eGazette - March 10, 2010

Principal's Piece

Lent Check-In

Occasionally, I receive requests to share my perspectives on specific topics that are currently affecting the lives of our parents, students or staff, either personally or within our faith family community. I am humbled by these requests and attempt to offer thoughts while open to all of the imperfections of my own humanness. I take my role as a spiritual leader of our children very seriously and seek to learn and grow in faith, along with them. This past week, I received a request to share my thoughts on gossip, a very human and dangerous dynamic that strikes us all in one way or another.

There is a powerful scene in the movie, "Doubt" where Father Flynn, portrayed by Academy Award winner Phillip Seymour Hoffman, delivers a commanding homily to his parishioners on the injurious nature of gossip. He speaks of a woman, guilt-ridden on how she's shared untrue information about a person. Her Priest, confirming that gossip is a sin, assigns her an unusual task: "Take a feather pillow to the roof of your apartment. Cut the pillow open and return to me." She did and returned to her Priest who asked what happened. She replied that feathers had flown everywhere. The Priest instructed her, "I want you to go out and gather up every last feather that flew out into the wind." The woman panicked, "It can't be done! I don't know where they went! The winds took them all over." The Priest proclaimed, "And THAT...is gossip"

The scriptures remind us no to "bear false witness against our neighbor" (Exodus 20:16). Have I spoken unkindly about someone? Have I shared information that may or may not be true about a situation or a person that may or may not involve me? Have I stood by and watch others do this?

Seemingly simplistic, yet loaded with wisdom, consider these quotes about gossip:

- What you don't see with your eyes, don't witness with your mouth. ~Jewish Proverb

- Do not repeat anything you will not sign your name to. ~Author Unknown

- It isn't what they say about you, it's what they whisper. ~Errol Flynn

- Those who gossip to you, will gossip about you. ~Spanish Proverb

- Live in such a way that you would not be ashamed to sell your parrot to the town gossip. ~Will Rogers

Unfortunately, even our own school and parish community, a human family, has suffered from time to time due to gossip. In most cases, it is not intentional, but rather happens as a result of not knowing facts and possessing an unwillingness to search for the truth or disregard the rumors because they are not based in creditability. For our children, this is important because we strive to teach them how to search for truth, authoritative sources, and think critically when processing information. For us as adults, it comes down to the importance of modeling appropriate behavior. Our children in so many ways learn from what we do and what we say as opposed what we tell them to understand.

Of more substance is to consider what gossip does to our relationship with God. During Lent, we are called to identify and address any action, behavior or thoughts which push us away from God. Thankfully, we are embraced by God who is all loving and forgiving. For us, that means being willing to ask for that forgiveness. St. John the Baptist Catholic Church and School offers a communal experience of the Sacrament of Reconciliation during Advent and Lent. On Tuesday, March 23rd, our 3rd through 8th grade students will receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation at school. On Tuesday evening, March 16th, our parish community is invited to receive this Sacrament. The Sacrament of Reconciliation offers us means to confidentially deal with that that drags us down; to receive forgiveness, freedom, strength and an opportunity to grown closer to God. Farther Gordon articulated this beautifully when he described this Sacrament during his homily last Sunday and offered us a personal invitation to becoming closer with God. While we cannot stuff the feathers back into the pillow once the wind has carried them away, we can take steps to assure that we do not cut into pillows from our rooftops in the future even when it becomes tempting to do so.

I offer my continued prayers to you and ask for yours during this sacred Lenten season.

In Peace,
Nancy Jordan
Principal

 Principal's Piece

"Hurry up and wait!"

The turkey leftovers have barely been morphed into sandwiches and already I'm on the hunt for the Advent wreath. Which box did I drop that into last January 1st when I was frantically clearing the house of the all evidence of the holiday season? I finally find the wreath, hunt down 3 purple candles, 1 pink candle and set the entire display on the table. A competition with myself has been won - I placed the wreath before the first Sunday of Advent! And now the Jordans wait, along with all persons of faith. We wait for the birth of the baby that was sent to save us - the baby that began our journey as Christians. While we wait, we teach. We teach and share our faith with our children so that they will carry on the message of Advent...into their own homes and to their own children. At school, we teach this season of anticipation, hope and prayer in the following ways:

- The Color Purple: Purple is the color of the liturgical season of Advent. It is the sign of royalty as we prepare for the King. Notice the purple swags over classroom and office doorways. Check out the purple draped over the classroom prayer tables and purple banners decorating the church. If you see Sister Joyce, ask her why she displays the only pink cloth over her classroom door.

