Heartbeat
| FROM THE PRINCIPALāS DESK... |
Self-discipline is the ability to listen to the voice of another, to understand the message, and to act upon it appropriately whether observed or alone. To obey means "to listen to" and to follow what is heard. Effective communication, therefore, creates a climate for obedience that helps a child learn to distinguish God's voice from a variety of destructive voices in our culture.
Your home is the school in which your child first learns to listen and to separate or discern which voices lead to life-giving choices and which voices lead to life-blocking choices; that is, which voices produce attitudes that create, mend, heal, invite, forgive, include others, share, unite, and contribute to well-being, versus the voices that separate, destroy, wound, deceive, divide, exclude, manipulate, and isolate. There are qualities of effective communication that create an environment, climate, or readiness that nurtures self-discipline and leads to life to the full, kind of life that Jesus came to bring.
Effective communication conveys respect, reverence, and openness. It requires that we make time, demonstrate interest through body language, give full attention, listen for feelings, ask questions, let the speaker finish without thinking of responses, and keep confidences. A home environment in which a child experiences effective communication is one in which presence rather than presents is assured; where "care-full" speaking and listening are consistent; and where conversation is mirroring in nature rather than blaming or authoritarian.
Presence: Presence is more than physical proximity. Presence implies attentiveness, eye contact, focus, and emotional connection. Presence reveals itself when parents are able to make connections to previous conversations and with the interests of their child. Attentive listening that results in action is the essence of discernment, obedience, and self-discipline. Children need to be taught how to listen attentively.
Care-full Speaking: Speaking that is full of care addresses a child in respectful tones and by name. It is the kind of speaking that will nurture communication, discernment, and obedience. Parents who practice care-full speaking keep their children's business confidential. Children need consistent practice to become care-full speakers. They learn from the example of their parents and by patient, respectful correction how to use car in their communication.
Care-full Listening: Care-full listening can involve ears, eyes, heart, touch, and facial expression. It can summarize what was said and it can "hear" what was not said! Care-full listening avoids taking over the conversation, lecturing, or pontificating. Children who are repeated recipients of care-full listening are able to take personal ownership for their actions and consequences. It provides the social skills needed for truthfulness, honesty, and integrity to blossom as personality traits.
Mirroring Conversation: Mirroring is a particularly helpful tool during times that require disciplinary action or decision-making. The parent serves as an impartial mirror that lets the child see himself, his actions, and their effects. The parent-mirror does not level blame or say: "I told you so." The parent serves as a facilitator, not an identifier. Mirroring is time consuming, but the payoff is growth in personal responsibility. Acknowledging choices and accepting responsibility for them leads to a sense of ownership. Only ownership makes possible change, growth and improvement.
May this information serve as a guide to determine the communication climate that best supports the formation of self-discipline within your child.
| THE PRESIDENT'S CORNER |
To all our returning families and those new to our school, I hope 1999-2000 will be a great year! I encourage you to jump into SHA and participate to the fullest. Remember, as with all important endeavors in life, you will get out of it what you put into it.
We have an exciting year planned! Our first major event, organized by Janice and Steve Teixeira, is the Island Paradise fundraiser. The Kick-Off Dinner, in true Jimmy Buffett style, is Saturday night, Oct. 23. The Walk-A-Thon and fun and games will follow on Sunday, Oct. 24. This is one of the many activities your PTG provides to support our school. Please plan on fulfilling your commitment as a volunteer. It is a great time for the whole family so get out your Island Attire, put on your parrot heads and see what the Sacred Heart community is all about.
Our school directory will be ready in two weeks. A special thanks to Ken and Charlene Ables for the many hours they spent putting it together. We also thank Nick's at the Beach, Residential Repair and Construction, and Gary Gilmore Jewelers for underwriting the cost of printing.
The first Sacred Heart PTG Meeting will be Oct. 28 at 7:00 pm in the school library. There will be a guest speaker representing the San Diego County Prevention Coalition. A drug Identification/User Recognition program will be presented. This information will help us recognize dangerous behavior and be better-informed parents and teachers. Childcare will be provided.
I appreciate the time and energy the PTG members have contributed to get this year off to a great start! I feel very fortunate to have such a committed and wonderful group of people to work with.
I am looking forward to a successful year together.
Kathy Hailey
PTG President
| LIBRARY LINES
by Mrs. Mary Zapata |
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| Welcome back to another great year at SHA Lionel P. Correia Jr. Memorial
Library. We have a "new look" this year and a brand new automated system
for circulation. Thank you to the parents who helped with the bar coding.
