Panther Press
Thursday, September 5, 2019
ICCS Mission Statement:
PRINCIPAL'S CORNER by Christi Jarreau
I hope you all enjoyed the three day weekend. At my house, I know the extra day was much appreciated as we are settling into the busy calendar that the school year and all of the extra curricular activities bring. It is during busy times like this that I am often humbled with a reminder to practice what I preach, especially in terms of being distracted and setting priorities.
One does not have to look very hard to find a survey or statistics on teens, screen time, and the pressures of being a teen in today’s world. Screen time is not only associated with increased diagnoses of depression and anxiety, studies also find that kids with excessive screen time are more easily distracted, less emotionally stable, and have more problems finishing tasks and making friends. Issues such as these are affecting student mindsets and executive functioning abilities across the nation, and unfortunately even in our own community.
Many kids feel it is harder to be a teen these days than it was for their parents, and it is probably safe to assume that most generations feel this way, but every age has new anxieties and pressures. Keeping kids focused on real priorities in life and not focused on material things has always been a challenge, but now material things usually come with the additional challenge of discerning age appropriate technology and setting limits and boundaries. Our students are certainly growing up in a world that is more competitive, more complex, and more constantly connected than we faced. All of this makes the job of parenting, and teaching, even more challenging.
Because of this increased challenge, being a good role model for our students couldn’t be more important. Positive mindsets and executive functioning skills are important for success in today’s classroom. Sometimes we, as parents, fall into the same bad habits we are trying to remove from our kids. Being present rather than distracted by our screens, appreciating hard work and lessons learned over perfection, and continuing to prioritize what really matters are great ways to set our students up for success in these areas.
With busy calendars and hectic schedules, this can be a difficult, but we remain committed and we know our parents do, too. On her feast day today, we draw strength from Saint Teresa of Calcutta, someone who could not have been more committed to her mission. May her example inspire us to remain faithful, even when it is most difficult.
Thank you for your continued partnership in our mission of strengthening spirits, minds, and bodies through the teachings of Jesus Christ.
CURRICULUM CORNER by Blair Tadlock
At ICCS we strive to develop highly successful readers as well as a positive student connection to success in reading ability across all content areas. Now more than ever all content areas are woven together through threads of increasingly complex text. ACT data and research on benchmark levels for college readiness indicates that students who are able to read increasingly complex texts will more likely be ready for college and career than their peers who are not reading increasing complex text. Essentially, because students become stronger readers by reading increasingly complex texts, it is of vital importance to build strong reading foundations in elementary school.
We know from research that there is a significant connection between a child’s development of strong phonological awareness and that child’s reading success. For this reason, all reading teachers in grades K-5th at ICCS are now Phonics First® trained. Phonics First® is a nationally accredited Orton-Gillingham based program for teachers to use with their students. The Brainspring Orton-Gillingham curricula is doubly accredited by both the International Dyslexia Association (IDA) and the International Multisensory Structured Language Education Council (IMSLEC). Accreditation further ensures that Brainspring courses strictly adhere to Orton-Gillingham Principles of Instruction for Multisensory Structured Language (MSL) programs.
The Phonics First® Orton-Gillingham training provided to our teachers allows them to meet the needs of a wide range of students. Brainspring curricula enhances the reading and spelling skills of at or above-grade readers and supports beginning, at-risk, and struggling elementary readers in Kindergarten through 12th grade. Methods learned by our teachers through the Brainspring Orton-Gillingham training are being integrated this year into the existing elementary reading and English program to enhance both whole-group and small-group instruction using a multisensory approach to reach all learners. The adaptability to whole and small group instruction sets Phonics First® apart from other programs such as Barton Reading & Spelling System, which is also Orton-Gillingham based but is intended to be used within a one-on-one tutoring model.
At ICCS, Phonics First® will foster mastery of reading concepts learned in kindergarten through 5th grade and it is the stand-alone phonics program for Kindergarten through third grade classes. Phonics First® is also used to further enhance and support reader decoding and encoding skills in the 4th and 5th grade.
Phonics First® with its multisensory instruction (visual, auditory, tactile, kinesthetic) is just one more element used to continue our philosophy of faithfully educating and strengthening the whole-child -- spirit, mind, and body--with comprehensive programs to bring about academic excellence in Catholic education.
MERCY MATTERS
Our school theme for 2019-20 is taken from Micah 6:8 - “You have been told what is good and what the Lord requires of you: To do justice, to love goodness, to walk humbly with God.”
Each month, we will concentrate on a portion of this verse and reflect on what it means and what action God is calling us to do.
This year, we will begin our “Panther Pal” groups, our small faith communities, this month. The groups will consist of a teacher mentor, a student mentor and students in various grades. There will be approximately 12 students in a group and Pre-K and Kindergarten will be in the same group as their 7th and 8th grade buddies. We will meet throughout the school year at various times. Our hope is that through our Panther Pals communities a special caring bond for one another will be formed and that each faith community becomes one in which each person is happy when they see someone in their group and look forward to the next gathering.
