March 14 to 20 March 16 (Barb) Just wanted to let you know that someone got in my cupboard and stole several hundred suckers. I spoke with Diane and I am convinced the REP students were supervised the entire time and are not responsible for the loss. I have requested a file cabinet with a lock and key.
March 21 to 27
March 23 My vote is to use the WIKI. Blankets for Babies is ending one week early, this Friday, because we ran out of material. We had an awesome group of volunteers. Kathy and Karin, I would like to invite them to the Volunteer Luncheon. The 3/4 graders will show their blankets at morning prayer on Friday. Student Council is planning the talent show. We will have tryouts with the main criteria that the singers must know the words to the song. We had a suggestion to highlight everyone's talents. So for example during acts we can mention that Tryston is talented in hockey and that Lizzie is good at tennis. We will probably send out a questionaire. We are looking to have it on a Friday, late in May. The Passion Play is next Wednesday; we will have a dress rehearsal on Tuesday afternoon.
March 23 (Karin) Kathy and I will invite the blanket sewing volunteers to the event. May I help you with the talent show? Barb, you are one busy lady.Karin, I would love the help. Miriam and I sat down and made out job lists for jobs like coordinator, publicity, stage manager. There will be signups for older students.
(HB) I personally have always liked the Wiki. I have checked it most weeks and tried to contribute often until people stopped adding to it.
Nothing much to report on my end...the year is just flying by!!!
(Carole) Please make sure you have an updated newsletter on our web page. We have new families looking at our school and we want it to look like we keep things updated and current. Just send your newletter to Penny and she will post it on the web. Thanks.
(Carole) I went to the PTo meeting last week and some things were brought up that I thought you should be aware of. The parents are upset with the way our children are acting in the lunchroom and out on the playground. They are being disrespectful and not following the rules. I guess we need to remind our children that the handbook states that they are to remain in their seats until they have been dismissed to go. They shouldn't be throwing things around the lunchroom and they need to be respectful to the parent helpers. I told them that after spring break they will be going outside first to play and then eating their lunch which may help with the way they have been acting. They were also unhappy with the fact that the spirit store has so much candy and the kids can buy all they want. It used to be the rule that candy is only sold on Fridays and only one item per child. Maybe we should consider going back to that rule for the health of our students. We need to decide how we are going to work things after break. My suggestion is that they go out to play, come in around 11:55 , wash their hands and take their lunches down to the lunchroom and all students remain in the lunchroom until 12:15.The parents can help supervise the children washing up and getting their lunches. What does everyone think?
March 28 to April 3
3-28-10 Carole, the new schedule sounds good; let's give it a try! I have spoken to my students about respect and will continue to monitor their behavior. I am very concerned about these comments.
I have three blessings to share with all of you. First, one of the sewing ladies, Elaine, has a lot of art supplies and mentioned if we need anything to let her know. Next, another sewing lady is a master gardener. Carrie Smolen and her husband would like to implement a junior gardener program next year and work on our "habitat" area. Lastly, that young couple that goes to daily mass with their baby Elijah, would like to buy one dozen new catholic social studies text for the upper grades. They heard about it from EWTN/Catholic radio. It is a program that will eventually be available for all grades but for now is high school and middle school. We are checking it out! Many blessings to you this special week!
3-29-10 (KL)
Hi All,
Karin and I decided to do a volunteer thank you coffee. (I'll put an invitation in your mailbox to show you what went out.) April 29th after Thursday All School Mass at about 10:00 am Multi Purpose Room 2. All parents are invited along with a list of others who have helped out around the school. Please look over the list, if anyone is missing let me know right away. RSVP is due April 14th after spring break.
At this point, we have no plans to have students attend the coffee. It would be nice if your students could make a thank you card.
Your help is needed to provide the following items: Orange Juice, muffins, coffee cake, cut strawberries, bagels and cream cheese, & paper products. We'll also serve coffee. Fresh flowers would be nice if anything has appeared by then.
A thank you banner signed by the students is planned. More details later. Also, Karin and I planted a selection of herbs and flowers to be given to each volunteer as our thank you gift. Please keep our garden in your prayers.
