Week of May 4, 2020
Virtue of the Month: Gratitude
As we enter the final month of school, we wish to express appreciation to our parents, students, faculty and staff for rising to the occasion and staying positive. Despite the challenges we have all faced individually and as a school community in shutdown, we share an attitude of gratitude. Keep up the good work you are all doing though our Distance Learning and know we miss you, are very grateful for you, and look forward to being together soon. Stay healthy and #SetonStrong!
Yearbook Ordering is ready!
- Order your memories of the 2019-2020 school year online at: https://vando.imagequix.com/g1000793122
- Yearbooks are $20 and may be ordered through May 15.
Teacher/Staff Appreciation Parade
On Thursday, May 7 at 10am, we will have a teacher/staff parade at school. The teachers and staff will be lined up outside and parents/students will drive through. You can decorate your car, hang the sign you made for the slideshow out the window or just yell hello! We are hoping many of our families can make it and see the teachers and staff, while still maintaining social distancing.
Here is a sign up genius for those attending for us to get an idea of how many families to expect: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090F4EA9A82FA3FC1-teacher Hope to see you at the Parade!
Seton’s Virtual May Crowning
During the month of May, it is a beautiful Catholic tradition to honor the Blessed Mother by placing a crown of flowers on her statue. Since we cannot be together, we would still like to provide an opportunity for students to honor Mary and give thanks to her for bringing our Savior into the world. We ask families to participate if they are able, by submitting photos or short videos of students bringing flowers to a statue of Mary (if you have one), or photos of students praying the rosary, writing prayers, etc. We will put together in a slideshow and post on social media. Please send your entries to Mrs. Groch at groch@seseton.org no later than May 12. Our May Crowning will be a compilation slideshow to be viewed on May 15.
Rosary Fridays during May Morning Prayers
In honor of Mary, every Friday during the month of May, we will be praying one decade of the rosary. Students and parents please join us as we pray together as a school family. Please SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube channel by following the link below and view past and current daily prayers/announcements.
SETON'S YOUTUBE CHANNELPrayer to Mary
Mary, give me your Heart so beautiful, so pure, so immaculate; your Heart so full of love and humility that I may be able to receive Jesus in the Bread of Life and love Him as you love Him and serve Him in the distressing guise of the poor. ~ Blessed Mother Teresa
Just for fun!
The week of May 11 will be “dress out” week. Each day we will have a new theme and students can send pictures to post on the school Facebook page. Here are the themes:
- Monday 5/11- Silly sock day
- Tuesday 5/12 – Seton Pride day
- Wednesday 5/13 – PJ day
- Thursday 5/14 – Hat Day
- Friday 5/15 – Your favorite outfit day!
Building a Culture of Catholic Stewardship
Now more than ever, our school community needs donors and sponsors to support our mission. Please help spread the word to friends, family and others who believe in the importance of affordable, quality Catholic education now and for future generations. Support Seton by visiting https://saintelizabethseton.com/giving/
Countdown to Graduation 2020!
Every day leading up to Graduation day (May 21) we will be acknowledging each 8th grade student on our Facebook page. Please take a moment to congratulate our amazing 8th graders…we are proud of you!
“Virtual Open House”
Please share the attached link and continue to refer your friends/family to our awesome school!
ATTEND THE VIRTUAL OPEN HOUSEMany thanks to our Open House student video stars!
Important Notice regarding the SUFS Scholarship
If you have already applied for an Income-Based Scholarship for the 2020-2021 school year, please be on the lookout for your Step Up letter that includes Student ID. This will need to be submitted to the school to process your scholarship.
If you have not yet completed an application, New and Renewal families are reminded to APPLY NOW! (Applications are processed on a first-come basis in the order all documents are received, and funding is limited.) https://www.stepupforstudents.org/for-parents/income-based/how-the-scholarship-works/
Any questions, please contact Mrs. Elaine Pearce at pearce@seseton.org. Thank you!
