Feeling Thankful

Thanksgiving is a great time to think about all the things we are thankful for.  For me, Thanksgiving is every day that I come to school.  While many days I face challenges and negativity, I am grateful for those around me who keep me smiling.  Thank you all for being an amazing staff and making the students a priority and doing what you know is right.  

I know that most, maybe all, of you will agree that APEX had us Leveled Up!  I'm not sure who had more fun that day, the kids or the adults.  I know I had fun even though I was pelted with ice-cold water (something very unexpected!).  We raised $65,600, which I believe is the final number.  Of that, we retain about $37,000.  While it seems like they get a lot, it's not all profit.  Most goes to their employee wages, t-shirts, lanyards, prizes, food, etc.  They definitely earned their money.  Thank you all for supporting this event!

Here's what you need to know about this week.  Mary will be out on Monday and Tuesday, class pictures take place on Thursday, and I will be at a principal meeting on Thursday morning.  On Friday, PK3-1st grade will be having a special Thanksgiving lunch in the FLC at 11 am.  Grades 2-5 will eat either in the classroom or outside that day.  Middle School will eat in the FLC at their regular time.  

This will be my last blog until Dec. 7.  I will be out of the country the week we are on break and may not have an opportunity to write this the weekend before we return.  So here is what is happening the week after Thanksgiving Break:

• Wonderland shop takes place all week.  PK will go on Wednesday.  All other classes will attend on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, with Friday morning set aside for anyone who missed.  A schedule will be sent from either Mary or PTCO.  
• Advent retreat is on Wednesday.  It will also be our first Wednesday for reconciliation.  I have put the schedule for reconciliation on the Google calendar.
• Thursday is my next Principal's Coffee (pray for me).
• Friday is the Middle School Social

Have a wonderful week and a great Thanksgiving Break!

And by the way, everyone kept saying, Don't worry, it's kindergarten.  They will only reach your knees with the water gun.  Notice how everyone is aiming up!  I think the MS boys got me in my ear. :) 

Soak Up the Fun!

...and bring your camera.  If only Friday could be as warm as today.  I will request that the Super Soakers be filled with warm water.  A BIG thank you to Ms. Susana.  Kindergarten is well in the lead and should be the Soakers.  Small class and small children.  How bad can it be? 

Teachers, please remind students to wear their APEX shirts on Friday with PE shorts.  Originally, it was a jean day and spirit shirt, but since they will be running the obstacle course, PE shorts are a better choice.  We will inform parents throughout the week.  

Most of the class interruptions with APEX are done.  There are a few challenges this week with rewards for the winning classes, but no more lessons.  Mary will send out the schedule for Friday during the week.  

Tomorrow is Holy Card free dress.  The card to look for is Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Finally, all teachers will meet in the media center at 12:30 pm.  Bring your lunch with you.  We will begin with a follow-up to Dr. Mark's PD, and then you will break into your CIPA groups to work on everything we discussed until 3:30 pm.  

Have a great week!

Ice, Ice Baby....

 Thank you to all those brave souls who allowed themselves to be Iced! It was a lot of fun to watch, and I'm sure you will be saying the same when I get super soaked on the 14th.  This was a great week, and thank you all for being flexible and joining in the fun.  One more week of Mighty Matt!

Please encourage your students to bring in donations to SVDP. With what is happening in the government, it is needed now more than ever.  Also, remind them that next weekend is uniform weekend.

Teachers, please see my separate email regarding this week's faculty meeting and spirit night.

Have a fabulous week and keep on Leveling Up!

Level Up!

 

It's here!  Our first-ever Apex fundraiser.  We will all learn more at the pep rally at 2:15 on Monday and the teacher rally at 3:30.  Teachers, please make your way to the media center right after carline.  It should only take 15 min.  While this is still within the time teachers are scheduled to be at school, we are canceling our faculty meeting on Tuesday.  That will give you Tuesday afternoon if you need to schedule a conference.  If you are part-time and not normally here on a Monday afternoon, I will fill you in on Tuesday.  

Thank you to all who came out (and double thanks if you decorated a trunk) to support our Trunk or Treat event.  This was the best attendance we have had for a couple of years.  Everyone had a great time!

Don't forget, Friday is Marvelous Mustang and Halloween/Fall shirt and jean day.  If a student has had three or more uniform violations, they may not participate.  Also, please go over the jean day rules with you students.  

Finally, I wanted to share a picture with you.  While eating breakfast, I was listening to the news and the ongoing government shut down then later, while sitting on the beach, I noticed something that reminded me of our country and I found amusing.  Even the seabirds are divided.  These are different types of seabirds, but it was interesting how they stayed together in one area but remained segregated.  

Let's continue to pray for peace and understanding here at school, with our families, in our country, and in the world.

Have a Leveled-Up week!

 

Encountering Christ

Thank you all for joining me on Friday at the Ringling for some time to rest, reflect, enjoy good company, see the beauty of God's creation, and hopefully have a moment where you encountered Christ.  From the smiles and the kind words shared by many, I believe it was a good day, and my only regret is that I don't know how to top this one next year.  I hope you all learned something you didn't know.  I learned from Darien how to remember the symbols for each evangelist.  I learned from Anabel that there is a symbol of the Gates of Hell in the Triumph of Divine Love painting, and that Monsignor Carruthers and I love the Blue Madonna (as do many others).  He also shared a great story about his connection with that painting.  It was a great day, and I hope you hold onto some of the peace you felt that day as we return to school tomorrow.  

On Tuesday, we will have an AED machine installed in the Angel's Wing at 2 pm.  There will then be a brief presentation and photo op with the MS PLC group at 2:15.   

Thursday, there will be vision screening.  Gail will let you know the schedule.  

Finally, Friday is Trunk or Treat.  Setup begins at 5:30 pm and you will want to be sure your car is out of the parking lot by 6:15.  

Have a Triumphant Week!

