Resurrection-St. Paul School
News and Notes, November 1, 2020
2020-2021 Be a Light for All to See, Matthew 5:16
Shining the Classroom Spotlight
Mrs. Meredith Horstkamp
Some fun facts about Mrs. Horstkamp include:
- She has two children. Sydney is six and Nicholas who is 25.
- Mrs. Horstkamp, Sydney and Nicholas all have birthdays on the 30th. Different months, but same days!
In the pictures above, kindergarten is exploring what a pumpkin is and the life cycle of the pumpkin!
Announcements
All Souls Day
We have a Catholic tradition of visiting a cemetery and praying for the deceased on All Soul's Day (Monday, November 2) and during the month of November.
We can particularly help souls by doing acts and prayers that have indulgences attached to them. While the celebration of Mass is the highest means the Church can provide for charity for the dead, we can also relieve their sufferings through our prayers, sacrifices and penances.
When we spend a few moments praying in a cemetery to receive an indulgence, a soul is released from purgatory, and their prayers may help us one day.
Two Ways
In the month of November, the Church has two traditional means of obtaining a plenary indulgence, which remits all temporal punishment due to sin, for the souls in purgatory. The first is to visit a cemetery and pray for the dead during the Octave of All Saints’ Day, which is Nov. 1-8. This year, however, the Vatican decreed that this plenary indulgence can be obtained on any day in November.
The second plenary indulgence is connected to the Feast of All Souls’ Day on Nov. 2, and can be received by those who piously visit a church or chapel on that day and recite the Our Father and the Creed.
How it Works
One can gain a plenary indulgence for souls each day during November by doing the following:
--Receive Communion each day you wish to gain the indulgence.
--Go to confession (only have to do this once during a 20 day period).
--Have the interior disposition of complete detachment from sin, even venial sin.
--Visit a cemetery (any one will do and you don't even have to get out of the car).
--Pray for the dead (can be formal or informal prayer).
--Say an Our Father and Hail Mary for the pope's intentions.
COVID
Because of the health emergency, the Vatican said that the elderly, sick, and others who cannot leave the house for serious reasons can participate in the indulgence from home by reciting prayers for the deceased before an image of Jesus or the Virgin Mary. They must also spiritually unite themselves to other Catholics, be completely detached from sin, and have the intention of fulfilling the indulgence conditions as soon as possible.
Examples of prayers that homebound Catholics can pray for the dead include the rosary, Chaplet of Divine Mercy, other prayers, or performing a work of mercy by offering their pain and discomfort to God.
Eternal Rest Prayer
The Eternal Rest prayer gains a partial indulgence for souls and can be prayed all year. Actually, we should never pass up an opportunity to pray for the deceased whenever we are in any cemetery.
Passing a cemetery and praying this can help souls who are in need:
Eternal rest grant to them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
It can also be added to the end of the Prayer Before Meals:
Bless us, O Lord, and these thy gifts, which we are about to receive, from Thy bounty, through Christ, our Lord, Amen. And may the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
Walk for the Homeless, Monday, November 2nd
On Monday, all students and staff will walk for the homeless. Each cohort has been assigned a time slot to walk a mile on the campus grounds this day. Distance learners will be told what time their class will be walking.
Please have your student wear their new yellow spirit shirt with PE pants (not shorts) to school on Monday. (ALSO, BRING IN YOUR COAT, IT'S GOING TO BE CHILLY!) In addition, please send in a dollar with each student to donate to the cold weather shelter. Checks can be written to St. Paul Church. If your student is a distance learner, St. Paul has set up a Faith Direct for families to donate: https://membership.faithdirect.net/events/details/5443.
Click here to see a message from Msgr. John and Mrs. Kleintank about this service project and how to participate from home.
Thank you for your support in continuing this RSPS tradition. We have raised more than $20,750 over the last fourteen years for this outreach project.
Grant and Aid Application Process Is Now Open!
Tuition grant and aid is a need-based analysis of the cost of education vs. a family’s ability to pay and these awards do not need to be repaid. To objectively assess what a family is able to contribute to its student(s) education expenses, an independent third party (FACTS Grant & Aid Assessment) is used.
8th Grade Sweatshirts!
Support the School Through SCRIP
HSA is encouraging all families to participate in the Shop with Scrip fundraiser this year, especially with the cancellation of many fundraisers due to COVID. It is a simple gift card fundraiser. It benefits your family and the school at the same time. The PowerPoint below contains new information about the new app RAISE RIGHT and our school's enrollment code. This video also explains the SCRIP program. Please reach out to Jessica Dove (jmdove4@gmail.com) or post on the RSPS Parent Connect FB page with any questions. Jessica is always happy to help!
