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Now available: St. Gregory Hawks Twitter! Follow the Hawks @StGregorySchool
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December 4, 2009
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Message from Head of School
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Jonathan E. Martin
Head of School
jmartin@stgregoryschool.org
www.stgregoryschool.org
www.21k12blog.net
Twitter:@JonathanEMartin
520-327-6395
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In distilling ultimate purposes of schools, to engage and to prepare are perhaps the crown jewels. We are doing much to prepare our students, and putting more pieces in place to evaluate our preparation, but today I wish to speak of engagement. The results are in from our first administration of the High School Survey of Student Engagement (HSSSE), and they look great. A series of graphs comparing our student results to those of the national average is now available on my blog; here are a few highlights:
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St. Gregory
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National Avg.
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Difference
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I place a high value on learning: Strong agreement
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63
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35
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28
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In general, I am excited about my classes: strong and simple agreement
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79
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56
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23
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School emphasizes analyzing ideas in depth: very much
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61
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28
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33
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School contributed to growth of writing effectively: Very much
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67
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35
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32
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I feel safe at school: Strong Agreement
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65
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20
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45
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I feel safe at school: strong and simple agreement
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96
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79
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17
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Message from the Middle School Head
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Middle School Head
Phil Woodall
pwoodall@stgregoryschool.org
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Mindfulness Week Parent Meeting – Tuesday, December 8, 2009,
3:00 – 3:30, Theater
Middle School parents are invited to a thirty-minute Mindfulness Week celebration to hear summary reflections from students, parents, and teachers regarding their discovery of what it takes to be mindful in their lives. Here are some examples of reflections from Middle School students:
Andrew T.: “This week was probably the most soulbinding week I have had. I will always remember the sign language I learned at TRAK. It was a magical moment when my ASDB girl, Marisa, signed to me, and I signed back. Marisa loved horses. We visited the horses six times. My heart lifted after I saw her smile when she fed the horses. I am greatly gifted that I could bestow my happiness on Marisa . . . I had fun sharing my gifts with others. I not only shared with my kid, but with animals. I would redo seventh grade if I could do this week again.”
Helene B.: “This mindfulness week was special not just because we got to go to really cool places but because we actually got to think. Everything was great. I mean everything. For the first time, teachers were equal with us. While working in the garden, I was able to appreciate what we were doing. Making things beautiful doesn’t have to happen alone; a group effort is the best way to make things beautiful.”
Skye A.: “Last week is probably going to be the most memorable week from my whole middle school life. I learned a lot more about my teachers other than their love of teaching . . . Mr. Harris put a lot of hard work into the class’s mandala. By making the mandala, I learned a lot more about the people in my class. It brought our class a lot closer together. After mindfulness week, I feel like my class is like a big family filled with diversity.”
Jacob K.: “I had an experience in the butterfly exhibit (Tucson Botanical Garden). Two wounded butterflies landed on me. One of them had only half a wing and could barely fly. The other had a broken wing. I was kind of a butterfly hospital. I think butterflies were attracted to me.”
Join us on Tuesday afternoon for more great reflections on achieving mindfulness in your life!
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Welcome Jerry Farnsworth, New Development Director to St. Gregory
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Jerry Farnsworth
jfarnsworth@stgregoryschool.org
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It is with great pleasure we announce the appointment of our next (permanent) Director of Development (and constituent relations), Jerry Farnsworth. Jerry begins with the New Year, but will be here a few days this month working with our terrific Interim Development Director Heather Celani for a smooth transition.
Jerry has a degree from Colby College, and is a CFRE (certified fundraising executive). After a first career in a family business, he has had a long career in development, including a stint as an independent development consultant; a role as Development Director at a private-independent New Hampshire school, Dublin School; a term in Development and Community relations at Marana Hospital; and most recently and currently, the role of Director of Capital Giving at the Tucson YMCA. Jerry has been in Tucson about five years, and serves on the board of City High School and El Tour de Tucson. He was recently featured in a front page article in the Arizona Daily Star about his heart attack during El Tour de Tucson two years ago and his subsequent recovery.
