Joyfully Embracing Our Mission
14 March 2019 | St. Clare School Family News
Joyfully Embracing Our Mission
We, the St. Clare School Community, joyfully embrace the Gospel mission entrusted by Christ to His Church.
Believing that everyone is made in the image and likeness of God, we cherish and celebrate our diverse backgrounds and cultures.
Dear St. Clare School Families,
I am sharing a couple of quotes from phenomenal women that Mr. Payne curated for yesterday's faculty prayer to honor the women religious on the last day of National Catholic Sisters Week. It is important for us and for our children, no matter their gender, to realize that we need only to look among members of our community for models of faith, models of courage, models of hope and models of love.
- You can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving. ~ Amy Carmichael
- God is in control, and therefore in everything, I can give thanks, not because of the situation, but because of the one who directs and rules over it. ~ Kay Arthur
- Never give up, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn. ~ Harriet Beecher Stowe
- If we are to better the future, we must disturb the present. ~ Catherine Booth
- How very little can be done under the spirit of fear. ~ Florence Nightingale
- God the Creator numbered the stars in the heavens and also numbered the hairs of my head. He pays attention to the very big things and also the very small ones. What matters to me matters to Him, and that changes my life. ~ Elizabeth Elliot
- I am no longer accepting the things I cannot change, I am changing the things that are unacceptable. ~ Angela Davis
The Sisters have always been counter-cultural and have led the way to many innovations. They do not seek fame or fortune for their work towards equality, advocacy and human dignity. Instead, they seek only to be models of discipleship in the very best way, just as Mary worked in the background of Jesus' ministry: the Wedding at Cana, the foot of the cross, the upper room at Pentecost. She was there, she never wavered, she suspended fear, even today. Hail Mary, pray for us!
CONGRATULATIONS T2 HONORS AND YOUNG CHRISTIANS
This week, we held a reception honoring our first and second honors for the second trimester of 2018-19 along with our Young Christian students in grades TK-8. We congratulate them, their families and their teachers for a job well done and we look forward to witnessing their continued personal, academic and spiritual growth.
IMPROVING INSTRUCTIONAL CAPACITY THROUGH CORE INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICES
Our teachers are continuing their work to provide a clear and relevant purpose for learning by making objectives visible and accessible during a lesson. Teachers are making sure that the objectives communicated to students are manageable, measurable and transferable. This core instructional practice is one of the top indicators of student success. As a site, we are focused on building instructional capacity to improve our overall program because we believe that all students can learn.
PARENTS AS PARTNERS: FOCUSED ON STUDENT LEARNERS
Last week, when we reviewed the results of the Catholic Identity survey, we highlighted some areas of growth. One of the areas that surfaced was providing opportunities for parents to partner with the school in the formation of their children: intellectually, personally and spiritually. In the next few months, as we plan the 2019-20 school year, look for communications seeking your input on how we can build this partnership. In the meantime, please consider attending EdRev2019 Expo sponsored by CHC (also known as Childhood Health Council). Please visit the site to learn more and to register. https://www.edrevsf.org/expo/register/
TUITION STRUCTURE FOR 2019-20: CATHOLIC STATUS
Shortly, you will be receiving the Registration Packet in electronic format which will also be sent in an envelope marked "2019-20 Registration Packet" with your youngest or only child next week. Instructions on completing the form and directions on how to complete the Family Information part of the packet online will be included.
We thank those of you who have indicated that you were returning and have already paid your registration fees. If you are still discerning, we remind you to please send a formal notice of your decision as soon as you have made it. Once you let us know that you will be returning, your FACTS account will be charged the $450 registration fee. We can not guarantee your spot until this fee has been paid. A reminder to those who returned intent forms before the deadline date and whose fees have been collected to please enter the incentive 5 hours in ServingStClare in order to receive the credit.
Directions and instructions on qualifications to receive the Catholic tuition rate was communicated as part of the Registration Letter/Intent to Return and will also appear in the Tuition Agreement. Please note that if you are registered at any parish in the Diocese of San Jose, including St. Clare, please send a copy of your tax letter to the school office. (St. Clare parishioner whose donations exceeded $250 in 2018 should have received one.)
If you are a St. Clare parishioner and did not receive a tax letter, we will check your registration records with the parish. IMPORTANT: You DO NOT need a letter from Fr. Tad to say that you are a Catholic in good standing at St. Clare Parish.
If you are an active participant at another parish and you did not receive a tax letter, you will need proof of registration at that parish. Ask your parish office for a letter stating that you are registered and actively participate in the life of that parish.
(If you have questions about any of the above, please let me or the Office know.)
2019-20 START AND END OF SCHOOL DATES ANNOUNCED
School year 2019-20 will begin for our students on Wednesday, August 14, 2019 and end on Thursday, June 4, 2020. We are still refining the details of events which will be communicated to you once our calendar has been approved (sometime in mid-April), but we thought you might want to plan accordingly now that these dates have been identified.
SAVE THE DATE! VIP DAY IS APRIL 4.
Recently, you received information regarding our VIP Day on April 4 which includes a link to a Google form to let us know the names of the special friends (grands, aunties or uncles, or close family friends) who will be visiting with your child. Our day will begin with a mass at 9 A.M. with our students from Grades 1-8. Following the mass, our parents are preparing a reception in the hall where VIPs will be entertained by the TK and K students.