  

The Forgotten Way

 I sat down this afternoon to write my blog and read a book instead.  It wasn't very long, and I skimmed through some of it.  The book is The Forgotten Way by Matthew Kelly.  The premise of the book is that you can transform your life and grow in holiness by changing the way you speak.  The Forgotten Way is the St. James Master Plan described in the Book of James, particularly James 3:2, "for we all fall short in many respects.  If anyone does not fall short in speech, he is a perfect man."  The Camino Pilgrimage, or Way of St. James, is a physical experience that requires commitment.  The Forgotten Way is the inner Camino.  What St. James tells us is that we can become saints by governing our speech.  It allows us to remain aligned with God.  

We all know how words can build up or they can tear down, and Matthew Kelly says that some of the most evil words are gossip.  I agree.  This Thursday, I am putting on the full armor of God, and bringing back the Principal's Coffee.  I asked parents to tell me their one burning question or concern ahead of time, and I would speak on the one issue that many seem to have and then take questions.  What is most interesting is that some people have shared with me that they hear many parents are unhappy and angry.  As of this morning, only 14 parents have signed up and most of their questions are simple and can be answered by reading the handbook (what is our bullying policy) or Tidbits (how does the parish support the school and what is the security update) or the Website (where are the school financials).  No one seems unhappy or angry, but I also understand that some work and cannot attend, or they would rather participate in gossip than be part of the solution.  Some did not have a question or concern, they just want to come because they are invested in the school and want to be part of the solution.  

The idea of governing our speech is something you can also share with the students.  Even the youngest can understand how words can hurt.  Here is something I read in the book that I thought was perfect to say to a child.  Engage the brain before opening your mouth, and more importantly, engage your soul.  Tell the students to think before they speak.  What will be the impact of my words on someone else and on myself?  If Jesus was standing next to me (and he is), what would he think of my words?   This is much more profound then telling them to be nice.  

Ponder this as you finish up your day.  As we learned this weekend at Mass, we are all missionaries, called to proclaim the Good News.  Let us share our positive words with our students, parents, and each other.  

We have a short week.  Boo grams continue and the Holy Card for tomorrow is St. Carlo Acutis.  Please check that is what the students in free dress have.  Friday is our retreat and I will be sharing more details this week.  

Have a beautiful week!

Fall is Here!

 Good afternoon and Happy Sunday!  The Fall Season is upon us, even though it still feels like August outside, and with it comes Boo Grams.  Please be sure that either your classroom rep (grades 4-8) or another member of the student council is in your classroom selling boo grams from 7:30 to 7:45 am.  If no one is available on any given day during that time, please let Mr. Brozak know.  

This week, the priests will all be away Tuesday-Thursday which means we will not have a full Mass on Wednesday.  We will still go to church and one of the Deacons will lead a communion service.  This is a good opportunity to explain the difference to students.  The service should take about 30 minutes. 

Thursday is picture re-take day and the day for 8th graders to have their cap and gown pictures taken.  Also, any student new to the school since our first picture day will have their picture taken.  

Friday I will be at a principal meeting and this coming weekend is Uniform Weekend.  Please remind your students.  

If you did not read Tidbits last week, please read the Principal's Points.  It will give you some insight to the fundraiser we are doing in November.  I will elaborate on Tuesday at our faculty meeting.  

Lastly, just a reminder about a topic I talked about during pre-planning.  I said it would not take effect until September because we did not have our spirit shirts yet, and there were some new teachers, but this is what the handbook says:

"Teachers may choose to pay for Friday Jean Days by Sept. 1. The fee is $25, which helps to support the hospitality budget. Teachers may only wear jeans with the school navy polo available at Risse Brothers or a school spirit shirt. The same rule applies to all school jean days."  

If you wish to wear jeans on Fridays or any jean day, you must wear the polo or any of the school spirit shirts.  

Thank you, and have a wonderful week.  

The Calm AFTER the Storm

That's how this weekend felt.  The storm has passed and we made it!  First, I want to thank everyone who played a part in making Friday such an enormous success.  The show was fantastic!!  I received so many compliments from Grandpeople saying how much they enjoyed it.  The credit goes to everyone who made it happen, including all the students who gave it their all.  The bad news.... it was an enormous success.  Thankfully, we have a year to decide what to do next.  

Enjoy the calm this week as not much is happening.  Teachers will meet Tuesday afternoon to continue the CIPA discussion.  

Have a wonderful, calm week!  

Brighten Our World...

 ... with Books! That's the theme of this year's book fair. Books brighten my world, and often, I wish I had more time to read the many books sitting on my shelf. I guess that's what retirement is for, so they will sit there a bit longer.  

Every week, I ponder what topic I will address in my blog. Today, I received an email, and then I knew what to talk about.  Last week, two teachers shared what they were doing before pushing the send button.  One was an email, and the other was a demerit.  The one about the demerit led to a great conversation and a review of what was in the MS Handbook vs. the Parent/Student Handbook.  These conversations are important, so I am not blindsided if a parent has a concern, and I can support the teacher if I am part of the process.  Another good practice is to cc me on a response to a parent concern so they know that I am part of the process.  Many of you do this already, but I wanted to take a moment to say thank you for keeping me in the loop and why it is so important.  

As far as this week goes, hold onto your hats, it's book fair week!  Please refer to Tidbits to see the schedule for when your class will go to the book fair.  There is no preview day for students. They will go once to shop with their class.  They will have other opportunities to go with parents or grandparents.  I'm not sure if the expectation is that the whole class attends during their scheduled time, since there is no preview, or if it's only students with money.  Please watch for an email from Yesenia for more details.  You can also find the plan for Grandparents Day in tidbits.  I will send more details about that during the week in terms of encore classes, etc.  