- Advent Wreath: During morning assembly, the student council will light the Advent Wreath which will remain on display in the hallway throughout Advent. They explained significance and importance of the wreath to our student body.

- School Reconciliation Service: On Wednesday, 12/9, our 3rd through 8th grade students will be invited to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation, an important gift from our church that allows us to reflect on our own journeys as Christians.

- Service Projects:
-- Catholic Charities: Each class will be pulling names off of our angel trees, located in our church. They will venture out to Kohls, Target and WalMart to provide Christmas to many families in need. Teachers will lead students in honest discussion about how families right here in our own community struggle to find food, shelter and clothing.
-- Cookies with a Prayer: In another important parish effort, students are invited to bake cookies and decorate treat bags for minors who are incarcerated at the Napa County Juvenile Hall. Based on the thank-you letters we've received in the past, this thoughtful gesture is greatly appreciated and helps a group of God's children who are often overlooked.
-- Service Project: St. Vincent de Paul: We've already filled the St. Vincent de Paul food barrels several times with non-perishable food items. Our students should be very proud of themselves.
-- Service Project: Anointing Mass and Luncheon: Many of our students created place mats and sang yesterday at our parish Anointing Mass and Luncheon.
-- Service Project: "With Love from the Home Team": Many of our students sent hand-written letters to our troops overseas, sharing words of support and holiday blessings.

- Advent Program: Our teachers, under the creative guidance of Mrs. Hirsohn have been developing a unique Advent program to present to our school and parish families this year. It will be a dramatic, meaningful celebration of this very special time of our liturgical year.

- Christmas Parties: Of course, in the midst of all of this work and care for others, our students will enjoy some festivities. Most classes will be holding an Advent/Christmas party on Friday, 12/18 but stay posted on specifics from your child's teacher.

- Christmas Eve Family Mass: Even though we'll be on vacation, our church is alive! All school and parish children are invited to participate in our Christmas Eve Family Mass on 12/24 at 5pm. They are welcome to come dressed in their "Sunday best" or as shepherds or angels.

As you can see, as the song says, it is the most wonderful time of the year. It's also the most hectic time of the year! Let's all remember to take a deep breath, count our blessings and pray for those who struggle.

Welcome Advent!

In Peace,
Nancy Jordan, Principal

 Principal's Piece

 Principal's Piece

"Education is one of the most important ways by which the Church fulfills its commitment to the dignity of the person and the building of community."
(To Teach as Jesus Did, 1972, #13)

Reflecting on this, my fifth year as Principal of St. John the Baptist Catholic School, I am more confident than ever in our dedicated staff, high quality families and incredibly well-rounded students. Mix in the tireless, dedicated support of our Pastor, Fr. Gordon and countless daily prayers from faithful parishioners and alumni and we've got ourselves a unique, mission-focused, joyful school. We are truly blessed.

In addition to managing the many daily activities and programs of our fine institution, I've embarked on several advancement projects this year. You'll be hearing about these "futures planning" activities and all those who have joined in the many efforts to ensure church and school sustainability and mission advancement. Today I share with you information about several projects and seek your input in the planning.

1. Little Playground: You may recall that following our last WASC/WCEA accreditation visit, it was recommended that daily use of the "little playground" across the street be eliminated due to frequent and speeding traffic along Napa St. We recently learned that Napa St. is permanently closed at Soscol thanks to the flood control project. This virtually eliminated traffic on Napa St. We have determined that the crossing is comfortably safe for our children and have now reclaimed the playground for our students! This past weekend, Boy Scout Troop 86, consisting of several current and alumni students and coordinated by Tom and Sam Calforda, facilitated a major deep cleaning and inspection of the structure. Several additional improvements are being planned. Please contact the Calfordas if you can contribute time, talent or treasure. The exciting news is that we've expanded our play space for our parish and school children!

