Summer Insider – August 11, 2023 | |
School Year Calendars, School Day Hours, and Carpool Times | |
Calendar Updates
Please note, there were some updates to the school calendar published originally in January 2023. Please read the highlights listed below, and please click here for the updated one-page calendar.
- The school day for regular dismissal days will be ending at 3:25PM - an extension of 5 minutes to the day.
- Early Dismissal days will end at 12:00PM instead of 12:30PM.
- Field Day will move to the fall semester and be on Friday, November 10th, 2023.
- The last day of school is moving to Thursday, May 23, 2024, and Graduation will be on Thursday, May 16, 2024.
- Beginning of School Year Event Guide
School Day Hours
- On regular dismissal days, the instructional day will be 7:55AM-3:25PM.
- On early dismissal days, the instructional day will be 7:55AM-12:00PM.
Carpool Times
- Please click here for the Carpool page on the school website, and click here for the Carpool Maps.
- Early drop off is from 7:00AM to 7:30AM in the front HOV parking lot.
- HOV Carpool begins at 7:35AM in the front HOV parking lot.
- Non-HOV Carpool begins at 7:35AM in the main Church parking lot.
- Oldest and Only arrival for PK3 is at 8:00AM on all days.
- Please note, 1st Grade students will no longer be included in the Oldest and Only dismissal times. Dismissal for 1st Grade will be at 3:25PM on regular dismissal days, and 12:00PM on Early Dismissal days.
- Oldest and Only dismissal on regular dismissal days for PK3 - Kindergarten will begin at 3:05PM.
- Oldest and Only dismissal on early dismissal days for PK3 - Kindergarten will begin at 11:40AM.
- Please see additional information in this email below regarding Carpool information.
Google Calendar
The school's Google calendar has been updated with many of the events and information for the school year. Additional updates will continue through the next few weeks. The Google Calendar can be found here and the Google Calendar app can be downloaded to your mobile devices (highly recommended). More information on our various calendar resources can be found here.
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Faculty and Staff Updates
Welcome to our new Faculty and Staff members, and congratulations and thank you to those who are taking on new roles in the school.
New Faculty & Staff
- Adriana Borsos - Spanish Teacher
- Erin Burbridge - Kindergarten Teacher
- Sr. Mary Catherine Do - 4th & 5th Grade Religion Teacher
- Jennifer Dudley - PK3 Teacher
- Marla Escobedo - PK4 Teacher
- Martha Hanessian - PK4 Assistant
- Erin Klenke - 8th Grade ELA Teacher
- Alicia Lucas - Counselor
- Daniela Monroe - Religion Teacher
- Erica Morand - 2nd Grade Teacher
- Kris Rodriguez - 6th & 7th Grade Science Teacher
- Arianna Stockton - 6th & 7th Grade Social Studies Teacher
New Roles
- Maria Elena Grannen – Spanish Teacher (from part time to full time)
- Kimberly Lowrey – 4th Grade Math Teacher
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Your child(ren)’s Homeroom information is now available (today, Friday, August 11th) to families by logging into FACTS. You are now able to see your child(ren)’s homeroom information, and also do a search for the full homeroom and grade in FACTS. Please click here for a one page overview of what is available in the directory search in FACTS (how to search by name, grade, or class).
Please note – FACTS recently released a security update to the login page that will require parents to first enter their school’s district code (the St. Cecilia district code is SCC-TX), followed by your username and password which will appear on a second page. You may be required to update your password if it has expired.
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Cafeteria and Setting Up Dining Pay
Please download and read the 2023 – 2024 ECI letter to parents here with information on their cafeteria program for St. Cecilia Catholic School. You can setup and manage your child’s Dining Pay account on ECI’s Dining Pay system.
If you need to setup a new Dining Pay account, you will need your child’s Student ID. In order to access a list of Student ID’s please login to FACTS. Under “School” select “Resource Documents”. The list of the student names and ID#’s is available on that list called “Student ID Report August 2023”.
