Dear Parents,
This is my last letter for 2009! The year has certainly passed by quickly. I’m glad to say that the Christmas spirit of giving is already underway. A parishioner of St. Paul’s has generously donated tissues, handwash and basic medical supplies to our school and the Knights of Columbus has also donated $500 to our school. It looks like the Christmas Season extends throughout the entire year at Holy Family School!
I hope you were able to attend the Christmas Concert/Play/Art Show this past Wednesday. What a great event! It was great to see all of our students participating. I hope you were able to take some great photos. The Art Exhibit, under the direction of Sarah Mahan, was an added bonus. Our children have so many talents. I’d like to thank Cassie Buckley, Ann French, Sarah Mahan, and all our staff for working with our students on this great event. Special thanks go to Helen Cappaccio for working on the children’s outfits.
Our last day of school will be Wednesday, December 23rd with a 10am dismissal. We will be having a visit from Santa Claus on this day. You are invited to bring your cameras for a photo opportunity. The times will be:
EC 8:20am
PreK 8:30am
K 8:40am
1st 8:50am
2nd 9:00am
3rd 9:10am
4th 9:20am
5th-7th 9:30am (for those students wishing to see Santa)
Classroom Christmas parties will be on the following dates:
Grades 1 & 2 Tues, Dec. 22nd in the afternoon
PreK,3,4,5,6&7 Wed. Dec. 23rd in the morning
I wish each of you a joyous, safe Christmas Season!
Gene
Friday, December 18, 2009
Monday, December 14, 2009
December 11, 2009
Dear Parents,
Fourteen days until Christmas and counting! I hope you have all your shopping done. For me, the Christmas Season is my favorite time of year. In my particular case, it may be because our first child was born on Christmas day. I like Christmas because I love seeing the faces of the children when they open that special gift that they think they can’t live without. I’ve always enjoyed trying to find that perfect gift rather than receiving my own gifts. As I grow older, I also realize that it’s our duty to teach our young children and grandchildren what Christmas really means.
On that very first Christmas Day in Bethlehem, God gave us his most precious gift, his son. We need to continue that tradition of giving, not only to our own family members, but also to the less fortunate in our communities. I have a very good friend who started a tradition with her family when her children were young. They would choose a needy family that lived close by, shop together and purchase gifts for all the family members, and then anonymously drop them off on their doorstep on Christmas Eve. At a time when giving should be the focus, they taught their children to care for the less fortunate.
At Holy Family School, the 2nd grade adopts a needy family and makes ornaments to sell to raise funds to purchase gifts and food for the entire family for the Christmas season. This year, each classroom collected food and clothing for those less fortunate. I’ve also heard of several children requesting donations to the local SPCA instead of birthday presents to save the lives of so many needy animals. These are just a few examples of what can be accomplished. I believe if you had a family meeting and asked your children for ideas to help those in need that they may surprise you with their creativity. The bottom line is that I’m asking each of you to consider involving your entire family in a project this Christmas season that will teach our children, by example, what Christmas really means.
The Christmas Concert/Play/Art Exhibit is scheduled for Wednesday, December 16th at 6pm.
UPCOMING EVENT
Christmas Concert/Art Exhibit Wed, Dec. 16th 6pm
Eyes & Ears Checkup-Gr. K,1,2 Thurs, Dec. 17th 8:30am
Christmas Mass- Dress Up Day Fri, Dec. 18th 9am
Gr. 3 & 4
Last Day of School Dress down day Wed, Dec. 23rd 10am dismissal
Visit from Santa in Gym – Parents invited (Time TBD) – Bring cameras
Gene
Dear Parents,
Fourteen days until Christmas and counting! I hope you have all your shopping done. For me, the Christmas Season is my favorite time of year. In my particular case, it may be because our first child was born on Christmas day. I like Christmas because I love seeing the faces of the children when they open that special gift that they think they can’t live without. I’ve always enjoyed trying to find that perfect gift rather than receiving my own gifts. As I grow older, I also realize that it’s our duty to teach our young children and grandchildren what Christmas really means.
