Friday night == Movie Night!

RSVP today for PTC Movie Night featuring "Wreck It Ralph!"

Some quick tips to make Movie Night more enjoyable:

- Kids bring your sleeping bags and pillows and come in your comfy clothes or PJ's.
- Adults bring your camping chairs for a comfy seat (folding chairs will be available).
- Bring a picnic dinner with you or eat beforehand and enjoy the popcorn and water.


Doors open at 6:30pm, movie starts at 7pm!  See you there!

A huge thank you to Carla Covarrubias for Chairing this event!

Lock-Down... what a scare!

We can breath a huge sigh of relief now and thank God for watching over everyone at the school. 

Today we all received that dreaded voicemail: "The school is on lock-down. Please stay away...."  Even with the reassurances that the children were fine, I know it took quite a bit of strength for any parent to stay away.

During this time, there were a few things that helped:

1. Security Cameras... knowing these camera's are there gives me some relief. What a great tool to have available.

2. Communication... I was so glad to receive the voicemail message not only on my home phone, but my cell phone, my husband's cell phone, and our email addresses. I prefer over communication for something like this!

3. Community... Voicemails, postings, and texts from other parents helps keep us all informed.

4. Quick Action... Just a few minutes after PTC posted about this on our facebook page, we received the "All Clear" voicemail. Thank God!

I have yet to know the specifics but am sure we will learn more as the day unfolds.  Was there something the school could have done better? How did you feel? Comment below to let us know...

CCSS??? What is that!?!?!

I don’t know about you, but when I read Principal Abate’s letter about CCSS, it kind of scared me. It sounded a little overwhelming and I was wondering how this was going to change school curriculum and how it was going to impact our family. But before giving it a thumbs-down and allowing negative thoughts to bubble up at the mere thought of CCSS, I thought I’d do a little more research. Here’s a couple basic questions I had and what I learned…. 

 

What is it? 

CCSS stands for Common Core State Standards. It directs teachers to instruct based on standards that children are to meet. For all the background info on CCSS, click here.

  

Are we guinea pigs for a new program? 

No, this effort started in 2009 (ok, so we’re not guinea pigs).  It has been implemented in many schools nation wide and many states are planning full implementation in the coming years.

 

Why is it being implemented? 

The concept is to have a national standard that ensures our children are able to do two things: 1) compete in the modern workforce and 2) ensure college readiness.

How is it going to impact my family? 

I’m still not 100% sure on this one. I hope our teachers are prepared for this new change and we don’t struggle implementing it. I’ve been told that they are attending seminars and gaining knowledge in this area. I hope our teachers understand we do our best to manage school, work, social, and family obligations. I am confident that they will not expect us to take on the teaching role but find ways to help us in supporting this change with guidance and the right tools.

After learning a bit more I felt much more comfortable with this new program. I expect there will be an adjustment period, but I know we will get through it.  What questions do you have about CCSS and implementing it at St. Bernard’s? Let us know… maybe we can find out for you or have Principal Abate address your concerns.