Joyfully Embracing Our Mission
28 March 2019 | St. Clare School Family News
Joyfully Embracing Our Mission
We, the St. Clare School Community, joyfully embrace the Gospel mission entrusted by Christ to His Church.
Believing that everyone is made in the image and likeness of God, we cherish and celebrate our diverse backgrounds and cultures.
Fourth Sunday of Lent
Dear St. Clare School Families,
Thank you for your prayers for my nephew Andy. His spine surgery took 12 hours on Wednesday. I marvel at the strength and courage of medical professionals who have been given this challenge. His mom sends me updates and Andy himself is posting to update his friends. The crew at SF General are amazed at the community who has shown up every day, lining the hallways and taking their turns to see Andy. Please continue sending positive thoughts of healing body and spirit for this long journey ahead. I know that this tragic situation has put things in perspective for me: to love more deeply, to be present and certainly to appreciate the support that surrounds me every day. I feel blessed!
BISHOP McGRATH TO ATTEND VIP DAY, APRIL 4
The Most Rev. Patrick J. McGrath, Bishop of San Jose will be attending our VIP DAY celebrations on April 4! We are happy to host him and our VIPs (grandparents and special friends) to celebrate the wealth of wisdom that they contribute.
I was told that many grandparents of Middle Schoolers do not attend. I thought, "What a shame." This year, we are changing the format of the classroom visits a little to make this a day to share some quality time with others from different generations. The idea is such that our students get to ask questions and interact with their VIPs through fun activities.
Here's what your VIPs can expect on Thursday, April 4th:
- Arrive at St. Clare (park in the Parish Lot off of Lafayette or in the school parking lot; remind guests to please park in designated parking spots and to enter by way of Washington off of Lexington if parking in the school lot).
- In church, there will be reserved seating for them (the left side facing the sanctuary/altar).
- Mass begins at 9 A.M. A photo will be taken of the assembly to memorialize Bishop McGrath's visit. (Grades 1-8 will be joining us and the choir and student musicians will lead music ministry.)
- After mass, Student Council will lead guests to the Hall for a reception where the TK and K will perform.
- At 10:45, VIPs will be invited to make their way to the school (Student Council will escort them) for the first session which begins at 11 A.M.
- An announcement will be made at 11 A.M., 11:30 A.M. and then again at noon to let them know that the sessions are beginning and that they should transition to the next class. Some students and staff will be on hand to help them find classrooms.
- At Noon, if your VIPs choose to sign out your student(s) earlier, they may do so with the classroom teacher. At the conclusion of the second session, they may ask the teacher for the sign out sheet and leave with the student(s). They will need to collect any other students and sign them out from each individual classroom.
- Otherwise, they may stay until dismissal at 12:30. At this point, there will be no need to sign out students if your VIPs are identified in your Emergency Contact list. If not, please ask them to sign out with the classroom teacher.
We hope this format will allow for an opportunity for our students to see the importance of inter-generational dialog and relationships. We have so much to learn from those who have witnessed a great deal more than we have. Thank you for your part in communicating this to your VIPs and for completing the RSVP forms promptly.
SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES: Opportunities to Build Community
Thank you to all those who made the Sock Hop a great success! The students look like they had a great time and it was heart-warming to see families connecting.These events are what builds the community for which St. Clare is well-known.
More opportunities like these are coming up. Please be sure to volunteer and support the events as you see them. Sign up on Serving St. Clare!
Our next Saturday Work Day is on April 13 and we need many hands as we would like to tackle the organization of the Emergency/Campus Safety Ark. We may also need some help before and during Easter break. If you are interested in these types of activities, please reach out to Ms. Valerye who is our coordinator of facilities projects.
FESTIVAL sign ups and raffle tickets are coming soon! Exciting booths, entertainment and prizes are in store. Not only do we need your help in making this community event a success for our school and parish by your service commitment, we also need your help by inviting friends and family outside of our community to witness the spirit of the FESTIVAL AT ST. CLARE. The event is an effective way to get those who may not have considered St. Clare School as a place to send their children to visit our campus and to experience firsthand the camaraderie and joy our community offers.
LOOKING AHEAD: PTG 2019-2020
In a week, I will be meeting with Jarisse Moore and Leana Dalton to begin planning for PTG events (fundraising, community building) for next school year. Please reach out to them to give them feedback (if you haven't already done so) regarding this year's events so that these can be considered. All in all, I am very grateful to them and their team of super-parents, particularly the Room Reps who have done an amazing job with communications, logistics, coordination and fun-quotient at the events I've witnessed this year. They are key in making this community such an incredible place of belonging. Thank you, Leana and Jarisse!