Additional attendees: Lil Vroma, Mr. Olinger, Ed, Sharon, Father Mark, Debbie, Diane, Janet, Michelle, Wendy, Allison, Tim Wolffis, Dennis & Diane Brown, Carey Brown's parents, ( name needed) Kathy Walsh and Teddybear, Brian Hooker, Jamie Kuhlman, Mary Jo Vezino, Kenny Schoenborn, Pat Firlik, The 8 Sewing Ladies (Barb do we have addresses?). Anyone else?
Thanks everybody. Kathy & Karin Sounds great! I have a few names to add: Scott and Mike Springer (Springrove Variety), Curtis Cleaners employee, ( I will get the name). The office has the sewing ladies' addresses.
(Carole) Let me know what I can do to help.
(HB) I would be glad to help make something for the volunteer coffee, just let me know what you need and I will bring it to school that Wednesday. I would offer to help at the coffee but I now have a babysitting job that is Monday afternoons after I leave school and all day on Thursdays starting at 7am, thus am tied up on Thursdays.
Just a note for those who haven't heard, Ella in my class came to school yesterday (Monday, the 29th) with news that her baby brother was born on Friday, the 26th. His name is Gustaf (spelling?) Louis. He was 8lbs and 10oz and by his picture that I was shown, looks very cute.
I hope everyone has a blessed Easter and a wonderful Spring Break!!! Enjoy yourselves!
(sg) - Here are the notes from March 30th's SIP meeting:
The consensus is to work on respect/behavior concerns during the SIP meetings and work on grade level math strategies during the PLC meetings.
At the next PLC meeting (April 13) please come with the specific standards/benchmarks that students are having difficulty meeting as well as IOWA math scores broken down into areas of concern for each of your grade levels. It would be extremely helpfult to have a copy of the math curriculum for each of your grade levels as well.
At the next SIP meeting (May 4) we will need to come with specific ideas of how we would like the handbook to read for uniform options as well as what grade level shirts need to be tucked in. We can then present this to the Education Commission if we so choose.
Arrival - all students will remain bheind the brick seam. Teachers will pick up their students at 8am and walk them quietly to their classrooms
Mornign Prayer - teachers will wait until all students are ready and walk them down in a quiet line to Morning Prayer. Students will remain quiet while waiting for Morning Prayer to begin. Teachers will walk their students back to their classrooms in a quiet line beginning with the class closest to the office doors and ending with the class closest to the trophy/display case.
Mass - teachers will wait until all students are ready and walk them over to the Church in a quiet line. Teachers will walk their students back to their classrooms in a quiet line. Dismissal from Mass will beginn with the class closest to the piano and continue back and then with the class closest to the baptismal fount and continue back. (Please give your students a reminder before each Mass to make eye contact when shaking hands)
Specials - teachers will wait until all students are ready and walk them down in a quiet line to the special. Teachers will pick up students and walk back to class in a quiet line.
Dismissal - Pick up: Teachers will wait until all students are ready and walk out of the back doors as close to the bell ringing as possible. Teachers will walk around play area on sidewalk (no cutting through grass) and head to the designated line up area. Teacher will reamain with the line until all students are picked up. Should a teacher need to conference with a parent, please ask the parent to pull ahead of the pick up line and wait until your students have all been picked up. Conferencing in the middle of the pick up line causes other teachers to have to watch your class and other cars to have to pull around. This is not safe for the students. Students should not be dismissed to their cars until the cars are at least at the basketball net.
Bussers: Students will walk down to the front doors and line up for the busses. Students will remain in line until the bus comes.
Lunch - We've received in our mailboxes the assigned tables chart. Please be sure to go over this with your students upon return from Easter break.
Teachers will wait until all students are ready and walk out of the back doors as close to the bell ringing as possible. Lunch baskets will be left outside your locked classroom door. Middle schools students (5th-8th) will be dismissed at 11:55 and sent down to the bathrooms to wash for lunch. The supervising parent will wait by the recess doors and the secretary will supervise bathroom use and lunch basket pickup. Students will then head to the lunch room with the lunch parent. At 12:00 pm, K-4 will be dismissed and send down to the bathrooms following the same procedures as the middle school. Once the students have used the microwave and picked up their milk and utensils, they will remain seated. Students will raise their hand if they need to get up or if they would like a Spirit Store token. Parent volunteers will have the Spirit Store tokens and will hand one to each student who has indeed finished their lunch and would like to purchase from the Spirit Store. Students will be dismissed by table to purchase from the Spirit Store and turn their token in to the Spirit Store. Teachers will pick up their students from their table at 12:15 and check to make sure all students have thrown away thier trash and pushed in their chair. Teachers will walk their class back to the room in a quiet line.
