A Grateful Heart
Saint Clare School Family News | 6 November 2022
A Grateful Heart by Jazmine Misola, Class of 2024
BEGIN EACH DAY WITH A GRATEFUL HEART
I give thanks to my God at every remembrance of you,
praying always with joy in my every prayer for all of you,
because of your partnership for the gospel from the first day until now.
And this is my prayer: that your love may increase ever more and more
in knowledge and every kind of perception, to discern what is of value,
so that you may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ,
filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ
for the glory and praise of God.
~From Saint Paul’s Letter to the Philippians, Ch. 1:1-5, 9-11
Dear Saint Clare School Families,
Last week I announced to the Faculty and Staff and then at morning assembly that I have been chosen to serve on a Grand Jury. I am proud to fulfill my civic duty, but of course, I am not thrilled to be away from school for the time I have to serve. I will be away most Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays through December 15. Fortunately, Mrs. Kogura is with us to take the helm on the days I’m offsite. We check in regularly and she has the support of Msgr. Fran and our superintendent. Thank you for your patience and understanding. I am confident that our team of professionals will continue our excellent programming and more importantly, ensure the safety of our students.
GRATITUDE ABOUNDS
Jog-a-Thon has officially concluded! What an amazing showing with the final numbers from 99 Pledges coming in at $53,956. Conrad Tinio and team will be letting me know the final proceeds after expenses shortly. We are grateful to all of our volunteers, our teachers and students, and all who donated. Your contributions will be put to good use!
On Wednesday, November 9, our Jog-a-Thon team will announce winners at morning assembly! Congratulations to all!
Many thanks again to our Halloween Happening organizers, to the Student Council, and to all parents who donated and volunteered. We had great fun!
Thank you to our hospitality team, led by Gaby Flores for the beautiful altar to honor our dearly departed. It’s such a great tradition to honor our loved ones in this way.
Thank you to the third grade class for treating us to a delicious lunch and treats to celebrate our November birthdays. We appreciate your generosity!
Thank you to Mrs. Rizzo, Mrs. Reynoso, Ms. McKinnon, Mrs. Kogura, our teachers and our Room Reps for their work towards our Fall Open House: Discovering Catholic Schools.
In addition to Mrs. Reynoso’s LIVE feed of the event, the classrooms were inviting and the QR codes with videos of our program were well received! Soon, we will post the QR codes on the website for all to view.
Thank you, as well to Kevin Farmer and to Jennipher Pham for teaching the elective classes with our seventh and eighth graders this trimester. Kevin held amazing cooking classes, making dishes like tortellini with basil and tomato, chicken cordon bleu, and pizza. Jen, along with Mr. Lin, moderated the students to photograph the “life” of the school and compose pages for the yearbook. Mr. Goetz worked closely with 8th graders to prepare high school admissions essays, while Mr. Sullivan worked with 6th graders to learn and practice study skills.
DID YOU KNOW . . .
. . . that Mr. Lin has a weekly STEM class with 6th graders exploring topics such as drug use and its impact on society and the individual?
. . . that the middle schoolers are watching the film “The Letter” to learn more about the Pope’s encyclical, Laudato Si’ and the impact of climate change on the lives of young people, the poor, the Indigenous peoples, and all living creatures?
. . . that our students are learning about the space around them, how to hold writing implements correctly, how their body works, and penmanship/handwriting from Mrs. David, our occupational therapist?
. . . that our teachers meet weekly to collaborate about the effectiveness of our program, the implementation of the Eureka Math Squared curriculum, and to build community?
. . . that Mrs. Mantecón attends weekly meetings with principals in the Diocese of San Jose to collaborate about formation, stewardship, and communion?
. . . that Mrs. Kogura attends monthly meetings with vice principals to share best practices to support school programs?
. . . that our teachers meet with other teachers in the diocese monthly via Zoom and three times a year in-person to share best practices, to learn about research-based instructional methodologies, and to build community?
. . . that Mr. Goetz and Mrs. Mantecón, along with Jerome Alabado and alumni parents John Sullivan and Cyndi Banaag are delegates to the Diocesan Synod?
Our vibrant community is active in all facets of the life of our school and parish. As one Meitler consultant affirmed, we have one gem of a school in the heart of Silicon Valley. How lucky are we?
END OF THE TRIMESTER: Nov. 10
This Thursday marks the end of the first trimester. Congratulations to our students for a job well done. Soon, you will hear from Mrs. Kogura regarding the timeline of report cards. In the meantime, encourage your students to finish strong, particularly in the most important area of the report card: Lifelong Learning Skills (TK-5) and General Behavior Expectations (6-8).
Remind students of our Schoolwide Learning Expectations (SLEs) to practice Habits of the Mind, Heart, and Spirit. This is what a Saint Clare graduate is expected to be able to do before they move on. Thank you for your partnership!
