April Newsletter
April 17, 2025
"Our Lord has written the promise of the Resurrection not in books alone, but in every leaf in springtime" -Martin Luther
The Hot Lunch Ordering Window for May AND June is open tomorrow through the 25th
Don't forget to order your yearbook for the 2024-2025 school year!
Shorts on May 1st
Remember that shorts may be worn beginning on Thursday, May 1st for the remainder of the year. Please be mindful of short length for uniform shorts or when using a jeans day coupon. A reminder that cargo shorts are not part of the uniform. Thank you!
2025-2026 School Year Tentative Dates
These school dates are TENTATIVE!
Incoming 5th grade Band Instrument Fitting: Tuesday, August 13th 5:30-6:45 p.m. *By appointment only
Open House: Monday, August 18th
First Day of School for K-8: Wednesday, August 20th
First Day of School for Preschool: Tuesday, August 26th
Christmas Break: Friday, December 19th dismissal at 11:00 a.m. for break. We return on Monday, January 5th.
Spring Break: Friday, April 3rd-Friday, April 10th. We return on Monday, April 13th.
Last Day of School: Friday, June 5th dismissal at 11:00 a.m.
Mrs. Guysky's Technology Tip
As kids get older and their social lives become more complex, parents can feel out of step with what their kids are doing and into, especially when it comes to technology. As parents, we do things for our kids to keep them safe - safe from others and safe from themselves. A staff member gave me a recommendation for a service that helps you monitor your student's phone/device and I wanted to pass it along since there is a lot out there and it is nice to know someone has used an interface and recommends it. BrightCanary is worth checking out if you are looking for a way to monitor activity in your child's life on their device. Additionally, keep those lines of communication open with your kiddo as they grow and talk about why your oversight helps keep them safe! Reach out to me for more details!
Steps to Success from Mr. Z
The Importance of Boredom
Boredom is a universal human experience. It is hard wired into us. We are meant to be creatures of action and engagement. Our brains and our bodies should be put to work, and boredom is the discomfort experienced when, for one reason or another, we are not engaged in a task of some sort. For most of history, these tasks were largely survival based. People had to be in action most of their days to be able to secure the basic needs of life, and when there was free time, they were able to engage in the task of rest and relaxation which is also a human need. Today, the balance of life has shifted, both in how, and how much, we have to work to survive, and also in how, and how much, we rest and relax. This is especially true of children, as they tend to have more free time without critical tasks. For us as parents and caregivers, we have tremendous influence over how our children interact with and respond to the experience of boredom. Is boredom and the discomfort associated with it something that must be eliminated as quickly and conveniently as possible? Or is it a nudge to encourage us to be agents of action and engagement with the world around us? Our perception of boredom will directly affect how we respond to it, and that will be passed on to our children.
Parents and caregivers have a lot of latitude in terms of how they teach and practice strategies to alleviate boredom. This tends to be deeply rooted in our personal values, identity, and world view. Some of us will respond to boredom by turning to household chores such as cleaning or yard work, others will invest in hobbies such as sports or gardening, and some spend time simply daydreaming. This can be one of the true delights of parenting when we get to share our interests, values, and traditions with our children in a way that promotes engagement and enthusiasm. How we invest our free time can lead to some of the most rewarding and positive experiences in life. This is also the way that we teach our children how to combat boredom independently. Once children are well practiced at filling their free time with productive and nourishing activities, they can and should begin to engage in such activities without the direct participation of their adults.
Teaching our children the life skill of how to deal with boredom can be labor intensive and requires a significant investment of emotional energy which we do not always have. This makes the availability of technology, such as tablets, smartphones, and video games a convenient and effective way to occupy our children, giving us adults necessary respite at times. However, this can be and often is over utilized to the detriment of our children. We now know that excessive technology use as a way of curbing boredom is habit forming, lacks social, emotional, and intellectual nourishment, and can lead to a decline in mental health. This does not mean that children should not use technology recreationally, but rather that children should learn how to have balance in their lives and prioritize activities that encourage growth and engagement with the world around them. This lesson must be taught and demonstrated by the trusted adults in their lives.