On that very first Christmas Day in Bethlehem, God gave us his most precious gift, his son. We need to continue that tradition of giving, not only to our own family members, but also to the less fortunate in our communities. I have a very good friend who started a tradition with her family when her children were young. They would choose a needy family that lived close by, shop together and purchase gifts for all the family members, and then anonymously drop them off on their doorstep on Christmas Eve. At a time when giving should be the focus, they taught their children to care for the less fortunate.
At Holy Family School, the 2nd grade adopts a needy family and makes ornaments to sell to raise funds to purchase gifts and food for the entire family for the Christmas season. This year, each classroom collected food and clothing for those less fortunate. I’ve also heard of several children requesting donations to the local SPCA instead of birthday presents to save the lives of so many needy animals. These are just a few examples of what can be accomplished. I believe if you had a family meeting and asked your children for ideas to help those in need that they may surprise you with their creativity. The bottom line is that I’m asking each of you to consider involving your entire family in a project this Christmas season that will teach our children, by example, what Christmas really means.
The Christmas Concert/Play/Art Exhibit is scheduled for Wednesday, December 16th at 6pm.
UPCOMING EVENT
Christmas Concert/Art Exhibit Wed, Dec. 16th 6pm
Eyes & Ears Checkup-Gr. K,1,2 Thurs, Dec. 17th 8:30am
Christmas Mass- Dress Up Day Fri, Dec. 18th 9am
Gr. 3 & 4
Last Day of School Dress down day Wed, Dec. 23rd 10am dismissal
Visit from Santa in Gym – Parents invited (Time TBD) – Bring cameras
Gene
Friday, December 4, 2009
December 4, 2009
Dear Parents,
I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving with their families. It’s hard to believe it’s already December. Only 21 days ‘til Christmas! Community service is an important component of our program at Holy Family School. Our clothing drive for Catholic Charities and Social Services has now reached a total of 235 pounds!!! Mrs. Strano’s second graders collected items such as coffee, cookies, candy, razors, toothpaste and other necessities for our troops in Afghanistan. 10 boxes, weighing approximately 12 pounds each, were sent to our soldiers just before Thanksgiving. The project was called GOD – “Giving Others Delight”. The 2nd graders have now adopted a family of four, a mother and three young children, to share the joys of Christmas with. They will be purchasing some articles of clothing and toys for the family. I’m extremely proud of not only our 2nd graders, but all our students for their willingness to help others.
The first Box Tops competition for the year just finished prior to the Thanksgiving break. The proceeds from the Box Tops go towards the transportation costs for our student field trips. Once again, our families have done a fantastic job! Over $669 was raised from the Box Tops. Once again, Mrs. Lawrence’s 4th grade class finished on top. The 2nd graders finished just behind the 4th graders. Each of our 4th graders was given a $10 Scrip card of their choice. All our students should be congratulated for a job well done. The next competition will begin on January 4th. Please start saving those Box Tops over the Christmas break.
Please save the date of Wednesday, December 16th. Our annual Christmas Concert will begin at 6pm sharp. This year, Cassie Buckley has added a play to the festivities. Three Camels is the story of the birth of Christ as seen through the eyes of the camels of the three kings. It should be entertaining as always. Don’t forget to bring your cameras. As an added bonus this year, Sarah Mahan will be displaying some samples of our children’s artwork in the cafeteria. After the concert, we invite everyone to join us in the cafeteria for the art display and refreshments.
Holy Family School has been awarded a technology mini-grant for an online newspaper with podcasted articles. We have received $2,420 to purchase the following:
Toolfactory Podcasting Site License: This allows students to create, record, and upload podcasts with “point-and-click” mouse skills. It also has a music and sound effects library, as well as including a subscription to Clip Art Station, a massive library of pictures and audio. This will enable students to incorporate music and sound effects into their podcasts to keep listeners intrigued.
Two Olympus Digital Voice Recorders which will provide over 1000 hours of recording with 4GB of internal memory and state of the art capabilities such as file move, file copy, sound editing and multi-format recording.
Two Olympus Microphones with Noise Cancellation which plug directly into the computer or digital voice recorder for uni-directional recording in high-noise environments.
Two Olympus FE-46 Digital Cameras with automatic focus and digital zoom.
Olympus Flip Video Ultra HD Series Camcorder with one touch recording and digital zoom. It can capture 120 minutes of HD video on its 8GB of built-in memory. No tapes or additional memory cards are required.
