Thursday, January 16, 2014

January 17, 2014 - Corpus Christi Catholic School Schindler's List

Happy Second Week in Ordinary Time!


AS ALWAYS - CHECK OUT OUR COLT EXPRESS AT CCCSCOLTEXPRESS.BLOGSPOT.COM to read what is being shared with our entire community! 

Lesson Plans
As we learned about in our PLCs this week, lesson planning and use of lesson plans are one of the most important things a teacher can prepare in planning for good instruction. As we have many second language learners in our room, this is a great link on the importance of lesson planning, especially for these types of learners : 2nd Language Lesson Planning

Next week, we will be checking lesson plans so please make sure you have the following as we will be looking for exemplars to share with other teachers:

  • Title
  • Objective
  • 1-2 standards (no more than this and no numbers - make sure to write out 1 ELA and 1 content area standard if not ELA for each lesson) that you are focusing on with this objective
  • One formal or informal assessment for EVERY lesson

Team Meetings
As a reminder, it is very important that every team meets at least every other week.  Please work together to make sure all members of your team can attend and submit notes to me at the end of each meeting.  We will be using these as part of our AdvanEd reporting.

Allergy Alert
As most of you know, we work under delegation of a registered school nurse here at Corpus Christi.  At our last monthly visit, our nurse has given us direction related to any students who have allergies to such things as peanuts, bee stings, etc. Many students, with these type allergies, already have medications such as epipens and the required medical paperwork here at school in case of such an emergency but we have a few that do not.  A private list of these students is available at all times in our school office and the cafeteria and it is noted whether or not we have meds available.  You as teachers are also informed of these kiddos via your role sheet and any designated flags on www.teacherease.com.  

PLEASE NOTE from this point forward: 

  • If a student has an allergy and it is noted on the RED ALLERGY sheets in both the cafeteria and the office that we do not have meds for them, PLEASE call 911 immediately if they have an allergic reaction.  We ask that you then call the office and we will then come to you and call parents, per our delegating nurses' direction. 
  • If a student has an allergy and it is noted on the RED ALLERGY sheets AND the office has meds for them, PLEASE call the office to get meds THEN call 911 immediately if they have an allergic reaction.  We will then come to you and then call parents, per our delegating nurses' direction. 

If your have as student on this list that and we do not have emergency response medications for them, please encourage them to contact Dawn Ambuul or Nichole Munoz to acquire information on how to make this happen.  

Uniform Infractions
As we have come back from Christmas break, there have been numerous uniform infractions that are occurring.  Please hold students accountable for wearing the appropriate Corpus Christi Catholic School uniform policy including proper jackets/sweatshirts in the classroom.  It might be advantageous to review the policy as a class so everyone is on the same page.  

Reading Street Inventory
As we believe all of our Reading Street and Prentice Hall supplies have arrived, we are asking for you to return the inventory list where you note what you have and what you may be missing.  We will touch base with Pearson to get what you are missing after we receive these inventory sheets.  Please turn these into Dawn ASAP so we can get this completed.

Professional Development
Some teachers have asked about professional development and how they can get their required CDE hours and move up in the Teacher evaluation rubric. I wanted to give you a quick run-down on how this works:
  • Professional Development that we have at school will be accumulated at the end of the year and a certificate for your records will be created. All PLCs and other training where there is a sign in sheet will be added to your yearly certificate. 
  • Professional Development is ultimately the responsibility of the teacher.  Opprtunities may be paid for by the school if they are required by administration but as PD is something a teacher can "take with them", the practice across our diocese is that we do not pay DTO or cost of most professional development opportunities that teachers may choose to participate in,  
  • As a reminder, D11 will allow us to participate in their FREE Professional Development if they have space!  Please contact Marcia Palmer at 520-2555 to set up an account and then access the D11 Electronic Registrar Online (ERO) to take PD classes. 
  • Here is another great article that may help you manage how to get professional development:  "Taking Control of Your Professional Development" - check it out!  http://www.joewoodonline.com/taking_control/
Observation Schedule
After our mid-year evaluations, we will be restructuring our Spot observations schedule. Just as we support our students in different ways, we want to support teachers in the same way. We hope this system will allow for great feedback and help each of you continue to grow.  Therefore, 
  • Teachers who were scored completely or mostly in the exemplary area will have a spot observation at least 1 time per month.  
  • Teachers who scored in exemplary in most areas but also have some proficient 3 areas can expect to be observed at least 2 times per month.  
  • Teachers who scored overall in the proficient 1 or 2 areas or who were hired later in the year, will be observed normally 1 time per week.

