Welcome To Good Shepherd Catholic School

Updated Thursday, January 26

Application packets for Financial Aid for the 2012-13 school year are available on our website and in the office. The application deadline for mailing is April 21, 2012.

Annual Giving
Campaign video
Thank you to the Good Shepherd Digital Yearbook class for demonstrating the benefits of our Annual Giving Campaign in this short video clip. We are exactly half way to this year's $40,000 goal! Watch the video to see how students are benefiting every day from your generous contributions.

Announcements

Support the Good Shepherd Girl Scouts Students were sent home with Girl Scout Cookie pre-order forms last week to help our Good Shepherd Daisy, Brownie and Junior Girl Scout Troops. A portion of their Troop Cookie Funds will benefit the Good Shepherd Life Lab as well as Shelly's Guardian Angel Project. Extra order forms can be found in the office next to the Cookie Box. All pre-order forms are due this Friday, January 27. (No payment is due until cookies arrive in late February).

In response to feedback from the Parent Survey in November, we are bringing back the Good Shepherd Choir. This will be run by Karen Conley and Sydney Irish in Room 7, every Tuesday from 2:45 to 3:30 p.m. The cost is a one-time fee of $20 per child to pay for music fees and other incidentals. If you are interested, please email Ms. Conley to register or call the office for more information.

Parent Service Hours Please login to RenWeb and view the number of Parent Service Hours you have completed and how many are left to complete between now and May 1. Thank you for getting your completed hours into the office at least once per month so that these can be updated.

Box Tops Final Days All box tops are due to your classes by Friday, February 3. Whichever class turns in the most will win a pizza party!!

Tentative 2012-13 Calendar Included in the January 17 eRam is a tentative draft of the school calendar for 2012-2013. If you have any questions, please contact the office.

Enrollment for 2012-13 In order to receive a contract for the 2012-13 school year, your account must be in good standing. Please resolve outstanding balances no later than February 14.

Registration fees and tuition contracts will be due for the 2012-13 school by April 2, 2012. Remember that tuition will be due in March this year for those on an 11-month payment plan. Kindergarten currently has only 11 available spots for 2012-13, so if you want to enroll a sibling in Kindergarten who is not currently in the Good Shepherd Pre-K, please let us know as soon as possible to receive priority registration.

Tuition and Fees for 2012-2013 The Finance Committee and the Board of Directors are currently reviewing next year's budget. You can expect a letter with the Ram on January 31 regarding any changes in tuition and fees for the coming school year. Thank you for your patience.

Spring Auction Because of the way the food and beverages will be arranged this year, Seascape Golf Club will be able to accommodate ALL Good Shepherd parents at this year's Spring Auction. We are so excited to have everyone there this year. Tickets will be less expensive than last year at $50 per person. Every parent is REQUIRED to purchase a ticket. If you cannot attend, your ticket will be donated to a teacher or to one of our pastors. Please purchase your ticket early so we can have final numbers to Seascape by February 20. Note: Please do not put auction donations or ticket purchases in the tuition box. Arefa has a box in the office.

Help with Open House Kathleen Cambra needs volunteers to help serve refreshments at Open House on Wednesday, February 1st. Please email email her if you can help.

A time to play

Eighth-graders Allen and Nico (from left in center of top photo) help break in the new playground structure -- not literally, of course -- during a recent sunny January day.

In the photo at right, fifth-graders Sophia, Sierra, Charlie and Devin are loving life at the top of the spider's web.

As for everyone else on this sun-drenched day, well, they were just hanging around and taking it all in. (See the photo below of Peter, Rory, Vince, Travis, Sierra, Alex and the always-entertaining Jordan.)
-- Greg Lathrop

The school's 50th anniversary is coming in 2013. We want to update your information in our graduates database so that you can receive correspondence and invitations from Good Shepherd.

Good Shepherd graduates, please email your contact information. In the subject line, write "Attention David Teherani." In the body of the email include your email address, current address and phone number, years you attended Good Shepherd and the year you were graduated from Good Shepherd.

