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From the Principal’s Desk St. Gregory the Great School Families: My hope and prayer is that this correspondence finds your families well during the hot summer days. I wanted to make sure I reached out to all of you before school begins again! Many exciting things are happening at school. We are blessed to have a positive enrollment. It means that you share in the vision of an excellent quality Catholic Education for your child. As we begin our new year implementing the Common Core Standards; it will be our hope to have all students rise to the challenging and rigorous curriculum that has been prepared for them. Over the last three years we have been working hard to fulfill and honor the vision and philosophy that is deeply rooted in the tradition of St. Gregory the Great. A few months ago I shared with new families at a meeting our vision and educational purpose. I want to begin the year reminding you of the rich tradition we hold onto in keeping our school a safe, Christian and academically challenging environment infused with the Gospel values of our Catholic faith. I look forward to seeing many of you on REGISTRATION DAY (August 8th). Blessings, Ms. Clagon

August 2013 monday tuesday wednesday thursday friday

5 OFFICE CLOSED

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   8  REGISTRATION  DAY  2-­‐6  P.M.  UNIFORM  DAY  IN  THE  HALL  

9 OFFICE

CLOSED

12 Office Closed

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14 Office Closed

15 First Day of School K-8th early dismissal (Daycare)

16 12:30 p.m. dismissal (Daycare)

19 K-8th Full day

20 TK MEET & GREET

21 22 23 12:30 p.m. dismissal (Daycare)

26 TK 1st day Of school

27 28 SCHOOL ID PICTURES

29 30 12:30 p.m. dismissal (Daycare)

ST. GREGORY THE GREAT SCHOOL

JULY 2013 NEWSLETTER

 

 

 

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The  three  purposes  of  education  at  St.  Gregory  the  Great  School  

1.    Learning  for  today.  We  believe  and  expect  our  students  to  learn  each  day.  Every  teacher’s  daily  objective   is   to  make  sure   this  happens.   It   is   imperative  when  students   leave  class   they  must  take  something   with   them.   They   need   to   understand   the   purpose   and   the   value   of   what   they   are  learning.  

2.     Learning   for   tomorrow:    We   strive   to  build   on  what  students   already   know  and   lead   into   the  next   lesson.     Therefore,   our   education   here   at   St.   Gregory   is   futuristic:     one   lesson   leading   to  another.    From  day  to  day,  semester  to  semester,  year  to  year,  the  link  is  to  teach  for  tomorrow  in  order  to  prepare  students  to  utilize  a  skill,  solve  a  problem,  pass  a  test,  take  the  next  course,  enter  college,  or   get   a   job.    When   students  see  progress  and   feel   growth   in   their  ability   to   engage  and  influence  the  world  around  them  then  we  have  effectively  conveyed  this  educational  purpose.  

3.     Enrich   Life:    We  want   to   enrich   life   for   the  whole   student.     This   is   the  purpose   that   keeps  us  aligned  with  the  Latin  Root  of  the  word  education,  which  means  to  nourish.    If  we  think  about  the  scope   of   the  meaning   of   the  word,   “to   nourish”   there   is   hardly   anything   left   unsaid.    When  we  nourish  students,  we  promote  learning  and  growing  on  a  wide  front  that  will  enrich  their  lives.  

 

 

Catholic Identity Progress Report

St. Gregory the Great School continues to actively seek and involve students, staff and parents in a Catholic faith in a number of ways. We continue a long standing tradition of celebrating weekly Eucharist as entire community. We impress upon the students the importance of being active faith filled Catholics. Our efforts continue to strive toward strengthening the relationships between home, school, and church to support our goal of faith. It is our goal to provide an educational environment at St. Gregory the Great that is distinctly Catholic and Christ-centered. Our School wide Learning Expectations of Faith-filled Catholics, Citizenship, Academics, Communicators, and care of self demonstrate the school’s mission to educate the whole child, spiritually, intellectually and socially. The pastor ,leadership and staff of St. Gregory the Great show dedication to Catholic life through their interactions within the community, their active participation in the school and parish communities, and their continuing focus on deepening of their own faith.