Friday afternoon, all teachers will meet at 1 pm for professional development.  I have invited a speaker from the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office to give a presentation on active shooters using a new program called Alert, using a practice called ADD.  No longer is it run, hide, fight.  It is now: Avoid, Deny, Defend.  After listening to the trainer discuss this new system, I can see how the practice of avoiding makes much more sense for our campus than running.  Please think about the questions you have, as there will be a Q&A session after the presentation which is about one hour.  This training is for teachers, but if anyone else would like to join us you are welcome, just let me know so I have an idea of how many are attending.  After this presentation, Mary will begin the discussion of what we need to do this year for CIPA.  This discussion may continue to next Tuesday's faculty meeting, depending on how far we get on Friday.  

That's the week in a nutshell.  Have a great rest of your Sunday and a fabulous week!

Finding Joy in Your Cross

 Today is the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, and in his homily, Fr. Primus talked about how each of us carries a cross.  It may be our children, our husband (yes), a sickness, our job, etc.  Then he said we should also find joy in the cross that we bear.  I sometimes feels like my job is a very big cross to carry, and then I look at pictures like the ones in this Sunday's bulletin.  If you didn't see it, go look.  There is my joy. Laughing with middle schoolers and hugging kindergarteners.  The children bring so much joy, and I hope that all of you feel the same.  I have to imagine this is why we keep showing up for work each day, the joy they bring us.  

And speaking of Mass... Today's holy card is the Guardian Angel card.  If a student is in free dress, they must show you a Guardian Angel holy card.  Do not take it from them, but remind them to save them all for a special gift at the end of the school year.  If it is not a Guardian Angel card, ask them what happened.  At 7:30 Fr. Primus ran out, and he may have given out a few different cards.  If they look like "oops, I've been caught," ask the student (age appropriate) what Mass they went to and who the priest was.  You can always check that on the church calendar.  

Teachers, please read Tidbits to see what I wrote about Grandparents Day.  If you are planning to have food for the visitors, remember that you are responsible for reaching out to your HR parent to get what you need.  PTCO is not organizing it as many classes did not want food.  Also, parents are not permitted to attend in place of a grandparent/friend.  If a parent says anything to you, please direct them to me.  

Two items were discussed at our administrators' meeting Friday.  The first was that we will no longer be using the Bully Report form when someone complains about being bullied.  They are finalizing a Google Form that will be called a Concern Form so that anyone can bring a concern without it having to be labeled as bullying.  I will share the form with you once it is completed.  

The second item was supervision/recess and law enforcement.  Chris talked about a specific incident that took place at recess.  One student said the name of a type of weapon, like uzi machine gun.  The sentence could have been I saw a picture in a magazine of an uzi machine gun.  But, of course, only bits and pieces were heard, and you know how the game telephone goes.  Next thing you know, the police are on campus.  Here's the issue.  Every student on that playground heard at least one version of the gun story, from it was nothing to he's bringing a gun to school, and five students heard at least three different versions.  Guess who heard nothing?  None of the adults on the playground knew anything. The outcome of the story?  No one got arrested.  It was a harmless conversation.  

This is just a reminder of why it is so important to always be vigilant and why it's not enough to see the students; we must put ourselves among them and be aware.  Some of you do a great job of this during homeroom. I see you walking around the room and engaging with the children.  You don't even have to talk.  Just listen.  It's amazing the things you will hear.  

Don't forget Friday is Marvelous Mustang and have a fantastic week!

God's Influencer

 In a time when it is cool to be an "influencer" on social media, it is so much cooler to be known as God's Influencer.  I'm not sure if it's still cool to use the word cool, but I think it's SUPER cool.  Today, we celebrate Carlo, the first millennial saint and God's Influencer.   

Over the years, I have been handed petitions signed by students, and most found their way into the trash.  But our 4th graders created a beautiful and amazing petition.  A BIG hats off to our 4th graders who signed this petition!

He had a purpose here on Earth, and his purpose will continue now that he is in heaven.  

I will keep this brief, as I know last week was a lot.  Just some reminders for this week:

• Next weekend is Holy Card weekend. Please remind the students to go to Mass in their uniforms
• I will be at the Bethany Center on Friday
• Submit field trip requests soon as buses are being booked up quickly
• Mary will send details about this week's PLC tomorrow

Lastly, afternoon carline has been going long, which is why Mary has been making some adjustments.  On Thursday and Friday, I was in the hallway during dismissal, and there were three things I noticed that were delaying students from getting outside.  The first was the Wifi going down.  I am going to log into PikMyKid this week and see if I can narrow down the exact times that happens to give John the details so we can hopefully fix that.  Second thing is that teachers were not necessarily seeing what the person outside can see on their phones.  This may be related to the Wifi going down, as inside we rely on that, and outside they have cell service.  Third is students leaving the room, but either not knowing where to go or going the wrong way.  The students who did best were in rooms where the teacher was at or near the door so they could see PikMyKid (on the cleartouch or another device) and watch how the students exited.  Other successes in moving the students quickly are having students gather their things and line up at the door when they are announced, so they are ready to go when it's time.  Let's work together to shorten our carline time and implement these best practices.  

I'm not sure that was brief, but have an awesome week!

You never know what might climb in....

  Last year, for Teacher Appreciation Day or someday like that, I bought everyone at school a book.  The title is The Carpenter's Son.  If you haven't read it yet, you should.  I started it in the spring but decided not to take it on my vacation, because the book requires you to read it with a box of tissues handy.  It should come with a warning.  Three boxes of tissues later, I finished the book.  It's a very easy read and it says all the things we know in our heart but find difficult to understand.  We know God has a purpose for all that happens, but at times it is hard to understand the why.  Why is there poverty, sickness, war, tragedy, etc.  This book attempts to provide answers through a work of fiction that is very engaging.  There were two things that struck me beyond the main message.  The first is in the excerpt below, "you never know what you may let in."  Sums up exactly how I have begun to feel about the internet.  The other is something I plan to use the next time a child is sent to the office, and I want them to tell me the truth.  In the book, the main character says, "They are called the Ten COMMANDMENTS, not the Ten SUGGESTIONS."  I love that, and I am all for using Catholic guilt. 

