March 31, 2020
Hello there Holy Name Families!

Words cannot describe how incredibly proud I am of the faculty and staff of Holy Name School! Being an educator for many years I can understand that the teaching profession itself is based on preparation, organization, repetition, and understanding. However, the last four weeks have completely changed what it means to be a teacher and a student. The safety of the classroom was completely upended with the shelter-in-place order. Suddenly, teachers, students, and parents were pushed into a new reality. 

When I approached the teachers regarding what we at Holy Name needed to do in order to prepare for Distance Learning so we could continue the advancement of a quality, Catholic education for our students; there was no hesitation at all from anyone. The teachers did everything they could to prepare themselves for the task at hand: attending distance learning training from webinars and workshops, learning new technologies like Zoom, Google Classroom, and SeeSaw; collaborating with teachers all around the Archdiocese for ways to keep the students engaged during this difficult time. They have done such a marvelous job to get themselves ready for the long haul of distance learning and made the transition easy for students and their families. They continue to teach to high academic standards, provide constant communication to parents, continue to collaborate and learn from one another as educators, and most importantly, continue to be there for their students. 

The teachers at Holy Name School love to do what they do. They are an extension of God’s hands through the work that they do. They bring smiles. They bring joy. They bring hope. I am so proud of the faculty at Holy Name School and when we get through this time, and we will get through it together; know that our community spirit became stronger. Blessings and good health to you all!

Mr. Miller
AMDG
PANTHER SPIRIT DAYS! - Let's show our HN spirit during this week (3/31-4/3) . Spirit days are not required but are highly encouraged for students (and their parents) to participate. Please make sure you come to classes ready to show off your spirit!
  • Tuesday, March 31- Tropical Tuesday (wear your favorite tropical/Hawaiian attire)
  • Wednesday, April 1- Wacky Wednesday (crazy hair, shirt, socks, hat day); 
  • Thursday, April 2- Teamwork Thursday (wear you Holy Name Spirit gear, or school colors),
  • Friday, April 3- Favorite Friday (wear your favorite t-shirt, sweatshirt, shoes cap or outfit)
We can't wait to see all that spirit this week! Share your Panther Spirit by taking a photo and posting it online on Instagram or Facebook or TicToc with the #hnpanthers
DISTANCE LEARNING INFORMATION:

  • ATTENDANCE UPDATE - Please note - Daily attendance is not just based on if a parent completes the Google Form, but also on proof of completed work. Students who are marked "Present," who do not attend a mandatory Zoom meeting or turn in no work for the assigned day - will be marked as Absent.

  • ACADEMIC INTEGRITY - Parents, please monitor the academic integrity of your child(ren). Holy Name students are still bound by the Code of Conduct stated in the Parent-Student Handbook. A child caught plagiarizing, cheating, or submitting work that is not theirs will receive a zero for the assignment.

  • ONLINE ETIQUETTE - The teachers have been noticing some poor behavior from some of the students when they are live conferencing, so we are asking everyone of you to please review the following digital etiquette requests:

  1. Students should show the same conduct online as they would in a classroom setting
  2. Students should be properly dressed when in a live class session or submitting photos
  3. Students should MUTE their mic and use the "Raise your hand" feature and unmute when called upon
  4. Students should be sitting upright in a seat so their face can clearly be seen on the video screen
  5. Students should be attentive and not distracted by other devices or individuals
  6. Students should not be using digital background images
  7. Students should not be using the Chat feature inappropriately
  8. Students should limit eating while in a live class session
  9. Students should be ON TIME for scheduled exams or grade deductions could be issued.

  • MINDFULNESS and DIGITAL BEHAVIOR EXPECTATIONS - Students of Holy Name need to mindful of others in their digital learning environment and must remember that their online behavior WILL COUNT towards their overall Behavioral Expectation scores on their 3rd Trimester Report Card!

  • WORKLOAD - Please have students complete only the work that is assigned for that particular day. The teachers have created their lesson plans carefully and do not want to overwhelm the students, nor their parents with a large workload. Please submit any work promptly to the teachers using SeeSaw, Classroom, or Schoology (depending on the instructor).

  • CO-CURRICULAR CLASSES - Classes such as PE, Music, and Tech will be offered throughout the week. These meetings will be part of the school curriculum. Some will have project assignments attached to them and will be due with the normal assigned work for students. If you cannot make it to a Live lesson, please inform the teacher so they can provide a recorded video of the lesson to you or to make other arrangements.

  • TECHNOLOGY - As you know, much of the world are using these online resources to their absolute fullest and servers can only process so much. What has been noticed by students, teachers, and parents is that sometimes resources like Schoology, SeeSaw, or Classroom do not work as properly as they should during certain points throughout the day. All we ask, is that you are patient and try again in an hour to upload an assignment, etc. Most likely the system will resolve itself. Students should also be patient and remain calm...everything will be turned in in due time.

IMPORTANT PARENT UPDATES:

  • ATTENDANCE UPDATE - Please note - Daily attendance is not just based on if a parent completes the Google Form, but also on proof of completed work. Students who are marked "Present," who do not attend a mandatory Zoom meeting or turn in no work for the assigned day - will be marked as Absent.

  • ACADEMIC INTEGRITY - Parents, please monitor the academic integrity of your child(ren). Holy Name students are still bound by the Code of Conduct stated in the Parent-Student Handbook. A child caught plagiarizing, cheating, or submitting work that is not theirs will receive a zero for the assignment.