As a faculty and staff we are investigating service-learning programs that will involve the entire school. We have been able to connect with a Catholic School in Uganda in collecting school materials for the children; however, we want to implement a program where the children can connect the Catholic teachings of Social Justice. At the beginning of the school year (2012), the faculty developed a survey for parents to illicit the responses in helping to improve Catholic Identity. The response was not as great as we expected, but we used the data that we gathered to gain an understanding of what frame of mind our parents were in with regards to the religion program, here at St. Gregory the Great.

Through the formal religion classes students are given the necessary tools to help in the formation of their personal faith. Periodic visits from the priest and recognizing parish staff, students are encouraged to participate in parish life. Personal prayer life is strongly encouraged through classroom instruction, practice of prayer expressions and memorized prayer. These valuable experiences deepen the students’ understanding of the life of being a faith-filled Catholic. Teachers also encourage the students to follow the example of Jesus, in light of the Gospel.

Our children are witnessing the value of their ministry through music. Under the direction of our music teacher our children’s choir has had a positive impact on the wider church community. The altar servers are trained regularly throughout the school year. This gives the students an opportunity to improve their skills and invite new students into the ministry. Our students are involved in the preparation of Mass through their daily Religion Classes. We come together as school families to model for our younger students the participation in the Liturgy. As a school we continue to make the Angelus part of our daily prayer experience. Morning Prayer is lead by the Student Council and leadership each morning. There are many opportunities for prayer throughout the day. In the school year we were able to give the gift of retreat to the 7th and 8th graders, to help them grow with each other as family members in Christ.

Our pastor continues to encourage our parents to bring their families to Mass every Sunday. Since the addition of “Little Church”, more of our younger families have become involved in the church. Our parents have assumed leadership as Sunday School Teachers during Liturgy of the Word at Sunday Masses. In analyzing our surveys, parents indicated a need to have more formation classes. There are plans to discuss with the pastor how we might incorporate this at General Parent Meetings. As we reinforce the role of the parent as primary educator, it is our endeavor to offer ways to increase their spiritual formation and deepen their relationship with Christ. As partners we stress the importance of modeling a life in Christ through service. The Mass attendance has increased because of this. We continue to celebrate Family Masses once a month each Sunday. Our school choir has been a welcomed addition to the parish.

The role of Religion Coordinator has become more involved in the parish. The teacher/Religion Coordinator is the liaison between the parish ministries and the school. The communication has improved, since she is part of the liturgy committee meetings in the parish. This has improved not only communication but liturgy planning as well. This year we have four (4) teachers fully certified as catechist. All teachers have attended Congress Workshops, Regional Congress and Archdiocesan sponsored workshops as ongoing formation to meet requirements for certification.

 

Goals:  •      The  Clergy,  Staff  and  teachers  explore  ways  to  illicit                      meaningful  responses  from  students  during  liturgical                services  •      Formal  Spiritual  Formation  Program  for  Parents  •      Establish  a  Christian  Service  Program  for  students  

Elementary  Grading  Guidelines  (3-­‐8)  Guidelines  for  Final  Semester/Quarter  Grades  

 Academic  grades  should  reflect  a  student’s  mastery  of  Archdiocesan  Approved,  State  Common  Core  Standards  or  National  Content  Standards.  Standards-­‐based  formative  and  summative  assessments  determine  a  student’s  level  of  mastery.  The  levels  of  performance,  below,  taken  from  the  California  State  Standards,  are  presented  with  a  short  descriptor  and  the  corresponding  grade  (A-­‐F):    A  -­‐  Advanced:  student  demonstrates  an  in-­‐depth  understanding  of  standards  and  is  able  to  broadly  apply  the  knowledge  and  skills  of  standards.  

B  -­‐  Proficient:  student  demonstrates  a  complete  understanding  of  the  standards  and  has  some  ability  to  apply  the  knowledge  and  skills  of  standards.  

C  -­‐  Basic:  student  demonstrates  a  functional  understanding  of  the  knowledge  and  skills  of  the  standards.  