As you can imagine, last week was difficult and it raised everyone’s awareness of places/times when our students are most vulnerable.  After meeting with parish leadership and sharing our updates with parents in Tidbits, I believe we have addressed concerns and parents trust our ability to keep their children safe.  One of the things we talked about at our leadership meeting was that the students’ safety is everyone’s responsibility.  Please always be vigilant and if you see anything suspicious, the first thing you should do is call Officer Bryan and then me.  If you do not have his contact details, his phone number is 646-204-7985.  Save it in your contacts.  There are a few things that church personnel have asked I talk about.  These are things they see as they move around the campus and from their windows in the church.  Please be sure you are doing the following:

• Teachers MUST spread out on the playground during recess.  At no time should a teacher be standing still talking with a colleague.  Please move around the playground, listen to their conversations, intervene when there is conflict, and most important, do not let ANY student open the back gate to get a ball unless you are right there. 

• When students are moving around the campus, the teacher should always be at the back of the line.  Wait at your classroom door making sure all have exited and have them line up at a designated point until everyone is out.  Have them proceed to the next point (maybe the door, the gate, the basketball court, etc.) until you get there, always staying at the back so you can see everyone.  If you are lucky to have another teacher/assistant with you, then one can be in the front and one in the back. 

• When returning from Mass, the FLC, or the playground, students should not enter the main building or Angel’s Wing until their teacher is present and lets them in.  I have stood with classes in the breezeway trying to get into the building, but I make them wait for their teacher.  Remember, students must be supervised at all times. 

• When moving on the sidewalk from the main building to the FLC, students should be aware of others who are also trying to use the sidewalk.  Elementary is great at this because they always walk in a line.  While middle schoolers walk more in a cluster to lunch, they should still stay to one side of the sidewalk and be respectful of others.  It is the same at dismissal time. 

• Finally, the gate coming into the breezeway from the FLC is often found to be open.  Because it will lock, no one has come up with a solution.  The issue is the gate is very light and if it is swung open all the way it bounces on the return, and then the magnet does not catch.  All you need to do is close it behind you and hold it in place for a second.  The magnet will then catch it.  If you are alone or at the back of the line with the students, it should be easy to do.  Also talk to the students about this too, that they should close the gate all the way until it catches, not just let it go. 

Thank you for your help with all of this.  I know that we all want what is best for our students.  I will have my copy of The Carpenter’s Son at school tomorrow if anyone who did not get a copy wants to borrow it.

This week the students will be doing the i-Ready Diagnostic and other than that, it's a pretty normal week.  Please continue to pray for the families in Minneapolis.  Growing up the nuns would tell me to "offer it up," meaning stop complaining and offer up your pains and sorrows to God so that he can use my pain to help others.  If you've ever read 33 Days to Morning Glory and consecrated yourself to Mary, you know that if we give everything to Mary, she will use our graces as she sees fit.  This week, let's offer up everything to Mary.  Don't ask that she use our pains and our graces for anything in particular.  She will know where they are needed most.  Have a blessed week.  

i (am) Ready

 That's what the children should be saying this week.  I am ready to show you what I know in Math.  The i-Ready schedules have been shared in the Google Drive.  Remind students that all we want is for them to try their best so we can best help them to be successful in math.  

For teachers, I have shared with you the rubrics we use for formal observations and which admin (Mary or me) will be doing your evaluations.  Mary will share more information about Tuesday's PLC meetings.  Friday is a half-day and we are scheduled for PD in the afternoon.  This is the plan for all teachers:

• K-2 teachers will be attending a training on the new Savaas science program.  Mary will let you know where to meet.
• Gr. 3-8 science teachers will meet with Linda in Heather's room.  We will do what we had planned to do during pre-planning.  Each teacher will present one aspect of the program that they learned through the publisher's training.  Know more than one in case someone takes "yours." 
• Connor and David - review the NJHS documents to begin the revision process (if needed).  This can be presented to the whole MS at the next grade level PLC.  I will share everything I have on Monday.
• All other teachers - work on unit plans, etc.  
• Everyone may leave at 3 pm (except K-2 may leave when your training is done at approx. 3:30)

Friday is our first Jean Day.  Please review the jean day rules from the handbook with your students.  By now, students should be receiving uniform violations for their hair (unless you have spoken to the parent and they have a date it will be fixed), jewelry that they should not wear (no bracelets or necklaces, simple or not, if they do not have a religious item on them), socks (over the ankle), shoes, and skort/PE shorts lengths at the very least.  

Did you like how I played Disciples of Christ Monday morning?  I hope so.  There will be a repeat performance everyone Monday at 8:46 am to remind students of our theme.  I will also play it at 8:50 am on Wednesdays.  Use this as the intro to your prayer time.  On Wednesdays, students should be seated and quiet (or standing and singing, I suggest putting the words up on your ClearTouch), and then have class prayer when done.  PK4 and K classes should also be listening and follow with prayer with buddies (I believe PK3 is on the playground.  If not, you can pray too.).  It would also be nice for an older student lead the prayer.  

Lastly, this is a reminder that teachers should not write the names of students on the board if it is in any way related to discipline.  Have a clipboard at your podium or whatever works for you to track your 1,2,3's or whatever you are doing.  I understand that some students need the visual, but it's also important to respect their need for confidentiality.  

Maybe this is lastly...  I could tell last week that some are not reading my blog.  This is where I will share important information, and in some cases, you need that information Monday morning.  It is important you read over the blog Monday morning at the lastest.  Give yourself a few extra minutes when you arrive or read it over Sunday night.  I can see that my last blog was read 71 times, but some may have opened it more than once, and it doesn't tell me when it was read.  Here is the challenge.  Send me an email by 11 am Monday morning saying, "Read it!" and your name will be entered into a drawing for a $25 Visa gift card.  If you read this after 11 am Monday, you do not need to send an email.  This information will help us decide the best method for providing important information.  

Thank you everyone for another great week and here's to the one coming up!

