Our mission is to develop morally responsible Catholic citizens who will follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ.

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February 2010 Newsletter

Congratulations to our DAANS Star Students!

They are:

Victoria DeLeon

Luis Fuentes

Maria G. Guerrero

They were selected from amongst their peers for this high honor of representing our school.  They will be honored at a luncheon in April.

On Tuesday, February 23rd, our students celebrated the Sacrament of First Penance.  Please click on the link below to view the photo show.

http://www.photoshow.com/watch/bY5mT6Ns

Congratulations and blessings to our students.  They will receive the Sacrament of First Holy Communion on Saturday, April 17th.

Have you noticed our new look?

Our most sincere thanks to Mr. Santiago Casamayor and his crew at 

Artistic Lawn Services Corp.

for this wonderful donation to enhance our grounds.

May our Lord always bless the Casamayor Family for their generosity.

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the season of Lent in the Roman Catholic Church.

What is Lent?

In basic terms, Lent is the season before Easter.  It lasts until the Mass of Holy Thursday.  The evening of Holy Thursday begins the The Easter Triduum, which lasts from Holy Thursday to the Evening Prayer of Easter Day. However, Lenten fasting and penance continue until the end of Holy Week, and all of Holy Week is included in the traditional 40 day Lenten fast, despite Lent ending liturgically on Holy Thursday. While Sundays are typically excluded from the Lenten fasting and abstinence restrictions, and are not numbered in the traditional "40 Days" of Lent, they are still part of the Lenten season, as can be seen from their Lenten themes. 

The purpose of Lent is to be a season of fasting, self-denial, Christian growth, penitence, conversion, and simplicity. Lent, which comes from the Teutonic (Germanic) word for springtime, can be viewed as a spiritual spring cleaning: a time for taking spiritual inventory and then cleaning out those things which hinder our corporate and personal relationships with Jesus Christ and our service to him. Thus it is fitting that the season of Lent begin with a symbol of repentance: placing ashes mixed with oil on one's head or forehead. However, we must remember that our Lenten disciplines are supposed to ultimately transform our entire person: body, soul, and spirit. Our Lenten disciplines are supposed to help us become more like Christ. Eastern Christians call this process theosis, which St. Athanasius aptly describes as "becoming by grace what God is by nature."

There are a few basic tasks that traditionally have been associated with Lent. Many of these have a long history. These are fasting, almsgiving, and prayer. In addition, reading the Scriptures and the Church's Writings can help one grow during Lent. Let's look at each of these suggestions individually.

Fasting: The Western Rite of the Catholic Church requires its members age 18 to 59 to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, unless a physical condition prevents otherwise. This means only one full meal is permitted. The Fridays of Lent are days of required abstinence, meaning meat is not permitted. Abstinence is required of those age 14 and older. When we "give something up" for Lent, we are embracing a form of fasting, an excellent spiritual discipline. Some people choose to give up sins (gossip, drunkenness, etc) for Lent. In this way, Lent represents a spiritual training time to overcome evil. Pope St. Leo, for example, emphasized that fasting from wrath is required along with food. Some give up things they have an inordinate desire for, e.g. sweets, caffeine, etc. By giving these up, the person fasting learns to control a particular part of his or her life, which leads to greater self-discipline even when Lent is over. As such in Lent we are able to learn, examine, and get under control our material excesses. Lent is about spiritual results, not material ones. 

Prayer: Lent is a good time to develop or strengthen a discipline of daily prayer. The Liturgy of the Hours, an ancient practice of praying throughout the day, is a good place to start. A good goal for Lent would be to read Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer everyday. If you already do that, perhaps you could add noon or night prayer (also called Compline). Contemplative prayer, based around the idea of silence or listening for God, is also well suited to Lent. There are also many excellent form prayers that reflect the penitential mood of Lent. We can also find many excellent prayers for Lent from the Scriptures. Praying the Rosary throughout Lent can be rewarding too. Theology and liturgy should always be prayer, so a good discipline for Lent would be to make an effort to attend worship services whenever possible. Daily mass would be very rewarding.

Almsgiving (Charity): While Lent is about giving something up (i.e. fasting), it is also about putting something positive in its place. The best way to remove vice is to cultivate virtue. Lent has been a traditional time of helping the poor and doing acts of charity and mercy. While as Christians this is a year round calling, Lent is a good time to examine ways to get involved and to make resolutions to actually do them. Giving alms can be done in more ways than just giving out money to people on the street. It can be done by helping your family, friends, and neighbors out of tight situations or being more generous to hired help. However, one of the best ways to give alms is to get out of your comfort zone a little bit, maybe by volunteering for a charity or a shelter. There are many lay religious orders, which devote much of their time to charity. Lent is a perfect time to discern a call to these or any other ministry. 

