A Grateful Heart
Saint Clare School Family News | 5 September 2022
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,
Today is a day in which our community honors those who labor. Our Catholic social teaching invites us to uphold and honor the Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers. We are grateful for the contributions of the migrant and immigrant work forces who feed us, keep us safe, and perform work that many of us do not have the skill or the grit to perform. We stand with you and we pray for you, holy children of God!
We also honor our first responders, our health care professionals, and our teachers for the example that they have so beautifully shown us in the past few years. Their dedication and pride in their profession requires them to be compassionate and selfless humans. We are so grateful!
BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT REVIEWS
Thank you to our teachers and staff, and to parent leadership for a successful Back-to-School Night. We appreciate the positive feedback and we are just happy to be able to provide the forum to reconnect and strengthen our partnership. Please keep the lines of communication open. Let’s keep our eye on the prize: the formation of our faith-filled, intelligent, moral, ethical, kind and compassionate humans.
MANAGING EXTREME WEATHER THIS WEEK
This week, we reserved the hall and the lower church as alternate spaces to continue learning during the anticipated extreme temperatures beginning around lunch time. The church is also available to us, should we need it. In addition, we are recommending the Mission Library and the gazebo area as areas to find a cool space as well.
We will provide fruit pops/popsicles in the afternoon, as well as packaged ice for the students to put around their necks and foreheads to stay cool. (We need some parent volunteers to come and help package ice at lunch—Ms. Valerye will be making an ice run in the morning. We would also appreciate it if families could donate some ziploc sandwich bags.)
Middle school picnic tables will be moved to the breezeway and under the tent for additional shaded spots.
Students may come to school in P.E. uniforms (t-shirts and shorts) on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of this week. On Friday, students may come in uniform shorts instead of long pants as part Formal Uniform day.
We need your help: please do not send students to school with sweatshirts, jackets, or sweaters this week. Many do not like removing them even if they are overheating and we will not force them to do so. In addition, kindly make sure students have water bottles filled with ice. We have filtered water refilling stations.
Please know that we will monitor student comfort and care throughout the day throughout this week. We will keep you posted!
SAFETY PATROL RETURNS TO SAINT CLARE
Last week, Mr. Lin and I met with Officer Taylor Carpenter of the Santa Clara PD. Officer Carpenter has been coordinating the Safety Patrol program at Santa Clara schools for many years. The program itself has been in operation for over 57 years, and we are happy to be part of it. For the past couple of years, we haven’t been able to train our 6th graders to serve the community in this way. This week, Office Carpenter will visit the middle school classrooms to talk about campus safety, especially as it pertains to street safety. He will work closely with Mr. Lin and the 6th grade class to form a Safety Patrol crew. We ask that as community members, we follow the direction of the Safety Patrol, especially during morning drop off and afternoon pick-up. We have many middle schoolers who have permission to walk home. Their safety and the safety of all our community members who are navigating the streets around our school is critical. Thank you for your part in being an example of safe driving at all times.
SAYING GOODBYE TO SR. BETTE GAMBONINI AND WELCOME TO MS. ANNA
On Friday, we thanked Sr. Bette for many years of service at St. Clare as she accompanied our liturgical choir for school masses. Sr. Bette is a talented and dedicated liturgist and we will miss her. We wish her well as she transitions into joining her religious community and Sr. Ann Marie in Dubuque, Iowa. Thank you, Sr. Bette, for guiding us through our liturgical journey!
We also welcome Ms. Annastasia Brown who will accompany and lead our liturgical music ministry. Ms. Anna comes from St. Maria Goretti parish. She is a great addition to our vibrant Friday masses. We are grateful to her for sharing her energy and talent with our budding music ministers.
ON SITE OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY WITH OnTrack Therapy
OT Classes began this past week! Mrs. Davied brought TK and K students in the OT Room (formerly CTZ Room/Room 5) and she joined grades 1-5 in their classrooms. This week began with setting class norms and making sure students understand the purpose of her sessions. Development of fine and gross motor skills are prioritized with the younger students, while handwriting, correct pencil grip and other fine motor skills are practiced with older students. The students in G1-5 are split into two groups to allow for individualized attention. As the weeks go by, caregivers may be notified if additional one-on-one sessions will benefit particular students. Thanks to the Federal Stimulus Funding through the California Department of Education (ARP EANs), Saint Clare School is able to provide these services without cost to families.
BUDDY CLASSES
Our buddy classes met for the first time in the Faith Family Groups. They got to know each other and enjoyed an activity together. Here are our kindergarteners and fifth graders. Each of our lower grades and upper grades are paired up and they schedule meetings to pray together and share experiences with one another. Here are our buddy classes and their spirit colors:
- Grade TK | Dark Green (forest) & Grade 4 | yellow
- Grade Kinder | lime green & Grade 5 | purple
- Grade 1 | orange & Grade 6 | Teal
- Grade 2 | powder blue & Grade 7 | navy blue
- Grade 3 | red & Grade 8 | black
WCEA UPDATE
The Saint Clare faculty and staff continue their work as they take a close look at the lived reality of all aspects of our school and school community. The accreditation process asks us to dig deeply into our relationships with parents, the parish, and, of course, our students.
The Saint Clare team has met on a number of occasions to update our school’s Mission Statement and Schoolwide Learning Expectations (SLEs). The goal of the SLEs is to articulate what we should see in each student who graduates from Saint Clare School. To that end, teachers are currently meeting to develop rubrics that “show us” that younger students are on the path and growing every year, while our 8th graders are meeting those expectations upon graduation.
In addition, faculty and staff teams have begun the process of drafting the Self Study. This document identifies areas of strength with respect to Saint Clare’s Catholic Identity, operations, and student learning. It will also identify those areas for growth. Based on the Self Study, an Action Plan will be developed that addresses those areas in which emphasis should be placed going forward.
While a lot of work, it is a welcome process that will give Saint Clare School a clear path ahead.
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.
Parade of Champions, Saturday, Oct. 1. Stay tuned for details on how you can participate.
Parent-Teacher-Student Conferences, October 3-7, 12:30 dismissal all week
Blessing of the Animals and blessing of the Friendship Bridgeway mural | Tuesday, Oct. 4 at 11:45, Outdoor Church, Bridgeway
Kick-Off: Mission and Catholic Identity’s Care for our Common Home Campaign, Tuesday, Oct. 4 at Blessing of the Animals Prayer Service
32nd Annual Jog-a-Thon: Oct. 26 | Bellomy Field, Santa Clara University
Multicultural Dinner and Alumni Homecoming: Nov. 11
2nd Annual Golf Tournament: May 1, 2023 | Boulder Ridge Golf Club
As with every day, I am grateful to be serving this community and to partner with you in the formation of young minds, hearts, and spirit.
Gratefully,
Mrs. Cecile Mantecon, Principal
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
HVAC UPDATES
Learning from this, we are starting the process for the elementary building now with a proposal to the Diocesan Building Committee to approve the vendor. When that is completed, plans will be drawn and we will begin the ordering of equipment and permitting process, knowing the electrical upgrade will be significant in cost and construction. My earnest hope is that we will complete the HVAC upgrade in the summer of 2023, sooner if all goes well.
I appreciate your understanding of the scope of this work and the amount of time, money, and effort it requires, while running a school and all that entails. If you can help in any way by way of a donation, a grant, or insight with City permits, I welcome your input.
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.
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 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