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January 7, 2015
Dear Parents,
One thing I do every evening is the crossword puzzle in the newspaper. They say that filling out a crossword puzzle keeps the mind of someone my age more alert and active. I don't know if that is the case, but I will try anything to keep a clear head.
When I did my daily crossword New Years' Eve the "Dear Abby" articles were next to it. One of the articles asked the question as to a good New Years' Resolution. An answer written was that a good resolution may be to be enthusiastic or motivated each day. I thought about that statement and liked it as it gave me something I can work on that can reflect upon my spiritual beliefs as well as how I treat people. I hope that this resolution can help me be enthusiastic when I see all of you.
Last year I spoke to the teachers about the utilization of the Activity Fee Money you contributed as part of the GRACE Tuition Agreement last year. I am very pleased that the teachers are taking advantage of the allocated funds. The middle school students are going on their annual ski trip, several grades are attending the Wizard of Oz at St.Norbert College, and students in grades 4-8 will be attending presentations at Notre Dame Academy on subjects such as Cyberbullying and School Safety. Students can learn so much from outside experiences that not only enhance what teaching is done but also increases student understanding of relevant subjects that impact their lives today.
Our Site Advisory Council met over the Christmas break. The main focus of the meeting was to establish a structured Marketing Plan for Notre Dame. One of the purposes of establishing such a plan was to more effectively plan Shadow Days, School Tours, Social Media improvements, and other things that "show off" our great school. There will be more written information in future newsletters this month that includes activities for Catholic Schools' Week. All of us in SAC are excited about what our marketing plan entails. We can all agree though that word of mouth is still the best way to tell others about our school. This is an effective means of marketing as we have accepted two students since we came back from Christmas.
There was a meeting this past Monday evening at Our Lady of Lourdes School to introduce the strong possibility of having our eighth graders next year participate in a trip to Washington D.C., and New York City. Mr. Young, principal of OLOL and I wish to collaborate to make this trip a reality. We will be setting up further meetings in the next month so we can "get the ball rolling". Mr. Young and I are acquiring further information based on the good questions we received Monday evening. I hope to have a Power Point presentation on my link page next week that gives a very good description as to the trip and the great opportunities for next year's eighth graders.
We are doing the best we can to keep the areas by the parking lot and doorways salted in this icy weather. Some students have had mishaps which are very unfortunate. If you have any concerns about the ice on the sidewalks, do not hesitate to call the office. With recess and the middle school walkover for lunch, it is important for us to know what we can do to help keep the students as safe as possible.
I want to give a special "shout out" to Ms. Amber Krause. Amber is a senior at St. Norbert College who is a student in the College of Education. Amber will begin her student teaching at Holy Family School in January. Amber's last day as coordinating the After Hours Program is Friday, January 15. Our after hours program has been very successful because of Amber's dedication to our students. In addition she has helped me in getting workers for the students. At the same time we may be short of workers for our After Hours Program. Both Amber and I will continue to look for interested people. If you are interested in working for the After Hours program, please call me as soon as possible at either site. We have approximately 20 students each night, and I like to have one worker for every seven students.
Last year I did a school climate survey to assess our school in areas such as curriculum, technology, school safety, hot lunch, Catholic Identity, and other items that greatly impact school climate and culture. Please be on the lookout for this survey before the end of January.
One thing I have noticed this year is that I am out of the office a little bit more than last year due to various educational commitments and meetings. I always give Mrs. Lamers and Mrs. Nance information as to where I am. If you have any questions or concerns that need my attention, do not hesitate in calling me or contacting via e-mail. I will get back to you as soon as I can. I am truly blessed that you as a group are so good in communicating positive, constructive, concerns and suggestions to me on a regular basis.
Just a reminder: Tomorrow's Packer Dress Down Day has been cancelled. Please have students wear uniforms.
One of my favorite songs is entitled "Unforgettable" sung by Natalie and Nat King Cole. Natalie Cole died this past week. I hope all of us can have good moments in 2016 that are truly "unforgettable."
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 Year of Mercy - 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.
Tritonfest 2016
When: Saturday, February 20th
Where: Hosted at the Lambeau Field Atrium
Mass: 4:30 pm
Event: 5 pm Cocktails, 6 pm Dinner. Music. Auction. 7 to 10 pm
For more information on this very fun event and to register click here.
Adult School Crossing Guard Recognition Week
You are invited to participate in Wisconsin's Adult School Crossing Guard Recognition Week during the week of January 11-15, 2016. We have five wonderful crossing guards who help keep our students safe.
George is on Charles and Webster,
Bud is on George and Huron,
Jo is on Charles and Superior,
John is on Charles and Erie (Jo and John are married-last year they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary)
Robert (Bob) is on Charles and Huron.
Please take a moment to simply say thank you to our crossing guards.
From De Pere High School De Pere High School Orientation/Registration
On Thursday, January 14th, the De Pere High School Counseling staff will be offering an orientation program for parents of eighth grade students interested in attending De Pere High School. The program will begin at 6:30 pm in the high school auditorium. The purpose of the program is to familiarize parents with DPHS course offerings and the registration process. Representatives from each department will be available to answer questions regarding specific courses. Parents should attend with the student. If you have questions, please contact DPHS at 983-2440.
NDA Future Tritons Baseball Program
For grades 4-8. Check it out it looks like it would be a blast!!! Click here
Key Event Openings for the Sign Up Events
NEED A LAST MINUTE GIFT IDEA FOR YOUR KIDS OR SPOUSE? Check out the Sign Up Events from Key Event. We still have spots left for some of the events.
Catholic Schools Week
Celebrate with Us!
Next month we will be celebrating Catholic Schools Week. All of Notre Dame is invited to celebrate with us through a variety of events. Just one of the awesome events we have planned for you is our Mass which has opportunities for students, parents and teacher to be apart of. Check it out now at:
Grandparents Day
Mark your calendars for Wednesday, March 2, 2016 for Notre Dame's
Grandparent and "Grand" Friend Day!
This exciting day will start with 8:35 Mass at St. Francis Xavier lead by the 1st grade classes followed by one hour of classroom tours and classroom activities.
If you have more than one grandchild/special student at the elementary or middle school you will need to divide your time appropriately.
While the middle school is handicap accessible, our elementary is not and most of our classrooms are on the second floor. Arrangements can be made to have your ND elementary student enjoy a little visit time in a lower room.
Please contact Jenny Kukiela at michael52@aol.com or 920-632-7808 for proper planning.
Booster Club News
The Athletic Booster Club is now selling Notre Dame Raider mid calf socks for $15! Mr. Clark has approved them for wear on Spirit Tuesdays! There are sample socks and order forms in each office. Please return the form and payment to the office and we will fulfill your order.
Save the date! The Athletic Booster Club is planning a March Madness Event at Starry Realty on March 19th! Adults only!
Save the date! There will be an Athletic Banquet for all athletes of this school year held in the Dolski Center and Middle School gym on April 28th.
Phoenix Swim Lessons
This is a student-athlete swim lesson program which is a non-profit fundraiser to help Phoenix swimmers and divers with the funds necessary to compete in Division I athletics. It also serves as a way for them to connect with the community and share their knowledge and love of swimming. For more information click here
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
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