Weekly Insider - March 6, 2020
Week At A Glance

Saturday, March 7th and Sunday, March 8th

Monday, March 9th

Tuesday, March 10th
  • 8AM HSA Monthly Meeting
  • 4:15PM Baseball Away Game at St. Thomas More

Wednesday, March 11th
  • St. Cecilia Catholic School Spirit Day
  • 8th Grade Trip to Washington DC
  • 7:05AM Lenten Stations of the Cross (Please see below for more info)
  • 8:00AM Weekly Wednesday Assembly
  • 4:30PM Softball Away Game at St. Francis Episcopal

Thursday, March 12th
  • 8th Grade Trip to Washington DC
  • 8AM Praying Parents Rosary Group
  • 8:15AM 7th Grad Greek Fest
  • 3:30PM Baseball Home Game vs. St. John Paul II (BBUSA)
  • 4:30PM Softball Home Game vs. St. Augustine

Friday, March 13th
  • 3rd Quarter Ends
  • 8th Grade Trip to Washington DC
  • 8:15AM All School Mass
  • 9AM Building Bridges Interfaith Collaboration
  • 12:PM Early Dismissal - No Bridges

Saturday, March 14th
  • 8th Grade Trip to Washington DC

March Guidance Theme: Forgiveness
School Statement on Coronavirus

The administration of St. Cecilia Catholic School is closely monitoring developments regarding COVID-19. To ensure the safety of our students, faculty & staff, parents, and our community, the school is following updates and recommendations from the City of Houston Health Department, Texas Department of State Health Services, Center for Disease Control (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO), and the Catholic Schools Office. As such, we are proactively taking steps to ensure the cleanliness of our campus, and we are prepared to take appropriate actions should a disruption in normal school operations occur, including the continued delivery of our curriculum through online learning opportunities.

With Spring Break beginning at the end of next week, families should monitor any travel restrictions put in place by the CDC. In addition, out of an abundance of caution, we are implementing protective measures for our students, families, faculty, or staff traveling abroad. Any student or staff returning from countries in the CDC Level 2 and 3 travel advisory should notify school administration and should self-isolate at home for a period of 14 days, returning to campus only when symptom-free. Absences for these students will be marked as excused and accommodations for distance learning and make-up work will be handled on a case-by-case basis.

As noted in the latest St. Cecilia Catholic Church Bulletin, the parish and school are following guidelines from the Archdiocese of Galveston Houston regarding Hygiene for Liturgical Assembly. 

As this is a developing situation, if there is a need to communicate further updates, we will communicate via Insider Alert emails, social media, and/or other communications such as IRIS alerts if necessary. 

As a basic precaution, families should continue to practice routine healthy hygiene habits such as:
  • Keep children at home if they are sick, and please remain home until symptom and fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medicine. If children are exhibiting even mild symptoms, please err on the side of caution.
  • Wash hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer when soap and water are not available.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
  • Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue and throw the tissue away. If you don’t have a tissue, use the elbow of your sleeve. Don’t use your hands to cover coughs and sneezes.
  • Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
  • Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

Additional Resource Links
Under the Big Top Auction - Coming Soon - Sat., March 28th
Auction is just a few weeks away – and if you haven’t gotten your tickets yet – now is the time to do so! 

If you have items to donate to Silent Auction, please contact Lindsay Willrich or Katie Soulier.
Read-A-Thon Results and Winners
We want to thank students, parents, and faculty,  for participating and supporting our very first Read-A-Thon. We are thrilled to report that our students read more than 43,000 minutes! What an incredible accomplishment!

Your contributions will help the St. Cecilia Catholic School HSA to support educational programs like Student Enrichment days, Astronomy Night, the visit of the Houston Grand Opera, and Field Day. In addition, they will help us to support our teachers with classroom assistance,  sponsor teacher appreciation week, and lunches throughout the school year.

The top three readers and fundraisers, and the champion reader have earned a free dress pass on Monday, March 9 th . The top three homerooms will have a pizza party on Monday, March 9 th . Click HERE for results.

