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St. Brendan Weekly Bulletin
Sept. 15, 2021
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Dear St. Brendan Families, |
We are mid-way through our first FULL week of school. It has been a joy to visit classrooms and witness all of the wonderful learning and fun that is happening. I am proud of our students and staff for such a great start to our school year!
We have a few staffing announcements that I want to share with you:
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Mrs. Amanda Roach, art teacher, has discerned a different path for this school year and will no longer be teaching at St. Brendan. I am pleased to announce that we have hired Mrs. Marlize van Eeden as our art teacher. Mrs. van Eeeden has 8 years of teaching experience and has a passion for art and art history. She will be a fantastic addition to our St. Brendan staff!
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I am also pleased to announce that we have hired Ms. Maddie McLean as an extended care aide. Ms. Maddie is an alumna of St. Brendan and now discerning a career as a teacher. In addition to extended care, she will also be helping out in a variety of other areas such as lunch and occasional IA help. We are thrilled to welcome her to St. Brendan.
If you see Ms. Maddie or Mrs. Van Eeden around please be sure to give them a warm welcome to our St. Brendan community.
As I am sure you have been hearing in the news these past few months, there has been an increase in community transmission of COVID. While we hoped to gather on campus for our 1st - 5th grade Curriculum Night, logistically it did not seem like the right time to try to gather a larger than essential crowd indoors. Instead, each teacher will host their own Curriculum Night between Sept. 30 - Oct. 7th. Classroom teachers will connect with families on Zoom to discuss classroom curriculum, routines and expectations. Please review the schedule in the section below and save the dates on your calendar.
I wanted to bring to your attention some vandalism that has occurred on our playground. Peanut butter has been smeared all over our preschool/prek wooden play structure. We have filed a police report and the Archdiocese is providing guidance for a safe cleaning strategy. We have several students in our school with severe peanut allergies and we want to do a thorough cleaning job before opening that play area. Tomorrow we will open the big toy and swing area. To our knowledge and upon visual inspection those areas were not affected by the vandalism. The wooden play structure will be coned off and not used by students. If you have a student with allergies and have any questions please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Fall MAP testing for grades 2-8 will be held Sept. 20th - Oct. 8th. Your child's teacher will let you know the days your child will be testing. MAP, or the Measures of Academic Progress is a computerized adaptive test, which helps teachers, parents, and students make informed decisions to promote students’ academic growth. Students do not have to specifically prepare for MAP testing; however, please encourage them to persist and do their best. A good night’s sleep and a good breakfast is encouraged. More information about MAP can be found at NWEA Family Toolkit: Resources for Parents.
Thank you to the many parents who have volunteered with our hot lunch program! We are so appreciative of your help. We are still in need of volunteers to help during lunch time. Our goal is to have at least two parents volunteering at each lunch. Our parent volunteers help with setup, clean up, and assisting children during lunchtime as needed. The lunchtime volunteer time is 11:20pm-1pm (or any section during that time frame). If you are interested, PLEASE contact Mrs. Warner: lunch@school.saintbrendan.org. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday we are in the most need of help at this time.
Thank you for your continued support of our students and school!
Blessings,
Catherine Shumate
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The virtue of the month for September is the same as the Theme for this entire school year, HOPE. Hope is trusting in God’s loving plan. Many of us have struggled to understand events in the world and in our own personal lives. Sometimes we may get angry, frustrated, or sad by these events and circumstances in which we find ourselves. But HOPE is what gives us peace. Hope means even if we can’t fathom how any of (whatever we are going through) can possibly be alright, we know God is good, perfect, and doesn’t make mistakes; his plan is just.
The Saint of the Month is St. Joseph, earthly father of Jesus. Joseph is a perfect choice not only because of his example of hope, but also because we are still in the year of St. Joseph as proclaimed by Pope Francis last year. Read the story about St. Joseph and how he exemplifies hope for our world.
The guessing jar is back in its physical reality again this year! Your student will find the jar outside the office doors. Grades 4-8 need to make sure they answer the question found at the end of the Saint Story (linked above and found physically outside the office) for their guessing jar guess to be valid. Grades P3-3 are welcome but not required to answer the question, just fill in the number of items they believe is in the jar. This month they will find toothpicks, representing the wood of a carpenter. Closest guess will win a prize at the end of the month!
