Eagle's Edge
St. Therese Weekly Newsletter - July 15, 2020
Keeping the Faith
We are called, as Christians, to have faith, but what does it mean to keep the faith?
Faith means to have confidence in someone or something, so keeping the faith is how we maintain and strengthen that confidence.
In the past few days, we've seen Governor Brown roll back the number allowed at gatherings to 10 and caution us that the next step will be another shutdown to prevent the number of COVID-19 cases from rising. We've heard school districts like Portland Public announce that they are only able to offer students two days of in-school instruction per week. If we are on social media, we are inundated with posts, articles, opinions...fear. The enemy of fear is faith.
It's only mid-July, and we still have half a summer left before schools will begin their re-opening. There is so much that is outside of our control, and so many factors to worry about, but God hears us. Speaking with parents on Zoom calls this week strengthens the faith I have in our community, our families, our students, and our loving God. I believe in us, and in what we can do together, so my faith feels stronger than ever. As always, I’m here for you and looking forward to all that we will do together on behalf of our community.
Yours in faith,
Rosemarie El Youssef
Principal, St. Therese School
Fresh food boxes - support farmers and boost our economy!
Check out the flyer below and check in with a neighbor or some friends to see if you can pick them up a box. The only question they'll ask is, "How many boxes would you like?"
SAFE & READY SCHOOLS UPDATE
* 5 days per week in-person instruction
* Option for distance learning
* Each student will have a minimum of 35 square feet of space
* All staff in mask, face shield, or combination
* Studies are inconclusive about the benefits of children in masks, so no decision has been made at this time regarding a requirement
*Planned installation of touch-less water bottle filling stations to replace drinking fountains
* Each class is a "cohort" - they will stay together as a group as much as possible
* Students will stay with their cohort in their cohort classroom for most of the day, and electives will rotate to them
* Middle school students will stay in their homeroom class and teachers will rotate to them
* Recess will be offered - outside as frequently as possible
* Brain breaks will be part of our classroom routines to keep our students happy and healthy
* Communication between school and community remains our top priority
All of this is subject to change - look for weekly updates in each newsletter.
Please take a moment to fill out the survey if you haven't yet (link below). You can still sign up for the Thursday Zoom call as long as you get to it before 5 p.m. on Thursday, July 16th.
Bottle Drop Thursdays, 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.
We have the bags and labels here, so bring your donations in whatever receptacle you choose! Click the Bottle Drop link above to see the list of acceptable returns.
St. T's Summer Challenge!
Let's stay connected - will you accept the challenge?
Each St. Therese student to complete all of the weekly challenges will receive a St. T's Summer Challenge T-shirt when they return to school this fall!
Email photos to elyoussefr@stthereseschool.org or post on Facebook, instagram, or twitter with the hashtag #stTsummerChallenge and tag @sttherese_pdx so we can see what everyone is up to.
OUR FIRST CHALLENGE: make a bird feeder out of peanut butter and seeds. There are some ideas below, but feel free to check out Pinterest and YouTube for other ideas that appeal more to your family. Be creative, have fun, and share your creation on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter - or just email me so I can track your progress more privately.
First come, first served - you haul away!
4 chairs with wheels
2 metal storage cabinets
Desk - 2 pieces
St. Therese Catholic School
Email: elyoussefr@stthereseschool.org
Website: stthereseschool.org
Location: 1260 Northeast 132nd Avenue, Portland, OR, USA
Phone: (503) 253-9400
Facebook: Facebook.com/StThereseSchoolPortlandOrFamilyPage
Twitter: @sttherese_pdx