Two instructional books are also included as part of the package.
Kids’ Zone will be open on Wednesday, December 23rd and Monday through Thursday, December 28 – 30.
The Tri-Cities Opera Assembly is being rescheduled for after Christmas. The new date is Tuesday, January 19th at 9am.
Upcoming Events
Monday, Dec. 7 Make Up Photo Day 8:30am
Tuesday, Dec. 8 Mass: Immaculate Conception Holy Day 9am
4th Grade
Wednesday, Dec. 9 Commission Meeting 6pm
Wednesday, Dec. 9 PTO Meeting 7pm
Thursday, Dec. 10 Science Trip to Colgate Planetarium
Grades 3-7 8:15-11:30
Friday, Dec. 11 Grades 5-7
Wednesday, Dec. 16 Christmas Concert/Art Show 6pm
Friday, Dec. 18 Mass: Christmas Celebration 9am
3rd & 4th Grade
Dress Up Day for Students
Wednesday, Dec. 23 Last day of school: 10am dismissal
Gene
Dear Parents,
I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving with their families. It’s hard to believe it’s already December. Only 21 days ‘til Christmas! Community service is an important component of our program at Holy Family School. Our clothing drive for Catholic Charities and Social Services has now reached a total of 235 pounds!!! Mrs. Strano’s second graders collected items such as coffee, cookies, candy, razors, toothpaste and other necessities for our troops in Afghanistan. 10 boxes, weighing approximately 12 pounds each, were sent to our soldiers just before Thanksgiving. The project was called GOD – “Giving Others Delight”. The 2nd graders have now adopted a family of four, a mother and three young children, to share the joys of Christmas with. They will be purchasing some articles of clothing and toys for the family. I’m extremely proud of not only our 2nd graders, but all our students for their willingness to help others.
The first Box Tops competition for the year just finished prior to the Thanksgiving break. The proceeds from the Box Tops go towards the transportation costs for our student field trips. Once again, our families have done a fantastic job! Over $669 was raised from the Box Tops. Once again, Mrs. Lawrence’s 4th grade class finished on top. The 2nd graders finished just behind the 4th graders. Each of our 4th graders was given a $10 Scrip card of their choice. All our students should be congratulated for a job well done. The next competition will begin on January 4th. Please start saving those Box Tops over the Christmas break.
Please save the date of Wednesday, December 16th. Our annual Christmas Concert will begin at 6pm sharp. This year, Cassie Buckley has added a play to the festivities. Three Camels is the story of the birth of Christ as seen through the eyes of the camels of the three kings. It should be entertaining as always. Don’t forget to bring your cameras. As an added bonus this year, Sarah Mahan will be displaying some samples of our children’s artwork in the cafeteria. After the concert, we invite everyone to join us in the cafeteria for the art display and refreshments.
Holy Family School has been awarded a technology mini-grant for an online newspaper with podcasted articles. We have received $2,420 to purchase the following:
Toolfactory Podcasting Site License: This allows students to create, record, and upload podcasts with “point-and-click” mouse skills. It also has a music and sound effects library, as well as including a subscription to Clip Art Station, a massive library of pictures and audio. This will enable students to incorporate music and sound effects into their podcasts to keep listeners intrigued.
Two Olympus Digital Voice Recorders which will provide over 1000 hours of recording with 4GB of internal memory and state of the art capabilities such as file move, file copy, sound editing and multi-format recording.
Two Olympus Microphones with Noise Cancellation which plug directly into the computer or digital voice recorder for uni-directional recording in high-noise environments.
Two Olympus FE-46 Digital Cameras with automatic focus and digital zoom.
Olympus Flip Video Ultra HD Series Camcorder with one touch recording and digital zoom. It can capture 120 minutes of HD video on its 8GB of built-in memory. No tapes or additional memory cards are required.
Two instructional books are also included as part of the package.
Kids’ Zone will be open on Wednesday, December 23rd and Monday through Thursday, December 28 – 30.
The Tri-Cities Opera Assembly is being rescheduled for after Christmas. The new date is Tuesday, January 19th at 9am.
