Principal's Newsletter
From the Desk of Ms. Clark
May 28, 2020
Dear Parents,
WE DID IT! With God’s help we have made it through these weeks of digital learning, maybe slowed down a little, learned new sets of skills, and hopefully grew closer as a family. As we close out a school year like no other, I have been reminiscing about my years as a teacher and principal, and I am reminded of what a strong community of faith and love that exists at Saint Katharine Drexel Catholic School!
Below are some reminders for the first two weeks of June. Please mark your calendars.
VIRTUAL FIELD DAY
Our Virtual Field Day will be held on Monday, June 1st. We will kick off this special day with a special video message from Mr. LaRosa at 9:30am.
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GALA GRAND PRIZE AND CLASS CRAFT WINNERS
I will be drawing the grand prize winner, classroom winners, and 8th grade craft/basket winner at 9am on June 1st during Facebook Live. After this announcement, there will be a video of the teachers pulling the winners for each grade's craft . Thank you for your dedication and participation.
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SCHOOL DROP OFF AND PICK UP
Please come on your scheduled date and time next week to drop off and pick up your child's belongings. As a reminder, the following guidelines are to be followed during your scheduled time:
- Only one adult per family may enter the building.
- Children will not be permitted in the school building.
- Enter and exit through the main school doors only.
- Face masks are required to enter the school building.
- Hand sanitizing will take place before entering the school building.
- During your scheduled time, you must distance yourself 6 feet from others in the building.
- Please proceed directly to your child’s classroom to collect items. PreK students’ belongings will be in the gym.
- Your child’s items will be in a bag and labeled with his/her name on top of the desks. Place any items to be returned on your child’s desk.
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END OF THE YEAR CLOSING PRAYER SERVICE AND AWARDS
We will close out our 2019-2020 year with a virtual special prayer service and announcements of awards on Thursday, June 11th at 9am. Broadcasting details will be provided soon.
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I am also excited to share with you some new initiatives, changes, and additions for the 2020-2021 School Year.
Mrs. Katrina Culhane assumes the role as our Learning Support Specialist and Director for Special Education.
As you know, we had to postpone the construction of our Learning Annex due to the COVID-19 crisis, but Mrs. Culhane will begin her new role at the start of the new school year and work closely with our students within their regular classroom setting and some existing space within our building. Please know it is still a top goal to construct a space for this program and our Fine Arts Lab in the very near future.
We say farewell to Ms. Menna.
I am very grateful for the spirit and dedication Ms. Menna has brought to SKD School! We will miss her! Please join me in sending good wishes to Ms. Menna and may God bless her in her new journey. We are excited that Mrs. Horn will join our 2nd Grade Team.
We welcome Ms. Sabrina Escaleira to our Fourth Grade Team.
Ms. Escaleira graduated Cum Laude from Gwynedd Mercy University in 2018 with a degree in Early Childhood and Special Education. Being from Bucks County, she attended Saint Bede the Venerable School and Archbishop Wood High School. You may remember Ms. Escaleira as she completed her student teaching at SKD. She has taught first grade for two years at Good Shepherd Catholic School in Ardsley, Pa. Ms. Escaleira is very excited to be returning to her grade school building as a teacher and to embark on a new journey at SKD.
Grades 6-7-8 will become departmental.
Mrs. Dornaman and Mrs. McDevitt will teach Mathematics.
Mrs. O’Brien and Ms. Vondercrone will teach ELA.
Mrs. Reese will teach Science.
Mrs. Flatley will teach Religion.
Mrs. Banas will teach Social Studies.
Below are some of the benefits for departmentalizing our Middle School:
Allowing teachers to focus on and master one subject provides for a greater level of expertise and deeper understanding. Because of this, teachers have a greater ability to differentiate their instruction to meet the needs of all learners.
Departmentalization breaks the monotony for students. Students are able to move more frequently during the day, which helps increase attention. It also provides students with an opportunity to be challenged academically by different teachers in different classroom environments.
Students also develop interpersonal skills by being exposed to different teaching styles.
Departmentalizing prepares kids for the transition to high school.
Honors Math Program will begin in 5th Grade.
After much discussion with our math team, other schools, and the Archdiocese, we have determined that 4th grade is an important developmental math year and all students will take fourth grade math. Differentiated instructional models will be used to meet all students’ needs including those who excel in math.
Kindergarten Teacher and PreK-4 Teacher:
I will be interviewing candidates to assume the responsibility for these positions. I will inform you as soon as someone is hired, and rest assured that this is a high priority for me!
Finally, God has blessed us with many gifts and opportunities this school year. There are always challenges ahead of us as we continue to seek out His path for our lives. Saint Katharine Drexel Catholic School, a 2018 National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence, is a great place to be, and we continue to work together to make it even better. Thank you for your trust, love, and constant support!
God's blessings,
Ms. Clark
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2020-2021 Tentative School Calendar
Our tentative calendar for the 2020-2021 School Year is below and posted on our school website.
Financial Aid is Available
Important information and applications for need-based grants and merit-based scholarships are now available.
Please visit the Scholarships & Financial Aid tab on the AOP Catholic Schools website to access the online applications.
About Us
Email: advancement@skdschool.org
Website: skdschool.org
Location: 1053 Holland Road, Southampton, PA, United States
Phone: 215-357-4720
Facebook: facebook.com/SKDSchool/
Twitter: @skdschool