Joyfully Embracing Our Mission
St. Clare School Family Newsletter | 3 August 2019
Come! Live in the Light!
You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned?
It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
You are the light of the world.
A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden.
Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket;
it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house.
Just so, your light must shine before others,
that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.
~ Matthew 5:13-16
Dear St. Clare Family,
Welcome back! We have missed you!
I hope your summer “break” has been relaxing and that you had many opportunities to do the things you enjoy with those you love. It’s hard to believe that in less than twelve days, we will begin the 2019-2020 school year.
We welcome the Class of 2029, our TKers and their families--the last class of the 2020s! We welcome all our new students and their families. We are happy that you decided to join our loving community.
We welcome Ms. Taylor Payton in her new role as Kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Maryanne Toy in her new role as TK paraeducator, Ms. Irene Kim in her expanded role as 5th grade teacher and Ms. Mary McCormick in her expanded role in Campus Ministry and the Leadership Team. We welcome teachers new to St. Clare (or returning after a brief time away): Mrs. Myla Guevarra as paraeducator in 2nd grade, Mr. Jon Ishii in 5th and 6th grade, Mr. Slava Botcharnikov in 5th, 6th and 7th grade and Mr. Shawn Gallagher in 7th and 8th grade.
We are excited to have an amazingly committed and energetic group of education professionals facilitating the learning and formation of our St. Clare students!
To those new to St. Clare, please know that each week, you will receive a ParentSquare post that includes a link to a Smore newsletter that will contain a relatively short note from me, a reflection on the Sunday readings curated or written by one of our faculty, a listing of upcoming dates of importance, some content from PTG or other groups regarding an upcoming event, some parent education resources and photos, when available, of school happenings. You will find other pertinent information and reminders as well as links. It may be overwhelming at first, but please know that the intention is to provide you with resources to help with your planning and help you to navigate everything St. Clare. If you find that you are missing some information or content, please do not hesitate to reach out.
I apologize in advance for this first post which will be longer than usual. Take your time reading it...we have eleven more days before school begins. Here we go...
SUMMER WORK...SUMMER PLAY
Over the summer, the school office staff and summer camp was buzzing with activity. Another tremendously fun summer was had by all attendees. We are grateful to Miss Valerye and the program for the support they provide our families and families of neighboring communities. Believe it or not, we are still one of the best bargains in town with weekly field trips and water play included in the cost of the program. If you didn’t get a chance to experience it this past summer, make sure to sign up early in the spring to secure your spot.
Ms. Teresea and Ms. Cherell were busy closing up 2018-19 and getting ready for 2019-20. Books, resources, supplies and new classroom furniture in Kinder and Middle School are in. New families are being on-boarded, registered and oriented. Systems and processes are being refined and tweaked. We are grateful to them for not only “holding down the fort” but also making sure we transition smoothly to the next school year.
GETTING READY FOR THE START OF SCHOOL
We thank you for your support of fundraisers as it allows us to improve our programs. This summer, we acquired tables and chairs on casters to allow for flexible seating in Middle School. In addition to new flexible seating solutions in the Middle School, the kindergarten classroom is now equipped with wobble chairs that will engage students in active sitting.
To continuously improve our instruction, we have adopted some new resources: Amplify Science in Grades 5-8 is NGSS aligned, myWorld Interactive (Social Studies) in Grades 6-8 is updated content aligned with California social studies standards and Lucy Calkins Units of Study for Grades 6-8 is integrated writing practice using the writers’ workshop method to teach writing. Your continued support allows us to evaluate resources to ensure that all our students can access learning content and address teacher needs.
With new resources come an outstanding opportunity to build our capacity as teachers. Professional development for these resources have been scheduled in the coming weeks. In addition, at the start of summer, our teachers attended a workshop in differentiated instruction. Next week, our teaching staff will join with other schools in the diocese to continue our work in improving our Core Instructional Practices, focusing specifically on methodology that has been proven to have the greatest effect on student learning: clear and relevant purpose for learning, multiple and scaffolded opportunities for practice and frequent and effective formative assessments. It is our belief that successful formation of the student depends on successful formation of adults who impact their learning.
On the infrastructure side, we are continuing to improve and leverage our access to technology. Last school year, our “highway” (LAN) was upgraded to Meraki access points. Soon, AT&T fiber will be installed (awaiting approval of city permits). Speakers and horns will be installed to turn our Polycom phone paging system into a PA system. Shortly, Verkada security cameras will be piloted to replace our front door camera so that our office staff can access images from an online site from any device or anywhere in the building.
Matt Dutra and Larry Heller have been busy replacing our fluorescent light bulbs with energy-efficient light bulbs. We thank them for always thinking of ways to become better stewards of our resources! We will realize savings almost immediately with this very simple solution. In addition, TK and CKZ rooms now benefit from window awnings to keep the “warmest” side of our school building a bit more tolerable.
Again, all these things would not be possible without your continuing support of our fundraisers. We are grateful for your generosity.