HSA - Recess Support
Last week, the HSA launched a volunteer recess monitor program to support the faculty and staff at RSPS. Several parent volunteers are now trained and have begun assisting during outdoor recesses. We are still looking for a few more volunteers. The commitment requires a specific COVID-19 training (provided by RSPS administration) and a current STAND/VIRTUS badge. The time commitment is approximately 1 to 1.5 hours during the 10:45-12:45pm time range and does not require a weekly commitment.
If you are interested in volunteering at recess, please complete the following form:
Questions about the status of your current STAND/VIRTUS badge, please contact Mrs. Dewey at: jdewey@resstpaul.org.
Thank you for your support!
-The HSA in conjunction with the RSPS administration
RSPS Cookbook Fundraiser is Here!
The cost of each book is $15.00
If you will be paying by check you can place an order via this link: https://forms.gle/zXzjFaKoP1Xijony9
If you want to pay by credit card you can order from the online order form located here:
https://forms.diamondmindinc.com/Annual_Fund/cookbook?token=1460846886
Things to know:
· All orders will be picked up on Tuesday afternoons from 3:30 to 4:15, this will be our designated pick up day.
· All orders placed by Sunday evenings will be ready for pick up on that following Tuesday (unless otherwise noted)
· All checks should be made payable to: Resurrection- St. Paul School HSA (with cookbook noted in the for note field).
· You will receive a confirmation email verifying that your order has been received and that it will be ready for pick up.
· If for any reason you need to pay by cash, please note you must pay the exact amount as we will be unable to make change.
· We are unable to accept any payments via kid mail and we are unable to send any cookbooks home via kid mail, no exceptions.
**Pick up procedure- pull up in front of the school entrance and we will come out and get the name for pickup. If you paid with a credit card online using the diamond mind order form we will just give you your order. If you ordered using the google doc and are paying via check/cash (exact change only) we will collect your payment and give you your order. **
Any questions email us at RSPScookbook2019@gmail.comRS
RSPS Spirit Wear
For new families and old, spirit wear is a day that kids can come out of uniform yet in their spirit wear of RSPS. It can be any of our theme tshirts (past theme t-shirts are OK to wear for September as we await our 2020-2021 theme shirts), or items from our spirit wear shop.
Which FYI the spirit wear shop is a FUNraiser for our school community! There are tons of amazing items and you can even customize them!
Spirit wear orders can be made here:
HSA Sponsored Restaurant Nights
The HSA welcomes RSPS families to patronize restaurants to build community, support the school all while enjoying a socially distance meal.
Academics
Policies and Procedures
Arrival and Dismissal Safety
- all morning arrival traffic should enter from Chatham Rd (please do not skip traffic lanes by cutting through the parking lot)
- only vehicles dropping off students in Grades 3-8 should exit via Paulskirk Drive in the morning
- all traffic for dismissal should enter and exit via Chatham Road
- drive through the parking lot at a safe speed (5 mph or less)
- follow Maryland regulations for children in car and booster seats
- children should be seated properly and buckled until the car is no longer moving
- observe parking lot signage and staff instructions
Thank you for your cooperation keeping our Panthers safe!
Afternoon Pick-Up
Thank you!
Out of State Travel Policy
In an effort to reduce the possibility of introducing the COVID-19 virus into a school community, RSPS established a policy applicable to both students and employees which requires notification be provided when individuals are traveling out of state to areas defined as high risk jurisdictions based upon positivity rates of the destination.
Procedural Points:
Students (attending in person) and staff (working on campus in person) are advised if they intend to travel to a state with a positivity rate for COVID-19 of 10% or greater during the period of their stay, notification of such intention must be communicated to the principal. For purposes of this guidance, the positivity rate should be based upon the average rate as determined for the period of the entire stay. Those traveling will be required to quarantine upon their return until such time as either they provide evidence of a negative test result for COVID-19 and are asymptomatic or they complete an entire 14 day quarantine.
Students in quarantine may participate in the remote learning program.
Students Who are Quarantining
Please let Julie Rice, jrice@resstpaul.org, to inform her of any close contact exposures, presumptive positive cases, or positive cases in your household so we can coordinate instructional programming and follow all COVID-19 protocols.
VIRTUS Training for all Volunteers
Required training for all volunteers
Due to COVID-19 policies, visitors and volunteers will not be allowed in the building until further notice. We welcome volunteer service that can be done from home.
RSPS Career Opportunities
We are looking to expand our current Panther Faculty and Staff for the 2020-2021 school year to accommodate the needs of our students and all our reduced class sizes due to risk mitigation policies and procedures.
