Joyfully Embracing Our Mission
St. Clare School Family News | 31 August 2019
Come! Live in the Light!
You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned?
It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
You are the light of the world.
A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden.
Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket;
it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house.
Just so, your light must shine before others,
that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.
~ Matthew 5:13-16
Dear St. Clare School Families,
31 August 2019 | Joyfully Embracing Our Mission | St. Clare School Family News
Dear St. Clare School Families,
This Friday, our buddy classes met for the first time during our Faith Family Group encounters. Teachers prepared opportunities for students to get to know each other, Open the Word using resources from the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics and USCCB, or connect each grade’s religion learning objectives. It was delightful to see the current seventh grade class return to the classroom with Mrs. Turner, and for Ms. B, St. Clare alum (2010), to be in the TK classroom with our 4 year olds!
One highlight for me was seeing how Ms. Kim and Mrs. Vallarta connected their religion outcomes for buddies to create a brochure where students can exhibit their knowledge regarding divine revelation (5th grade language) or how we see God in our daily lives (2nd grade language).
A variety of prayer experiences allow our children to encounter their faith through word, worship and Christian living. These experiences give them the opportunity to deepen their relationship with God and one another. Ask your child if they remember his or her buddy’s name. (Our buddy classes are as follows: TK and 7th, K and 4th, 1st and 6th, 2nd and 5th, 3rd and 8th.)
As partners in the formation of your children, you are invited and are welcome to join us each Friday for mass (first and third Fridays at 9 A.M. in the church), prayer service (second Fridays at 8:45 A.M. in the church unless otherwise communicated) and in the classrooms on fourth and fifth Fridays at 8:45 A.M. for our Faith Family Group encounters.
BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT, Thursday, Sept. 5 | Starts at 6 P.M. in the Church
This ADULTS ONLY evening will give teachers an opportunity to share with parents regarding the goals and expectations for the year. Parents will get an opportunity to hear from the classroom teachers and clarify expectations to further strengthen the partnership between home and school. The evening will begin with a general address in the church followed by two 20-minute sessions in the classrooms. (Students in grades 7 and 8 will remain in the church for the Junior High session.)
If you have one child, you need only attend the one session after the general assembly. If you have more than two, then you will want to select the two classrooms with which you have the least experience. You are welcome to connect with the teachers from the other classrooms at another time or have someone else in your household attend the other sessions. The Class of 2020 will stay at the conclusion of the junior high session to hear about other 8th grade related expectations: events throughout the year, high school admissions and graduation.
We ask that at least one parent be present per family. You’ll hear first hand about the vision for 2019-2020 as well as meet the teachers, new families and parent leadership that make our community so special.
ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY
This past week, you should have seen a post regarding the latest Acceptable Use Policy and the insurance option of school-issued iPads. Some of you may remember that you were asked to acknowledge the Agreement as part of your registration process. This form is the latest one issued by the Diocese of San Jose with some revisions, and therefore, we will need signed copies in the office for our records. Families of students in grades 6-8 have completed this process. Please complete one form per student. Paper copies of the form will be sent home with your K-5 child(ren) on Tuesday. Thank you for your patience with this.
SEPTEMBER 8: ST. CLARE SCHOOL FAMILY MASS AT 9 A.M.
Please join us on Sunday, Sept. 8 for the first St. Clare School Family Mass at 9 A.M. If you are interested in serving as a lector or gift bearer, or if your student would like to altar serve, please contact Ms. McCormick (mary.mccormick@dsj.org) or Sr. Ann Marie (annmarie.dress@dsj.org) this week.
We invite you to participate fully as part of the assembly and stay a while to meet families for donuts and coffee. We hope to see the church packed with St. Clare School families. See you then!
On this Sunday, churches in the Diocese of San Jose will hear about our Catholic schools and their impact on society. If you would like to speak at any of the masses at St. Clare or at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph, please let me know (cecile.mantecon@dsj.org). We would like to have you and your students speak about the importance of community support to sustain St. Clare School and other Catholic schools in our area.
St. Clare masses are: Saturday vigil at 5 P.M., Sunday morning at 7:45, 9, 10:30 (Portuguese community) and in the afternoon at 12 (Spanish) and 5:30 P.M.
The Cathedral masses are: Saturday vigil at 4:30 P.M., Sunday morning at 8:30 and 11:30 in English and at 10 A.M., 1 P.M. and 5:30 P.M. in Spanish.