Jerry is himself an independent school graduate and the father of four independent school graduates (one of his adult children is currently an independent school teacher); he has a personal passion for our schools. We sought someone with fine interpersonal qualities, strong Tucson connections/knowledge, and a mastery of the profession of development; we found someone meeting all three criteria.
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Bookfair and Student Reviews
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Reminder from the Upper School Yearbook Crew:
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Attention Seniors:
Senior pages and senior baby pictures are due to the yearbook staff no later than Friday, December 11th. Late submissions will not be accepted past this date. If a senior does not turn in his or her page, the student ID picture will be used.
Attention Senior Parents:
Senior parent ads are due to the Yearbook no later than Friday, December 11th. Also, please help your child remember to submit a baby picture by Friday, December 11th as well as the Senior Page.
*Information regarding the specific guidelines for the creation of Senior Pages and Senior Parent Ads have been mailed, emailed, and handed out at school since the beginning of the summer. If you have further questions or concerns, please contact Ms. Smith at ssmith2@stgregoryschool.org |
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Winter Fine Arts Festival
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It was a spectacular evening! The choir was absolutely outstanding and Equus, presented by the US Band and guests, was a thrilling ride. The MS Band and STG Strings played their best performance so far this year. BRAVO to everyone performing in the concert and sincere thanks to the Fine Arts Committee of the Family Association for providing the volunteers and the reception following the concert. Happy Holidays to All! Dr. Shawn.
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A Message from Chef Bob... in response to the recent food service surveys:
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Here at Kavo & Tunzi Catering we do our best to fulfill the requests of our clients. As a result of the recent survey, we realized we were falling short of some students’ dietary needs. We are working hard to correct this shortcoming. Currently, we are reworking our standard menu with the goal of meeting the school’s expectations. We are adding some standard vegetarian selections, which will include hummus and toasted pita, as well as a black bean garden burger and a low fat turkey burger, both served on whole-wheat buns. Our standard daily selections will also include fresh sandwiches made to order along with our standard grab-and-go selections.
Our daily menu specials will continue. We are working on providing some ethnic dishes as well as some healthy choice selections. Now that colder weather is upon us, some hearty soups and chilies will be offered.
Our new standard menu will be posted on the website by the end of this week. Our weekly specials will be posted on Fridays.
We enjoy serving the children of St. Gregory. We appreciate your recent feedback. We will continue to listen to your requests and make adjustments when needed.
Thank you very much for the opportunity to serve your children.
Bob Kawalewski
Kavo & Tunzi Catering
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Have You Heard - The Spring Musical Is...
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Oh my. The title… it's horrible! Why would anyone ever do a musical called Urinetown? That’s disgusting!
Trust me, I’ve heard this time and time again since I announced that, *ahem*, Urinetown was the choice for the 2010 spring musical at St. Gregory. When I first listened to the soundtrack a few years back, I had the same reaction. I knew the show was popular, that it had won awards, but I needed to know why. The music was fun, the lyrics were clever, but there had to be more, right? When I finally saw a live production of the show, I understood. Urinetown is far more than musical window dressing- it addresses environmental concerns, government policies, socio-economic politics, and even throws in a love story to boot.
You might be thinking, that's all fine and good but the title is bad. In the show, one of the characters explains that "In Urinetown (the musical) everyone has to use public bathrooms in order to take care of their private business. That's the central conceit of the show." But the show is much more than that, and you can check out more information by reading and participating in the conversation on my blog on WordPress.com about the show -
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MS softball will host Casas Christian Fri 12/11. The A soccer team will host St. Michael's Monday 12/7 and travel to Casas Thursday 12/10 and Udall Friday 12/11 to play Desert Christian. The B soccer team will host Desert on Tuesday 12/8. All games are at 4:00. The B team ran its record to 3 - 0 with a 7 - 3 win over Calvary Chapel. Raymond Roesler, Charlie Clark, Noa Sanders, and Carlos Franco scored goals in the win. Strong defensive effort came from Austin Boocher, Lalo Hurtado, Jake Roberts, and Spencer Martin.
