School Newsletter 12-17-20

Dear St. Gerald Family,

We want to wish you a very Merry Christmas and the happiest New Year ever! 

We are so grateful that you are a part of our family!  Even though we cannot be together cheering on our teams or playing Christmas games, we still can take time this Advent season to reflect on the blessings that we do have. We are blessed with all of you and we hope that you enjoy the holidays as well as our Christmas break.

There will be NO newsletter next week due to the short time that we are together. We do have regularly scheduled days on Monday and Tuesday. However, we realize that some families will travel over the holidays.  If you need to pick up your child(ren) early on Tuesday or if your child(ren) won’t be in at all, please make sure to let his/her homeroom teacher know as well as the office. Newsletters will resume on Thursday, January 7. We will send a reminder email on Monday, January 4 about remote learning on Wednesday, January 6. I-Ready Diagnostic Testing Reports will be sent home when we return from remote instruction, after all students have been able to complete the testing.

Per the Archdiocese Office of Catholic Schools, we cannot allow parents to send in any treats for the students.  Any celebrating must be low key this year, just like Halloween.  However, the students will be allowed to dress in red or green or Christmas attire both Monday and Tuesday.  On Tuesday, classes will hold small celebrations so if you would like to send in Manna cards/cash to your child(ren)’s homeroom teacher(s) for treats, please let the homeroom teacher(s) know. Classes will be decorating their doors in a door decorating competition, so if you have any items at home that you do not mind loaning to classes, that would be great. All items will be returned on Tuesday to students. We’ll select one winner from each level (preschool-2, 3-5, 6-8) and those classes will get donuts on our first day back in person. Students learning at home may participate as well! Decorate your bedroom or front door and send us a picture.  You can win a prize too!

Our Christmas break runs from Wednesday, December 23 until Tuesday, January 5.  No one requested extended care services, so there will be no one on campus during that time, or during remote learning.  Remote learning will take place from Wednesday, January 6 until Friday, January 15.  All students, unless their homeroom teachers have told them otherwise, should follow their teachers’ remote learning schedule.  Students in 2nd through 8th grades should follow the schedule attached. Preschool, kindergarten, and first grades have schedules adapted by their homeroom teachers. Students should use the classroom Google links that their teachers have set up for them.  If they have any questions, they should reach out to the homeroom teachers.  We will not have school on Monday, January 18 in observance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. We will continue to wear St. Gerald gym uniforms after remote learning and probably for the remainder of the year. We will see the students in person on Tuesday, January 19.

As we wrap up 2020, I wanted to provide you with some very general statistics regarding our COVID cases.  I have reported about four dozen cases to the Archdiocese medical team since we began on September 1.  Out of four dozen cases that I have reported, only about 40% of those cases actually turned out to be positive.  For a school of 321 students and about 35 staff members, we have fared remarkably well, and I am very thankful to everyone for their help and support.  The staff and students have worn masks, followed social distance guidelines, and stayed home when ill.  It has been very trying at times and our staff members have tripled their duties, but it has been worth it.  Our students are thriving and learning.  And for that, we thank God.

May you and your family have a blessed Christmas and a wonderful new year!

Kemberly Markham

REMINDER

December 8, 2020

To All St. Gerald School Parents:

Christmas is the perfect time to share our love and gratitude with our children's teachers and school staff.

Mothers' Club will provide the opportunity for you to show your genuine appreciation by collecting and distributing a staff Christmas Fund.  It has been very successful in the past and crosses off a few people on your list, too!

If you would like to participate and make a donation to the Christmas Fund, please send a check payable to St. Gerald Mother's Club, and return it to school no later than December 18th  to:  Mothers' Club – Attn:  Sharon Duggan.

A card listing all the participating families will be included with each monetary gift.  Teacher and staff gifts will be distributed on Tuesday, December 22nd.

We are truly blessed to have such dedicated teachers and support staff tending to our children's education, spiritual, and social needs.  What a great way to say "Thank You!"

If you have any questions, please let us know.  

Happy Holidays!

        Marla, Sharon, Jen, Nikki, and Lisa