GETTING TO KNOW YOU
One of the challenges I encountered as a new principal was matching a student with his or her parents. I’m asking for your patience in my second year as I work on this. However, I need your help: it would benefit me and the new teachers and staff greatly if you could send a printed photo (no larger than 5x7) of your family. Kindly write your family’s last name, your names (first and last), the first and last name(s) of your child(ren), and the grade(s) to which he/she/they belong. This will take the place of the student photo that you were asked to provide when your first enrolled your child at St. Clare and it will help me “match” you up with your child(ren). Please send the photos to the school office before the end of the first week of school. Thank you so much for accommodating this request.
SUMMER BRIDGE ACTIVITIES FOCUS ON EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING
In the summer, we asked our families to engage in Experiential Learning and gave students an opportunity to use adaptive software to eliminate the summer slide. Summer slide is when learning stalls if students do not engage in activities that continue their progression from the prior year.
We look forward to learning about students’ experience and growth. Our hope is that students and teachers return to school with a deeper sense of the world around them.
With that said, I hope you enjoy the next eleven days by being present with one another. I am excited to open the doors of our school and to hear the joyful noise that follows!
Peace and all good things,
Mrs. Cecile Mantecon, Principal
Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time: August 4, 2019
THE LINE UP: HOMEROOM TEACHERS AND ROOM REPS
The list identifies your homeroom teacher and Room Rep. Your Room Reps will reach out to you once they have connected with the homeroom teacher. Their role is to facilitate communication in support of the classroom teacher. They are your greatest resource. You are their greatest resource to help optimize the classroom experience for all our students and our hard working teachers! Thank you for responding to them when they ask for assistance.
TK | Mrs. Turner, Mrs. Toy, Mrs. Dempsey | Room Rep: Jessica Mills
Kinder | Ms. Payton, Mrs. Meneze | Room Rep Monica Sanchez
Grade 1 | Mrs. Soares, Ms. Dahlia | Room Rep Izabela Godzina
Grade 2 | Mrs. Vallarta, Mrs. Guevarra | Room Rep Vanessa Muniz
Grade 3 | Mrs. Lewis | Room Rep Kristi Britt
Grade 4 | Mr. Payne | Room Rep Veronica Denison
Grade 5 | Ms. Kim | Room Rep Bob Moss
Grade 6 | Mr. Ishii | Room Rep Emma Slade
Grade 7 | Mr. Gallagher and Mr. Botcharnikov | Room Rep Sigrid Jacobsen (Neunfinger)
Grade 8 | Mr. Goetz | Warni Chee
PARENT LEADERSHIP
In addition to your Room Reps and teachers, the following are our parent leaders from the Parent-Teacher Group (PTG) and the School Advisory Council (SAC). PTG is our school’s “fundraising” and “fun-raising” arm. Its mission is to bring our community together in all ways necessary. The School Advisory Council is a group of parent leaders who advise administration on strategies to improve our school programs. They are invaluable bringing the parent perspective to our policies, decisions and strategic plans. In addition to these groups, we have parent leaders in charge of key events like Saturday Work Days, Hospitality, Jog-A-Thon, Annual Benefit and Multicultural Feast, to name a few key traditions. I am grateful to them for all their efforts!
School Advisory Council
Tola Dalton, SAC President; Buildings & Grounds Lead
Pedro Espinoza Matty, SAC Vice President; Campus Safety Lead
Chiqui Tañedo, SAC Secretary; Marketing & Development Lead
Brent Rapport, Luisa Rapport, Joe Baldwin, Amanda Votaw
Cathy Avila-Lin, Shirley Mata, members Emeritus
PTG Officers
Leana Dalton, PTG President
Michele Cuni, PTG Vice President
Jarisse Moore, PTG Advisor/Treasurer
Katy Kerns, PTG Liaison/Communications, Room Rep Coordinator
Amy Gipson, Scrip Coordinator
Ikea? No Problem!
It's a Construction Zone!
Working Joyfully!
Look at Our New Middle School Furniture!
WORK DAYS: GETTING READY FOR DOORS TO OPEN ON AUGUST 14
Today, Saturday work day crews have descended upon our school to get classrooms and facilities ready for teachers and students. There is another opportunity to help out next Saturday for double-hours! All are welcome to come even if you didn’t get a chance to sign up. Work begins at 9 A.M. and will continue until we have completed the punch list or until 1 P.M.
Bring tools and implements to help weed, beautify planters, assemble furniture, hang white boards, organize the supply closet and faculty room for teachers, sanitize surfaces, move furniture to ensure we have enough tables and chairs in each classroom, among other things. The help you give us during these Saturday Work Days is invaluable! We are so grateful for your commitment to the community.
We thank Mr. Mike Aken for helping coordinate the August 3rd and 10th Work Days until Mr. Clyde Wilson can resume his role as Work Day Coordinator. For your planning purposes, please note that Saturday Work Days will occur most second Saturdays of each month. Keep a lookout for sign ups which will typically come from Miss Valerye, who helps us out as facilities coordinator.
UNIFORMS, SUPPLIES AND BACKPACKS. OH MY!
UNIFORMS
St. Clare School uniforms and logo wear are available at Merry Mart. You may also purchase some uniform selections from Lands’ End. Be sure to stop by the school office for some scrip before making your Lands’ End purchase! Of course, as always, you are welcome to peruse our uniform “closet” to see if there are items that fit your student(s). Come by during office hours and our helpful staff will direct you to this treasure trove!
