Archive for the News Category

PRINCIPAL’S NOTE

We started Lent, the 40 days of Preparation for Easter, yesterday with Ash Wednesday. We will focus on three goals of Lenten activity: Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving. Ask your student what these mean to them.

BENEFIT GALA, SATURDAY, MARCH 9, 2019

Please keep our students, staff, families, and supporters in prayer for a Successful and Blessed Evening!

POTHOLES

Please thank Director of Public Works: Ms. Girthal Clemons, 618-482-6743, gclemons@cesl.us. For quick action to fill these awful potholes last week. We asked and she got the work done as promised!

FORTNITE, SMART PHONES AND TABLETS

We are seeing students fall asleep in the morning classes, and they are very honest:

“I was up late”: “playing FORTNITE”; “on SNAPCHAT”; “watching YOUTUBE”.

PLEASE do your students a favor and collect their phones, tablets, etc before 8 PM.

We cannot educate a student who is half asleep. They need your help to set/understand limits of the Internet.

PTO MEETING: MARCH 7 at 6 PM

Please join us to discuss Benefit Gala, End of the Year Family BBQ and more! Thank you for the great support!

ST AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO REVIVAL

Don’t miss this uplifting and powerful spiritual event! Fr Maurice Nutt, who is working on the Sister Thea Bowman sainthood research, will lead a “get out of your seat and praise” revival! Our Liturgical Dance group will join the revival on Wed night for Youth Night!     Sun: 9:30 am,     Mon – Wed: 7 – 9 pm.

3rd QTR REPORT CARD CONFERENCES…MANDATORY!

Please sign up for 3rd QTR Report Card Conferences. Many will start Wed, Mar 20 after school (No Extended Day). We have conferences all day and evening on Thur, Mar 21. No school on Mar 21, 22. Students attend with the parent/guardian. Plan ahead!

SPRING AHEAD THIS WEEKEND

Move clocks ahead 1 hour on Saturday night. Don’t forget, or you will be one hour late everywhere you go!!!

Calendar

March

7 Kindergarten Tea and Open House; PTO at 6 PM

9 Benefit Gala, Four Points Sheraton, Fairview Heights 6 PM; Daylight Savings = Spring Ahead 1 hour

10 -13 St Augustine of Hippo Revival!  Sun: 9:30 am,     Mon – Wed: 7 – 9 pm.

14 8th Grade Ranken Tech College Visit 8:45 – 12:30

15 Gr 2 Mass, End of 3rd Qtr

20 Gr 7 Mass; 3:30 Release all school, No Extended Day; 3rd Qtr Report Conferences Begin

21 Report Card Conferences All Day; No School

22 No School

PRINCIPAL’S NOTE

As Black History Month ends today, Black History remains a growing and evolving narrative of recognition for great people and accomplishments, which may not be in mainstream history books. We learned about so many great people from East St Louis this month, and we have challenged our students to someday be a part of that legacy!

BENEFIT GALA, MARCH 9, 2019

This event is for Adults only. Participating students receive pizza in a separate room. We hope you can join us. Please buy or reserve tickets by Friday! Still want to volunteer, contact the office to find out what you can do!

NO BUS AND 12:30 DISMISSAL MONDAY

Due to a Dist. 189 day-off and our Staff meeting, there is no bus service Monday, and all students leave at 12:30.

POTHOLES

We are trying to get the potholes (craters) on Church Lane fixed to avoid more car damage. You can help by contacting Director of Public Works: Ms. Girthal Clemons, 618-482-6743, gclemons@cesl.us. Let her know that Sister Thea Bowman Catholic School has filed a request already, but we would like some priority.

FORTNITE, SMART PHONES AND TABLETS

We are seeing students fall asleep in the morning classes, and they are very honest:

“I was up late”: “playing FORTNITE”; “on SNAPCHAT”; “watching YOUTUBE”.

PLEASE do your students a favor and collect their phones, tablets, etc before 8 PM.

We cannot educate a student who is half asleep. They need your help to set/understand limits of the Internet.

EMPOWER ILLINOIS

We have to wait for program donations. Please do not count on this for next year unless donations come in.

