Eagles'
We don’t like death, however and whenever it comes. Sometimes death seems to slowly surface in our lives through an illness or the natural aging process. Other times it is thrust upon us in the form of an accident or unexpected health failure. However it arrives—we have all experienced it, or will experience it. For the followers of Jesus, the death of their friend came suddenly. One Sunday, Jesus entered Jerusalem hailed as a King. By Thursday night he was arrested, and on Friday morning had been judged and condemned to death. Friday afternoon he was hanging on a cross, and then dead before sundown. By Sunday morning, some of the women who followed Jesus felt compelled to attend to the dead body of their friend Jesus, and headed to his tomb. When they arrived, they noticed the stone sealing the tomb had been removed, and assumed someone had stolen the body. They went and told the others followers of Jesus, and Peter and John took off running toward the tomb. John, most likely the younger of the two, ran faster and got there first, but stopped at the entrance to the tomb; however, when Peter arrived he went right into the tomb and found it empty. How about that Peter! He charges into the tomb, a place where death resides and sees no evidence of death. Nobody. The burial cloth folded up. The strips of burial linen laying limp on the ground. Death was no longer present. Peter went in—he faced death without hesitation! We can approach death as Peter did—fully charging toward it, bold and unabashed. We can have such confidence and even joy, as we know that our earthly death is not final. Because Jesus rose from the dead, he conquered death—and death is no more! There is life that will follow this earthly life. Eternal life with the Heavenly Father and all believers! Knowing and believing this can give us confidence and joy as we live out life on a daily basis, even in the face of earthly challenges, and even death. It took these two disciples and the rest of the followers of Jesus a little while to figure out what had really happened—that Jesus rose from the dead! When they understood and believed, they shared this message, and it changed the world. This message continues to change lives today! In the emptiness of the tomb, we find the fullness of life. Where there was once death, life now reigns. Joy is the gift that new life gives—it is ours now and forever. Celebrate that joy everyday! Dr. Steve Christopher Principal
Joy as We Celebrate Life
A WORD FROM
Dr. Christopher
newsletter
FLIGHT
APRIL 2020
Dear Mt Calvary School Families, Our Mt Calvary Lutheran Church Council recently voted to extend our current practice of distance education for Grades K-8, through the rest of this academic year. This decision was based upon: The ongoing concern for the health and well-being of our MCL students and their families, and the recognition that one of the most helpful things we can be doing is to stay home. The decision of our local Walnut Unified and Pomona Unified School Districts, who have chosen to not resume on-site school instruction this academic year. We feel that it is wise to maintain a similar position for consistency in our wider community setting. The suggestions from our Governor and the State Superintendent of Schools, that it is not wise, nor safe at this time to hold school as we would traditionally do. The stark realization that this pandemic is not ending as quickly as we had hoped. It seems to continue to spread and the forecast is that the peak is yet to come. We cannot plan to resume gathering together with such uncertainty. This is very disappointing for us all. Please know that our teachers miss their students and that our staff misses serving you in our roles. We know that the students miss each other, as MCL is a place of real connection—a true community of faith. We also know that even though we are apart, that we will get through this together. What does this mean for MCL in practical ways? We will continue with the delivery of our advanced curriculum through May 21st as we have been doing—Middle School on the Google Classroom, Grades 3-4-5 also on Google Classroom with printed support material as needed, and work-packets and Zoom class sessions for Grades K-1-2 As planned, we will have a shortened week next week, with a “1/2 Day” on Maundy Thursday, April 9th, and no instruction or work on Good Friday, April 10th There will be no instruction the week of April 13-17 as we continue to follow our master calendar and recognize this week as Easter Vacation. Education will then resume on April 20th. Please pay attention to your email, as that date approaches, for details of how instruction will resume for your child. Our teaching staff will continue to explore more ways of connecting with students through Google Hangout, scheduled individual tutoring time as needed, individual and small group Zoom instruction sessions as needed. Our staff will seek to explore additional resources such as Flip-grid, Khan Academy, Newsela, and other digital education resources. It’s a whole new world out there and our teachers are exploring this new frontier! The faculty will come up with a plan of how we will recognize the special accomplishments of our students, which normally would have taken place at our Awards Ceremony held on the final day of school. Tuition will continued to be collected as we are providing students with our MCL curriculum and instruction—albeit in new and differing ways. Our 8th Grade teacher and Kindergarten teacher will come up with plans of how we might conduct Graduation and Kindergarten Promotion. We will also come up with an “end of school plan” for how students can turn in their books and other items that are property of Mt Calvary. These are unusual times. It is a pathway that none of us have really walked before. Take heart, because we do not walk alone—we have our families, we have one another, and we have our Lord Jesus who promises to never leave us nor forsake us. Walking with you all, Dr. Steven Christopher Principal
SPECIAL NOTICE
PreschooL Re-Enrollment
Due May 1st
Please log into Gradelink to re-enroll for the 2020/21 school year and contact Ms. Georgette at georgette.deglado@mcldb.org to set up your registration payment.
