Joyfully Embracing Our Mission

St. Clare School Family News | 16 August 2020

St. Clare of Assisi, Pray for Us!

The disciples approached Jesus and said,

“Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?”

He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said,

“Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children,

you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven.

Whoever becomes humble like this child

is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.

And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me.

“See that you do not despise one of these little ones,

for I say to you that their angels in heaven

always look upon the face of my heavenly Father.

What is your opinion?

If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray,

will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills

and go in search of the stray?

And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it

than over the ninety-nine that did not stray.

In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father

that one of these little ones be lost."

MT 18:1-5, 10, 12-14

Dear St. Clare School Families,

This past week has been a whirlwind of activity at our school site. Our faculty and staff kicked off the 2020-21 school year with a retreat on Monday, a tech un-conference on Tuesday, a day of collaboration with educators in the Diocese of San Jose on Wednesday and preparing materials and devices for families to pick up on Thursday and Friday. We are preparing for our community meetings with you to help you through the first couple of weeks of Home Learning @ St. Clare 2.0. As we’ve mentioned in previous newsletters and “A Cup with the Principal” town halls, our desire is to provide a robust program that is structured, consistent, simplified and flexible, focusing on our core values and principles to form the hearts and minds of our four to fourteen year-olds and to build community among those who are walking this journey with them.

The first few days of the school year will be spent getting to know one another, establishing norms for encounters via Zoom and collective commitments for the school year. We are looking forward to welcoming our students with a sense of gratitude and hope for the opportunity to gather, although virtually, to learn about our faith, ourselves and one another.

OUR SCHOOL THEME

In the spring, Ms. McCormick asked the Class of 2021 to give input to what our theme should be for this year. Many of them raised the concern of racism and inequality that still exists in our society. They shared that they felt the need to show that we are united in our desire to build a society where we would have the courage to stand up to injustices and that we would, together, work to lift up those who are marginalized and do not have a voice. The late Congressman John Lewis, in “Across That Bridge: A Vision for Change and the Future of America” wrote:

“You are a light. You are the light. Never let anyone—any person or any force—dampen, dim or diminish your light. Study the path of others to make your way easier and more abundant. Lean toward the whispers of your own heart, discover the universal truth, and follow its dictates. […] Release the need to hate, to harbor division, and the enticement of revenge. Release all bitterness. Hold only love, only peace in your heart, knowing that the battle of good to overcome evil is already won. Choose confrontation wisely, but when it is your time don't be afraid to stand up, speak up, and speak out against injustice. And if you follow your truth down the road to peace and the affirmation of love, if you shine like a beacon for all to see, then the poetry of all the great dreamers and philosophers is yours to manifest in a nation, a world community, and a Beloved Community that is finally at peace with itself.”

Inspired by Pope Francis’ message at his March 27 Urbi Et Orbi and honoring the desire of our incoming 8th graders, we are anchoring this year’s theme of solidarity in the Pope’s words, which we found to be so resonant in these days of turmoil:

"We were caught off guard by an unexpected, turbulent storm. We have realized that we are on the same boat, all of us fragile and disoriented, but at the same time important and needed, all of us called to row together, each of us in need of comforting the other. On this boat... are all of us. Just like those disciples, who spoke anxiously with one voice, saying "We are perishing" , so we too have realized that we cannot go on thinking of ourselves, but only together can we do this."

May our year fulfill the lyrics in the song “All are Welcome”:

Let us build a house

Where love can dwell

And all can safely live,

A place where

Saints and children tell

How hearts learn to forgive.

Built of hopes and dreams and visions,

Rock of faith and vault of grace;

Here the love of Christ shall end divisions;

All are welcome in this place.

DETAILS FOR THE WEEK AHEAD

Below, you will find some key reminders for Community Meetings where you will meet your child(ren)’s teachers, hear about expectations, collective commitments and learn about the class schedule:

TK & Kinder Families | Monday, August 17 at 6 P.M. | Meeting ID: 753 421 694
Grades 1-8 Families | Tuesday, August 18

General Session begins at 6 P.M. | Meeting ID: Meeting ID: 753 421 694
Session 1 begins at 6:30 P.M. | Use the Class Meeting ID your teachers will send
Session 2 begins at 7 P.M. | Use the Class Meeting ID your teachers will send

The structure will mimic that of our “Back to School Nights” where we will gather for 15-20 minutes in the All-School Zoom Room to hear about school-wide commitments. After the general session, you will have two opportunities to attend Classroom Community Meetings. (Those who attended the TK sessions on Monday do not need to attend the Tuesday General Session. If you have children in Grades 1-8, you are welcome to join the Classroom sessions directly.)

The Classroom Community Meetings are mandatory so that we can all work together to fulfill the goals of this year’s program and to avoid undue anxiety on the parts of students, parents, caregivers and teachers. As we have noted many times before, clear and constant communication is paramount. We can do this, but only if we do it together.

