Wow, what an awesome fall week we have had! Beautiful weather, marathon goal busting celebrations, and so much great learning taking place, indoors and out.
We blew the roof off of our Marathon goal! The final, final number has not been calculated exactly, but it looks like we will come in over $80,000! That is amazing, and we are so blessed by the continued generosity of our St. Michael community. While the Marathon does raise much needed funds for our school, it also reinforces the Gospel values of service to others. The kids had a great time with their service projects, and the drive through celebration with root beer floats, Wildcat Mike and Mini Mike, and cars decorated with school spirit! We will continue to celebrate all year, with every Friday a spirit wear day!
The Catholic high schools usually visit our 8th graders every year, but this year we had virtual visits instead. The Academy of Holy Angels, Chesterton Academy, Holt Family, and Unity all sent videos and swag for our 8th graders. There are so many great options for high school in and around Prior Lake, both public and Catholic. What a great place to raise kids!
Next week is a short week, and we have heard many families are planning some fun vacations. Please be safe and if you feel you may have been exposed to COVID-19 or are experiencing any symptoms when you return, follow the quarantine protocol. We understand the fatigue around all the lifestyle changes we have been forced into, AND we really want to stay open for in-person learning for everyone.
The teachers have a scheduled professional development day Wednesday, and time to work on their own projects, planning and prepping for conferences Thursday and Friday. Monday the 19th is a day off for the teachers because of the long conference days on Tuesday and Thursday.
I have the pleasure of observing the teachers in action, and began formal observations last week. I have seen 4th graders doing scientific research and creative problem solving; second graders making math vocabulary and concepts fun while reviewing for a test, and kindergarteners learning letters and sounds with hands-on experiences. It is also great to see the classroom routines are in place so we do not lose learning time in transitions. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, again, I am so impressed with our teachers!
Enjoy this unseasonably beautiful weekend, God bless your families, and go Blues!
Mrs. Kerr