We would also appreciate if you know other alumni graduates to pass this information along to them.

Look for a special invite to an event we will have just for alumni graduates this spring!

Shepherd Spotlight

Maddison is friendly and outgoing. She is well liked by teachers and fellow students. Her bright smile lights up the classroom and the playground. She works well in small groups, supporting and assisting her classmates. Maddison is an inquisitive and persistent student. She asks articulate questions, while learning new concepts. She is a prepared and successful fifth grader who works hard, cares for others and enjoys life. Maddison models the ideal Good Shepherd Catholic School student. Thank you and Congratulations, Maddison!

Newsletters

For insight into the happenings at Good Shepherd, read the latest edition of our weekly newsletter, the Ram Review. And to stay current with the sports program, check out the Coach's Corner.

January 24     | Ram | Corner
January 17    | Ram | Corner
January 10     | Ram | Corner
January 3    | Ram | Corner

Ram Review Archive
Coach's Corner Archive

Family Handbook

To access the 2011-12 Good Shepherd Catholic School Family Handbook, click here. You may print it (40 pages) or save it to your computer.

Paper copies of the handbook are available from the school office for $5.

Sports schedules

Schedules for the 2011-12 late winter/early spring sports season are now available on the Athletics page. Please check the roster of your child's team; if their name is listed, their forms have been submitted.
Forms packet

Click on the button below to enter the RenWeb Parents Site. The School ID for Good Shepherd Catholic School is gscs-ca.

Need help?

Kudos

... to Wharf to Wharf for answering an incredibly ambitious grant proposal by awarding us $20,000 towards the completion of our new running surface/track. Thanks to this grant and a pledge from the Borina Foundation for another $25,000, we currently have $45,000 to begin this project.

Mid-Year Parent
Survey Results
November 2011
Click here to view PDF

School calendar

January 27
Progress Reports go home with students

January 29
Catholic Schools Sunday and the beginning of Catholic Schools Week

January 31
Community Recognition Day includes ribbon-cutting and blessing of the new play structure with Fr. Ron Shirley at 9:30 a.m. on the blacktop.

February 1
Open House begins at 5:30 p.m. in the gym for all current AND prospective families. Children are welcome.

February 3
Family Fun Night will not be February 10 as originally planned. It was moved from February 10 because of a scheduling conflict with the Junior High Dance.

February 8
After School Choir will begin for all students in grades 2 through 8, from 2:45 to 3:30 p.m. every Tuesday through the end of May.

Remember to check the calendar and announcements on RenWeb.com

2011-12 calendar
Liturgy calendar

Rental facilities

Good Shepherd's gym and soccer fields are available for non-profit youth and adult groups to rent. For more information, call 476-4000.

2011-2012
Good Shepherd
Catholic School
Annual Report
Click here to view PDF

Check us out on Facebook and Twitter

Welcome to Good Shepherd

Good Shepherd Catholic School, a fully accredited PS through 8th grade, is located in the heart of Santa Cruz County. Within the context of Christian values, parents and teachers, like a family, work together towards a common goal. By striving for excellence, Good Shepherd gives students the life-long skills of mind and heart required for self-esteem and service to others. Good Shepherd is supported by the parishes of Our Lady Star of the Sea, Resurrection, and St. Joseph’s and falls under the auspices of the Catholic Diocese of Monterey.

Prospective families may visit the school on Thursdays from 8 to 10 a.m. This time includes our school-wide assembly and the chance to observe specialty classes such as music, Spanish, and computers.

Tuition is made affordable through the efforts of fundraising and community contributions. To see ways that you can give to the school, please visit the “Fundraising” link on the school’s homepage. The entire community of Good Shepherd Catholic School thanks you for your support as we work towards educating the whole child with faith in the future. To read about Principal Dan Anderson, click here.)

Need information?

Families may inquire about Good Shepherd Catholic School by filling out a Web Student Inquiry Form. Click here to be taken to the form.

Email, phone numbers and extension numbers of the Good Shepherd Catholic School staff members.

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