2. Development plan: Our Development Council, a sub-committee of our School Council, has outlined a Development Plan for the 09/10 school year. To sum, all fundraising efforts, including those connected with the general school budget and those connected with Family Club, have been analyzed for effectiveness and efficiency. This year, there will not be a "Gala" has you have traditionally known, but instead you will see increased efforts toward those activities which have been historically successful or under accessed.

3. 5-Year Plan: Consistent with our WASC/WCEA Action Plan, our parish is undergoing the process of strategic planning. The strategic planning team consists of school and parish representatives who come to the table with a variety of personal and professional gifts. Our outcome will be a 5-Year Plan that will detail the ministry, facilities and funding priorities of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church.

Because St. John the Baptist Catholic School is an educational ministry of our church, it is important for all stakeholders to share their vision. What are your wishes? What are your dreams for your school? Some needs are obvious: aged windows and a leaky roof. But what do you believe St. Johns needs to move forward into its second century?

Enclosed you will find several copies of a simple survey. Please complete one and have your child complete one. If you have access to alumni or alumni parents, please ask them to complete it as well. Your voice is important.

In closing, you can see how much we've got going on. I will keep you informed, as always, in all areas of our WASC/WCEA Action Plan. We are a thriving community thanks to the gifts of so many. I am thankful for the culture of learning and the caring community we have all created. Our children benefit every day. God is good!

With One Voice... We'll Pass the Word Along.

In Peace,
Nancy Jordan
Principal

8/10/09

Dear St. John the Baptist Catholic School Families,

The start of the 09/10 school has arrived!  Amongst all the activity, new textbooks, materials, paperwork, I wish to express to you details of how we are managing the community concern of the H1N1 (Swine Flu) virus. While we do not want to alarm or cause concern, we want to assure you we are being proactive in our health and safety practices.

Communication with Napa County Department of Public Health/Napa County Office of Education:  We are connected with both of these agencies who provide me regular e-mail updates and conference calls on H1N1.

Health Measures on Campus:  Teachers will be implementing CDC recommended health practices including providing regular opportunities for students to wash hands and use our wall-mounted hand sanitizing stations.  Desks will be wiped down regularly with anti-bacterial wipes.

Compliance with the Centers for Disease Control ( www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu ):  Please see the following for information and recommendations provided by the CDC.

Symptoms:

The symptoms of H1N1 flu virus in people are similar to the symptoms of seasonal flu and include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills, and fatigue. A significant number of people who have been infected with novel H1N1 flu virus also have reported diarrhea and vomiting.  If you are sick, you may be ill for a week or longer. 

What you should do if you have symptoms:

Unless necessary for medical care, you should stay home and minimize contact with others, including avoiding travel and not going to work or school, for 7 days after your symptoms begin or until you have been symptom-free for 24 hours, whichever is longer.

Protect Yourself, Your Family, and Community:

Stay informed. Health officials will provide additional information as it becomes available. Visit the CDC H1N1 Flu website (www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu).

Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze (or cough into your sleeve if tissue is not available). Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.

Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.

Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Germs spread this way.

Try to avoid close contact with sick people.

If you are sick with a flu-like illness, stay home for 7 days after your symptoms begin or until you have been symptom-free for 24 hours, whichever is longer, except to seek medical care or for other necessities. Keep away from other household members as much as possible. This is to keep you from infecting others and spreading the virus further.

If you are sick and sharing a common space with other household members in your home, wear a facemask, if available and tolerable, to help prevent spreading the virus to others.

Do not share beverages, foods, or eating/drinking utensils.

Additional Recommendations for K-12 Schools:

School dismissal is not advised for a suspected or confirmed case of novel influenza A (H1N1) and, in general, is not advised unless there is a magnitude of faculty or student absenteeism that interferes with the school’s ability to function.

Students, faculty, and staff who appear to have an influenza-like illness at arrival or become ill during the day (or at a school function) should be isolated promptly in a room separate from other students and sent home.

