St. Gregory the Great School Newsletter

13925 Telegraph Rd. Whittier, CA 90604

562-941-0750

AUG / SEPT 2019 VOLUME 1, NUMBER 1

Mission

St. Gregory the Great School fosters a caring Catholic Christian environment, which provides a faith community where each student recognizes their uniqueness and will be prepared to take on a positive role in our society.

July 27, 2019 Dear St. Gregory the Great School Families:

Welcome back to an exciting 2019-2020 school year at St. Gregory the Great School! The staff is thrilled that you have entrusted your children’s education to us. We will make every effort to help your child achieve academically and socially this year. It is our goal to create an enriched learning environment that engages each student. Of course, as the first teacher in your child’s life, we need and welcome your support and cooperation. St. Gregory the Great School has an excellent teaching staff with a wealth of knowledge. We also have an outstanding support staff who work in different capacities to support your child’s learning.

It is my hope that this letter finds you well and at peace. The first day of school is quickly approaching and there is great anticipation and excitement in the air! Many of you have spent many hours over the summer months helping us prepare for the beginning of this very special school year! A thank you to everyone who has helped/will help in any way!

Welcome: Please welcome to our staff Ms.Chavez -5th grade teacher. Ms. Wysokinski-Grade 7 homeroom, Ms. Hernandez-4th grade teacher, Mrs. Jimenez-1st Grade teacher.

We welcome back: Mrs. Romo(VP), Mr. Valenzuela (8), Ms.Ponce (6), Mrs. Brown (K), Mrs. Peterson (3), Ms. Blakley (2), Mrs. Garcia (K), and Mrs. Romero (TK). Our support staff: Mrs. Young, Mrs. Dolor, Ms. Guzman, Ms. Newman, Mrs. Macias, Mrs. Mota, Mrs. Merrell, Mr. Padilla (P.E.), Mr. Jamias (Music), Mrs. Guereque, Mrs. Giordano, Mr. Perez, Father Brian, and Father Huy. The MovingMindz staff will handle our afterschool program. Please visit their website www.movingmindz.com.

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SLE of the Month (Aug-Sept)

A St. Gregory the Great Student is an

Active Faith Filled Catholic Christian Who:

Demonstrates the

teachings of Jesus

Demonstrates and

Catholic teachings

and traditions.

Important Dates

8/1 Michael’s Uniform Sale

8/1 Afterschool Program Registration

8/10 Community Clean Up * ServiceHour Opportunity

8/19 Supply Drop Off

8/20-8/22 Data Week**special schedule

8/25 Read-A-Thon Begins

8/26 First Day of School Uniforms Required

8/26-8/30 Early dismissal 12:30PM

8/30 Birthday FREE DRESS (August Birthdays Only)

8/29 Back to School Night

9/2 LABOR DAY

9/6 AR Reading Recognition Ceremony

I would also like to take the opportunity to welcome our new families to St. Gregory the Great School. We hope you will find your new school a community of faith with a warm welcoming spirit. Please do not hesitate to ask for help, as we all know that coming into a new place can be overwhelming sometimes. We are happy you are here!

I am very excited to welcome Outreach Concern to the campus. In addition to this service we are committed as a staff to promote a positive school culture. In order to improve our school-wide disciplinary system, we will implement some Restorative Justice practices which will strengthen relationships and teach valuable life lessons. Quite a few of our teachers participated in a training over the summer and we are very anxious to “flip” our way of thinking discipline. Restorative justice is not a program; instead it is a way of thinking about harm and healing.

Outreach Concern is a non-profit 501(c)(3) counseling agency created to help students and their parents eliminate the barriers that impact their performance in the classroom. We have been providing counseling and support services to public, private and parochial schools in Los Angeles and Orange Counties for more than 25 years. We have a proven track record of making a significant difference in the lives of students and their families. Our on-campus counselors are closely monitored by Regional Field Supervisors and meet weekly with a clinical supervisor who reviews all cases. They also receive ongoing direction from our Clinical Director, a professional with more than 40 years of experience in psychological counseling. (Taken from their webiste:http://outreachconcern.org)

“Restorative justice is a process to involve, to the extent possible, those who have a stake in a specific offense and to collectively identify and address harms, needs and obligations, in order to heal and put things right as possible.” Howard Zehr