  • ONLINE ETIQUETTE - The teachers have been noticing some poor behavior from some of the students when they are live conferencing, so we are asking everyone of you to please review the following digital etiquette requests:

  1. Students should show the same conduct online as they would in a classroom setting
  2. Students should be properly dressed when in a live class session or submitting photos
  3. Students should MUTE their mic and use the "Raise your hand" feature and unmute when called upon
  4. Students should be sitting upright in a seat so their face can clearly be seen on the video screen
  5. Students should be attentive and not distracted by other devices or individuals
  6. Students should not be using digital background images
  7. Students should not be using the Chat feature inappropriately
  8. Students should limit eating while in a live class session
  9. Students should be ON TIME for scheduled exams or grade deductions could be issued.

  • MINDFULNESS and DIGITAL BEHAVIOR EXPECTATIONS - Students of Holy Name need to mindful of others in their digital learning environment and must remember that their online behavior WILL COUNT towards their overall Behavioral Expectation scores on their 3rd Trimester Report Card!

  • WORKLOAD - Please have students complete only the work that is assigned for that particular day. The teachers have created their lesson plans carefully and do not want to overwhelm the students, nor their parents with a large workload. Please submit any work promptly to the teachers using SeeSaw, Classroom, or Schoology (depending on the instructor).

  • CO-CURRICULAR CLASSES - Classes such as PE, Music, and Tech will be offered throughout the week. These meetings will be part of the school curriculum. Some will have project assignments attached to them and will be due with the normal assigned work for students. If you cannot make it to a Live lesson, please inform the teacher so they can provide a recorded video of the lesson to you or to make other arrangements.

  • DONATION FUND for HN FAMILIES - As I have mentioned, those who may be struggling with making ends meet are always welcome to contact me so we can discuss some financial options. I am so happy to report too that there has been an outpouring of support from the community as well! I have been asked by multiple people in our HN family of "what can we do?" or "how can I help?"
  • So if you like to send a donation towards financial tuition assistance for Families affected by the coronavirus shut down, please send a check to Holy Name School and in the memo line, please state Tuition Assistance.

  • REGISTRATION FORMS - If you still have your registration form or registration fee, please mail it to the school as soon as possible. Thank you.

  • SUPPORT HOLY NAME SCHOOL and the DEPARTMENT OF CATHOLIC SCHOOLS - There is some amazing professional development, educational collaboration, and technological advancement due to this situation. This event has truly moved everyone in education toward a world of technological innovation and involvement. To highlight your child's headfirst dive into 21st century learning, please feel free to send some photos of your children using distance learning to https://photos.app.goo.gl/KBxtETtHGpu1FNZx7 OR if you are posting on Social Media use the following hashtags: #CatholicSchoolsStillLearning #CatholicEdSF #hnpanthers #sfcatholicschools

  • 8th GRADE MUSICAL - Another sad cancellation, but due to the shelter-in-place order, Mr. Juan and Mr. Nolan had to make the difficult announcement that the Little Mermaid Jr. production and Drama season be shut down. We wish all of our budding thespians a bright spotlight in their future!

  • YEARBOOK - Our due date is quickly approaching, please read the information below!
A NEW NOTE FROM THE YEARBOOK COMMITTEE:
Hello Holy Name community,

The Yearbook committee is hoping everyone is well and safe.

Wanting to get the message out about the upcoming due date for custom pages.    April 13th !

Custom pages are a personalized a two page spread that you make for your yearbook. This comes free with each yearbook purchase.
These pages are only printed in your yearbook. Fun ideas for your personalized pages. Family fun page, friends page, personal sports photo page, dedications to a special person, besties page, pet page, siblings page and so many more possibilities. Really a fun way to make the yearbook special for the kids.

The yearbook team needs your photos to work on the yearbook. Please upload pictures to the TreeRing yearbook website specific grade folders. We need candid photos of kids for each grade, Kindergarten through 8th. The school portraits are nice but love to have a candids page of pictures for each grade. Group pictures are preferred. 

Here are some more picture categories that we need for the yearbook: 1st day of school, 1st communion, Confirmation, 1st Reconciliation, 8th Grade Christmas dance, Caritas, Halloween/ Fright Fest, Community Service, Crab Feed, Distance Learning, Faculty candids, Father/ Daughter dance, Gold Camp, Sports candids, Altar Server, Youth ministry, Talent Show, St. Patricks dinner and Washington DC. 
These folders are organized on the TreeRing website in our share photos folder area.

 We need the 8th Grade baby pictures too. There is a 8th grade baby picture folder on TreeRing. You can upload your child's picture directly to the folder, make sure to tag your child's name on the picture for identification.

Here is the link:
School code: 1014117459144285

Thank you for helping us make a great yearbook, be well and God Bless,

The Yearbook Committee
OUR FAITH DURING THIS TIME:

In my Lived Streamed mass this morning, I started my homily by saying that I am proud of our Holy Name School. We were prepared for “Distant Learning.” We still have school away from school. Our teachers continue to teach and our students continue to learn. Some students are also accessing our online masses either our  Holy Name Church San Francisco You Tube Channel  or  Facebook Live . I hope you can take time to pray as a family. Better yet, attend our live streamed mass as a family: daily mass, Monday to Saturday at 9AM and Sunday at 9:30AM.
You are all in my prayers.

A growing intimate relationship with God is the best way to stand strong when the storms of life and a flood of trials come.

Today, may God impart His richest blessings into your heart.
Love that keeps His presence near and faith that conquers all doubts and fears!
God is good all the time... Trust in Him!

Have a blessed day...
-Fr. Arnold
 
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