OPEN HOUSE AND KINDERGARTEN TEA: THURSDAY, MAR 7

Do you know families interested in enrolling here? Please have them come Mar 7th! We will host the 1st – 7th grade prospective families from 10 -12, 1-3, or 4-5. Kindergarten Tea will be 8:30 – 10:00 AM.

PTO MEETING: MARCH 7 at 6 PM

ASH WEDNESDAY MASS: WEDNEDAY, MAR 6 at 8:30 AM

Start Lent off right at our mass. Ash Wednesday starts the 40 days of Lenten preparation for EASTER, our most important Christian Holy Day! Kindergarten will host the mass, and all students receive ashes.

Calendar

March

1 Mass, Staff hosts 8:30

4 NO BUS, 12:30 Dismissal

6 Ash Wednesday Mass, K hosts 8:30

7 Kindergarten Tea and Open House; PTO at 6 PM

9 Benefit Gala, Four Points Sheraton, Fairview Heights 6 PM; Daylight Savings = Spring Ahead 1 hour

PRINCIPAL’S NOTE

Jesus showed COMPASSION to all he met including lepers, prostitutes, tax collectors and sinners. He showed us how to feel empathy for others in need. This week we are working on doing little acts of kindness for all we meet.

EMPOWER ILLINOIS FULL SCHOLARSHIPS

Part two of the process starts tomorrow with an e-mail from Empower. Please see reverse side for directions to complete this very important process.

NO SCHOOL MONDAY…CELEBRATE THE LEGACY OF DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.

DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. DANCE MINISTRY DAY

Come join Rev Tracy for Monday’s Day of Dance Ministry! Use the day-off as a day of worship through dance!

SISTER THEA BOWMAN ROBOTICS CLUB COMPETITION

Our team will compete in the Clavius Project SLU High Robotics Jamboree at SLUH, Sat, Jan 19 @ 8 AM.

GROWN OUT OF UNIFORMS? We NEED Gently Used Uniform Items. Please send them to the office.

SLUH CROSS COUNTRY TEAM DAY OF SERVICE

If you want to come and help paint hallways or bathrooms, join us Sat, Jan 26. We’ll be here from 8am – 1pm.

CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK JAN 27 – FEB 2

Watch for a list of events including Kick-Off Mass at St Augustine of Hippo, ESL, a Spelling Bee on Jan 29, Special Lunch Day, Mission for the Poor activities, Closing Mass at St Augustine and St Dominc in Breese, Feb 2.

SPELLING BEE GRADES 2-8

You are invited to come watch the school Spelling Bee on Tuesday, Jan 29, at 8:30 am.

Student wellness, including good nutrition and physical activity, shall be promoted in the school’s educational program, school activities, and meal programs. This policy shall be interpreted consistently with Section 204 of the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004.

BELIEF STATEMENT

SISTER THEA BOWMAN CATHOLIC SCHOOL is committed to providing a learning environment that supports and promotes wellness, good nutrition, and an active lifestyle for students, staff, and families.

INTENT

The intent of this policy is to support the entire school environment in becoming aligned to healthy school goals that positively influence the beliefs and habits of students, staff, and families. Its intent is to promote health and wellness, good nutrition and regular physical activity. This policy also intends to provide staff members and families with the information and tools to instruct and model healthy eating and physical activity as a valuable part of daily life.

RATIONALE

STBCS committed to compliance with the legal requirements of Public Act 094- 0199 which amended the   Illinois School Code, requiring that all districts have a wellness policy.  This is directly related to the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004.  This law requires local education agencies participating in a program authorized by the National School Lunch Act or the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 to develop a local wellness policy.

It is well-documented that an increasing and substantial number of children are overweight (a triple increase since 1980, according to the National Center for Health Statistics). Students need to exhibit good eating habits and have opportunities for adequate physical activity. The objectives of the wellness policy are to improve the school nutrition environment and promote good health with students, staff, and families.

School communities have the responsibility to help students acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to establish and maintain lifelong healthy lifestyles.  Well-planned and well-implemented wellness programs have been shown to positively influence children’s health.

