Weekly Update 4- September 24, 2026
Calendar of Events |
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|---|---|
| Th. 9.24 | 6:30 PM Parent Information Night (cafeteria and classrooms) |
| Fr. 9.25 | 8:00 AM K-8 School Mass w/music 2nd Marathon Drawing |
| We. 9.30 | Picture Day 6:00 -7:30 PM Spark (3rd-5th grade) & Ignite (6th-8th grade) youth groups (youth room) |
| Th. 10.1 | Bonus Marathon Green & White Day |
| Fr. 10.2 | 8:00 AM K-8 School Mass 9:00 AM K-8 Rosary Procession |
| Sa. 10.3 | 9:00 AM Mass followed by St. Charles School Marathon (church, front lawn, neighborhood) |
| Mo. 10.5 | Out-of-Uniform passes may be used |
Looking Ahead |
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| We. 10.7 | Formation Night |
| Mo. 10.12 - Tu. 10.13 | Preschool - 8th Grade Conferences (school) |
| We. 10.14 - Fr. 10.16 | SCHOOL NOT IN SESSION: CSCOE Summit & Fall Break |
Dear St. Charles Parents,
I’m going to keep things brief today because we will be seeing each other this evening. I’m working on freshening up my PowerPoint, and I’m ready for our Charger Parent event! Please refer to the format of the evening below so you know when to show up and where.
We’re almost to Marathon Week, and we need help! Have your children call grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends, and people who will sponsor them. If you don’t have a service project set up yet, this weekend is a great time to help a neighbor with yard work, go to Feed My Starving Children, or make sandwiches for people who are in need. Take pictures and email them to the main account (stchbs@stchbs.org) to help us promote our service projects! Your children will also be entered into the service project drawing, which is a shallow dish of student names right now. The Marathon goal is for each student to raise $200 to get us to $60,000 as a school. Thank you for your help with this! See you tonight!!
Parent Information Night Schedule & Details
God bless you!
Danny Kieffer
St. Charles School Principal
Parent Information Night is Tonight!
The age of your child(ren) will determine what time you should join us tonight. If you have elementary students, the evening will start for you in your child’s grade-level room at either 6:30 (if you have more than one child in K-5) or 7:00 (if you only have one K-5 student). If you only have middle school students, your evening will start at 7:30 PM in the cafeteria. Check out the link below for all the details.
Parent Information Night Schedule & Details
Marathon Update
The countdown is on—our annual St. Charles School Marathon is just 10 days away! This is one of the most important fundraisers of the year, with all donations going directly to our school’s operating budget to support vital programs.
We are up to $14,000!
Together we’ve made amazing strides—let’s finish strong as a Catholic school community! Every step and every pledge makes a difference for our students and our school!
MARATHON REMINDERS
Turn in all donations/pledge envelopes, prayer intentions, and joke slips to the office.
Keep the service project submission forms and pictures coming. Email photos to Jennifer Van Buren. We are so happy to see the impact our students are having on the community!
Marathon Day kicks off with Mass at 9:00 AM on October 3rd!
Come for the full event or just an hour. We look forward to seeing everyone!
School Picture Day ~ Wednesday, September 30
All families should have received an email directly from Slow Road Photo with information about Picture Day. It would be good to add hello@slowroadphoto.com to your contacts to ensure their communications land safely in your inbox. No pre-paying or pre-ordering is needed. If you didn’t get the email, please check your spam and then reach out to them directly at hello@slowroadphoto.com. Students do not have to wear their uniforms on Picture Day. See below for the Out-of-Uniform Dress Code (from the Parent & Student Handbook).
If you have younger siblings at home who do not yet attend St. Charles School. You can come from 11:15 – 11:45 for pictures that day. There will also be a short window open on Retake Day on Wednesday, October 23rd.
General Guidelines for OUT-OF-UNIFORM Dress Code
- Girls’ shorts must be mid-thigh in length or longer
- Boys’ shorts must be knee length, 1 inch above or below the kneecap
- Skirts must be at knee length — within 1 inch above or below the kneecap.
- Pants, skirts, and shorts must be worn at the waist
- No leggings as pants, long underwear showing, stretch pants, form-fitting pants, or oversized pants
- No midriff, crop tops, or tank tops
- No hoop, dangle, or large earrings of any kind
- No sandals, Crocs, open-toe, or open-back shoes
- No boots in the classrooms
- No Heelys or roller shoes
Home & School Wants You!
Hello Chargers!
The school year is off and running! We have many volunteer opportunities on Sign Up Genius, and we’d love to see YOU sign up! Marathon, Conferences, Germ City, and Christmas tree set up!