Upcoming Events
Monday, Dec. 7 Make Up Photo Day 8:30am
Tuesday, Dec. 8 Mass: Immaculate Conception Holy Day 9am
4th Grade
Wednesday, Dec. 9 Commission Meeting 6pm
Wednesday, Dec. 9 PTO Meeting 7pm
Thursday, Dec. 10 Science Trip to Colgate Planetarium
Grades 3-7 8:15-11:30
Friday, Dec. 11 Grades 5-7
Wednesday, Dec. 16 Christmas Concert/Art Show 6pm
Friday, Dec. 18 Mass: Christmas Celebration 9am
3rd & 4th Grade
Dress Up Day for Students
Wednesday, Dec. 23 Last day of school: 10am dismissal
Gene
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Dear Parents,
Being a good listener is a characteristic we should all strive to attain. For an administrator to be effective, I believe this is one of the most important qualities they must possess. Mind you, I am not stating I am always a good listener, but at times I do surprise myself. At our Commission meeting Tuesday night, I shared with the members that I was disappointed I had only received 23 out of 86 responses from parents that they were reading my weekly letter. One member stated that it shouldn’t matter. They felt that even if only one parent responded, I should want to write a weekly letter to that parent. The point was that each of my parents is important. The bottom line is that I will continue to write my letter.
Please note that I will not be in school next week. My wife Patti and I will be taking our annual trip to North Carolina to spend the Thanksgiving week with our daughter Jen, her husband and their two sons, Hunter and Brady. I hope everyone finds time to spend with their families over the Thanksgiving holiday. You should be receiving a letter I’m sending out today concerning next year’s enrollment. If you have any questions concerning the contents of the letter, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Advent begins on Sunday, November 29th. The Catholic Identity Committee has planned some Advent activities to help prepare our children to celebrate the birth of Christ. Kate Conron has volunteered to spearhead the activities. They will include:
· Each classroom will have their own Advent wreath which they will light each morning while they say an Advent prayer
· Two children’s Masses will be held on Friday, Dec. 4 (First Friday Mass) and Friday, Dec. 18 (Christmas Mass). Children are encouraged to dress in their Sunday clothes for the Christmas Mass.
· Prior to each Mass, our children will sing “O Come, O Come Emanuel” as they proceed to church.
· The hats, gloves/mittens, and scarves on our “Giving Tree” will be donated to Catholic Charities.
I’d like to congratulate everyone on a very successful clothing drive. 232 pounds of clothing was donated to Catholic Charities and Social Services. Donations are still coming in. Thanks also go to our 5-7 graders for collecting and weighing the clothes.
The canned food drive has ended. The food that was collected will be donated to a local food bank.
Great News: The Reading Loft in the 1st grade room is almost complete. Next up is the loft for the 3rd grade.
Have a great, relaxing, family-oriented Thanksgiving vacation!
Gene
Here are the events for the upcoming weeks:
Thurs, Nov. 19 Thanksgiving Mass: 10 am
Thanksgiving Dinner:
EC – 2nd Gr. 11am
Gr. 3-7 12:15pm
Friday, Nov. 20 Report Cards sent home
Non-Uniform Day
Tuesday, Nov. 24 Last day of school prior to Thanksgiving Vacation – Normal Dismissal Time
Wednesday, Nov. 25 Kids’ Zone will be open
Thurs & Fri, Nov. 26-27 Thanksgiving Vacation: Kids’ Zone will
be closed
Monday, Nov. 30 Advent activities begin
Firday, Dec. 4 Mass: Grades 5-7 in charge
Monday, Dec. 7 Make-Up Photo Date
Being a good listener is a characteristic we should all strive to attain. For an administrator to be effective, I believe this is one of the most important qualities they must possess. Mind you, I am not stating I am always a good listener, but at times I do surprise myself. At our Commission meeting Tuesday night, I shared with the members that I was disappointed I had only received 23 out of 86 responses from parents that they were reading my weekly letter. One member stated that it shouldn’t matter. They felt that even if only one parent responded, I should want to write a weekly letter to that parent. The point was that each of my parents is important. The bottom line is that I will continue to write my letter.
