Panther Press
Thursday, November 7, 2019
ICCS Mission Statement:
PRINCIPAL'S CORNER by Christi Jarreau
Happy November!
We are entering this month known for turning back the clock, cooler weather, and extra calories with much to be thankful for. The second quarter of the school year has started with many wonderful things happening in our school community:
Our students recently enjoyed a visit from Bishop Provost. He visited classrooms, met with second grade to discuss their upcoming sacrament and spent time with 3rd-5th grade to answer questions for Festival of Lessons and Carols that will have a ‘Christmas in France’ theme this year.
Our Red Ribbon/Respect Life Week culminated with our Respect Life Panther Walk. We were blessed with a cool, sunny day and this year our student council and student/faculty praise band kicked off the afternoon with 5 great songs to bring even more meaning to our call to love, respect, and appreciate all of God’s creation.
Our football and volleyball teams finished their seasons with a win! I could not be more proud of the way our students and coaches prepared in spirit, mind, and body to represent our school. Congratulations to our volleyball teams who finished in 1st place and our football team who finished in second place in the Calcasieu Christian Athletic League. I look forward to celebrating these students at the Fall Sports Banquet next week!
The parable of the lost sheep has come to life for our second-grade students as they participated in the Sacrament of Reconciliation last night. It is such a blessing to be able to share in our young student’s excitement as they experience God’s gift of forgiveness. I think parents would agree that their joyful hearts and glowing smiles at the end of the evening certainly restore our own joy in the graces received in the Sacraments.
Mrs. Romano and several of our student council leaders recently spent three very long but productive days at the Louisiana Association of Student Councils leadership workshop. They are compiling their thoughts and ideas for our school as a result of the workshop and I am looking forward to hearing them!
Students are enjoying the beautiful recess weather, as well as their Fall harvest from the teaching garden. It is wonderful to see many of our classes taking advantage of Mr. Joe Miller’s generous teaching garden donation as our students experience growing, sharing, and sometimes even tasting new things!
Speaking of sharing and tasting …… though the extra calories usually don’t come until Thanksgiving, we have been enjoying weekly treats made by our Progressions class! While they are hard at work in the morning learning math and life skills, it usually results in something sweet for us to enjoy in the afternoon. Some of our recent favorites include made from scratch pumpkin cookies with cream cheese icing and white cake with homemade buttercream icing.
These are just some of the exciting things that have been happening among our students and faculty. Our classrooms and hallways are so alive with evidence of rigorous learning, creativity, problem-solving, and celebrating accomplishments!
A few reminders for all:
Attendance is important. Procedures and routines should be in place at home to keep school a priority. Being at school on time and prepared will help your child be successful and it respects the hard work our teachers are putting into preparing for each of their classes. Absent or tardy students often miss valuable instruction that cannot be made up when they return.
Only black ICCS sweaters and fleece jackets are allowed indoors. In extremely cold weather, students may layer with a larger jacket outside. Please be sure your student wears the uniform jacket when a jacket is needed. The lost and found is overflowing, encourage your student to check there if his/her jacket is missing.
LABEL your child’s uniforms and lunch boxes so they can be returned to them if found.
Students are not allowed to call home for forgotten items or for making afternoon plans. Please discuss and finalize after school plans before school and do not deliver lunches during the school day. For efficiency and safety, please do not ask our receptionist or duty teachers to make exceptions to this policy.
For middle school:
When students are absent, it is important that they are responsible for making up their assignments. Planned absences should be approved ahead of time so that students may request work, take assessments, and turn in anything due while they are out prior to their absence. If students are out unexpectedly they should see teachers the day of their return to make up assessments and collect assignments missed while they were out.
Academic Success Hour runs from 3:00-3:45. Students who utilize this study period check-in immediately after school and are dismissed at 3:45. For safety and supervision, students are not allowed to come and go from Academic Success except to see another third-floor teacher for assistance.
Students are not allowed to have cell phones or smart watches at any time on campus.
As always, we appreciate your support in our mission of strengthening spirits, minds, and bodies through the teachings of Jesus Christ. We are also thankful for those who have served our country so that we have the freedom to enjoy a wonderful school community such as ours. We send a big salute to our veterans and hope you all enjoy the upcoming three-day weekend!
CURRICULUM CORNER by Blair Tadlock
Providing Proof of Thinking
In walking the halls of our school and taking in the student work that teachers are displaying in our halls, it struck me that from Pre-K through 8th grade this work is so much more than just gussied up performance perfect exemplary work placed out by the teacher. The extraordinary display of student work found in our school is often not necessarily displayed for its perfection or because it is visually pleasing, but rather these are examples of student thinking and collaboration with peers in thinking to solve problems. These are rough drafts with edits and adjustments, scratch papers of sketches with labels and diagrams that explain the learning, paragraphs written in pencil that when on closer inspection the revision process can be seen from the eraser marks and faded graphite left behind, brainstorming or problem-solving sessions on a giant post-it with various students’ work, and scratch paper used by young scientists to map out their work. What you see in our halls is PROOF of THINKING and might I add, thinking on impressively critical levels. Our students are providing across all grade-levels and subject areas the proof of their thinking and our teachers are cultivating a rich culture of thinking, reasoning, and proving throughout the learning process. Beyond what is in our halls, the course work in all content areas and classrooms is persistently challenging students to acknowledge their learning and see themselves in their learning by consistently providing proof of their thinking. From gathering evidence on a nature walk in early elementary to being inference detectives in elementary classrooms to using the Claim-Evidence-Reasoning model in middle school, our students are providing proof of their thinking and it is a privilege to see it in action.