Scripture Reading: When facing temptation in the desert, Jesus relied on Scripture to counter the wiles of the devil. It is a formidable weapon for us as well. 

Parish Lenten Missions

Please MARK YOUR CALENDARS...

Our Parish will be hosting the following Lenten Missions:

Spanish Mission by Fr. Ernesto Fernandez Travieso will take place March 8th - 10th immediately following the 7:30 PM Mass.

English Mission by Fr. Robert D. Morin, OMI will take place March 15th - 17th immediately following the 7:30 PM Mass.

The Parish Reconciliation service will take place Friday, March 26th immediately following the 7:30 PM Mass.

For more information contact the Church Office at 305-385-4320.

Students who attend all three days of either Mission with at least one of their parents will receive extra credit in Religion.

We will be presenting Honor Roll Awards for the 2nd Trimester after our all School Mass on Tuesday, March 16th at 8:30 AM.

We will also be honoring our Girls' Soccer Team after the Mass.

Please make sure your accounts are up to date as any child whose account is not up to date will not be allowed to sit for the exams and/or may have their education interrupted.

Any payments made after March 15th must be made in cash, money order, cashier's check, or credit card.  No personal checks will be accepted.

If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Nancy Lopez at extension 304.

The Home and School Association will be selling 

P.E. Bags with the school logo 

as well as magnets for the cars.  

Please contact Mrs. Silvia Mesa 

or your Room Mother if you would like 

to purchase one of these items.

Quantities are limited.  Don't miss out!

HAPPY CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK!

Catholic Schools Week began in 1974 and is an annual national celebration of the important role that Catholic Schools across the country play in providing a values-added education for America's young people.  Catholic schools are proud of their educational network that emphasizes intellectual, spiritual, moral, physical, and social values in their students.

This is a time for us to celebrate the enduring value of Catholic education and focus on the gift that it provides to our children.  During Catholic Schools Week we reach out to the community to build awareness of what our school offers.  And we thank all those who work hard every day to make our school excellent:  students, families, faculty, staff, volunteers, and, of course, our Pastor.

One of the most important roles of families is preparing young people for fulfilling lives of love and service to their families, their communities, and the Lord.  That is why the 2010 Catholic Schools Week theme is particularly fitting.  

"CATHOLIC SCHOOLS:  DIVIDENDS FOR LIFE" 

underscores the long-standing tradition of Catholic education to instill in students the faith, knowledge, morals, and discipline that will enable them to fulfill their future roles in life.  Now, more than ever, a Catholic education is truly an investment in the future that is worth the consideration of every family.

Help us spread the word of the wonderful works of our Catholic school by telling your friends and neighbors...ask them to consider investing in their child's future by providing them with a Catholic education.  As you already know, they will not regret it!

Happy Catholic Schools Week!

Was a wonderful success...it was a great opportunity to share, eat, and enjoy each other's company in a family atmosphere.  Thanks to all who supported this event.

Don't miss our upcoming Family Movie Night on February 26th.

Middle School Winter Dance took place Friday, February 12th from 7:30 - 10:30 PM in the Parish Hall.

We thank the Student Council for their efforts but most especially we thank Mrs. Emma Debs, Mr. J. P. Pages, and Mrs. Diana Fernandez for their support.

Congratulations our Cheerleaders!  They did splendidly well at our competition on Friday, February 6th at Arch. Coleman Carroll High School.  

Go RAMS!

On Tuesday, January 12th we honored our Girls and Boys Basketball student athletes.

Congratulations to them and their coaches, Miss Janelle Plantada and Mr. Robert Barker.  Both coaches are graduates of Good Shepherd Catholic School.

Go RAMS!

Our Drama Club did a wonderful presentation on December 15th in the Parish Hall!

We congratulate our students, their parents, and of course, our Music Director, Mrs. Mayra Rodriguez on a spectacular job!  

Please click on the link below to view the photos.

http://www.photoshow.com/watch/nT4An4JI

On behalf of Fr. Greer, Fr. Jorge, Fr. Bastien, the Faculty, Staff and myself we wish you a Blessed Christmas and wonderful new year!

After a long wait, our dream of a basketball court is coming through!  Thanks to the Men's Club, we broke ground on this project on December 9th.

We will soon be able to host both Basketball and Volleyball games at our school.

Go RAMS!

