April Fool's!
Bruin Press March 31, 2020 Edition
St. Bernard of Clairvaux Catholic School
Email: LSenecal@sbdallas.org
Website: https://www.stbernardccs.org/
Location: 1420 Old Gate Lane, Dallas, TX, USA
Phone: 2143212897
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SBSBruin
Twitter: @SBS_Official
UPDATE FROM THE PRINCIPAL
“For he commands his angels with regard to you, to guard you wherever you go.”
-Psalm 91:11
Dear Bruin Families,
My thoughts and prayers are with each of you. These last few weeks have brought unprecedented challenges to our lives and daily routines. We are faced with an ever changing landscape as we confront this terrible virus. During these troubling times it is important to rely not only on each other, but on God for comfort and strength. Psalm 91:11 is a powerful reminder of His love and protection from all dangers. With His loving care and protection, we will get through this, especially with the support of each other.
There were a few challenges to address during our first week of e-Learning, but I can say with confidence, it was a success. I know we will encounter additional challenges as we move to a fully online school, but know we will continue to work tirelessly to solve any issues that arise. Our mission has remained true as our teachers continue to deliver high-quality, meaningful instruction to your children. Throughout the next several weeks, the faculty will rely on student and parent feedback about our e-Learning system, so that we can make course corrections along the way. We will learn as we go from each other and adjust as necessary. I am sure we will discover new and improved ways to educate our students through creative lesson planning and collaboration.
We have many things to be thankful for at SBS and I want to share some good news with you. Just before Spring Break, I received a call from The George and Mary Kremer Foundation, a foundation committed to providing Catholic elementary schools with tuition assistance grants for children. They have awarded SBS $10,000 for tuition assistance. This will be an ongoing source of financial help for our families in need. The Kremers were firmly committed to the many blessings of Catholic education. We are grateful for their generosity. The blessings continue, as yesterday I was notified that SBS was awarded a $27,000 grant from the Louise Buhrer Endowment of the Catholic Foundation for tuition assistance for the 2020-2021 school year. This will be vitally important for families that are faced with economic hardships. In addition, I am excited to announce that the good people at the HALO Initiative have donated 4 picnic tables for our garden. The tables are ready for use when the students return to campus and they have also given us $11,240 for tuition assistance for families in the priority round. We should know about the regular application round in mid May. What a wonderful gift! In other exciting news, Sr. Filotea's updated mission is to stay at St. Bernard's for middle school religion! The SBS community is truly under God’s protection and continues to receive bountiful graces.”
We have been reaching out to all families by phone to ask how e-Learning is going, to offer assistance and to check-in. As needs change daily or weekly, know you can count on us. We are only a call or email away. It is important we stay connected, so please let us know how you are doing. While we cannot see you in person, we will continue to pray for you and your health. I ask that you join us online as we begin each day with a prayer, just as we do at school. Please continue to pray for those who are sick, those who care for them, and those who are in distress during this time. Let us entrust ourselves to God who will never leave us to face our challenges alone.
May the peace of Christ be with us all.
Laurie Senecal
UPCOMING EVENTS
See further details on events by scrolling down to "Dates and Details" or "Bruin Business."
Monday, Mar. 30th - Friday, Apr. 3rd - Virtual Spirit Week
Tuesday, Mar. 31st - Chiloso's - Taco Tuesday
Wednesday, Apr. 1st - April Fool's Day
Thursday, Apr. 2nd - SBS Giving Thursday
Sunday, Apr. 5th - Palm Sunday
Monday, Apr. 6th - Saturday, Apr. 11th - Holy Week
Wednesday, Apr. 8th - SBS Community Drop Off for CCD
Sunday, Apr. 12th - EASTER SUNDAY
DATES AND DETAILS
Virtual Spirit Week - Monday, March 31, 2020 - Friday, April 3, 2020
Magician Show - Tuesday, March 31, 2020
Taco Tuesday - Tuesday, March 31, 2020
#AloneTogether #BruinStrong #SBSgives
APRIL FOOL'S DAY - WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 2020
In keeping with the tradition, let's have some fun in this edition of the Bruin Press. If you find the April Fool's Day prank within this week's newsletter, email us at sbsbruins@gmail.com and we will enter your name in a drawing for a $15 Amazon gift card that will be sent to you via email.
SBS Giving Thursday - Thursday, April 2, 2020
Our neighbors need our help now more than ever. Let's join together as an SBS Community and support North Texas Food Bank in their important work to provide for North Texans struggling through the coronavirus pandemic.
Every $1 you donate will provide 3 nutritious meals to our hungry neighbors. Make a donation this Thursday, April 2nd at ntfb.org/give @northtexasfoodbank
#NTFBVirtualVolunteer #AloneTogether #SBSgives #BruinStrong
(copy/paste the above message on your FB page to help support NTFB as a virtual volunteer)
BRUIN BUSINESS
Website and Facebook Updates
Ms. Luna and Ms. Walsh have worked to update and refresh our school webpage. Check it out at https://stbernardccs.org/ Each teacher has updated information about remote learning. Also, check out the library page under special classes; there are new web sites and links for learning and research projects.
Click the following link for additional sites with ongoing School News and Updates.
Registration/Financial Aid
Good news! The deadline to apply for tuition assistance for the 2020-2021 school year has been extended to April 8th! Families can apply using their 2018 Tax Return along with 2019 W2, or if you’ve already finished your taxes this year, you can use your 2019 Tax Return without needing to upload a W2. For more information visit www.thehaloinitiative.org
Message from School Counselor
Christian Witness Awards- Virtue of the Month: MERCY
Additional Giving Opportunities
In the Spirit of Social Justice and our New Virtue Of The Month Of April - JUSTICE
Catholic Charities needs items for their many programs and services. The mission of Catholic Charities is to provide service to people in need, to advocate for justice in social structures, and to call the entire church and other people of good will to do the same.
We are organizing a community drop off in the back parking lot of the school on Wednesday, April 8th. Drop off your donated items on the back porch of the school anytime between 8:00 AM and 3 PM. Home and School will be taking them to the offices of CCD. Also if your child wants to make a sympathy card, refer to the toolkit link.
The Agency’s needs at this time are: women's and men's toiletry items, hand soap, Walmart gift cards, gas gift cards, household cleaning items. Click on the link below for a complete list of needed items, or donate money HERE.
There is also a need for bilingual (Spanish-speaking) volunteers for their Disaster Services to be phone screeners (remotely from the comfort of your own homes). If any volunteers are interested in this, please email Claudia@mkvrealestate.com for more details.
Encouragement Cards Toolkit Link
"Remember that Jesus was always an instrument for JUSTICE in his work with people"
WHAT'S BRUIN
High School Acceptances are In!
A Call to Action - All 8th Grade Students and Parents
Please email Mrs. Senecal a pic of yourself in spirit wear from your high school of choice. If you don’t have spirit wear, make a sign with the name of the school and take a pic holding it. If your parents took a video of you when you received your acceptance letter, she would love to see it, too. Mrs. Senecal would like to create a video of the 8th grade class to share the good news. Mrs. Senecal’s email is lsenecal@sbdallas.org
MEET FATHER LUIS PRADO
E-LEARNING RESOURCE LINKS
Formed - Free Access
Sign up now by clicking on the link below!
Organizational Tools
See the World
Listen to a concert, tour a museum, go on a virtual field trip, learn yoga - there are more online opportunities to explore this world of ours than we ever realized. Use this time at home to broaden horizons, learn new skills, and spend quality time together! Click on the link below for a variety of options.