The guiding philosophy of St. Bernard of Clairvaux Catholic School is to recognize the individual spiritual moral and intellectual needs of each student in an atmosphere rich in Catholic truths and values. We are committed to academic excellence by providing a challenging curriculum with high expectations for success. We consider it essential to teach the student to live in accordance with the spiritual, moral and ethical principal exemplified in the life of Christ.

Email: LSenecal@sbdallas.org
Website: https://www.stbernardccs.org/
Location: 1420 Old Gate Lane, Dallas, TX, USA
Phone: 2143212897
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SBSBruin
Twitter: @SBS_Official

Dear St. Bernard Families,

Happy May! I pray that on this beautiful sunny day you are healthy and enjoying the blessings of spring. Today, I am reminded of a quote by St. Gianna Molla, “The secret of happiness is to live moment by moment and to thank God for all that He, in His goodness, sends to us day after day.” Canonized as a Saint on May 16, 2004, Gianna Molla grew up viewing life as God's beautiful gift and found the greatest necessity and effectiveness in prayer. She is a beautiful source of inspiration during this time to seek comfort in our prayers and our living faith.

The St. Bernard school community has a lot to celebrate during the month of May. With the announcement from Bishop Burns that churches can open in phases, we are enthusiastically planning our Spring sacraments as well as Graduation for our 8th grade students. Please note the following important dates:

• The Sacrament of Reconciliation for those receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation is Tuesday, May 19th at 6:00 PM at St. Bernard Church.
  
• The Sacrament of Reconciliation for those receiving the Sacrament of First Communion is Wednesday, May 20th at 6:00 PM at St. Bernard Church.
  
• Graduation will be held on Thursday, May 21st at 6:30 PM at St. Bernard Church.
  
• The Sacrament of Confirmation will be held on Tuesday, May 26th at 7:00 PM at St. Bernard Church.
  
• The Sacrament of First Communion will be held on Wednesday, May 27th at 6:30 PM at St. Bernard Church. There will be a small reception in the school cafeteria after the ceremony.

The next few weeks will be filled with continued learning, end of year activities, and closing celebrations. The last day for 8th grade students is Wednesday, May 20th. The last day for students in grades PreK3 - 7th is Tuesday, May 26th. There will be an all school Mass at 8:00 AM on this day to offer a blessing and say goodbye for the summer. Instructions for joining this virtual Mass will be provided closer to the date. SBS is closing 3 days early to allow for textbook collection, to pass out student work, to clean out lockers, etc. While instructions will be emailed regarding specific days and times, please know it will take place May 27th - May 29th.

In closing, I want to say thank you for the words of kindness and support you showered the faculty and staff with this week for Teacher/ Principal Appreciation. The SBS community is the most generous and thoughtful group of parents and kids anywhere! Thank you for the Superhero yard signs, cards, gifts, and sweet wishes. You made us feel incredibly loved. We miss you and are looking forward to seeing you in the hallways of SBS this August!

Please look for additional emails from the administrative team in the following weeks regarding May celebrations.

Be assured of my continued prayers for you and your loved ones.

With love and hope,

Laurie Senecal

See further details on events by scrolling down to "Dates and Details."

Friday, May 1st - Thursday, May 14th - SBS Book Fair

Monday, May 4th - Friday, May 8th - Teacher Appreciation Week

Tuesday, May 5th - North TX Giving Day (Tuition Assistance Support)

Thursday, May 7th - 7 PM - SBS Faith Group Zoom Meeting

Friday, May 8th - 1 PM - Virtual May Crowning and Consecration of School & Parish

Sunday, May 10th - Mother's Day

Friday, May 15th - Virtual Family Fun Bingo Night

Wednesday, May 20th - Last Day of School for 8th Grade

Thursday, May 21st - 8th Grade Graduation

Teacher Appreciation Week has begun, and we have several ways for you to thank your teachers! If you want to send your teacher a message or leave a note of appreciation, check out the school Facebook page at @sbsbruin and leave a message. You can also email your teacher directly.

When you stop by the school to bring up a flower for May Crowning (see below), leave a note of appreciation for your teachers on one of our two gratitude boards. You can also leave small gifts or treats on the school porch - just label with your teacher's name, and they will be delivered to the classroom by the end of the day.

Let's show our teachers just how much we love them!

