Two Alumni Serving as FOCUS Missionaries

Posted on by Janis DeVore

Two All Saints Catholic School Alumni and long-time parishioners McKenna DeBruyne and Allison Rice are excited to share an opportunity to join them in Catholic evangelization through an organization called FOCUS. McKenna and Allison have dedicated two years of their lives to being Catholic FOCUS missionaries at the University of Colorado, Mines and the University of Maine.

What is FOCUS?
FOCUS stands for the Fellowship of Catholic University Students and is the largest Catholic college outreach program reaching out to students on over 180 different college campuses. The 800 FOCUS missionaries are trained in outreach and evangelization to bring Christ into a student’s world. Their job occurs on campus – in the gym, the cafeteria and coffee shops, at athletic and Greek events – meeting students where they are. From there, they engage them in friendship and invite them into a relationship with Jesus Christ and His Church. They mentor students on how to incorporate Jesus’ teachings into everyday life.

Studies show that those who practice their faith through college are significantly more likely to remain active after graduating. The message of FOCUS is a message of hope: not only do missionaries encounter lost students and invite them back to faith, but these students in turn reach out to their peers, their brothers and sisters, their parents and grandparents. Lives are being changed and souls are being saved!

How Can You Support our Alumni Missionaries?
As missionaries, McKenna and Allison are responsible for fundraising 100% of their mission budget with the help individuals like you. If you are interested in learning more about FOCUS and their mission or want to join McKenna and Allison’s financial support team, please complete the form below and McKenna and Allison will be in contact with you.

Thank you for your generosity and desire to join them in mission to build up leaders, change the world for Christ, and save souls!

Additional Information about FOCUS:

Pilgrim Virgin Statue Program

Posted on by Janis DeVore

Pilgrim Virgin Statue Program
Beginning in October, the month devoted to the Holy Rosary, All Saints Catholic School families are once again invited to renew their devotion to Jesus through Mary in a special way. On Friday, October 8, two statues of Our Lady of Fatima will begin traveling to the homes of school families for week-long visits.

Families who wish to participate in this program this year may sign up online at the
following link:

Pilgrim Virtue Statue Program Sign Ups

Pick up time for the Statues at the front office is before 2:30 p.m. on Friday with a return time of before 9:00 a.m. the following Friday. Please be sure to sign in and out for the Statue in the Visitor Binder at the front desk.

While the statue of the Blessed Mother is in the home, families are encouraged to pray together either part of or the entire five-decade rosary for the intentions of our school as well as for their private intentions.

Should you have any questions or would like more information, please contact the rotation coordinator, Mrs. Maricel Pascua at gmpascua@outlook.com or 571-393-0942

Race for Education Results

Posted on by Janis DeVore

We are so pleased to share that we have raised $32,821 through our 2021 Race for Education!  We are so grateful for your generous support and participation in our largest fundraiser of the year.

The following is a list of the awards announced at yesterday’s student assembly.

  • Dress Down Day for All Students – Tuesday, June 1
  • Shaved Ice for All Students (Capital Snow Truck) – Tuesday, June 1
  • Chick-fil-A Lunch for K2 – Wednesday, June 2
  • Movie & Popcorn Parties – Tuesday, June 8 (Note: The Kindergarten and 8th grade classes will enjoy a movie and popcorn on an earlier day selected by their teachers.)
  • Winners of the $25 Gift Card Drawings – Alistair H. (K2), Thomas M. (5B), & Abby W. (7B)

I wish to thank Mrs. Burroughs and Mrs. Ballard for their wonderful leadership of the Race for Education.  With a strong commitment and a creative approach, they organized a highly successful event for our community, even during this challenging year.

Congratulations to all of our students and thank you for your support of this year’s Race for Education!

In Christ,

David E. Conroy, Jr.

Mrs. Horgan to Speak at National Conference

Posted on by Janis DeVore

We are pleased to announce that Mrs. Horgan has been selected to serve as a program speaker at the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) Annual Conference, April 6-8, 2021. Mrs. Horgan will be co-presenting with a former colleague on two exciting topics:

  • Tech-sploration: Integrated Technology Projects for K-5:
    Participants will discover new methodologies for integrating technology into the classroom. The presentation will delve into the world of website creation, robotics, stop-motion animation, photo-editing, Chromebook potential, and so much more! Participants will also be introduced to the concept of digital portfolios and guidance will be shared for implementation in your own school.
  • STREAM Infused Literacy:
    Participants will discover how to use read-aloud books, stories, and independent texts to infuse STREAM (Science, Technology, Religion, Engineering, Art, Math) lessons for the K-12 classroom. Sample units for various grade levels and guidance for creating similar units will be provided. Participants will be encouraged to share their STREAM ideas on a collaborative document that can be accessed after the completed session.

