“We are all partners with Christ if we hold firmly to the end
the confidence we had at the beginning.”
Hebrews 3:14
Happy New Year and welcome (finally) back to school. I am pretty sure that parents were just as eager to get the children back to school as teachers were to have them back in the classroom. The third quarter of school has always been my personal favorite. It is a time when schedules seem slower, routines are in place and we can really buckle down to some intensive instruction and learning!
Having said that, I did regret getting off to a delayed start but under the circumstances, felt it was in everyone’s best interest to cancel school on the bitterly cold days and begin fresh this week. As you know, this was an unusual circumstance in which the individual Toledo Catholic Schools needed to make their own decisions. Moving forward into the winter, we will resume following Toledo Public Schools/ Toledo Catholic Schools in determining delays and/or closures for St. Benedict Catholic School.
Thank you for your understanding and patience!
Report Cards/Academic Honors
Because of school cancellations, report cards are coming home THIS Friday and 2nd Quarter Honors will be distributed following Mass on Tuesday, January 16. Mass begins at 8:15 am.
Cold Days
With the exception of extreme cold and wind chill, medical research tells us it is healthy and good for children to be outside even in cold weather. We will continue to have outdoor recess as much as possible throughout the winter, as long as temperatures are not dangerous. This will include snowy days as long as children are dressed appropriately. Coats, hats, gloves and sometimes boots (with shoes to change into) are a must. Please help children remember to be prepared for the winter days ahead.
Science Fair
All our middle school students, under the guidance of Mrs. Hinkle and Mr. Orlet have been busy preparing for Science Fair and/or History Fair. The research, testing, reporting and creating a display have come to an end and they are ready to share their discoveries with their classmates and judges. This year for the first time, the Science and History Fairs will be held next Thursday, January 19 in the St. Benedict School gym and O’Grady Room. Parents and students will have the opportunity to view the projects after 1:30 pm. Visitors should enter through the tower (front) doors of the school. Official judging will begin at 6:55, at which time the Science Fair and History Fair will be closed to visitors. Best wishes to all our young scientists and historians for a successful presentation!
Spring Event
The committee for the Spring Event, “The Price is Right” has been hard at work planning for a fun filled evening. This includes silent auction items such as themed baskets. Each year, we ask parents to donate items to a class basket for our spring event. Parents may also make a small monetary donation for the teacher to purchase items. Teachers will be sending more details home but we ask that each family try to contribute even in a small way. These baskets are always popular at our event!
Here are the themes for this year’s classroom baskets:
Preschool Take It Outside
Kindergarten Pizza Night
Grade 1 Crayola/Crafts
Grade 2 Tailgating/Camping
Grade 3 Baking
Grade 4 Lottery Tickets
Grade 5 Superheroes
Grade 6 Cleaning
Grade 7 Kitchen Gadgets
Grade 8 Board Games
Additionally, if you or someone you know has any items such as gift certificates, new appliances or electronics, unused time share points, or other items that could be used in other themed baskets to donate, these would be gratefully accepted. If you have any questions, please contact Erica Miley ericamiley@stbenedicttoledo.org. The next Spring Event Meeting is Tuesday, January 16 at 5:30 pm in the 2nd grade classroom. All are welcome to attend and help.
Raffle Tickets
The sale of raffle tickets is another way we ask our families to support the Spring Event. Each family is asked to sell one complete book of tickets. Students are bringing this information home today in the Thursday envelopes. Ticket stubs along with payment can be returned to the school office. Please remember that all proceeds from the Spring Event come directly back to the students of St. Benedict School. Thank you for your support.
Family Game Night
Cabin Fever can often settle in during the cold days of winter. What better way to fight this than a great night of fun and fellowship! Save the Date for Family Game Night, Friday, January 26th from 5:30 – 7:30. This event will be a good excuse to get out of the house and will also help us kick off our annual Catholic Schools Week celebration that takes place the following week. Bring a Board Game for your family or join with another family and enjoy pizza together. A sign-up sheet can be found in the Thursday envelope.
MAP
Collection of data for the purpose of making instructional decisions to meet individual student needs has always been and continues to be best educational practice. As you know, St. Benedict Catholic School utilizes NWEA Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) to provide this data to teachers and parents, and most importantly to help measure student progress and growth over course of the year.
Winter assessments will begin next week. Students in grades K-8 will participate in Math and Reading MAP assessments to provide us with a “mid-year snapshot” of progress made and goals moving forward. It will not be a disruption to the normal schedule, but instead a needed piece of useful data for moving forward.
REMINDER: MONDAY, JANUARY 16 IS A FREE DAY FOR THE MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. HOLIDAY.
Home Improvement: Family Edition
What does Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat have to do with being an intentional disciple? Find out and join us for our next evening of Home Improvement: Family Edition as we talk about social media and family life.
Thursday, January 11, from 6:15-7:00 p.m. in the O’Grady Community Room.
Upcoming dates:
Mon. Jan 15 Martin Luther King Jr Day – NO SCHOOL Tues. Jan 16 Mass @ 8:15 – Honors will follow
Thurs. Jan 18 SCIENCE FAIR and HISTORY FAIR
Fri. Jan 26 Catholic Schools Week Kick-off
St. Benedict Family Game Night 5:30-7:30 pm
Jan 28 – Feb 2 CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK
“Catholic Schools: Learn. Serve. Lead. Succeed.”
FINAL THOUGHT: May the peace of Christ remain in your hearts throughout the coming year.
ST. BENEDICT SCHOOL MISSION STATEMENT
United in Community, in partnership with families, guided by the message of St. Benedict, God calls us to LIVE, LEARN, and LOVE.