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Principal’s Newsletter
April 24th, 2008

Dear St. Catherine Families,

Last week’s daily Gospel reading that was proclaimed at morning prayer reminded us that Jesus calls us to ‘feed his sheep’.  This means that it is our duty to help those less fortunate in our community.  Miss Begamini and her 5th grade class understand this principle and have been working for most of the year with the St. Vincent de Paul Society (a St. Catherine Parish Ministry) to not only feed those who are hungry in Martinez, but also to understand their plight, through a “service learning” project.  Each week, Miss Bergamini takes a small group of 5th graders down to the school library, where the food is distributed on Tuesday afternoons.  While Mrs. Polizzi and the SLT do a great job of organizing our November food drive each year, hunger is a ‘year-round’ problem that needs attention not just during the holidays, but every day of the year.  To that end, the 5th grade is leading a campaign to have each St. Catherine ‘Faith Family’ bring in food.  Please see the attached list of food items and thank you in advance for helping out.

A Call for School Board Members
Our School Advisory Board has worked well this year in their respective sub-committees to help our School grow and improve.  Each year we have a turnover of board members whose 3-year terms expire.  Therefore, we are looking for

committed parents to join our school board beginning in 2008-09 school year.
As we are going through our accreditation process (WASC/WCEA) next year, it’s vital that we continue to have a strong school board.  Please let me know if you have any questions.
Applications are due back to the school office by Friday, May 9.

Personnel News…
I’m excited to announce that our new 5th grade teacher is none other than our own Jeannette Wilkinson!  Jeanette has been a part of the St. Catherine of Siena Community for many years, including being a graduate of St. Catherine’s (and she had Mrs.Bergamini as her 2nd grade teacher!) So, she knows and understands the culture of our School very well.  Jeanette is in the final stages of completing requirements for her multiple subject teaching credential and has had plenty of classroom experience, both as a classroom aid and part-time teacher (during the 2005-06 school year).  She is very committed to professional growth and is thrilled to have the opportunity to teach the 5th grade.

School Uniform update
My sincere thanks to parents Cristina Burgstaller, Elizabeth & Mike Garcia, and Dottie Neithold (among others) who have put in multiple hours this year coordinating part of our school uniform program.  Needless to say, this is a very time-consuming task.  Therefore, to alleviate this workload, the School will be relying solely on Bancroft Uniform Company to be the supplier of our school uniform next year.  Our school uniform requirements will not be changing, other than the fact that we will offer a blue short (and long-sleeve) polo shirt (with school logo) as an additional option to the white shirt.  The blue shirt will be easier to keep clean than the white.  If you wish to mark your calendars, Bancroft will be here at school on Monday, August 11th to sell uniforms for next school year.  As a reminder, the first day of school will be Wednesday, August 20th.

Cell Phone Policy
While we understand that we are living in the “digital age” and many of you entrust your children with a cellular phone, these phones have a time and place to be used.  School is not one of those places!  If a student must bring a cell phone to school, we ask that the phone be turned into the school office in the morning and picked up at day’s end. Students who do not turn their phone in and or use the phone while at school will have their phone confiscated for a minimum of one-week.  This is a safety issue, as we cannot have students making unauthorized calls while at school.  The school is the guardian of your children while s/he is present here, and as such, we need to be the conduit for all communication with our students (i.e. if they need to make a phone call, it must be via the school phone).

Appreciations
 “To treat others kindly; to state appreciation for unique qualities, gifts, skills and contributions; to avoid
negative remarks, name-calling, hurtful gestures and behaviors”
Appreciations go out this week to the
following:

  • Our hardworking office duo of Administrative Assistant Mrs. Doreen Shapiro and Bookkeeper Mrs. Debbie Casey!                                           

Today is Administrative Professionals Day and so we appreciate and salute and Mrs. Shapiro and Mrs. Casey for all they do on a daily basis.  So, what do they actually “do” on a typical day, you might ask?  Well, here’s a bullet list of just some of the duties they have:
BEFORE RECESS

  • Answering the phone
  • preparing attendance
  • calling parents that do not call in when their child is absent
  • sell scrip
  • take phone calls from parents requesting homework
  • write tardy slips
  • go through mail for office from classes
  • answer e-mails
  • take calls from answering machine
  • make sure the heater is on
  • give keys to SLT
  • recognize student birthdays
  • answer all questions from parents before school
  • copy forms needed by parents

DURING & AFTER RECESS

  • attend to sick children
  • administer bandaids & ice
  • attend to students who have vomited or had diahrea/wet pants
  • unplug clogged toilets
  • fix broken toilets
  • help organize hot lunch (ordering, purchasing food, milk, etc)
  • answer phones
  • sell scrip
  • prepare day care bills  (monthly)
  • handle fundraising (monthly)
  • attend to student records
  • make copies

LUNCH and AFTER LUNCH

  • Help lunch program run smoothly
  • prepare any items to go home
  • answer phone calls
  • answer e-mails
  • fill scrip orders
  • answer questions from parents
  • collect lunch orders
  • make copies
  • make sure homework requests are done
  • deliver messages
  • compile notes from the office
  • make deposits
  • make announcements & reminders
  • coordinate web packet
  • sort & process mail
  • respond to mail requests

Note that this list does not include anything that I ask them to do (not enough room for that list!)
THANK YOU DOREEN AND DEBBIE!  WE APPRECIATE YOU!

Prayerful Intentions
Each week, we will offer special intentions for those in our community and beyond in need.  Please feel free to ask us anytime if you are in need of prayer.  It doesn’t cost a dime!
This week, we pray for:

  • All of God’s creations on our planet.  May we be good stewards and care for “Mother Earth” in a responsible manner.

Yours in Christ,

Andrew von Haunalter
Principal                                   

“We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.”  ~Native American Proverb

News
Meet St. Catherine of Siena: 
Sr. Nancy Murray, O.P.  Brings Doctor of the Church to Life
The Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology in Berkeley is proud to present Sister Nancy Murray in "Catherine of Siena, a Woman of our Times."  Dominican Sister Nancy Murray, sibling of actor Bill Murray, brings Saint Catherine of Siena to life in this phenomenal, must-see, one-woman production.  Sister Murray will perform at Saint Dominic's Catholic Church in San Francisco on Friday, May 9 and Saturday, May 10, a week after Saint Catherine of Siena's feast day.  Show times for both days are at 7:30 pm.  Tickets are $15 each and $35 for those who wish to join the reception on Saturday. To order tickets or for more information, please contact the Dominican School Advancement at 510-883-2085 or e-mail Advancement@dspt.edu.