VOTE for CCCS for Best In the Springs (AGAIN)
Last year we won our first "Best of the Springs" award and we were so thankful for your votes in making this happen!  Well, it's that time of year again!  

A few months ago we asked you to nominate Corpus Christi in the Gazette's Best of the Springs.  Thanks to your nominations, we are contenders in 4 categories - Best After School Program, Best Elementary School, and Best Preschool and Best Day Care!  Please take a few minutes now and VOTE. Here's how:
  • Go to http://www3.gazette.com/thebestofthesprings/
  • Click on the Click Here to Vote Now tab
  • Choose the FAMILY tab on the left side of the page
  •  Vote in the following areas:   Best After School Program, Best Elementary School, and Best Preschool and Best Day Care 
  • You can also click on Best Middle School and fill in Corpus Christi Catholic School at the bottom.  
  • Join us at the event where they announce the winners!  More info to come on this!
This is an easy way for you to get involved, and it will be difficult to win without 100% participation (get your friends and family involved too).  We want to be make this a repeat year of being a BEST OF THE SPRINGS! 

AdvancEd STAFF Survey
Thanks so much to the teachers and staff who have already completed our Staff Survey!  We have about half of our staff that have completed the survey so far!  As a reminder, the results of the survey are reported to AdvancEd and then we receive all the results as collective data.  All individually identifying information is kept confidential!  So please click on the following link to complete our survey ASAP:  AdvancEd Staff Survey

Announcement Schedule
On all days but Wednesdays we will have announcements over the intercom.  IT IS VERY IMPORTANT to prepare your students and send them down by 8:40 AM.  Our regular schedule is:  3rd Grade - Jan 20-24, 8A - Jan 27-31, 8B - Feb 3-7, 7A - Feb 10-14, 7B -Feb 17-21
Virtue of the Week:
January 20-24 - Temperance

Here's What Happening NEXT WEEK:
Monday, January 20 - NO SCHOOL - MLK Day! Rocky Mountain March for Life
Tuesday, January 21 Everyday Uniform for K-5; PE Uniforms for 6-8; Kim out at Principal's Meeting
Wednesday, January 22 - Mass Uniform for K-8; 1:45 - School Mass
Thursday, January 23- Everyday Uniform for K-8
Friday, January 24- Jeans Day

Reminder of THINGS to DO:
  • Complete the staff survey at the link above
  • Please complete your Tier 2 and 3 Progress Monitoring.  Next Data meeting is the week of January 26- We will discuss these the week of the 26th!  :)
      
EVENTS COMING SOON: 


We are excited to begin CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK - January 26-February 1! 
Here's the EXCITING ways we are celebrating:  

Sunday, January 26 - Faith, Knowledge and Service: In Our Parish
Corpus Christi School Day at Corpus Christi Parish!  Students who attend Mass at Corpus Christi Catholic Church for Mass in UNIFORM will receive a FREE DRESS DOWN PASS today!  We will then have two open house times at our school today - one at 10 AM and one at Noon!  Come join us after Mass for coffee and donuts and bring a friend to show around the school! TAKE TURNS ON YOUR TEAM being at one or the other!  :)

Monday, January 27 - Faith, Knowledge and Service: In Our Community
Today our CCCS will be showing our appreciation to our wonderful community!  Today we will be going out on class service projects!  Please send back permission slips that your child's teacher asap if needed.  Also, we are making BIRTHDAY BOXES!  

Each class is assigned an item (listed below) to bring today!  These items will be put together and placed in a box by our 8th graders and then given to Catholic Charities to share with the low income families they served so they can celebrate their family birthdays!  It should be a GREAT learning experience! Here's what to send to school with your child:
  • Pre-school, Pre-K                              Wrapping paper or gift bags
  • Kinder –Wilson                                   Paper plates/napkins
  • Kinder-Leckey                                     Balloons
  • 1st – Maloney                                      Party Bags
  • 1st-Baca                                                 Party hats
  • 2nd – Ortiz                                            Party bag fillers
  • 2nd-Gonzalez                                      Streamers
  • 3rd – Corbett                                        Party Bag Fillers
  • 4th – Gieck                                            Balloons and Streamers
  • 5th – Nuvolini                                     Birthday Cake Candles
  • 6th – Degenhart                                 Forks/spoons
  • 7th – Hennessey                                Frosting
  • 7th – Conlon                                        Cake Mix
  • 8th – Bruno                                          Boxes/Baskets

