Dear SKS Families,
I hope you are keeping warm. Sit by the fire with some hot chocolate and catch up on the latest blog.
Catholic Schools Week
Welcome to Catholic Schools Week! Many thanks to our SKS Families and Friends who helped us out this week by sponsoring some of the learning activities planned for the week. As we celebrate Catholic Education I want you to know that while we have fun, the theme of Learn, Serve, Lead – Succeed is carried through many of the various activities. So while we may take a break in the regular routine of classes, it’s not just all fun and games. Your child will still be taking part in some great learning experiences.
This past Monday, in two separate assemblies, our students enjoyed the storytelling of Quiet Riot (not to be confused with you hard rock fans of the music group – Quiet Riot).
Quiet Riot: Bill & David Mettler, Storytellers
Brothers Bill and Dave Mettler have performed internationally and to hundreds of schools including elementary, high school and colleges such as University of Pennsylvania and Duke University. They have also presented to major corporations such as IBM and Cigna, as well as NASA, the Naval Academy and the National Storytelling Festival. The KG- 4 assembly was entitled the Magic of Kindness. Ask your child about their message with their childhood friend, Lisa, who taught them the idea of Listening, Inclusion, Sharing and Appreciation (LISA). Ask them how one act of kindness can spread like one pebble thrown into a pond and can create a ripple effect. The second assembly for grades 5 to 8 was entitled 21st Century Leaders. Ask your child about the story of Ahmed, Moustafa and the Arabian horse or the story of The Stone Cutter Who Wished for More. The morals of these stories shared themes of making good choices, respect, and a sense of belonging. Another common theme was asking each of us an important question: “What are you doing to build up your family and community?”
The rest of the week is planned out to teach our students to learn, serve, and lead. Is there anything more important we could teach to our students?
Bishop Elect Joseph Coffey
Recently, an announcement came from Rome that Pope Francis has appointed Reverend Joseph L. Coffey as bishop. He is also the brother of SKS mom, Marita (Coffey) Finley (husband – Dan), and uncle to Stephen and Ronan here at SKS. Bishop Elect Finley has come to school and church on occasion to speak with our school community. We share in his and his family’s joy in this announcement. Father Coffey is a priest of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and a long-serving chaplain in the United States Navy with the rank of Commander. He will serve as an auxiliary bishop in the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, following his episcopal ordination.
SKS Students Speak (via sticky notes)
The following statement was put on the cafeteria white board for students to respond to on sticky notes: The one thing I have learned about myself so far this year is…….
- that I am a good writer
- that I can be kind
- that I don’t have much time left to be a kid
- the Eagles apparently weren’t good enough this year to win the Super Bowl
- that I am getting better at timed math
- to believe in myself
- that I don’t like Fortnite
- that I am good at art
- that I love school and have awesome friends
- that I’m a good dancer
- that I have made friends with new students
- that having confidence in what you do is important
- that I like to sing
Safe to Say Something (S2SS) – state mandated program for keeping school safe
Recently the Pennsylvania state legislature passed Act 44 regarding measures for school safety in all schools. The Safe to Say Something (S2SS) is a state mandated program that all schools in the state will be required to participate in. In September, as a school we adopted a See Something; Say Something Pledge which we asked grades 6th, 7th, and 8th students and parents to sign off on. This state mandate is an extension of our own school’s approach to keeping our school safe. Next week you will receive a much more detailed letter about the program and what it means for us. Stay tuned and be on the lookout for it.
Take care,
Bud