It can be confusing to navigate the uniform requirements. Feel free to ask for clarification. The office staff is happy to help.
SUPPLIES AND BACKPACKS
As you prepare for school, please note that part of your tuition pays for supplies students will be using in the classroom. If there are additional “specialty” supplies that the teacher will need students to acquire, they will communicate this to you (and to Middle School students) the first week of school. We recommend that you purchase supplies that your student(s) will need to complete any work at home. A set of coloring and writing implements as well as binder paper might be a good start. Student planners have been ordered for students in grades 3-6. Students in grades 4-8 will be using Google Classroom in addition to the planner supplied by the school.
Students in grades 6-8 will be allowed to take home a school issued iPad after August 19, provided the Technology Use Agreement has been signed and all fees outstanding have been paid.
Backpacks are not necessary in all grades. Please consider your student’s need when purchasing a backpack.
WHAT TO EXPECT ON THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL
Some things to research, ask about, clarify before the first day of school: where to park, which gate to drop off students, the protocol when dropping off students.
If you plan on volunteering, you can get a head start and inquire about completing the Safe Environment process including fingerprinting under diocesan regulations. Please call the office for this information.
On the first day of school, we will gather in the elementary black top for prayer and flag salute. Students are to be in line when the first bell rings at 8:05 A.M. Students will proceed to the classroom at the conclusion of morning assembly. Parents are invited to stay for a number of activities following assembly:
Coffee with the Principal: learn about the vision
Fingerprinting with Verify Group: begin volunteering at St. Clare
PTG Event Sign Up and PTG Information: sign up to work at events
Sign up for Yard Duty and Work Days
Learn to Navigate ParentSquare: log your volunteer hours
Meet Your Room Reps: sign up for classroom events
The first day BBQ will begin at 11:30. Meet your students at the picnic benches in the Middle School and sign them out with the classroom teacher by 12:30.
UPCOMING EVENTS and THE SCHOOL CALENDAR
The 2019-2020 St. Clare School is now available for public consumption. You will find the calendar in a number of places. They all sync to the Google Public Calendar for our school, so you can trust that these calendars are current.
To find the calendar in our school website, go to https://www.stclare.school/ and scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the "Calendar" icon (third from the left) or visit https://www.stclare.school/calendar.
To find the calendar in ParentSquare, go to your HOME page and look for "EVENTS" and click on "view all".
To subscribe and add the St. Clare School Public Calendar to your calendar app, use this link:
- 8/10 Saturday Work Day | 9:00 A.M. Start | Double-hours!!
- 8/13 New Parent Orientation (TK, K and new families) | 5:30-6:30 P.M. | Rectory Garden - RSVP in ParentSquare (TK and K students only)
- 8/14 First Day of School | 8:05 A.M. First Bell; 12:30 P.M. Dismissal | School Uniform
- 8/14 Coffee with the Principal | Meet Mrs. Mantecón immediately following assembly on the blacktop
- 8/14 Fingerprinting with Verify Group, PTG events and volunteer sign up with PTG leadership, orientation on ParentSquare with office staff | start on the blacktop at 8:45 A.M.
- 8/14 Back to School BBQ | 11:30 A.M. for TK-K, 12 noon for the rest | Parish Lot
- 8/14 |12:30 P.M. Dismissal | Sign students out with homeroom teachers from the Parish Lot
- 8/15 Mass: Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary (Holy Day) | 9 A.M. in the church
- 8/19 P.E., Art, Music and Spanish begin | MW - P.E. Uniforms OK except for Formal Uniform Days (Mass and Special Events)
- 8/19-8/30 STAR Assessment Window | Please do not schedule doctor's appointments during school hours
- 8/23 Mass: Commissioning of Teachers | 9 A.M. in the church
- 8/27 Picture Day | School Uniform with Sweatshirt | Bring picture form
- 8/29 Free Dress Day
- 9/2 Labor Day | No School
- 9/6 Back to School Night 6 P.M. to 8 P.M.| Grades TK-8 | ADULTS ONLY | Begins at 6 P.M. in the Church
- 9/6 Mass: "Come Joyfully into the Presence of the Lord" | 9 A.M. in the church
KEEP A LOOK OUT: Extended Care AKA Cool Kids Zone and Cool Tween Zone Sign Ups
COMING SOON
- Mad Science for Grades 1-5 | Thursdays | 1:15-2:15 P.M.
- Hidden Talent Art for Grades K-5 | Thursdays | 1:00-2:00 P.M.
- Muse School Band for Grades 4-8 |register online| http://www.museband.com
- St. Clare School Choir for Grades 2-8 | Tuesdays | 3:00-3:45 P.M.
- FIERCE Basketball Program | Thursdays
- Math Club | Grades 6-8 | Fridays 3:15-4:15 P.M.
- Lego Robotics | Grades 3-5 | TBD
St. Clare School
Email: office@stclareschool.org
Website: https://www.stclare.school
Location: 725 Washington Street, Santa Clara, CA, USA
Phone: 408 246-6797