Thank you to all who attended our Chuck E. Cheese night on November 19th. 

It was a terrific turnout and great success.

Special thanks to Yadira and Jose Cardenas for their efforts in preparing this event for our school children.

To view pictures, please click on the link below:

http://www.photoshow.com/watch/TP6IN6fd

Thanks to the generosity of so many of our parents and the dedication of time, talent and treasure of our Home and School, we were able to prepare 36 gift bags to donate to the Parish's St. Vincent de Paul pantry to help needy families this Thanksgiving.  

These bags are complete with a Thanksgiving meal inside including a Publix or Winn Dixie gift card for the families use.

We thank Mr. Manny Garcia who donated vouchers for free turkeys for the families as well.

This could not have been done without the efforts of Mrs. Cristina Espino, Mrs. Yadira Cardenas, and Mrs. Silvia Mesa.

On behalf of Fr. Greer, Fr. Jorge, Fr. Bastien, myself, and the faculty and staff of our school, we wish you a most Blessed and Happy Thanksgiving!

O God, when I have food,
help me to remember the hungry;
When I have work,
help me to remember the jobless;
When I have a home,
help me to remember those who have no home at all;
When I am without pain,
help me to remember those who suffer,
And remembering,
help me to destroy my complacency;
bestir my compassion,
and be concerned enough to help;
By word and deed,
those who cry out for what we take for granted.
Amen.

- Samuel F. Pugh

Special thanks to U. S. Air Force First Sergeant, Pablo Abril (Ret.) for coming to share Mass with our students today and then staying on to speak with them about his 21 year career in the Air Force.

Special thanks to Ms. Maricarmen Diaz for procuring Sergeant Abril for our school.

To view the pictures, please click on the link below.

http://www.photoshow.com/watch/mZ3DF5qW

Middle School "Fall Dance"

Our Student Council sponsored a "Fall Dance" for our Middle School students.  This was held on Friday, November 6th in the Parish Hall.  It was chaperoned by members of our staff.

Alan Murasso (Class of 2009) was the DJ for the dance.

Special thanks to Mr. & Mrs. John Johnston for donating the pizza for the dance.

It was an evening of friends, fun, and dancing.

For pictures, please visit the "Students" page.

Tuesday, November 17th at 8:30 AM we honored our student athletes who excelled in

Flag Football and Cross Country.

We have the winners for the World's Finest Chocolate Sales.

These students went to STRIKE Miami Bowling via an Escalade Limousine courtesy of Ambassador Limos.

They were:

Zachary Alvarez (2nd)

Sebastian Callejas (4th)

Gabriela Chaljub (6th)

Valerie Chavez (1st)

Jonathan Fayat (6th)

Amanda Gomez (Kinder)

Angie Mendez (2nd)

Eduardo Mendez (Kinder)

Gabriella Morales (5th)

Danny Ramirez-Vital (1st)

Andrew Rivera (1st)

Emily Rodriguez-Palomino (1st)

Vanessa Schwartz (5th)

Isabella Vidal (5th)

They were accompanied by two of our teachers.

Congratulations also to the two top-selling classes that will be treated to a Pizza and Ice Cream Party.  They are:

First Grade 

and

Fifth Grade

Special thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Jose and Yadira Cardenas for all their hard work any many hours of dedication in order to make this campaign the huge success it was.

Together we will continue to make Good Shepherd the BEST it can be!

OUR SPECIAL THANKS AND GRATITUDE

TO

SERVING OVER 400 CITIES WORLDWIDE

1.800.506.LIMO

FOR SPONSORING LIMOUSINE TRANSPORTATION

TO STRIKE MIAMI AND MAKING THE

FIELD TRIP FOR OUR WINNERS

EXTRA SPECIAL!

McGruff the Crime Dog visited Good Shepherd!

We had a visit from McGruff who helped our students learn about staying safe.

For more pictures, please click on the link below:

http://www.photoshow.com/watch/pm9rQ8NU

Hispanic Heritage Celebration

Tuesday, 10/20/09 at 8:30 AM we celebrated Hispanic Heritage.  Our liturgy  began with a beautiful procession of the flags of our countries.

Students came to school in a costume that is representative of a Hispanic country.  

We are grateful to Mrs. Fuentes and Ms. San Juan for the preparation of this event.  A debt of gratitude to Fr. Jorge for celebrating the Mass.

For more pictures, please click on the link below:

http://www.photoshow.com/watch/Ik5Uj9mv

We invite you to celebrate Mass as a school and Parish community on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of the month at 10:30 AM.  

See you there!

