Middle School
Weekly Newsletter
4/22/20
A Prayer for our Earth
The Beauty of Nature
O God, we thank you for this earth, our home;
For the wide sky and the blessed sun,
For the salt sea and the running water,
For the everlasting hills
And the never-resting winds,
For trees and the common grass underfoot.
We thank you for our senses
By which we hear the songs of birds,
And see the splendor of the summer fields,
And taste of the autumn fruits,
And rejoice in the feel of the snow,
And smell the breath of the spring.
Grant us a heart wide open to all this beauty;
And save our souls from being so blind
That we pass unseeing
When even the common thorn bush
Is aflame with your glory,
O God our creator,
Who lives and reigns forever and ever.
eLearning Update
At XMS, we have started a new framework for our eLearning. The vision for the new framework is to help our students focus on fewer subjects while allowing them to receive an in-depth lesson on new content from their teachers. Thank you to all families that have provided feedback regarding the new framework. Also, please continue to communicate with the teachers regarding any questions, comments, or concerns that you might have. Similar to when school was in session, families should continue to contact teachers with questions about getting additional supports for their child, receiving additional learning opportunities, ways to understand a concept differently, or any other question that families have. These types of questions can always be answered best by the teachers first, then feel free to reach out to the administration for further discussion.

Also, now that it is official that school will be closed for the remainder of the school year and eLearning will be extended, there are still things that we will need to work out and questions that need to be answered. The Xavier leadership is discussing how to honor the 8th grade students, how students will be able to get their things left in lockers and classrooms, how students will be able return chromebook and textbooks, and other questions similar to these. Please know that the Xavier leadership team will share details regarding some of these types of questions in the coming weeks.

During this time, please know that the Xavier System is posting " Coronavirus (COVID-19) Updates , " accessible through a link at the top of the System homepage. This includes teacher webpages, contact information for administrators and technology staff, information on free meals for children and families, and more - including recent System emails. Most are now also available in Spanish. Thank you all for taking care of yourselves and your families, and for your prayers and help for neighbors and friends!
We Need Your Pictures!
Do you have photos that you would like to see in the yearbook this year? Yearbook Club is accepting photos of school events or other school related photos. We would also like to include photos of the students’ eLearning experiences. If you have a nice picture, please send it to Mr. Jerger at mjerger@xaviercatholicschools.org .
Check out the new Xavier Business Directory
A few weeks ago we started the Xavier Business Directory in an attempt to highlight all of the business connections within our Xavier family. It is especially important to support small and family-owned businesses right now. We are pleased to let you know that we already have 84 businesses signed up and in the directory! Please be sure to check the directory first when you need a good or service to see if there is a Xavier-affiliated business you can support.  
If you have a business that you would like to add to the directory, click the link above to go to the directory to check it out and to complete the form to be included.  
Questions? Please email Lisa at lpfaff@xaviercatholicschools.org
Xavier Strength and Conditioning Club Summer Lifting Program
Let’s get ready for Summer and get active! You can still sign up for the Xavier Strength and Conditioning Club Summer Lifting Program. Whether your child is a long term athlete and well versed in lifting and conditioning, or this is all new to your child, this is a great opportunity. The primary focus of the program is to teach proper form on the core lifts in resistance training, improve technique through agility, speed drills, and learn proper weight room etiquette.  Click here for more information. It is also located on the Xavier Website under High School Athletics. You can print the registration and mail it to:
 
Xavier High School 
1600 W Prospect Ave
Appleton, WI 54914 
Attn: Kathy Bates
 
Please add a parent email to the registration. If we are unable to start the program as scheduled, a home based training program will be provided. If you have any questions please contact Becky Oszman, the Xavier athletic trainer, at Rebecca.Oszman@ascension.org .
Connect Project
Some students at XHS came up with "Connect Project" to connect XMS and XHS students during this pandemic. There are student leaders available for one-on-one conversations and they are setting up Zoom meetings to help the students feel more connected. Click here to see a video.
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