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October 22, 2015
Dear Parents,
I am writing this letter after I arrived back from the Resch Center. The Catholic Schools' Week Mass was a tremendous ceremony. It was amazing to see 9,000 students and staff from throughout the diocese along with approximately 30 deacons and priests celebrate Mass with Bishop Ricken. The bishop's message at the homily struck a chord with me. He said that to be true Catholic Christians we should attend Mass on Sundays and pray, not only individually but as a family. What a message! I would ask you to talk to your child(ren) about the Mass yesterday. The celebration is one I will remember for a long time.
When I think of Parent Teacher Conferences, I think of my mom. My dad relegated the conference attending duties to my mom. As the oldest of seven, I figured my mom went to over 150 conferences. All of us were worried that "Sister" or "Father" would tell my mom things that would get us in major trouble when she got back. I don't think mom had a bad conference with any of us, believe it or not. I guess fear went a long way when we had Parent Teacher Conferences.
Since I have given you how Parent Teacher Conferences went in the "good ol days," I thought I would give some suggestions on how a Parent Teacher Conference can be successful. I must warn you that what I write is based on trial and a lot of error. They did not teach us in college how to process a Parent Teacher Conference. I do not believe conferences are in the Parent Manual either.
- Come prepared with some questions. Preparation on both sides is important.
- Remember that both teacher and parent work together for the benefit of the child.
- Neither teachers or parents have all of the answers. I can state this on both fronts.
- Teachers should be open in asking the question "what suggestions do you have that can help my child?"
- Setting goals for improvement is important. It is never too early to set goals.
- Discuss a means for future communication. If you need more time to talk, set
up another appointment.
- Leave the conference on a positive note.
If teachers and parents remember that working with your child is a team effort, nothing but good things will take place. The elementary teachers would like all parents to set up a time for Parent Teacher Conferences as some have not done so at this time.
This weekend marks the beginning of the GRACE Annual Appeal. You should have received a mailing about the appeal. I feel privileged to be both Principal of Notre Dame and part of an administrative team with my colleagues and Mrs. Desotell, our GRACE President. GRACE has allowed me to establish a vision for Notre Dame School of De Pere in terms of school improvement in a collaborative and supportive environment. Donating to the GRACE Annual Appeal goes a great way in providing services that improve the instruction of your child at Notre Dame.
Fall Fest is tomorrow night. It is a very fun event and a great time for fellowship for you and your family. It is being held in the middle school gym. Please bring a canned food item as your price of admission. For more information on the event please see below.
The annual Scholastic Book Fair will take place next week. There is a great array of age appropriate books for the elementary students. Funds earned from the Book Fair will go back to our elementary school library. There are some incentive prizes affiliated with the Book Fair. I guess I have decided to be "slimed" as a reward for a lucky student. It is always important to read. My willingness to "be a good sport" is something I enjoy doing. For more information see below.
It is gratifying that my letter has received a positive response. I am also pleased that many of you wish to add things to it. Mrs. Nance and I have received numerous requests for things to be put below my letter and on my link. If you wish to have something put in my letter or on the website we need that to us by 8 am Tuesday. I cannot promise we can accommodate every request. We will do the best we can to include as much as we can. I thank you in advance for your understanding.
Here are some dates for your calendars:
October 23 - Fall Fest
October 26-29 - Book Fair
October 27 - Parent Teacher Conferences from 3:30- 8 pm.
October 29 - Early Dismissal at 11:30 am; Parent Teacher Conferences are from 12:30 until 8 pm.
October 30 - School is not in session.
I found a prayer you may want to say before Parent Teacher Conferences:
Exodus 3:12, 4:12
Almighty God, you were the source of hope for our ancestors, the people of Israel, and you are our source of hope. When Moses argued that he could not possibly confront Pharaoh, you told him, "I will be with you." When he feared that they would not listen to him, you said " I will be to your mouth and teach you what you are to speak."
God, be with me now. Be my mouth and teach me what to speak. Just as you strengthened Moses, strengthen me with the hope that you will always stand with me and guide me. Come, God of all hope. Amen.
Have a great rest of the week!
God Bless,
James A.( Jim) Clark, Principal
"I CAN DO EVERYTHING THROUGH HIM WHO GIVES ME STRENGTH."
Philippians 4:13
Parent Education
Mr. Clark has set up a Education Post at the top of our webpage. This week he added the topic of Parent Teacher Conference Tips, Slices of Life - Life Insurance. 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.
Fall Fest
Fall Fest is TOMORROW. We are in need of baked goods for the event. Please consider baking something wonderful for the bake sale. The location for this Event is the middle school gym. The profits for the Fall Fest go toward our school. Please bring a canned good for admissions. For more information on Fall Fest please click here
Scholastic Book Fair
With upcoming holidays and school underway, the Book Fair is the perfect way to support our school and promote your child[ren]'s literacy! Please stop by and check us out. Proceeds will be going to help stack the shelves of our classrooms and our amazing new libraries! For more information and to sign up to volunteer for the book fair please click here
Key Club News - Please Do It This Week
There will be big news every week about the Key Event. It's our biggest fundraiser of the year. Please click here for current information.
Fundraising/Volunteering Opportunities
As the school year begins so do the opportunities to get involved at the school! We have many wonderful activities throughout the year. Some are fund-raisers, some are fun-raisers, some are in support of our Athletics Department, teachers and staff, Home and School, and some to meet our Third Source Funding goal. ALL are to support Notre Dame of De Pere! We would not be such a fantastic school without the volunteer support of our school families! For more information and to sign up please click here
SCRIP office IS IN NEED of some additional SELLERS
We are especially looking for volunteers who could work
Wednesday's and Thursday's from 2:30 - 3:15 at the Elementary School. Feel free to work once, twice or as often as your schedule allows!
If you are able to help...please click
Also, NEW THIS YEAR we will have SCRIP SELLING shifts available at the weekend masses for both St. Mary and St. Francis. It is as easy as selling SCRIP (before & after) 1 Mass - 1 weekend a month! This is another GREAT way to earn your fundraising service hours...Please contact Carla Gemignani at 920-864-2785
De Pere Youth Wrestling
The De Pere Youth Wrestling Registration is now open for all 4K-5th grade students. The annual parent meeting is scheduled for Tuesday November 17th at De Pere High School. Please see the attached flier for program/registration details and dates. We hope to see you there!
Wrestling is agility, strength, speed, endurance, balance, hand-eye coordination footwork, core strength, hustle, mental focus, mental toughness, competition and FUN...the perfect foundation for all other sports!!
For more information click here
2015 Flu Vaccinations
The City of De Pere is offering free flu vaccinations to children 6 mo.- 18 years. For more information please click here
Viral Meningitis Issues of health and safety are always a priority for our school. As a means to be attentive to this, we are sharing a letter from the Brown County Health Department regarding the recent concerns about viral meningitis. The letter outlines symptoms of viral meningitis and how you can help prevent the spread of germs that can lead to illnesses. These are all good practices to remember as we head into cold and flu season. Health Department Viral Meningitis Letter
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