ST. COLUMBA SHEPHERD
GUIDANCE FOR THE WEEK AHEAD
EACH WEEK THE ST. COLUMBA SHEPHERD
provides all the information you need to know and links to things that you might need to cross off your list. Stay organized by reading it every week and making sure that you add events and deadlines to your calendar!
LET'S DO IT!
DATES TO REMEMBER
11/11 - No School - Veterans Day
11/13 - School Mass - 6th Grade Leading Liturgy - 8:15
11/14 - Picture Make ups & Retakes
11/16-11/21 - Capital Campaign Commitment Week
11/18-11/22 - Book Fair
11/20 - School Mass - Kindergarten Leading Liturgy - 8:15
11/20 - Thanksgiving Food Collection
11/20 - Parent Workshop with Ruby Jo Walker - 5:30 - More info to Come
11/21 - Pre - 8th Thanksgiving Lunch
11/22 - Early Dismissal - 12:30 - Preschool Only
11/25-11/29 - No School - Thanksgiving Break
12/3 - Gift Giving for the Elderly - 2:15
12/4 - School Mass - Staff Leading Liturgy - 8:15
12/5 - Prayer & Praise Assembly - 8:15
12/6 - St. Nick Visit
12/7 - St. Columba Christmas Bazaar
12/9 - 8th Grade Tree Cutting
12/11 - School Mass - 5th Grade Leading Liturgy - 8:15
12/11 - K-4 Christmas Program - 5:00
12/11 - MS Band & Choir Program - 6:30
Supporting St. Columba: Understanding Capital Campaign and Day of Giving
As Capital Campaign packets are distributed this week, we want to take a moment to acknowledge and express our gratitude for the many ways we rely on your support each year.
The giving opportunities this year are twofold. With the current Capital Campaign, we're asking for support for the future of our campus. During the Annual Day of Giving in January (coinciding with Catholic Schools Week), donors support the annual day to day operations of the school.
Please know that the Capital Campaign is a separate initiative from the Day of Giving, and we do not wish to ask families to shift resources from one critical need to another. Instead, we humbly invite you to prayerfully consider a gift to the Capital Campaign, if you are able, in addition to your continued support for the Annual Day of Giving.
Your generosity, in any capacity, plays a vital role in sustaining and advancing our mission and helps us to honor our commitment to excellence in Catholic education for our students today and tomorrow.
We deeply value every gift, no matter the size, and we understand that every family's circumstances are different. Thank you for your continued support, your prayers, and your commitment to our community.
All peace and blessings, Mr. Chick
If you'd like to hear from our pastors and Mrs. Lynn May please click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=YJ0s_wfnmy4
If you were unable to attend a Capital Campaign Informational Event, please watch this short video to learn more about our campus improvements. https://youtu.be/aeip4xMuWnE
We have added a new form for your feedback that you can access here: https://forms.gle/qAATzKCjHuJVKvNt5
A Frequently Asked Question segment is on the website.
The Capital Campaign Prayer Team, partnered with the St Columba School classes, has developed a Novena to enable us to pray as a community during this time of prayer and discernment for the future of our Church and School. The Novena will begin on November 4th and end on November 12th. It can be prayed and meditated upon at any time during the next two weeks, but it can be particularly powerful when we pray together. Printed copies are available and you can also access it using the following link. Let us spend this time together in prayerful discernment.
Veterans Day Parade, Monday, November 11th at 11am: Let’s meet as a St. Columba community to watch the Veteran’s Day Parade. Meet on the 8th block of Main Avenue in front of the Main Mall. Parents, please attend with your child(ren). This is not a drop off your child event.
Amazing Parenting Opportunity
All preschool-8th grade parents are invited to join us for a parenting workshop November 20th from 5:30-7:00 pm in the school gym.
Using Neurobiology to Parent Kids
This 1.5-hour workshop is for parents to learn basic nervous system information to understand your kids and yourself better. There has been a lot of learning in the last decade about the role of the nervous system in behavior, emotions, and regulation. This workshop will be didactic and experiential and will provide skills to support yourself and your family more. Your teachers and staff at the school are using this information to work with your children to be more effective.
Ruby Jo Walker, LCSW, specializes in the neurobiology of trauma and resilience. She has been working in the field for over 30 years. She works with a wide range of professionals from various disciplines to provide trauma-informed training. She has facilitated several hundred trainings for individuals and organizations nationally. Please click HERE for a full bio.