The reception will conclude at 10:45 A.M. and our student ambassadors/student council will escort our VIPs to classrooms for some fun activities. There will be three sessions (30 minutes including transitions) allowing VIPs to visit with up to three of their students. Students may be signed out after the second and third sessions so that they can enjoy lunch with their VIPs. We are happy to be able to afford this time to thank and honor our wise and faithful living guardian angels!
SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES: Opportunities to Build Community
In order to keep the cost to educate a child accessible, families are asked to commit 30 hours of direct service to the school through events and fundraisers (15 hours for single parent households). At this point in the year, you should be close to completing these hours. If not, there are still plenty of opportunities to fulfill this obligation: yard duty, Saturday Work Day, classroom help/art helper, field trip driver/chaperone, library chaperone, VIP Day, field day (June 5), eWaste fundraiser (April 13), Sock Hop, faculty birthday lunch and of course the Festival at St. Clare.
In addition, each family with one child commits to 6 hours (approximately 2 shifts) of direct service to the Festival (multiple children families commit to 9 hours -- approximately 3 shifts). Once you have completed your Festival hours commitment, extra hours served can be applied towards your school service hours. There is a great need for people to set up on Thursday and clean up on Sunday. We hope you will take advantage of these wonderful community building opportunities that happen to fulfill your service commitment.
Below, you will find instruction on how to find out your service commitment balance. Please let me or the office know if you have any questions.
WE HAVE OPENINGS!
Please continue to spread the good news that is St. Clare. We still have openings in all grades especially for incoming TK-5 and we have a few middle school openings (we will take wait lists). We are hopeful that we will open the 2019-20 school year with healthy enrollment numbers to sustain our rich, vibrant and diverse community of learners.
The Lord God took Abram outside and said,
"Look up at the sky and count the stars, if you can.
Just so," he added, "shall your descendants be."
Abram put his faith in the LORD,
who credited it to him as an act of righteousness.
~ Genesis 15
This weekend's readings remind us that we must put our trust in the Lord. What are some of the ways that make it difficult for us to do so? How do our fears, attachment to material things, and the importance we give to other people's opinions get in the way of this surrender?
Continue to keep in your prayers the 8th grade class as they anticipate their high school acceptance letters. Wherever they may end up next year, they will make St. Clare proud and they will continue to enrich the communities they will next call home.
May your week be filled with moments of divine presence and the realization that everything is possible with God.
Humbly in your service,
Mrs. Cecile Mantecon, Principal
A Day of Service for our Rising Freshmen
Well done, Young Christians!
3rd Grade Visits California Academy Of Sciences
Honoring Sr. Ann Marie: National Catholic Sisters Week
Service Hours Inventory: Check Your Balance!
Gospel Reflection for March 17, 2019
Occasionally, we wake from our slumber and see Christ in His glory. For Peter, John, and James this was quite literal, but the sleep can be the semi-conscious grind of daily existence, our routines and expectations. But if the Scriptures teach anything, it is that the Lord manifests and miracles happen. Enough with routine! Enough with expectations! Wake up and see Christ glorified! The Gospel passage this Sunday shows that even the best of us can be taken unaware. Peter, even though his first instinct was to serve, found a rebuke in the fearful presence of God, and was told instead to listen. “This is my chosen Son; Listen to him.” And so we are called, before action, before speaking, listen. Listen to the Master, lest we forget the meaning of our actions and the point of our speaking. Listen again to Jesus. ~ Mr. Goetz
SATURDAY WORK DAY - MARCH 16
Join us this Saturday for a school work day. There are many projects to catch up on including rainy day clean up, sanitizing, minor repairs, etc. The more help we have the more we complete the items on our punch list. To sign up, just go to Serving St. Clare; Log in to ServingStClare - Volunteer.
UPCOMING EVENTS
- 3/16 Saturday Work Day
- 3/18 NCEA IFG ACRE assessment week for grades 5 and 8
- 3/22 Teacher In Service Day | No School
- 3/29 Sock Hop
- 4/1 - 4/5 STAR assessment week
- 4/4 VIP DAY | Mass at 9 A.M.
- 4/7 First Communion interviews begins
- 4/8 - 4/12 Science Fair
- 4/13 eWaste Fundraiser and Saturday Work Day
- 4/19 - 4/26 Easter Break | No School
- 4/30 Lexi Baldwin: Principal for a Day; Student Council Rally
- 5/1 May Crowning, 8:15 A.M. on Lexington Street, at the Grotto
Early Bird Registrant Earn 5 Hour Incentive
You may now log incentive hours achieved from fulfilling early registration. (Only those whose registration was debited from FACTS in February may do so.)
Find this reference for 5 hours of credit:
(a18) School Support
9.Early Bird Registration Incentive: Must Return Form by Feb. 5
The Sock Hop is just around the corner for our TK-6th grade!
Come join us on Friday, March 29th in the St.Clare Parish Hall, 6:00-8:30pm for some 50's fun.
$5 admission includes a choice of pizza or corndog & salad or carrots. Grease themed youth t-shirts also available $10 pre-order and will be delivered the week of the Sock Hop. More details provided in the flyer and also at the store http://stclareschool.3dcartstores.com.
Deadline for t-shirt orders is Friday, March 15th.
Volunteering opportunities also available, please Log in to ServingStClare - Volunteer
Mad Science Spring Session K-5
Fierce Basketball
FIERCE Basketball Spring season at St Clare.
Registration is currently open at http://www.fiercebasketball.com please see attached flyer for more information.
St. Clare School
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Email: office@stclareschool.org
Website: drexel.dsj.org/stclareschool
Location: 725 Washington Street, Santa Clara, CA, USA
Phone: 408-246-6797