Tuesday, January 28 - Faith, Knowledge and Service: In Our Students
Today we have celebrate our daily theme of:  CATHOLIC SCHOOL IS A FIESTA!  Today students dress down in their "fiesta" colors or clothing! We will have dancing, food and fun beginning at 1:45 today!  We are asking our CCCS Fiesta Dance Team to perform and then teach us some moves!  This will be followed by a fiesta dance for our students!  Parents are HIGHLY encouraged to join us for this celebration of our students! 

Wednesday, January 29 - Faith, Knowledge and Service: In Our Nation
NO CCCS Mass due to Friday's events 
Children will have the opportunity to “Dress Down” in red, white and/or blue “Americana” clothing.  During this day each homeroom class and middle school religion classes will be making Valentines for Vets and a thank you craft for our volunteers.  At 2:00 PM this afternoon, our Corpus Christi Boy Scouts will be invited to perform the Flag ceremony.  Families will be invited to attend – especially those that are active and retired military.  We will ask Father Mark and/or Fr. Joe to join us to say a blessing for us and then we will join hands in a prayer circle around the gym to pray for those serving our nation. 

Thursday, January 30 - Faith, Knowledge and Service:  In Our Vocations
This day we will be celebrating how we are each called to serve God in different ways!  We will be inviting area Priests, Deacons, Sisters and other religious Lay employees in our Diocese to come and have lunch with us for the day! 
We will run an assembly schedule today and at 1:45 PM, a special presentation about vocations will be held for all 6-8 grade students with a sister speaking with girls and a priest speaking with boys.  Our religious visitors for the day will be invited to visit Preschool-5th Grade to perhaps read them a story.  Students in Preschool-5th Grade will create thank you notes that will be given or sent to area religious.  Invitations to today’s events will also be sent from the school office to all religious in our diocese.

Friday, January 31Faith, Knowledge and Service:  In Our Faculty, Staff and Volunteers- 
ALL SCHOOLS MASS at St. Dominic's!  Students picked up after Mass at school at around noon!  
This day we will be focusing on the value that our dedicated Teachers, Staff and Volunteers make in our Catholic Schools!  During morning drop-off, teachers will be serving a cup of hot chocolate to parents as they drop off students!  Included with the hot chocolate the CCCS Student Council will present the thank you crafts created by homeroom classes to our volunteers/parents as they drop off students! 
  
We will be showing our appreciation to all who serve as staff and teachers of our diocese who make Catholic education a wonderful experience by celebrating our annual ALL SCHOOLS MASS and Staff Awards Assembly at St. Dominic’s Catholic Church! 

To continue to honor faculty and staff, we will be hosting a special Staff Luncheon when they return  this day and ask students to make thank you notes for teachers and staff.

Teachers - PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDARS:
AFTER LUNCH, we will have optional AdvancEd team meeting times!  Here's what must be done either before or during this meeting:
-  All areas including the responses for both the Accreditation rubric AND your assigned benchmarks for the Catholic rubric must be completed for your standard.
-  All pieces of evidence must be collected and ready to either give to Mike to scan or scan in yourself.
-  All Catholic rubric groups must have completed responses for the 4 benchmark areas.
- Each group should be ready to "teach" their standard to the rest of the school on February 7th.  We will be inviting our SAC and the HSA along with Father Mark and Father Joe to join us from 2-4 PM this day to go through the entire Accreditation rubric and the entire Catholicity rubric.  Each team will guide us through how they answered and what evidence they acquired to support their answers.  This will allow us all to speak the same language when asked by the visiting accreditation team about each standard/benchmark.
- TEAM LEADS - please let me and your team know if you will be meeting.  If this is all completed, please feel free to leave for the day!  Side Note:  Standard 5 WILL be meeting! :)

Saturday, February 1Faith, Knowledge and Service:  Celebrating Our SHARED Faith
This evening we will have our annual HSA Spaghetti Dinner and Basket Raffle to celebrate the conclusion of Catholic Schools week here at Corpus Christi Catholic School.   All parishioners, parents, and adult community members will be invited to join us this evening beginning at 6PM with a beautiful dinner, drinks, fun and fellowship! This event has been so well attended in the past, we have grown out of our cafeteria space!   It will be a great time to celebrate the gifts Corpus Christi Catholic School is providing today and has been providing for the last 93 years!  