SCRIP
Please make a family commitment to support our Scrip Program, now available for purchase online. Be on the lookout for posts regarding Scrip, how to sign in and how to begin to contribute to our school programs. Scrip proceeds help bridge the gap between programs budgeted in our tuition-based structure and other incidentals like tuition assistance and programs that enrich student life like assemblies and student-centered events.
We continue to have Scrip "card" inventory. Inquire at the office to see what we still have in stock.
JOG-A-THON | October 2, 2019 | Ready, set, run!
Be on the lookout for information about supporting our students for the Jog-A-Thon. We have two avid runners on staff: Mr. Ishii and Mr. Gallagher and a whole group of excited cheerleaders (our groovy teachers, of course!) who will be providing some entertainment and spirited sideline support. Let’s make this the best Jog-A-Thon ever!
As part of our theme this year to “Come, Live in the Light!” we are making a commitment to run/walk in honor of Macda Debru (Beraki). Won’t you support our efforts to run for Macda?
LEGO ROBOTICS COMING TO ST. CLARE
If you haven’t already signed up to help run the Lego Robotics program from students in grades 3-5, there is still time: https://www.stclarerobotics.com/
Training will begin soon.
SERVICE AND CATHOLIC IDENTITY
As part of our ongoing review of Catholic identity using the Western Catholic Education Association’s (WCEA) Improving Student Learning (ISL) protocol, we are highlighting our review of the school’s commitment to service learning and religion curriculum. How is St. Clare School fulfilling the benchmarks for an effective Catholic school? What is your part as shareholders in fulfilling these benchmarks?
STRATEGIC PLANNING AND PARENT LEADERSHIP SYMPOSIUM
In mid-September, parent leadership will gather to pray together, refocus on the mission and vision for St. Clare School and work towards the development of a Strategic Plan based on the Catholic School Standards Project and the National Standandards and Benchmarks for Effective Catholic Schools. https://www.catholicschoolstandards.org/
It will involve a self-assessment of what we do well, what our challenges might be, the opportunities that lie before us and obstacles that threaten our existence. Looking at St. Clare’s commitment to Mission and Catholic Identity, Governance and Leadership, Academic Excellence and Operational Vitality, we, together as shareholders will identify the path forward.
An opportunity to provide data from all our shareholders: students and families, faculty and staff, parent leadership groups and parish and community leadership will come in the next few months. The task of the School Advisory Council and the Finance Committee will involve analysis of the data in order to recommend a plan.
BE HUMBLE
This Sunday’s readings point to one very important habit of the heart: HUMILITY. In today’s world, our children are exposed to more information than they are developmentally able to appropriately process and understand. The examples they see in the media, the interactions they have with their peers, often unsupervised by responsible adults (group chats in devices and while online gaming), can be extremely negative and replete with arrogance. This habit, practiced hours per day without parent supervision, becomes a part of who they are, wherever they are.
We are observing students, especially in the older grades, act disrespectfully towards teachers and one another at alarming rates. Others have even taken it upon themselves to decide that they are entitled to “sit out” because they no longer need to learn or practice what is being asked of them in class.
Have we empowered our children to think they no longer need to learn from others because they have access to the information themselves? The readings challenge us all to: “conduct your affairs with humility”. That God, in his goodness, has made a home for the poor. “For I am meek and humble of heart”, and that “Rather, when you are invited, go and take the lowest place”.
I hope you will get a chance this weekend of Labor Day to speak to your child(ren) that all that we have--the opportunities for success, the information at our fingertips, our freedom, our rights--we owe to the likes of these: Cesar Chavez, Dolores Huerta, the Filipino Farmworkers of Delano, the Haymarket activists and many others; and that we are not entitled to these opportunities. Rather, we must continue to labor and to be grateful that our struggle is less, because of those who have come before us.
Just because children these days can be more self-sufficient doesn’t mean that they are entitled to be arrogant. Please help us remind our children that humility is “...not thinking less of yourself but thinking of yourself less.” (C.S. Lewis). That humility is a virtue that requires courage: it is not a sign of weakness.
As Fr. Brendan McGuire wrote in his reflection for this Sunday’s readings: humility “requires us to listen with respect. It requires us to ask questions and to not judge. It requires us to...recognize that we do not have all the answers and that we have not had all the experiences”.
May you and your family receive the blessings for a life filled with faith, with hope and with love.
Peace and all good things,
Mrs. Cecile Mantecon, Principal
Gospel Reflection for September 1, 2019 | Luke 14:1, 7-14
In the Gospel reading Jesus says “For every one who exalts himself will be
humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” Jesus encourages us
not to be caught up in the natural hierarchy of life and society, but instead to
show humility in self and compassion to our fellow man. We need to help others
without expecting something in return. We should not judge ourselves in
comparison to others, but instead comparison to our former self.