Our family nights are McDonald's are back!  Once again we thank Ms. Alison Zayas-Bazan for offering us this opportunity.

So, close the kitchen, pack the kids and enjoy a night of fun, family, and friends.

Good Shepherd nights will be the 3rd Tuesday of each month.

Our next one will be held on: 

Tuesday, February 16th

The school receives a percentage of sales from 5:00 - 8:00 PM whether you eat in the restaurant or go through the drive through.  

Please give us your support!

Join the MOMS prayer group on 

the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of the Month

Bring your neighbor, cousin, brother, sister, anyone who is in need of prayer and healing.  Stay for the full hour or stay for 15 minutes the Lord knows our hearts and understands.

We welcome you in the name of the Lord.

Place:  Sor Maria Romero Library

       Time:  8:00 AM                                

Please join the Good Shepherd Parish Family in wishing Fr. Greer a happy birthday!

Red Ribbon Week 

October 12th - October 16th

Each day our students were able to celebrate with a different activity.  We know that they learned much about staying safe and healthy and away from drugs!

We thank Mrs. Alexis Franco for coordinating this event.

Congratulations to our Confirmandi!

On Saturday, September 26th, our 8th Grade students received the Sacrament of Confirmation.  The Mass was celebrated by Bishop Agustin Roman.

Please continue to pray for all the confirmed so that as Bishop Roman said, "We may live our faith in action."

Special thank you to our Home and School Association:  

Mrs. Mesa, Mrs. Espino, and all the Room Mothers who helped make our Welcome Back Dance so successful!

Of course, we owe a debt of gratitude to our Men's Club for sponsoring this event for us!

For your payment convenience, our Credit Card machine is now ready to go!

Stop by the school office and pay for your fees and tuition on your credit card and earn miles and bonus points from your credit card company!

Visa and Master Card are accepted.

Invoices have been sent out and some payments are now past due.  Please avoid late fees by paying on time.

Remember that Good Shepherd is a private parochial school and therefore can only function as an independent business.  If your children are enrolled here, you are required to pay tuition, registration, book fees, activities fee, maintenance fee, and building fund.  All these payments must be made in a timely manner on their due dates.

In cases where families are delinquent in paying tuition, the administration of Good Shepherd may refuse to allow the child to sit for tests, in which case the child will earn an Incomplete Grade ("I") for that marking period.  Additionally, official records including report cards as well as diplomas and graduation activities, caps and gowns, final transcripts, etc. may also be withheld.  In extreme cases, it may become necessary for the administration to interrupt your child's education until the accounts are up to date.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

Congratulations to our 8th Grade students who excelled at the 

Christopher Columbus Scholastic Olympics!

All of our students worked and prepared diligently.  A debt of gratitude to their teachers for working so hard to help the students prepare.

For pictures, please visit the "News" Page.

The following students earned medals:

Silver Medal   in ART:              William Miranda

Silver Medal   in ENGLISH:      Christopher Vazquez

Gold Medal    in HISTORY:       Giselle Lopez

Silver Medal   in MATH:            Alexis Almond

Bronze Medal in MATH:           Nicholas Herraiz

Bronze Medal in Religion:        Michael Vazquez

Gold Medal     in Science:         Christian Balbin

Bronze Medal in Speech:         Maria G. Guerrero

GO RAMS!

We thank all our Grandparents who joined us in the 

celebration of their special day!

Very special thanks to the Home & School Association under the leadership of 

Mrs. Mesa and Mrs. Espino 

for the wonderful breakfast and all their hard work and love!

A Child's Prayer for Grandparents 
Dear God, please bless my grandparents.
Thank you for the life they gave my parents
and for the life they give to me.

For the ways they helped me and made me strong, I give thanks.
For the ways they love me no matter what, I rejoice.
For the ways they have paved the road
that leads me here, I am grateful.

Let them grow in wisdom and joy in life.
Let them find peace and rest from their work.
Let them be healed of every sickness and pain.
And let them see with their own eyes
the glory of your Son, Jesus,
in the love of their children and grandchildren.

Bless them always until they come to rest in you.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Friday, September 18th we had the team from the Pediatric Center at our school conducting the Speech, Vision, and Hearing screenings.  

This is a wonderful service provided to our students by this group of professionals.

We would like to thank all of you who attended the Home & School Night 

this Friday, September 11, 2009.

It was a terrific opportunity for us to get to know each other on a more personal level.  We were able to conduct business as well as share and enjoy each other's company.

Special thanks to Mrs. Silvia Mesa, Mrs. Cristina Espino, and all our Room moms.

