Joyfully Embracing Our Mission
St. Clare School Family Newsletter | 25 November 2018
Not of this World
"For this I was born and for this I came into the world,
to testify to the truth.
Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice."
~ John 18
Dear St. Clare School Families,
Today, we celebrate the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. It is the last Sunday of our liturgical year and fittingly, it is today that we "crown" Jesus as our Lord and Savior, our King of Kings!
As Fr. Beto, pastor of St. Patrick Church in Arroyo Grande mentioned in his homily at yesterday's 5 P.M. vigil mass, it is the day we recall all the joys, trials and tribulations of our year and the year of our church. It is the day we remember that through all the bumps on the road, God was with us. It is the hope and promise that we start again; we continue the journey and that no matter what, God will be right there. After all, whatever it is for which we toil, it is not for this world, but for the next. Isn't that a wonderful ambition?
This week's newsletter is purposefully late to give you (and me) the opportunity to be present for our loved ones during the Thanksgiving holiday. I hope yours was filled with joy and gratitude, of bounty and of blessings.
And so, it begins again.
Report cards are on hand, awards have been given and those who have worked hard have been honored. We are so very grateful for your partnership, and I ask each of you to make sure you express your gratitude to our volunteers, teachers, office and CKZ staff and our parish team: Fr. Tad, Fr. Prosper, Paty Rascon, Marcos as well as the parish office staff for their part in raising our children. It takes a village and ours is a special one! Glory be to God for St. Clare!
FRIDAY, NOV. 30: FAITH FORMATION CONFERENCE, A TEACHER IN-SERVICE DAY
There is no school for students on Friday because our teachers will be attending the Santa Clara Faith Formation Conference along with teachers from surrounding arch/dioceses. Current State regulations limit our ability to offer an extended care program (CTZ/CKZ) only when school is in session. However, we are able to offer a KIDz Camp if we meet the operational minimum of 25 students. (Because we budget to staff the extended care program for days when school is in session, we have to charge a fee for camps separate from extended care fees.)
As of today, we have 5 students registered and therefore, we regret to inform you that CAMP will NOT be available on site for Friday, November 30.
ADVENT IS AROUND THE CORNER
This week, our second trimester continues, with additional excitement surrounding the coming of Advent. Miss Kim and Mrs. Dempsey have begun practicing carols in the classrooms in preparation for our Christmas Program on December 19. You will receive some information from our parent organizers and PTG regarding the reception following the program and your part in making a contribution to the Toys for Tots program. It will surely be a special evening.
For those new to St. Clare School, we gather as a community to usher in the Christmas season with carols performed by each class. This year, Mrs. Dempsey is preparing TK-3 and Miss Kim is preparing Grades 4-8. The program begins at 6 P.M. this year (an hour earlier than previous years) and the reception begins at 7 P.M. in the hall. Students will need to be dropped off in their respective classrooms no earlier than 5:30 and no later than 5:45 P.M. Doors open at 5:30 P.M.
CHOICE LUNCH: COMING TO ST. CLARE SCHOOL
On Monday, Nov. 19, a committee of parents, students and teachers taste-tested food from Choice Lunch. Choice Lunch is the lunch provider for many of our diocesan schools as well the Galileo summer programs. Choice Lunch will become available for St. Clare School beginning January 7, 2019. We need a minimum of 50 lunch orders per day to maintain this service (that's just 18% of our population!). Stay tuned for more programming information including how you can earn discounts by committing to serve lunch!
CSO MICHAEL ROBINSON: Presentation on Online Safety and Drug Culture
We thank the Community Service Officers of the Santa Clara PD for the presentation to our Middle School students and the parents who attended. One of the apps that Officer Robinson pointed out that most of our youth find useful is an app called Discord. Discord allows users to attach online apps and gaming sites to a social media platform so that users can connect and communicate.
The concern is not so much on the utility of the programs that are out there; the concern lies in the time the student spends on group chats and the language being used in these groups, which are often not monitored by parents and care givers. I encourage you to speak with your children about being upstanders when participating in group chats and calling out members of the group who are not abiding by the Silver Box philosophy of using words to lift up a person.
Please remind students that we are working to be more inclusive. Often, these group chats embolden students who would normally not behave disgracefully to behave quite deplorably. A good rule of thumb is this: "Would you say that in front of your grandmother?"
If you haven't already spoken with your middle schooler about the presentation, you may want to take an opportunity to do so soon. Many of them know more than you think they know and the presentation would be a good place for you to start that conversation.