Please note that I will not be in school next week. My wife Patti and I will be taking our annual trip to North Carolina to spend the Thanksgiving week with our daughter Jen, her husband and their two sons, Hunter and Brady. I hope everyone finds time to spend with their families over the Thanksgiving holiday. You should be receiving a letter I’m sending out today concerning next year’s enrollment. If you have any questions concerning the contents of the letter, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Advent begins on Sunday, November 29th. The Catholic Identity Committee has planned some Advent activities to help prepare our children to celebrate the birth of Christ. Kate Conron has volunteered to spearhead the activities. They will include:
· Each classroom will have their own Advent wreath which they will light each morning while they say an Advent prayer
· Two children’s Masses will be held on Friday, Dec. 4 (First Friday Mass) and Friday, Dec. 18 (Christmas Mass). Children are encouraged to dress in their Sunday clothes for the Christmas Mass.
· Prior to each Mass, our children will sing “O Come, O Come Emanuel” as they proceed to church.
· The hats, gloves/mittens, and scarves on our “Giving Tree” will be donated to Catholic Charities.
I’d like to congratulate everyone on a very successful clothing drive. 232 pounds of clothing was donated to Catholic Charities and Social Services. Donations are still coming in. Thanks also go to our 5-7 graders for collecting and weighing the clothes.
The canned food drive has ended. The food that was collected will be donated to a local food bank.
Great News: The Reading Loft in the 1st grade room is almost complete. Next up is the loft for the 3rd grade.
Have a great, relaxing, family-oriented Thanksgiving vacation!
Gene
Here are the events for the upcoming weeks:
Thurs, Nov. 19 Thanksgiving Mass: 10 am
Thanksgiving Dinner:
EC – 2nd Gr. 11am
Gr. 3-7 12:15pm
Friday, Nov. 20 Report Cards sent home
Non-Uniform Day
Tuesday, Nov. 24 Last day of school prior to Thanksgiving Vacation – Normal Dismissal Time
Wednesday, Nov. 25 Kids’ Zone will be open
Thurs & Fri, Nov. 26-27 Thanksgiving Vacation: Kids’ Zone will
be closed
Monday, Nov. 30 Advent activities begin
Firday, Dec. 4 Mass: Grades 5-7 in charge
Monday, Dec. 7 Make-Up Photo Date
Friday, November 13, 2009
November 13, 2009
Dear Parents,
It appears that our school community is getting healthier. Our attendance has improved drastically in the past two days. Please continue to err on the side of caution. If your child has a fever/is ill, please keep them home. If they have a fever of 100 degrees or higher, please keep them home 24-48 hours after the fever returns to normal without the use of medication such as Motrin or Tylenol.
Next week, we celebrate Thanksgiving with our community members. On Thursday, November 19th, we have a Thanksgiving Mass at 10am that the 3rd and 4th graders will be in charge of organizing. We hope everyone will be able to attend. The Mass will be followed by our annual Thanksgiving Dinner for our parents, grandparents, students and staff. Dinner times are:
EC – 2 11:00 am
3 – 7 12:15 pm
If you have children in both levels, you may eat with all your children in the session of your choice. Students will be charged the regular lunch fee of $2.00, while there will be a free will offering for all our guests.
The Scholastic Book Fair is open to all our parents and students in the library through Thursday, November 19th. Stop in and begin your Christmas shopping early!
School physicals will be given to our K, 2nd, 4th and 7th graders, as well as all new students to our school, on November 16-18. A Seasonal Flu Shot Clinic will be held at HFS on Saturday, November 21st from 9am – 11am for anyone 18 years of age or older. Chenango County Public Health will be offering this clinic free of charge.
23 out of 86 families responded that they would like to see this weekly letter continue. This means that approximately 1 out of 4 families read it and/or find it useful. Thanks to all who responded. It is important for me to hear from our families.
Please continue to bring in canned food items for our local food banks. This Friday will be a non-uniform day for our students. My only advice this week is to put up your outdoor Christmas decorations soon before the weather changes. Have a great weekend!
God Bless,
Gene
Dear Parents,
It appears that our school community is getting healthier. Our attendance has improved drastically in the past two days. Please continue to err on the side of caution. If your child has a fever/is ill, please keep them home. If they have a fever of 100 degrees or higher, please keep them home 24-48 hours after the fever returns to normal without the use of medication such as Motrin or Tylenol.
