Potbelly Fundraiser---Delicious and Fun

By Lawrence Manetti, St. Joseph School Principal

I want to thank everyone from the dozens of St. Joseph School families---as well as our friends in the Ladies of the Rosary---for supporting our recent dinner-time fundraiser at the Potbelly Sandwich Works at 57th and Harlem.

As you can see from the photos, it was a fun and delicious way to raise funds for our school.

I also want to thank Mrs. Barbara Hughes and the SJS Parent Club for organizing the event, as well as to the staff at Potbelly for their hospitality.

While final figures are not in, this fundraiser will doubtless raise several hundred dollars, as Potbelly is generously donating 25 percent of their receipts from those three hours.

Additionally, now to October 31, the Potbelly at 57th and Harlem will be selling special St. Joseph School shakes (chocolate banana is the flavor). For each shake purchased at that location, Potbelly will donate 50 cents to our school. So please stop in, won't you?

If you are out of state or otherwise not able to stop in at Potbelly but want to help our boys and girls, your donation is always welcome. Please make your check payable to St. Joseph School and mail it to us at 5641 S. 73rd Ave., Summit, IL 60501.

Have a great week.

Simple Steps to Prevent the Flu

By Lawrence Manetti, St. Joseph School Principal

Several weeks ago I wrote about the importance of teaching good health habits to children, as a way to prevent the spread of germs.

Today I want to encourage all St. Joseph School parents to consider getting a flu shot---both for yourselves and your children. My encouragement is based upon and echoes the most current, published advice of local, state and federal public health authorities.

All parents are familiar with the many vaccinations children receive in their earliest years. These life-saving vaccinations protect children from a number of potentially dangerous and even deadly diseases, like measles, mumps, polio, whooping cough, diphtheria, hepatitis and more.

But many of us think of flu shots as something just for senior citizens. Over the years, most of us have seen television news reports of elderly men and women getting flu shots.

A couple of years ago, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) expanded its flu-shot recommendations to include all people over age six months. For full details, visit the CDC’s website:

http://cdc.gov/Features/FLU/

The best place to get a flu shot is from your own family doctor, and please consult your doctor before getting vaccinated. But keep in mind that flu shots are more widely available today than ever, including at many pharmacies and local public health departments. Flu vaccinations are even available in a nasal spray form, for those of us who don’t like needles.

Remember, by getting a flu shot, you are protecting yourself from influenza, which is a potentially dangerous and even deadly lung disease. Additionally, once vaccinated, your immunity to the flu will indirectly help protect your child’s classmates from spread of flu viruses---just as their immunity (if they have been vaccinated) helps protect you and your child.

So this fall, let’s all take simple steps to protect ourselves and each other.

Have a great week...

Great news about one of our graduates

By Lawrence Manetti, St. Joseph School Principal

I always enjoy sharing good news about the achievements of St. Joseph School alumni.

Today I am proud to let everyone know that Beth Lewis of the Class of 2008 has been cast in the role of Marian Paroo in Argo Community High School’s fall production of “The Music Man.”

A talented actress, musician, vocalist and composer---as well as a top student---Beth is the daughter of Ms. Kim Lewis, the longtime director of the St. Joseph School Clubhouse.

In her role, Beth will be singing “Till There Was You,” one of the most popular songs of the American stage.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLDsLeVxOaU&feature=related

Congratulations, Beth!

Join us for Oktoberfest this Saturday!

By Tim Hadac, SJS Director of Development, Alumni Relations and New Media

All St. Joseph School families, as well as parishioners, alumni and alumni parents, and all our friends are invited to attend our Oktoberfest celebration, set for 3:00 to 10:00 p.m. this Saturday, September 10 right here on our school's small parking lot.


If the weather does not cooperate, the event will be held in the school. So either way, we will have a fun and festive celebration for everyone.

Please bring a hearty appetite, because we will be serving grilled bratwurst, chicken sandwiches, hot dogs, sauerkraut, German-style potato salad, beer, wine, soft drinks and water.

Dinner tickets are $10 each at the event, $7 if you purchase them in advance from the school.

In addition to great food and drink, Oktoberfest will feature lively entertainment. From 3:00 to 5:00 p.m., Casey Homel & the World's Honkiest Polka Band---a perennial favorite and crowd pleaser at St. Joe's---will perform.

To hear a preview of the band, check out their many videos posted on YouTube, like this one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rz_DPHZPvI&feature=related

Then from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m., a disc jockey will be on hand to play a wide variety of popular music.

Oktoberfest is sure to be a great time for everyone---but it also is an important fundraiser that helps enable St. Joseph School to continue to provide an excellent elementary education for our boys and girls. So make plans to join us, and please bring your family, friends, neighbors, co-workers---everyone who enjoys an afternoon and evening of family fun.

Additionally, please help us spread the word about Oktoberfest far and wide, especially to our alumni and alumni parents. This is a great opportunity to share a laugh over old memories, re-kindle old friendships and make new ones.

See you there?

Flying the flag at St. Joseph School

By Lawrence Manetti, St. Joseph School Principal

As you use the front entrance of St. Joseph Church, at the corner of 57^th Street and Father Fuerst Drive (72^nd Court), you will see 50 American flags flying on the front lawn.

Placed there shortly after noon today by St. Joseph School fifth graders, the flags are an annual Labor Day reminder for all of us to remember, honor and celebrate the struggles, sacrifices and achievements of America’s working men and women.

This year, the flags will serve a dual purpose, as they will remain in place for the 10^th anniversary commemoration of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

In addition to thanking our fifth graders and their teacher, Mrs. Nieminski, for their role in this modest but important display, I want to express my gratitude to longtime St. Joseph parishioner and St. Joseph School alumni mother Mrs. Margaret “Peggy” Feltz---who along with her husband, the late Donald W. Feltz Sr.---started this tradition several years ago. Mrs. Feltz still leads the placing of the flags every Memorial Day and Labor Day. In fact, the photos I have posted here were taken by her today.

Further, I want to thank Mr. Joe Niego and everyone at Niego Real Estate, 6625 West Archer Avenue, for their ongoing kindness and generosity in donating the flags.

May the flags continue to serve as a reminder to us all that freedom is not free, and liberty must never be taken for granted.

Have a great weekend…