RAIN IN THE FORECAST
After a week of poor air quality, the rains of recent days have cleared the air for our area but we continue to pray for the welfare of those who have suffered loss and devastation due to the fires in Butte County, and special prayers for the firefighters, medical professionals and care workers who have an additional challenge with the coming rains.
There is rain in our forecast this coming week, and as such, we will use established rainy day protocols with regards to outdoor activities: drop-off, pick up, recess and lunch, P.E. and outdoor transitions. We used these same rainy day protocols this past week when we were in school during days when we experienced poor air quality. Transitions were minimized and on Monday, P.E. was held in the classroom with Mr. Cummings.
As we did when air quality was poor, we will monitor conditions regularly, making decisions with the best intentions for the welfare and well-being of all students. (In instances when your child is recovering from illness or injury and is unable to participate in any physical activity, or conditions that might exacerbate recovery, please let your teacher and the office know so that your child can be excused.)
Please make sure students are equipped with gear appropriate for rain and cold. Visit the uniform closet if you are in need of a trade.
FACILITIES AND TECHNOLOGY UPDATE
A little birdy sent a text this weekend to say that our windows are fully installed, painting should be done by the end of today and new shades should be installed! Miss Cherell reports that she has already noticed a difference in how much the new windows are keeping in the heat. When closed, we should also notice the amount of noise the double-paned windows will keep out. We are grateful for the generous grant we received from our benefactor to help maintain the grandeur of our 98 year old facility while providing our students and staff a safe and efficient environment in which to work and learn.
We thank Mr. Vasquez for his help in moving our new trash bins and bicycle racks. Soon, you will also see our elementary play yard gain back the space lost due to the window installation. We are so grateful to you and to our students for their patience.
In the next few months, you will notice other improvements to the school including new signage, a VOIP phone system and improved wireless access. Other improvements are planned. Stay tuned!
STAYING IN THE KNOW
We appreciate you helping one another out by keeping each other in the know. If you are unsure because you have not heard about something or unclear on the message you have received, please go to the source and find out. We have so many ways to communicate that often times, it's just a matter of asking the right person.
Please note the many events in the next few weeks. Please ask if you need clarification or if the message is confusing. We are here to help!
FACEBOOK | @stclareschoolsantaclara
Go find us on Facebook! Make sure you LIKE the page and share the link with others.
Please share the ALUMNI GOOGLE FORM link https://goo.gl/forms/pEtJxf8h5OBlnMF93
with all the alumni you know so that we can continue to tell the story of St. Clare!
Many blessings to you in the coming weeks. My hope is that you will find many transformative encounters that are Not of this World!
Peace and all good things,
Mrs. Cecile Mantecón, Principal
Fr. Greg Friedmann's Reflection on Today's Gospel for the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe
Mad Science Is Back
Dinner Night Out
Dinner Night out at FIORILLOS!
Wed, November 28
Eligible for Lunch, Dinner & Take Out
11:30 - 8:30 (open between lunch & dinner)
20% on Food and ALL drinks goes back to St. Clare!
UPCOMING EVENTS
- 11/28 Dinner Night Out | Fiorillos
- 11/29 Free Dress for those who have earned it
- 11/30 Teacher in Service Day No School | KidZ Camp Available if Minimum of 25 is reached!
- 12/2 Advent Begins
- 12/3 6th Grade Leaves for Science Camp
- 12/7 D.A.R.E. Program Begins
- 12/7 9 A.M. Mass of the Immaculate Conception | Sr. Bette and Sr. Ann Marie renew their vows | 4th Grade Leads Ministry
- 12/7 6:30-9 P.M. Winter Dance for Grades 7 & 8
- 12/10-12/14 Drexel School Mid-Year STAR Benchmarking | Do not schedule outside appointments
- 12/15 Saturday Work Day | 9 A.M. to 1 P.M.
- 12/19 Christmas Program | 6-7 P.M. with reception immediately following
- 12/20 Late start 9 A.M. | CKZ opens at 7 A.M. | 12:30 dismissal CKZ closes at 1 P.M. to allow CKZ staff to attend a Christmas celebration with the rest of the school staff
- 12/21-1/6 Christmas holidays
- 1/7 School resumes
St. Clare School
Email: office@stclareschool.org
Website: drexel.dsj.org/stclareschool
Location: 725 Washington Street, Santa Clara, CA, USA
Phone: 408-246-6797