Class Pages

Welcome to the Class Pages, hosted by our Pre-K 3, Pre-K 4, and Grade K to 8 Faculty!

March 22, 2020
Dear Our Lady of Lourdes School Families:

“O God, the sea is so wide, and my boat is so small.”
A Fisherman’s Prayer 

This prayer is certainly appropriate for us as we find ourselves in a world we never could have imagined.

I have been thinking about and praying for you, parents, grandparents, extended family members, and your children each day.  I have always been in admiration of the incredible role that parents, and guardians play in God’s plan for salvation but no more so than at this difficult time.  Just as God has selfless unconditional love for humankind, so you mirror Him in the love and commitment you have for your children and for each other. 

Now you are balancing even more.  You may have loved ones whose health is compromised, perhaps even your own.  You are seriously concerned about your children’s health and how they will cope with the unprecedented situation we find ourselves in.  Some of you are health care workers, now on the front lines, helping to care for and even save others.  Some of you are working from home as best you can and for some of you, there is no work anymore.  In addition to the daily challenges, there are questions about the future.  What is going to happen to us?  When is this current situation going to end?  Where are we going to be when “it” is over?

It would be unthinking and unfeeling of me to discuss education without first recognizing what you are going through with your customary courage and devotion.  It goes without saying that the education of your children, our students, is on all of our minds.  I am sure you will agree that this is important not only from an instructional standpoint but to assist in the emotional challenges our students face in not being at school with their teachers and friends and not being allowed to be outside their homes.
Your children’s teachers and I are very concerned about our students and we are dedicated to working with them and you through virtual learning.  Yesterday you received or you will receive today a letter from your child’s/children’s teacher(s) along with a suggested daily schedule (age appropriate). The schedule may not be able to be followed because more than one child may be sharing an electronic device, or you may be working with the device you have at home.  This is understandable; we all need to be flexible.  You and your child, however, will have the suggested time frames for different subject areas/activities. The videos that will be posted by teachers and the links that can be accessed are there throughout the day.  The schedules have been provided to give structure and help support you in creating consistency and comfort to your child’s day. 

We are using Google Classroom as a platform to better respond to student work in real time.  Some of our grades are very familiar with this platform because they have been using it for a number of years.  We have additional online systems. 

• Edgenuity for K-8 is a personalized platform in which each student is working on ELA and Math based on their achievement levels on the MAP (Measurement of Academic Progress) test. 

• Teachers are following the pacing calendars in Math and ELA that they follow throughout the year and our main resources, ReadyGen, MyPerspective, and Eureka Math are online.  In addition to academics,

• In addition, some of the organizations we partner with like CodeSpeak, the Philharmonic, and the Metropolitan Opera Guild will be posting lessons, activities, and performances online.   How our students learn will be growing and changing and the teachers and I are excited about these new opportunities.  Recognizing that this is the first time that students will be receiving virtual instruction, we need to be patient with each other.  This is an evolving process.

• Pre-K 3 and Pre-K4 Parents/Guardians:   You and your children have different needs.  You will receive another letter today. 

Then there is Religion…We are in a unique situation and no public or charter school can touch us in this: Our Lady of Lourdes School is a faith community where God, (Father Son, and Spirit) and Jesus’ Mother, Mary are spoken to and about every single day, several times a day.  We and our students are not just turning to God now; this is our way of life.  Whatever your Religion may be, encourage your children to pray and pray with them. Teachers, students, and I will begin every day with a prayer just as we do when we are standing in our school auditorium.  I believe myself what I always tell our students:  God hears every prayer and He loves us more than words can ever express.  He is with us every step of the way.  Faith is our anchor; it is what we always hold on to but we appreciate its meaning more in desperate times like these.  This is probably the most important lifelong lesson our students will learn through this experience.

Tomorrow the teachers and I will begin calling all parents.  We want to know how you and your children are, what is working, instructionally speaking, what may need to be changed, and what is needed moving forward. In addition to phone calls, contact may be made through ClassDoJo, Google Classroom, and email.  Please check your email and follow directions provided by the teachers using these platforms.  Activate your child’s account in Google Classroom and ClassDoJo. 

You are not alone; we are in this together. This is what makes us a community!

I leave you all with a short prayer that I will introduce to the students tomorrow.  (You can tailor it to the God you worship.)  In this prayer, we recognize that alone we are powerless, and we let go of our fear, uncertainty, and all of our burdens and we trust in Him:
 
Jesus, I surrender myself to you.  Take care of everything.
 
May God keep us all in His loving care.
Suzanne Kaszynski
Principal