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NEWS

 IN THE NEWS

2010-2011 Student Supply List

Welcome back to school! What a joy it is to see all of our students in crisp uniforms, eager to meet their new teachers, greet old friends, and make new friends. It is especially comforting, in these challenging times, to feel the warmth of community as students, teachers, staff, parents, and parishioners work together to provide each student with the knowledge and skills needed for success in elementary school and in life. We are privileged to be able to educate our students spiritually, academically, socially, and physically. We could not begin this awesome task without your support and involvement. Parent participation in our school programs truly makes a difference in the lives of our students.

Technology in the Classroom: Over the summer, our computer teacher and technology coordinator, Mr. Tom Wachs, attended a week-long Beyond Technology Education training in Southern California. Yesterday, the faculty attended a workshop facilitated by Beyond Technology Education teacher, Jere Allen. The topic was subject-area technology integration. The teachers will create integrated lessons to meet subject area standards. Each year, the BTE lessons focus on schoolwide themes. Our kindergartners will learn about “relationships,” our first graders will focus on “responsibility,” and our second through eighth-graders will learn goal-setting and will create personal mission statements.

Music: We have contracted with KidStock to teach music this year. Many of you know Kidstock through their popular summer theater camps. In addition to the summer camps, they offer in-school music and drama programs and after-school workshops. KidStock provides in-school music programs and liturgy prep for several Catholic schools in the City. Our teachers will be KidStock Director, Noel Donovan, Katia Haney, and Cliff Rawls.

PE Program: Our former Rhythm and Moves (PE) teacher, John Parker, has moved to Southern California. We are pleased to welcome Tony Balestrieri. Tony attended Catholic schools in the City, has an MA in Education, and is a supervisor and mentor for Physical Education teachers throughout the Bay Area. Please see Tony’s letter on the reverse of this newsletter.

Accelerated Reader: As we move into our second year with “AR,” teachers and students have learned how to use this tremendous reading comprehension resource. AR provides student reading data for the teachers, improves reading comprehension, encourages students to read more, and fosters reading enjoyment. Several online resources are available for parents new to AR. “A Parent’s Guide to Accelerated Reader” includes FAQs and tips to help your child become a stronger reader. http://doc.renlearn.com/KMNet/R003985016GG79F2.pdf

If you would like to help your children choose books, or teach them how to choose the right books for themselves, AR Bookfinder is a wonderful resource. For information about Bookfinder, please go to: http://doc.renlearn.com/KMNet/R004037812GG7B98.pdf                

The quick link for AR Bookfinder is http://www.arbookfind.com/default.aspx.