Also, a big thank you to our Read-a-Thon Chair, Maria Galindo, for her work to bring this important event to life.
Learning Commons Preview Day – Tuesday, March 24 th
All members of the St. Cecilia Catholic School community are invited to attend a “Preview Day” of the school’s new Learning Commons on Tuesday, March 24, 2020. The “Preview Day” will be done in an Open House style format – you can come and visit the library any time during the school day to hear from either school staff or volunteer members of the Learning Commons committee about the plans for the school’s new Learning Commons. We will also have printed “vision boards” and updates on our progress to make the new Learning Commons updates complete before the start of the next school year. There will be a presentation from Principal Jeff Matthews in the Library at 8:15AM. Register HERE to attend the Preview Day.
2020-2021 Cheer Try-Out Information
If you are interested in participating in CHEER next year, please plan on attending a parent information meeting (girls are welcome to come too!) on Friday, March 27 at 7am in the gym. If you can’t make it to the meeting, all information will come out in the Insider on 4/3/20. If you can attend the meeting, please RSVP HERE and if you are parent interested in helping with the cheer program, please contact Abby Miggins Dates to note: 4/14-4/17, 7am try-out practice and 4/17, 3:20pm try-outs
Welcoming Sunday Weekend - March 7th and 8th
Student greeters are needed for the Masses during the weekend of March 7th and 8th, 2020 for the 5pm Saturday mass, 9am and 11am Sunday Masses. Please sign your family up to be greeters. Students do not need to wear their uniforms. We are asking the students and their families to arrive 15 minutes before the Mass. We will need at least 2 students and their families to be at the entrances and exits before and after the mass. We would like the students to greet the parishioners with a smile and a friendly “Good morning/good evening/hello, welcome to St. Cecilia”. We then would like the students to say “Goodbye, thank you for coming to St. Cecilia” as the parishioners are leaving the church. This is such a nice way for the school and the church to come together as one for the community. We are also asking for two parents to sign up to be Parent Coordinators to help with positioning the students and keeping a list of those who participated. Thanks!
Spring 2020 Girls Basketball Skills & Drills Camp
J oin your coaches and get yourself on the right track for future Lady Indian success! We see a lot of potential for Lady Indian basketball in our near future. Let’s make the most of our opportunity (Ephesians 5:16) and become the best we can be… individually and as a team. Coach Inman and Coach Kinnick are offering dates in March, April, and May for 3rd - 4th Graders and for 5th - 7th Graders for skill and drill work for our Lady Indian Basketball players.

The girls will work on individual and team skills and drills including: Ball handling, passing, shooting drills (mikan, layups, post, mid-range, free throws), team drills to help with ball movement, spacing, defense and offensive fundamentals.

Ms. Khurana's - 8th Grade Algebra Review Class
Ms. Khurana will be offering two Algebra review prep classes this year. One will be on Wednesday, April 1st from 3:30PM - 6:30PM, and the other will be on Saturday, April 4th from 4:00PM - 7:00PM. You can register for either class, or both classes. The classes are limited to Eighth grade students who have maintained a B or above in Algebra may enroll in these sessions, and there is a limit on both days of 30 students. The purpose of the class is to review Algebra 1 concepts in preparation for Catholic High School Math Placement Test. Different concepts will be covered throughout each session. You may enroll for one or both sessions (it is encouraged that students attend both sessions.) The classes will be held in Ms. Khurana’s classroom.

Anything Goes at STHS
Come enjoy St. Thomas Drama Department’s Spring Musical production "Anything Goes" on Friday, March 27 (7PM) Saturday, March 28 (7PM), and Sunday, March 29 (2PM)! There over a dozen St. Cecilia alumni in the production!

Tickets can be purchased at the door or online at the Eagle Store . See you there! 
Hygiene for the Liturgical Assembly
As we enter the flu season, increased attention to hygiene due to the coronavirus, the flu and other infectious diseases is certainly appropriate. Please use this opportunity to remind ministers and parishioners of common sense practices and liturgical guidelines many of which were taught to us from our earliest days as sage advise from our parents: cover your mouth (when you cough or sneeze), keep your fingers out of your mouth and away from your nose and eyes. Wash your hands after contact with surfaces others have touched, after using the restroom, after blowing your nose. If a person has a fever, is vomiting, or has had either ailment within 24 hours of the Mass, they should not participate in Mass. Click HERE for full article and common best practices.
Training Opportunity for NEW Extra-ordinary Ministers
Training for NEW Extra-ordinary Ministers Training for NEW Extra-ordinary Ministers of the Eucharist has been scheduled, and a number of opportunities to attend will be offered. These lay ministers assist the regular ministers of the Eucharist (the ordained) with the distribution of the Body and Blood of Christ in the Eucharist to the faithful at Mass, as well as those in the hospital or the homebound. The requirements for serving as an EMHC are:
· 18 years of age or a senior in high school.
· A fully initiated Catholic.
· Living a life in communion with the teachings of the Catholic Church. If married, must be a Catholic marriage.
· Attend one 90 minute training session on: March 30, or April 27, at 6:00 pm, in the Church. Please RSVP to attend one of the training sessions. Contact Andrew Meinen in the Pastoral Office with any questions.
Our mission at St Cecilia Catholic School is the ongoing Catholic formation and education of the whole child in mind, heart, and spirit, in preparation for an adult life of commitment and service.