February 5, 2015

Dear Parents,

There is a saying in education that says when things are going well the principal gets too much credit, and when things are going poorly ... (you know the rest).  I had one of these situations last Friday eating lunch with two of my administrative colleagues in GRACE. One out of the blue said that she likes Notre Dame School because of the great families that are part of it.  The first response in my head was WOW!!!  I did thank my colleague for making such a spontaneous remark.  I want to thank all of you for making my lunch that day so special.  

I wish to thank those of you who have enrolled your child(ren) already for the 2015-2016 school year.  The enrollment for next year is already ahead of last year's total in terms of student admission.  This is most encouraging.  If you have not enrolled for next year and have questions, do not hesitate in contacting me, whether it is by a phone call or an appointment.  Enrolling your child in a timely manner makes it easier for all to plan the best education for your child in the upcoming school year. If you would like to apply for tuition assistance, please contact Mrs. Nance or Mrs. Lamers for forms. Once those are completed, please contact Mrs. Nance at 337-1115 as she will begin to set appointments for you as to my availability.

This is a reminder that next Wednesday, February 11 is the annual MUFFINS FOR MOMS EVENT.  It will be from 7-8 am. at the Dolski Center.  This is a very special day of showing appreciation for all moms, be they moms of students or not.  I encourage all mothers of students to come and enjoy this special occasion courtesy of the Home and School Association. 

I am sure you have listened to or read about many contagious diseases affecting children lately. We have had students absent due to the flu, strep throat, and skin diseases such as impetigo.  Please do not have your child come to school if he/she has any such illnesses until they are treated by a doctor.  Having a child come to school ill does not benefit anyone.  This is one of those times when school or homework can wait.  No child can learn if he/she is not feeling well.  Understanding the importance of staying home is a reason I have never issued Perfect Attendance Awards.

This Friday evening marks the annual Island Adventure Carnival.  It starts at 5 pm. and ends at 8 pm. and will take place in the middle school gym. I have been told that this event is an awesome way of having fun and meeting people.  Students get a dress down day this Friday if they pay $1 to their homeroom.

One of the things I am doing at this time is to assess our Math program, particularly at the middle school.  I have observed and assessed items with the curriculum to put together my own thoughts as to how our middle school math program should be headed toward. I have met with representatives from both De Pere and Notre Dame Academy for their input and feedback on the preparation of our students as they enter high school.  I will keep you informed as to my vision as to our Math program. I have also asked the teachers to do some curriculum mapping as it pertains to their class subjects.  Each teacher has standards from the Wisconsin Department of Standards Based Instruction. It should be a transparent process that allows for teachers to review what has been covered and what has not been covered.  This process may facilitate in having our students be more successful in standardized tests such as the MAP tests.

I would ask you to read the part in the Parent Handbook under the topic BULLYING. I added some items that constitute bullying.  Unfortunately I have had to go to step one with a student or two in both buildings.  Although the number may be small, any number is too large for us.  You may also want to discuss with your child the APPP pledge they signed earlier in the year.  One of the aspects of a comprehensive school safety plan is to be proactive when bullying takes place.  I don't deny that issues like bullying may take place here. It is what we do as a school to modify or change the behavior.  Although I try to keep up with current educational trends, I tend to be very "old school" when it comes to disciplinary matters.

I guess my trivia questions are well received by parents and others outside of Notre Dame who read the contents of this letter.  Here is my second trivia question. The first three people who answer this correctly will receive a prize of some sort.

Here goes:

WHAT WAS THE COST TO THE NEAREST DOLLAR OF A TICKET TO THE FIRST SUPER BOWL BETWEEN THE PACKERS AND THE KANSAS CITY CHIEFS ( HINT- IT IS LESS THAN IT IS NOW.)

Have a great rest of the week!

God Bless,

James A.( Jim) Clark, Principal

"May all of us pray the Gospel, and if necessary, use words."

Magazine/Cookie Dough Sale 

February 19th - March 9th are the days of the sale. Turn in Days are Friday February 27th and the final is Monday March 9th. This is a great profit for our school.  If you are looking to renew your magazines please look here.  There will be prizes given to teachers and students.  You can enjoy the consistency of your existing magazines or it could be a great opportunity for new magazines. For more information please click here

Life's A Beach!!

FUN!  AWESOME BAND PLAYING LIVE MUSIC!  DANCING!  DRINKS/FOOD! SUPPORTING OUR SCHOOL!

Please see the attached flyer for details - click here

To sign up for this event click here

Enrollment

St. Valentine's Day Cookie Sale

Give your someone special a dozen beautiful cookies.  You can even have them personalized. Or just order a kit for you and the kids to decorated, all the cooking is done for you.   For more information please click here 

Here are the  instructions for families wanting to deduct their tuition off their taxes for 2014.  The instructions are self explanatory and very easy.

Scrip

We are also looking for SCRIP sellers.  It's fun and you get to meet people from school that you may not have met otherwise.  You can get hours for it and it's easy. To volunteer to sell SCRIP please click here

Notre Dame of De Pere Facebook

Yes its true!!  Check us out and like us on Facebook.  It is new but keep in touch with us in the future through Facebook and keep up with what is going on. Check us out here https://www.facebook.com/notredameofdepere 

Parent Education

Mr. Clark has set up a Education Post at the top of our webpage. This week he added the topics of The Effects of Bullying and Continuing Education for Kids for the Summer. This site is updated constantly. There are many valuable tools in which parents can educate themselves in different aspects of their children's education. Very helpful information. Check it out here.

VIRTUS Training/Background Checks

All volunteers MUST have VIRTUS training and a background check. For more information click here 

Check out what is happening at Notre Dame

There is always a lot going on at Notre Dame of De Pere.  You can stay in the know by checking out our website. We update our website front page with fun, useful and interesting informational posts on a regular basis.  Don't be the only one that doesn't know what is going on.  Check the website as often as you check your email (maybe more). For a quick link to our website calendar click here