Also, a special thank you to Julie Norenberg, wife of Dennis, our Physical Plant Manager, who is a district librarian for the Santee School district. She has been through bar coding many times and graciously offered her help and advice. This month we are showcasing the efforts of students in Paul White's after school art class. Thank you to the students for sharing their fantasy creatures with us. |
The members of the Sacred Heart Academy PTG Board would like to extend
a heartfelt message of appreciation to Father Ron and the Parish Board
for their generous loan of $20,000 to fund the school's Grocery Certificate
Program. The GCP program is an important vehicle for revenue for the school.
Without this loan, the program would not be as profitable. Thank you from
the bottom of our hearts, Father Ron.
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This year, we will showcase two or three teachers in each Heartbeat
with the purpose of getting to know them a little better. Our first two,
brave teachers are Mr. Saavedra the new fourth grade teacher and Mrs. Massa
(formerly Miss B) returning for a second great year as our second grade
teacher.
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Mr. Jeff Saavedra Mr. Saavedra hails from Albuquerque New Mexico where he attended college at the University of New Mexico. He has been teaching school for 12 years now, in the 3rd and 4th grades, both in New Mexico and in San Diego. Mr. Saavedra says that he has been most impressed with Mr. Hamm and the staff at SHA. He adds, "there is a strong sense of community here at Sacred Heart Academy." What interests Mr. Saavedra most about teaching is his love for childrens' innocence and honesty. "I love to see kids' faith in the Lord increase and develop," he said. He also admits to being "the biggest kid in the class" himself. He too has a very strong love for Jesus Christ and wants to do his best to serve Him. Mr. Saavedra and his wife have no children but, he adds, "our fish are multiplying rapidly." When he is not in the classroom, he enjoys spending time with his wife and best friend, Annette, eating Mexican food and running on the beach. He is also passionate about scuba diving, skiing and travel. He even plays golf (sort of). Jeff's favorite color is blue, his favorite food is of the Mexican persuasion, and his favorite movies depend upon his mood but include: A Christmas Story, Sandlot, Mask of Zoro and Schindler's List. As a side note, Mr. Saavedra says that he "really, really likes Harley Davidsons and very fast boats." He hopes to buy the former next year. Let's just hope he buys a helmet too. Welcome Mr. Saavedra! |
Mrs. Theresa
Massa
Mrs. Massa is a Native San Diegan and an excellent product of Catholic
education here in town. She attended the Stella Maris Academy then the
University of San Diego High School. After graduating high school, she
attended Northern Arizona University, where she earned her degree. Fortunately
for us, she decided to return to San Diego and join the staff at SHA. Mrs.
Massa has been teaching elementary education for five years. Before that,
she worked for the Education Department at Sea
The former "Miss B" became Mrs. Massa this past March. While Mr. and Mrs. Massa have no children yet, they are showering their affections on their beloved dog. When she is not in the classroom, Mrs. Massa enjoys arts and crafts, reading, and outdoor and water sports. She especially enjoys spending time with her family and friends. Mrs. Massa's favorite color is purple and her favorite food is(guess)Italian. She is also a fan of the Star Wars movies. Welcome back, Mrs. Massa! Grade 2, Yahoo!
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Sacred Heart Academy
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New Restrooms
After serving the students of Sacred heart Academy for forty-eight years, the school restrooms experienced a major overhaul during the summer!
The restroom renovation included: removal of existing partitions, removal of a single sink in the boy's restroom, removal of all toilets, installation of three new sinks in the boy's restroom, installation of new toilets in both restrooms, installation of automatic flushes on all toilets and urinals, installation of automatic water valves on all sinks, installation of new partitions, repainting of both restrooms, and acid washing of all the tile.
The much-needed renovation was made possible as a result of fundraising efforts of the PTG. Its is only through these success of the major fundraisers that projects such as this become a reality. Please make sure that you actively support all the fundraisers at the school.
Also, a big thank you to Steve and Kelly Andrade and A. O. Reed for helping out with the renovation costs. Your support is always greatly appreciated. And a big thank you to Dennis for doing the demolition work, the painting, and the acid washing of the tile. This cut our costs even more. We are very fortunate to have Dennis on our staff. I thank God for him everyday!
Where Is That New Building?
The new "Msgr. John Rhatigan Wing" at Sacred Heart Academy did not become
a reality this summer. This was due to internal
miscommunications at the City of San Diego. Our architect has met again
with the City of San Diego and has finalized their expectations. These
expectations have been passed on to the builders who are now redrawing
the plans. By the time you read this, everything, hopefully, has been finalized
with the City of San Diego, the builders, the architect, and the school.