PLC Schedule and Themes for the Next Few Weeks:
- Preschool/Pre-K Team Meeting and PLC - Tuesdays at 6:30 AM - lead by Maureen
- K/1/2 PLC - TUESDAY THIS WEEK at 10:30 AM - lead by Kim
- Middle School PLC - Tuesdays at 12:00 - lead by Maureen
- 3/4/5 PLC - Thursdays at 11:10 AM - lead by Maureen
  • Week of January 19 - 50 Ways to Make Learning Fun! the objective of this PLC is that TWBAT share with other teachers ways they have found to accomplish making learning fun and then choose at least two new ways to incorporate in their own instruction! 
  • Week of January 26 - Data Meetings with Erin - please bring Tier 2 / 3 Intervention Logs to the PLC!  :) 
Have a SUPER DUPER Blessed Week!   





Thursday, January 9, 2014

January 9, 2014 - Schindler's List

Happy Baptism of the Lord!

AS ALWAYS - CHECK OUT OUR COLT EXPRESS AT CCCSCOLTEXPRESS.BLOGSPOT.COM to read what is being shared with our entire community! 


Team Meetings
As a reminder, it is very important that every team meets at least every other week.  Please work together to make sure all members of your team can attend! 

Reading Street Inventory
As we believe all of our Reading Street and Prentice Hall supplies have arrived, we are asking for you to return the inventory list where you note what you have and what you may be missing.  We will touch base with Pearson to get what you are missing after we receive these inventory sheets.  Please turn these into Dawn ASAP so we can get this completed.

Submissions to the Colt
As a reminder, the Colt Express goes out to our entire school community on a weekly basis and will have content you may find beneficial.  If you have GOOD NEWS you would like share with the entire CCCS community, please send it to me! 

AdvancEd STAFF Survey
Thanks so much to the teachers and staff who have already completed our Staff Survey!  We have about half of our staff that have completed the survey so far!  As a reminder, the results of the survey are reported to AdvancEd and then we receive all the results as collective data.  All individually identifying information is kept confidential!  So please click on the following link to complete our survey ASAP:  AdvancEd Staff Survey

Announcement Schedule
On all days but Wednesdays we will have announcements over the intercom.  Our regular schedule is:  5th Grade - Jan 7-10, 4th Grade - Jan 13-17, 3rd Grade - Jan 20-24.
Virtue of the Week:
January 13-17 - Justice
January 20-24 - Temperance

Here's What Happening NEXT WEEK:

Sunday, January 12 - Corpus Christi Colors Sunday; Feast of the the Baptism of the Lord
Monday, January 13Everyday Uniform for K-8
Tuesday, January 14 Everyday Uniform for K-5; PE Uniforms for 6-8; 6th graders to Ameritowne
Wednesday, January 15 - Mass Uniform for K-8; 1:45 - School Mass
Thursday, January 16- Everyday Uniform for K-8; Advent Celebration in Gym at 7:40 AM; HSA General Meeting in Cafeteria - 5:45 PM; Christmas Program in gym - 6:30 PM
Friday, January 17- Everyday Uniform for K-8

Reminder of THINGS to DO:
  • Complete the staff survey at the link above
  • Please complete your Tier 2 and 3 Progress Monitoring.  Next Data meeting is the week of January 26- please turn in monthly Tier 2 Intervention Logs to Kim for November and December. We will discuss these the week of the 26th!  :)
      
EVENTS COMING SOON: 
Monday, January 20 - NO SCHOOL - MLK Day! Rocky Mountain March for Life
Friday, January 24 - Jeans Day!
Sunday, January 26 - Catholic Schools Week BEGINS! CCCS Open House at 10 and Noon - bring your friends for donuts and coffee and to tour our school!
Wednesday, January 29 - NO CCCS Mass due to Friday's events
Friday, January 31ALL SCHOOLS MASS at St. Dominic's!  Students picked up after Mass at school at around noon!  
Saturday, February 1Annual Spaghetti Dinner and HSA Basket Raffle - 6 PM in Gym