Today, September 15th, is the feast day of Our Lady of Sorrows. St. Bernardine of Siena said the sorrow of Mary was so great that if it had been equally divided among all men, they would have died immediately. Mary revealed her Seven Sorrows to St. Bridget of Sweden, and also promised Seven Graces to those who meditate daily on her Sorrows. Click to learn more about the Seven Sorrows and Seven Graces.
ST JOSEPH PRAYER FOR PROTECTION
Gracious St. Joseph, protect me and my family from all evil as you did the Holy Family. Kindly keep us ever united in the love of Christ, ever fervent in imitation of the virtue of our Blessed Lady, your sinless spouse, and always faithful in devotion to you. Amen.
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A digital copy of the St. Brendan School Handbook is attached and posted to the school website. Each family should have received a handbook receipt form in today's Wednesday Envelope. Please review the handbook, sign the form, and return it to the office by this Friday, September 24, 2021. Thank you. |
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Student Health & Safety Reminders |
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Student Health Screenings
We ask that parents continue to take personal responsibility for the health of their child. Parents will be responsible for screening their child for COVID-19 symptoms each day prior to sending them to school. Symptoms of COVID-19 include fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting and diarrhea.
Returning to School
If your child is exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19, there are 3 options to return to school:
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Option 1: Get a note from your child's doctor that states the child is clear to return to school
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Option 2: Get a negative COVID-19 test
- If a person with COVID-19 symptoms tests negative for SARS-CoV-2 with a molecular test, they may return to school following existing school illness management policies so long as they are not a close contact of someone with COVID-19 and subject to quarantine. - K-12 COVID-19 Requirements for Summer 2021 and the 2021-2022 School Year; Washington Dept. of Health
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Option 3: Wait 10 days since the onset of symptoms and only return when symptoms are resolved
Should a student be required to quarantine for reasons directly relating to a COVID-19 exposure or illness, every effort will be made to provide the student with continuity of instruction. The student will receive instructional materials and virtual assignments.
Seasonal Allergies - Documentation Required
If a family knows their child is exhibiting allergy symptoms, the parent should take the child to their healthcare provider to obtain documentation that the symptoms the student is having are due to allergies and that the student is under care, before the student returns to school. If your child has any COVID symptoms and you are confident they are not related to COVID, please be proactive and seek a doctor’s note in advance.
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Thank you to our parents for stepping up to teach electives. This trimester we will have:
- Mr. Kevin Fagot (father of Jojo, 4th) teaching a STEM/Engineering Elective
- Ms. Melodie Martinez-Feris (mother of Elizabeth, 6th and Eric, 2nd) teaching an Art Elective.
- Music teacher, Ms. Sims, is teaching a Drama Elective
We will need elective teachers for the next 2 trimesters, so please contact Mr. Langston (timl@school.saintbrendan.org) if you are interested in teaching an elective course.
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Mass Uniform Weekend
Wear Uniforms to Mass for Free Dress!
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This weekend is Mass Uniform Weekend. If your child wears his/her full uniform to Mass this weekend (Sept. 18-19), they can earn a free dress day the following Tuesday, Sept. 21. Parents need to turn in the signed form on Monday in order for students to earn the free dress day. The form will go home with students on Friday. |
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Carpool Reminders
Thank you for showing up early or on time for carpool. Each car is getting through carpool fairly quickly, but we think we can do even better! To help this process for everyone, please review the tips below:
- arrive at morning carpool with backpacks and water bottles readily available for the student(s) to grab and hop out
- When it is your turn, pull all the way forward until you reach the stairs or a car in front of you.
- Students need to exit the vehicle on the passenger side of the car, so please make sure that area is clear
- We also ask for a quick goodbye in the morning
- We ask for students to quickly sit down and buckle up in the afternoon
- Please have your children practice buckling and unbuckling themselves quickly. This will help to keep the carpool line moving.
- Reminder: right turn only out of the school parking lot
Thank you!