Please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions or have trouble signing up.
Concession Stand Volunteers Needed
As we gear up for an exciting sports season, we’re looking for enthusiastic parent volunteers to help run the concession stand! This is a great opportunity to support our teams, meet other families, and contribute to our school spirit. We offer flexible shifts to accommodate your schedule.
What We Need:
- Volunteers to assist with selling snacks and drinks during games
- A friendly attitude and a willingness to help
Why Volunteer?
- Enjoy the thrill of the game while being part of the action
- Build connections with other parents and the community
- Help raise funds to support our school
Concession Stand Sign-Up Genius
Thank you for considering this opportunity to cheer on our athletes and make our concession stand a success! Let’s help make this sports season unforgettable!
Group Piano Lessons
Would you like your child to learn to play the piano? Is your child asking for lessons but you aren’t sure it’s time for individual lessons? Come and try GROUP PIANO at school! GROUP PIANO is a fun way to hang out with siblings or friends and to learn to play some music. The groups meet on Tuesdays and Fridays. Beginners meet at 3:00 PM. Advanced Players meet at 4:00 PM. Learning to play with others makes music even sweeter! Email HERE for more info or to sign up.
School Year Reminders
- Please send a note to school if there is a change in your child’s end-of-the-day routine. If changes need to be communicated after the day begins, please be sure to include the office in any email communications (stchbs@stchbs.org) because teachers may not have a chance to check email during the day. If you are letting us know after 1:30 PM, please be sure to call the school office at 612-781-2643 to be sure we get the message.
- Please remember that there is NO PARKING on Stinson Boulevard in front of the school area so that all the buses will have plenty of space to pick up and drop off students.
- For the safety of all our students, please use the pick-up line after school to pick up your children.
- All children waiting for rides after 3:00 PM will be sent to St. Charles After School Care.
Well Read Mom Book Club ~ Looking for Members!
“Read more, read well” – this is the Well Read Mom Book Club’s slogan. There are several chapters of this book club already meeting once a month from our parish community, and all school moms are most welcome to join too! This is a nationwide book club that focuses on digging into classic and reputable contemporary novels with a Christian lens. Please follow the link below to sign up.
St. Charles Playgroup
The St. Charles Playgroup meets outdoors at local parks every Thursday at 10:00 AM from May through October. During the colder months (November through April), Playgroup will meet in the youth room at Church and enjoy coffee and fellowship. Please follow the link below to sign up on Flocknotes to get updates.
The Meal Train Ministry
Would you like to help provide meals for a person or family in their time of need?
OR do you or someone you know have a short-term need (due to a birth, surgery, illness, etc.) for meals to be delivered to your home? Contact Megan if you are interested in this ministry.
Parish Updates and Events
Our St. Charles Parish has an excellent Faith Formation program! Please check out the information in your Back to School packet. There is a lot going on to feed the soul at all different age levels. All are welcome to explore and keep learning about the Catholic Faith. If you missed Formation Night last night, check out the Sept Parent Child Guide and the September Formation Night Handout
Youth Groups: Spark & Ignite
The Spark Youth Group (3rd, 4th, and 5th graders) and the Ignite Youth Group (6th, 7th, and 8th graders) both meet on Wednesdays from 6:00 – 7:30 PM starting in the youth room at church. When Family Formation Night occurs on the first Wednesday of the month, Spark and Ignite will not formally meet because all are encouraged to attend Family Formation Night.
Join a Parish Small Group!
Please consider joining a small group here at St. Charles. The focus this year will be on The Family. These small groups are fellowship groups, prayer groups, study groups, and a place where you can grow in discipleship together. If you are interested in joining a small group, please click HERE or call the parish office at 612-781-6529.
Prayer Corner
If you would like to add someone to our prayer corner, please email the information to Danny Kieffer.
- For the repose of the soul of Dr. Donald Siniff, grandfather of student Henry, and for comfort for his family.
- For the repose of the soul of Jim L., brother of Mrs. Slattery, and for comfort for his family.
- For the repose of the soul of former long-time teacher, Anne Flynn, and for comfort for her family.
- For the peace of Christ to reign in our hearts, our homes, our community, our world.
Helpful Links for Parents for School, Parish, & Community:
- St. Charles School Calendar
- St. Charles School Lunch Menus
- St. Charles Athletic Calendar
- St Charles School Volunteers
- Spirit Wear orders
- St. Charles Borromeo Parish
- Columbia Heights Parks & Recreation Brochure
- Spirit Wear
★ Weekly Update article deadline: Wednesday, 9:00 AM – Send submissions to mwappes@stchbs.org ★
