Dear Parents,
Yesterday, celebrating our first mass of the school year led me to reflect on the important role that parents play in helping our children to grow closer to God and grow in faith. Our Student Learning Expectations, or “SLEs,” stem from our Core Values to Grow, Accomplish, Love, Serve, and Unite, and living out all these values helps our children to grow academically, spiritually, and socially.
The teachers and I will be regularly referencing our SLEs, which are listed below, posted throughout the school, and available on our school website, www.stpeterssf.org.
A St. Peter’s student has the KEYS to…
GROW by...
- setting and evaluating individual goals to grow spiritually, socially, emotionally, academically, and physically.
- embracing new experiences with an open heart and open mind.
- facing challenges with optimism and faith in God.
ACCOMPLISH by...
- listening and communicating effectively in social and academic environments.
- demonstrating critical thinking skills and knowledge in all subject areas.
- using technology effectively and responsibly.
LOVE by…
- making choices based on the teachings of Jesus Christ.
- nurturing a spiritual life through prayer, retreats, masses, and the sacraments.
- demonstrating an appreciation for what others have done for us.
SERVE by…
- living out the corporal and spiritual Works of Mercy.
- sharing time, gifts, and joy with the school community.
- participating in outreach to strengthen ties with those outside of our school community.
UNITE by…
- engaging in weekly school Mass and morning prayer assemblies.
- supporting and encouraging others in order to strengthen school community.
- welcoming people of all backgrounds as St. Peter’s community members.
Talk to your child about how they live out our SLEs at school and at home!
--Mrs. Sandra Jimenez
BAPTISM
If your child has not received the sacrament of Baptism and you would like him/her to be baptized, please contact the school office.
APPOINTMENTS WITH TEACHERS
If you’d like to meet with your child’s teacher, please make an appointment. The time before the first bell rings is time that each teacher needs to prepare the lessons for the day. Please message your child’s teacher via Class Dojo, email, or a message in the office if you’d like to schedule a meeting so that he/she may plan accordingly.
INDIVIDUAL EMERGENCY KITS
A letter was sent home asking each child to bring an emergency kit to school. While each classroom is equipped with an emergency bag with items such as a first aid kit, flashlights, and batteries, we also want every child to be ready with food and water.
In a Zip-loc bag labeled with your child’s name, please pack: a 16.9 fl. oz. bottle of water and a non-perishable snack such as crackers or a granola bar. These kits will be stored in a closed bin in the classroom. If these emergency packs remain unused, they will be returned to your child at the end of the school year. Please bring these individual emergency packs to your child’s teacher by this Friday, September 13.
ONLINE TRAINING FOR SCHOOL VOLUNTEERS
In order to be a volunteer at school events (such as a field trip chaperone or a sports team coach), adults must complete the online training on www.virtusonline.org.
Follow these directions to complete the VIRTUS online training:
· Go to www.virtusonline.org
· Click on “First-time Registrant”
· Click on “Begin the registration process”
· Select San Francisco (Archdiocese)
· Create a User ID and Password for yourself
· Fill out the requested personal information
· Select St. Peter Elementary (San Francisco) **DO NOT SELECT St. Peter Parish**
· Provide your digital signatures for downloading and reading the documents: “Standards of Conduct for Those Working with Children and Young People” and “Policies and Procedures Regarding Child Abuse”
· Select the online course “Protecting God’s Children for Adults” (Online Training)
· Once you’ve completed the course, go to your Toolbox and click on “Training Report” to verify the completion of your course.
Upon completion of the online course, please email sjimenez@sanpedro.org or print out the “Training Report” page and submit it to the school office. You will receive 2 parent hours.
SCHOOL UNIFORMS
Please ensure that your child is following the uniform policy as stated in the Parent and Student Handbook. Also, several students have already reported missing school sweatshirts, so check that your child’s sweatshirt is clearly labeled with his/her name and grade.
AZTECS SWEATS
Last week, order forms for the gray AZTECS SWEATS (which can be worn on most Fridays) were sent home. Extra forms are available in the office. These sweats are on sale for a LIMITED TIME, so submit your order and payment by the October 2 due date!
ODDS-AND-ENDS SALE
Sr. Lucy is hosting an Odds-and-Ends sale Monday-Friday next week, every morning from 7:30-7:50, and after school on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday if items are still available. Items are free, but donations will be accepted and given to the school’s Missions collection.
IN THE CLASSROOM
KINDER - Kindergarten is officially a BUZZ! On Friday, we celebrated making it through our first week of school with popsicles! We are ready to GROW and share our LOVE! Remember to bring in your "ART T-shirts" and preferably a reusable water bottle!
1A - This week we are continuing to work on our classroom procedures and talking about community. We are working on solving our disagreements and problems using the “I Message.” Please ask your child to demonstrate it for you. Thanks so much for all of your help!