Helpful Cafeteria & ECI Links
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School Supplies - Extra Items Reminder | The school supply packs for all students will be delivered to school and distributed to the classrooms the week of August 7th. As a reminder, there are extra items for each grade that need to be purchased - click here for the list. | |
Summer Assignments and Enrichment Opportunities
As a reminder, all Summer Assignments for students entering 1st through 8th grade are due on August 16, 2023. Your child’s teacher for the 2023-2024 school year will follow up with your child at the start of the school year for all completed summer assignments. If you have any further questions you should contact your child’s current teacher or Cindy Orlando the Director of Teaching, Learning and Innovation.
Important Summer Assignment Information
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Bridges - After School Program Full Time Sign Up | Families who enroll in the school’s after school program, Bridges, for full-time use pay monthly for unlimited use during the month. Families who wish to use Full Time Bridges must register in advance by filling out this online form. Only students signed up for our Full-Time Bridges program will be allowed to attend Bridges on Early Dismissal Days. Questions? Contact Bridges
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Family Handbook Updates
The Family Handbook has been updated for this school year. Please take some time before school to review the updates to the Family Handbook. A summary page of the updates for this year can be found on the “Handbook Highlights” page here.
This page on our school website has links to all of the handbooks, including the Family Handbook, Discipline Handbook, Guidance Program, Assessment and Grading.
Family Handbook Update and FAQ Page
Our FAQ page on the school website contains answers to our most frequently asked questions with direct links to the pages within the Family Handbook with the necessary information.
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Heat and Outdoor Activities
Please view this guideline - Heat and Heat Index and Cold Weather Guidelines for Elementary and Middle Schools - that the Archdiocese sent to all of the schools regarding the current weather and heat advisory warnings.
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Yearbooks
Yearbooks are in and will be sent home on Friday, August 18th. Please note: if you had an 8th grader that graduated last year, your book will be held for a special yearbook signing party for that class (more information to come). If you would like your book sent home with a sibling, please email. Click HERE for a list of those families that have already purchased a copy of the yearbook. There are a limited number of copies available for those that did not order yet. Click HERE to order!
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Mass Days and Spirit Days | Mass Day will continue to be on Wednesday each week, and Spirit Day (and our corresponding Weekly Assemblies) will continue to be on Fridays. Attire for Mass Day is the Mass Dress uniform, and attire for Spirit Days can be a St. Cecilia Catholic School spirit shirt, with either jeans or uniform bottoms. Spirit t-shirts can be purchased at the Back To School Bash on Friday, August 18th, or at our online Spirit Store. | |
HSA Volunteer Sign Up Opportunities | |
Room Parent Sign Up Form
If you are interested in volunteering as a Room Parent for this school year, please fill out the Room Parent Volunteer Application online form. We are asking for people to fill out the form for the grade your child is in to be a Room Parent which will allow us to have a list of names, and then after the class lists come out on August 11th, then the Room Parent Committee will match parents with the correct classes in the grades. The Room Parent Coordinators will contact all the Room Parent applicants about the final Room Parent selections in mid-August - after the Homeroom lists go out, and final selections are made.
HSA Committee Sign Up Form
If you are interested in volunteering for one of the many HSA committees, please fill out this online form. A member of the HSA Board or Committee Chair will follow up with you.
CMG Connect Requirement
All volunteers are required to have completed the Archdiocese of Galveston Houston CMG Connect volunteer training. If you have not done the training in the past, or need to complete an updated training please visit this website for the training. All parents who plan on volunteering at any time on campus this year are encouraged to take the online training.
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Student Safety Drills
Please note the following student safety drills will be conducted on the following dates. More information about these events will be communicated closer to the date.
- Monday, August 21st - IRIS Alert Test
- Thursday, August 24th - August Fire Drill
- Tuesday, August 29th - Lockdown Drill
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Java With Jeff Sessions
The annual beginning of the school year “Java With Jeff” sessions will be held on the following dates below for the grades listed. All parents are invited to attend. The meetings will be recorded and shared the Friday of each week in the Insider.