We wish to congratulate Mrs. Horgan on her selection and thank her for willingness to share her knowledge on these topics with Catholic school teachers from around the country.

Our Eagle Gets a Name!

Posted on by Janis DeVore

Beginning last spring, there was a call to name the All Saints Eagle mascot.  After many votes, the tallies have been counted and our Eagle has a name!

Without further ado, we introduce the All Saints Eagle, Cuthbert! Our eagle’s namesake is Saint Cuthbert who was known for his successful effort to protect birds in his native Northumbria, now Scotland. His feast day is September 4th, so we will make sure to plan special activities around that day for our own Cuthbert.

 

St. Cuthbert also is often depicted with the symbol of an Eagle in artwork.  During this time of Covid-19, it is interesting that one of St. Cuthbert’s patronages is against epidemics.

Author Karen Kiefer Discusses Drawing God

Posted on by Janis DeVore

All Saints Catholic School hosted a literacy event with Author Karen Kiefer as part of its Catholic Schools Week celebration on Thursday, February 4, 2021.  During a school-wide virtual Zoom meeting followed by grade level breakout sessions, the author discussed her inspiration for writing the book Drawing God (hint: it involves God and a supermarket), how the writing process took shape as she developed the book. and the importance of taking time to think about and express your faith.

Drawing God is an uplifting story that encourages families to explore the multitude of ways that God’s presence shines brightly. In the story, Emma returns from an art museum field trip and decides to draw Picasso. When Emma then decides to address the spectacular by drawing God, her classmates can’t see God in her drawings until they are inspired by Emma’s excitement and faith. Mrs. Kiefer hopes that by encountering Emma and her contagious faith, Drawing God will inspire people to think and talk about how and where they see God.

Mrs. Kiefer, who refers to herself as an “accidental author,” shared the story of how God’s plan (his whisper) directed her to write a book focused on encouraging readers to express their faith.  While introducing the breakout sessions, Mrs. Kiefer encouraged students to “consider your gifts, your thoughts, and how you specifically are inspired to draw God.”

You can find out more about Karen Kiefer and the drawing God movement inspired by her book on the website:  https://www.drawing-god.com/.

Our thanks to Mrs. Coyle for her efforts in setting up this special author event and to Karen Kiefer for her inspirational message encouraging all to think about how and where they see God.

Thanks for your support of #GivingTuesday

Posted on by Janis DeVore

With sincere appreciation, we want to thank everyone who made our day of giving such a great success!

Due to the generosity of our All Saints community (current school families, faculty & staff, former parents, alumni and parishioners) we raised $3,826 in our first ever #iGiveCatholic / #GivingTuesday campaign!

All proceeds will help fund curriculum and technology initiatives for our students.

Final Chance to Give
We are just $174 from our goal of raising $4,000 through our #GivingTuesday campaign.

If you would still like to participate, we will be accepting check donations through Monday, December 7. Please send checks through your child’s teacher in an envelope marked “Attn: Mrs. Janis DeVore” or by mailing your donation to All Saints Catholic School, 9294 Stonewall Road, Manassas, VA 20110, Attn: Mrs. Janis DeVore.

Thank you again for your support of our #GivingTuesday efforts!

Announcing … All Saints Virtual Art Show

Posted on by Janis DeVore

We are so excited to announce that Miss Galanides, All Saints Art Teacher, is organizing a Virtual Art Show for All Saints students!

Students may submit their artwork to the All Saints Virtual Art Show through Artsonia and can upload as many pieces of art as they choose. This is an exciting way for students to share the artwork that they have been creating while at home.

To submit artwork, please do the following:

  1. To get started, download the Artsonia 6.0 app in the Apple or Android app store, select the “Students” option, then type the Access Code FDSM-BSKN. You can view a short tutorial video on using the app at artsonia.com/videos/studentapp.
  2. If you don’t have a mobile compatible device, you can simply visit artsonia.com/class/access.asp. To register for the All Saints page, please enter the Access Code FDSM-BSKN.
  3. Once you are on the All Saints class page, you will be able to add your child’s name and parent email to the roster.
  4. Student usernames and artwork will be private until the child’s parent or guardian gives permission for it to be viewed publicly.

We will be sending out a link to the Virtual Art Show on June 2, 2020, so everyone can enjoy the creative works of our student community! See the Virtual Art Show Flyer below for more information. If you have any questions, please email Miss Galanides at lgalanides@allsaintsva.org,

All Saints Virtual Art Show Flyer