TRANSITIONING TO COMMUNITY BRANDS: An End-to-End Solution to School Information and Communication
This year, we began our transition into using products from Community Brands. TADs is the Application, Enrollment, Tuition Management, and Tuition Assistance Tool. The Application module is up and running for all NEW family applications. As a matter of fact, we have one application already from a family who came to our Open House this weekend. Shortly, the Tuition Assistance module will be available for all families to access. In January/February, the Enrollment module will be open for all families to re-enroll students. Next Fall, we will transition all communications, including student progress reporting (report cards) using the Educate module.
All schools in the Diocese of San Jose will be using these Community Brands products. Many of you may already be familiar with Ravenna, the admissions portal used by most of our Catholic high schools.
The beauty of an end-to-end solution is that one data is collected for a variety of functions. As it stands, we use FACTS for tuition management and tuition assistance, PowerSchool for student information system (attendance, gradebook, report cards), and ParentSquare for communications and volunteer tracking. These three systems do not efficiently talk to each other. Work-arounds have been created to make it more efficient to share data and applications across these three platforms. Having all functions in one makes for consistent information throughout. An example that often comes up is that a parent enters the religious affiliation as Catholic in FACTS, and non-Catholic in PowerSchool. Inconsistencies in data are quite common and can become problematic.
Our administrative staff has been attending training sessions and has begun customizing to fit the needs of our community. Towards the latter part of the year and through the summer, teachers will learn how to use Educate to assess, report, and communicate. We are looking forward to a unified set of tools that will bring consistency and efficiency to our systems.
STRATEGIC PLANNING WITH MEITLER
On Wednesday, Nov. 2, our teachers, administrators, and the Strategic Planning Committee met with our Meitler consultants to “dream” about what Saint Clare School would look like in five to ten years. The process of “aspirational” goals will continue through their next visit on Nov. 30. In January, with the help of the Strategic Planning Committee, they will return to give us a first pass at a proposed Strategic Plan. By March, they will be ready to present a plan that we can share with our stakeholders.
It is exciting to hear what could be possible for our community, as long as we work together, focused on “the child on the seat” and aligning our vision with our mission.
I am proud to introduce you to our Strategic Planning Committee:
Fr. Victor Trinidad, Parochial Vicar
Mrs. Catherine Kogura, VP
Mr. John Sullivan, alumni parent and parishioner
Mrs. Cyndi Banaag, alumni parent and parishioner
Mr. Jeff Harte, alumni parent, Finance Committee member
Mrs. Lea Lind, parent, Finance Committee chair
Mr. Pedro Espinos, School Advisory Council president
Mr. Mussie Araya, parent
Mr. Jay Polkinhorn, parent
Ms. Gloria Kee, parent
Ms. Lillian Oliveira, parent
I am grateful to be serving alongside you!
PLANNING AHEAD: What to Expect
Multicultural Celebration, November 11
There is no school on this day as it is Veterans’ Day. However, we are celebrating our unity in our diversity as a community at our Multicultural Dinner Celebration starting at 5:30 P.M. Saint Clare students get in for free. Family and friends can purchase tickets to get in and meal tickets at the gate or at the school store. Consult the ParentSquare POST.
Enter from the Lexington Street Gate to the Elementary Lot. Bring lanterns, flashlights, glow sticks for a festive spin on gathering outdoors at night!
TK and Kinder students: meet Ms. Jiang and Mrs. Reynoso at 5 P.M.
Students who wear cultural garb will get a Free Dress Pass for use on Wednesday, Nov. 16.
If you are available, volunteers are still needed! I need sous chefs! SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER.
VIP Day, Nov. 23: INVITE GUESTS and RSVP
Guests may arrive at church between 8:30 and 8:45 A.M. if you’d like students to sit with you. Come early so that they can easily find you when they arrive with their class beginning at 8:45 A.M.
Mass begins promptly at 9 A.M.
Immediately after mass, Ambassadors and Student Council will guide guests to the reception.
At around 10:30, Ambassadors and Student Council will guide guests to classrooms.
From 10:45-11:45, VIPs will enjoy time in the classrooms with students.
At 11:15, an announcement will be made for those who want to visit another classroom. However, let VIPs know they are free to move about as many times as needed. Students will be stationed in the hallway to guide guests to their destination.
At Noon, VIPs may sign students out early from the homeroom teacher.
At 12:30 all students will be dismissed as usual. CKZ is available.
SAVE THE DATE: Christmas Program, Dec. 15
We will once again gather in person for our Christmas Program. You will be serenaded by Christmas carols performed by our talented students in TK-8th graders, the Lit Choir, and others. Ms. Anna, Mrs. Dempsey, and Mrs. Lynne Dickerson are collaborating to put together a joyful and prayerful evening for the whole family. Students come to school in Christmas (fancy) clothes.
Students are expected at school by 5:30 P.M. Performances begin promptly at 6 P.M.
There will be a Christmas reception immediately following the performance.
More information to come.