If I have left anything out or misworded anything, please mark you changes/suggestions in a different color. Thank you!
Have a blessed Easter and a safe and relaxing break!
April 12 - 16
(sg) Karin - I am planning on doing the Mass next week for you
Barb - I am taking my students to see the CC Spring Play "Westside Story" . It's on April 21 and we'd have to leave right upon arrival at school and get back right at lunch. It's free. Are you interested in going with us? (Barb) I would love to take the students. I emailed Sean to make the reservation unless you want to do that.(sg) You're all set! We will leave this Wed at 8:20am and return around 12:15ish. We'll have lunch when we return. I'll have the permission slips to you today (Fri, April 16th).
Sean - Students are supposed to be raising their hand when they're finished eating. A volunteer parent is then supposed to verify they have finished and provide them with a token to purchase from the Spirit Store. I am told the students are not coming with tokens. The girls are simply going by their word as to whether or not they've eaten their lunch. How do you want to handle this?
(Sean) I have personally not seen any tokens. Do the girls have them? I thought Julie told me that she bought some for them. Do they have some sort of written guidelines yet? If not, I am willing to write them up. But I need to know the concrete facts, such as: What do the tokens look like? Where are they stored, and in what container are they stored? These specifics can be put down in a concise bullet formatted directions for adult supervsors and students to follow in getting a token to purchase candy (Step 1, Step 2, Step 3...). I will type them up, but I need to see what I am describing. Eventually, we should laminate the worked out bullet directions and paste it to the outside of the Spirit Store or inside the Spirit Store door. In that way, students can show the adults (who change from week to week), where to find the directions and what needs to happen before they get a token. (sg) yes, if you could type out exactly how you want it to run, that would be great. I'll send Kristy down with the basket of tokens so you can see. The original idea that Darcy Snarski and I came up with was to have the parents get a handful of tokens from the girls at the beginning of the lunch and give them to the students once it has been verified that they have eaten their lunch. The students would then turn the tokens back into the girls. The tokens are stored in the Spriit Store.
That is all for me this week.... have a great one!
(sd) I would like us to talk more in detail about proposed changes for guidelines for uniforms / or dress code at our next School Improvement Team meeting, when we next discuss behavior and discipline issues. I am open to a true uniform policy which uses one vendor (and not the current off the shelf "uniforms" provided by Meijer's, Kohl's, Target, and Education Outfitters, et al.), or I am open to maintaining our current policy which is not a true uniform policy, but rather a dress code (which we now have ). However, my experience tells me that for a true uniform policy to work, then it needs to be everyone. And when I mean everyone, I mean everyone - students and faculty included. Faculty would not have to wear the exact same thing as the students, but they would have to have their own uniform that they buy at the same vendor. I would support that and fight for that, if this is what our faculty wants. There are benefits to it. I have lived many years with uniforms before. I will fight for a true, one-vendor student uniform policy, as long as we are willing to agree to a true, one-vendor faculty uniform policy as well. - (Carole) I do not want to see a true uniform as you have described. I want the students to have less choices so that it does look uniform. I have worked in 4 catholic schools and this is the first one that has had so may choices. When I first started here it was white or light blue shirts, navy pants, white or navy sweaters, navy sweatshirt, and navy jumpers or skirts. I want to go back to fewer choices so that it does look uniform and neat. We don't need to swing to the extreme just simplify what we have and have everyone on the same page. Our handbook says white or navy sweaters and the one sweater we discussed last time is not white or navy so I don't see how it fits in with our uniform code. I like to keep things simple, easy and affordable. A standard uniform from a uniform company is way too expensive and is asking too much from our parents. I know because the school my children went to in Colorado did that and it was terribly expensive. Again, let's just work to keep things simple, easy and affordable. (Barb) I think we can achieve a better looking student body in uniform without having the faculty be included. My school experience in grades 1-12 included wearing a uniform from a specific company. My daughters had the same experience at St. Mary School. It was expensive to buy a jumper but they were of good quality and could be handed down. With so many of the girls wearing slacks, I don't think this route is necessary.I agree with Carole that if we limit the choices and styles then the parents could benefit from buying uniforms locally. I am assuming that it is easy to find the basics: blue golf shirt and navy pants, etc. Teachers, would you let me know if you see one of my students out of uniform? I am trying to abide by the policy and hold the student responsible.