Stay tuned for information on this year’s recruitment night in September.  

The Good Shepherd Scouting program offers lots of fun, fellowship 

and personal growth.  

For 100 years, the Boy Scouts of America has helped build the future leaders 

of this country by combining educational activities and 

lifelong values with fun.  

For more information visit http://www.scouting.org  

or call Bernie Torra at (305) 915-0290.  

For more details, please visit the "Students" page.

Please join us each Tuesday at 8:30 AM for our all school Mass.

Parents, for the safety of our children, I ask that you sit on the right hand side of the Church (as you face the Altar) - the side closest to the Blessed Sacrament ONLY.  Please do not approach our children before, during, or after the Mass.  This is a time of prayer for them.  

I thank you in advance for your cooperation.

Also, remember that we have our Sunday Family Liturgies on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of the month at 10:30 AM.  The next one is October 11th.  

We would love to see you there!

Our Back to School Night was a wonderful success thanks to all of you!  

For pictures, please visit the "Students" page.

I know that this year is going to be one in which our students will succeed because we will all be working together for their benefit.

Our Home and School Association is ready to go as is the Development Committee.  We can look forward to many great things this year!

Each Tuesday we have our weekly all school Mass at 8:30 AM.

Please consider joining us for Mass!

Remember to have your child bring a stewardship offering with him/her to school.

Our ushers have been trained and will be serving us at Mass each week.

In an effort to teach future generations about the importance of taking care of the needs of our church, our school will be implementing a Time, Talent & Treasure educational component.

 We will be introducing stewardship as a way of life for the children.  They have been eager and interested observers of the adult efforts and many of our young people already practice stewardship as part of their family’s commitment. 

Our program will be implemented as follows:

1.     We will train school ushers who will serve at our school Tuesday Masses. 

2.     A weekly collection will be taken at each Mass.  The purpose of this exercise will be to educate our children and teach them about the generous giving of ourselves. 

3.     At the weekly collection, the students may place money, which is to come from their own allowance, birthday money, etc.  We do not want for the parents to have to put the money in for them.  This is again to teach them that God is very generous to us and as such we have a responsibility to give back to Him.

4.     Students may also place a “note” stating a kind deed or any way that they have shared of him or herself during the week along with their money or in lieu of their money.  For example, a student may place a note in the basket that states, “I helped my Mother do the dishes”. 

Thank you for your generosity of heart in supporting this effort to help our children care for our Church and be good stewards of God’s gifts.

Please be prompt in picking up your child and do not try to engage the teacher in an on the spot conference as he/she is responsible for the rest of the students in his/her charge.  Thank you in advance.

School hours are from 8:00 AM to 2:30 PM/2:45 PM daily depending on the grade.

Office hours are from 7:30 AM to 3:30 PM.

Remember that students must be inside the classroom by the time the 8:00 AM bell rings in order to be considered on time.

In the event of a hurricane or other severe weather conditions, Good Shepherd Catholic School will follow the decisions made by the Miami-Dade County Public School System.

Helpful Websites:

National Hurricane Center

noaa.gov

miamidade.gov

weather.com

Applications for registration are being accepted.

We still have spaces available.  

Please contact us at 305-385-7002.

Join our growing family!

We welcome our students and families, faculty and staff to the 2009-2010 school year.  We know it will be a good one where all of our students will grow in God's love.

We especially welcome our new families and students to our Good Shepherd family.

I would like to ask you to review the school uniform policy and make sure your child is in compliance each day with all aspects.

Please remember that students are considered tardy if they are not inside their classroom by 

8:00 AM.

Looking to enrich your faith or learn more about our 

Catholic identity?  

Check out these links:

The Vatican 

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

Catechism of the Catholic Church  

Christusrex

Magnificat

                Catholic, click saints & angels

More Saints Information

 New Advent Encyclopedia

 Book of Saints

 Catholic City

 Cyberfaith

 Catholicforum

 Archdiocese of Miami

“Preach the Gospel at all times. Use words if necessary”

St. Francis of Assisi

In compliance with Senate Bill 1712, Ethics in Education Act:

Any employee who knows or who has reasonable cause to suspect that a child has been subjected to child abuse or neglect by any person including another employee must report this to the Principal of the School.  Together, or with the assistance of other authorities, they will determine whether there is sufficient information to have "reasonable cause to suspect" the abuse or neglect.   If they conclude that such reasonable causes exists, the Principal, or the Legal Counsel of the Archdiocese, will report this to the Department of Children and Family Services.  That report may be made by calling the toll free number 1-800-96-ABUSE.