The Power of Showing Up
"Other nonverbal cues- the look on your face, your eye contact, your tone of voice, your posture, the timing and intensity of your response- all offer enormous potential to quell raging emotions. These nonverbal signals are a central way we connect with one another. Pay attention to how you might be coming across to your kids, even when you say nothing at all"
Quote from Chpt. 5; Presence Joins Us as Part of a Calming Whole, Helping your kids feel SOOTHED
(Siegel, Bryson, p. 164-165).
Upcoming Dates to End the Year
- Friday, 4/18: NO SCHOOL; Good Friday
- Sunday, 4/20: Happy Easter! Grades 3-8 Choir @ 11:00 a.m.
- Tuesday, 4/22: 2nd grade First Communion Rehearsal @ 6:00 p.m.
- Friday, 4/25: NED Show Assembly (grades K-5), 4th grade field trip, 3rd grade field trip
- Saturday, 4/26: First Holy Eucharist @ 10:00 a.m.
- Monday, 4/28: Kindergarten Round Up; NO SCHOOL FOR KINDERGARTEN ONLY
- Tuesday, 4/29: Choir Concert @ 6:30 p.m. (Parish Hall)
- Wednesday, 4/30: Choir celebration after school
- Thursday, 5/1: 3rd grade field trip, 8th grade Washington DC parent meeting @ 6:00 p.m.
- Friday, 5/2 : NO SCHOOL; Staff Professional Development Day, Teen Festival Dance
- Saturday, 5/3: Parish Festival!
- Sunday, 5/4: 2nd grade May Crowning Masses 9:00 & 11:00, grades 3-8 choir @ 9:00 mass
- Monday, 5/5: 4 year old preschool Tea/Spa Day (Parish Hall), Virtue Assembly, Teacher Appreciation Week begins!
- Wednesday, 5/7: 4th grade Camp, 7th grade Washington DC parent meeting @ 6:00 p.m.
- Thursday, 5/8: 4th grade Camp, 5th grade field trip
- Friday, 5/9: 4th grade Camp, Kindergarten field trip
- Saturday, 5/10: St. Gerard Golf Outing
- Tuesday, 5/13: 2nd grade field trip
- Thursday, 5/15: 8th grade Wax History Museum 9-10:30 & 7-8:00 p.m. (Parish Hall)
- Friday, 5/16: Mary our Mother All School Mass @ 8:10
- Tuesday, 5/20: Band Concert (Grades 5-8) @ LCHS
- Thursday, 5/22: NJHS Induction @ 6:00 p.m. in the Church
- Friday, 5/23: Dismiss at 11:00; NO AM/PM Waverly Bus, 8th grade exams begin
- Monday, 5/26: NO SCHOOL, Memorial Day
- Tuesday, 5/27: 8th grade exams; 8th grade dismiss at 11:00
- Wednesday, 5/28: 8th grade exams; 8th grade dismiss at 11:00, last day of preschool & picnic
- Thursday, 5/29: 8th grade to Washington DC
- Friday, 5/30: 8th grade- DC, Kindergarten end of year picnic, 1st grade picnic
- Saturday, 5/31: 8th grade- DC
- Sunday, 6/1: 8th grade- DC
- Monday, 6/2: 8th grade home (no school for 8th graders), 7th grade exams; 7th grade dismiss at 11:00
- Tuesday, 6/3: 7th grade exams; 7th grade dismiss at 11:00, 3rd grade field trip, 8th grade graduation @ 6:30 p.m. in the Church
- Wednesday, 6/4: Field Day (grades K-5), Picnic lunch/Cook out, 7th grade exams; 7th grade dismiss at 11:00, 6th grade field trip
- Thursday, 6/5: Kindergarten Graduation & last day (kinder only), 7th grade field trip
- Friday, 6/6: Last day of school! All school mass, dismiss at 11:00 a.m., Adoration, Childcare closed
- Monday, 6/9: Summer Childcare begins
- Tuesday, 6/17-Thursday, 6/19- Vacation Bible School
St. Gerard School, in partnership with family and church, provides a Catholic education that focuses on faith, academics, and service while living and sharing the light of Christ.