St. Francis Principal s Newsletter August 2018 School Mass Wednesday, August 15 Holy Day of Obligation The Assumption 9:00 a.m. (8th Grade) Friday, August 24 9:00 a.m. (7th Grade) Welcome Back St. Francis WildCats! We pray that you are having a safe and restful summer vacation. As we are looking toward the upcoming 2018-2019 school year, this year we are focusing our efforts teaching nine core Gospel Values. We will focus on one Gospel Value each month to insure that our students understand the Gospel Value and how it can be applied to their daily behavior. In addition to our mission statement, Student Learning Expectations, The I Promise Prayer and, Gospel Values they will help to inform us and guide us in all that we do at St Francis of Assisi Catholic School. This is true for everyone at the school system teachers, students, parents, administrators, and staff. By following these Gospel Values, our students and staff will grow in faith and will learn to implement these values in everything they do both in school and out of school. These Gospel Values will become part of who we are and will stay with us throughout the rest of our lives, giving us guidance and strength through life s journey. These are the Gospel Values we will be teaching and applying this year in conjunction with the Student Learning Expectations (SLEs) in helping us to build confident leaders in service to others as well as beacons of hope for all. Thank you for using the same Gospel Values at home as well. Friday, August 31 9:00 a.m. (6th Grade) Don t forget your $0.25 for the collection. Rosary August 30, 2018 In Church - 2:30 pm (8th Grade leading) Sunday All School Mass Sunday, August 19 11:00 a.m. 8th Grade FREE DRESS Tuesday, August 21 For all students who attended August 19 Mass in Full Dress Uniform
Reminders First student day in PE uniform will be Tuesday, August 14, 2018 at 7:55 a.m. August - Community. Committing to building a welcoming, strong,and loving community. 2018 August calendar can be located in the Brown Envelope. For as in one body we have many parts, and all the parts do not have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ and individually parts of one another. (Romans 12:4-5 New American Bible) September - Servant Leadership. Leading and serving like Jesus. For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many. (Mark 10:45) October - Respect. Respecting the life and dignity of myself and each person in thought, word and action. Give honor to all, love the community, fear God, honor the king. (1 Peter 2:17) November - Gratitude. Being thankful for every gift and lesson I learn. Give thanks to the LORD for he is good, his mercy endures forever! (Psalm 107:1) December - Humility and Understanding. Seeking first to understand. Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show his works by a good life in the humility that comes from wisdom. (James 3:13) January - Wellness. Caring for and respecting the entire self body, mind, heart and soul. Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? (1 Corinthians 3:16) Please make sure that you and your children) have thoroughly read, understand and signed the Parent/Student Handbook Forms. They are due to the classroom teacher by Thursday, August 23, 2018. If they are not turned in on the due date students will serve a detention until turned in. Booster Club Event St. Francis Booster will be hosting a Welcome Back to School bowling night on Friday, August 17 from 6:30-8:30 at Inca Lanes. $15 per person or $60 for a team. Registration form located in Brown Envelope for more information please call Booster Club President, Cynthia
February - Patience and Perseverance: Valencia 928-261-5011 Having courage to push beyond my perceived limitations, the ability to keep fighting, and the strength to endure through the struggle. Not only that, but we even boast of our afflictions, knowing that affliction produces endurance, and endurance, proven character, and proven character, hope. (Romans 5:3-4) March - Diligence: Working with careful, and planned persistence. The plans of the diligent end in profit, but those of the hasty end in loss. (Proverbs 21:5) April - Integrity: Acting and speaking with honesty and sincerity. Do to others as you would have them do to you. (Luke 6:31) Box Tops Send in your BOX TOPS for Education labels! When you have collected 25 you are eligible to choose a prize from the Library Treasure Chest. REMINDER Our first Mass is a Holy Day of Obligation, The Assumption of Mary, please note that Mass is NOT on Friday, August 17, but on Wednesday, August 15 at 9:00 a.m. Full dress uniform is required on Mass Day. On Friday, August 17 students will wear their regular dress uniform. DAILY SCHEDULE WELCOME TO OUR ST. FRANCIS STAFF 2018-2019 7:55 - Morning Bell/ 8:00- Tardy Bell 9:45 - K-2 Recess 10:00-3-5 Recess We are blessed to have the following teachers commit to their vocation as a Catholic school teacher at St. Francis of Assisi School. God has blessed us with our returning and new teachers that will continue to support our school mission in helping us educate our students within the traditions of the Roman Catholic Faith and to help them grow in the image and likeness of God! 11:00-Prek-2 Lunch 11:40-3-5 Lunch 12:05-6-8 Lunch 3:15 Dismissal
Class Teacher Aide Pre-Kindergarten Erika Garcia Gina Giorsetto Kindergarten Victoria Gresham Becky Bonadonna First Grade Second Grade Ana Zazueta Sr. Hannah Johnecheck Third Grade Theresa Whitman Irene Frankart Fourth Grade Fifth Grade Sixth Grade Seventh Grade Eighth Grade Library PE/Computer Gina Cowell Margie Tanaka Nenita Diaz Arnel Sabado Jennifer Casanova Mary Slater Yesica Lopez Interventionist Viola Lopez Marcela Macias Grace Martin Catechism 6-8 Primary Coach Office Registrar, Administrative Assistant Scholarship Coordinator, Administrative Assistant Ms Charlotte Lueckerath Alena Ibarra Stella Ochoa Alma Lopez Sr. Mary Beth Lunches Parents are to provide a sack lunch for their children for the first week of school. A hot lunch order form will be available in the Brown Envelope August 6th and due to the office by Friday, August 17th. Order forms will be available during Orientation. Hot lunches will begin on Monday, August 20th and are served Monday - Thursday. Beginning August 27th families will be ordering and paying for lunches through their Parentsweb account. Homework Club Homework Club will begin on Tuesday, August 14, 2018. Please let your classroom teacher know if you will be consistently utilizing Homework Club. Secondly, if you need to use Homework Club occasionally, please call the office to let Mrs. Ochoa know that your child will be needing to go to homework club. Custodian Main Building Custodian Pre-K/K Support Staff Jose Valdez Victor Sanchez Maria de la Torre