- Tuesday, August 22nd - PK3 - Kindergarten
- Wednesday, August 23rd - 8th Grade
- Thursday, August 24th - 1st - 4th Grades
- Tuesday, August 29th - 5th - 7th Grades
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Used Uniform Drop Off - 8:00AM to 10:00AM
If you have items to drop off for the Used Uniform Sale (happening on Tuesday, August 15th), they need to be dropped off the day before. Items will no longer be accepted on the day of or during the sale on August 15th. Drop off for items will take place on Monday, August 14th from 8:00AM to 10:00AM.
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New Family Welcome - 8:30AM to 9:00AM
All new students and new families joining St. Cecilia Catholic School this year are invited to the school Cafeteria for a welcome reception. Following the welcome reception, new students and families will be taken to their students’ classrooms for the “Sneak-A-Peek” to view their classrooms and meet their teachers.
Sneak A Peek - 9:00AM to 12:00PM
Students entering grades PK3 through 2nd and their families are invited to come to school and “Sneak-A-Peek” anytime between 9AM and 12PM. Your teacher will be eager to see you and welcome you to the new school year. Upon visiting the classroom, you will drop off any materials or supplies you have purchased for the new school year and pick up anything your teacher would like you to take home before the first day of school. This is intended to be a short visit and parents are expected to stay with their children during the visit. Students are not expected to wear their school uniform.
Used Uniform Sale - 9:00AM – 1:00PM
After the New Family Welcome and Sneak-A-Peek all families are invited to go to the Auditorium to buy used uniform items for their students. The HSA (Home and School Association) will also be there selling St. Cecilia Catholic School PE bags.
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Wednesday, August 16th - First Day of School
(Early Dismissal & Regular Uniform Day)
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Please note the school year starts on a Wednesday, and Wednesdays will be our weekly Mass days throughout the year. Since this is the first day of school, we will not begin having our weekly Masses until the following Wednesday (August 23rd). So, for this first day of school, students wear their normal school uniform to school.
7:40AM - 7:55AM – First Day of School Begins (No Carpool - Classroom Drop Off)
There is no morning carpool on the first day of school. We will have Classroom Drop Off for all students. Parents walk their children to their homerooms.
8:00AM – HSA Welcome Back To School Coffee - Auditorium
All parents are invited to the HSA Welcome Back To School Coffee in the Auditorium after doing Classroom Drop Off.
12:00PM – Early Dismissal (No Carpool - Classroom Pick-Up & No Bridges)
The first day of school is an Early Dismissal day. Also, there is no afternoon carpool, it is classroom pickup (parents pick up their children in their homerooms). Please note there is no after-school Bridges program until Friday, August 18th.
1:00PM - 4:00PM Hopes and Fears Virtual Conferences (Day 1)
Our first Parent-Teacher conferences of the year are the Hopes & Fears Conferences. Parents will be given the opportunity to sign up for a specific 10-15 minute time slot. All parents are expected to have a Hopes and Fears Conference with each of their child(ren)’s homeroom teacher(s). Students do not need to be in the virtual Hopes and Fears Conference but are always welcome. The purpose of the Hopes & Fears Conference is for the parent(s) to share their hopes and their fears for their child specific to the upcoming school year. The teacher’s responsibility in these meetings is to listen, take notes, and learn as much as possible about each student. The homeroom teachers will be sending an email to parents with a sign up genius to schedule your Hopes & Fears conference after the homeroom lists are available in FACTS.
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Thursday, August 17th - Second Day of School
(Early Dismissal, Regular Uniform Day, and 1st Day of Carpool)
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7:55AM – Second Day of School Begins (Regular Morning Carpool)
Regular morning and afternoon carpools will begin on the second day of school.
12:00PM – Early Dismissal (Regular Afternoon Carpool, No Bridges)
The second day of school is an Early Dismissal day. Regular afternoon carpool will begin on the second day of school. Please note there is no after-school Bridges program until Friday, August 18th.
1:00PM - 4:00PM - Hopes & Fears Conferences (Day 2)
Thursday is the second day of the Hopes & Fears Conferences. Please see the Day 1 information listed above for more details.
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Friday, August 18th - First Full Day of School
(Spirit Day attire)
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7:55AM – First Full Day of School Begins
The third day of school is the first full day of school. Standard morning and afternoon carpools will both take place. Bridges also begins on this first full day of school.