PLC Schedule and Themes for the Next Few Weeks:
- Preschool/Pre-K Team Meeting and PLC - Tuesdays at 6:30 AM - lead by Maureen
- K/1/2 PLC - Mondays at 10:30 AM - lead by Kim
- Middle School PLC - Tuesdays at 12:00 - lead by Maureen
- 3/4/5 PLC - Thursdays at 11:10 AM - lead by Veronica
  • Week of January 12 - Lesson Planning - please bring your lesson plans to PLC this week!  The objective of this PLC is that TWBAT compare exemplar lesson plans to their own and evaluate ways they may be improved.  
  • Week of January 19 - 50 Ways to Make Learning Fun! the objective of this PLC is that TWBAT share with other teachers ways they have found to accomplish making learning fun and then choose at least two new ways to incorporate in their own instruction! 
Diocesan Committees
Religion Team Meeting - 2-4 - January 16, 2014

Have a BLESSED Week!  






Thursday, December 5, 2013

December 5- Schindler's List

Happy First Week of Advent!

  

As always - check out our Colt EXpress at cccscoltexpress.blogspot.com to read what is being shared with our entire community! 

MATH Timed Drills
Last year we began timed drills for K-8th Grade.  It came to my attention from parents that these are not being implemented consistently among the grade levels and classes.  Please problem solve with your team on how these will be implemented with consistency as this was one of the factors we felt was needed for students as these are not part of the Envision or Digits programs. Thank you for making this happen! 

Preschool/Pre-K, Kindergarten Bathrooms
As you may or may not know, law for Preschool/Pre-K is that they must have designated bathrooms for their program.  "Big" people are not allowed to use the same restroom as them. Therefore, over the Thanksgiving Break, we began cleaning out the Locker Rooms.  Dan worked really hard to get every thing out and it all cleaned up but he still has a few items to relocate, repair and clean. He also will be keeping the doors open so you will have the ability to better monitor your students. 

We will keep you up to date on when this is completed over the next few weeks but please be aware that this restroom should not be used regularly by 1-8 grade students. We ask that you use the upstairs restrooms for breaks as we will try to keep these ONLY for Preschool, Pre-K and Kindergarten.  The Preschool/Pre-K teams are making signs noting this change but please do not take your students there for bathroom breaks remind them if there is an emergency, they will soon be using the locker room bathrooms.  

LESSON PLANS
As a reminder, completed lesson plans are due by Monday of that week. I have been checking plans and there are some teachers who either have not completed all content area plans or have inaccurately written plans.  As a reminder these should be posted each week using the www.teacherease.com lesson plan format.  I am checking these regularly so I wanted to review lesson plan component expectations. 

Remember that your lesson plans should be written so if another educator picked them up and read them - they would make sense. Having only page numbers, etc. would not make sense so please ensure you include clear descriptors for the following components:

1. Title - should reflect the Core Knowledge Sequence topic as well as our Religion curriculum unit of study that is is being integrated into the lesson - not page numbers or program titles like "Reading Street" or "Envision".
2. Objective:  Please use the Objective Tab rather than the Goal tab - the objective should reflect exactly what the students will be able to do using your BLOOM's word!  You should have one content area objective and also one ELA objective for every lesson.
3. Standard - the standards pop up for you to choose from - please include both your ELA and Content area focus
4.   Assessment -  the assessment should reflect how you know they got it in this particular lesson! Remember EVERY lesson should have an assessment - either formal or more informal like an exit card or question.  Please give a descriptor as well as your page number if needed. 

Core Knowledge Reading List
As a reminder, please use the Core Knowledge Sequence reading list for book choices for read aloud and small group reading material.  Each year, quality classic pieces of literature are suggested! Please make sure to include these as part of your instruction!  

Religion Instruction Happens EVERYDAY!
As became expected practice a few year ago and is stated in our handbook, religion is to be taught every day even on Mass days.  Mass is certainly "counted" as religion time commitments but a religion lesson aligned to the Archdiocesan religion curriculum should be taught daily!  

New RELIGION Curriculum to be Released in January
YEA! Our Religion curriculum team has spent over two years writing our new Religion curriculum!  We are really excited that it will be released in January, 2014.  Here at CC, we will be trained in the new curriculum following our accreditation in March or more toward the end of school.  You will have the last few months of school and all summer to get to know it.  We will begin implementation in August of 2014 next school year so no worries!  Just wanted to keep you in the loop of the progress! 

AGENDA for January 6 Full Day PLC
As a reminder, we will have a full day PLC on January 6 before students return.  This will not be a work day but centered on training and coming together as a school community and meeting with accreditation teams!  Please plan accordingly. Also, please bring a breakfast snack to share!  I will once again make the coffee and have some yummy creamers for you!  