FACTS Grant and Aid
The deadline for a completed/verified application is May 31, 2020. A completed application is required as part of student re-enrollment for the upcoming school year and is necessary to be considered for any tuition assistance. Families can submit 2019 W2s and 2018 income tax returns. This change will not affect those who have already completed their application. Thank you for your cooperation and support.
Help During the Pandemic
Counselor’s Corner Update– Parenting Through the Pandemic
By now many parents are feeling the stressful effects of the tumult caused by the pandemic – juggling their own work, managing multiple online school schedules; caring for children, checking on elder relatives and friends, and in many instances, experiencing extreme distress due to unforeseen unemployment and the ripple effect of that. To say it has not been easy is a real understatement! Parenting is hard enough under the best of circumstances. The pandemic has presented unprecedented parenting challenges.
So how can parents survive through disrupted schedules, cabin fever and chaotic emotions? First, remember that this is not the time for a productivity contest or for perfection. Getting things done in a good enough manner is indeed good enough. Managing daily tasks, school assignments and the myriad other things that have to be done in a day is at best a delicate balancing act. When things are thrown off balance the way they have been for the past month, and likely will be for the foreseeable future, it’s important to steady ourselves, and to take a deep breath.
Practicing self-care is easier said than done. We always tend to put our child’s needs first. But during this pandemic, it is paramount for parents to purposefully engage in self-care, and to practice the coping strategies that help to maintain a healthy mindset – things like a personal time out, deep breathing, exercising, hobbies, spiritual reading, social connection, journaling, quiet prayer time, and getting adequate sleep. Do what works best for you, and try not to get to the point of exhaustion or unfounded guilt.
In these historic times, child psychology expert Dr. Katherine N. Williams suggests that building family memories with a future oriented perspective can be meaningful. No doubt there will be a time when we say, “Remember when we were all together stuck at home during the pandemic?” Present-day experiences can be recorded as a family either in the form of videos, drawings or writing together. Creating a family time capsule can serve as reminder of the personal resilience of your family that was fostered and even inspired by this global pandemic.
Screen Time Reminder
With so much being done online from instruction to ordering groceries, both children and adults can suffer from screen time overload. Remember to take breaks after 20 to 30 minutes and allow eyes to rest. Keep eyes an arm’s distance away from the screen. Lubricant drops can relieve dryness.
Also, remember the rules of online safety! Adult supervision of online activity is a must. Many students are missing friends and want to schedule their own Zoom sessions for social time. Others are playing online games that can connect them to strangers. Be sure that an adult is aware and available to monitor these activities.
For immediate assistance with bills, rent and/or food:
- Catholic Charities Tele-help services – Call 844-385-2404
- The United Way has a COVID-19 Community Economic Relief Fund. Call 2-1-1 or 888-369-7688. The Collier County United Way office is located in Naples at 9015 Strada Stell Court, #204. The direct number to this office is 239-261-7112. The email address is uw211help@gmail.com.
- Another source is Collier County Catholic Charities: 844-385-2404. They can assist with food, financial help and tele-mental health counseling. Also see the website: www.catholiccharitiesdov.org/locations/naples.
- The Harry Chapin Food Bank has many points of distribution; see the website: https://harrychapinfoodbank.org/
Please reach out to School Counselor, Dr. Dianne Fabii, for further assistance: fabii@seseton.org.
Livestreamed Masses
St. Elizabeth Seton Church has livestreamed masses which can be viewed on our parish YouTube channel. Please check your individual parish websites and Facebook pages as well as the dioceseofvenice.org website for information on other parish mass viewing.
Night in Havana Gala Auction News!
We are happy to announce Night in Havana Gala Auction has been rescheduled to Saturday, Sept. 26, 2020 at the Vineyards Country Club! We will look forward to celebrating this fabulous event with our school community and friends at that time.
Please contact our Gala chair, Dr. Dianne Fabii, at fabii@seseton.org with any questions.
