March Happenings

 Good evening everyone.  I thought I would use this blog to recap what is happening this month as we head toward Easter Break.

Week of March 6

Final makeups of the Terra Nova

Linda at the Bethany Center on Friday for the monthly principal meeting

Week of March 13

No school on March 13

PD for teachers on March 14 (see separate email for where to go)

Holy card Free dress on March 15 (remind students)

Wearing the green on March 17

Week of March 20

Math Coaching with Patty on March 20-21 (schedule to follow)

Linda will be our March 22-24 for an accreditation visit to a school in Miami

7th grade to attend Nature's Classroom March 22-24

Week of March 27

Dads vs. Boys basketball game on March 30 after school

7th grade to present living stations after the fish fry on March 31

Please be sure you have read the information regarding the March Madness Spirit Raffle and the different contests.  Please support this fundraiser by talking it up in your class.  Funds from this event will support the Morning Show and Playground. 

Finally, here is an update on Angel's Wing and our future plans.  It is not a good time (for many reasons) to try to build a permanent structure for middle school and a new modular building is almost as expensive.  I have approved a quote for approx. $260K to refinish Angel's Wing (new floors, ceiling tiles, paint, bathrooms) to get us through the next 5-10 years when we will be in a position to build.  Angel's Among Us earned $106K!! and that money will go towards the Angel's Wing renovation.  Our community has been very generous the project will be completed over the summer.  

Thank you everyone for all you do and have a marvelous week!

And so it continues....

 Testing that is!  A BIG thank you to our team of testing Gurus - Mary, Melissa, Dorothy, and Amanda.  They have been working hard each day delivering, testing, picking up, and preparing for the next day.  

Some reminders for this week:

Monday - Faculty meeting to wrap up putting in scores, evidence, and writing about strengths and weaknesses.  Everyone on a committee should plan to be in attendance.  Committee leaders will send you the location.

Friday - Starts with Marvelous Mustang (be sure you have picked someone, put in on the spreadsheet, included a reason, and contacted parents), noon dismissal, parent/teacher conferences (I still do not have most of your schedules.  Please send ASAP.).

Also, on Friday at approx. 11:30 am, we are having the Spirit Raffle kick-off in the gym.  There will be a pep rally led by the student council as well as a kick-off presented by PTCO.  This is meant to get the students excited about the prizes so that they will encourage their parents to sell tickets.  Please watch for an email from Connor regarding anything you may need to know for Student Council.  All classes should be in the FLC and seated by 11:30 am.  Middle school may sit on the bleachers, and all other classes on the floor on the bleacher side (unless Connor has a different plan for the floor seating).  

Finally, on Wednesday, our new School Counselor will start.  Her name is Julie Illari and she comes with a wealth of experience in counseling, ESE, and behavior intervention.  Please join me in welcoming her on Wednesday.  The Counselor's office has been moved to Room 5.  She will not be able to be alone with students this week as we still need to get her background check completed.  

Have a great week!

Entering into Lent

 Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, a time when we seek the Lord in prayer by reading Sacred Scripture; we serve by giving alms; and we practice self-control through fasting.  Please help your students reflect on what that means for them.  I would suggest reading brief passages of scripture along with prayer at the start of Religion class.  Students should be encouraged to add to their rice bowls with allowance money they may receive or money they work for by doing extra chores at home.  Finally, all children can fast, not necessarily from food, but from whatever may be keeping them from spending time with our Lord.  Fast from screen time to spending time reading the Bible.  Fast from arguing with a sibling and spend more time together playing a game you both like.  Fast from laziness and get ready for school on time with only one request.  You get the idea.  We are called not only to abstain from luxuries during Lent but to a true inner conversion of heart as we seek to follow Christ's will more faithfully.  

Ashes will be distributed after Mass on Wednesday.  The plan is that there will be EM's and priests at three exits: main entrance, side door facing the school, and the chapel.  We will follow directions given by the priest but I believe the plan is that Grades 1, 2, 4, and 6 will go out the side door and the other classes will go out the main entrance.  Watch for my directions.  Someone will bring ashes to the school for PK.  

Teachers, please remember grades are due by 8 am tomorrow.  Mary and I will look through them and give feedback.  Please make any necessary changes/edits as soon as possible.  

Finally, Terra Nova time is here!  Please be quiet moving through the halls in the morning.  Even though testing may be done in classrooms, it may still be going on in small group settings.  