GOALS FOR NUTRITION EDUCATION

Students in kindergarten through grade 8 shall receive nutrition education. The program shall be designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to adopt healthy eating behaviors.

• Students shall receive nutrition information through existing health and science and physical education curriculum
• Nutrition education should be provided to students each year. Contact hours may include nutrition education provided in health classes, in the cafeteria, at health and career fairs, field trips and assemblies.

Nutrition education shall be emphasized at the district, school, and classroom levels through a variety of media.

• Examples: Posters, color-coded healthy food choices, and promotional events.

The nutrition education program shall offer experiential learning opportunities that potentially have a greater impact on student attitudes and actions.

• Examples: Food tastings, family nutrition programs, sugar content studies, etc.

Staff members and parents will be offered training materials or other resources to assist in providing direction to students in the area of nutrition education.

• Examples: Web resources, newsletter, presentations, etc. GOALS FOR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

Students in kindergarten through grade 8 shall participate twice weekly in physical education and have other opportunities for daily physical activity.

• The school shall provide a daily supervised recess period to encourage elementary students to be physically active.

STBCS shall provide information and activities that engage families as partners in providing physical activity beyond the school day.

• Examples include: family nutrition night, health fairs, open gym dates, newsletters with health tips, presentations to parent groups, etc.

GOALS FOR OTHER SCHOOL-BASED ACTIVITIES DESIGNED TO PROMOTE STUDENT WELLNESS

Healthy Eating

• The food service will make information available about the nutritional content of school meals.
• School meals shall be served in clean, safe and pleasant settings with adequate time provided for students to eat in accordance with state and federal standards and guidelines.
• All food service personnel shall have adequate pre-service training and regularly participate in professional development.
• Food providers shall work with suppliers to obtain foods and beverages that meet the nutrition requirements of school meals and nutrition standards for those sold individually.
• Food providers shall work closely with school instructional staff to reinforce nutrition instruction and foster an environment where students can learn about and practice healthy eating.
• Food providers shall take every measure to ensure that student access to foods and beverages on school campuses meets federa l,state and local laws and guidelines.
• Students, parents, school staff and community members bringing foods and beverages to school for parties/celebrations/meetings shall be encouraged to provide healthful options
• Schools will review fundraising sources and how they might be consistent with school nutrition goals.
• Partnerships between schools and food businesses should emphasize compliance with nutrition standards.
• Schools shall promote nutritious food and beverage choices consistent with the current Food Guide Pyramid such as fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy foods and whole grain products.

School Activities and Environment – Physical Activity

• Teachers of physical education will be provided training support and material resources to ensure the implementation of quality physical education activities.
• Physical education classes shall have a student to teacher ratio comparable to those in other curricular areas.
• Physical activity facilities and equipment on school grounds shall be regularly inspected for safety.

Food or Physical Activity as a Reward or Punishment

• School personnel shall be encouraged to use nonfood incentives or rewards with students and shall not withhold food from students as punishment.
• School personnel shall avoid withholding participation in physical education class as a punishment, unless the student is determined to be a disruptive influence in that class.

GUIDELINES FOR SCHOOL MEALS

School meals served shall be consistent with the recommendations of the Food Guide Pyramid and/or shall meet, at a minimum, the nutrition requirements and regulations for the National School Lunch Program and/or School Breakfast Program and all applicable state and local laws and regulations.

• The school food service department will be responsible in its planning and       record-keeping procedures for following federal, state and local laws and regulations.
• The PRINCIPAL shall be responsible for ensuring that the school meets the local wellness policy requirements.
• The PRINCIPAL will include parents, students, teachers of physical education, and school board members in on-going wellness policy  process
• The PRINCIPAL will conduct an assessment of the wellness policy every three years to determine
  • Compliance with the wellness policy
  • How the wellness policy compares to model wellness policies
  • Progress made in attaining the goals of the wellness policy
• The PRINCIPAL modify or update the wellness policy as appropriate.
• The PRINCIPAL will make the policy available to the public through the family handbook and the school website.