(sd) If you have not registered your Teaching Touching Safety classes on the Virtus website, please do so soon. At last look (prior to Spring Break), only Carole had registered the completion of her first TTS class for this year. If you can't remember how to do it, see me. Thanks.
(HB) Just a little FYI..I was asking one of my preschool mom's today what her plans were for next year. She said she had hoped to enroll again for next year but was told by here mom and a couple of siblings that they had read we are closing next year. I informed we are NOT closing next year and wherever they read that information, its not correct. I know these rumors happen every year...well just wanted to you know they're back again this year!
(sg) Could all teachers please take another moment to explain to your students regarding the token system for the Spirit Store? Many students seem to think that finishing their lunch "earns" them a token and that the token has some sort of financial value to it. The token is simply "permission" to purchase from the Spirit Store and they receive this token once they have finished their lunch and raise their hand to have an adult verify that they have eaten. Thank you!! :)
(KL) Just a few notes about the upcoming Volunteer Appreciation Day. After Mass on Wednesday the 27th the students will come back to school eat their snack and go out to recess. Since all our parents will be at the coffee, teachers will need to go outside with their students. Carol suggested if we do it that way, there would be enough supervision on the playground to allow each teacher to take a turn going into the coffee to say hello and thank you to our guests. I realize there is very little structure to this plan, but I know we've done it in the past with success, so I think it can work again on that day.
The sign up for food is in the office. I've asked for muffins, coffee cake and bagels. Feel free to be creative and bring breads and sweet rolls. When you see parents, please encourage them to come to the coffee.
Thank you all for helping!!!
(HB) Did I miss something? Is the Volunteer Appreciation Day on Wednesday now? I thought it was Thursday of that week. Please clear this up so I can best plan! Thanks!!
(KL) WOW! So sorry about the mistake in my last communication. Volunteer Appreciation Day is Thursday April 29th. Heather - Thanks for the heads up!
April 19 - 23
(sg) 5th - 8th will be going to Aquinas tomorrow morning to see CC's dramatazation of West Side Story! Also, please congradulate Colleen Lally, Kierian Heffron, and Steven Salinas when you see them. All of 7th and 8th grade sent in essays for Michigan's Law Day Essay Contest and these three students received Honorable Mentions! Kudos to your winners! (Barb)
(HB) Just wanted to thank you all again for the Mass for my Grandma. It was a very nice Mass!
(sg) Some more great news! All 7th/8th grade students submitted letters to the Letters About Literature contest. There was one state winner, three finalists, and several semi-finalists for all of Michigan. Tryston was named one of the three finalists and received a $20 gift certificate to Schuler Books! Kristy, Colleen, Miriam, Sam, and Paige were named semi-finalists! Please congradulate them when you see them.Great job!! Way to go Suzi! (Barb)
( KL) I talked with Fire Chief Lou Kirkbridge the other day. He mentioned he wanted to come by the school and do some spring fire programs. Karin, Carole and I think Heather, have already contacted him for a Wednesday program sometime soon. If you want to contact him to come to your class, please call him at (cell# 485-5925). Thank you!
April 27
(Barb) Last week I spoke with Jenny Lastfogel and she told me they have a new addition to their family. They waited for 4 years to adopt a daughter from China. She is 6 years old. Jenny also reported that earlier this spring Andrea was observed by Christine Peplowski and was offered the kindergarten position at Sacred Heart. The 5/6 graders, as part of their curriculum, are supposed to praying the rosary every day during the months of October and May. Karin, if you want to send kids down, a grade, or even your whole class, they are welcome to join us whenever you want.
(HB) I will be able to attend Thursday's Volunteer Appreciation. The only thing is that I am bringing the little ones I babysit for with me, so will not be much helping being they are small. I figured if they get too antsy, will bring them into playgroup.
(KL) April 30th. Karin and I send our thanks to all of you for your response to Volunteer Appreciation Day. Because of you, it was special for all of us. You're the best!
(HB) Kathy and Karin, you did a wonderful job getting Volunteer Appreciation Day together, it was a great success! Thanks for all your hard work!
Planning Document
Draft for School Climate
Draft for Section 7 and Section 8
Hi St. Patrick Faculty!