ST. FRANCIS ORIENTATION DAY Please note in your calendar that St. Francis of Assisi s Orientation Day is schedule for Monday, August 13, 2018. On this particular day you and your child will stop by the school to meet the classroom teacher and drop off all of their school supplies (list can be found in the brown envelope). Your child does NOT need to be in school uniform. After dropping off your child s school supplies you will head over to the the parish hall where you will walk through a series of steps for finalization of your registration. Please remember that Home and School and Dads Club fees will need to be paid in full, $245 per family. Also, if your child will be playing a sport, sports fees will also need to be paid. Lastly, if you would like for your child to have a Booster Club snack card (snack sold on Tuesday and Thursdays after lunch) they will be sold for $10. Orientation Hours 7:30 am - 11:30 am and 12:30 pm - 4:30 pm. DIBEL TESTING Dynamic Indicator of Beginning Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) testing will be conducted beginning August 20-24 for grades kindergarten through sixth grade. The purpose of the benchmark Fall test is to identify students who need extra support in their reading skills and also support our benchmark readers using the Accelerated Reading (AR) Program. Once the testing is completed, your students will be placed in their reading skill specific group with either an interventionist, aide or teacher.
MAP TESTING St. Francis will be conducting Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) testing beginning Monday, August 27-31, 2018. The purpose of the benchmark Fall test is to help our teachers understand how to differentiate their instruction to support each student. It also helps us to determine and measure growth throughout the year. MAP testing is conducted via the computer in grades first through eighth grade in the Fall and Winter. Kindergarten will be assessed at the end of the year. Please help us by making sure that your child gets plenty of rest, eats a protein high breakfast, gets to school on time, isn t scheduled for doctor s visits that week, and does his/her best in order for us to get a solid test result. Test results for the fall benchmark will be shared with you during November parent teacher conferences. Prayer Testing for New Students As Catholics, we hold strong to our prayers that we have learned from childhood. They guide us closer to God in times of worship, praise, thanksgiving and when we are in most need. It is our intention, with the support from our parents, that we guide our students to understand and learn through memory our Church s prayers in order for them to use these prayers throughout their life. Your child will be asked to recite seventeen prayers (grades 3-8), twelve prayers (2nd grade), and ten prayers (K-1) that are used throughout our school year, in church, and in other religious celebrations. Your grade level teacher will be providing you the list of grade level prayers that will be tested throughout the school year. New students to St Francis will be tested on Wednesday, August 15-17, 2018. Please help your child by praying these prayers daily as a family!
DROP OFF AND PICK UP ROUTINE As we begin the new year, I am strongly requesting that ALL parents consistently and respectfully follow our drop off and pick up routines and to avoid creating creative ways to circumvent the process we have in place for the safety of your children. It also helps our staff to run the duties more smoothly and allows me not to police parents who are not following our school procedures and can use my mornings to pray with staff, meet with parents and complete my morning duties. With everyone following the procedures it protects are students from injury! A HUGE thank you to the many parents who follow and support our school wide procedures. 1. Drop off in the front is ONLY permitted if you are dropping off before 7:30. AFTER 7:30-7:55 1-8 grade students MUST be dropped off in the back south parking lot. 2. Only pre-kinder and kinder parents are allowed to drop off and pick up all their children at the west side gate. 3. If you are dropping off after 7:55 a.m. please park on the south side of 18th street and NEVER on the north side. We do not want any parent or student crossing 18th Street, due to safety reasons. 4. All parents are expected to pick-up their 1-8 grade students in the south back parking lot in the designated line A or B. We understand that there is a wait for your student to get into the car, but we are asking for your patience and understanding. Please be aware that my teachers are in the heat for at least 20 minutes in between hot cars, so the quicker we get the students in the better it is for everyone. 5. Only siblings of prekindergarten, kinder and athletes are allowed to be in the ramada area and are to be supervised by a parent or guardian. 6. In the event that a parent or guardian is not present by the time Homework Club begins, siblings of athletes will be signed into Homework Club. 7. Please avoid requesting your child to be picked up in the office earlier than dismissal. Our teachers are providing instruction until 3:15 Monday through Thursday. 8. Fridays are short days, teachers are providing instruction until 12:00. Please avoid calling in to have your child picked up in the front office. 9. ALWAYS remember that we only have the best interest of your children, our students at heart, and we appreciate your cooperation with our staff! Please help me and my teachers avoid having conversations with you in regards to not following the drop-off and
pick-up procedures that you agreed to when signing the Parent-Student Handbook.