Next week, we celebrate Thanksgiving with our community members. On Thursday, November 19th, we have a Thanksgiving Mass at 10am that the 3rd and 4th graders will be in charge of organizing. We hope everyone will be able to attend. The Mass will be followed by our annual Thanksgiving Dinner for our parents, grandparents, students and staff. Dinner times are:
EC – 2 11:00 am
3 – 7 12:15 pm
If you have children in both levels, you may eat with all your children in the session of your choice. Students will be charged the regular lunch fee of $2.00, while there will be a free will offering for all our guests.
The Scholastic Book Fair is open to all our parents and students in the library through Thursday, November 19th. Stop in and begin your Christmas shopping early!
School physicals will be given to our K, 2nd, 4th and 7th graders, as well as all new students to our school, on November 16-18. A Seasonal Flu Shot Clinic will be held at HFS on Saturday, November 21st from 9am – 11am for anyone 18 years of age or older. Chenango County Public Health will be offering this clinic free of charge.
23 out of 86 families responded that they would like to see this weekly letter continue. This means that approximately 1 out of 4 families read it and/or find it useful. Thanks to all who responded. It is important for me to hear from our families.
Please continue to bring in canned food items for our local food banks. This Friday will be a non-uniform day for our students. My only advice this week is to put up your outdoor Christmas decorations soon before the weather changes. Have a great weekend!
God Bless,
Gene
Friday, November 6, 2009
November 6, 2009
Dear Parents,
Too often we fixate on the things that go wrong in our daily lives, rather than focusing on all the positive things that occur every day. This past week I had the opportunity to spend some time with one of our parents. Here’s what she had to say:
“I just enjoy life…I love to laugh…and I think we just need to be ourselves. Too often in life, we get caught up in things that truly do not matter…what I call “the stuff.” In the mean time, the “stuff” that really matters is ignored…a child’s smile, a friendly wave, a beautiful cloud, or a gentle touch. Things that mattered to us as children get left behind, and we find a new emphasis in life…not always the emphasis we should observe. We need to remember what was important to us when we were children. This is what matters. This is what makes the journey worth the effort…the everyday things all around us, the things that, somewhere along the line, we forgot to appreciate.”
I hope we all reflect on this parent’s thoughts. Maybe then, more of us would be smiling! Here are the upcoming events:
Monday, Nov. 9 - 19 Book Fair – Library After school - During P/T conferences
Tuesday, Nov. 10 H1N1 Clinic 8am
Only those pre-registered
may receive the vaccine
Wednesday, Nov. 11 Veterans’ Day No School
Thur & Fri, Nov.12&13 Parent Conferences Noon - ?
Early Dismissal 11 am
Thurs, Nov. 19 Thanksgiving Mass 9 am
Thurs, Nov. 19 Thanksgiving Dinner
EC – 2nd Grade 11 am
3rd – 7th Grade 12:15 pm
Throughout my years as an educator and an educational administrator, I have found that a foundation in a child’s success in schools is based on parental involvement. A cornerstone of parental involvement is an open line of communication between parents and the school. This communication comes in many forms: emails, phone calls and this weekly letter.
In an effort to assess the effectiveness of the weekly letter that is sent home, I ask that you email me at gchilion@syrdiocese.org if you wish for this form of communication to continue. If you elect to do this, please do not feel the need to write a message. Please just type “please keep the weekly letter” in the subject box.
Thank you for all that you do to further your child’s education here at Holy Family. If you ever have any concerns or comments, please do not hesitate to contact me. Together we can address things in need of redressing and create appropriate remedies and solutions.
God Bless,
Gene
Dear Parents,
Too often we fixate on the things that go wrong in our daily lives, rather than focusing on all the positive things that occur every day. This past week I had the opportunity to spend some time with one of our parents. Here’s what she had to say:
“I just enjoy life…I love to laugh…and I think we just need to be ourselves. Too often in life, we get caught up in things that truly do not matter…what I call “the stuff.” In the mean time, the “stuff” that really matters is ignored…a child’s smile, a friendly wave, a beautiful cloud, or a gentle touch. Things that mattered to us as children get left behind, and we find a new emphasis in life…not always the emphasis we should observe. We need to remember what was important to us when we were children. This is what matters. This is what makes the journey worth the effort…the everyday things all around us, the things that, somewhere along the line, we forgot to appreciate.”