March 14 to 20
March 16 (Barb) Just wanted to let you know that someone got in my cupboard and stole several hundred suckers. I spoke with Diane and I am convinced the REP students were supervised the entire time and are not responsible for the loss. I have requested a file cabinet with a lock and key.
March 21 to 27
March 23 My vote is to use the WIKI. Blankets for Babies is ending one week early, this Friday, because we ran out of material. We had an awesome group of volunteers. Kathy and Karin, I would like to invite them to the Volunteer Luncheon. The 3/4 graders will show their blankets at morning prayer on Friday. Student Council is planning the talent show. We will have tryouts with the main criteria that the singers must know the words to the song. We had a suggestion to highlight everyone's talents. So for example during acts we can mention that Tryston is talented in hockey and that Lizzie is good at tennis. We will probably send out a questionaire. We are looking to have it on a Friday, late in May. The Passion Play is next Wednesday; we will have a dress rehearsal on Tuesday afternoon.
March 23 (Karin) Kathy and I will invite the blanket sewing volunteers to the event. May I help you with the talent show? Barb, you are one busy lady.Karin, I would love the help. Miriam and I sat down and made out job lists for jobs like coordinator, publicity, stage manager. There will be signups for older students.
(HB) I personally have always liked the Wiki. I have checked it most weeks and tried to contribute often until people stopped adding to it.
Nothing much to report on my end...the year is just flying by!!!
(Carole) Please make sure you have an updated newsletter on our web page. We have new families looking at our school and we want it to look like we keep things updated and current. Just send your newletter to Penny and she will post it on the web. Thanks.
(Carole) I went to the PTo meeting last week and some things were brought up that I thought you should be aware of. The parents are upset with the way our children are acting in the lunchroom and out on the playground. They are being disrespectful and not following the rules. I guess we need to remind our children that the handbook states that they are to remain in their seats until they have been dismissed to go. They shouldn't be throwing things around the lunchroom and they need to be respectful to the parent helpers. I told them that after spring break they will be going outside first to play and then eating their lunch which may help with the way they have been acting. They were also unhappy with the fact that the spirit store has so much candy and the kids can buy all they want. It used to be the rule that candy is only sold on Fridays and only one item per child. Maybe we should consider going back to that rule for the health of our students. We need to decide how we are going to work things after break. My suggestion is that they go out to play, come in around 11:55 , wash their hands and take their lunches down to the lunchroom and all students remain in the lunchroom until 12:15.The parents can help supervise the children washing up and getting their lunches. What does everyone think?
March 28 to April 3
3-28-10 Carole, the new schedule sounds good; let's give it a try! I have spoken to my students about respect and will continue to monitor their behavior. I am very concerned about these comments.
I have three blessings to share with all of you. First, one of the sewing ladies, Elaine, has a lot of art supplies and mentioned if we need anything to let her know. Next, another sewing lady is a master gardener. Carrie Smolen and her husband would like to implement a junior gardener program next year and work on our "habitat" area. Lastly, that young couple that goes to daily mass with their baby Elijah, would like to buy one dozen new catholic social studies text for the upper grades. They heard about it from EWTN/Catholic radio. It is a program that will eventually be available for all grades but for now is high school and middle school. We are checking it out! Many blessings to you this special week!
3-29-10 (KL)
Hi All,
Karin and I decided to do a volunteer thank you coffee. (I'll put an invitation in your mailbox to show you what went out.) April 29th after Thursday All School Mass at about 10:00 am Multi Purpose Room 2. All parents are invited along with a list of others who have helped out around the school. Please look over the list, if anyone is missing let me know right away. RSVP is due April 14th after spring break.
At this point, we have no plans to have students attend the coffee. It would be nice if your students could make a thank you card.
Your help is needed to provide the following items: Orange Juice, muffins, coffee cake, cut strawberries, bagels and cream cheese, & paper products. We'll also serve coffee. Fresh flowers would be nice if anything has appeared by then.
A thank you banner signed by the students is planned. More details later. Also, Karin and I planted a selection of herbs and flowers to be given to each volunteer as our thank you gift. Please keep our garden in your prayers.