In-Person Early Childhood Education Teacher
Job Responsibilities:
- Provide grade appropriate instructional program for students, coursework to include teaching Religion
- Instruct students in all content area subjects
- Maintains an attractive, organized, and engaging learning environment
- Develops lesson plans with clear objectives in line with the Archdiocesan Course of Study
- Provides grade appropriate extended or enrichment opportunities
- Uses relevant technology to support/enhance instruction including one-on-one devices such as IPads and Chromebooks, as well as interactive whiteboards
- Maintains appropriate control through positive discipline techniques
- Maintains accurate and complete records of students' progress in Power School
- Provides regular and consistent communication with parents, students, staff and administration
- Performs assigned duties when needed for the supervision of students before, during or after school including lunch duties, recess duties, dismissal duties, detention, and any other duties assigned by the administration
- Participates in faculty meetings, school committees, and in-service learning opportunities
- Attends school events including Back to School Nights, Open Houses, Parent/Teacher conference days, and other events as requested by the administration
Job Requirements
- Practicing Roman Catholic
- Bachelor degree in education
- Current MSDE certification
- Prior successful teaching experience in early education preferred
- Positive references and recommendations
- Basic understanding and acceptance of Catholic school philosophy, goals and objectives
- Must be comfortable with or willing to learn technology including Chromebooks, Google Classroom, interactive white boards, etc.
Job Responsibilities:
- Implement lesson plans utilizing a variety of techniques to motivate, challenge and engage students
- Plan and execute instructional programs that adhere to Archdiocesan curriculum
- Create an instructional environment conducive to learning
- Maintain high professional standards consistent with the mission of the school and the teachings of the Catholic Church
- Safely and actively supervise students both inside and outside of the classroom
- Work collaboratively with other teachers, staff, and administration
- Meet the needs, interests and abilities of students
- Perform various non-teaching related duties such as recess, lunch, and parking lot, etc.
Job Requirements:
- Practicing Roman Catholic preferred
- AA degree
- Prior successful experience working with students
- Positive references and recommendations
- Basic understanding and acceptance of Catholic school philosophy, goals and objectives
- Must be comfortable with or willing to learn technology including Chromebooks, Google Classroom, interactive white boards, etc.
How to apply:
- All applications should be emailed to Tracy Underwood, assistant principal, tunderwood@resstpaul.org
- Complete applications shall include:
- cover letter;
- resume;
- complete RSPS application;
- contact information for three professional references and any employment with substantial contact with minors
- Only complete applications submitted via email will be considered.
2020-2021 School Year at a Glance
October 15th: 12:30 p.m. Dismissal day for students, no after care
1:00-5:00 p.m. Parent-Teacher video conferences
October 16th: No school for students, AOB professional development day for teachers
October 21st: 12:30 p.m. Dismissal day for students, no after care
1:00-5:00 p.m. Parent-Teacher video conferences
November 25th: End of Trimester 1
November 25th-27th: No school, Thanksgiving Break
December 23rd-January 1st: Christmas Break
January 4th: Classes resume
January 15th: No school, Faculty retreat
January 18th: No school, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
February 5th: 12:30 p.m. Dismissal day for students, no after care, Afternoon professional development for teachers
February 15th: No school, Presidents' Day
March 4th: Trimester 2 ends
April 2nd-9th: Easter Break
April 12th: Classes resume
May 31st: No school, Memorial Day
June 2nd: 8th grade graduation
June 8th: 12:30 p.m. Dismissal day for students, no after care, Afternoon professional development for teachers
June 9th: 12:30 p.m. Dismissal day for students, no after care, Afternoon professional development for teachers
June 10th: 12:30 p.m. Last day of school for students, Dismissal day for students, no after care, Afternoon professional development for teachers
June 11th: Last day of school for faculty and staff
Resurrection-St.Paul School
Vision Statement
At Resurrection-St. Paul School, students have unique opportunities for real life critical thinking, problem solving, and experiential learning through enrichment programs built into our curricula such as theater, art, outdoor education, and much more. We offer a well-rounded academic education rooted in the Catholic tradition of excellence and values. We prepare our students to assume responsible, creative roles in an ever challenging and changing world.
Mission Statement
Resurrection-St. Paul School, through the teaching of the Catholic Church, is dedicated to the total formation of the child by preparing them for a global society through innovation, problem solving, and cross curricular collaboration.
Email: office@resstpaul.org
Website: resstpaul.org
Location: 3155 Paulskirk Drive, Ellicott City, MD, USA
Phone: (410) 461-9111
Facebook: facebook.com/ResurrectionStPaul/