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For students in 4th - 8th grades, we use PowerSchool as our student information system. All parents and students were provided login information to PowerSchool. There, you can access grades. In addition to the PowerSchool website, there is a PowerSchool App you can download on your android device. When you set it up, it will ask for a school code. Our school code is KHDH. |
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Curriculum Night (1st - 5th) is going Virtual |
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In the coming weeks, we will host our grade-level virtual curriculum nights for grades 1st - 5th. While we hoped to gather on campus, logistically it did not seem like the right time to try to gather a larger then essential crowd indoors.
Thus, each teacher will host their own Curriculum Night between Sept. 30 - Oct. 7th. Classroom teachers will connect with families on Zoom and our administrative team will have a pre-recorded video ready to be shared with all families to highlight new and exciting endeavors and updates for our school year. We will plan on recording each session, and will share these recordings with families who are unable to join us for one reason or another. Please let your homeroom teacher know if you cannot attend - attendance will be gathered at that level and we hope everyone can attend!
Grade 1: Thursday, Sept. 30th, 6:30 PM
Grade 2: Monday, Oct. 4th, 7:00 PM
Grade 3: Monday, Oct. 4th, 6:00 PM
Grade 4: Thursday, Sept. 30th, 7:15 PM
Grade 5: Tuesday, Oct. 5th, 6:00 PM
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Spirit Day & Student Store - Next Friday |
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Our first Spirit Day & Student Store of the school year will be Friday, September 24th. Students can wear their St. Brendan Spirit Wear or CYO Jersey in place of their uniform.
The Student Store is an opportunity for students to purchase fun items including pens, pencils, notepads, toys, and popcorn. Items range from $0.50 to $3.00.
Profits from the sales benefit our school and an outside organization selected by the Student Store Club.
Student store is CASH ONLY. Please send cash with you child in a Ziploc bag with the child's name and grade clearly labeled.
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Spirit Wear Update - Orders Delayed |
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Unfortunately, our Spirit Wear provider is experiencing some shipping delays and inventory shortages. Orders may not arrive prior to our first Spirit Day on Sept. 24th. Due to this delay, we will have our first Spirit Day be either Spirit Wear or Free Dress.
Additionally, students needing Spirit Wear for PE will be excused from wearing Spirit Wear until those items arrive. Instead, they should wear a basic athletic t-shirt and shorts that follow handbook guidelines.
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Thank you to our parent and community volunteers! Your support and dedication is greatly appreciated and is fundamental for the success of our school and our students. Thank you to these individuals for saying "yes"!!!
Lunch Room Volunteers:
Marie Anderson - new St. B's parent!
Dave Dorratcague
Sarah Englert
Luke Englert
Kevin Fagot
Nnenna Finn
Dori-Ann Marten
Stacia Miller - we love grandparent volunteers!
Jennifer Schack
Mike Shumate
Ana Thorstenson - new St. B's parent!
Cynthia Waltier
Nicole Welle
Wednesday Envelope Volunteers:
Prema D'Sa
Mari Orbigo
Ermina Swager
Katie Taylor
Office Volunteer:
Brian Schrader
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Safe Environment Training
The Archdiocese of Seattle requires all parents and volunteers in our school (1) to complete a background check, (2) attend and complete the “Protecting God’s Children” class and (3) read, sign, and return the “Safe Environment Program Church Personnel Agreement.” If you plan to volunteer in the school, including driving on field trips, you will need to have completed these three requirements prior to any volunteering. The Protecting God’s Children classes for adults are available at a number of locations. The class is at no cost and lasts for approximately two hours. Visit https://www.virtusonline.org/virtus/reg_list2.cfm?theme=0&theOrgID=21516 to complete the three steps above and locate and sign up for classes.
COVID-19 Vaccine for Volunteers
All volunteers will need to provide the school office with proof of full COVID-19 vaccination. Please bring that to the office when you check in to volunteer.
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Thank you to all the parents who have jumped right into volunteering at the school. Please remember to log your hours following service.
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Student Store Club - Grades 5th - 8th |
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WANT TO JOIN ST. Brendan
STUDENT STORE CLUB?