Upper school girls' soccer will host Pusch Ridge Tuesday 12/8 at 4:00. The Hawks are coming off a close contest against a strong Safford team. Safford held on to win the well played game 2 - 1.
Tuesday 12/8 the basketball teams will host Patagonia starting with JV boys at 4:00, varsity girls at 5:30, and varsity boys at 7:00. Congratulations to both teams for a strong showing in the Boyd Baker Invitational. The boys won the tournament which featured 1A - 3A schools from around the state. Boyd Baker thank you to everyone who helped organize and manage the event, especially our parents.
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This week the team found its ability to riddle an opponent with goals. Connor McGinnis kept his streak alive, scoring in the third game in a row (twice, actually). A kind player, Arturo Chavez expressed to me his desire to score goals in a conversation, and he scored two on Monday. I'm pleased with the work of Nile Hand and Sasha Liewen. They are working to improve with fiercer hustle. The team is playing with great heart and stronger confidence. -Jeff Clashman |
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In addition to Safeway, thank you to the following local restaurants who have donated to St. Gregory this year through the escrip program: Shlomo & Vito's, McMahon's, Papagyo's, Las Cazuelitas, Casa Molina, El Charro Cafe, Las Cazuelitas, Brush Fire BBQ, Armitage. Please continue to support these establishments and and use your escrip registered Visa or Debit Card, or Safeway Card!
Another thank you to the 100 St Gregory parents, grandparents, alumni & other supporters that have registered their Safeway, Macy's and Visa/ Debit Cards allowing St. Gregory to raise over $1,000 in the last few months.
If you haven't done so yet, it's easy! Just go to www.escrip.com and enter ID# 6611027 or St. Gregory College Preparatory School. Enter your Safeway, Macy's and Visa/ Debit Cards today and while you shop at eligible merchants using your registered cards, a percentage of your purchases will automatically be contributed to support our school! If you have difficulties or questions, contact Kathy Ross at kamra84@aol.com. Thank you!! |
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The tuition tax credit program gives you, the tax-payer, an opportunity to put your tax dollars to use where they matter most to you, your child's school.
Donate online now at: http://www.stgregoryschool.org/index.php/support/tuition-tax-credit.html
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2010-2011 Major Events and Holiday Calendar
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August 9 -10 Sixth grade orientation
August 11 All-school orientation
August 12 First full day of classes
September 6 Labor Day holiday; no classes
September 9 Rosh Hashanah holiday; no classes
October 15 Faculty grading day;no classes
November 11 Veteran’s Day; no classes
November 24-26 Thanksgiving break
December 17 Faculty grading day;no classes
Dec. 17 – Jan. 2 Winter break for students
January 17 Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday; no classes
February 24-25 Rodeo Break
March 11 Faculty work day; no classes
April 2 -10 Spring Break
April 22 Good Friday holiday; no classes
May 21 Commencement, 7:30 p.m.
May 27 MS Move-Up Ceremony |
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Upcoming Events
- 12/5/2009 - SAT I and II
- 12/7/2009 - Staff Appreciation Holiday Luncheon
- 12/7/2009 - Annual Fund Holiday Party
- 12/12/2009 - ACT
- 12/14-17/2009 - Semester exams grades 7-12
- 12/18/2009-1/3/2010 - Winter Break for students
- 1/30/2010 - 8th Grade Potluck
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St. Gregory College Preparatory School
3231 N. Craycroft Road, Tucson, Arizona 85712 - (520) 327-6395 - Fax (520) 327-8276
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