Although I am disappointed that the building did not go up this past summer, I think that we will have a much better facility as a result of changes that we will be making. I hope to have the new specifications for you in the very near future.
The revised time line includes all permits being secured from the City
of San Diego before the end of 1999. This will give everyone ample time
to schedule all work on a timely basis; therefore making the new building
a reality during summer 2000! This will make a perfect Golden Anniversary
gift to ourselves as we celebrate fifty years of Sacred Heart Academy in
school
year 2000-2001!
If any of you have specific questions concerning the new wing, please feel free to contact me. And, of course, we are still accepting donations for the building.
WHAT WOULD GOD SAY?
If God could give you a few tips on living, perhaps He would tell you
to:
From: Conversations With God, Book Two
Neal Donald Walsch
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PLEASE READ IMMEDIATELY! |
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By Patty DiMasi Effective October 15, 1999, Vons and its parent, Safeway, will replace the "paper" scrip program with a new electronic fund-raising program. The eScrip program provides participants with an easy and efficient process to support schools of their choice, namely Sacred Heart Academy. By shopping at Vons, Pavilions or Safeway with your Club Card, Vons
will donate a percentage of all of your monthly grocery purchases to Sacred
Heart Academy. In addition, the new program partners with other major businesses
such as American Airlines, Payless Shoe Source, Spiegel, and Budget Rent-a-Car,
broadening the options available for fund-raising opprtunities.
The program will be administered by Electronic Scrip, Inc. (ESI), a
California based corporation. ESI will not license, sell,
Please take a moment to do the following:
Budget Rent-A-Car 8% Contact Patty DiMasi with any questions at 223-8619 (dimasi@home.com), or visit eScrip's website at www.escripinc.com. for additional details on the program. |
DELIVERY AND PICK UP OF NEW STUDENTS
"Don't make me come out to your car!"
Parents, please make sure that you do not create a dangerous situation
when dropping off or picking up your child from school.
We have over two hundred families in our school, which means many vehicles
around the school before and after school. All of
us must be always vigilant in order to insure the safety of each child.
Please observe all safe driving rules around the school:
| IN HOME MEETINGS
Thank you to all the parents who generously opened their homes for the in-home meetings this year:
KUDOS Sacred Heart Academy could not operate as efficiently without the dedication and hard work of parent volunteers. These parents give their time, money and effort to make our school a superior place of learning. Each month, we will recognize outstanding parent volunteers. Please let us know if you know of someone deserving of special recognition. This month we have: Tina Atchley, SHA Hospitality Parent Tina did an outstanding job organizing the SHA New Parent Orientation Night and the Welcome Breakfast on the first day of school. Orientation night was successful in helping parents who are new to SHA to learn about our many activities, uniform guidelines and other important school information. Thank you Tina for all of your hard on these events and all that you do year round. |
NEW PHONE NUMBER FOR EXTENDED
DAYCARE
If you need to get in touch with Connie, Director of Daycare, the new phone number is 892-0664. Please post this number where you can find it and use it, and not the
school number, to contact Connie. Thank you very much.
SISTER CARMEL'S LETTER To our friends at Sacred Heart Academy: As we look at our school, blackened and boarded, we cannot help but think of our losses and they are many. However, our losses are surpassed by our blessings. No one was hurt, we have a place to finish out the school year, our Festival '99 brought us together in a joyful environment where we were able to support each other as we faced this shocking situation, and as the days have passed, we have experienced overwhelming support from within and beyond our parish community. The outpouring of gifts, prayers, offered services, and concern overwhelm us. We can clearly see that Christ the King Parish community does not need a building to exist. Our foundation of love, faith and devotion to the children truly sustains us as we face the challenge of rebuilding our school. All of us at Christ the King thank you for your generous gift. Love and prayers,
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Toward the end of last year, two girls from seventh grade were chosen
to enter a contest. The four winners from San Diego County would receive
a scholarship for a week on the UCSD campus in a camp named "Tech Trek."
There they would meet new people, go on cool field trips,
and learn about all different kinds of science and mathematics. To enter
I had to fill out and
application, write a biography about myself, and write a letter about
why I would like to go to this camp for girls.
As days and weeks passed, the odds of being chosen looked slim as they
did in many other contests that I have participated
in. Finally, one day when I went to my mailbox to get the mail, I received
a letter with my whole name, Anna Christina Brun,
printed on it. Knowing that no one ever really used my whole name,
I became suspicious and ripped open the letter to find out that I had been
chosen to go to the "Tech Trek Camp for Girls." Immediately filled with
joy, I ran to my mom and recited the letter.