D  -­‐  Below  Basic:  student  demonstrates  a  limited  understanding  of  the  knowledge  and  skills  of  the  standards.  

F  -­‐  Far  Below  Basic:  student  demonstrates  a  lack  of  understanding  of  the  knowledge  and  skills  of  the  standards.  

Accomplishments:

• More defined role and communication of the Religion Coordinator

• Improved Family Mass with children’s Choir

• On-going Religion Catechist formation for teachers

• 7th and 8th Grade combination retreat

• Regular Altar serving Training

FAQ’S Q: What is the definition of ACTIVE CATHOLIC PARISHIONER in St. Gregory the Great Parish?

The definition of “ACTIVE CATHOLIC PARISHIONER” in St. Gregory the Great Parish related to the above policy includes: • Parent(s) is a Baptized Catholic: Child(ren) has been baptized Catholic and participates

in Faith Formation (attendance of CCD or religious education); • Parent(s) is registered in St. Gregory the Great Parish (for at least a full year prior to

applying to enter St. Gregory the Great School unless just moved from another area where family was registered/active in a different Catholic parish);

• Parent(s) is a participating, active parish member (events, liturgies, etc.) • Parent(s) provides regular (weekly) financial support to the parish through use of the

parish envelope. • An active parishioner is a registered member of the faith community whom stewardship

is a way of life, (i.e. one who shares his or her time, talents and treasures with the parish family. Evidence of desire for spiritual growth and practice of the faith is evidenced by the Pastoral Agreement.

Q: Is the school accredited? • St. Gregory the Great School has undergone evaluation by the Western Association of

Schools and Colleges (WASC) AND WCEA has been granted full accreditation through the year 2018.

Q: Is extended care available?

• Yes, there is before school care at 6:15 a.m. and afterschool care ending at 6:15 p.m. Q: Are there any after school activities?

• We offer drama club, study hall, sports ,cheerleading ,decathlon, student council Q: Can parents visit the classrooms?

• Parents wishing to observe their child in the classroom environment while school is in session need to first make arrangements with the teacher.

Q: What options does St. Gregory the Great School offer students for lunch?

• Students may either bring their lunch to school or take advantage of hot lunch program provided by El Camino(price $4.25 per day).

 

“Friend Raiser”(OPTIONAL)

We are Human Nature and we provide a Catholic Friend-Raising campaign called "little hands BIG DIFFERENCE". We are "products" of Catholic School education and we want to partner with you and support you by providing the opportunity to generate funds for St. Gregory the Great Catholic School. We also want to give you and your students, the means to help the poor in 3rd World countries have a sustainable way of life. By participating in this Friend-Raising campaign you are immediately helping your community, helping the environment, and helping our brothers and sisters around the world. Please continue reading for more information, but know we will be following up with a phone call in the upcoming weeks. If you are excited about what you read, don't hesitate to call us before then.

"The Glory of God is a human being who is fully alive."

- Saint Irenaeus

When you were a young student in elementary school, what made you feel "alive"? Maybe you remember the day of the pep-rally for the "chocolate bar fundraiser" and that moment when your name is called and you are given your boxes of chocolate to sell? Sweet excitement. And then of course, the end result, if one accomplished "the goal", the fun local Theme Park!

We all have memories of fundraising in elementary school. We as, "little hands BIG DIFFERENCE", want to do more than just create memories. We want to help change lives. Imagine the end result of what your school and your students can do with something different, life-changing, and good for ALL involved!

We want to help your students become fully alive as they help others to do the same. We have changed fundraising into Friend-Raising! We are called to "Love our Neighbor" (Luke 10:27, Mark 12:31). We know as Christians, this extends far beyond the boundaries of our neighborhood, city, and country. We look to St. Therese of Lisieux, the Little Flower, who had a desire to do great things, yet was bound to a small, humble convent. Though she never ventured very far, the Church has given her the honor of being Patroness of Missionaries. She shows us that YES, we can make a difference in the lives of our brothers and sisters whom we may never meet here on this earth. YES, this human desire to do good is attainable and possible. YES, we can radiate the Glory of God in our very own lives. YES, with our little hands, we can make a BIG difference!