3:05PM – Oldest and Only Dismissal - PK3 - Kindergarten
Oldest and Only dismissal for PK3 - Kindergarten
3:25PM – Regular Dismissal
Regular dismissal carpool
End of School - 6:00PM - Bridges Program
The Bridges after school program begins. Please see information in the Bridges section of this email for more information.
5:00PM – 8:00PM – Back To School Bash
Join us for Food, Fun, & Fellowship! The Knights of Columbus will be serving hamburgers and hot dogs in the Cafeteria, and inflatables will be set up in the gym. We will also have some music and beer out on the Pavilion - so come out and let's reconnect and kick off the 2023-2024 school year.
While at the Back To School Bash, families will have the opportunity to sign up for the Booster Club and this year’s Booster Club items. More information will be available soon on the items for this year.
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1st and 2nd Grade Parents Lunch and Learn: Standards-Based Learning - Tuesday, August 22nd - 12:00PM
As we communicated at the end of last school year, we are implementing a standards-based approach to assessment, grading, and reporting in 1st and 2nd grade. We are excited to share more with parents and answer questions 1st and 2nd grade parents may have regarding Standards-Based Assessment and Grading, during a virtual Lunch and Learn on Tuesday, August 22 at 12:00PM. A Zoom link will be sent out closer to the event. You can review our handbook for “Understanding Standards Based Assessment and Grading” prior to the Zoom here.
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Meet The Teacher Night - Thursday, August 31st - 6:30PM - 8:30PM
Please mark your calendars for our annual Meet the Teacher Night at St. Cecilia Catholic School for Thursday, August 31st from 6:30PM to 8:30PM. The event is an opportunity for our parents to meet their child(ren)’s classroom teacher(s) and visit their classroom(s). It is also an opportunity to hear from our Principal, Mr. Matthews regarding the new school year. Meet the Teacher Night is intended to give parents (this is a parent-only event) a realistic understanding of the expectations, procedures, routines, and learning experiences their child(ren) will have this year. Parents will be experiencing first-hand what makes our school so special. More information will be shared soon on the schedule for the evening.
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Fall Sports Sign Up & Pre-Participation Medical Physicals | |
Fall Sports Interest Form
The beginning of the school year is fast approaching, and so is the start of middle school athletics. Parents, if you still need to do so, please fill out the sports interest form if you would like to add your child to a fall sport (Cross Country, Football, Soccer, or Volleyball). Those who have already been contacted for fall sports do not need to fill out this Google form. Please note that our Cross Country team is the ONLY fall sports team to allow athletes to begin in 3rd grade. All of our other fall school sports require students to be in 6th-8th grade. Feel free to email Ashley Gomila at agomila@saintceilia.org if you have any questions about athletics.
Required Physical and Pre-Participation Form
Please remember that all our sports require an annual Pre-Participation form filled out by a doctor and parent before your son or daughter may participate in the first practice, including any team tryouts. So please make sure to get this form completed and then scanned and uploaded here as soon as possible.
Free Student Sports Physicals - Saturday, August 5th
Online registration is available to sign up for free student sports physicals on Saturday, August 5th hosted by Christus School Clinics and the Archdiocese. Please click here to register.
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After School Enrichment Opportunities
We offer a variety of fee-based programs each year, such as Gymnastics, Martial Arts, Chess, Art, Dance, Fencing, and Soccer are offered from outside vendors. Please click here to see the opportunities that we have confirmed for the year so far. The list is currently being updated, and the page on the website will be updated over the next few days with additional vendor information.
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Parish Sports - Soccer Registration Now Open
We are looking forward to a great new year!
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If you are experiencing a hardship of any kind please contact the HSA Caring Committee for support or prayer requests. They are here to help!
The HSA Caring Committee is a volunteer group that supports St. Cecilia Catholic School families who are dealing with illness, death, or crisis.
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Prayer Requests for our St. Cecilia Catholic School Community
Prayers for the Faithful Departed
"Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen."
- Paul Hoag, Grandfather of Bobby Hoag
- Robert "Bob" Kelly, Great Grandfather of Jack and Evelyn Brewer
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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. | | | | |