Light Refreshments and Childcare will be provided. Please email the office if you are in need of childcare for the evening.
The book fair will also be open before and after the workshop if you would like to do a little kid free shopping.
It’s that time of year when we gather in community to count our blessings and be grateful. We are truly grateful for all of our families at St. Columba. We pray that all of our families will be able to attend our Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday, November 21.
Adult tickets are $10 each. Your tickets will be added directly to your Blackbaud tuition account. Students will be charged their normal lunch price, deducted from/charged to their account.
Please take a moment to RSVP HERE to help us plan.
Service times are as follows by student’s last name:
A-G 11:00-11:40 H-M 11:40-12:20 N-Z 12:20-1:00
Watch for a separate email to come with instructions of where you will meet your students for lunch!
In addition, the students will also be allowed to dress up for the day of this special event, November 21st. Your students are encouraged to wear a nice outfit, as they would for a Thanksgiving dinner. If your student would like to dress up, please help them when choosing an outfit. This can include, but is not limited to: ties and bowties, dress pants and shirts, dresses and skirts, nice shoes. No jeans, leggings, or athletic type clothing please. If your student chooses not to dress up, he or she should wear their normal uniform.
We will be sending out volunteer requests this week for prep, serving, decorating, setting up, and cleaning up. Please help if you can!
Book fair will also be open during our Thanksgiving Celebration.
We look forward to seeing you all there!
Picture Make ups and Retakes
Our gallery from our individual and class pictures are now ready! Text the access code StColum24 to 90738 to receive access and ongoing alerts* or visit the website HERE.
Anyone who was absent on picture day or would like a retake will get their picture taken on November 14th. Please email the office if you would like to have a retake done.
Book Fair November 18-22
Get a jump on some of your holiday shopping while supporting St. Columba School at the same time. Stop by our Scholastic Book Fair before or after school November 18-22, before and after the parenting workshop on November 20 and during Thanksgiving dinner on November 21.
The book fair will include lots of great selections for all ages! The attached flier is just a sample of what’s to come. We are in need of volunteers to help work the fair as well as help with setup and cleanup. What a great way to knock out some service hours! Please click HERE to sign up now.
St. Columba School is Hiring!
We are looking for a paraprofessional to join our team to support our school literacy specialist, literacy programs, and classroom teachers in managing and organizing classrooms from first to fourth grade. They will coordinate and receive direct support in gathering and preparing materials for lesson intervention. They will also provide much-needed support during instruction time, monitoring and supporting students during center work while the classroom teacher works directly with intervention groups. If you enjoy interacting with students and supporting teachers and educators, we’d like to meet with you. Feel free to share your past experience along with your application. It is essential that the paraprofessional is a pleasant Christian who displays a cheerful, respectful, relaxed, and pleasing personality when working with others, regardless of the situation.
Ultimately, you will support and engage in various developmentally appropriate events depending on the directed administration and classroom teacher instructions. You should show flexibility, patience, and a genuine caring attitude towards students.
Paraprofessional Responsibilities:
Ensure classroom safety guidelines are met at all times
Utilize various techniques to successfully manage students, i.e., positive reinforcement, gentle and subtle redirections…
Engage with children to enhance and encourage learning
Assist the teacher in gathering and modifying materials to meet the specific needs of a child
Print out and distribute intervention lessons for teachers K - 4
Prepare materials for class centers for students not in intervention groups
Organizing the classroom and teaching materials, monitoring the classroom during lessons, and minimizing distractions and disruptions. Take necessary precautions to protect students. Perform other duties as assigned.
Requested skills:
Experience working with children in an education setting
Must complete and pass a criminal background check
Passionate, dedicated, and committed to teaching children
Experience in helping teachers in a classroom environment desired
Dependable and punctual
Good understanding of the educational system
Strong interpersonal and social attributes
Have patience with children, including those who may need extra support
Ability to stand, move around, and squat for long hours at a time
A secondary school diploma or equivalent is required; a Bachelor’s degree is preferred
Hours and Compensation:
20 hours a week: 4 hours 5 days a week
10 hours of materials preparation
10 push-in-time first - fourth grade classrooms
Starting immediately commencing June 1, 2025
Pay range: $20hr - $22.50hr
How to Apply:
Please submit a cover letter and resume to office@stcolumbaschooldurango.org
Cover letter and resume can also be dropped off to St. Columba School