Back-to-School Night

Good afternoon everyone.  I have gone through all Back-to-School presentations and they look good.  Remember, the focus is not on curriculum, but on what we are trying to accomplish here.  I like how some teachers left in their curriculum slides (it is good information), but put them at the end so they can be covered if there's time.  Let's make Tuesday night about helping parents to see that their role is to....

Be true to your school now (rah rah rah rah, sis boom rah)

And let your colors fly (rah rah rah rah, sis boom rah)

Be true to your school

And also to help them understand that our goal is NOT to make their child another Brick in the Wall, but to help them become the unique person God meant them to be as we guide them towards their full potential. 

While there does not need to be a special slide for it, please take a moment after you pray to talk about the fact that we are all here for the children.  Everything we do is in their best interest, and that we want to work together as partners.  Tell the parents to talk to you or me when there is confusion or they are upset, not in the parking lot or at a party.  That does not solve anything.  We want to have open communication so we can work together. 

There is one thing that was missing from all the presentations and I would like all the teachers to add this.  Talk about:

• Tithing envelopes (they can be used at any church the child attends)
• Uniform Sunday / Free Dress Monday
• The expectation that children are going to Mass and how this is incorporated into the Religion curriculum

Also remember, we do not ask parents for any donations unless you have cleared it with me.  The only thing you may as for without permission is recycle objects (milk containers, egg cartons, etc).  We do not ask for money, snack donations, toys, books, etc. unless you talk to me first.  

Now for some good news.  We will NOT have a faculty meeting on Tuesday so teachers can prepare for Back-to-School night.  Please do not give homework to students in elementary grades and very little if any in middle school so parents can attend without worrying about homework.  

I will be at a principal's meeting on Wednesday at the Pastoral Center but can be reached by text or email.  

What's working and what's not update.  While someone was here to fix the fobs on Thursday, I don't believe they are working yet.  I will get an update on that.  PikMyKid should be fixed now and we will have regular carline tomorrow.  

Finally, remember to have patience and treat everyone with kindness.  

Thank you and have a wonderful week!

Ready or not....

 ....here we go! This certainly was not how I planned to start the year, but this school is always full of surprises. It keeps us on our toes and ready for any situation. Thank you all for helping with the decision on Friday and for being flexible. Of course, I was contacted at 1:30 p.m. on Friday with a message saying TECO came and sprinkled some magic dust, and everything was fixed. It was frustrating, but you can't predict how things will go.  You may have all seen my email yesterday to parents/staff, but here are some reminders about tomorrow:

• No carline.  Coach Green will be out in the parking lot, saving lives and giving dog treats while all parents park and walk their students to class.  All gates and breezeway doors should be propped open at 7:30 and closed at 8:30.  Parents may also enter through the front door.  PK will need to keep the gate open and have someone supervise the playground area (Sue or Teresa) until it is closed.
• Make sure everyone has a lunch.  If someone does not, let the office know or tell their parents if they are still there.  
• Take attendance at 8:30 after we close up the building.
• 8A has PE first period.  Coach Green will come at 8 am to supervise 8A.  
• 1st grade could probably go to art at 8:30.  Teachers should talk.
• All other encore classes on Monday will take place as scheduled.
• The Scouts representatives may be coming into your classrooms Monday afternoon after lunch for a brief 5-10 presentation about Scouting.  I have not gotten confirmation about this.  If they do not come, it may be another day.  Please welcome them into your classroom.
• House sorting ceremony for middle school is at 11:15 in the church.  Teachers should bring something to write the students' names as they get sorted to update the roster.  Students may be sitting by House for lunch (if that is what we decided).  

Things I forgot to tell you: 

• We have a new security officer who I assume will be here tomorrow, Officer Delano Bryan.
• Some heard this, but not all.  All teachers/staff are allowed to wear jeans on Fridays IF they pay $25 (give to Karen P or ask her to take it out of your paycheck) AND wear the school navy polo or any other spirit shirt with the jeans.  The $25 goes towards celebrations and keeps the lounge stocked with coffee.  
• PK and K will dismiss through the breezeway and playground gate at noon on Monday.

Finally, I will have all the schedules updated tonight with the new employee names and the updated PK schedule.  Please welcome the new employees who are starting tomorrow that most have not met, Elizabeth Kemp is the Instructional Assistant for 3rd grade and Carmen Diaz who will be in Kindergarten in the afternoons and Extended Day.  We also welcome Emily Baldonado who will start later in the week.  She will be in PK 4 in the afternoon and in Extended day.  

Lastly, (which comes after finally) I was in the school today and not all the fobs were working.  Your classroom key should open the exterior doors.  If it doesn't, be sure to see me at some point for a new key.  

So long, Farewell.....

 Those are the words we will soon be saying to our soon-to-be graduates, along with congratulations and best wishes for the future.  I will also be bidding Adieu to my blog until after the summer.  So here is a rundown of the next three weeks.  

Monday - 8th grade along with Connor, Mary, and Lisa will be in St. Augustine Monday and Tuesday.

Tuesday—The calendar says grade level for the faculty meeting. Please meet in whatever way works best.  You can meet as a grade level if needed, or meet as a CIPA committee to wrap up your work, or use the time to work on individual end-of-year lists.

Wednesday - No school Mass.  School Mass will be on Thursday when we say good bye to the graduates.  The sports dinner is that night.

Thursday - Mass and the 8th grade brunch.  The clap out will be at approximately 11 am.   We will make an announcement or send a runner.  Grades K-5 will eat in their classroom that day.  Grade 6 and 7 will eat in the FLC.  Remember, no one on the playground on Thursdays from 1-3 pm.  

Friday - Last day for PK classes and 8th grade graduation at 4 pm.  (We are trying an afternoon ceremony this year.)

Week of May 26

Monday - No School

Tuesday - Grades due

Wednesday - Talent show in the afternoon

I will send a separate email to teachers this week about Wed-Fri of the last week. 

Thank you all and have a great week!

Happy Mother's Day!