THE WORK OF THE SCHOOL ADVISORY COUNCIL
At the same time, our very talented group of parents with whom I consult in the Finance Committee and the School Advisory Council are also hard at work to lay out a plan for the road ahead. Here they are and some of the projects that they are working on: Shirley Mata, SAC Chair/Enrollment/Alumni; Kathleen Schneider, Finance Committee Chair; Tola Dalton, Buildings and Grounds; Pedro Espinoza, Luisa Rapport and Brent Rapport, Campus Safety and Security; Chiqui Tañedo, PTG Liason/Community Building/Alumni/Development; Cathy Avila-Linn, Marketing and Development; Monica Salazar, Community Building/Marketing/Enrollment; Baik Hoh, Technology and Co-Curricular Programs; and our Finance Committee whose guidance was invaluable in this year's Tuition structure and who will be helping develop a Strategic Plan as well as review our investment options and priorities. It truly does take a village and this village is filled with talented and willing servant leaders.
EMERGENCY PLANNING AT ST. CLARE SCHOOL
Anticipate communication for a parent session on campus safety coming up in early May. We are working with Santa Clara PD to prepare our campus for an Active Shooter drill. Our Community Service Office and DARE Program teacher, Officer Ellis, is helping coordinate this for St. Clare. Stay tuned for more details as well as details around a Campus Safety Plan from our SAC leads.
WE HAVE OPENINGS!
Please continue to spread the good news that is St. Clare. We still have openings in all grades especially for incoming TK-5 and we have a few middle school openings (we will take wait lists). We are hopeful that we will open the 2019-20 school year with healthy enrollment numbers to sustain our rich, vibrant and diverse community of learners.
I've added more links below to help with some parenting challenges. I hope that you find these helpful. If there are other topics you'd like to learn more about, please send me a message and I will make an effort to curate information for you.
In Sr. Maggie Lawler's reflection for this Sunday's gospel on The Prodigal Son, we once again see the image of the merciful father. More importantly, she challenges us to see what's in the background: others who are witness to God's love through their quiet support, involvement and joy. This week, let us spend some time in gratitude for those who move things in the periphery--those who make a difference in the lives of others but are not thanked enough or do not seek the limelight.
Humbly in your service,
Mrs. Cecile Mantecon, Principal
VIP is next week | Formal Uniform Please
St. Clare School V.I.P. Day
Thursday, April 4, 2019
Mass ~ 9:00 A.M.
St. Clare Church
941 Lexington St.
Santa Clara, CA 95050
We will begin the morning with Mass at 9:A.M., followed by a V.I.P. reception at St. Clare Hall with delicious food, great conversation and student entertainment.
Classroom visits will begin at approximately 11 A.M.
To invite your V.I.P. click the link below or send the link to your guest. https://goo.gl/forms/fY8UJVEVesPHu2iT2
We are very excited to meet and treat our student's V.I.Ps to a special morning just for them!!
Jamba Juice Is Back
Service Hours Inventory: Check Your Balance!
Iñaki Shows Off His Treasure!
Eli and Lars Show Off Their New Math Club Shirts!
Practicing Positive Self-Talk
Anson and His Precious Pachyderm
Nitin and His Wonderful Water Buffalo
Ethan and His Capricious Cat
UPCOMING EVENTS
- 3/29 Sock Hop
- 4/1 - 4/5 STAR assessment week
- 4/4 VIP DAY | Mass at 9 A.M.
- 4/7 First Communion interviews begins
- 4/8 - 4/12 Science Fair
- 4/13 eWaste Fundraiser and Saturday Work Day
- 4/19 - 4/26 Easter Break | No School
- 4/30 Lexi Baldwin: Principal for a Day; Student Council Rally
- 5/1 May Crowning, 8:15 A.M. on Lexington Street, at the Grotto
St. Clare School
FACEBOOK | @stclareschoolsantaclara
Go find us on Facebook! Make sure you LIKE the page and share the link with others.
Please share the ALUMNI GOOGLE FORM link https://goo.gl/forms/pEtJxf8h5OBlnMF93
with all the alumni you know so that we can continue to tell the story of St. Clare!
Email: office@stclareschool.org
Website: drexel.dsj.org/stclareschool
Location: 725 Washington Street, Santa Clara, CA, USA
Phone: 408-246-6797
"A Mighty Girl" Resources
For two great guides for girls on building healthy friendships, we highly recommend "Friends: Making Them & Keeping Them" for ages 7 to 10 (https://www.amightygirl.com/friends-making-them-keeping-them) and "A Smart Girl's Guide: Friendship Troubles" for ages 9 to 12 (https://www.amightygirl.com/a-smart-girl-friendship)
There's also an excellent guide for teen girls, 13 and up, "The Teen Girl's Survival Guide" at https://www.amightygirl.com/the-teen-girl-s-survival-guide