GLVN Bulletin
News for GLVN Volunteers (Thông Tin cho Thầy Cô GLVN)
February 2, 2017
A New Beginning...
Dear Catechists,
As Asians, I guess that we get a second chance at a new year (and new beginnings) ... so I first want to wish everyone a Happy New Year! May you see God's blessings in your lives in wonderful new ways this year, and may you and your family know His peace and love throughout the Year of the Rooster!
As Catholics, we have this opportunity to begin anew every day. How awesome is that! In our Baptism, we entered into new life in Christ, and today through the Sacraments, especially the Sacrament of Reconciliation, we receive graces that strengthen us to renew our relationship and our life with Christ. What a blessing that is!
This weekend, we are heading into our Ephata retreat with 32 Confirmation students. It is a time when they get a chance to renew their relationship with God as they head into the final preparations to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation. Please pray for them to be open to all that the Holy Spirit has in store for them this weekend and the time ahead for them.
In Christ,
Chi
What a Blessed Feast Day! Saint Thomas Aquinas, pray for us!!
Parent/Teacher Conferences: February 12
After hearing feedback from our catechists after we tested out a report card system last year, we have decided to use a parent/teacher conference as a way to communicate with parents on their child's progress.
Please read the important info below regarding the parent/teacher conference format, so that you are well-prepared for this.
Date: Sunday, Feb. 12
Time:
- 10:00-11:10 a.m. -- Việt Ngữ teachers
- 11:15-11:45 a.m. -- Lunch for all catechists in the teacher's lounge
- 11:50-1:00 p.m. -- Giáo Lý teachers
Location: Gym. We will have table/chairs set up for each class.
Format: Parents will be invited to come during those hours to meet with teachers. No appointment necessary. Meet with them as they come. Limit your tie with each parent to about 5 minutes so that you have an opportunity to meet with all the parents who come.
What to discuss: As always, parent/teacher conferences are a time to connect with parents to discuss how we can all better support their child's faith formation. It is not a time to give negative feedback about their child's behavior, study habits or grades.
Share the student's current grades with the parent, but do not use it as a time to judge the student's performance. Share what the grade is and the expectations of the class assignments and tests, and then discuss any suggestions you have to help the student continue to grow in their knowledge in the class.
If the student has class behaviors and study habits that you need the parent's to help with, ask for the help from the parents without speaking negatively of the child.
Click here for a conference worksheet that can help guide your discussion with parents.
Preparation: We had originally moved our February teacher meeting to the second Sunday due to many of us being gone for the Ephata retreat. However, we have a special presentation that we would like to share with all of you on February 5 during the lunch break to help you prepare for the upcoming parent/teacher conferences. Anh Liêm will be sharing his experiences, insights and advice from his own experience being a public school teacher. Hopefully his experiences can help you better prepare and have an effective discussion with the parents you will talk with that day.
Letters to Baby Jesus
Don't forget about this project! We will leave it out for the rest of February.
We especially encourage our younger grades to let your kids do this project. It will be a beautiful gift you give them later on when they receive these letters in lớp 10!
The "Mailbox" has been placed in the hallway outside the GLVN office for anyone who wants to write a letter (or draw a picture!) to Jesus.
Please encourage students to write a letter telling Jesus all about their life today, who they are, who they dream to be, where their faith is now, about their family, what they like, what they hope for, what their fears are ... anything that they want to tell baby Jesus.
Envelopes will be provided. If students write their full name and grade on the envelope, we will hold on to these letters and return it to the student when they reach their last year of the GLVN program. This will be a yearly project that will be something fun to give the students years down the road to help them see how they've grown and changed in their love for Jesus and in their spiritual lives.
Teachers & TAs are more than welcomed to write a letter to Jesus too! We will keep it filed away to give back to you in a few years :-)
REMIND Text Messaging System -- Be sure to sign up!!!
We will be using a REMIND text messaging system to more easily and quickly communicate with catechists and parents about school closures and other important information.
Catechist REMIND
Promise we won't spam you with texts. It will be used for any announcements that affect the entire school or any last-minute issues/news that all catechists need to know quickly.
If you are a parent of a GLVN student, please note that this is a separate messaging group from the one we are telling parents to sign up for. Teachers who are parents should also sign up for that other one (see info below) so that you're receiving any important announcements for parents -- and be sure that if you tell your friends about it for their own children, that you give them the PARENT version to sign up for (not the CATECHIST version).
To sign up for the Catechist group -- follow these steps from your phone:
- Step 1: Text our class code @glvn2017 to the number 81010
- Step 2: Reply to the message from the Remind team with your first and last name, and you’re in!
Parent REMIND
To sign up into the parent group (GLVN) -- follow these instructions:
- Step 1: Text our class code @glvnsasjh to the number 81010
- Step 2: Reply to the message from the Remind team with your first and last name, and you’re in!
Novena to the Holy Spirit
Click here to see the novena and pray with us!
Morning Prayer Together
Don't forget to join us exactly at 9:45 a.m. each Sunday morning in the Teacher's Lounge for morning prayer together. It will be brief (2-3 minutes) so that you can get to your classrooms before 10. Whether there are 30 of us or just 2 of us -- this brief prayer time will take place every Sunday, so please join in to offer up our day to Jesus!
All-School Prayer for 2016-2017
KINH NHẬT TỤNG THÁNH TÔ-MA AQUI-NÔ
Lạy Thiên Chúa của con, xin cho con một trí tuệ để nhận biết Chúa, một trái tim để tìm kiếm Chúa, sự khôn ngoan để gặp gỡ Chúa, mọi hành động được đẹp lòng Chúa một lòng kiên trì chờ đợi Chúa, và sau cùng là niềm hy vọng sẽ được ôm chặt lấy Chúa. Amen.
St. Thomas Aquinas Daily Prayer
Grant me, O Lord my God, a mind to know you, a heart to seek you, wisdom to find you, conduct pleasing to you, faithful perseverance in waiting for you, and a hope of finally embracing you. Amen.
Important GLVN Documents & Forms
Chuong Trinh Giao Ly Viet Ngu
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Email: chipham.sasjhparish@gmail.com
Website: www.gxannagiusehien.net
Phone: 763-639-4566