Week One| March 22, 2020
We are precious, each and every one of us.
Each and every one of us is irreplaceable in the eyes of God.
Through the darkness of today's conflicts,
each and every one of us can become a bright candle,
a reminder that light will overcome darkness,
and never the other way around.”  
Pope Francis 
Information for All
Greetings Parents -

We really want to thank you for your awesomeness last week. We have a unique community in that 100% of you helped us get the bags distributed. How nice that to know that we have such dedicated families.

And, I must commend our staff. They looked out for each other in many ways within the building and with those working remotely. I am so proud to be the principal at Mercy Montessori. I thank Krista for her steadfast and remarkable skills in helping teachers set up the Distance Learning platforms for this coming week.

Please watch this short video and share with your child(ren).
Patty's First Video. (Please note, there is a really awkward ending to my first video. LOL...I couldn't find the "end recording" button. Tell your kids even the principal needs guidance.)

We will be sending out important information from each teacher weekly using this emailer on Sunday nights.

Gretchen will continue to share the Wednesday Emailer with you.

We ask you to open the email WITH YOUR STUDENT present and read through what is important for your Child's Division and from each of the Specials Teachers*.

*Please note that assignments from Specials teachers is at the bottom of this document, not in the grade level sections.

**Students who receive intervention services will continue to receive this support remotely. That information is also at the bottom of this document.

If you have any technology issues, please contact Assistant Principal, Krista Taylor at ktaylor@mercymontessori.org

With "Lots of planning and effort has gone into this and we will listen to feedback willingly" Spirit -

Patty Normile
Information about Technology -- Grades 4-8 ONLY
  • All core-content teachers and some specials teachers are using Google Classroom for lesson delivery, assignments, and turn-in. (Grades 4-8 only)

  • Email access will remain as it has been -- unlimited

  • To allow for use of the Google Meet videoconferencing platform for instruction and help sessions, Google Hangouts will be turned on during the school day. FYI -- This also turns on Google Chat (Meet and Chat are tied together). These features will be turned off for students at 3:00 daily and will remain off over the weekend.

  • Students will be able to join Google Meet sessions created by teachers during these hours, but they will not be able to initiate a session -- this is intentional.

  • Student accounts are owned by the school, and as such are not considered private. We can, and will, access student mail and chat sessions if we have concerns about inappropriate use. Please share this with your child.
Junior High
Keith Kaiser
Science
Math


Lindsey Beiting Mark
History
Writing
Assignments will be posted on Classroom daily for both Writing and History. Students will be able to access materials and due dates here.

Elizabeth Pille
Reading
Religion
Assignments will be posted on Classroom daily for both Reading and Religion. Students will be able to access materials and due dates.
Upper Elementary
Carla Booth

Phyllis Schomaker

Steve Hartman
Students are to check google classroom for assignments, notes and videos.

Mary Ann Zerhusen
Students check Google Classroom for assignments, notes and videos.

Marybeth Flaspohler

Libby Cherrington
Check Google Classroom for lessons, assignments, notes, and videos.
Lower Elementary
Melissa and Noreen

Heidi and Bryan



Susan and Christine

*Use tabs at bottom to find 1st, 2nd, and 3rd level assignments.
Preprimary
For Expectations for all PK students please click on this Link for All PK3 & PK4 3.22



For expectations for Kindergarten students,
please click on the the appropriate link below:









Specials Staff
Cathy Herring - Art

Tom Grant and Assistant Jess Ruther

Jessica Morris - Spanish

Jenny Duncan - K-3 Religion

Lissa Ray - PK - K Music

Dr. Michaela Schmitz - 1-8th Level Music

Lynn Smythe -
4-8 Technology
Please check google classroom for assignments.
Pre-K - 3 Library

Jocelyn Welch and Amanda Weise - Farmessori - All Grades
CPS And Peterson Support Staff
Support staff members will contact you directly with the information for the children who receive direct services. Should you have questions, their emails are listed below.

John Ortman - CPS School Psychologist
jortman@mercymontessori.org

Julie Franke - CPS Speech Pathologist
jfranke@mercymontessori.org

Bev Sass - CPS Intervention Specialist
bsass@mercymontessori.org

Carrie Wendel - CPS Title One Tutor
cwendell@mercymontessori.org

Allyse Sonnega - Peterson Scholarship Intervention Specialist and Coordinator

Laura Vehr - Peterson Intervention Specialist

Kathy Schriewer - Peterson Intervention Specialist

Jan Mecklenberg - Peterson Intervention Specialist

Karen Tanveer - Peterson Intervention Specialis t
Parent Support
Health Information
Chrissy Schneider

Parents -

Prescription and nonprescription medications were returned to families on distribution days. This included all daily meds, emergency meds (Epipens and inhalers) and PRN meds (migraine medications).

Please inform me if you or a family member has been ill during this school closure. We are tracking illness within our Mercy Community. This will be extremely important for when school is cleared to resume by the governor.

I have also included a pdf fact sheet that instructs procedures for steps to take if you feel you have been exposed to COVID-19.






Prayer for a Pandemic
May we who are merely inconvenienced
Remember those whose lives are at stake.
May we who have no risk factors
Remember those most vulnerable.
May we who have the luxury of working from home
Remember those who must choose between preserving their health or making their rent.
May we who have the flexibility to care for our children when their schools close
Remember those who have no options.
May we who have to cancel our trips
Remember those that have no place to go.
May we who are losing our margin money in the tumult of the economic market
Remember those who have no margin at all.
May we who settle in for a quarantine at home
Remember those who have no home.
During this time when we cannot physically wrap our arms around each other,
Let us yet find ways to be the loving embrace of God to our neighbors.
Amen.
The animal paintings are posters that were made by Ricardo Levins Morales Art Studio