Additional attendees: Lil Vroma, Mr. Olinger, Ed, Sharon, Father Mark, Debbie, Diane, Janet, Michelle, Wendy, Allison, Tim Wolffis, Dennis & Diane Brown, Carey Brown's parents, ( name needed) Kathy Walsh and Teddybear, Brian Hooker, Jamie Kuhlman, Mary Jo Vezino, Kenny Schoenborn, Pat Firlik, The 8 Sewing Ladies (Barb do we have addresses?). Anyone else?
Thanks everybody. Kathy & Karin
Sounds great! I have a few names to add: Scott and Mike Springer (Springrove Variety), Curtis Cleaners employee, ( I will get the name). The office has the sewing ladies' addresses.
(Carole) Let me know what I can do to help.
(HB) I would be glad to help make something for the volunteer coffee, just let me know what you need and I will bring it to school that Wednesday. I would offer to help at the coffee but I now have a babysitting job that is Monday afternoons after I leave school and all day on Thursdays starting at 7am, thus am tied up on Thursdays.
Just a note for those who haven't heard, Ella in my class came to school yesterday (Monday, the 29th) with news that her baby brother was born on Friday, the 26th. His name is Gustaf (spelling?) Louis. He was 8lbs and 10oz and by his picture that I was shown, looks very cute.
I hope everyone has a blessed Easter and a wonderful Spring Break!!! Enjoy yourselves!
(sg) - Here are the notes from March 30th's SIP meeting:
The consensus is to work on respect/behavior concerns during the SIP meetings and work on grade level math strategies during the PLC meetings.
At the next PLC meeting (April 13) please come with the specific standards/benchmarks that students are having difficulty meeting as well as IOWA math scores broken down into areas of concern for each of your grade levels. It would be extremely helpfult to have a copy of the math curriculum for each of your grade levels as well.
At the next SIP meeting (May 4) we will need to come with specific ideas of how we would like the handbook to read for uniform options as well as what grade level shirts need to be tucked in. We can then present this to the Education Commission if we so choose.
Arrival - all students will remain bheind the brick seam. Teachers will pick up their students at 8am and walk them quietly to their classrooms
Mornign Prayer - teachers will wait until all students are ready and walk them down in a quiet line to Morning Prayer. Students will remain quiet while waiting for Morning Prayer to begin. Teachers will walk their students back to their classrooms in a quiet line beginning with the class closest to the office doors and ending with the class closest to the trophy/display case.
Mass - teachers will wait until all students are ready and walk them over to the Church in a quiet line. Teachers will walk their students back to their classrooms in a quiet line. Dismissal from Mass will beginn with the class closest to the piano and continue back and then with the class closest to the baptismal fount and continue back. (Please give your students a reminder before each Mass to make eye contact when shaking hands)
Specials - teachers will wait until all students are ready and walk them down in a quiet line to the special. Teachers will pick up students and walk back to class in a quiet line.
Dismissal - Pick up: Teachers will wait until all students are ready and walk out of the back doors as close to the bell ringing as possible. Teachers will walk around play area on sidewalk (no cutting through grass) and head to the designated line up area. Teacher will reamain with the line until all students are picked up. Should a teacher need to conference with a parent, please ask the parent to pull ahead of the pick up line and wait until your students have all been picked up. Conferencing in the middle of the pick up line causes other teachers to have to watch your class and other cars to have to pull around. This is not safe for the students. Students should not be dismissed to their cars until the cars are at least at the basketball net.
Bussers: Students will walk down to the front doors and line up for the busses. Students will remain in line until the bus comes.
Lunch - We've received in our mailboxes the assigned tables chart. Please be sure to go over this with your students upon return from Easter break.
Teachers will wait until all students are ready and walk out of the back doors as close to the bell ringing as possible. Lunch baskets will be left outside your locked classroom door. Middle schools students (5th-8th) will be dismissed at 11:55 and sent down to the bathrooms to wash for lunch. The supervising parent will wait by the recess doors and the secretary will supervise bathroom use and lunch basket pickup. Students will then head to the lunch room with the lunch parent. At 12:00 pm, K-4 will be dismissed and send down to the bathrooms following the same procedures as the middle school. Once the students have used the microwave and picked up their milk and utensils, they will remain seated. Students will raise their hand if they need to get up or if they would like a Spirit Store token. Parent volunteers will have the Spirit Store tokens and will hand one to each student who has indeed finished their lunch and would like to purchase from the Spirit Store. Students will be dismissed by table to purchase from the Spirit Store and turn their token in to the Spirit Store. Teachers will pick up their students from their table at 12:15 and check to make sure all students have thrown away thier trash and pushed in their chair. Teachers will walk their class back to the room in a quiet line.