UPCOMING EVENTS | OPPORTUNITIES FOR ENGAGEMENT
Join us for Weekly School Mass on Fridays, at 10:45A
PTG Meetings are monthly on the first Thursday of each month. Stay tuned for posts reminding you to RSVP. There’s one this Thursday!
Halloween Parade and Party, Oct. 31 starting at 1P. Post to come!
Multicultural Celebrations and Alumni Homecoming: Nov. 11
VIP DAY: Save the Date and wait for the invitation: Nov. 23, 9-Noon
2nd Annual Golf Tournament: May 1, 2023 | Boulder Ridge Golf Club
COOLER TEMPERATURES AND RAIN
It is fall! Please send students with outerwear that is suited for colder temperatures, and the possibility of rain. Consider sending students to school with shoes that won't soak through if they had to walk in the rain. More importantly, if your child needs a uniform sweater or jacket, check out our Gently Used Uniform closet!
AN IMPORTANT REQUEST
Wearable personal electronic devices are a distraction to many students. Teachers and yard duty supervisors have noticed students checking their devices instead of spending the time interacting with peers in person. Teachers have observed students playing with their devices while in class. We ask that you consider keeping these at home. If they are brought to school, they must be kept in the student’s backpack and they must be turned off, otherwise, they will be confiscated. They may be picked up from the school administrator.
Saint Clare, in her wisdom, had requested for material things to be taken from her so that she may focus her attention on serving God. I pray that we, too, may gain the wisdom to live simply, so that we may work on a more intimate relationship with God and with one another.
Wishing you peace.
Mrs. Cecile Mantecon, Principal
Halloween Fun
A BIG Thank You To This Years Jogathon Sponsors
Attendance Impacts Learning
Early Literacy Resources from Harvard Global Family Research Project
IMPORTANT DATES TO NOTE
- Nov. 10 END OF THE FIRST TRIMESTER
- Nov. 11 NO SCHOOL: Veterans' Holiday
- Nov. 11 MULTICULTURAL DINNER, 5:30-7:30P
- Nov. 23 VIP DAY, 9-Noon, 12:30 dismissal
- Nov. 24-25 THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY, NO SCHOOL
- Nov. 30 Meitler Visit
- Dec. 8, ALL-SCHOOL MASS: Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, 10:45 A.M.
- Dec. 15, CHRISTMAS PROGRAM, 6 P.M., followed by the Christmas social in the Hall
- Dec. 16, 12:30 Dismissal
- Dec. 19-January 2: Christmas Break
2022-22 School Calendar
Below, you will find the Calendar Grid for the school year. It is a snapshot so you can plan for child care and work around the calendar to plan trips, vacations, and appointments.
Please remember that this GRID is a STATIC version of the calendar. For a more accurate and up-to-date version, please see the options below.
Other options to view the calendar include a Google calendar synched to ParentSquare, or subscribing to the St. Clare School Public Calendar below:
Google Public Calendar
You are invited to subscribe to the St. Clare School *PUBLIC* Google Calendar which is also synched to ParentSquare.
PUBLIC URL TO ACCESS FROM A WEB BROWSER
PUBLIC ADDRESS IN iCAL TO ACCESS FROM OTHER APPS
OUR MISSION
We, the Saint Clare School Community,
joyfully embody the Gospel mission entrusted by Christ to His Church.
Made in the image and likeness of God,
our community values our diversity,
embracing all backgrounds and cultures.
With a rigorous curriculum and student-centered instruction,
we, together with parents as primary educators of their children,
form learners with strong academic and spiritual foundations
to become moral and ethical servant leaders.
SCHOOLWIDE LEARNING EXPECTATIONS (SLEs) | Graduation Outcomes
A ST. CLARE SCHOOL GRADUATE practices
Habits of the Mind
Through Inquiry and Curiosity
Through Resilience and Resourcefulness
Through Creativity and Innovation
Habits of the Heart
Through Kindness and Respect
Through Empathy and Compassion
Through Gratitude and Humility
Habits of the Spirit
Through Stewardship and Servant Leadership
Through Accompaniment and Inclusivity
Through the example and teachings of Christ Jesus
School Leadership
Finance Committee Chairperson: Lea Lind
PTG President: Katy Kerns
If you are interested in a leadership role, please reach out to Mrs. Mantecon (cecile.mantecon@dsj.org).
SAC Meetings are held once a month via Zoom and open only to SAC members and invited guests.
PTG Meetings are held once a month via Zoom and open to all
Finance Committee meetings are held quarterly, with occasional special meeting times surrounding finance deadlines, and are open only to Finance Committee members and invited guests.
Parent Resource Library
Our Beloved St. Clare
Photo by Ed Carlo Garcia www.edcarlogarcia.com
St. Clare School
Email: office@stclareschool.org
Website: https://www.stclare.school
Location: 750 Washington Street, Santa Clara, CA, USA
Phone: 408 246-6797
Facebook: facebook.com/stclareschoolsantaclara