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9/6 MOVIE NIGHT (PTO EVENT)

9/11 First School Mass Mass Uniform Required

9/13 Birthday FREE DRESS (September Birthdays Only)

9/20 Knights In Shining Armor Recognition Ceremony

9/20 Childhood Cancer Awareness Day - All students wear YELLOW

9/27 NO SCHOOL

9/27 Golf Tournament

First Quarter Aug. 26- October 28 Second Quarter October 29-January 24 Third Quarter- January 27- April 3 Fourth Quarter April 4- June 17

@stgknights

stgknights

st.gregoryschool.whittier

August is a busy month with your Student Registration, Supply Drop Off , Data Week and Uniform day on the horizon. By now you should have received your supply list and the teachers are in the process of updating their web pages. Our strategy, word of mouth, for increasing enrollment at St. Gregory,has been positive and effective. Continue to spread the word to your friends, neighbors and co-workers about St. Gregory the Great School. We are currently accepting new students in all grades. We have surpassed the enrollment of the last school year and we look to increase further.

You will continue to receive monthly information through email and occasional hard copy documents as we endeavor to think and go green. Please check your child’s backpack weekly for important school information. Feel free to write/email back with questions, suggestions, or concerns.

We thank you for your support and welcome you to the new school year!

Yours In Christ,

Ms. Clagon

School Calendar: Note on the calendar (website) that the first day of school is August 26(Grades TK-8). This week is early dismissal 12:30PM. Daycare is provided during the August. Please register with MovingMindz www.movingmindz.com before the first day of school. Moving Mindz will be on campus August 1st to assist you with afterschool registration and answer any of your questions

School Office Hours: The school office will reopen at the regular time August 5th. This will give you an opportunity to handle any financial business. The office will be closed August 15th and 16th and reopen August 19th.

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FAITH Jeremiah 29:1111 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Faith: Our first School Mass will be Sunday, October 2, 2019 at 8:30AM. We are an integral part of our Catholic Church. We have the responsibility of forming our children in our faith. All School Masses are on the main school calendar and it is my prayer that we can gather as family to worship and praise God. On designated Sundays, we are the ministry that leads the celebration of the Eucharist. We ask the students to dress in Mass uniform and come participate in the Liturgy.

EXCELLENCE

Summer Reading: Reading during the summer is very important for all students. I hope you are continuing to encourage your children to read each day and using the time to complete the summer packet. While reading to children is crucial, don’t underestimate the importance of simply giving your kid access to a lot of books. Studies have found that a child raised in a book-friendly environment — with at least 50 children’s books in the home — scores five percentile points higher in math and reading than kids with less access to good reads.

https://www.thoughtco.com/barnes-and-noble-summer-reading-program-for-kids-1356824?utm_source=facebook All students should return the packet on the first day of school or during Data Week (August 20-22). If you did not get a summer learning packet or supply list, please stop by the office. I hope you have taken the time to enjoy and discuss some books together as a family.

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STEWARDSHIP

Financial: The annual fee was due by June and a late fee has been added. This is a very important fee for the school as we work to reorder and repair in preparation for the new year. If you haven’t paid your Annual Fees please make the time to do this. The tuition payments began for some of the families in July. If you have not signed up for FACTS, it will be expected that you will pay tuition in full no later than August 20.

Fundraisers are essential to the stability of our school. Thank you for your participation in our events. We gladly accept donations(monetary/goods and services). There was a typo in the fundraiser fact sheet. Therefore you will receive a revision of the document for your information.

Over the summer we have had many upgrades to further improve the school environment.

● New playground installed

● Textbook Upgrades

● Additional Staff

● New student desks and chairs

● Carpet replacements(in some classrooms)

Please save the date September 27,2019 It is our Annual Golf Tournament. We have successful tournaments and we hope to exceed our fundraising goal of $20,000. There are many ways to contribute to the success of the tournament. You don’t have to golf to be a part of the event. We will put out a list of items that will be needed in the coming weeks. Please help in any way you are able. We encourage you to become active in all of our activities and fundraisers. The schedule of events will be provided for your convenience. The PTO is looking for hard working volunteers to be involved with the school events. One of our biggest fundraisers is coming in September 27th. We will need golfers and people to support the event. Another way to get involved is to volunteer to help with monthly clean ups, by joining the TLC Crew, Campus Angels, supervise the yard during the day,chaperone field trips, athletic coaches,or join committees for school events. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact your child’s teacher or the Main Office.