Reading Street Inventory
As we believe all of our Reading Street and Prentice Hall supplies have arrived, we are asking for you to return the inventory list where you note what you have and what you may be missing.  We will touch base with Pearson to get what you are missing after we receive these inventory sheets.  Please turn these into Dawn by January 7, 2014 so we can get this completed.  

All School's Award Recipients and Mass Participation
Believe it or not, Catholic Schools Week and our All Schools Mass is Right Around the Corner! We will once again have Mass at St. Dominic's.  We are so honored that our dear Ms. Dusbabek and our students will serve as the choir this year! 

We also have the following nominations to complete and return to the diocese by end of day December 9.  Please copy and paste the following into an email and send me your name if you are eligible for a service award and vote for a fellow teacher for the other awards. Also, discuss with your team how you want to nominate as our students to represent our school in the areas below the awards section.  Thank you!  

Service Awards
 The Catholic School Service Awards are given to teachers and staff members who have demonstrated a long-term commitment to Catholic education. These awards are handed out based on a teacher or staff member’s years of service to the diocese. They are based on the following increments: 5 years, 10 years, 20 years, 30 years, and 40 or more years.

Who is Eligible: All teachers, staff members, administrators, and TCE employees.

5 Year Nominees (list below, with position):




10 Year Nominees (list below, with position):



15 Year Nominees (list below, with position):



20 Year Nominees (list below, with position):



25 Year Nominees (list below, with position):



30 Year Nominees (list below, with position):



40+ Year Nominees (list below, with position):


Christ the Teacher Award
This award is given to a teacher who personifies the ideal of Christ the Teacher. Jesus calls us to preach the Good News to all people. Recipients of this award demonstrate not only excellence in teaching, but in Christian service to all of God’s children. Through their love, compassion, dedication, and faith, Christ the Teacher Award winners serve as an example of Christian teaching and living in our world.
           
Who is Eligible: Teachers

Name of Nominee:                                                               


Description of how nominee exemplifies this award:




St. John Bosco Award
 The St. John Bosco Award is given to a teacher who has demonstrated excellence in instructional innovation. Like St. John Bosco, recipients of this award are not afraid to explore new directions and innovations in education. St. John Bosco used a number of unorthodox methods, including acrobatics and magic tricks, to spread Christ’s words to children. Through the introduction of new programs, use of new materials or technology, or creative approaches to teaching, recipients of this award show that education is a constantly changing craft.

Who is Eligible: Teachers


Name of Nominee:                                                               


Description of how nominee exemplifies this award:

   



St. Peter the Rock Award
 This Award is given to a staff member of a Catholic school who demonstrates excellence in service to the school community. The support staff is the backbone of a school. Just as Jesus stated that he would build God’s Church upon the Rock of Peter, our schools are built upon the love and dedication of its many stakeholders. This award recognizes those who often work “behind the scenes” to make a school succeed. Be they an office worker, custodian, teacher’s aide, or other staff member, recipients of this award demonstrate dedication, competence, generosity, and respect for all of those within the community.

Who is Eligible: Staff members (including office personnel, custodians, teacher’s aides, and any other non-instructional staff)


Name of Nominee:                                                                           


Description of how nominee exemplifies this award:




St. Andre Bessette Award
This award is given to a new teacher who has demonstrated drive and dedication to his or her new ministry.

Who is Eligible: Teachers in their first year at the school.


Name of Nominee:                                                                           

Description of how nominee exemplifies this award:



Students Who Will Represent Our School At Our All School's Mass
I would ask that each team choose one student for each of the following roles and discuss this honor before nominating them:
Middle School - Banner Bearer:____________________
Middle School - Prayers of the Faithful: ___________________
3-5 - Altar Server:________________
K-2 - Gift Bearer: __________________

These students will go with me in my car before everyone else to practice for Mass.  


Staff Christmas Party and Elfster
We will be having our staff Christmas party following our noon dismissal on December 20th! This is when we will have our final gift in our Advent Angel exchange!  Please don't forget to sign up via Elfster.com with the link I sent you!  This cool site will then send you your Advent Angel's name and no one knows BUT YOU who you have!  Please don't forget that we also secretly give small gifts each day that week to our Advent Angel! It is a long standing tradition in our school that is a ton of fun!  



