School mascot with text

St. Mary's Families,  

Saint Isidore of Seville, pray for us.
- More about St. Isidore: www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-isidore-of-seville/  
(Fun Fact:  St. Isidore is the Patron Saint of the Internet!  St. Isidore, please keep our internet connections stable!)
- Daily Mass readings: www.usccb.org/bible/readings/040420.cfm  
- Optional readings for the optional Commemoration of St. Isidore, Bishop and Doctor of the Church: cms.usccb.org/bible/readings/0404-memorial-isidore.cfm  

Updates...  
- SENIOR UPDATE.  As many of you may have heard late yesterday, we have a new retreat, prom and graduation plan.  It is a good plan, my thanks to Mr. Hyland's team for working hard to make sure we do our best to take care of our seniors.  That said, our tireless adversary, the COVID-19 coronavirus, might not be done creating a ruckus.  Pencil these events in on your calendar, and be prepared to be flexible.  Additional details to follow:

   -- Friday, June 12.  Senior Retreat.

   -- Sunday, June 14.  Prom.

   -- Friday, June 19.  Baccalaureate and Graduation

- MONDAY (Repeat from yesterday)...  STUDENTS!  HEADS UP!  We will all gather virtually on Monday at 7:45am for prayer, Pledge and announcements.  Every week is a 1-8 week.  No delayed start days.

- LINK for the 7:45am virtual gathering (please MUTE your microphone!): meet.google.com/mbd-cmki-zqq

- WHY ARE WE GATHERING?  There is strong research that suggests a small amount of structure and routine goes a long way to help facilitate distance learning.  Making the transition to distance learning cost us almost all our routine, so we're going to recover some of that structure. 

- BUMPS IN THE ROAD?  Have I mentioned PATIENCE lately?  As always with something new, be prepared on Monday for some of those aggravating bumps in the road.  If the worldwide internet goes down at 7:44 am; please pray a Memorare, recite the Pledge of Allegiance, and proceed with your school work.  Attached is a picture of where the Rysavys say their Pledge in the morning.  Not to brag, but I made the green cup holding the flags in the school's art room last year (Okay, it's actually pretty bad, but it is a little piece of St. Mary's!  And forgive the use of the South Dakota flag, Michelle and I are natives...).  

COVID-19 coronavirus.  
- More than 5,000 deaths in the US.  In Colorado, more than 4,000 total cases and 111 deaths.  The numbers suggest that nationally new cases may have leveled off and may even be slowing down.  The data for Colorado appears a little choppy, so it's hard to tell if we've peaked yet, so stay healthy!  Federal and state information links below:
www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html  
covid19.colorado.gov/    

What's Next?  
- Enjoy your weekend!  Celebrate surviving and thriving, being patient and flexible, through 10 academic days of distance learning.  Yes, it's been *10* academic days - it may feel like 100, but it's been only 10.  

How you can help
- Continuously monitor your ATTITUDE.  A few days ago I told you about a survivor of the Nazi concentration camps who said that the last of the human freedoms is to CHOOSE your attitude in ANY circumstance.  Do NOT surrender that freedom.  As you believe, so you become.  

Take a Quick Break.
- Speaking GREAT attitudes, here is the link to the winning video from Catherine Cummings for the "How I'm Not Just Surviving, But Thriving During Shelter In Place" contest: www.smpirates.org/article/226687?org=smhs
- Well done, Catherine, your GREAT attitude has earned you a $100 Dutch Bros gift card, or a $100 Scrip gift card of your choice.  We'll share more of the video contest entries in the upcoming week, and we'll post the videos online as well.  

Students, Parents; How are you doing?  
- Spend. Some. Time. Together.  And be PATIENT with each other.  FORGIVE each other if you're getting on each others' nerves...  Mostly I'm talking to my own family because I think I'm driving them crazy right now.  

Reminders.
- I was watching a video posted by Chaminade H.S. in New York, the alma mater of our Athletic Director Vince Nigro.  In the video, their president, Brother Thomas Cleary, said, "Panic is easy, composure takes willpower."  Remember when those red posters from WWII England became popular a few years ago?  What did they say?  "Keep Calm and Carry On."  When you get through this trying time, is your DIGNITY going to be intact?  Are you going to be PROUD of the way you thought, spoke and behaved?  Be the person NOW that a year from now you will wish you had been.  

Prayer.  Speaking of keeping calm and carrying on.  Would you give me 20 more seconds of your time to pray with me?  

THE MEMORARE
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary,
that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection,
implored thy help, or sought thy intercession, was left unaided.
Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother.
To thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful.
O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions,
but in thy mercy, hear and answer me.
Amen.  

Respectfully,
Rob Rysavy
President
St. Mary's High School