I hope we all reflect on this parent’s thoughts. Maybe then, more of us would be smiling! Here are the upcoming events:
Monday, Nov. 9 - 19 Book Fair – Library After school - During P/T conferences
Tuesday, Nov. 10 H1N1 Clinic 8am
Only those pre-registered
may receive the vaccine
Wednesday, Nov. 11 Veterans’ Day No School
Thur & Fri, Nov.12&13 Parent Conferences Noon - ?
Early Dismissal 11 am
Thurs, Nov. 19 Thanksgiving Mass 9 am
Thurs, Nov. 19 Thanksgiving Dinner
EC – 2nd Grade 11 am
3rd – 7th Grade 12:15 pm
Throughout my years as an educator and an educational administrator, I have found that a foundation in a child’s success in schools is based on parental involvement. A cornerstone of parental involvement is an open line of communication between parents and the school. This communication comes in many forms: emails, phone calls and this weekly letter.
In an effort to assess the effectiveness of the weekly letter that is sent home, I ask that you email me at gchilion@syrdiocese.org if you wish for this form of communication to continue. If you elect to do this, please do not feel the need to write a message. Please just type “please keep the weekly letter” in the subject box.
Thank you for all that you do to further your child’s education here at Holy Family. If you ever have any concerns or comments, please do not hesitate to contact me. Together we can address things in need of redressing and create appropriate remedies and solutions.
God Bless,
Gene
Friday, October 30, 2009
October 30, 2009
Dear Parents,
Happy Halloween!!! Better yet, don’t forget to set your clocks back at 2am on Sunday (wow, an extra hour of sleep)!
Many times, my topics for the weekly letters will be random, depending on what occurred during the past week. That is certainly the case this week.
Time and again an administrator has to make decisions that aren’t “black and white”, they’re many shades of gray. We use the information we have and our intuition (gut-feeling) to make a decision that we believe is the best for our children with the information we have on hand. Only time will tell us if we made the best decision. Once in a while, we come across a situation that is clear- the decision is simple to make. That was the case this past Tuesday when I was presented with a letter that was written by our fourth graders.
Before I share the contents of the letter, I’d like to share my thoughts on what some of us may remember from our school days. They used to call it the 3 R’s (reading, ‘riting, and ‘rithmetic). I actually believe we should be teaching the 4 R’s, adding respect to the list. I believe all parents want their children to be respectful and to be treated with respect. This is what we should be modeling as parents and teachers. If we model it, there is a greater likelihood that our children will display this characteristic.
Now, for the letter. I was pleasantly surprised to find a letter on my desk Tuesday afternoon. When I opened it, I saw a typewritten letter on nice stationary that was signed by the entire 4th grade class. As I read the letter, a broad smile spread across my face. The 4th graders have been playing a multiplication math game at their math center called “Timez Attack.” They explained that they are using the free download version, which doesn’t allow them to save their scores or play more challenging math games. The letter was extremely well written. It had an opening paragraph, supporting paragraphs containing valid reasons why we should purchase this educational math game and a closing paragraph. As I read the letter, I thought of the 4 R’s. What a great example of what we want for our children. I immediately went to their science class to congratulate them on the letter, asking them a few questions about the game. When I told them we would get the game, they became very excited. I told them they had to go online and print off the order form and we would fill it in together. For me, it was a perfect ending to a great day. This was an easy decision for me, but most of all I was very proud of our children! click on the link to see a copy of the letter https://www.edline.net/files/257e786ebc0b8e1d3745a49013852ec4/4th_grade_letter.mht. Please take the time to read it.
The final piece of information I’d like to discuss this week pertains to the Holy Family School website (hfsnorwich.com) and Edline. The Diocesan Technology Coordinator and the school consultant we worked with last year both recommended that we use the hfsnorwich.com website for perspective families only. Edline would be used for our current families. As a result of this, the homepage of Edline now contains all the news, the PTO blog, my weekly blog, cafeteria menus, the school calendar, and other information that is pertinent to the daily operation of our school. You can still go to the homepage of hfsnorwich.com and in the top right hand corner click on the “edline link.” This will bring you directly to the edline homepage.