The First Faith Family Group Encounter for 2019-2020 | Buddies Meet for the First Time!
UNIFORM CORNER: FREE DRESS
Students may wear Free Dress on the last Thursday of each month.
The teacher and school administration have the final approval about the appropriateness of student clothing. A “Dress Code Infraction Notice” will be issued to students who are not dressed in line with St. Clare School policies or discretion. Subsequent notices will result in the loss of the next Free Dress privilege.
Pants
Denim jeans which are not ripped, torn or worn out (faded)
Overly loose or tight pants, and pants that sit too low on the waist are may NOT be worn
Pajama bottoms, spandex, yoga pants or leggings may NOT be worn unless under a skirt, dress or appropriate length shorts
Shorts/Skorts, Skirts
Must be of walking/bermuda shorts length (longer than 2” above the knee)
Shorts or skirts that are ripped or frayed at the ends, spandex, bike shorts or short shorts are NOT allowed
Shorts and skirts of appropriate length (5” inseam for shorter students; 7” inseam of longer for taller students; must be longer than 2” above the knee)
Shirts/Tops
Halter tops, tank tops, or crop tops may NOT be worn
Tops should cover midriff area even when arms are raised and must be constructed of a material that is not sheer
Any article of clothing which is in poor taste or offensive in design or wording, whether it be worn outside or under a shirt, may NOT be worn
Hats, Jewelry & Make-Up
Hats may only be worn outdoors during recess or lunch
Must conform to school guidelines (eyeliner, acrylic nails, nail polish, lip gloss other than clear lip balm are NOT allowed)
Footwear
Comfort and safety as prescribed in the school uniform guidelines (lug soles, boot tread, platform shoes may NOT be worn)
Boots, including Uggs, slippers, or shoes that light up, sparkle and have wheels are NOT part of the free dress guidelines
Student choice of color and print of footwear (shoes, socks, laces)
Lego Robotics is Coming to St. Clare School
Additional information will come.
M.U.S.E. Instrumental Program is Now Registering
"The M.U.S.E. instrumental Program is now registering students for Band Classes starting in September for grades 4-8. M.U.S.E. offers during school group instruction for band in:
Flute
Clarinet
Alto Saxophone
Trumpet
Trombone
Percussion (Snare Drum and Xylophone)
There are fun performance opportunities planned for the students including multi-school Winter and Spring Concerts where students perform in a large ensemble setting with students from other neighboring M.U.S.E. Schools.
For more information including scheduling of classes, rental instruments, and cost go to www.museband.com
Bryant Allard Director of M.U.S.E. Instrumental Programs
Shop with Scrip
UPCOMING EVENTS and THE SCHOOL CALENDAR
The 2019-2020 St. Clare School is now available for public consumption. You will find the calendar in a number of places. They all sync to the Google Public Calendar for our school, so you can trust that these calendars are current.
To find the calendar in our school website, go to https://www.stclare.school/ and scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the "Calendar" icon (third from the left) or visit https://www.stclare.school/calendar.
To find the calendar in ParentSquare, go to your HOME page and look for "EVENTS" and click on "view all".
To subscribe and add the St. Clare School Public Calendar to your calendar app, use this link:
- 8/23 Mass: Commissioning of Teachers | 9 A.M. in the church
- 8/27 Picture Day | School Uniform with Sweatshirt | Bring picture form
- 8/29 Free Dress Day
- 9/2 Labor Day | No School
- 9/5 Back to School Night 6 P.M. to 7:30 P.M.| Grades TK-8 | ADULTS ONLY | Begins at 6 P.M. in the Church
- 9/6 Mass: "Come Joyfully into the Presence of the Lord" | 9 A.M. in the church
COMING SOON
- Mad Science for Grades 1-5 | Thursdays | 1:15-2:15 P.M.
- Hidden Talent Art for Grades K-5 | Thursdays | 1:00-2:00 P.M.
- Muse School Band for Grades 4-8 |register online| http://www.museband.com
- St. Clare School Choir for Grades 2-8 | Tuesdays | 3:00-3:45 P.M.
- FIERCE Basketball Program | Thursdays
- Math Club | Grades 6-8 | Fridays 3:15-4:15 P.M.
- Lego Robotics | Grades 3-5 | TBD
St. Clare School
Email: office@stclareschool.org
Website: https://www.stclare.school
Location: 725 Washington Street, Santa Clara, CA, USA
Phone: 408 246-6797