 I hope everyone is having a marvelous day.  I know I had a fantastic night on Friday.  Our students have so many hidden talents, and I greatly appreciate how Jeff has tapped into them.   Everything was beautiful, and the audience was in awe of what they saw and heard.  Thank you to Heather for sharing her voice and helping with logistics, and to Yesenia for helping with everything technical.  Well done, everyone!

You know we are close to the end when you look at the calendar and see things like math final exam (8th grade only this week).  This week, we also have i-Ready testing, Student Council Inauguration, NJHS Induction, and the final week of collecting cereal.  Connor and David will send information about when the Inauguration/Induction will occur on Thursday and who will attend.  Lisa will let you know when we will domino the cereal boxes.  Heather and Mari, let Lisa know when you will be at school on Friday since you are both on a field trip.  

Finally, all teachers should attend Tuesday's faculty meeting. Thank you, and have a great week!

You Are Appreciated!

 Happy Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week! I want to extend my gratitude for everything you do each day to nurture, guide, and inspire our students. Your dedication, compassion, and faith-filled example make our school special. You are the heart of our mission, and this week, we celebrate YOU!

In case you missed PTCO's email, they have planned a week full of treats and surprises just for you:

🍽 Monday – Enjoy a Chicken and Steak Taco Bar from Chipotle!
🍿 Tuesday – Customize your own snack gift bag from our Wild Things Snack Bar!
🍕 Wednesday – Grab some Papa John’s pizza and a hearty salad bar to keep you going.
🥓 Thursday – Start the day right with a hot/cold breakfast buffet (featuring Chick-fil-A chicken minis), served starting at 7:00 AM.
🍪 Friday – Pick and pack your favorites from our family-donated cookie bar to create your own bakery box to take home.

🎁 And don’t forget to stop by the teacher lounge each day for a special gift prepared just for you!

For lunches, they will be available at the start of the first lunch period.  If your lunch time is prior to 11:10, see what you can work out or let Mary or I know and we will help you find a time to have lunch.  

This is a busy week.  Here's the play list:

Mon-Tues  IXL Math diagnostic

Wednesday   May Crowning and 2nd grade Communion celebration hosted by 3rd grade.  Also, please come support family night at the Talking Pint from 6-9 pm.  20% of the proceeds to go the school.  

Thursday  I will be out but working from home in the afternoon.  

Friday is Marvelous Mustang, Concert practice, and finally the Spring Concert.  Whew!

Thank you again for your tireless efforts, your joyful spirits, and the many ways you reflect Christ’s love to our students and one another.  Have a wonderful week!

Five more weeks, but who's counting?

 Yes, it is almost May, with all its many activities and events, as we ensure students are ready for the next grade. Please be sure you are reviewing the remaining standards to teach, and if they seem too much, then focus on the Power Standards.  They are there for a reason.  

Mary will be out again on Monday, so please contact me if you need anything.  I will be gone on Tuesday with Connor, Melissa, and the 8th grade at the Ringling Museum, but Mary will return.  I will also be out on Friday at a principal's meeting (last one of the year!).  

Once again, this week's morning show will be a little longer than usual, with election speeches and voting on Friday. Finally, the Art Show is taking place after school on Thursday. Moms will be around this week, hanging up the artwork. Please take some time that day to visit all the masterpieces our students have created. We will also have classroom pickup on that day.  

If you wish to discuss the Pope's funeral and what comes next, here is one video of the funeral https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EozhjyuLZmY.  I would not suggest watching all of it, but for older students, seeing the massive number of people in St. Peter's Square is impressive.  Once the conclave begins, we will say a special prayer each morning to select a new pope.  The date has not been announced, but it should take place 15-20 days after the death of the pope.  Here is a resource to help explain the purpose of the Conclave https://www.loyolapress.com/catholic-resources/scripture-and-tradition/church-leadership/what-is-a-papal-conclave-and-frequently-asked-questions-about-the-pope/  

Have a wonderful week!

Field Day

 noun: a day devoted to athletic contests or other sporting events.  

Teacher definition: one less day I have to make lesson plans.  Thank you, George!

Here's what's happening this week...

• Mary will be out on Monday, so please ensure everyone behaves.
• Field Day is on Thursday
• PK/K are having their annual Trike-a-thon on Friday.  
• 6th and 7th grade will attend Reconciliation this week.  
• Rice bowls are due on Friday, which is also our last hot-lunch day this year

On a sad note, Kenny is no longer employed at St. Stephen.  He needed to resign effective immediately on Friday due to personal reasons.  We will miss him.  Continue to use School Dude to submit any maintenance requests.

Have a great week!

2025-26 Already?

 Yes, it's time to think about 2025-26 already (even though some of us have been planning that for months now).  What we need to focus on now is the calendar.  As you saw, a copy of the calendar was attached to the email with the blog link.  Please look over it and see if there is anything you need to add to it (Field Day, Penny Wars, Art Show, Nature's Classroom, final math exams, St. Augustine, etc.) and let me know.  Gail will start putting these events in School Dude which needs to happen ASAP so that our events take priority.  If you have any questions about the calendar, please come see me.

This week 4th and 5th grade have reconciliation and 7th grade is off to Nature's Classroom (Wed-Fri).  I will be at an administrator's meeting on Friday and Mary will only be in for the morning.  

That's all for today.  Take the time to look at the calendar.

Spring has Sprung

 The grass is riz. I wonder where the warm weather is.  Yes, I changed the words a bit, AND it does look like the warm weather is finally here to stay.  I hope you all had a fabulous week and did something amazing, even if it was waking up late and reading a book in the peace and quiet of the morning.  I'm sure there will be many sleepy children tomorrow, but they won't take long to get back into their routines.  

Tuesday will be a bit chaotic with Spring Pictures, but otherwise, it's a quiet week.  I hope many of you will join us Thursday after school in the FLC for the Dads vs. Students basketball game.  It will start at approximately 3:15. This will be a classroom pick-up day, allowing parents to collect their children and head over to the game.  

Friday is Marvelous Mustang.  Please be sure you have added yours to the spreadsheet and informed the parents to join us.  

