrifices help us to avoid distractions that take our attention away from God. As we fast from favorite foods, luxuries, or activities, the simplicity left in their absence encourages us to focus on God more deeply and identify how we have strayed from the path that will take us to him. Refresh kindness during Lent Our youngsters need us to help them become caring, respectful children of God. Lent is an appropriate time to refresh our family commitment to kindness. Emphasize manners. Common courtesy is a sign of kindness both at home and in public. During Lent, look for opportunities to model and encourage the liberal use of “please,” “thank you,” “you’re welcome,” and “excuse me.” Open doors, pull out chairs, wish others a “nice day,” and be patient even under trying circumstances. Stay calm. The stress of daily life can try anyone’s temper but experts agree that yelling regularly can create a harmful environment in a home. Instead, speak calmly, lovingly, and ask others to do the same. Model gentleness. Next time your child does something wrong – breaks a rule, gets a bad grade, fights with a sibling – don’t respond with anger or sarcasm. React gently. Turn it into a teaching opportunity, but do it with gentleness. Treat yourself gently, too. Bonus: If you have a pet, encourage and model gentle and respectful care. Partners in Faith - February 2018

Page 8 February 11 2018

February 11, 2018

St. Agnes Catholic School 205 E 23rd

Scottsbluff, NE Ph: 308-632-6918 Fax: 308-632-6943

Laetner Malm, Jed Zulkoski and Tristan Calvert were rec-ognized as the January Virtuous students of the month at the Golden Rule Ceremony held on Feb. 6th. Grand Knight, Dave Wolf, made the presentation.

Monday, February 12th HSA meeting -- 6PM, Learning Center

Valentine Party for M/W/F Pre-K students

Tuesday, February 13th Valentine Parties--2:30PM Mardi Gras--6PM in gym

Wednesday, February 14th

Ash Wednesday Mass -- 12PM

Thursday, February 15th Turn in raffle tickets to class teacher

Friday, February 16th

Mid Quarter Reports go home 3rd--5th grade

Fish Fry--5:30PM-7:30PM gym

Up Coming Events

$200-Kirk & Vicki Begley

$60-Gigi Alderete

$50-Bob Muldoon

$50-Ligia Brittan

$100-Danny & Tammie Winters

$50-Maggie Skiles

$50-Rod & Delores Brooks

$100-Margaret Ann Pickering

$50-Nancy & Jim Kerr

$50-Redo & Stacy Celli

$100-Margaret Brannon

$50-Jeani Kra-mer

$50-Bryan & Trudy

Henderson

January 100 Club Winners

Monday, 12th Pizza Green salad w/Dorothy Lynch Corn Apricots Helpers: Stephen Klaas, Delores Longoria

Tuesday, 13th Chicken nuggets Steamed carrots French fries Grapes Cookie Helpers: Josh Hill, Sundee Hill

Wednesday , 14th Mac & cheese Green beans Steamed broccoli Pears Helpers: Betsy Vidlak, Kris n Schiff

Thursday, 15th Fried chicken Mashed potatoes & gravy Mixed vegetables Pineapple Wheat roll Helpers: Irma Torres, Need one more volunteer

Friday, 16th Cheese quesadilla Refried beans Green beans Churro Apple Helpers: Shae Brost, Aurora Linz

Toes were tapping as the SHS show choir performed for the St. Agnes stu-dents on Monday, February 5th. Former students: Ty Corr, Sydney Petitt, Kam-den McGrew, Erin Hayhurst and Tori Bogus were part of the performance which was enjoyed by all.

What’s Happening at St. Agnes School...

Hot Lunch Menu for February 12th-February 16th

St. Agnes students and staff proudly celebrated Catholic Schools week during the week of Jan 28-Feb 1. This week allows Catholic Schools to recognize and honor all who make Catholic education possible. The students led 10:30 Mass on Jan. 28th, taking the opportunity to thank the parish for their continued generosity toward our school. The members of the City Council enjoyed lunch with our student council who took the chance to thank these individuals for their service to our community. Those in vocations were thanked for their sup-port of Catholic Education when cards were sent to all priests, deacons and nuns in the diocese. As always, a service project was completed to show our sup-port for a charity. This year’s project was a change war to raise funds for the Ronald McDonald House, in memory of Shane Malm. This organization offers housing and other support to families experiencing cancer treatment. On behalf of the students and staff at St. Agnes School, thank you to all who make our school and amazing place to learn and cultivate our faith. The Scottsbluff Star Herald covered St. Agnes’ Catholic Schools week, please take a moment to read the story. http://www.starherald.com/features/youth/st-agnes-in-scottsbluff-takes-part-in-catholic-schools-week/article_d0877e05-3618-5897-aedc-7bafb3f01bf5.html

School News...

We have a lot of activities going on here at St. Agnes. We just did our Reading Rodeo! We had a lot of fun with various cow-poke activities like barrel racing, relay racing, reading a melodra-ma, and eating chili. We even made a campfire out of grapes, cheese, and pretzels! Yum! We are getting ready for Mardi Gras and Penny Carnival. I hope many of you will come to see our pa-rade and enjoy some yummy pancakes that evening!

We have started a new project here in first grade. Each weekend a few students will get to adopt a fuzzy friend (stuffed ani-mal) for the weekend. They will then be able to write all about the adventures they have with their pet over the weekend! In a few weeks, we will be starting our poetry unit! The students will work over the next few months to write poems, and then they will be able to share them with their families at our Poetry Café in May.

Catholic Schools Week was a success! We love celebrating our outstanding and unique school. Last week in our classroom, we started a bulletin board “100 Reasons Why We Love Our School.” Wow some of the answers were very heartwarming. Some answers varying from: Gigi, Teachers, After 3, Reading In-centive, and our volunteers. We are so lucky and blessed to have the best, loving catholic school family, here at St. Agnes.

We have a busy few weeks approaching. We are excited to celebrate Mardi Gras and St. Valentine’s Day! Our Valentine Party is on Tuesday, February 13th, due to Ash Wednesday on the 14th. We are busy and moving right along academically too! We are starting our science unit over Ecosystems and Interactions. We are also beginning our new chapter in social studies about The Gov-ernment. We are working hard this quarter to earn our class incen-tive points, and to keep our grades up! I am very proud of how far all of my students have come during this tough transitional aca-demic year! We have grown very close and it will be tough for me to see them move on to 4th grade!