Attendance will be taken by teachers on Monday’s via an email send to all parents, asking for direct reply regarding church attendance for the previous weekend. While we are aware that nearly every church in the area will be closed in the weeks ahead, many of them are livestreaming a worship broadcast. If your church does this, and you tune in and watch, then your child will get credit for attending church. If your church does not do this, you may watch the broadcast of another Christian church. You can also watch a Catholic Mass on TV, if that is your faith orientation, or another broadcast from a Christian church of your choosing. You may also, in the case of no appropriate broadcast for your expression of faith, have a time of family devotion and prayer within your home. These Sundays during our campus shut-down will count for students seeking to achieve Perfect Church Attendance for the school year.
School Attendance
Please note that the Mt Calvary Office is now operating with reduced hours of 9 am to 3 pm, Monday-Friday. We are here to serve and support our students and families as we weather this crises together. Feel free to call or drop by during these new business hours.
Computers Available for Loan While our Middle School will be conducting classes online as well as 3rd, 4th & 5th grades will be doing a hybrid of packets and online work, we here at MCL realize that some of our homes may not have the needed amount of computers to cover all this communication, especially if you have multiple students and adults working from home. If you are in need of a computer, MCL is pleased to check out one of our Chromebooks to your family. Contact Ann in the office if this is something that would be of help.
Our School Library will be open when the MCL Office is open, Mon-Friday from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm. Please stop by and check in with Ann to gain access. Checking out a book(s) is a very simple process. This might be a great time to expand your child’s reading list.
School Work
Computers available
MCL Library
School attendance will be taken during these weeks in the following manner: When students in Grades 1-3 return their completed packets from the prior week , it will be considered as 5 days of school. When students in grades 4 & 5 return their written work and there is evidence of on-line work complete, they will be given credit for 5 days of school. Middle School Students must “join” class on Google Classroom, complete assignments and show evidence of progress on a regular basis, the will get credit for attending. These weeks of not holding school on campus will count as “normal weeks” toward achieving a Perfect School Attendance Medal at the end of the school year.
School work continues as Mt Calvary considers these weeks that we are not holding classes on campus to be a time of authorized school instruction. Our teachers have been working hard to continue to teach our students through a variety of delivery systems. We expect students to keep up with their assigned work as it keeps pace with our planned curriculum, which is based on the standards that accredit our school. Returned work during these weeks away, will be graded and entered into Gradelink and count toward the final quarter grades. Likewise, any unreturned student work will also count against the calculation of final grades.
OFfice news
Church Attendance
OFfice hours
Click on Recipe to open Or download HERE
family activity
Sub-headings
Read, play games, do science experiments
Highlights Kids
Read, play games and hang out with Dr. Seuss and friends
Watch, listen, plan games to learn about animals
Let the movie stars read you a story
Rick Steves Classroom
Star Fall
Text
Practice your phonics skills with these read-along stories
Into The Book
Seussville
Nat Geo Kids
Learn about geography and animals
Practice math and reading skills while playing fun games
ABC YA
Fun Brain
Hang out with your favorite characters all while learning
SWITCH ZOO
PBS Kids
Enjoy a variety of games that enhance reading skills
Storyline Online
Play games while practicing math and reading skills
See the best of European art, history, and culture
Free Kid Friendly Websites to Explore
Thanks so much to all our MCL Parents who are stepping in to new roles as “parent-educators” and stepping up in covering all kinds of responsibilities in your lives. Many of you are working from home, monitoring schoolwork for your children, caring for extended family members and neighbors. Thank you for what you are doing! While a break from studies will be welcomed as our Easter Vacation arrives April 10-17, we know that families will be limited in mobility due to stay at home orders, and without school work assignments, the questions of, “What are we doing today?” will loom large in the minds of parents and spoken often from the lips of children. Here are some virtual places to explore, courtesy of the Orange County Register, March 29, 2020. While we can’t be going outside during this break—we can go inside and find all kinds of interesting things to see and enjoy! Click on the icons to go to the website:
SPRING BREAK IDEAS
?
gradelink.com Takes less than 5 min.
Online Enrollment
Ms. Ann needs your help! If you haven't done so already, please complete your 2020-2021 online registation form at gradelink.com. Need help? Contact Mrs Ann.
have you completed your enrolment on gradelink
remote . . . but still learning!
909.861.2740
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MCL
Diamond Bar, CA 91765
admissions@mcldb.org
23300 Golden Springs Drive
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www.mcldb.org