Joyfully Embracing Our Mission

As they approached the village to which they were going,

he gave the impression that he was going on farther.

But they urged him, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over.”

So he went in to stay with them.

And it happened that, while he was with them at table,

he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them.

With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him,

but he vanished from their sight.

Then they said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning [within us]

while he spoke to us on the way and opened the scriptures to us?”

Then the two recounted what had taken place on the way

and how he was made known to them in the breaking of the bread.

~ Luke 24:28-32, 35

I hope that your day away from school afforded some time to speak with your students about the importance of honoring and remembering those who have served and continue to serve. Some of you may have already heard this about my family, so I apologize for the recycled information. My father served with the Philippine scouts during World War II. He was part of the Bataan Death March, was allowed to escape by a fellow 18-year old, the Japanese soldier whom he befriended. For this service, the United State government sponsored his college education, so that he was able to attend the Mapua Institute of Technology where he studied to be a Civil Engineer. He then worked for the U.S. Navy first as a prospector and eventually, under the Officer in Charge of Construction at the military bases in the Philippines (mostly at Clark, Subic, John Hay and Mactan).

His over 30 years of service to the U.S. federal government is what allowed us to qualify as special immigrants. We were one of the few who didn’t have to wait too long to become residents and then citizens of the United States. Our family’s connection to the military runs deep. Three of my four brothers are veterans: two from the army (stationed in Okinawa, Germany, Virginia and Fort Ord) and one from the air force (Atwater). Our sense of service comes from our gratitude for the opportunities we have been given. So, on Veterans’ Day, I give thanks for those who serve our country faithfully, with integrity and compassion.

HOSPITALITY AFTER 10:30 SUNDAY MASS

There’s still time to donate and volunteer for Sunday’s hospitality after the 10:30 A.M. Family Mass. Families who donate and coordinate may log one hour towards their 30-hour commitment. Students in Grades 6-8 may earn one hour towards their service block if they help set-up, greet parishioners, serve donuts and clean up.

SECOND VOLUNTARY ONSITE TESTING | FRIDAY, NOV. 19

The next screening session will be on Friday, November 19. Essential volunteers who opted for screening should arrive at school at 8:30 A.M. We will complete your screening at this time.

The students did very well the last time, especially since you reminded them about the event. Kindly do so again. Also, kindly remind students of their date of birth. The screeners ask for their name and their date of birth. Some said they forgot when their birthdays were! :)

Thank you for your participation!

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE PAST WEEK

• This past week, we celebrated National Vocations Awareness week with a variety of guest speakers who shared their vocation experiences with our students. We thank Fr. Kyle Shinseki, SJ (SCU), Msgr. Fran, Deacon Bernie Nojadera (DSJ/USCCB), Seminarian Ryan Mau (Mundelein Seminary) and Br. Tom Redmond, S.M. (St. Clare, ‘66) for sharing their stories. Mr. Nguyen, Mrs. Soares, Mrs. Martinez and I also shared about the ministries and charism of the religious orders who have been a part of our personal and professional lives (the Franciscans, the Holy Names, the BVMs, the SNDdeNs). Our students created cards and wrote letters, which we will send to the communities this week. We thank and honor those who have committed their lives in service to our Church.

• We congratulate Ms. Tonya St. Julien, now Mrs. Ado who celebrated her nuptials this weekend! We are so happy for you. (See photos from the small but fun-filled shower the faculty and staff held for her.)

UPGRADING OUR HVA/C

Our HVA/C Committee has been hard at work, establishing the framework for a sustainable way to engage alumni and friends of St. Clare School. Thank you to Michael Adams for facilitating the work of the committee, to Amy Gibson for consolidating databases from previous administrations, to Ravisha Mathur, Vianey Nava, Hazel Alabado and Kathy Almazol for attending the meeting last week. If you have time and expertise to solicit grants, donations, or create content for the HVA/C and Alumni web pages and newsletters we are developing, please reach out to me (cecile.mantecon@dsj.org) or to Michael Adams (mjadams99nd@sbcglobal.net). This is a great way to fulfill your volunteer requirements at home!

In addition, if you have any contact information for possible funding sources able to support our $1.5 million project, kindly reach out to me.

RSVP: JOURNEYING THROUGH ST. CLARE | Saturday, Nov. 20 | 10A-Noon

We invite you and friends interested in supporting St. Clare School on a reimagined tour of the school. Sign up for a time slot to schedule your self-guided walkthrough: www.stclare.school. We hope to see you there!

OPPORTUNITIES FOR ENCOUNTER, ENGAGEMENT AND ACCOMPANIMENT

• You are invited to enter the names of loved ones in the memorial Book of the Dead throughout November. The names you enter in the form will be part of the book kept in the parish.

• Complete the survey previously posted on COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT. This is required of ALL families. Your tuition discount status may depend on the response we receive. Thank you to the 38 or our 200 families who have already responded.

• Morning Assembly at St. Clare -- You are invited to come join us each morning for morning assembly.

Always grateful for your partnership,

Mrs. Cecile Mantecon, Principal

Over the past 3 months we have been fed wonderful faculty luncheons. We'd like to thank 2nd, 8th and 5th grade for hosting the first 3 luncheons we a feel the love and thankful for all the hard work that went into these lunches. Thanks a bunch!

Until last year, most of us took clean air for granted. Then came Covid, a deepening drought worsening allergies, and a wildfire season lasting months. For over a century at St. Clare School, our classrooms were cooled by the South Bay breeze, but we learned this is no longer reliable. Last fall we scored some of the worst air quality in the world after the lightning storm caused hundreds of wildfires, so windows had to stay closed. Our central boiler which provides heat in the winter is also no longer reliable.

Our school is working to upgrade the heating system and add air-conditioning to maintain a steady climate and a clean learning environment inside the classroom. Beyond good health, several academic studies have found a link between clean air and academic performance. In the Covid era, we know that continually cleaning air and maximizing airflow is the most important way to reduce viral transmission, even more important than surface disinfection.

Please support our efforts to improve our school air quality for students and staff. In coming months there will be several opportunities to be a part of this effort, which will require considerable financial resources. We ask you to remember our students and staff in your prayers, participate to the best of your ability, and consider a sustaining gift that will pay dividends to our community for years to come. Thank you for your generosity.

If you can help spearhead this effort, contact Michael Adams who is coordinating the multifaceted efforts to bring HVAC upgrades to St. Clare.

Below, you will find the Calendar Grid for the school year. Some find this difficult to navigate, so I’ve created the Calendar Highlights document which I hope will make it a bit easier for you to consume.

Some changes since the end of the school year: we added September 20th as a NO SCHOOL DAY and our School Year will end a day earlier. The original calendar had us attending 183 days of school, knowing that we had three days over the required 180 days. We are keeping the 181 days in the event we have to close for an emergency due to poor air quality.

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

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

Nov. 19 | End of Trimester 1

Nov. 20 | Journey Through St. Clare 10 A.M. - 12:00 P.M.

Nov. 25-26 | Thanksgiving Break

Dec. 1 | Star Window 2 Begins

Dec. 7 | PTG Meeting 6:30 P.M.

Dec. 16 | Christmas Program | 6-7 P.M. via Zoom

Dec. 20 - Dec. 31st | Christmas Break

Photo by Ed Carlo Garcia www.edcarlogarcia.com

Forming hearts and minds since 1856.

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