2A - We are reading “The Big Red Lollipop.” We are practicing addition and subtraction within 100, writing about ourselves, and attended our first school mass on Tuesday!
3A – This week we will continue our STAR testing in Math. We practiced our Mass responses in preparation for our opening school Mass. We will also begin our Coding Class with Miss Kendall, who is our USF Partner. The students are excited for this opportunity which will GROW their mindset in yet another way.
4A – This week in 4A, the students will learn about growth mindset. We will focus on Mass responses in Religion and had our first school Mass on Tuesday. In Math, we will begin reviewing place value. In Literacy Block, we will review parts of a story. Homework and Spelling begin this week. We will have our first Spelling Test on Friday.
5A - This week, 5th graders are beginning to learn about the Readers' & Writers' Workshop structure we'll use in ELA this year. We have officially started our spelling routines, so your child should be studying for our first spelling test of the year! Spelling tests will always be on Fridays unless I post otherwise on Class Dojo. In math, 5th graders are using place value charts to expand their understanding of the relationship between adjacent base ten units. Check Class Dojo for daily updates and photos!
6A Religion –We will be preparing for our Building Bridges program with Paula Pardini. Paula will lead ten sessions throughout the year with 6th grade to support them in building a faith community and treating each other as Jesus would treat them. Language Arts – Students will continue to explore the importance of setting in a story. We will read the classic Sherlock Holmes mystery, "The Adventure of the Speckled Band" to analyze how setting and social context can help drive a story's plot. Students have already begun working on our online reading program, Lexia Power Up, and have set learning goals for themselves. Math – Hello everyone. All students need to bring in a three-ring math binder, red pen, and 5 dividers along with their blue folder and notebook to class everyday. Not all students have their supplies yet and it's important so that everyone is set up for success. We will have STAR testing for Math this week, and 6th graders will learn about ratios. Social Studies – Students are carefully reading the tech policy and finding important details that will support them in accomplishing our Schoolwide Learning Expectation of using technology responsibly and effectively. Science – It was great to meet many parents at Back to School Night. A letter about our 6th grade science class was given to parents. For those of you who did not attend, your scientist will be taking a letter home this week. The back of the letter has a place for you to add comments and sign. This week our scientists will be learning about the weather, including severe weather.
7A Religion – Students are preparing to begin their Building Bridges program for their 7th grade year with Paula Pardini this week. Paula will support them in continuing what they learned with her in their 6th grade time with her. Language Arts - Students are continuing to identify and analyze the types of conflict in a short story. They are transitioning to applying the types of conflict, internal or external, in their very own short story! Math - Hello everyone. All students need to bring in a three-ring math binder, red pen, and 5 dividers along with their blue folder and notebook to class everyday. Not all students have their supplies yet and it's important so that everyone is set up for success. We will have STAR testing for Math this week, and 7th graders will learn about ratio and rates. Social Studies – Students are looking ahead to the units they will explore this school year and will begin their Arabia Unit this Friday. Science - Students are completing their conversation about school policies and, at the end of the week, will be showing me what they know about the following: definition of science, four main themes of science, class policies, percentage worth of assignments, and main themes to be covered in class.
8A Religion – Students will be finalizing their lesson on the Catholic community and apostolic succession. They will also be discussing the importance of the sacraments in student's personal lives and in terms of church community. Significant time will be spent examining Christ's true presence in the Eucharist. Language Arts - Students are in the beginning stages of composing their Personal Narratives based on a challenge they have overcame or currently overcoming. They are also continuing the High School Application process, scheduling shadow visits and creating accounts for their online applications. Math - Hello everyone. All students need to bring in a three-ring math binder, red pen, and 5 dividers along with their blue folder and notebook to class everyday. Not all students have their supplies yet and it's important so that everyone is set up for success. We will have STAR testing for Math this week, and 8th graders will be learning about exponential notation. Social Studies – Students are annotating the technology policy so that they can begin the year with a clear understanding of the way that they can accomplish our Schoolwide Learning Expectation: Accomplish by using technology respectfully and effectively. Science - Students are completing their conversation about school policies and, at the end of the week, will be showing me what they know about the following: definition of science, four main themes of science, class policies, percentage worth of assignments, and main themes to be covered in class.
REMINDERS:
Sept. 3-13 STAR Testing, Window 1
Sept. 12 St. Ignatius Presentation to 8th graders
Sept. 16-20 “Dimes from Heaven” Collection
Sept 20 Mercy Day School Mass, 8:30 AM
Sept 22 Sunday Family Mass and Reception, 9:30 AM
Sept. 23 12:30 Dismissal
Sept. 25 Parent Communion Meeting in Church, 5:45 PM
Sept. 26 8th Grade Parent Meeting, 7:15 AM or 6:00 PM
