Dear Nativity Catholic Parish and School,

New clothes. A new book. A newborn baby. New things offer limitless possibilities. New clothes offer a new look. A new book presents a new adventure. A new baby is a reminder of new hopes and dreams.

Each New Year brings forth similar new hopes and possibilities. This brand new year reminds us that it is possible to put our shortcomings and our failures behind us. We can and do have an opportunity to begin again – without judgement and without penalty.

A New Year reminds me a bit of how God treats us. He wants the best for us. And when we sin or fall short of loving Him as we should, he offers us the opportunity to begin anew. No questions asked.

I am fond of saying that God will judge us, not on how perfectly we got things. Rather, he will judge us on how often we sincerely and earnestly start over – that is, attempting to live as his children for the rest of our days.

This mid-year report offers a glimpse into what Nativity Catholic School has been about these past several months. It provides an opportunity to take stock in the good things happening in our school community – academically, spiritually, and through our outreach. But this time of year reminds us that what was not accomplished, what we have done that was less than admirable this past year can be put behind us. And once again we are given the chance to do even better in the future – in order to honor God and build up his Kingdom in our midst.

Yours in Christ, Fr. Tapp Pastor

MISSION STATEMENT

“Nativity Catholic School recognizes each student as a unique child of God and provides a learning environment that develops each student’s spiritual, intellectual, social, physical, and emotional gifts.”

Dear Nativity Catholic School Families,

There is a saying that goes: “GIVE a man a fish

and you feed him for a day; TEACH a man to

fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” This is

precisely why education is so important in our

lives and in the lives of your children. It is in

small steps that we will one day see the education

that took place reflected in your children in the

decisions that they make and the dreams they get

to accomplish.

We are blessed here at Nativity for such a high

quality Catholic education and for the quality of

the children that we have. It is my hope this

mid-year report will help you see the blessing

that our parish is and the dreams that we continue

to have for the future.

May God continue to journey with you in this

mystery called life.

Fr. Felipe Gonzalez

Parochial Vicar

Nativity Catholic School Mid-Year Report

Catholic Schools Week Edition 2016-2017

Sunday, January 29th MASS/OPEN HOUSE

10:30 a.m. ~ 1:00 p.m.

Catholic Schools Week Kick-off Mass at 10:30 a.m.

Open House following Mass from 11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

Donuts/Coffee in the Social Hall

Tour Nativity Catholic School/Register for the

2017-2018 school year (New families)

Meet members of the Administration, Faculty, and Staff

Enjoy Science Experiments/Make & Takes

Stop by our Book Fair in our school’s Innovation Lab

(Great books, great prices!)

Catholic Schools Week Events

Mon., 1/30: Grandparents’ Day—8:00 a.m.

Tues., 1/31: Parent Appreciation Day and the

Great American Teach In

Wed., 2/1: Our Nation and Community Day /

Bilingual School Mass—8:15 a.m.

Recognition of Distinguished Alumni and Decade Club

Thurs., 2/2: Faculty/Staff Appreciation Day—

School-Wide Prayer Partner Retreat

Fri., 2/3: Student Appreciation Day—

Faculty/Staff vs 8th Grade Volleyball Game—10:45 a.m.

Penny Challenge for our favorite charities!

“The educational mission of the Church is an integrated ministry

embracing three interlocking dimensions:

the message revealed by God (didache) which the Church proclaims;

fellowship in the life of the Holy Spirit (koinonia);

service to the Christian community and the entire human community (diakonia).” (To Teach as Jesus Did, 1972, para. 14)

Dear Family and Friends of Nativity Catholic School,

Happy Catholic Schools Week! This quote from the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, so eloquently depicts what the mission of Catholic education is all about. As we enter National Catholic Schools Week, we look forward to the many great experiences ahead, as we commit ourselves to being a community of Faith, Knowledge, and Service. We enter this new year filled with zeal, reenergized and excited to fan into flames the gifts God has given us.

Over the summer months and the first half of the school year, Nativity has been blessed in many ways. There have been countless improvements and successes all around campus, both inside and outside the classroom. The school implemented a new, more rigorous math curriculum; fully renovated the PreKindergarten building and renamed it the Fr. Arthur J. Proulx Pre-K Center; designed and opened an Innovation Lab for all grade levels; brought enriching after school programs to campus, such as Robotics and Odyssey of the Mind; and had one of the most successful Novemberfests to date! These are just a few of the many highlights of the year so far!

The successes of Nativity Catholic School are certainly a team effort. It is thanks to the time, talent, and treasure of all stakeholders that make the fulfillment of our mission possible. I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude for your trust and support in partnering with us to provide a quality Catholic education to the students entrusted to our care, and to help us further the mission of Catholic schools.

May God bless you always, and I sincerely thank you for being part of our Nativity family! Go Cougars!

Educationally yours,

Robert J. Yevich

Principal

It is with great pride that I write this column to update you all on the many programs, activities, and learning efforts that are taking place within our school. Teachers have implemented our new math curriculum with much success. We have ongoing exploration and continue to learn the ins and outs of Envision Math. The rigor and depth of understanding this curriculum provides will help our students have a better understanding of mathematics, transfer what they are learning to real world situations, and will prepare them for future courses and higher level math in years to come. Teachers will also be completing a book study that will support their unit plan writing. Teachers write unit plans to not only teach students basic skills, but they are designed so students are able to apply these skills and transfer them to real world situations. This book study will offer teachers more insight on how to provide students with a deeper understanding and transfer of knowledge when writing their unit plans.