Aspirin or aspirin-containing products should not be administered to any person aged 18 years old and younger due to the risk of Reye syndrome.  Please consult your physician.

Parents and guardians should monitor their school-aged children, and faculty and staff should self-monitor every morning for symptoms of influenza-like illness.

Ill students should not attend alternative child care or congregate in other neighborhood and community settings outside of school.

Thank you for your attention to the above.  The media coverage may cause worry but our response continues to focus on best practices in health management, something we need follow throughout the year to avoid all routine colds and flu.

In Peace,

Nancy Jordan

Principal

eGazette - June 10, 2009

Principal's Piece

"Now is the Time"
June, 2009

Dear St. John the Baptist Catholic School Families,

Welcome summer! I hope you are looking forward to relaxing and enjoying extra moments with your children. The halls at school are now quiet, but we'll be busy at school in the next few days. Our dedicated staff will spend quality time planning 09/10 and, after the summer respite, we will look forward to another highly-focused, faith-filled academic year.

Before we hit the beach and pull out the sunscreen, I share several announcements:

- Congratulations, Graduates! Last night we celebrated the graduation of the St. John the Baptist Catholic School Class of 2009. They are a wonderful group of young persons whose intelligence, faith and friendships will carry them through life. I reminded them they are part of our family forever and welcomed them to visit us as they go and grow. Please keep them in your prayers as they transition to high school.

- Save the Date! Please save the date for our Parent-Only, Back-to-School evening on: Wednesday, August 26. It's our only non-child event and critical to our parent/school partnership as we begin another academic year.

- Summer Communication: Our summer office hours are 8am - 12pm, Tuesday-Thursday. Mrs. Giaquinto, Mrs. Saunders and Mrs. Sylvester will be checking messages regularly. Phone messages can be left at the school number: 224-8388. E-mail can be sent to: schoolinfo@stjohnscatholic.org.

- School Web Site: Another important route of communication this summer will be our School web site. Please check it for the calendar, supply lists, summer homework, etc.

- Welcome New Families: I offer a special welcome to our new families who will be joining us in the Fall. If you haven't already, you will soon hear from our Family Club to answer any questions and make sure your child(ren) are comfortable in their transition. You will soon see the blessing that is this community.

To our returning families, thank you for your on-going support and for the gift of your children whom you have entrusted to our care. We are in a tremendous place with an enthusiastic and dedicated faculty, incredibly supportive Parish, connected Alumni and clear focus on the beautiful Mission of our school.

To all, I am looking forward to guiding your children as they grow in faith and knowledge throughout the 09/10 school year.

In closing, I'd like to share with you our theme for the 09/10 school year. This year, we established that "Now is the Time" to thrive at St. John the Baptist Catholic School. Next year, we will celebrate "With One Voice". Watch for activities, events and assignments that connect us with the reality that, when we gather our unique talents, gifts, abilities, we proclaim the Good News "With One Voice"!

Have a safe, relaxing summer and enjoy many faith-filled moments with your precious children. Return to us renewed and ready to accomplish the 09/10 school year "With One Voice".

In Peace,

Nancy Jordan
Principal

"Now is the Time"

Dear St. John the Baptist School families,

It's hard to imagine we're speeding toward the close of another year. The 08/09 school year brought many accomplishments and I wish to thank each and every one of you for the many gifts you and your children bring to our blessed community. Programmatically, we enjoyed many enhancements in the 08/09 school year:

- Facility improvements that supported greater safety, security, energy-efficiency and beautification of our campus: We began the school year with a radiant floor heating system, double-paned, windows for grades 2,3,7 and 8, ceiling fans, sensor lights and beautiful and improved landscaping.

- Comprehensive upgrade of our Computer infrastructure: We replaced all workstations in our Computer Lab, deployed and updated the current Lab computers to staff, updated our security supports, transitioned all computers to the Vista operating system, purchased a new Server and re-wired the network.

- Adoption of a new Religion Textbook series: These greatly needed textbooks were adopted and implemented at all grade levels. We dedicated time as a staff to analysis our diocesan Religion "scope and sequence".

