Joyfully Embracing Our Mission
St. Clare School Family News | 10 January 2021
Peace Prayer of St. Francis
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.
O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Amen.
Dear St. Clare School Families,
Today, we celebrate The Baptism of the Lord and are reminded by our own Baptism, the promise we renew weekly at mass, the beginning of our journey as Catholic Christians, guided by the Voice that tells us we are His children in whom He is well pleased. The way we live our lives is a testament to our Baptismal promise, fulfilled in community.
Our first week of school in 2021 gave our teachers and students (both in-person and at home) an opportunity to ease back into routines. The teachers spent Monday and Tuesday afternoon sharing experiences and learning about self-care, resilience and mindfulness. Wednesday’s events highlighted the division that continues to exist in our nation. Our faculty and staff were able to gather to pray for unity and discourse and prepare ourselves to support our community of learners. On Friday, Miss. Jiang, Miss Kim and Mrs. G represented our school well as they presented on Tech Tools, Social Emotional Learning and Parent Partnerships at our diocesan teacher cohort collaboration. In the afternoon, we learned how to set up our Swivl robots. It was a full week of learning and collaboration, while continuing to keep our community safe and healthy.
This coming week, we are back to our usual schedule. Some families opted to voluntarily wait until Monday to return. Still others will continue on distance learning until January 19. Please keep your teachers and the attendance line informed of any changes than what you had originally planned. We are proud to be able to offer the distance learning option, based on your family’s needs and comfort level. More importantly, we want to make sure that we adhere to our promise to keep our St. Clare School community safe.
Santa Clara County has announced that the travel restrictions will continue until modified or further notice. The state has amended the miles from 150 to 120 miles from point of origin. However, please understand that the point of this is to stay at home and not mix cohorts. Data continues to show that keeping physically distanced, wearing face coverings and good ventilation (limited interactions indoors, keeping windows and doors open) are key to mitigating the spread of COVID-19.
We appreciate families who inform us when they are quarantining out of an abundance of caution. We also appreciate families who keep a very close eye on their interactions with others and who are vigilant about symptoms in household members. Your partnership is critical in keeping us all safe. We continue to ask you to trust that we are following safety and communication protocols established by the county and we are accountable for reporting to them and to the diocese.
The governor has confirmed that teachers, as essential workers, will be at the top of the list to be vaccinated for Tier 1B. Of course, this will happen only once the important work of vaccinating those in Tier 1A is completed. Stay tuned from news from SCC.
WE NEED YOUR HELP: Spread the Word
Your word of mouth will bring us the enrollment we need to continue the programming that we expect at St. Clare. Share in Next Door and other social media outlets about the Open House on January 31, or, better yet, ask them to call Ms. Cherell in the school office. Check out the fantastic effort of the Enrollment and Marketing Committee: share the Facebook and Instagram posts to your network, especially with work acquaintances and friends. Provide positive feedback regarding St. Clare on Yelp and Great Schools. Thank you for helping keep St. Clare sustainable!
DID YOU KNOW….
That we are exploring a partnership with SKY LABO out of Stanford University to begin to build capacity for our teachers to integrate design-thinking principles in alignment with Catholic social teaching, continued school improvement (accreditation) and our Schoolwide Learning Expectations?
That we serve over 10% of our student population who have identified learning needs and that our teachers partner with Mrs. Filion, resource program administrator, the school district and parents to ensure ALL students are successful at St. Clare?
That our Math Club is completely student-run (current students and alumni), moderated by Mr. Ishii, offering tutoring on Wellness Wednesdays and engaging students and enriching student learning with contests, Problem of the Week and service projects?
That our Enrollment and Marketing Committee is made up of committed parent volunteers who have expertise in marketing, preschool, social engagement?
That our Finance Committee consists of dedicated parents who are successful finance professionals?
That our Mission and Catholic Identity Committee members actively participate in the life of our parish and in social ministry within their own professional organizations?
That we have many community members who are first-responders and medical professionals working in the midst of this pandemic?