The Scholastic Book Fair is here! Online shopping is available from May 1-14, 2020, and all book-only orders over $25 will ship free to the shipping address that you designate. The proceeds from the Book Fair are the primary way we build up our SBS library. So please support the Book Fair and SBS library by clicking below and buying some books!

https://www.scholastic.com/bf/stbernardofclairvauxschool1

Today is a special North Texas Giving Day, and we need your help! Many of our families are in need of tuition assistance during these difficult times, and likely into next year. If you are in a position to do so, please consider a donation to support the St. Bernard Catholic School Tuition Assistance Fund. We want to thank all those who have already made a contribution.

Click here to donate:

https://www.northtexasgivingday.org/st-bernard-of-clairvaux-catholic-school

The “Catholic Netflix” FORMED has inspiring movies and video-based studies, audio talks, and e-books from the Church's most compelling speakers and authors, and we now have free access through our Parish! We hope that by means of this ready-at-hand tool, we all might grow in our relationship with Jesus Christ and in our desire to share our Faith with others, especially those closest to us.

With this free access to FORMED, 24/7 on your smartphone, computer, iPad, or Kindle, you can:
• Prepare for Mass each week by watching an insightful five-minute video on the readings;
• Enjoy movies as a family that are both nourishing and entertaining;
• Enrich your marriage with the award-winning video program Beloved; and
• Help your children grow in faith and character with engaging children’s materials.

These are the instructions to download.

Do you know if your Safe Environment status is up to date? Eventually, we will return to school, and when we do, we will need our parent volunteers more than ever. All volunteers must be Safe Environment cleared to participate in an event or activity, and that clearance must be updated annually. What better time than now to review your SE status, and if needed, update by viewing an online class?

To confirm your current status, click on the following link and enter your name and address. Once you update your personal information, you can go to "Classes available to take online" to choose a training video and complete the quiz at the end. The system will automatically update your status, and you can check that off your list before summer has even started!

https://dallas.setanet.org/obligations.php

Box Tops for Education is kicking off Teacher Appreciation Week with a special BONUS offer. This week (5/3 - 5/10) you can earn Double Box Tops with every qualifying purchase when you scan your receipt with the Box Tops app. See below for further details, and get shopping!

Box Tops Bonus Offer Details

They said to one another, "Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?" Luke 24:32

Zeal is defined as great energy or enthusiasm in pursuit of a cause or an objective. In religious terms, zeal is manifested by an impelling desire to advance the glory of God by making him better known and loved. In essence, then, zeal is love in action. It takes the "burning heart" created by Jesus' presence and love, and and allows it to burst outward and touch all those around us.

Even today, in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, we are called to feel God's presence and manifest that presence outward. Check out the link below for some age-appropriate suggestions on how to encourage your family to demonstrate zeal this month.

Home Projects for May

It's Taco Tuesday and Cinco de Mayo! Check out the specials at any of the two neighboring restaurants that have so graciously supported St. Bernard of Clairvaux in the past. Don't forget your margarita!

We are continuing to highlight our Class of 2020 as they approach Graduation Day. Isn't it amazing seeing how far they have come already? We are so proud of each one of them!

Thank you, parents, for sharing your 2020 Bruin Cub pics with us.

This Bruin Cub loves drawing and reading Agatha Christie and Ransom Riggs novels. Her favorite subjects are art and science. Her favorite teacher is Ms. Potter-Grisham, and she enjoys Mr. Gerecke’s sense of humor. She also misses Sr. Angeles and her kindness. Her favorite memory at SBS is reading on the playground swings on warm Texas afternoons when the school is quiet and the weather is beautiful. She will be attending Ursuline Academy in the fall. Who am I?

This Bruin Cub loves to play football and was excited to play soccer for SBS. This year he broke his wrist while mountain biking, one of his favorite hobbies. His favorite subject is math. He is a member of both NJHS and Student Council. His last vacation was in Maui. He was accepted into both Jesuit and Bishop Lynch High School and will be attending BL in the fall. Go Friars! Who am I?

This Bruin Cub has been at SBS for the past 4 years. His favorite subject is science and his favorite teacher is Mrs. Potter-Grisham. His last vacation was to London in 2019. He will be attending Bishop Lynch in the fall. Go Friars! Who am I?

This Bruin Cub's favorite hobbies are volleyball and swimming. Her favorite SBS memory is last year's end of the year school party, which was a balloon party. Her last vacation was in Punta Cana. She will be attending Bishop Lynch next year. Go Friars! Who am I?

In honor of all of our 5th graders, the following video was created to celebrate this year's 5th grade class ending their last year of elementary school.