Gifts for Fr. Mark and Fr. Joe


We will be purchasing new stoles for Father Mark and Father Joe as our staff Christmas gift. Father Mark already has the Children of the World so we are getting him to Noah's Ark on the right and then getting Fr. Joe the Children of the World on the left. We are estimating the cost as roughly $60 each for a total of $120! We are asking each person to give $4-$5 to cover the cost of these gifts for these very special priest of our school!  We will give them these at our Christmas party on December 20th.  Please give Dawn your $5 at your convenience. 


Submissions to the Colt
As a reminder, the Colt Express goes out to our entire school community on a weekly basis and will have content you may find beneficial.  If you have GOOD NEWS you would like share with the entire CCCS community, please send it to me! 

Mid-Year Review
Mark your calendars - we will be having our Mid-Year Evaluation reviews on Tuesday, December 10, Wednesday, December 11, Thursday, December 12 and Friday, December 13 for teaching staff. During these days, we will have each of you come for your planning period or after school to discuss your progress using our evaluation rubric. Please bring any piece you feel would add to the body of evidence that shows your progress related to the rubric - lesson plans, grade books, notes from parents, testing data, etc.  There have been a few revisions for those that have requested them.  Please plan to meet with Maureen and I at:

Tuesday, December 10
5th - 12:33-1:37 -Chromy/Rothstein (with Gutschick)
6th -1:39-2:37 - Martinez (with Gutschick)
After School - 2:45-3:45 - Maloney

Wednesday, December 11
1st -7:40-8:32 - Nuvolini
2nd - 8:34-9:25 - Conlon
3rd - 9:27-10:19 - Gieck
4th - 10:21-11:13 - Cave
Lunch - 11:52-12:30 -Gutschick
5th - 11:15-11:50, 12:35-12:50 - Degenhart
6th -12:52-1:42 - Hennessey
Mass - 1:45-2:45
After School - 2:45-3:45 - Bruno

Thursday, December 12
1st -7:55-8:53 - 
2nd - 8:55-9:53 - Ortiz
3rd - 9:55-10:53 - Wetta
4th - 10:55-11:52 - Dusbabek
Lunch - 11:52-12:30 -
5th - 12:33-1:37 - Gonzales 
6th -1:39-2:37 - Corbett
After School - 2:45-3:45 -

Friday, December 13
1st -7:55-8:53 - 
2nd - 8:55-9:53 - Leckey
3rd - 9:55-10:53 - Sr. Mary
4th - 10:55-11:52 - Smith
Lunch - 11:52-12:30 - 
5th - 12:33-1:37 - Baca
6th -1:39-2:37 - Kowalsky
After School - 2:45-3:45 - Wilson

AdvancEd STAFF Survey
Thanks so much to the teachers and staff who have already completed our Staff Survey!  We have about half of our staff that have completed the survey so far!  As a reminder, the results of the survey are reported to AdvancEd and then we receive all the results as collective data.  All individually identifying information is kept confidential!  So please click on the following link to complete our survey ASAP:  AdvancEd Staff Survey

PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD - Athletic Facilities Manager
We are in the process of hiring our new PE teacher.  This lovely individual will be taking the athletic director role as part of this job but we will be looking for a person to serve as our facilities manager during athletic events held in our gym - ie, CSAL Basketball, Volleyball, Wrestling etc.  

I have not received any response that any of our staff is interested in this position so we have opened this role to our Corpus Christi Community! If you know of anyone who is interested in this role, please have them pick up an application from the front office.  The pay rate for this position is $8/hour.  


The job would entail basic leadership of the gym during events that would include:
  • On Tuesday and Friday evenings the gym will need to be opened by 5:00 to let players and coaches in
  • Additional hours are required for beginning and end of season tournaments  
  • Games and clean-up are done by 9:00 PM - depending on the CSAL schedule.
  • The gym would need to be set up for games and cleaned up following games
  • Any "rowdy" behavior would also need to be addressed by this individual
  • A prayer and introduction of players is also led by this person
Announcement Schedule
On all days but Wednesdays we will have announcements in the gym during Advent.  We will resume our regular schedule after Christmas:  5th Grade - Jan 7-10, 4th Grade - Jan 13-17, 3rd Grade - Jan 20-24.
Virtue of the Week:
December 9-13 - Justice
December 16 - 20 - Temperance

Here's What Happening NEXT WEEK:

TOMORROW - Staff PLC Day 10:00-Noon and then 1:00-2:00 
  • AdvancEd Teams - Work with Teams from 10-Noon after question and answer and time!
  • Lunch (in Teacher's Lounge) and Coach's Meeting/Lunch (in Conference Room) - 12:15-1:00 PM 
  • Father Mark Talks with School Staff - 1:00-2:00 PM in Computer Lab and then we get you back on the road to drive home safely!  
Monday, December 2 - Friday, December 20 - Advent Celebration in Gym Each Morning (other than Wednesdays) at 7:40 AM - PARENTS ARE ENCOURAGED to join us!   
Sunday, December 8 - Corpus Christi Colors Sunday; Feast of the Immaculate Conception
Monday, December 9 - Everyday Uniform for PK-8; 8th Grade Fundraiser - Honey Baked Ham Orders due today!
Tuesday, December 10 - Everyday Uniform for K-5; PE Uniforms for 6-8; NO AM Advent Celebration; Advent Celebration and Christmas program Dress Rehearsal at 1:45 PM

Wednesday, December 11 - Busy Day :) - please see below:
  • Mass Uniform for K-8
  • Go to classrooms at 7:40
  • Advent Confession Time - Begins at 10 AM - YEA!  Our second graders are having their FIRST RECONCILIATION today so they will go first!  We are SO proud of this great step in their lives!  
  • Other 3-8 grade classes will be called following 2nd grade beginning with 3rd grade and as is required until all can participate
  • 1:45 - School Mass
Thursday, December 12- Everyday Uniform for K-8; Advent Celebration in Gym at 7:40 AM; HSA General Meeting in Cafeteria - 5:45 PM; Christmas Program in gym - 6:30 PM
Friday, December 13 - Spirit Day - regular uniform bottoms and a CCCS spirit shirt or "Holy Spirit" shirt

Reminder of THINGS to DO:
  • Send Kim AND Mike a link to your blog! :) According to my and Mike's notes, we have links from the following teachers:
  1. Dusbabek
  2. Baca
  3. Maloney
  4. Gieck
  5. Bruno
  6. Smith
  7. Kowalsky
  8. Nuvolini
  9. Conlon
  10. Gonzalez
  11. Corbett
  12. Wilson
  13. Degenhart
  • Complete the staff survey at the link above
  • Please complete your Tier 2 and 3 Progress Monitoring and plan for Benchmarks.  Next Data meeting is in January - please turn in monthly Tier 2 Intervention Logs to Kim for November and December. We will discuss these at your mid-year reviews.  
EVENTS COMING SOON: 
Wednesday, December 11 - Advent Confession Time - Begins at 10 AM - classes will be called beginning with 3rd grade and as is required until all can participate.
Thursday, December 12 - HSA General Meeting and Christmas Program - 6:30 PM
Monday, December 16-December 19 - Middle School Mid-Year Exams 
Friday, December 20 - End of 2nd Quarter; Preschool-8th Grade - Christmas Parties - 11 AM; Noon Dismissal; Staff Christmas Party Sponsored by HSA - At 12:15ish PM in the Parish Hall
Saturday, December 24-January 6 - Christmas Break  
Tuesday, January 7 - Students return from Christmas Break

PLC Schedule and Themes for the Next Few Weeks:
- Preschool/Pre-K Team Meeting and PLC - Tuesdays at 6:30 AM - lead by Jen
- K/1/2 PLC - Mondays at 10:30 AM - lead by Kim
- Middle School PLC - Tuesdays at 12:00 - lead by Maureen
- 3/4/5 PLC - Thursdays at 11:10 AM - lead by Maureen
  • Week of December 9 - Be Here, There and Everywhere - the objective of this PLC is that TWBAT describe the importance of and implement proximity in the classroom.  You will be asked to identify your own comfort zone and SHAKE IT UP!  Here is a driving question for this week's lesson - ask yourself - "Where do I normally sit/stand in my classroom?"  Bring your answer with you to this PLC.
  • Week of December 16 - Making Lessons Meaningful! the objective of this PLC is that TWBAT describe how they can weave their faith into their lessons while making lessons meaningful to students.  How can you take some new risks, rethink what meaningful learning entails, and make your lessons even better than they currently are?
Diocesan Committees
Team members please mark your calendars for meetings at the diocesan office!
- No Scheduled meetings noted on the diocesan calendar. :)

Have a BLESSED Week!