WHAT TO EXPECT THE FIRST THREE DAYS OF SCHOOL

Wednesday: AUGUST 19 | 8 A.M. TO 12:30 P.M.

All attend the first Morning Assembly of the year at 8 A.M. (Meeting ID: 753 421 694). We will honor our first Silver Boxes of the School Year at this assembly, our first Wellness Wednesday Assembly.
Students appear in Zoom wearing a school uniform top (St. Clare sweatshirt, sweater, grey or white polo). Subsequent Wednesdays will be appropriate Free Dress Days.
Students are ready to meet their teachers and classmates with a welcoming and joyful attitude.
Students will spend the day getting to know each other and building community.
Teachers will build in breaks throughout the day.

Thursday: AUGUST 20 | 8 A.M. TO 12:30 P.M. (TK ONLY: 9 A.M. to 12:30 P.M.)

Students in K-8 attend Morning Assembly at 8 A.M. (TK students are invited but not required to attend.) (Meeting ID: 753 421 694)
Teachers will build in breaks throughout the day.

Friday: AUGUST 21 | 8 A.M. TO 12:30 P.M. (TK ONLY: 9 A.M. to 12:30 P.M.)

Students in K-8 attend Morning Assembly at 8 A.M. (TK students are invited but not required to attend.) (Meeting ID: 753 421 694)
Students in K-8 gather via All-School Zoom to celebrate our first School Mass at 9 A.M. (Meeting ID: 753 421 694)
Teachers will build in breaks throughout the day.

As we are gathering on Monday (TK-K) or Tuesday evening, there will be no “A Cup with the Principal” this Thursday. As always, reach out to your teachers if you have any questions or requests for clarification.

I am extremely proud of and grateful to our faculty and staff for all the hard work to put together a program whose outcome will yield kind, compassionate and selfless humans who serve, reason and care for the good of all.

Grateful for your partnership and support, I remain,

Cecile Mantecon, Principal

Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time | 16 August 2020

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

https://calendar.google.com/calendar/embed?src=drexelschools.org_u0vj6uj1r91qlk8hu9uk1t7qro%40group.calendar.google.com&ctz=America%2FLos_Angeles

PUBLIC ADDRESS IN iCAL TO ACCESS FROM OTHER APPS

https://calendar.google.com/calendar/ical/drexelschools.org_u0vj6uj1r91qlk8hu9uk1t7qro%40group.calendar.google.com/public/basic.ics

GET READY FOR OPENING DAY: AUGUST 19

Are uniforms ready? Even while we are in Zoom, we want students to know that school is a place where we formally learn. Wearing the uniform is part of the learning. More details regarding P.E. days and free dress days.

Is the space ready for distance learning? Provide a dedicated space for your student(s) to participate actively and meaningfully. Do you have the following for:

Synchronous (live) learning: dedicated device and adequate internet access; headphones; a comfortable and quiet place to engage in active learning including space to spread out for P.E., art and music. (More information regarding school-issued iPads later.)
Asynchronous (offline) learning and practice: dedicated space to complete homework, engage in independent practice, create art/projects, perform simple science experiments.

In addition to the above, it is important for us to prepare our mindset for the start of this most unusual school year. Having structure at home and starting the year with clear expectations is key. Here are a few resources that might be helpful:

What A Busy Week.

Faculty and staff gathered this past week getting ready for the first day school.Teachers trained on Swivl , and had refresher sessions in Google, Seesaw, Zoom. Families stopped by our uniform shop, and we finished the week off with meeting many familiar faces (and some new ones) during student supplies pick-ups.

Our Retreat: Building a Trusting Community, Caring for Ourselves and Others

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Pick Up Run-Through and Technology Un-Conference

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Touchless Drive-Thru Pick Up

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Swivl Robot Needed for Classrooms | DONATE TODAY

Home Learning @ St. Clare 2.0 will be launched on August 19, 2020. One of the tools that will help our teachers to deliver quality instruction is a tool called Swivl.

An iPad or mobile device is mounted on the Swivl robot which rotates to follow the teacher across the room/space. Multiple markers record the audio throughout the room while the tethered iPad (or mobile device) records the video. It's easy for teachers to setup, start/stop recording, and upload to the Swivl cloud account.

While we make plans to return in-person when it is safe to do so, we are committed to providing a distance learning option for all families who need it throughout the year. Swivl will allow us to teach in any scenario. The Swivl can be set up in the back of the room to record the teacher instruction and interaction, while engaging those who are learning at home. WATCH this example of a dual learning environment using Swivl.

Currently, each starter kit which includes 5 markers, a wide-angle lens and cloud subscription costs $1,500. Check with your company's matching program to see if you can double the benefit!

To make a donation in any amount, please visit our school store. Share the link with family and friends as a way to donate to fundraisers that we may not be able to have this school year. You may note the name of the student or person you'd like to honor with this donation, including the classroom you'd like to benefit from this donation.

http://stclareschool.3dcartstores.com/Swvl-Robot-Donations_p_82.html