November 6, 2019 - Anchored in His Love
Grace - St. Thomas Moore & St. John Fisher
Dear St. Isidore Families,

Grow in Grace
Happy November, SIS! Throughout November, we will celebrate the monthly gospel value of GRACE . Grace is the concept of “undeserved kindness.” It is choosing to respond with understanding and compassion. God bestows His grace on us every day, hoping that, in turn, we will show it to others. The busy holiday season is fast approaching, but with the fun comes busy lines, crowded stores and long to-do lists, sometimes causing us to lose our cool. Remember in these moments to focus on showing those around you and yourself a little patience and GRACE .
 
Carpool Reminders – We are all in this together
Almost daily, issues with carpool are brought to my attention by concerned parents and staff members. It is my responsibility to address these issues until procedures are followed and problems cease to exist. Recently in the morning, we have seen an increase in parents parking and walking children into school, causing unneeded congestion and safety concerns. I ask that every family use the school-wide carpool system in the morning and in the afternoon. I understand that we are all busy and sometimes in a hurry, but following the system will move everyone along safer and faster. Again, please no parking/dropping in the red zones, staff parking or Kids Konnection. Please drive slowly and safely. If you are dropping at Kindergarten in the mornings, you must go through the school courtyard loop to exit. The other morning, a student was almost hit by a car. The driver had no idea that the situation had even occurred while the student was left shaken. Nothing is more important than the safety of our children. Following the rules sets a wonderful example for the children. Thank you for your cooperation and helping us keep EVERYONE SAFE!
 
Online Safety – It takes a village
There is a new social media app called TikTok that is extremely popular with children. TikTok allows you to create and share short music videos featuring fun filters. As with everything on the internet, there are concerns, and your child’s content should be monitored. Please take a moment to review Smart Social’s Parents Guide to TikTok . Internet safety is a concern for us all and, as an educator and a fellow parent, I am committed to passing on helpful tips on how best to navigate this ever-changing digital world.
 
Volunteering for auction is totally rad
This year’s auction will be held on Saturday, February 29. It is fast approaching and volunteers are needed to help generate donations. Auction is the school’s biggest fundraiser of the year, and your help is critical to the success of the evening. Click here to volunteer. Thank you for your support. I know the night is going to be a blast for us all!
 
Please join us at 10:00 a.m. this Friday, November 8, in the Cardelli Gym as we celebrate and honor those that have served our great nation at our annual Veterans Day Ceremony. Friday will be a 12pm dismissal and afternoon carpool will be park and pick up . Kids Konnection will be open as usual. If your child will be attending KK, please make sure they bring lunch with them. There will be NO SCHOOL on Monday, November 11, in observance of Veterans Day. Enjoy the long weekend—the weather should be fabulous.
 
God bless,

Maria Ward, Principal
 
PS. If you are yet to take the WCEA Parent Survey, please do so by this Friday. The information you provide truly plays an important role in our accreditation process.
Click here for survey.
Important Dates
  • Thursday, November 7 - Nov. b-day free dress.
  • Friday, November 8 - Veterans Day Ceremony at 10am. 12pm dismissal. Afternoon carpool will be park & pick up.
  • Monday, November 11 - No school in observance of Veterans Day.
  • Wednesday, November 13 - 5th grade bake sale. Report cards go home.
  • Friday, November 15 - K, 1, 2 attend Mass.
  • Tuesday, November 19 - 8th grade graduation photos. 1st Reconciliation Meeting 7pm in the Church (Caldwell).
  • Wednesday, November 20 - 1st Reconciliation Meeting 7pm in the Church (Downey).
  • Thursday, November 21 - Principal Appreciation Day! Faith Family Activity.
  • Friday, November 22 - All school Mass at 8:10am (led by teachers).
  • Monday, November 25-29 - No School, Thanksgiving Break.
Prayers
Please pray for all those who are suffering or in need of our thoughts and prayers, especially Will Pringle who is ill. Let's also pray for the Ellyson Family's grandmother who recently passed away, and all those affected by the recent fires. May God keep them in His tender, loving care.
PTG News
Two days left!! Make a $500 donation per child to Mind The Gap before this Friday’s deadline so your child can be eligible for Special Prizes:

All class pizza or In N’ Out party
Free dress passes for 2 classes
One month free tuition for ONE child

Every dollar counts, and your donation is 100% tax deductible. For more information or to donate, please click here . If you’ve already donated, thank you, we appreciate your generosity! **Mrs. Ward will choose raffle names and announce on Tuesday morning..** Winners will be announced in the November 13th newsletter.
Sponsorship
If you are interested in becoming a School Sponsor for the 2019-2020 school year, please reach out to the sponsorship team at sponsorship@stisidore.org . Click here to view Sponsorship Opportunities. Click here for the Sponsorship Commitment Form.
Sponsor Shout Out: This week we’d like to recognize The Endodontic Center of Pleasanton for their Copper Level sponsorship and for supporting our school. They are dedicated to providing a positive dental experience for their patients. Please contact them for your endodontic needs
SIS Family Highlight
Congratulations to the Schmidt Family! Last Wednesday, 10/30 the Schmidts welcomed a beautiful baby boy to their family. Jacob Dean came into the world weighing 7lbs, 7oz. Baby Jacob's sister, Elynn (2nd grade) and mom, Tracey (SIS Director of Religious Affairs) have been waiting patiently for his arrival. We are all glad he is finally here!
Student Leadership News
Student Leadership Fall Fundraiser! Student Leadership has once again partnered with Ternero Farms to create three SIS custom designed bottles of olive oil. Olive oil makes a wonderful hostess gift and stocking stuffer. Click here to view order form. Congrats to our three 5th grade artists: Landry Bender, Luis Romero and Alexandra Waizenegger.
Note from the Office
School attendance alert system update: This Friday, November 8th at 10am you will receive a text message from School Messenger notifying you that moving forward, parents will receive a phone message and a text message if an unexcused absence is recorded. You may choose to opt out of text alerts at that time if preferred by replying NO or STOP.