MERCY MATTERS by Rose Viau
The last few days have been filled with excitement and joy for our 2nd Grade students. This past Tuesday was their First Reconciliation retreat and yesterday they celebrated the Sacrament of Reconciliation. During this sacrament we are reconciled with God and our relationship is restored by our merciful and loving Father who forgives all our sins.
Today’s Gospel reading sums this up perfectly with the story of the 100 sheep and the one who is lost. The Good Shepherd leaves the 99 to find that one lost sheep. The Good Shepherd rejoices when he finds that one lost sheep. The Good Shepherd rejoices when we go to Him in confession. He wants to forgive us and restore that relationship again. His love and mercy are so great that nothing can separate or keep us from him, no matter how terrible we might think our sin is if we ask for forgiveness.
Yesterday was a beautiful celebration of reconciliation. Throughout the school year, our students are given opportunities to go to confession - during adoration, class retreats, and penance service.
If it has been a while since you have been to confession I urge you to go and let the mercy and love of God be felt.
ICCS RESPECT LIFE WALK
BOOK FAIR ENDS TOMORROW
A MESSAGE FROM LIBRARIAN, MRS. KYNDEL HEFFER
Sunday's "Super Hero" Book Fair Family Shopping Event was well attended. Thanks a million to all the students, parents and grand-panthers who stopped by to browse and shop the Book Fair as a family.
ORGANIZATIONAL HELP NEEDED
Mrs. Maggie Trahan, our Middle School Literature Teacher and ICCS Used Uniform Sale Sponsor, is in need of volunteers to help sort, fold and organize used uniform donations. PTO points will be awarded for time worked. For more information, or to volunteer your time and organization skills, please contact Mrs. Trahan by email at mtrahan@iccschool.org.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
A few more parent volunteers are needed to assist with serving donuts and monitoring the cafeteria and to greet guests in the front lobby for the big Grandparent's Day event (4th-8th Grade) on Friday, November 22 from 8:15 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. PTO points will be awarded for time worked. For more information, or to volunteer your time, please contact Room Mom Coordinator Jade Allen at jadeballen@gmail.com or by phone at (225) 603-7564.
GIVE BACK TO ICCS WITH COCA-COLA
We are excited to announce our school is now part of the Coca-Cola Give program.
Turn your Coca-Cola product purchases into easy and quick donations for ICCS. To participate, visit coke.com/give/schools, select ICCS and scan or enter product codes from participating Coca-Cola products.
No time to scan or enter the product codes? NO problem! Send them to school with your student and our Community Partners Committee members will scan or enter the codes for you. For more information, please contact ICCS Community Partner Fundraising Chairman, Rebecca Roach at rebroach@hotmail.com, Get started today!
WINTER COAT DONATIONS NEEDED
The Coats For Kids donation box is located in the ICCS front lobby. The drive will end on Friday, November 22. Please check your closets soon and donate to this important cause.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS:
SAVE THE DATE
CLASSROOM NEWS:
2ND GRADE STUDENTS RECEIVE SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION
Many thanks to Mrs. Lori Brown, Ms. Catherine Ebersole, Mrs. Rose Viau and Father Rommel Tolentino for guiding and preparing the students and their families for this important sacrament.
1ST GRADE MAP PROJECT
6TH GRADE SAINT PRESENTATIONS
CATHEDRAL NEWS:
JUNIOR CATHOLIC DAUGHTER MEETING THIS SUNDAY
The Immaculate Conception Cathedral Lady of the Lake Court 695 Catholic Daughters is starting up a Junior Catholic Daughters of the Americas Program (JCDA) for girls ages 6-18. The program will offer monthly meetings filled with spiritual growth activities and education, as well as character-training projects.
Girls and parents interested in learning more, or registering for the JDCA program, are asked to attend an informational meeting THIS SUNDAY, November 10, at 12:30 p.m. in the Ave Maria Hall. For more information, please contact the JCDA leaders:
Jennifer Authement jen.elizabeth.3@gmail.com
Ashley Ivey-Atkins ashleyiveyatkins@yahoo.com
Kelly Serrano kserrano26@gmail.com
QUICK LINKS
ONCOURSE CONNECT STUDENT/PARENT PORTAL
Keep up with homework, grades, attendance and get quick access to teacher websites via Oncourse Connect. Families having trouble logging in should email mbmathew@iccschool.org.
DON'T FORGET TO LIKE US ON FACEBOOK AND KEEP UP WITH THE LATEST ICCS NEWS AND EVENTS!
UPCOMING EVENTS:
Monday, November 11
Veteran's Day Holiday
NO SCHOOL
Tuesday, November 12
SLC Saint for A Day
8th grade students to visit SLCHS
11:00 am. - 2:00 p.m.
Wednesday, November 13
2nd Quarter Progress Reports
Fall Sports Banquet
7:00 p.m., Gym
Wednesday, November 13 & Thursday, November 14
Junie B Jones Auditions
3:15 p.m., Music Room
Friday, November 15
Sectional Mass (3A)
2nd-5th Grades
8:30 a.m., Cathedral
(Reminder: Boys wear pants, girls wear skirts/jumpers)
3rd Grade Retreat
Following Mass at the Ave Maria Hall
Wednesday, November 20
School Advisory Board Meeting
5:30 p.m., Cathedral Office
Thursday, November 21
Grandparent's Day
PK-3rd Grade
8:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
Friday, November 22
Grandparent's Day
4th-8th Grade
8:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
Monday, November 25 - Friday, November 29
Thanksgiving Holiday
Contact Information
Email: mbmathew@iccschool.org
Website: www.iccschool.org
Location: 1536 Ryan Street, Lake Charles, LA, USA
Phone: 337-433-3497
Facebook: www.facebook.com/iccschool