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The Rhodes Ahead

Dec. 13, 2024

The RhodesAheadDec. 13, 2024

From Mrs. Rhodes

Hello - as we wrap up this calendar year, we are planning for the next school year.


Education, like medical care, is always evolving with new research and methods. The state of Kansas recently adopted that teacher licenses need to have a Science of Reading endorsement. The science of reading is a body of research that examines how people learn to read, focusing on the cognitive, linguistic, and social processes involved. It emphasizes evidence-based instructional practices, such as phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension strategies, to develop strong reading skills. By aligning teaching methods with this research, educators can better support all learners, particularly those who struggle with reading acquisition.


The state has made this training available to all schools to go through in person as a staff. A few of our teachers have been attending this at another school in the county. I have decided that we should take advantage of this for many reasons, mostly because it is good for children. We are arranging our schedule so that we have two of these sessions outside the school year. The first day will be in May. We are going to move the last half day of school to May 20, 2025. We will have another day before the school year starts. Finally, we will have two days scheduled during the school year. I plan on doing one of these days during the week of Thanksgiving. So students will have the entire week off.


The calendar will not be complete until January, but I know that this helps in planning. We will keep field day as scheduled. We will figure out where to schedule our Near and Dear day that typically happened during that week.


The staff is excited about learning these new strategies and are always ready to do whatever is good for children.


There will not be a newsletter next week. Please know that you will be in my prayers as you celebrate the Christmas Season with your families. Have a blessed Christmas and a happy new year. See you in 2025.


Strength in Surrender,

Kathy Rhodes

Thanks for you GENEROUS Peanut Butter Doneations

It is inspiring how you respond to asks! Thanks for being so generous with the peanut butter.

Meet our Unbound Children

About Keerthana

Keerthana prefers wearing traditional attire such as sarees, half sarees, and long frocks. Her favorite color is white. She enjoys eating apples, oranges, and grapes. Her household chores include cooking, folding clothes, and cleaning utensils. Keerthana finds pleasure in dancing and creating rangolis. Overall, she is in good health. Keerthana goes to a school that is around three kilometers away from her house. She shows an interest in studying English and is consistent in attending classes. Keerthana actively participates in school activities and performs well on exams.

Keerthana resides with her parents, two sisters, and paternal grandmother. They are a religious family. Both parents work seasonally in agriculture to support their household.

The home houses a total of six individuals. Its walls are built from brick, the roof from concrete, and the floor from stone. The household is equipped with electricity, and cooking is done on a gas stove. Water is obtained from an individual tap. Keerthana sleeps on a shared cot with a mat and blankets. The family resides in three rooms in a rural area. There are limited public and medical amenities. The community's main source of income is agriculture.


About Iddi

Iddi is a happy and self-assured individual. He is responsible for running errands at home and finds pleasure in creating and playing with toy cars. In addition, he is in good health. Iddi's school is located about one kilometer away from his home, where he takes a particular interest in studying reading.

Iddi resides with his parents and three brothers, all of whom share a close bond. His father is employed as a mechanic to provide for the family.


Three individuals reside in a brick house with an metal sheet roof and a concrete floor. The home is equipped with electricity and utilizes charcoal for cooking. Water is purchased from a supply vehicle. Iddi sleeps on a bed with a mattress. The family shares the space with Iddi's grandmother in a single rented room. The community does not have access to a water supply. Both parents share responsibility for caring for the family.

Calendar Items

Dec. 17 Christmas Program

Dec. 18 All School Mass

Dec. 19 Posada at 9:15, Christmas Parties at 10:15, Dismissal 11:30

Dec. 20- Jan. 5 Christmas Break

Jan. 6 Students Return

Blooming Girls First-Fourth Grades

See the attached flyer to learn about the schedule and the cost. The Sign-Up Genius link is below to sign up for the October session. You do not need to commit to every session and if the first date doesn't work out - you can still sign up for upcoming months.


https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0A4FA8AE22A5F4CE9-52471448-blooming


Blooming Girls Workshops

Register Here

Saint Thomas Aquinas invites all middle schoolers to come out and watch our Varsity Saint Basketball Teams in action.

You will have free admittance into the game. Please register here.

Parish Opportunities

Facility Master Plan Update: Happy Advent! The Master Plan Committee and SFS Architecture have been prayerfully and diligently meeting for the last couple of months to make sure the new Master Plan for Sacred Heart of Jesus is ready...click here to read more.


Parish Offices Closed: The Parish offices will be closed for the Christmas holiday from Monday, December 23 - Friday, January 3, reopening on Monday, January 6, 2025.


Volunteers Needed: We are in need of volunteers for Coffee & Donuts after both the 8:00 and 11:00 am Masses this weekend. Please click here to sign up. You will have written (and video!) instructions sent to you. A super fun and easy way to give back.


New Parishioner Welcome: New to Sacred Heart? Join us on Sunday, January 12 at Noon in Meeting Rooms 1&2. Enjoy a delicious brunch and meet other parishioners, listen to Fr. Zarse as he shares his insights and dreams for our parish community, and discover how you can actively participate in our parish activities. Click here to register.


Save the Date: Save the date for Saturday, January 18 at 6:00 pm for FAMILY BINGO! We will kick off the evening with dinner and dessert before diving into our exciting BINGO games. Tickets are $10 for adults (13 years and older) and $5 for children (4-12 years), covering both dinner and BINGO games with chances to win prizes! Registration is open if you want to grab your tickets early.


MASS & MINISTRY

D-A-S-H Meeting: The Dads at Sacred Heart group is meeting on Thursday, December 19 at 8:00 pm at the rectory. DASH is a ministry with the mission to bring fathers together for friendship, fellowship, and accountability. Each monthly session includes a short presentation, small group discussion, and socialization. Join us!


Christmas Mass Times: Join us for one of our Christmas Mass times which are: Christmas Eve, Tuesday, December 24 at 4:00 pm, 7:00 pm or 9:00 pm. and Christmas Day, Wednesday, December 25 at 10:00 am.

December Lunch Menu - Dec. 17 is Chicken Drumsticks rather than Tenders

President Volunteer Service Award

Mrs. Rockers talked to all the students about this volunteer award. These forms are in the documents menu in the miscellaneous file or here is a link to the forms:

https://5il.co/2vdoa.

SHOJ Rosary Ministry

St. Benedict Rosary Prayer Group will meet on the little playground at 3:06 each Wednesday to pray The Rosary (or at least part of it) for SHOJ school. All are welcome, even littles can come play while you pray. Please join us.

Kathy Rhodes
Kathy is using Smore to create beautiful newsletters