To all the above who make this community what it is, we are so grateful. I am proud to be a part of a committed group of individuals. One of my favorite quotes from Margaret Mead, which hangs in my office reads, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.” To me, this embodies our community at St. Clare.
COMING SOON: Registration
In the coming weeks, you will receive the Registration Packet for 2021-22. As we have done in the past, we will ask you to respond quickly. Also, as we have done in the past, February FACTS payment is allocated towards 2021-22 tuition.
CONTINUED SUPPORT
Communicate any questions or concerns directly with your child’s teacher. It is important for them to know how your students are doing and it is also important for them to hear if there are any adjustments that need to be made to help your child reach success.
We are grateful to those who donated towards the purchase of Swivl robots. All our classrooms now have a robot to use for our concurrent environment. Swivl will integrate Zoom and consolidate the need for microphones, speakers and cameras and will instead use the functionalities of existing devices (iPad, MacBooks and projectors). We appreciate your patience as we take our time to get to know this tool. (Mrs. Martinez has already created her first video to practice what we learned on Friday!)
We are also thankful to the families who donated Dyson Air Purifiers for Grade 1, 4 and 5. Please continue to make donations using the school store (Class Wish List for specific items; Annual Fund for operational vitality; Brian Hegarty for scholarship/tuition assistance) or make a purchase using our WISH LIST on Amazon. If you are donating in kind, we are happy to send you a donation letter for your records. Email Ms. Cherell (cherell.rizzo@dsj.org) in these instances. We are so grateful to you for your generosity!
As always, kindly reach out to me, the office or the teachers directly with questions. We are here to help. I am so very grateful for your partnership and your insight.
May we hold one another in PEACE and in LOVE during these turbulent times.
Mrs. Cecile Mantecon, Principal
Calling All Videographers
For more information please email or call me at Cherell.rizzo@dsj.org or (408) 246-6797
A Big Thank You To The Third Grade For Hosting Last Weeks Faculty Luncheon.
Here's Some Fun Pics Leading Up To Our Holiday Break
Important Dates Reminder
- 1/12 PTG Meeting |6:30 P.M.
- 1/13 Math Club Tutoring Event K-8th | Zoom ID 896-048-8987 | 5:00 P.M.
- 1/15 Weekly School Mass | 9:30 A.M.
- 1/18 Martin Luther King Jr. Day | No School
- 1/20 Math Club Tutoring Event K-8th | Zoom ID 896-048-8987 | 5:00 P.M.
- 1/21 Cup With The Principal |6:00 P.M.
- 1/22 Weekly School Mass | 9:30 A.M.
- 1/27 Math Club Tutoring Event K-8th | Zoom ID 896-048-8987 | 5:00 P.M.
- 1/29 Weekly School Mass | 9:30 A.M.
Google Public Calendar
PUBLIC URL TO ACCESS FROM A WEB BROWSER
PUBLIC ADDRESS IN iCAL TO ACCESS FROM OTHER APPS
Voluntary COVID Testing for Children; Flu Shots
Thank you to all the families that attended the Return to School orientation last night. Be on the lookout for more information in the coming days about logistics and more.
Thank you to Jane Wulf (8th grade parent) for sharing the information below. St. Clare is not requiring a negative COVID test to return to in-person learning, but families may want to have their children tested before returning.
Families with children of any age are welcome to schedule a free COVID nasal swab test. Results are sent by text/email within 2-3 days (in the past I have received mine within 24 hrs). I recommend scheduling a test for the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds site:
https://scl.fulgentgenetics.com/appointment/screen/landing
Fulgent Booking System 1.0 - Appointment
This testing is for people who live, work, attend school, or assist with care for a resident of Santa Clara County.
scl.fulgentgenetics.com
You will be asked to provide optional insurance information to help offset the costs related to providing the test. The insured(s) is NOT billed. Insurance is NOT required to be tested. The fairgrounds location is a drive-thru site open Tuesdays-Fridays (12p-6:45p) and Saturdays (9a-3p).
In addition, flu shots are offered free of charge across the street (Fairground expo building) on Saturdays.
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