March 5, 2015

Dear Parents,

I would like you to read and reflect upon two brief reflections about prayer:

"Prayer is that conversation between you and God."  (Mother Elizabeth Evans)

"Prayer is a way to say thank you." (Bishop Charles E. Johnson)

 I would say that these two quotes are very inspiring and allow me to reflect upon the reason why I personally pray.  The "kicker" is where I got these reverent quotes from because they also give me a great reality check.  They are from my latest issue of AARP Magazine.  The sources as to where I got these quotes produced in me a great deal of modesty and humility. Who wants to admit they are members of AARP?  At the same time I am sure that God looks kindly upon me as to how I feel both about prayer and the source of my inspiration.  As one of the three goals we should follow during Lent, let us appreciate our sources of prayer, no matter what the source of our inspiration is.

 You may notice that on the website we have been getting a great deal of requests for funds regarding various causes.  I realize that this is something that has been done in the past, and I don't want to seem callous, but I would request that either you do not make this request or let me determine what we advertise.  I am very sensitive as to what is asked in terms of financial commitments.  As a former parent of a Catholic School child, I can relate to the number of fees and causes you have been asked to donate to.  I appreciate your support in this regard.  

The only scheduled dress down day is the First Friday of each Month.  There may be dress down days as rewards from the teachers, but I would like to limit these as well.  My concern over an increased number of dress down days is that I do not want to disregard the Uniform the students wear.  One thing wearing a uniform does is to determine a certain degree of discipline and responsibility in class. As we near the beginning of the third trimester, self discipline on the part of the students is a very laudable thing to focus on.

If teachers have not contacted you requesting a conference, they will be doing so shortly if they deem it necessary.  You may also contact a teacher requesting a conference.  If you have any concerns as to conferences, it is important that you can contact the appropriate teacher(s) to communicate concerns about your child(ren).

The first installment of International Day was a huge success.  I was most impressed with the amount of engagement the middle school students had in implementing aspects of the country they studies.  I was also impressed with the discussion the middle school teachers had Monday evening as to how teachers and students can implement the project more effectively next year.  The elementary teachers are busy planning their portion of International Day which will be Friday, March 13.

The middle school students will be going on an inter-tubing activity in Kewaunee Friday morning. Any middle school student who has work missing is expected to be present on Friday morning to make up work.  This is a regular school day and students are responsible for completing work, particularly since this Friday is the last day of the second trimester.

March 9 is the last turn in day for the magazine sale.  Mrs. Meverden would like you to consider donating a subscription to the elementary school library. If you have any questions on what subscription to purchase, contact Mrs. Meverden.

Next Wednesday is Donuts for Dads.  Muffins for Moms was a huge success with many moms coming that day.  I know that it would be great if dads would come to the elementary school and celebrate this activity.

The Parent Survey is attached to this newsletter.  Please take time to fill out its contents.  There are a number of "open ended" questions on the survey.  My main focus is to look at questions pertaining to programs at Notre Dame.  I would like to communicate to you the findings of the survey when we come back from break.  If you choose to write anything pertaining to personnel, that will not be reported.  I will keep those items confidential to parents as it is my job to assess and evaluate personnel.  Please be constructive when you complete the survey.  The goal of the survey is to receive meaningful and constructive feedback as to what we as a school do well and what we can improve upon.  Please complete the survey by Monday, March 9. This will give me time to gather results and report to you by the next newsletter.  I wish to recognize the Diocese of Owensboro, Kentucky for the material I researched as a part of the survey.

Mrs. Glover and I are beginning to look at parents who are submitting service hours as part of Third Source Funding.  I would strongly encourage you to review that portion of the Parent Handbook.  I will be asking SAC to clarify some aspects as to what constitutes service hours per Third Source Fundraising. Notre Dame is expected to bring in $107,000 to meet this goal.  I ask you to be receptive and understanding when we begin to process your statements for service hours. Incidentally, SCRIP payments are not part of the Service Hour Requirement.

The After School Program is a great service we provide students and parents. Unfortunately, some parents are not turning in calendars for the next month the way is should be done. We also have parents who are not paying in a timely manner. Parents who have outstanding balances for After School Care must be paid up by Monday, March 24.  Parents who have outstanding balances after March 24 will not be allowed to have their children utilize the service.  Any student who comes in after hours will be charged the hourly rate if he/she is put in after school care if no one is there to pick him/her.  Please call me if you have questions.  

We are issuing more demerits for middle school students who are not responsible in caring for their Chromebooks.  It is unfortunate that students are doing this as the Chromebook is a very important part of classroom instruction.  Please talk to your middle school child as to what the consequences are for the violations of the Chromebook Usage Agreement.

I would ask you to read the Family Handbook regarding excused and unexcused absences.  I have asked the teachers and the Administrative Assistants to enforce what is contained in the absence procedure.  Thank you in advance for working with the school in this matter.

It is hard to believe that we are at the end of the second trimester.  As we progress during the third trimester, let us continue to work together to make the third trimester as successful as the first two.

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."

TRIVIA QUESTION- FIRST THREE PEOPLE TO GET IT CORRECT WILL RECEIVE FIVE DOLLARS FOR ONE OF THEIR CHILDREN.

WHAT CITY IS CONSIDERED THE CENTER OF THE STATE OF WISCONSIN?

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

Safety Town

Your child is invited to join the fun at Safety Town 2015.  Safety Town is brought to you by the Center for Childhood Safety.  Safety Town is a week-long program that teaches children how to be safe in their community.  for more information please click here.

Enrollment

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

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 

Middle School Tennis - Rally Day

The BCTA invites you to Rally Dy, An event to Kick-off the 2015 Green Bay middle school tennis league. Sunday, March 8.  Click here for more information and to register.

 Project Play 60 

The event takes place on Saturday March 7th from 10:00 am-4:00 pm at Lambeau Field Atrium and Legends Club on the 4th Floor. This event is free to all.  Click here for more details.

Camp Tekakwitha - Summer Registration

Time to register for summer camp.  Click here for more information

Parent Education

Mr. Clark has set up a Education Post at the top of our webpage. This week he added the topic of Theology of the Body - Elementary School Resources. 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