The first full day was a bit rough, and not knowing anyone just added
to that, but I just had to keep in mind how luck I was to be where I was
and to meet new people. The camp was split up into four groups. Each group
would have a different teacher and would be taught a different thing in
the science and mathematics fields. My group would be learning about evolution
and
DNA. One of the activities that we did was make a strand of DNA out
of beads and thread. The finished product looked like a
bracelet but when you twisted it, it looked like a strand of DNA.
One of the fun things that I did at the camp was to go on a biology boat out in the middle of Mission Bay. While out on this boating experience, I learned about all the different types of fish and plants including kelp bass, lobster, pipe fish, phitoplanktin, and zooplanktin. I also learned how scientists measure the amount of salt in the ocean. Another experience that I had was when my group went to a science institute where they would grow skin from donated cells to put on burned victims. The cells were either donated from cadavers or a person who had extra cells to spare. When a complete sheet of skin, which was about five inches by three and one half inches, was done growing, a doctor would apply the sheet to the patient and the skin would eventually grow on.
The thing I loved about this camp was that, unlike when you are in school, all you learn from are books. They tried to push you away from that and almost everything that we did was fun and hands on activity! Another thing I liked was that they told all the girls that science and mathematics can be found in almost everything, including basketball, food and soccer, etc.
I would like to thank the school for giving me this once-in-a-lifetime chance to learn about new things and new people. Your kindness is greatly appreciated!
Yours truly,
Anna C. Brun, Grade 8
by Kathy Howard
At the end of the last school year, a group of 5th grade mothers decided to develop a summer program to deepen their daughters' reading enjoyment while at the same time developing their social skills. They also wished to open a new avenue of dialogue with their daughters just as the girls were approaching the critical adolescent years. They decided to form a Mother-Daughter Book Club.
With the thought that a small group would facilitate everyone having the opportunity to take part in thediscussions, a group of 6 mothers and daughters met once a month, taking turns choosing the group's reading selections. They emphasized to their daughters that the books were to be read for pleasure, not to make a report, receive a grade, or pass a test. The discussions would be in a non-judgmental atmosphere: all opinions were valid, all equal. The hope was to develop an awareness of reading for pleasure and the joy of exchanging points of view on a shared reading experience.
The fledgling project proved enjoyable and beneficial to both mothers and daughters. The cross-generational exchange of thoughts and points of view have deepened understanding between the girls, the mothers and more importantly, between the mothers and their daughters.
Other parents wishing information on forming a Mother-Daughter Book
Club may check out the resources used by this group, available at the public
library or Crown Bookstore; 100 Books for Girls to Grown On and Mother-Daughter
Book Club, both by Shireen Dodson. One copy of these books has been generously
donated by the Mother-Daughter Book Club and is available in the SHA Library.
If you have any questions, please contact Kathy Howard at 224-0082 or Mary
Ann Capistrano at 226-1014.
BIRTHDAY BOOK CLUB
by Mrs. Mary Zapata
Please choose books from the Birthday Book Club box or get a list of
suggestions from Mrs. Zapata in the library. Only new
hardback books are acceptable for the Birthday Book Club. These donations
help us update our collection and the children love to hear their names
announced by Mr. Hamm. We also have Birthday Book Club parties, one in
February for summer through January birthdays and one in May for February
through
June birthdays.
Used Books
If you have used books in good condition, you may donate them on condition that if they cannot be used in the library, they will be put in used book sales. Due to space and processing time, we accept very few paperback books for our library, but they are great for sales. Thanks!
Homework Lab
Homework lab is held in the library Monday through Thursday from 2:55
to 3:25 pm. This is quiet study place which children may get help from
the librarian and/or parent helpers. To minimize distraction, children
must be in the lab by 3:00 pm and stay until 3:25 pm. The library remains
open most days until 4:00 pm, except Friday.
BIRTHDAY BOOK CLUB
by Sue Bourdon
Following are birthday book club members from last spring:
| Megan Depew, grade 1 | Rapunzel |
| Morgan Turskey, grade 2 | TableChairBearA Book in Many Languages |
| Celestina Kuncz, grade 3 | A Million FishMore or Less |
| Antoni Czerniewski, grade 4 | Francis The Poor Man of Assisi |
| Brandon Alvarez, grade 5 | 3 Animorphs books |
| Kelly Robinson, grade 6 | The Childrens' Book of Virtues |
| Lisa Dowd, grade 8 | The Day Pearl Harbor Was Bombed and I Am an American |
The following students joined the birthday book club in September:
| Joey Ben |