♦ What is Student Store?
A fun and rewarding club for Students in 5th- 8th grade
♦ What do we do?
Sell products to students to raise money for our school, parish and community
♦ When and where do we meet?
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Monthly in 5th Grade Classroom at lunch recess for planning meetings
- Monthly to sell items at Student Store
Club members will…
♦ Work in all aspect of the store (planning, setup, selling and clean-up).
♦ Advertise upcoming events (make/hang signs, loudspeaker announcements, class announcements).
♦ Have a voice in what is sold and how profits are spent!
SIGN UP IF THIS SOUNDS FUN TO YOU!
First Meeting - Friday 9/17/21
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Join the FIRST Lego Robotics Club! |
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St. Brendan Lego Robotics is proudly registered under FIRST®, which is a mission-driven global robotics community that prepares young people for the future and inspires today’s kids to build tomorrow’s leaders.
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- Will your child or children be participating in this year's FLL season?
- In alignment with St. Brendan COVID policies, are you interested in coaching? If so, FLL (4th-8th grade) or JFLL (1st to 3rd grade)?
- Are you on the fence about coaching and would like more information?
If your time permits, please consider serving as a volunteer coach this year, and yes, this counts to your school volunteer hours! Your commitment, big or small, will go a long way in keeping this amazing STEM program going for our kids! Please keep in mind that from last I heard, in-person coaching is permitted. Nevertheless, we will remain flexible to pivot to a remote or hybrid option based on evolving health guidelines.
As you consider your children's participation, here are some videos and literature that may help your discernment.
Go Irish! Go Team #37772, a.k.a. "The Fierce Tordatos Phoenixes"! 😂
Peace,
Coach George (Aurelia, Luke, and Evan's dad)
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St. Brendan School will be partnering with ChessWizards to offer chess as an after school activity from grades K-8th. The classes will be from 3:00 - 4:00 PM on Mondays beginning October 11 . They will be held in the St. Brendan classrooms. The first session will run for 9 weeks: Oct. 11 - Dec. 13. There will not be chess on Nov. 22 (week of Thanksgiving) . The cost for the 9 weeks is $144 per player. Registration for the spring session will come out at a later date. All teachers will be fully vaccinated.
To register for the fall offering of chess club, please sign up and pay the registration fee on the Chess Wizard website: https://chesswizards.com/ .
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Hello from the St. Brendan School Lunch Program!
The lunch menu is located on the school website and will be updated monthly. You can reference it here: Lunch menu.
Next Tuesday is Breakfast for Lunch! Breakfast for Lunch is French Toast sticks and sausages with strawberries, whipped cream, and syrup for toppings. This extremely popular lunch can only be offered through the generous help of parent volunteers. At least 3 additional volunteers are needed to help with serving all the toppings and extras that make Breakfast for Lunch so awesome! Volunteers are needed 11:20 AM-1 PM (or any part thereof). Please send an email to lunch@school.saintbrendan.org to let Eileen know you will be able to help!
Blessings,
Eileen Warner
Lunch this Week:
Thursday 9/16: Uncle Peteza's Pizza
Friday 9/17: Cheesy Lasagna w/garlic toast
Monday 9/20: Meatball Sub w/kettle chips
Tuesday 9/21: Breakfast for Lunch!
Wednesday 9/22: Beefy Nachos w/refried beans
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Who do I contact for questions?
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CYO Athletic Director Volunteer Needed |
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CYO Athletic Director Needed
CYO is looking for a new Athletic Director. Training will be provided by our current Athletic Director, Anthony Fletcher.
Some Athletic Director Responsibilities are as follows:
- Recruiting qualified coaches for all parish/school teams and ensuring they receive all required trainings.
- Organizing the parish/school athletic program and support functions such as equipment acquisition, facilities, etc.
- Being knowledgeable of all aspects in the current CYO Athletics manual and ensuring that the philosophy of CYO Athletics is followed.
- Registering the parish CYO Athletic teams prior to the registration deadline for each sport.
- Checking the parish and school calendars for potential scheduling conflicts, and note on the registration form.