Have a wonderful week, and stay strong; Easter is only a few weeks away :) 

Almost there

 to our Lenten Pause, aka - Spring Break!  I'm unsure who ultimately decided we needed this break rather than wait until Easter, but they are brilliant.  I imagine you all agree.  Take this time to relax and recharge so you are ready to breeze through the few months of school.  

Here are the things to know for this week:

• Laura is back!  Yay!!
• The Holy Card given out this weekend was St. Patrick.  Be sure that is the card students show you.
• 8th grade has Reconciliation on Wednesday
• Friday is Green shirt and jeans/PE shorts day.  Please remind students of the dress code for jean day.
• 8th graders will receive Confirmation on Saturday. 

Have a great week!

May the ashes on your forehead...

 be a reminder of God's love and forgiveness.  Welcome (almost) to the start of Lent.  Please be sure you are talking to your students in religion class about ashes and the purpose of Lent.  Melissa and I have sent you lots of resources. Most importantly, be sure the rice bowls go home on Wednesday.  We will begin our Lent reconciliation schedule a little early to allow 8th graders to receive the sacrament right before Confirmation.  Here is the schedule: (classes will stay after Mass for confession)

• March 12 - 8th grade
• March 26 - 2nd and 3rd grades
• April 2 - 4th and 5th grades
• April 9 - 6th and 7th grades

Melissa will provide more details and reminders. 

Friday will be our first Lent lunch.  Gail will provide the lists of the students receiving lunch on Thursday.  It will be the same students for all 5 weeks.  I will be out on Friday at the Bethany Center but hope to make it back for the first Fish Fry and I hope to see many of you there.  

Have a great week!

Lent is Coming

 Two trimesters are done and now we enter our last trimester.  This is a good time to reflect on where you are in terms of the benchmarks you need to cover and have a plan for ensuring all remaining benchmarks are addressed.  Parents will have access to report cards by Friday.  Be sure you are scheduling appointments with parents of students you are concerned about retention, remediation, and general academic/behavior concerns.  

We will also soon be entering the season of Lent. Next Wednesday is Ash Wednesday. Start talking to your students about what they will do that is special for Lent.  It doesn't always need to be something like I'm giving up chocolate.  Tell them to think about what they can give up that takes them away from Jesus and what they can replace it with to grow closer to him.  The easiest thing for students to relate to is technology.  Ex. give up 30 min. of video games to read the bible.  Give up social media to watch movies about the life of Christ.  Give up group chats and instead spend time with a sibling playing a board game.  The list goes on.  Playing a board game may not seem like it can bring someone closer to Christ, but it can.  Spending time with family and focusing on important things in our lives brings us closer to how Jesus wants us to live.

While we do not have a retreat scheduled until Holy Thursday, religion teachers should incorporate Lent into their lessons over the next few weeks. Some of you may have received an email with a resource that includes just about everything you could need, including links to CRS, which sponsors the rice bowls. If you missed it, you will find it below and you will need to copy/paste it.  https://ncea.org/NCEA/How_We_Serve/Resources/Lenten_Resources/NCEA/How_We_Serve/Resources/Lenten_Resources/Lenten_Resources.aspx?hkey=e6cd993e-a8e0-4419-8eb3-8dc44ae49ca9  

Speaking of rice bowls,  I believe we have them, or they should be here soon. These should go home on Ash Wednesday. Religion teachers should plan a lesson from CRS to be presented on Ash Wednesday or the day before so that students understand the significance of the rice bowl. Melissa will let you know when they are due back to school.  There are also some great resources regarding kindness and how Lent is the perfect time to practice this.  Everyone should also use the Studio 3:16 lesson as they are very engaging, and this one is free.  

The three pillars of Lent are prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.  This is a perfect time to incorporate the Works of Mercy into religion.  I have sent a resource to all teachers.  There is a reflection sheet that students should be completing (or something like it) when they complete a service project.  This also is a good resource to focus on Feed the Hungry and connect to the rice bowls.  Remember to send these lesson plans to me, as they make great evidence for our action plans.  

This week we will work on Terra Nova make-ups and 6th grade will finish their testing on Monday.  Please remain quiet in the halls this week as we finish testing.  Friday is Marvelous Mustang and the kick-off for the Spirit Raffle.  Please be in the gym by 2:30pm that day.  Students should pack up before you head over.  Middle school students can bring their backpacks if they go to the church parking lot for dismissal.  

I wanted to include a funny meme like this...

But then I found this...

And that spoke volumes.  Might be a great conversation to have at the end of Lent.  Should we continue our Lenten promises after Lent is over? (Melissa, that should be the final reflection of our retreat this year.) 

And for everyone who promised to give up food and go to the gym more after Christmas, there's this...

Have a great week!  

Happy Valentine's/Singles Awareness Day!

 Thank you to everyone who educated the rest of us about what is truly happening on Feb. 14.  I had no idea this existed, and now I'm questioning our choice of dress down for Friday.  Should it be red, pink, or black with chains? Maybe not. For now, just red, pink, and hearts.  Students may also be in free dress on Monday.  The Holy Card they should have for this month is St. Anne.  

What is most important this week is doing the Terra Nova practice tests and becoming familiar with the test if this is your first time proctoring the Terra Nova.  

Last week, I completed the ARCA for this year. I also attended a webinar that discussed the changes being made to the accreditation benchmarks. Most of the changes focus on making the wording more specific, breaking down one benchmark into two, and removing the referral to 21st-century skills.  I also spent a good deal of time reviewing our Action Plans.  It is important that we are doing the things we wrote about.  I will meet with Committee Chairs this week to discuss what is needed before the summer to update the Action Plans for this year and collect evidence.  The goal is to finish everything before the last day of school, so we are not doing this on that last Friday. 

Have a wonderful week!  

Smencil Sales are Here!

 When you realize that things may not be back to normal for a few weeks.  

Thank you all once again for a great Catholic Schools Week. The committee outdid themselves on Vocations Day, and those were amazing speakers.  