If I have left anything out or misworded anything, please mark you changes/suggestions in a different color. Thank you!
Have a blessed Easter and a safe and relaxing break!
April 12 - 16
(sg) Karin - I am planning on doing the Mass next week for you
Barb - I am taking my students to see the CC Spring Play "Westside Story" . It's on April 21 and we'd have to leave right upon arrival at school and get back right at lunch. It's free. Are you interested in going with us? (Barb) I would love to take the students. I emailed Sean to make the reservation unless you want to do that. (sg) You're all set! We will leave this Wed at 8:20am and return around 12:15ish. We'll have lunch when we return. I'll have the permission slips to you today (Fri, April 16th).
Sean - Students are supposed to be raising their hand when they're finished eating. A volunteer parent is then supposed to verify they have finished and provide them with a token to purchase from the Spirit Store. I am told the students are not coming with tokens. The girls are simply going by their word as to whether or not they've eaten their lunch. How do you want to handle this?
(Sean) I have personally not seen any tokens. Do the girls have them? I thought Julie told me that she bought some for them. Do they have some sort of written guidelines yet? If not, I am willing to write them up. But I need to know the concrete facts, such as: What do the tokens look like? Where are they stored, and in what container are they stored? These specifics can be put down in a concise bullet formatted directions for adult supervsors and students to follow in getting a token to purchase candy (Step 1, Step 2, Step 3...). I will type them up, but I need to see what I am describing. Eventually, we should laminate the worked out bullet directions and paste it to the outside of the Spirit Store or inside the Spirit Store door. In that way, students can show the adults (who change from week to week), where to find the directions and what needs to happen before they get a token.
(sg) yes, if you could type out exactly how you want it to run, that would be great. I'll send Kristy down with the basket of tokens so you can see. The original idea that Darcy Snarski and I came up with was to have the parents get a handful of tokens from the girls at the beginning of the lunch and give them to the students once it has been verified that they have eaten their lunch. The students would then turn the tokens back into the girls. The tokens are stored in the Spriit Store.
That is all for me this week.... have a great one!
(sd) I would like us to talk more in detail about proposed changes for guidelines for uniforms / or dress code at our next School Improvement Team meeting, when we next discuss behavior and discipline issues. I am open to a true uniform policy which uses one vendor (and not the current off the shelf "uniforms" provided by Meijer's, Kohl's, Target, and Education Outfitters, et al.), or I am open to maintaining our current policy which is not a true uniform policy, but rather a dress code (which we now have ). However, my experience tells me that for a true uniform policy to work, then it needs to be everyone. And when I mean everyone, I mean everyone - students and faculty included. Faculty would not have to wear the exact same thing as the students, but they would have to have their own uniform that they buy at the same vendor. I would support that and fight for that, if this is what our faculty wants. There are benefits to it. I have lived many years with uniforms before. I will fight for a true, one-vendor student uniform policy, as long as we are willing to agree to a true, one-vendor faculty uniform policy as well. - (Carole) I do not want to see a true uniform as you have described. I want the students to have less choices so that it does look uniform. I have worked in 4 catholic schools and this is the first one that has had so may choices. When I first started here it was white or light blue shirts, navy pants, white or navy sweaters, navy sweatshirt, and navy jumpers or skirts. I want to go back to fewer choices so that it does look uniform and neat. We don't need to swing to the extreme just simplify what we have and have everyone on the same page. Our handbook says white or navy sweaters and the one sweater we discussed last time is not white or navy so I don't see how it fits in with our uniform code. I like to keep things simple, easy and affordable. A standard uniform from a uniform company is way too expensive and is asking too much from our parents. I know because the school my children went to in Colorado did that and it was terribly expensive. Again, let's just work to keep things simple, easy and affordable.
(Barb) I think we can achieve a better looking student body in uniform without having the faculty be included. My school experience in grades 1-12 included wearing a uniform from a specific company. My daughters had the same experience at St. Mary School. It was expensive to buy a jumper but they were of good quality and could be handed down. With so many of the girls wearing slacks, I don't think this route is necessary.I agree with Carole that if we limit the choices and styles then the parents could benefit from buying uniforms locally. I am assuming that it is easy to find the basics: blue golf shirt and navy pants, etc. Teachers, would you let me know if you see one of my students out of uniform? I am trying to abide by the policy and hold the student responsible.