- Certifying eligibility of players on team roster, verifying accuracy and completeness with their coaches, submitting on proper form to CYO Athletics prior to roster deadlines.
- Representing the parish/school at all CYO Athletics meetings for parish/school athletic directors.
Please contact cyoad@saintbrendan.org if you would like more information or would like to sign up for a position. Thank you for supporting youth sports at St. Brendan!
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Soccer & Cross Country - CYO Sports |
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Fall Sports at St. Brendan
Catholic Youth Organization
Soccer Practices:
K/Pre-K Co- Fri 5:00-6:00
1st Grade Co-Ed: Thursday 3:30-4:30
2nd Grade Boys: Tuesday 4:30-5:30
4th Grade Girls: Tues & Thurs 5:30-6:30
5th Grade Girls: Tues & Thurs 5:30-6:30
Cross Country Co-Ed Practices:
All grades - Tues 3:45-4:45
Calling Parent Photographers - Pictures Wanted
Please send any CYO soccer or XC pictures to christenl@school.saintbrendan.org. Photos will be used on social media and in the yearbook. Thank you!
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Recess/Lunch Volunteers
Come earn volunteer hours and help the playground attendants keep our students safe. If you can volunteer between 11:20 - 1:10 (even if it is once a month) we can use your help! Please contact Eileen Warner at lunch@school.saintbrendan.org for more information. Volunteers must be up to date with Safe Environment requirements and will need to verify COVID-19 vaccination status.
CYO Athletic Director
See description above
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Safe Environment Training |
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PROTECTING GOD’S CHILDREN CLASS
St. Brendan Parish invites you to attend Protecting God’s Children which teaches employees, volunteers, and parents how to help prevent child sexual abuse. All employee and those volunteers who have unsupervised, ongoing access to minors or vulnerable adults are required to attend . You’ll learn very specific actions you can take to protect our children, the children of our parish and the children in the community. We value your presence, and we know that you will conclude your time was well spent. Join us in the fight to end child abuse.
Both in-person and on-line classes have been scheduled. Please follow this link for some upcoming trainings:
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Holy Hour
Wednesday, September 22nd from 7 to 8 PM in the Nave of the Church. Come and let yourself be Blessed by the Lord, bring your whole family. We will pray with hymns, silence, directed meditations, and will receive benediction.
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Blessing of Animals
On October 4th, we celebrate the feast day of St. Francis.
At 3:15 p.m. on Monday, October 4th, Fr. Wichert will do a blessing of animals on the grassy area in front of the church. This is a parish event, not a school event, but school families are welcome to participate.
If you are interested in bringing your pet to participate, a parent/guardian should be waiting with the pet on the grassy area by 2:55 p.m. For students who will meet their parents at the blessing, please email your child's teacher with permission to be walked over to the Church after school. Only students who have sent an email to the teacher will be escorted to the grassy area at 2:55 p.m.
Please park in the church parking lot. Pets will not be permitted inside the school building.
Please remember to wear masks and to social distance from one another.
We are looking forward to celebrating St. Francis of Assisi!
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Student Store Club Meeting
Friday, Sept. 17 - during lunch recess
Mass Uniform Weekend
Saturday & Sunday, Sept. 18-19
Fall MAP Testing (grades 2-8)
Sept. 20th - Oct. 8th
Free Dress for Mass Uniform Participants
Tuesday, Sept. 21
Holy Hour in the Church
Wednesday, Sept. 22nd
7:00 PM
Spirit Day & Student Store
Friday, Sept. 24
Curriculum Nights (Virtual) - Teachers will send out Zoom links to parents
Grade 1: Thursday, Sept. 30th, 6:30 PM
Grade 2: Monday, Oct. 4th, 7:00 PM
Grade 3: Monday, Oct. 4th, 6:00 PM
Grade 4: Thursday, Sept. 30th, 7:15 PM
Grade 5: Tuesday, Oct. 5th, 6:00 PM
Blessing of Animals - St. Francis of Assisi Feast Day
Monday, Oct. 4th
3:15 PM in the Church lawn
School Picture Day
Monday, October 11th
Teacher In-Service Christ in the Classroom Retreat - NO SCHOOL
Friday, October 15th
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