And now for this week's fun....

Smencil sales begin on Monday.  I'm not sure this was advertised in Tidbits but sales will continue into next week.  Student Council representatives will come to your homeroom each day to sell them.  

Also on Monday, Mary and I will join Fr. Primus and Deacon Mike to go around the school to bless throats.  Please refer to the schedule below.  It will start at approx. 10 am (give or take)

At our Faculty Meeting Monday, Mary will be talking about the Terra Nova, and on Tuesday, Lisa and Heather will be at an Instructional Coach's meeting. 

Thursday will be scoliosis screening for 6th graders.  Gail will let you know the time.  This is also the 7th grade Science Fair day, and the 6th grade will have theirs on Friday, I will be out on Friday at a principal's meeting that day.

I owe two classes their rewards:

6th grade gets extra recess with me (Connor, can we stay out on Wednesday for an extra 10-15 min?  Andrea, please take 8th grade in from recess.)  This was based on attendance at the PTCO meeting.

2nd grade gets an ice cream sundae party from the Student Council for being the Matching Monday winners.  (Connor/Andrea, please talk with Galy, pick a day, and let me know.  I will buy the ice cream, etc.)

And that is the week in a nutshell.  Have a great week!

Blessing of the Throats Schedule:

Fr. Primus with Mary:

2nd

3rd

4th (they may be in technology)

6th

7A and 7B

Deacon with Linda:

8th

PK3

PK4

K

1st (back from art at 10:20)

5th (back from PE at 10:20)

Celebrate Catholic Schools!

 Happy Catholic Schools Week! Thank you to our CSW Committee, NJRS, Student Council, and the PTCO for making this a great week of celebrating Catholic education.  Be sure to check the schedule each day and remind students what to wear the next day.  Remember, all roads lead to Friday when the real fun begins.  There's still time to sign up for Dodge Ball Madness, so don't be shy.  

After CSW, we have  Smencil Sales (Connor and Andrea will share information on how that will go), and not far behind that is the Terra Nova. We will talk more about that at our next faculty meeting. Teachers, please check your grade books to ensure you have sufficient summatives. We have only four weeks left in this trimester.  

Thank you, everyone, for supporting our mission, and have a spectacular week.  

Happy MLK Day and Inauguration Day!

 Regardless of your political beliefs, there is much to think about and reflect on today.  We remember a great man and watch as the 47th president is sworn into office.  Someone recently told me they would not watch the news for the next four years.  There's that or we can pray that our leaders are guided by the wisdom of the Holy Spirit and hope for a better future.  

This week is the calm before the storm that is Catholic Schools Week.  While much is going on next week, it is also a time to celebrate who we are as a community.  

This Thursday is our second General PTCO meeting, which begins at 6 p.m. in the FLC. The following teachers signed up to attend: Claudia, Heather, Darien, Susana, Maria, Kristy, Melissa, and Connor. Our guest speaker will be Yesenia, who will discuss software that keeps children safe on the internet.  

Your intent to return is in your mailbox.  Everyone must complete one for next year.  

Have a great week!

Pilgrims of Hope

 Who knew that our August retreat could aid in receiving a plenary indulgence.  It might.  Pope Francis has granted a Jubilee indulgence for making a pilgrimage to an official site and doing other things like receiving communion, reconciliation, etc.  Bishop Parkes has named six sites Official Places of Pilgrimage in our Diocese.  Among them are Sacred Heart Church and St. Leo Abby (a couple of you went there recently).  You may have a head start.  You can find all the details at https://gulfcoastcatholic.org/pilgrimage (You will need to copy/paste.)  There are also plans for a Corporal Works of Mercy challenge, but I have not seen the details yet.  We probably have a good start on that as a school already.  

Monday is Holy Card free dress.  There may be a variety of cards tomorrow, so please accept any holy card.  They were delivered to the church Friday after the office closed, and every priest may not have known their location.  Monday is also IXL Math testing.  Please see Mary's email for any questions you may have. 

Let's talk about Sunday's homily for a moment.  You may have wondered about something if you were like me and listened to Fr. Primus. Or maybe it's just my ignorance, but I learned a new word.  The word is Theophany.  Fr. Primus talked about how we went from Epiphany to Theophany.  I was grateful that Prince was with me to tell me what the word was because I'd never heard it.  He knew what it was and Googled it for me.  I learned that the Baptism of Jesus is also called Theophany in Easter Christian churches, both Catholic and Orthodox.  It is the manifestation of the fullness of God.  If you want to learn more, this is a good article about it https://www.catholic.org/news/national/story.php?id=66425  

Finally, this part is for teachers.  Coming back to our conversation about note-taking.  Maria and I continued the discussion all week and did some research/reading.  Here is what we learned:

• Kudos to Anna for highlighting!  While this is not truly a form of note-taking, it is a prerequisite for that skill.  Students need to be able to identify main ideas and essential information.  The next good step is graphic organizers, where the 3rd grade is headed.
• Kudos also goes to Heather for her discussion on helping students learn to organize information into graphic organizers.
• Kudos to those teachers who know that not all students benefit from the same type of notes and introduce multiple ways of taking notes.  While graphic organizers are great, simple Cornell notes or just two-column notes (used by Claudia and David) are also important to teach. 
• We learned that this skill is a high school benchmark.  That means we need to keep teaching the skill of taking notes all the way through 8th grade.  While they may have learned note-taking skills in 5th grade, it doesn't mean they are skilled at it in 6th grade.  They will be in 9th grade if we keep teaching.
• Finally, there is a great deal of research supporting hand-written notes over electronic note-taking.  While it may be optional for students to do either, we may want to look at having times when it's mandatory for all.  

During the next two PLC meetings, please talk about what you are doing at grade level (for early childhood it may be as simple as highlighting words or ideas). and then at subject area, how these ideas can progress from grade to grade.  If you are a core subject teacher and do not teach math or ELA, please join the ELA PLC for this discussion.

Have a wonderful week and Happy Theophany to all!