Joyfully Embracing Our Mission
7 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,
The devil said to him,
"I shall give to you all this power and glory;
for it has been handed over to me,
and I may give it to whomever I wish.
All this will be yours, if you worship me."
~Luke 4
Power over evil. That’s Jesus’ super power. That’s definitely a good one if anyone asks me what super power I wish I had! It’s very hard to turn away from all things shiny and flashy--all those notifications we get while using our browsers: shoes made out of recycled water bottles, fragrant essential oils, the newest food delivery options that will help you lose weight and lengthen your life. All those promises of a temporal nature...so tempting to turn to because their noises are constant, their “attractive” returns make us want to say, “I want that...and I want it now.” It’s so easy to succumb to all this badgering...and so easy to blame Mark Zuckerberg or Jeff Bezos: it is not our fault. It’s easier to say yes, “BUY NOW!”
Jesus’ triumph over evil truly is astounding if we think about it in the context of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. He would have had to employ all seven to say NO to the devil when he was offered all the power in the world. “Uh, no. You don’t have that power. My Father is the only one who does.” Wisdom. Understanding. Counsel. Fortitude. Knowledge. Piety. Fear of the Lord. Boom! Super Power!
CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT: Looking at Data and Formulating Ways to Get Even Better!
Today, St. Clare teachers gathered to look at data from Lexia Core 5 and Reading Plus. Disaggregating and analyzing data helps teachers determine ways to improve their instructional practice. The application provides impactful strategies to use when differentiating instruction through blended learning and station-rotation. Your part would be to ensure that students are reading and that checks for understanding is part of your process at home! It was great to see many of you at the book fair... a hopeful sign that students love books and that they are enjoying the act of reading for pleasure...a key to success!
Next, we looked at the Catholic Identity surveys completed by 65 of our parents, 116 of our students and 11 of our faculty and staff regarding two of our standards: Mission and Philosophy and Parents as Partners. We reviewed the implications of the data from the survey and identified areas of strength and areas of growth. We brainstormed ways to make our Mission and Philosophy a lived reality at our school and ways to increase our partnership with parents, especially in the formation of faith. We will report these plans of improvement as part of our accreditation process with WCEA and ACS WASC. As our shareholders, we are grateful for those who responded and offered insights into the question, “How are we doing?”
SAVE THE DATE! LEXI B. IS PRINCIPAL FOR A DAY ON APRIL 30!
Lexi’s parents were the highest bidder at the Annual Benefit to give her the experience of a lifetime. Lexi will “shadow” me and will wield her “power” that day. It promises to be a load of fun for our community. We can’t wait for you to see that two is better than one! Stay tuned….
A MESSAGE FROM THE FESTIVAL COMMITTEE
It’s that time of year again to talk FESTIVAL, a beloved event that is not just a fun time for all, but also a great support for our St. Clare Community. Over the last 4 years, the FESTIVAL raised $75,000 for St. Clare School and an equal amount for St. Clare Parish. This is much needed funding that helps to fill the financial gap for both institutions. We are hoping to continue this tradition of assistance for our school and parish. Mark your calendar for June 7, 8, 9 and be ready for the FUN, the FOOD and the FESTIVITIES!
Be on the lookout for communication coming from your Room Reps and for volunteer opportunities. Join us to help make this the best year ever!
JOIN US FOR PRAYER SERVICE TOMORROW | 2nd Grade Leads us in Prayer
Our candidates for First Holy Communion have prepared a meaningful prayer experience for our community. Please come and join us in church at 9 A.M. After the prayer service, the choir will be rehearsing for the Choral Festival. You are welcome to stay and watch!
MARCH BIRTHDAY LUNCHEON PREPARED BY 2ND GRADE: OPA!
We are very grateful to our second grade parents who “dressed” our table with class and feted us with delicious Mediterranean fare! I’m a sucker for hummus and tzatziki… and it looked like everyone else was, too! We feel loved and appreciated. Thank you!
MORE PARENT RESOURCES BELOW!