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Activities Eligible for Service Hours

Activities Eligible for Service Hours

If you are interested in starting Service Hours there are some opportunities that need immediate attention. Please call the school office 562-941-0750 EXT 771

● Campus Angel- Yard Supervision 7:30AM-7:45AM, 11:30AM-1:00PM

● Athletic Coaches ● School Beautification and Cleaning- NOW to August 10, ● Drivers and extra donations for School Activities ● Fall Play and Spring Musical ● Field Day/Fitness Day ● All School Events (fundraising activities) ● PTO Committees ● Parent Workshops ● Write a review for St. Gregory the Great on www.GreatSchools.com

**Check service hour log on Gradelink

SPORTS

Girls Varsity and B Volleyball Sign Ups

Boys Varsity and B Football Sign Ups

August 20,21, and 22

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Stewardship/Safety First

Everyone at St. Gregory the Great understands that safety is our

number one priority. This edition of our newsletter will cover our

policies and procedures that help keep our students safe. Thank

you for taking the time to read and explain these points to your

children:

Drop-off/Pick-Up

We promise to never leave your child unattended in the classroom,

in the building, at lunch and recess, and before and after school.

We have staff members that supervise our students as specific

times of the day in order to ensure they are safe while at St.

Gregory the Great. All children that arrive before 7:30AM are

required to have a parent sign them in at daycare.

We have a “Kiss-and-Go” lane at St. Gregory the Great for both

drop-off and pick-up. Please note that if you are in the Kiss-and-

Go lane you must remain in your car—both before and after school.

Although you may think you can quickly drop off or pick up your

child and get back to your car sometimes it takes longer than

expected and we do not want to hold up that moving line. If you

need to get out of your car to pick up your child or put them into

car seats, please park in the lot and pick up your child in the

supervised area. If your child is a walker and gets themselves to

school, please remind them to use only the sidewalks and official

walkways walking to or from school.

VIRTUS & Safe Environment

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All students participate in two Virtus Classes each year. Please be sure you

sign the consent form for each of your children to be trained in Safe

environment practices. Additional information is in your registration packet.

VISITORS/VOLUNTEERS

For safety reasons, any adult including parent(s)/guardian(s) staying on the

school campus past 8:00 a.m. are required to sign in at the main office and

wear a visitor badge. Without a visible visitor badge, you will be stopped by a

staff member and asked to return to the office. Thank you

in advance for your cooperation.

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Uniform: Michael’s Uniforms will be here in the Parish Hall, Thursday, August 1,2019 1:30PM-5:30PM. Remember are uniform shoe is black leather. Please make sure the shoes tie up or buckle for the safety of our children. Many stores are having sales now. See the options in school shoes this year. No exceptions.

The Mass Uniform

Girls TK-4 Girls 5-8

● Light Blue Peter Pan Blouse

(TK)

● White Peter Pan Blouses

(1-4)

● Plaid Jumper/Skort

● White/Royal Blue Socks

● Black Leather Shoes/Saddle

Oxfords

● School Vest w/logo

● School Ties

● White Oxford Shirts

● School Tie

● Plaid Skirt

● White/Royal Blue Socks

● Navy Blue Socks

● (Grades 6-8 Only)

● Black Leather Shoes/Saddle

Oxfords

● Royal Blue School Vest

w/logo

● Navy Blue School Vest

w/logo (Grades 6-8 only)

BOYS TK-2 BOYS 3-8

● Light Blue Polo (TK ONLY)

● White Shirt (1-4)

● Navy Blue Long Pants

● White Shirt (1-4)

● Navy Blue Long Pants

● White Socks

● Black Leather Shoes/Saddle

Oxfords

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● Black Leather Shoes/Saddle

Oxfords

● Royal Blue School Vest

w/logo

● School Tie

● Navy Blue School Vest

w/logo (Grade 6-8 ONLY)

● Royal Blue School Vest

w/logo(TK-5)

● School Tie

GET the APP

Track your service hours. If you need help email: principal@sggknights.org

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