Joyfully Embracing Our Mission
St. Clare School Family News | 23 August 2020
We Stand TOGETHER in Faith, Hope and Love
"We were caught off guard by an unexpected, turbulent storm. We have realized that we are on the same boat, all of us fragile and disoriented, but at the same time important and needed, all of us called to row together, each of us in need of comforting the other. On this boat... are all of us. Just like those disciples, who spoke anxiously with one voice, saying "We are perishing" , so we too have realized that we cannot go on thinking of ourselves, but only together can we do this." ~ Pope Francis, March 27, 2020 Urbi Et Orbi
Dear St. Clare School Families,
We congratulate our students, their teachers and their families for completing the first week of school! As you will see from the photos below, there were lots of smiles and positive energy in our zoom rooms as each get to know the other.
It was also such a joy to see over 200 of you this week: at the Community Meetings, Morning Assemblies and our Mass for the Opening of the School Year. One of the students said, "Mrs. Mantecon, you sound like Miss Nancy from Romper Room!" when I greeted students as I saw them on my screen. I had no idea kids these days still watch Romper Room. Oh the beauty of YouTube and streaming! More importantly,
This next week will be our first full week of school. As teachers establish classroom expectations and build rapport with their students, we are grateful to our parents for continued support. Let's continue to keep communications lines open and give each other the opportunity for flexibility and grace and remember that we do what we do for the good of the students.
Continue to report any issues with school-issued iPads and access to apps to your homeroom teacher or the school office. Keep them informed quickly and often so that we can maintain a consistent learning environment for the students.
OUR TEACHERS: ROLE MODELS AND SILVER BOXES
This past week, we honored our teachers as Silver Boxes for the following virtues:
- Miss Jiang for perseverance
- Mrs. G for joy
- Ms. Payton for kindness
- Mrs. Meneze for patience
- Mrs. Soares for courage
- Ms. Dahlia for compassion
- Mrs. Vallarta for fortitude
- Mrs. Toy for cooperation
- Mrs. Lewis for humility
- Mr. Payne for hope
- Mrs. Kogura for temperance
- Mrs. Martinez for wisdom
- Mr. Ishii for right judgment
- Ms. Kim for love
- Mr. Goetz for faith
- Ms. Teresea for resilience
- Ms. Valerye for honor
- Ms. Cherell for generosity
- Mrs. Filion for presence
DISTANCE LEARNING PLAN: SCHEDULE
Designed by teachers with input from parent listening sessions, the Home Learning @ St. Clare Distance Learning Plan provides guidelines for our teachers. Below are the guidelines surrounding the schedule:
Instructional Time
“Instructional Time” refers to the time that students spend engaged in learning both synchronously and asynchronously. Synchronous learning is defined as live interactions on Zoom, while asynchronous learning is independent or collaborative practice outside of class Zooms, which may include work completed using specific apps.
The plan requires teachers to provide the following:
Synchronous interactions in Religion, English Language Arts and Math on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays for TK-Grade 8.
Asynchronous instruction in Social Studies and Science for TK-Grade 5, unless otherwise noted in the weekly class schedule.
Synchronous interactions in all core content areas on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays for Grades 6-8, as noted on the weekly class schedule.
Asynchronous instruction for all subject areas noted on the weekly class schedules on Wednesdays for TK-Grade 8.
Class/Community Meetings
In addition to the previously mentioned synchronous learning opportunities, each homeroom teacher will provide a minimum of 30 minutes per week in class community-building Zoom meetings. The scheduling and frequency of these meetings are determined by each homeroom teacher. The rationale for scheduled community meetings is to build strong teacher-student and student-student relationships, especially since we are starting the year while in distance learning. A strong sense of belonging and safety in a virtual or physical classroom are essential to a student’s overall success.
The community-building Zoom meetings for each class are in addition to daily morning meetings, which will take place directly after morning assembly. During this time, homeroom teachers will provide students with opportunities to communicate their feelings, practice strategies for self-regulation and engage in positive, meaningful interactions with peers. Community-building Zoom meetings and daily morning meetings are part and parcel of trauma-informed practices to create a safe environment by building relationships and connectedness and supporting teaching and emotional regulation.
DETAILS FOR THE WEEK AHEAD
Remember that morning assembly beginS promptly at 8 A.M. and lasts about 5-7 minutes. We appreciate those who show up on time to start our morning together.
Mondays and Fridays are school uniform polo days. Tuesdays and Thursdays are P.E./Spirit/Jog-A-Thon shirts. Wednesdays are appropriate free dress tops.
P.E. and Spanish start this week. Art and Music starts next week. Consult the weekly class schedules for times.
Wellness Wednesdays begin with our Silver Box Assembly at 8 A.M. we invite all families and students in TK to join Kinders~8th graders followed by morning meetings. Please consult the class schedules for synchronous classes. All other classes are asynchronous. Independent learning assignments will be communicated by the teacher via Seesaw or Google Classroom.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR ENCOUNTER
Continue to seek out opportunities to connect with one another through Zoom play dates and parent "happy hours". On Thursday, please join me for "A Cup with the Principal" for any updates and an opportunity to dialog.
As always, please reach out for any clarifications as we navigate the next few weeks. Stay tuned as we await any word regarding the waiver to reopen in-person learning for students in TK-6.
With gratitude for trusting us to care for the formation of your children.
Cecile Mantecon, Principal
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Swivl Robot Needed for Classrooms | DONATE TODAY
Home Learning @ St. Clare 2.0 will be launched on August 19, 2020. One of the tools that will help our teachers to deliver quality instruction is a tool called Swivl.
An iPad or mobile device is mounted on the Swivl robot which rotates to follow the teacher across the room/space. Multiple markers record the audio throughout the room while the tethered iPad (or mobile device) records the video. It's easy for teachers to setup, start/stop recording, and upload to the Swivl cloud account.
While we make plans to return in-person when it is safe to do so, we are committed to providing a distance learning option for all families who need it throughout the year. Swivl will allow us to teach in any scenario. The Swivl can be set up in the back of the room to record the teacher instruction and interaction, while engaging those who are learning at home. WATCH this example of a dual learning environment using Swivl.
Currently, each starter kit which includes 5 markers, a wide-angle lens and cloud subscription costs $1,500. Check with your company's matching program to see if you can double the benefit!
To make a donation in any amount, please visit our school store. Share the link with family and friends as a way to donate to fundraisers that we may not be able to have this school year. You may note the name of the student or person you'd like to honor with this donation, including the classroom you'd like to benefit from this donation.
http://stclareschool.3dcartstores.com/Swvl-Robot-Donations_p_82.html
Reopening of Santa Clara County K-12 Schools
Here are some resources for your information:
Sccsafeworkplace.org (see item on reporting COVID cases)
Stronger Together (SCCOE)
FERPA and Coronavirus (Child Privacy Laws)
Our Beloved St. Clare
Photo by Ed Carlo Garcia www.edcarlogarcia.com
St. Clare School
Email: office@stclareschool.org
Website: https://www.stclare.school
Location: 725 Washington Street, Santa Clara, CA, USA
Phone: 408 246-6797
Facebook: facebook.com/stclareschoolsantaclara