(sd) If you have not registered your Teaching Touching Safety classes on the Virtus website, please do so soon. At last look (prior to Spring Break), only Carole had registered the completion of her first TTS class for this year. If you can't remember how to do it, see me. Thanks.
(HB) Just a little FYI..I was asking one of my preschool mom's today what her plans were for next year. She said she had hoped to enroll again for next year but was told by here mom and a couple of siblings that they had read we are closing next year. I informed we are NOT closing next year and wherever they read that information, its not correct. I know these rumors happen every year...well just wanted to you know they're back again this year!
(sg) Could all teachers please take another moment to explain to your students regarding the token system for the Spirit Store? Many students seem to think that finishing their lunch "earns" them a token and that the token has some sort of financial value to it. The token is simply "permission" to purchase from the Spirit Store and they receive this token once they have finished their lunch and raise their hand to have an adult verify that they have eaten. Thank you!! :)
(KL) Just a few notes about the upcoming Volunteer Appreciation Day. After Mass on Wednesday the 27th the students will come back to school eat their snack and go out to recess. Since all our parents will be at the coffee, teachers will need to go outside with their students. Carol suggested if we do it that way, there would be enough supervision on the playground to allow each teacher to take a turn going into the coffee to say hello and thank you to our guests. I realize there is very little structure to this plan, but I know we've done it in the past with success, so I think it can work again on that day.
The sign up for food is in the office. I've asked for muffins, coffee cake and bagels. Feel free to be creative and bring breads and sweet rolls. When you see parents, please encourage them to come to the coffee.
Thank you all for helping!!!
(HB) Did I miss something? Is the Volunteer Appreciation Day on Wednesday now? I thought it was Thursday of that week. Please clear this up so I can best plan! Thanks!!
(KL) WOW! So sorry about the mistake in my last communication. Volunteer Appreciation Day is Thursday April 29th. Heather - Thanks for the heads up!
April 19 - 23
(sg) 5th - 8th will be going to Aquinas tomorrow morning to see CC's dramatazation of West Side Story! Also, please congradulate Colleen Lally, Kierian Heffron, and Steven Salinas when you see them. All of 7th and 8th grade sent in essays for Michigan's Law Day Essay Contest and these three students received Honorable Mentions! Kudos to your winners! (Barb)
(HB) Just wanted to thank you all again for the Mass for my Grandma. It was a very nice Mass!
(sg) Some more great news! All 7th/8th grade students submitted letters to the Letters About Literature contest. There was one state winner, three finalists, and several semi-finalists for all of Michigan. Tryston was named one of the three finalists and received a $20 gift certificate to Schuler Books! Kristy, Colleen, Miriam, Sam, and Paige were named semi-finalists! Please congradulate them when you see them.Great job!! Way to go Suzi! (Barb)
( KL) I talked with Fire Chief Lou Kirkbridge the other day. He mentioned he wanted to come by the school and do some spring fire programs. Karin, Carole and I think Heather, have already contacted him for a Wednesday program sometime soon. If you want to contact him to come to your class, please call him at (cell# 485-5925). Thank you!
April 27
(Barb) Last week I spoke with Jenny Lastfogel and she told me they have a new addition to their family. They waited for 4 years to adopt a daughter from China. She is 6 years old. Jenny also reported that earlier this spring Andrea was observed by Christine Peplowski and was offered the kindergarten position at Sacred Heart. The 5/6 graders, as part of their curriculum, are supposed to praying the rosary every day during the months of October and May. Karin, if you want to send kids down, a grade, or even your whole class, they are welcome to join us whenever you want.
(HB) I will be able to attend Thursday's Volunteer Appreciation. The only thing is that I am bringing the little ones I babysit for with me, so will not be much helping being they are small. I figured if they get too antsy, will bring them into playgroup.
(KL) April 30th. Karin and I send our thanks to all of you for your response to Volunteer Appreciation Day. Because of you, it was special for all of us. You're the best!
(HB) Kathy and Karin, you did a wonderful job getting Volunteer Appreciation Day together, it was a great success! Thanks for all your hard work!