And now, finally for real.  I hired a school counselor!!  Julie Illari starts on March 1 and will be full-time.  She comes with a wealth of experience in special ed and working as a behavior interventionist and I believe she has the experience in what we need for our students right now.  

Have a wonderful week everyone.  

I Wanna Rock and Roll All Night.....

 Actually, more like this...

Either way, it's time to rock the night away at Angels Among Us 2023!  

But before we get there, we have a week of learning before us.  Everyone should be wrapping up the trimester this week.  Please don't leave all your last-minute summatives for next week.  It's difficult to get in retakes at the last minute.  Mary will send out reminders about how to prepare for report cards.  At this time, teachers should also be setting up their parent conferences for March 3.  Please be sure to schedule conferences with students who are not making progress or are in danger of retention/remediation.  All teachers scheduled to work on a Friday are expected to be at school on March 3 until 3:30 pm even if conferences are completed.  

I will be out on Friday at the Pastoral Center but I will be back in the evening for Confirmation.  Middle school teachers, as well as all teachers, are invited to join us to support our students in this very special sacrament they have been preparing to receive.  Mass begins at 7 pm.  

Please remind students to come to Mass next weekend in uniform for their Holy Card free dress the following week on Monday, Feb. 13 and the following day is a Valentine's shirt jean day.  If students have 3 or more uniform violations, they may not participate in the Feb. 14 jean day. 

Finally, and most importantly, thank you to our CSW committee for making last week special.  I know that the students had a great time and I especially loved Charlotte H's comment on FB on why she loves SSCS.  Definitely my favorite comment! 

Have a wonderful week!

Happy Catholic Schools Week

 

Thank you to everyone who played a part in making this week happen!  Take the time to help students understand why this week is special and why we celebrate Catholic Schools.  For some students, this is all they know.  For those parents, students, teachers, etc., who have had experiences in public schools, they can truly see and appreciate the difference.  Catholic Schools are special.  We share our faith, we care, and we are a family.  So please take the time to celebrate this week.  

Please be sure you have read all the special schedules from the CSW committee, Connor (the schedule for Friday on the playground), and me (lunch Tuesday and Friday morning), and reach out if you have any questions.  NJHS students should have come to your classrooms last week to explain the Penny Wars rules.  Please give your students time to participate.  

Monday's faculty meeting is i-Ready analysis.  From conversations I've heard, some of you may have already started this.  Watch for an email from Mary Monday morning regarding this meeting.  It will only be for core subject area teachers.  Friday afternoon, we have part 2 of the math professional development with Patty.  All homeroom teachers PK-6, Lisa, and Amanda MUST attend.  Melissa and Dorothy are invited to join us.  Everyone else scheduled to be in school that day will work in their classroom until at least 3:30.  

Enjoy the week!

100th Day of School

Tomorrow is officially the 100th Day of School.  Only 80 more to go 😅

Please remember that tomorrow after school is a CIPA meeting.  The Chairs should let their members know where to meet.  All evidence should be uploaded and scoring should be completed tomorrow.  There are some items I will have to share within the next month to add to the evidence, but the Finance committee is not quite finished with the work.  This is for Domain D.  

If anyone needs to call in sick this week, please remember that Tues-Thurs you should text me at (813) 494-3801 by 5:30 a.m. as Mary will be at FETC.  Having said that..... Don't be sick!  Seriously though, if I am unable to find a sub those days, I may not be able to step in like Mary and I can when we are both at school.  So take some vitamin C tonight.  

One more week until CSW.  Please be sure you are communicating with your parents regarding Culture Day and anything specific to your class.  Please also support and talk up the Penny Wars.  Thank you to our FANTASTIC CSW Committee.  In particular a special thank you to the awesome dynamic duo of Julie and Susana who took the lead in putting together a special week.  

Thank you everyone and have a marvelous week!  

I Have a Dream

 Good evening and I hope everyone had an amazing weekend.  While only a four-day week, it will be a busy week with i-Ready testing.  It is also Barbara's last week with us.  We will miss her and wish her well in her internship.  I will be out on Friday and next week both Mary and Yesenia will be attending FETC in New Orleans (I'm jealous!).  If you need anything from either of them, please be sure to reach out this week.  

Monday's faculty meeting will be to finish uploading evidence and scoring the rubrics for CIPA.  Please be sure you are providing any evidence requested and let me know if you need anything else from me.  I recently learned that we no longer have access to the raw data for the John Hopkins survey.  However, I have the summary reports and they are working to put together a spreadsheet for me.  

Thank you all for your hard work and have a great week!