A few reminders:
· Congratulations to all who worked on the float. We finished in first place!
· Set your clocks back one hour at 2am this Sunday
· PTO Pampered Chef party at Missy Hayes’ home on Saturday, November 7th. Contact Missy or any PTO member for info. If you can’t attend, you can order ahead of time using the booklet
· The PTO will be selling the bird feeders again this holiday season. Information will be coming shortly
· 1st Friday Mass is Friday, November 6th at 9am. The 3rd graders will be in charge of this Mass
· The Scholastic Book Fair will begin on Friday, November 6th in the school library
· Don’t forget to check out the PTO blog for upcoming events and information
Have a safe and Happy Halloween!
God Bless, Gene
Dear Parents,
Happy Halloween!!! Better yet, don’t forget to set your clocks back at 2am on Sunday (wow, an extra hour of sleep)!
Many times, my topics for the weekly letters will be random, depending on what occurred during the past week. That is certainly the case this week.
Time and again an administrator has to make decisions that aren’t “black and white”, they’re many shades of gray. We use the information we have and our intuition (gut-feeling) to make a decision that we believe is the best for our children with the information we have on hand. Only time will tell us if we made the best decision. Once in a while, we come across a situation that is clear- the decision is simple to make. That was the case this past Tuesday when I was presented with a letter that was written by our fourth graders.
Before I share the contents of the letter, I’d like to share my thoughts on what some of us may remember from our school days. They used to call it the 3 R’s (reading, ‘riting, and ‘rithmetic). I actually believe we should be teaching the 4 R’s, adding respect to the list. I believe all parents want their children to be respectful and to be treated with respect. This is what we should be modeling as parents and teachers. If we model it, there is a greater likelihood that our children will display this characteristic.
Now, for the letter. I was pleasantly surprised to find a letter on my desk Tuesday afternoon. When I opened it, I saw a typewritten letter on nice stationary that was signed by the entire 4th grade class. As I read the letter, a broad smile spread across my face. The 4th graders have been playing a multiplication math game at their math center called “Timez Attack.” They explained that they are using the free download version, which doesn’t allow them to save their scores or play more challenging math games. The letter was extremely well written. It had an opening paragraph, supporting paragraphs containing valid reasons why we should purchase this educational math game and a closing paragraph. As I read the letter, I thought of the 4 R’s. What a great example of what we want for our children. I immediately went to their science class to congratulate them on the letter, asking them a few questions about the game. When I told them we would get the game, they became very excited. I told them they had to go online and print off the order form and we would fill it in together. For me, it was a perfect ending to a great day. This was an easy decision for me, but most of all I was very proud of our children! click on the link to see a copy of the letter https://www.edline.net/files/257e786ebc0b8e1d3745a49013852ec4/4th_grade_letter.mht. Please take the time to read it.
The final piece of information I’d like to discuss this week pertains to the Holy Family School website (hfsnorwich.com) and Edline. The Diocesan Technology Coordinator and the school consultant we worked with last year both recommended that we use the hfsnorwich.com website for perspective families only. Edline would be used for our current families. As a result of this, the homepage of Edline now contains all the news, the PTO blog, my weekly blog, cafeteria menus, the school calendar, and other information that is pertinent to the daily operation of our school. You can still go to the homepage of hfsnorwich.com and in the top right hand corner click on the “edline link.” This will bring you directly to the edline homepage.
A few reminders:
· Congratulations to all who worked on the float. We finished in first place!
· Set your clocks back one hour at 2am this Sunday
· PTO Pampered Chef party at Missy Hayes’ home on Saturday, November 7th. Contact Missy or any PTO member for info. If you can’t attend, you can order ahead of time using the booklet
· The PTO will be selling the bird feeders again this holiday season. Information will be coming shortly
· 1st Friday Mass is Friday, November 6th at 9am. The 3rd graders will be in charge of this Mass
· The Scholastic Book Fair will begin on Friday, November 6th in the school library
· Don’t forget to check out the PTO blog for upcoming events and information
Have a safe and Happy Halloween!
God Bless, Gene
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