- Continued focus on Language Arts as we further developed our "Six Traits of Writing", school--wide writing program: We accessed our private school allotment of "No Child Left Behind" funds to expand our knowledge base in this critical area.

- Curriculum Analysis of our Mathematics Program: The staff spent the year in a guided analysis of our Mathematics program including the standards, curriculum, instruction, pacing and mapping.

- Development of the "Friendship Club", a school-wide, Peer Conflict Resolution/Anti-Bullying program: The lunchtime, "Friendship Club", facilitated by Ms. DiMarco, was a tremendous successful in proactively and reactively teaching positive, Christian social skills.

- Continued advancement of our Technology Curriculum: Our pilot participation in the "School Technology Program", a partnership with Boston University and the University of Richmond, continued in 08/09 with new curriculum and an added course in "Cyber-ethics".

- Our Parish Sesquicentennial celebration: We commemorated the 150 year presence of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in the Napa Valley through many varied activities and the launch of our Capital Campaign to develop and support our parish and school.

- Continued development of our school-wide Learning Garden

- Development of our Art Studio and the implementation of the standards-based art program, "Arts Attack": The former religious adult education room across from the Computer lab was transformed into a top-of-the line artist studio by many talented, creative and dedicated parents. Mrs. Gibbs facilitated the "Arts Attack" program which introduced our students to various art forms, artists and materials.

Of course, our success is based on the valued partnership we share between home and school. Our dedicated faculty and staff, who view their jobs as their vocation, spend countless hours preparing for their precious time with their students. I thank them for all they give for the Mission of our fine school. I am pleased to announce our 09/10 school year staffing:

Principal: Nancy Jordan
Principal's Assistant: Stephanie Saunders
School Secretary: Jennifer Giaquinto
Kindergarten: Mrs. Carole McClintick
1st Grade: Mrs. Samara Calforda
2nd Grade: Mrs. Celine Ford
3rd Grade: Sister Joyce Poeschl
4th Grade: Mrs. Suzanne Berube
5th Grade: Ms. Linda Lee
6th Grade: Mrs. Betsy Kiernan
7th Grade Homeroom, 7th/8th Grade Language Arts and Social Studies, Resource Support: Mrs. Julie Picard
8th Grade Homeroom, 7th /8th Grade Math, Science and Spanish: Mr. Milton Gallegos
7/8 Math Part time position: Open
Physical Education, 7th/8th Grade Religion: Ms. Michele DiMarco
Music: Mr. Tony Carlin
Extended Care: Mrs. Eileen Dehzad, Mrs. Suzanne Gibbs & Mrs. Nubia Kunst
Library: Mrs. Rozann Evans
Art: Mrs. Suzanne Gibbs
Instructional Assistant K/1: Mrs. Paulette Boyce
Instructional Assistant: Mrs. Katie Batt
Computer Lab/Science Lab: Mrs. Kristen Stiver
Bookkeeper: New Level Group (outsourced)
Bookkeeping Assistant: Denise Sylvester
*We are evaluating our K-6th grade Spanish program. Details to follow*

As the new year comes, so do changes. We offer a bittersweet good-bye to Mrs. Linda Woolworth and Mrs. Shelly Saucedo. Mrs. Woolworth and her wonderful husband, "Wooly", our electrician-in-residence, are heading to Calaveras County to live near family. Mrs. Wooly is a dedicated and incredibly faith-filled teacher who has touched the hearts and minds of hundreds. I tremble to think of the Advent program without her talents! We are saddened by her departure but know she will take us with her in prayer.

Mrs. Shelly Saucedo and family will be moving to Maine shortly after the birth of baby #3. We will miss Mrs. Saucedo's generous spirit and flexibility. In addition to assisting, covering and substituting across all grade levels, Mrs. Saucedo's work with our parish religious education program is so greatly appreciated. Best wishes to the Saucedo family of 5!

Two of our classrooms will receive new teachers in 09/10. However, neither are new to St. John the Baptist Catholic School. Mrs. Kiernan is moving from Kindergarten to 6th grade. Mrs. McClintick is moving from Jr. High to Kindergarten. Please read the li