Membership Toolkit: It has come to our attention that users were not able to search the school faculty on the Membership Toolkit website and/or app. MT has resolved this issue. Thank you for your patience during this transition from MySchoolAnywhere to our new online family directory, Membership Toolkit. If you haven't already done so, please follow the directions in this document to create an account.
Running with Love

Nov. 13th - 21st
This Thanksgiving season we will once again be supporting “ Running With Love. ” Students are asked to bring in food donations to create Thanksgiving baskets for “Running With Love.” This is a non-profit organization, which was founded by Alyse Cronin, a
St. Isidore School alumni, Class of 2008. The mission of her foundation is to remove the environmental barriers that are inhibiting the children of migrant farm workers from achieving a high school education, while providing food, clothing, and educational support to migrant farm workers. Listed are the items needed per grade by Thursday, November 21st.  Thank you everyone for your support!
TK
Packets of Turkey Gravy
ďťż
KINDERGARTEN
Cans of Corn
 
GRADE 1
Cans of Peas
 
GRADE 2
Boxes of Instant Mashed Potatoes
 
GRADE 3
Boxes of Stuffing
 
GRADE 4
Cans of Green Beans
 
GRADE 5
Cranberry Sauce
 
GRADE 6
Boxes of Brownie Mix
 
GRADE 7
Corn Bread Mix
 
GRADE 8
Thanksgiving Themed Paper Plates & Napkins (8-12 count pkgs of sealed Thanksgiving Themed).
Sip & Shop
Eat, drink, SHOP and be merry - tickets on sale now!
The Sip and Shop Holiday Market will be held Wednesday, December 4th from 5:30-9PM in the Cardelli Center. Ticket price (only $35!) includes event entry, wine, champagne and food! Click here to purchase.

Volunteers needed!
Sip & Shop is a fun and easy way to earn your PEP hours. Volunteers are needed to assist with decorations, set up and take down. Sign up to volunteer here .

New this year - Champagne Raffle
This year's event will feature a champagne raffle. Check the Wednesday folder for your chance to pre-purchase raffle tickets (you do not need to be present to win!). And don't forget to donate a bottle of champagne, rose or sparkling wine for PEP hours! Click here to donate.
Random Acts of Kindness
Random acts of kindness are deliberate attempts to brighten another person's day by doing something thoughtful, nice, and caring. Go out and spread kindness, SIS! Please let the office know if you do or witness a RAOK.
Kindness Counts! 1st grader, Elliotte Delong mentioned to 8th grader, Sasha Kozimor that the Halloween costume she wanted was sold out everywhere. Sasha took it upon herself to make Elliotte the costume. She went out and bought a yellow shirt and hand painted the shirt to look like the costume. Elliotte and her family were touched by the kindness displayed. Good job Sasha!
Thank you Altar Servers! There are many SIS students that offer their time to altar serve at church during the week, weekends and holidays. Several of our students give up their scheduled lunchtime to serve at the parish funerals. Their dedication to the church and our school is admirable and appreciated.
5th Annual Scouting for Food Drive
St. Isidore Cub Scouts Pack 804 5th Annual Scouting for Food Drive benefiting the Contra Costa Food Bank! Pack 804 will be at mass on 11/9-11/10 passing out bags. Bags filled with non perishable foods are to be returned to Church 11/16-11/17. Click here for further info.
Challenge Success
Tip of the week : Discipline and set limits. There are two sides to parenting: warmth and discipline. Warmth is easier, but discipline is equally important. Children feel secure and cared for when their parents are willing to set limits. This is how children learn important skills like self-control and frustration tolerance. Don’t worry about your child’s temporary anger or indignation when you set limits. It will pass.
Teacher Gift Collection
The holidays are coming and we want to make gift-giving easier for you . You are invited to participate in a group Teacher Gift for CHRISTMAS and END OF THE YEAR. If you are interested, please see the attached flyer.   This is completely voluntary. Due by Friday Nov. 15, 2019.
Scrip
Scrip News... Click here to order! Low Denomination Card order form , click here .
Are you a Black Friday shopper? If so, what is stopping you from stocking up on everything? For your camper, we have REI. The sports enthusiast will love Dick’s Sporting Goods, Nike and Athleta (Gap). Your fun loving teen will be set with Barnes and Noble, Bath and Body Works, itunes, Macy’s, Marshall’s, and Target. For the always prepared cook and hostess, Crate & Barrel, Pottery Barn/Williams-Sonoma, Home Goods (Marshalls) and Whole Foods are sure things. If you are a “DIY” guru or know someone who is, then a card from Alamo Ace Hardware or Home Depot would be the perfect fit for a home project. And for the on-line shopper, an Amazon card is always a guarantee smile maker. Thank you for shopping with Scrip!
Volunteer Opportunitiesďťż- Week A
School Sponsorships
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