New beginnings

Almost as long as children have been attending school on an agrarian calendar, common rituals have been associated with the return to school each fall: clearing out and cleaning up; fresh haircuts and shifting schedules; new pencils and new shoes; new friends and new beginnings.  This year is no different - and so different when we add to the list the new ways we must prepare to start afresh.  

Some new ways to prepare for school this fall:

1. Build mask-wearing stamina by wearing a mask indoors for gradually increasing periods of time

2. Establish routines for washing hands frequently

3. Practice maintaining safe distances from people outside of your family

4. Make a plan for child care in the event that you are informed that your child must quarantine for a period of time

5. Bring some special supplies

1. Stadium seat (Here’s a reasonably-priced one: https://www.amazon.com/Coleman-2000020281-Stadium-Seat/dp/B003399128/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=stadium+seats&qid=1596811043&sr=8-5 )

2. A baseball cap or sun hat to leave at school for outdoor classes

3. 5 masks labeled with day of week (M-T-W-Th-F)

1. Cloth or disposable only

1. No valves

2. No neck gaiters

3. No bandanas

4. No fleece (based on effectiveness studies)

2. Large ziplock bag for daily storage

4. 8 oz. pump-style hand sanitizer

5. Box of facial tissues

6. Durable, washable water bottle

7. A beach towel or yoga mat (for PE yoga classes)

Another part of a new year is new members of the community.  We are excited to welcome 60 new students from 45 families into every grade in the school!  We are also delighted to welcome these new teachers to our professional staff:

Ali Grindle, Special Education Coordinator

Ali comes to us from St. Dominic School in Brookfield where she served her children’s school community in a part time special education role after both regular and special education roles in public and Catholic schools in Lincoln, Nebraska.  She brings contemporary practices - and her four children - to St. Robert, where she is looking forward to leading a full inclusion Catholic School program.  Ali replaces the recently retired Marilyn Meservey.

Kathy O’Dell, Reading Specialist

Kathy is returning to St. Robert for the third time!  She was a school parent and a temporary special education teacher before joining our permanent staff this year.  She brings extensive experience in both Reading and Special Education and also teaches pre-service teachers at Marquette University.  She replaces Sue Klawans who resigned for personal reasons.

Samantha (Sam) Windsor, 4K

Sam is an early career teacher with a bundle of creativity and energy.  She comes to us from one of our Milwaukee Urban schools and is anxious to continue her professional journey in a program aligned with best practice philosophies.  Her position was added to accommodate enrollment interest at the 4K level.

Maggie Sather, 5K

Maggie grew up in the North Shore, but comes to us via Austin Texas, where she most recently worked in a primary school teaching in a curriculum based on the esteemed Reggio Emilio philosophy.  Her professional journey also includes a stint teaching English to preschoolers in the Czech Republic!  Her position was also added to accommodate new enrollment interest.

Eileen Day, 5th grade

Eileen comes to us after a short sabbatical from her 20-year career in the Mequon-Thiensville School District.  She has extensive experience in Readers and Writers Workshops and served in numerous leadership roles including leading her school to Blue Ribbon status.  She brings strengths in project management and a particular passion in the area of social-emotional learning.  Eileen is replacing recently retired Barb Dietz.

Kelly Steinberg, PE long-term substitute

Kelly is a certified yoga instructor who will bring a yoga program to our PE classes during the first three months of school when our beloved Mr. Jefferson is on a leave of absence.  We’re looking forward to accommodating stretching and breathing workouts that will not involve the heavy breathing associated with strenuous exercise; and we think this will be a great time to focus on mindfulness and self-regulation. 

Caroline Potter, Special Education Aide

Caroline is passionate about inclusion and Catholic education.  She is just finishing her Master’s degree in Special Education and looking forward to gaining practical experience in a school program.  She will fill a vacated position.

May our blessed Mother Mary, patron saint of Catholic schools, protect us and guide us in our studies and help us live and work each day in the glory of God.

And how are the children?

On my very first day at St. Robert in 1999, I had the privilege of participating in a faculty retreat where I was introduced to the the traditional greeting of the Masai people of eastern Africa: And how are the children?  The response, All the children are well, means that peace and safety prevail and the priorities of protecting the young are well in place,

I was immediately inspired by the high societal value that the Masai place on their children's well-being, and this became a lens through which I have continued to view our culture through all these many years.

As the nation mourns the brutal murder of George Floyd and the violence against innocent citizens and police officers around the nation, discussions of racism and violence dominate the national conversation - and our children are watching and listening.  This is a pivotal moment in our shared humanity.  We have to get this right.  If we look at our response through the lens of our children's well-being, I believe we truly can rise from the detritus of this shameful time and become a people of honor in the sight of God.

I have shared some resources to help you start - and continue - these important conversations with your children.  We must acknowledge our shared responsibility to teach our children in developmentally sensitive ways that it's not okay to classify and characterize others in generic groups.  And, most fundamentally, we have a responsibility to explicitly teach them that whether our actions are performed by one against another or hidden in the actions of an angry mob, it's never, ever okay to be dismissive of another, to speak ugly words, or to harm or destroy; not thoughtlessly; not jokingly; not in the exercise of power or even the expression of pain.  It's never okay.  Period.

As a Catholic institution, we denounce violence in any form for any reason.  We honor the right to peaceful protests.  We believe in the dignity of all people.  We celebrate the glorious tapestry of human differences.  We acknowledge our responsibility to welcome and include all members of God's family at our table.  And we believe in the unlimited power of prayer.

But in the end, what will remain is the legacy of our actions.  Words are not enough.  What did we do?  What did you do?  This will be our legacy.

Guided by the gift of Right Judgement, I hold eternal hope that we can create a community where every person is received and loved as a child of God.  Then, peace will prevail.  And then, the children will be well.

For as you judge, so will you be judged,

and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you.

Matthew 7:2