We have successfully put into practice a Child First Team at Nativity Catholic School. This team provides direction and a team-based approach to help teachers meet the needs of all students. We will continue to develop and use this team to help teachers identify best teaching practices so all children will have the opportunity to reach their fullest potential at our school.

We started our year with three new programs: First Lego League Robotics, Odyssey of the Mind, and our Student Leadership Board. We currently have four Robotics teams, two primary, one intermediate, and one middle school team. Our middle school Robotics team has successfully competed in several competitions and recently won the Judges Choice Award, and will compete in a championship tournament in late January. We have two Odyssey of the Mind teams; both are working hard to be ready for the regional competition on February 18th. All of these programs provide our students with enrichment, critical thinking practices, and leadership opportunities beyond the classroom. We thank the teachers and parents who work hard to successfully oversee these activities.

As we look ahead, I am excited to begin the search for a new language arts curriculum. With the School Advisory Board’s Education Committee, as well as a committee of teachers, we will begin using student data to drive the adoption of a new language arts curriculum. In the next month, we will review different language arts programs with the goal of adopting a curriculum that will provide rigor to better challenge our students.

In conclusion, the many programs, activities, and learning efforts that are taking place at Nativity Catholic School show the importance and value of Catholic education. God is the center of all we do. It is through this idea that we will continue to work towards excellence and provide a learning environment where all children will grow to know God and live His Gospel.

Respectfully,

Abigail Rudderham Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment

Finance Mid-Year Report

Nativity Catholic Church and School maintain a system of internal accounting controls to provide reasonable assurances that

our assets are safeguarded and transactions are executed in accordance with Diocesan policies. We thank our dedicated staff

who achieved these accolades and made these major transitions seamless. As of December 2016, our high level of internal

controls continues, as we further develop plans for our financial future in the most efficient and effective manner.

-Robert Martin, Esq.—Director Finance and Operations

CATHOLIC IDENTITY Celebrating weekly Mass

Prayer Partners

Living Stations of the Cross

Student choir for liturgies

Class stewardship projects

Catholic Schools Week

Living Rosary

Burying the Alleluia

Staff and student retreats

Vocations retreat

Ongoing Reconciliation and Adoration

CURRICULUM New Innovation Lab

New school-wide math curriculum: Pearson Envision

Small group/differentiated instruction

Ongoing professional development for teachers

Expanding curriculum for Learning Support

Part-time, dedicated Enrichment teacher

Technology/Interactive Classes/BrainPOP Pre-K and Kindergarten Starfall Curriculum

iPads (10 per classroom)—Grades K-5 New Group Tables/Guided Reading Lectionaries for all grades (Teaching the Mass)

CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS

Intercom and fire alarm systems were upgraded

Booster Club donation of school office updates

Painting of the school corridors

Resurfacing of the gym floor

Complete renovation of Pre-K building, including adding five new bathrooms, three new air condition-ing units, and new floors

Completion of new roofing for the school

Roof repairs on Pre-K building

Completion of an Innovation Lab

Completion of a new conference room

Completion of Sunshade over the Pre-K playground

New vertical blinds for all three Kindergarten class-rooms

New carpet tiles in two 8th grade classrooms

Floor tile in 5A & 3B Classrooms

New student water fountains

New Pre-K playground equipment

Replaced all lighting with LED lighting in hallways

School Office electrical service was updated

Renovation of office workroom into a new office

Repairs of turf and equipment on the main playground

Long jump runway installed on field North wing, all new ceiling tiles

A/C replacements and repairs

DEVELOPMENT & COMMUNITY OUREACH Tuition Assistance donations were

received to match funds received through Diocese Catholic Foundation

Students raised money each month to local charities: Charity “N.U.T” Days

Monthly gifts for the homebound Novemberfest

Donated over 750 Christmas toys for Do-ver Elementary students

Donated approx. 700 math textbooks to St. Peter Claver Catholic School

Annual Golf Tournament

Ongoing development of Alumni Association

ACTIVITIES AND ATHLETICS Participated in all HCYSL sports: 1st place in boys

track; 2nd place in soccer; 3rd place in girls volleyball and girls basketball

Altar Servers

Green Team

Mind Lab

Karate Club

Bricks-4-Kids

Band

Art Club

Musical productions

Student Stretching and Breathing Class

Odyssey of the Mind

Robotics

Chess Club

ACHIEVEMENTS Completed Annual Report for Continued Accreditation

by the Florida Catholic Conference

Endowment Scholarship by the Knights of Columbus

A Few 2016 Highlights

TECHNOLOGY As we continue to grow our 1:1 program and add new cross-curricular software each year, we will continue to ensure that the school has the infrastructure to support emerging technology. Below are a few of our latest updates:

Fully 1:1 with Microsoft Surface tablets in Middle School

Pre-K redesign with technology, such as new cabling, projectors, and interactive white boards.

Innovation Lab set-up with technology, such as iPad Minis and an Apple TV

Purchased gaming server parts for Tech Club to build, create, learn, and play.

Added 6 additional Meraki Wireless Access Points and a Meraki Switch on campus.

Meraki Security Camera for Playground

Upgraded Tech Lab with SSD as needed

Deep Freeze Software installed for 40 Tech Lab computers.

Provided laptop and projector for resource room.

Replaced 2 classrooms with new Epson Projectors.