Dear St. Raphael School Families and Parishioners,
This week was the final full week of classes for the 2013-2014 school year, and we are all still trying to figure out where the year went! Our final issue of
The Guide is complete, our students are finishing their last stretch of learning, our upper grade students are preparing for final exams, and all of us are looking forward to summer break.
Don’t forget that we still need volunteers for our Field Day on Thursday, May 29
th. This is a great day of fun and friendly competition for all, and it takes an enormous number of volunteers to pull it off. If you can give any of your time that day, please contact our PE Teacher, Mrs. Peggy Martin, at
[email protected] as soon as possible.
Our final Awards Assembly will be held in church, immediately after our last school mass on Friday, May 30
th. We will present a shortened list of awards, as our academic and attendance records will not yet be complete for the 4
th Quarter. Students in Grades K-8 will receive recognition for demonstrating Rigor in their schoolwork, and for showing Spirituality through respect and kindness. Parents and families are most welcome to join us, of course!
We will dismiss school at 10am on our final day, Friday, May 30
th. Please be sure you have made arrangements for your children to be picked up at 10am that day.
Summer break is a time to unwind and decompress from the school year. It’s a time for kids to explore other interests, and to spend good quality time with their friends and families. Parents often ask about whether or not their children should be doing any schoolwork over the summer. There are many opinions on this question, but my advice is always to approach summers with moderation. I believe there is some validity to the so-called “Summer Slide” where students slide backwards in their academic development over the summer, if they are not engaged in productive thinking activities. I don’t believe, however, that children need to spend their entire summers reviewing school work from the previous school year. For struggling students, it can be very helpful to have your child work with a professional tutor over the summer, to address areas of learning that were not secure by the finish of the school year. For other students, the best way to combat the summer slide is to encourage and model
reading of all types. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of reading for elementary students. It is said that reading is the single most important skill that students must have for success in school, and my experience in schools shows this to be true. So please make reading a priority in your family over this summer, and follow my end of the year advice to students:
Read, Rest, and Pray!
I hope you all have a relaxing Memorial Day weekend, and we look forward to seeing our students back at school on Tuesday, May 27
th for our final days of school. Please continue to keep us in your prayers as we
Finish Strong!