SEPTEMBER BIRTHDAY AND 8TH GRADE COMMISSIONING MASS TOMORROW
Parents and students are reminded that boys wear pants and girls wear skirts/jumpers to Mass.
YEARBOOK PICTURE DAY COMING SOON
BOX TOPS PROGRAM CHANGES ANNOUNCED
For many years now, ICCS has received funding through the Box Tops for Education program. For convenience and efficiency purposes, the program is going digital! Eventually the Box Tops program will become strictly digital-only. Participating brands are starting to change their packaging from a traditional Box Tops clips to the new Box Tops label.
If you see this label, use the new free Box Tops app (found in your app store) to scan your store receipt. Box Tops are still worth 10 cents each for our school. The app will find participating products purchased at ANY store and instantly add cash to the ICCS earnings online.
The new Box Tops format is:
- EASY TO USE: No more clipping and sending Box Tops to school
- MORE CONVENIENT: Redeem anywhere, anytime within 14 days of purchase!
- REAL TIME: Our school’s earnings are automatically updated online.
- EXTRA CASH: Parents can access special bonus offers and earnings information through the app.
For more information, please contact the ICCS Box Tops Coordinator, Rebecca Roach, at rebroach@hotmail.com or log on to www.boxtops4education.com.
STEP UP FOR DOWNS WALK
Those wishing to be part of Andrew's team, can register as a "member of an existing team" (Krewe de Andrew.) Team t-shirts can be ordered from: https://shopswla.com by Thursday, September 12.
MIDDLE SCHOOL ACADEMIC SUCCESS
UPCOMING PTO FUNDRAISERS:
ICCS PANTHER RUN
**A Panther Run sponsorship form is attached. Race sponsors and in-kind donations are needed. For more information, please contact Panther Run Race Director, Julie Standing at (337) 302-0157 or by email at standing.1@netzero.net.
https://www.active.com/lake-charles-la/running/distance-running-races/panther-run-2019?int=
CLASSROOM NEWS:
DEACON ANDY DEROUEN VISITS ICCS
PRE-K SCIENCE FUN
ICCS CLUB NEWS
2019-2020 STUDENT COUNCIL MEMBERS ANNOUNCED
President: Katie Wilfer
Vice President: Ava Brinkman
Secretary: Kaelyn Atkins
Treasurer: Grant Evans
Activities Vice President: Mary Claire Obluda
Class Representatives: Kyle Wilfer (6A), Madelyn Elliott (6B), Betsy Scroggs (7A), Taylor Wilder (7B), Asha Austin (8A) and Reese Darbonne (8B)
Members at Large: Hank Hebert, Ailani Fonenot, Addison Moreno, Mason Fullington and Alyson Gagliano
CATHEDRAL NEWS:
COMMUNITY NEWS:
ROSARY AROUND THE LAKE
QUICK LINKS
ONCOURSE CONNECT STUDENT/PARENT PORTAL
Keep up with homework, grades, attendance and get quick access to teacher websites via Oncourse Connect. Families having trouble logging in should email mbmathew@iccschool.org.
DON'T FORGET TO LIKE US ON FACEBOOK AND KEEP UP WITH THE LATEST ICCS NEWS AND EVENTS!
UPCOMING EVENTS:
Friday, September 6:
September Birthday & 8th Grade Commissioning Mass (8A)
8:30 a.m. Cathedral
6th Grade Retreat
10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Ave Maria Hall
Sunday, September 8:
ICCS Family Mass
(In honor of the Cathedral's 150th Anniversary)
ALL ICCS FAMILIES, FACULTY MEMBERS, GRANDPANTHERS, ALUMNI AND SUPPORTERS
ARE INVITED TO ATTEND
9:30 a.m. Cathedral
A special reception will immediately follow in the Ave Maria Hall
Thursday, September 12:
1st Quarter Progress Reports
Tuesday, September 17:
5th Grade Respect Life Rally
8:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. OLQH
Wednesday, September 18:
ICCS Pep Rally
2:15 p.m., ICCS Gym
School Advisory Board Meeting
5:30 p.m. ICCS
Thursday, September 19:
PTO Greenery Sale Begins
Sunday, September 22:
Truth, Facts, Lies 7th & 8th Grade Parent Meeting
6:00 p.m., ICCS Cafeteria
Tuesday, September 24:
8th Grade Respect Life Rally
8:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. SLCHS
Friday, September 27:
Sectional Mass (led by Student Council)
6th-8th Grades
8:30 a.m. ICCS Gym
Student Council Induction following Mass
Contact Information
Email: mbmathew@iccschool.org
Website: www.iccschool.org
Location: 1536 Ryan Street, Lake Charles, LA, USA
Phone: 337-433-3497
Facebook: www.facebook.com/iccschool