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 want to begin by thanking Margarita Guizar and the Golf Tournament Committee for mounting an effort to jump start our HVAC campaign this very early in the school year. I’m sure that Margarita and her team will have numbers for us soon. I will also leave it up to her to communicate the names of people who were instrumental in making the event a success, especially for an inaugural event.

I heard there were 112 or so golfers at Boulder Ridge today! It was a beautiful day and a beautiful venue. Some of our little ones joined their parents and were able to enjoy the course as well. Msgr. Fran came for lunch and took part in the silent auction. We were also happy to welcome Fr. Francisco and Fr. Francis from St. Catherine Parish. They were sponsored by parishioner Tom Bommarito. Thank you to all of you who invited friends, neighbors and relatives to help support our school. There’s even talk of starting a St. Clare junior golf club!

We truly have missed these community events that remind us how connected we are. I am hopeful that sometime this year, we will be able to gather at school for our Multicultural Night and Jog-a-Thon!

Thank you, PTG, Margarita and the Golf Tournament Committee. I am grateful for your efforts!

PARENT-TEACHER-STUDENT CONFERENCES | October 5-7, starting at 1:30 P.M.

Sometime this week, expect a post from your homeroom teachers with time slots to sign up for Conferences. Conferences will be on Zoom again this year. Students in grades 5-8 will lead their conferences. Each conference meeting time will last 20 minutes. If additional time is needed, please schedule a separate meeting with your teacher. Middle school students will meet with their homeroom teachers first. If there are available slots for other teachers, these time slots will be released after all homeroom students have scheduled time with their teacher. Conferences will begin at 1:30 P.M. The intention is that all conferences are over by 6:30 P.M. Conference scheduling will end on Sept. 29, so sign up quickly once they open up.

Because of conferences, school dismissal from October 5-8 will be at 12:30 P.M. CKZ will be available.

INTRAMURAL SPORTS BEGINS SEPT. 29!

Please consult the post from Ms. Valerye if you plan to sign your child up for intramural sports (for grades 5-8). If you can coach, please email valerye.moore@dsj.org. More details can be found in the post.

THE ST. CLARE SCHOOL SILVERBOX CHOIR PERFORMS THIS WEEKEND

Mr. Joey and the choir have been practicing for their first public performance this weekend at the Bishop Circle’s BBQ. They have been preparing a medley of songs to entertain the guests at this event which will be held in our Rectory Garden. We are proud to be represented by our talented choir. Thank you, Mr. Joey for preparing them well.

SAVE THE DATE AND REMINDERS

• OMG Tea St. Clare Community/PTG Fundraiser until Sept. 30

• Wednesdays are ALWAYS 12:30 dismissal days

• Drop off supervision begins at 7:45 and ends at 7:55. Gates are locked by 8 A.M.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR ENCOUNTER

• Look out for a post from the Mission and Catholic Identity Committee on supporting Farmworker Caravan as we remember Migrants during this week.

• Even if volunteer opportunities have been filled for yard duty, if you are able to join us, kindly email Ms. McKinnon (teresea.mckinnon@dsj.org or stclare-office@dsj.org). We could always use your help.

• Remember to log your hours in ParentSquare under PARTICIPATE>Volunteer Hours.

• You can check your progress towards completing your volunteer requirement of 30 hours per family (15 hours for single parent households).

• On Sunday, Sept. 26, we will need volunteers to set up and take down tables and chairs for the Bishop’s Circle Reception. Student/alumni servers may be needed. We will post volunteer opportunities on ParentSquare. Please reach out to stclare-office@dsj.org if you are interested.

• Students in grades 6-8 can earn service hours for this

• The St. Clare Silver Box Choir will be performing at this event

• Sept. 23 - A Cup with the Principal, 6-7 P.M. All School Zoom. Invitation to Come.

Here are some resources you might find useful:

ON THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF HOMEWORK

https://www.edutopia.org/article/whats-right-amount-homework

ON THE PARENT-TEACHER PARTNERSHIP

​​https://www.pbs.org/parents/thrive/the-parent-teacher-partnership

ON THE IMPORTANCE OF READING TO YOUR CHILDREN

https://www.all4kids.org/news/blog/the-importance-of-reading-to-your-children/

As we celebrate the International Day of Peace on Sept. 21, I hope we will find ways to bring about peace within ourselves, within our community so that we are better able to help bring about peace in other parts of our country and our world.

Peace and all good things,

Mrs. Cecile Mantecon, Principal

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.

TK and Kindergarteners explore science with magnifying glasses, learn about concentric circles in art, and discover time with their new visual timer!

The Tran family trying to beat Mrs. Mantecon's 2-shot putt, a group finishing hole #9 , fifth graders discovering their shadows in science.

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

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