Check out the articles on Behavior and Tantrums, Fortnite and Setting Boundaries and Executive Functioning Skills. I am currently attending workshops on EF and have many resources to bring back to our teachers. I truly believe we have a lot to learn about this important classification of skills, not just for our students but for our adult selves!
JOIN US THIS SUNDAY: St. Clare School Family Mass 9 A.M.
Let's pray together, especially during this season of Lent. I hope to see you there! If you would like to serve in ministry, please see Sister Ann Marie.
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. Tuition Agreements will go out the week of March 11 and the Registration portal (InfoSnap) will open at that time as well. We thank the families who have committed to return in 2019-20. We look forward to continuing this journey with you.
Let's pray for community members who are struggling to make ends meet or experiencing physical or emotional pain. May we be blessed with the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit to overcome our struggles and become the light for others.
I feel blessed to be among you.
Gratefully,
Mrs. Cecile Mantecon, Principal
Ashley B. Did St. Clare Proud!
In celebration of Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day, Ashley B. from sixth grade was invited to be on a panel titled “Starting Now: Young Women Talk About What’s Next.” The panel was focused on the challenges and opportunities for young women today, what gender balance means to them as well as their aspirations for the future.
Panelists included:
- Camille Harris (UC Berkeley student, aspiring Computer Science Ph.D)
- Cadence Patrick (Oakland School for the Arts, leader in Black Girls Who Code)
- Srishti Sehtia (Digital Academy Graduate and Adobe Software Engineer)
- Nishita Belur (Archbishop Mitty High School, Technovation finalist)
- Ashley Boudeville (St Clare Middle school student and entrepreneur)
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Some of the questions that were asked:
· What are the biggest obstacles for young women your age? Ashley answered “she feels that young girls her age are often underestimated”
· Have you ever heard things that would make you believe that girls aren’t equal to boys? Ashley said…”given the same amount of information and opportunity, it’s your decision to the occasion” – Video clip here.
· At school, do you see equal participation in science and math by boys/girls/men/women?
· Describe what a great place to work sounds like to you.
· If you could change one thing about the world for young women, what would it be?
Start the campaign: Ashley B | 2036!
Daylight Saving will begin 2am Sunday, March 10th
8th Grade Visits SCU
Book Fair Success
Science is Fashionable!
Gospel Reflection for March 10, 2019
In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus is led by the Spirit into the desert to face temptation. He fasts there for forty days. His body is weakened by hunger, thirst, and the challenges of survival in the desert. It is to an exhausted and vulnerable Jesus that the devil appears. The devil offers Jesus pleasure (“If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread”), power (“I shall give to you all this power and glory… if you worship me”), and fame (“If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here”).
Jesus could not be tempted, because he was firmly rooted in his mission.
I am often tired and hungry and overrun with things to do. Unlike Jesus, however, I am not always so firmly rooted in my mission. At Jesus’ baptism, the Holy Spirit had come down in the form of a dove, accompanied by a voice from heaven: “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” I invite you to consider with me the following question: Is there enough stillness and quiet in my day to listen for God’s voice? If there isn't, how am I going to make time to listen this Lent? How can we be more firmly rooted in our mission even when we are tired and weak?
~ Miss Kim
Mad Science Spring Session K-5
Dad's Night Out!
Taplands
1171 Homestead Rd, Santa Clara.
15% of all sales back to St. Clare School.
*Another Mom's Night out being scheduled in April. Stay Tuned for more info soon!
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
SATURDAY WORK DAY - MARCH 16
Join us next 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.
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
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.
UPCOMING EVENTS
- 3/9 Dads Night Out | Taplands | 6pm - 9pm
- 3/15 Local Holiday | No School No CKZ
- 3/16 Saturday Work Day
- 3/22 Teacher In Service Day | No School
- 3/29 Sock Hop
- 4/4 VIP DAY
- 4/8 - 4/12 Science Fair
- 4/19 - 4/26 Easter Break | No School
St. Clare School
FACEBOOK | @stclareschoolsantaclara
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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!
Email: office@stclareschool.org
Website: drexel.dsj.org/stclareschool
Location: 725 Washington Street, Santa Clara, CA, USA
Phone: 408-246-6797