St.

Augustine Academy
130 South Wells Road Ventura California 93004 805-672-0411 Fax 805-672-2365 e-mail StAugAcad@juno.com www.SaintAugustineAcademy.com

November 8, 2013
Board of Governors President Thomas Q. Ellis Secretary Robert R. Orellana, Esq. Treasurer Michael C. Collins Members Abel Montiel Jeff Schuberg Michael F. McLean, Ph.D. Louise Warnert

St. Godfrey

After a lovely trip to the glorious explosion of colors in New York, I am delighted to be back in WARM Southern California. I will be working on some notes over the next week on our conference and hopefully share them in next weeks missive. With several Superintendents, policy wonks and Catholic educators, along with the our keynote speaker, Dr. Sandra Stotsky the English expert who, famously, refused to validate Common Corelets just say it was a very interesting week. We also took time one evening to have dinner with Bo and LeLe who send their love to everyone. For today, though, as we enter into the month of Gratitude, I thought it a good moment to reflect on all the gifts with which we have each been blessed. We have our share of tragedies, struggles, sorrows and sins but we have also all been so incredibly blessed by the abundant grace of God. Here are some quotes from across the ages on gratitude:

Headmaster Michael J. Van Hecke, M.Ed. Vice President of Development J. Peter Slaga Board of Advisors Hon. Jeremiah Denton Former U.S. Senator Mr. Nicholas J. Healy, Jr. President Ave Maria University Dr. Ronald P. McArthur Co-founder Thomas Aquinas College Mr. Roy S. Rohter, S.F.O. Co-founder St. Augustine Academy Fr. Michael Scanlan, T.O.R. Chancellor Franciscan University Mr. James Stenson Educator and Author

In relation to others, gratitude is good manners; in relation to ourselves, it is a habit of the heart and a spiritual discipline. Daphne Rose Kingma, A Garland of Love (1992) The best way to show my gratitude to God is to accept everything, even my problems, with joy. Mother Teresa (1910-1997) In ordinary life we hardly realize that we receive a great deal more than we give, and that it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich. It is very easy to overestimate the importance of our own achievements in comparison with what we owe others. Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945), Ethics (1949) Thankfulness is a soil in which pride does not easily grow. Michael Ramsay (1904-1988) Gratitude is the most exquisite form of courtesy. Jacques Maritain (1882-1973), Reflections on America (1948), Ch. 17 You say grace before meals. All right. But I say grace before the concert and the opera, and grace before the play and pantomime, and grace before I open a book, and grace before sketching, painting, swimming, fencing, boxing, walking, playing, dancing and grace before I dip the pen in the ink.When it comes to life the critical thing is whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude. G.K. Chesterton (1874-1936) Thanksgiving is good but thanks-living is better. Matthew Henry (1662-1714) No duty is more urgent than that of returning thanks. Saint Ambrose (340-397 AD), De Spiritu Sancto Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever Psalm 107:1 Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others. Marcus Tullius Cicero (106 BC-43 BC), Pro Plancio (54 BC)
Over

GALA Only Two Weeks!!!

Pray for a great evening and come ready for fun!
HOUSE FOR RENT In Santa Paula, a 3 bedroom 1 bath house is available for $1450/mo. Includes water, trash, soft water system, appliances and reverse osmosis drinking water. Please call Sue Paroski for more info at 805-525-7525 MOVIE CANCELLED (Due to Mrs. Portia Loughmans Funeral Rosary, we will move the movie to January. PRO LIFE CLUB MOVIE NIGHT Invite families and friends to come enjoy the fun movie, HORTON HEARS
A WHO. A person is a person, no matter how small! Friday, November 15th at 7 PM. All proceeds will go to helping defray the costs for the high school students making the trip to 2014 Walk for Life. Flyer enclosed.

CALENDAR EVENTS Nov. 11th NO SCHOOL Veterans Day Nov. 15th Progress Reports Pro Life Movie Night. 7:00 PM CANCELLED Nov. 23rd GALA!!! Nov. 27th Dec. 1st Thanksgiving Recess Dec. 6th Noon Dismissal, First Friday Mass: Saint Nicholas Feast Day th Dec. 12 Advent Concert Poinsettia Pavilion, Ventura Dec 17-19th EXAMS Dec 20th NO SCHOOL Christmas Recess Begins Jan 6, 2014 School Resumes GALA NEWS PLEASE GET IN YOUR RESERVATIONS Reservations are starting to pour in THANK YOU. Keep them coming, and spread the word. We STILL HAVE TWO SPONSORSHIPS AVAILABLE. Here are a few more items that have come ina lunch in Paso Robles wine country, including transportationin a private plane! The Wine table is growing, though we can still use more, if you have not been able to drop off a bottle or two. Many other live and silent auction items are in. [Donations after today may not make it in the Gala auction, but WILL certainly be used at some point. Thank you!]

FOOTBALL AND VOLLEYBALL Thanks so much to all the student athletes and to Coach Rossi and Coach Schuberg for an entertaining season. We look forward to great success in the tournaments. Schedule is still dependent upon St. Bonaventure High Schools CIF Playoff schedule, but will occur sometime between November 12 and 20th. EXACT SCHEDULE WILL BE SENT VIA EMAIL when we receive it from the league.
PRAYERS We continue to keep all our friends and family in our prayers. We pray for the soul of Ed Collins who passed away suddenly, this week. We also pray for the Collins family, for the gift of consolation during this time, and strength as they also struggle with their other grandpas sudden illness. We pray for the soul of Portia Loughman who, after a long illness, fell asleep in the Lord on Tuesday. For Fr. Daniel OSullivans brother-in-law who passed away. For the souls Henry Teichert, Mrs. Zinkewich, Dr. Ron MacArthur, and Eric Stoutz, as well as all those friends and family who have passed away, especially Timoteo Gonzales, Mrs. McGinitys father. . For Natalie Gillette and Fr. Scerbo OFM, of St. Paschals in Thousand Oaks, who are battling cancer. Please continue to pray for Phillip Vargas and for a relative of the Grimms, Adrienne. For two special intentions. We continue to pray for Mr. Curry and for a very special intention. We pray for all our school families, their needs and those of their friends and relatives. We pray for our Pope, our Archbishop, all of our priests and religious, and, for each other.

In thanksgiving for the Schubergs relative who is miraculously out of his coma and walking!