Last Wednesday, the fifth-grade class began the All-School Mass on the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe with a presentation of the history of the apparitions of Our Blessed Virgin Mary to Juan Diego on Tepeyac Hill in 1531. As the story was read by a narrator, class members acted as Juan Diego, the Bishop and his assistants, the dying uncle of Juan, and the Virgin Mary. It was reverent, inspiring and very cute.
Last Thursday, Stefani Thomas, a law enforcement agent working on internet crimes against children, presented information to parents and spoke to our middle school students on internet safety. Her talks were quite enlightening. Here are some of her key points:
It is unrealistic to expect kids to not use social technology, but we do need to set boundaries and expectations. For example, we need to teach kids (and ourselves) to pause 10 seconds and ask these 3 questions before posting, texting or putting any photos on social media:
- Is it appropriate?
- Would it get me in trouble?
- Is there anyone who I don’t want to see it.
Monitor! Monitor! Watch the amount of time your children are on gaming or social networking sites. Do not let your children do their homework in a closed space because they will probably be on their device for part or most of the time. Devices should be used in an observable place. Do not allow their use into a closed bathroom, bedroom etc. (That’s where inappropriate behaviors commonly occur).
There was lots of information to digest. Ms. Thomas will be sending a list of parent resources to Denise Rousso who will forward to all families.
I can’t believe that Christmas is just one week away. Where did the time (and all my plans for holiday organization) go? No matter, all the fun of the season is upon us. Just a reminder… If you plan to invite relatives or friends to our evening Christmas pageant, “The Inn Kaper”, this Thursday, Dec. 20th, the doors will open promptly at 6:30pm for the 7pm show. (There is also a 1:15pm show.) Students, parents and friends will not be allowed in the building prior to 6:30pm. Thank you for your cooperation!
This coming Friday, Santa Claus will be paying a visit to each of the classrooms. We will also have our all-school traditional Christmas Carol sing-a-long starting at 11:30am. Dismissal for our Christmas break will follow at noon. Please join us!
Finally, on behalf of our entire faculty and staff, I wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to work with your wonderful children. They brighten each and every one of our days.
See you Jan 7th 2019!
