Holy Cross Catholic School
From the Desk of Mrs. Wagner
June 19, 2020
Hello, Holy Cross families!
As we plan for the fall, the more excited we become about being together again. Walking through an empty building each day has all of the teachers and staff missing the days of having a full building of laughter and learning. Our staff is working hard behind the scenes to ensure the safety and success of the beginning of the school year.
I know you are eager for information on how Holy Cross will operate in the fall. The Archdiocesan Task Force has created committees that include Academics and Health and Wellness. Academics compiles information that provides our educators with an abundance of learning and teaching resources. Health and Wellness will provide guidance for the reopening in the fall. At Holy Cross, we have formed our own task force that will work closely over the next several weeks with the Archdiocese, Johnson County Department of Health and Environment, and the Kansas State Department of Education. The Kansas State Department of Education will provide comprehensive guidance for all schools on July 16 so stay tuned for further updates.
Behind the scenes at Holy Cross, we are in the process of purchasing additional technology, including laptop carts, that will give each grade level more learning opportunities. We will utilize Google Classroom as our universal platform for K-8 next year and we are working on aligning assignment lessons with Google classrooms and adding additional tools such as Screencastify, Flipped classroom, and Edpuzzle to further enhance student learning. Teachers will have a Google professional development opportunity next week as part of this process.
The School Business team continues to work on the assessment and improvement of the IT infrastructure, improving our school marketing including upgrading our website and updating the school logo, and extending our fundraising opportunities. I feel so fortunate to have such wonderful volunteers supporting Holy Cross to continue to provide the best Catholic Education for our students!
Kindergarten Round Up has been rescheduled for Monday, June 22. This is always a special day for our future Hornets! Enrollment is still open, however, so please contact the school office for more information or to schedule an appointment.
Mientras planeamos para el otoño, nos sentimos más emocionados por estar juntos de nuevo. Caminar por un edificio vacío cada día nos hace extrañar los días de tener un edificio lleno de risas y aprendizaje. Nuestro personal está trabajando duro detrás de escena para garantizar la seguridad y el éxito del comienzo del año escolar.
Sé que está ansioso por obtener información sobre cómo operará Holy Cross a medida que continuamos trayendo personas a nuestros espacios físicos en preparación para el otoño. La Fuerza de Tarea Arquidiocesana ha creado comités que incluyen Académicos y Salud y Bienestar. Los académicos compilan información que proporciona a nuestros educadores una gran cantidad de recursos de aprendizaje y enseñanza. Salud y Bienestar proporcionará orientación para la reapertura en el otoño. En Holy Cross, hemos formado una Fuerza de Tarea que trabajará estrechamente durante las próximas semanas con la Arquidiócesis, el Departamento de Salud y Medio Ambiente del Condado de Johnson y el Departamento de Educación del Estado de Kansas mientras finalizamos nuestro plan de reapertura. El Departamento de Educación del Estado de Kansas proporcionará orientación integral para todas las escuelas el 16 de julio. Estén atentos para más actualizaciones.
Detrás de escena en Holy Cross, estamos en el proceso de comprar tecnología adicional, incluyendo carros para computadoras portátiles, que brindarán a cada nivel de grado más oportunidades de aprendizaje. Utilizaremos Google Classroom como nuestra plataforma universal para K-8 el próximo año y trabajaremos para alinear las lecciones en Google Classroom y usar diversas técnicas como Screencastify, Flipped Classroom y Edpuzzle para mejorar aún más el aprendizaje de los estudiantes. Los maestros tendrán una oportunidad de desarrollo profesional de Google la próxima semana como parte de este proceso. El Equipo de School Business continúa trabajando en la evaluación y mejora de la infraestructura de TI, mejorando el promocion de nuestra escuela, incluida la actualización de nuestro sitio web y el logotipo de la escuela, y ampliando nuestra recaudación de fondos. Me siento muy afortunado de tener voluntarios tan maravillosos que apoyan a Holy Cross para continuar brindando la mejor educación católica para nuestros estudiantes.
Kindergarten Round Up ha sido reprogramado para el lunes 22 de junio. ¡Este siempre es un día especial para nuestros futuros Hornets! La inscripción aún está abierta. Comuníquese con la oficina de la escuela para obtener más información o para programar una cita.
6-8 Grades Chromebook Purchasing Options
Rugged Asus 11.6 inch
Touchscreen, 11.6 inch
National Catholic Education Association (NCEA) Resources on Racism and Injustice
The Archdiocese provided school leaders with resources to help teach our children about racism. Racism and injustice are topics that need to be discussed between parents and children. This Parent Engagement flyer (in English and Spanish) gives very subtle ways parents can help their children blur the lines between inequality and injustices. Simply having a conversation about each person being made in the likeness of God and treating all people with dignity lets children know this is right and it is expected behavior. Exposing children to many people, cultures, experiences supports the idea that all people are equal in God's eyes. These are a couple of the ideas in the June Parent Engagement flyer. These are confusing times for our children. Let's do our best to help them practice their faith every day. Remember all of the flyers are archived on the NCEA website.
Additional Resources:
- Fighting Hate From Home Webinar Series provided by the Anti-Defamation League
- Educator Resources: Empowering Young People in the Aftermath of Hate (English and Spanish)
- How White Parents Can Use Media to Raise Anti-Racist Kids by Common Sense Media
- Books About Racism and Social Justice
- The Power of Words (Elementary)
- Classroom Materials on Racism from Facing History and Ourselves
- Open Wide Our Hearts: A Pastoral Letter Against Racism
- Educational Resources from USCCB on Combatting Racism
- Responding to the Sin of Racism
- NCEA Panel Discussion on Racism
- NCEA Talk Blog: Understanding Racism
NCEA Webinar: The Responsibility of Catholic Schools to Talk About Racism
About Us
Email: mwagner@holycrosscatholicschool.com
Website: www.holycrosscatholicschoool.com
Location: 8101 West 95th Street, Overland Park, KS, USA
Phone: 913-381-7408
Facebook: facebook.com/HolyCrossOP