Keep the Kids Learning Throughout Summer Break

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Children enjoy summer vacation—that time of the year when they can finally relax without having to think about textbooks. However, avoiding learning for a long period can put them back a few steps educationally. During summer vacations, children often forget some of what they’ve learned the previous year and miss opportunities to further their learning. At St. Charles Borromeo, an Orlando Catholic school, we have a few tips to help your child continue to learn throughout the summer—without boring them with textbooks.

  • Bring out the Legos.

You don’t need to put away these blocks or other building toys once your children have grown older. Both boys and girls benefit from playing with building blocks, as this involves motor awareness, hand-eye coordination and spatial awareness. Plus, they’ll enjoy exercising their creativity while creating buildings from their imagination.

  • Read everything.

Encourage every opportunity for your children to practice their reading skills. Anything age-appropriate, from fun comic books to restaurant menus, will help them continue to enhance their reading abilities and expand their vocabulary. Audiobooks can also be an excellent way for them to enjoy a story and learn more new words.

  • Discuss movies.

After relaxing with your children while watching a great movie, take some time to encourage them to think about the movie. Ask them what they did or didn’t like, discuss the movie’s themes, and encourage them to think about the reasons why characters acted the way they did. To add more creativity to the discussion, ask them to come up with their own ending to the movie.

  • Encourage their passions.

Everyone, both children and adults, enjoys learning about subjects they’re interested in. Try searching for age-appropriate materials focused on your children’s favorite subjects or hobbies. Field trips, magazines, or games can be a great way for them to learn without feeling like they’re learning—and they’ll have fun pursuing the topics that interest them most.

As an Orlando Catholic school dedicated to student’s educational and spiritual growth, the St. Charles Borromeo community believes that students should work hard, play hard, and pray hard—and that includes summer break, not just the school year. As you can see, encouraging your child to continue learning through their summer break can be fun and enjoyable. By the end of the summer, they’ll be ready to start the new school year without taking any steps backward educationally. We hope you and your family have fun learning this summer!

 

Why Choose St. Charles Borromeo If Your High School Students go to Bishop Moore Catholic

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St. Charles Borromeo is an Orlando Catholic school that prides itself on guiding and developing the faith of children for over 60 years. St. Charles is a PreK3 through 8th grade school committed to providing children with a successful academic experience intertwined with a faith-filled community. We promote responsibility, respect, and learning among our students while integrating the growth of their knowledge and confidence in Him. If you’re looking to enroll your children in the lower grades and you already have older kids that attend Bishop Moore or will be attending Bishop Moore in the fall, the choice to select St. Charles is clear. Here are a few reasons to choose St. Charles Borromeo Catholic School in addition to Bishop Moore, so you can combine convenience with academic excellence.

Easy Pickup

St. Charles and Bishop Moore are located on the same campus, so they are extremely close to each other. This makes for convenient and time-saving necessities such as picking up each of your children in one stop. Rather than driving to a whole other location, if your child attends St. Charles and Bishop Moore, picking them up has never been quicker and easier. There will be no need for carpools and rushing around worrying if you’re going to make it on time to get each child.

Nearby Games

If your children play on sports teams, the close location also comes in handy. Forget driving to separate locations on game days and trying to juggle all of their gear. Nearby games are another advantage of having your children attend these two schools that are in close proximity. Everything will be even more seamless if the games are hosted after school. You won’t have to worry about missing one game to see the other; you can be a part of both!

Less Stress

Overall, with your kids all in one vicinity, it will result in less pressure and stress on you on a day-to-day basis. You won’t have to rush around and try to keep everyone’s different schedules organized because every event will be next to one another. You’ll be able to attend more things and be hands on with each of your children. Each child will be getting a stellar education and an opportunity to worship within the faith community.

Choose to enroll your child in St. Charles Borromeo, a reputable Orlando Catholic school, and you’ll appreciate the closeness of Bishop Moore Catholic too. There are many advantages of having your children all nearby while also learning in a healthy environment. Visit our website to learn more about our values, enrollment, and upcoming events on our calendar!

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4 Ways to Experience Science

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Science can be an enjoyable learning experience for the whole family and not one that happens exclusively within a classroom. Our motto at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic School, a private school in Orlando, is work hard, play hard, pray hard—so we’d like to share a few fun, educational ways to experience science in the community, as well as share two science experiments you and your children can conduct at home.

Orlando Science Center

The Orlando Science Center has been a classic exhibit in the Orlando area for sixty years. This family-friendly center contains four floors of exhibits that educate and entertain. You can also watch a movie on their giant, domed screen. The entire center is indoors, so there’s no need to worry about a normal rainy afternoon ruining the fun.

Science Fair

St. Charles’ eighth grade class will be showing their science fair presentations on April 25th from 12:00 – 2:30. Come out and enjoy the hard work that our students have put into this event! We’re proud of our students and what they have learned, and we hope you’ll join us in viewing these presentations. Many of the presentations will also be viewable at the HSA meeting on the evening of the 25th.

Create an Egg Geode

At home, you can use eggs, salt, food coloring, and water to create beautiful crystals. First, crack an egg as close to the narrow end as possible to use as a container. Then, rinse the eggshell in hot water and fully remove the egg membrane from the inside of the egg. Line an egg carton with wax paper, put the eggshell in the carton, and set it aside. Next, boil water in a saucepan and pour ½ cup into a heatproof container. Add ¼ cup of salt to the container and let it dissolve. Keep slowly adding salt until it stops dissolving in the water. Add food coloring and then pour the mixture into the eggshell, being careful not to add so much that it tips over. Finally, put the shell in a safe place. The crystal will form as the water evaporates.

Create Colorful Flowers

Changing the color of water will result in changing the color of a flower; all you need is water, food coloring, and a white carnation. Pick a food dye that’s your favorite color and add it to a glass of water. You’ll need more than a few drops to create a strong color. Snip the last centimeter of the carnation’s stem and place it in the colored water. After a few hours or days, the carnation will absorb the color of the water.

We hope you enjoy partaking in these events and experiments with your family! As a private school in Orlando, we at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic School believe it’s important that learning is as fun as it is educational. Please have fun with these experiments and we hope to see you for our Science Fair on April 25th!

Celebrating Easter & Holy Week

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Holy Week & Easter are quickly approaching. This is a time bursting with family traditions meant to remember and celebrate Christ’s suffering, death and Resurrection. While coloring eggs has been a common way to observe the holiday, there are other traditions a family can adopt to celebrate and help children understand the significance of this time. At St. Charles Borromeo, a Catholic school in Orlando, we want to take this time to remember Him and share some ways that you and your family can also celebrate.

Holy Week

Eggs can be used for more than just coloring; planting seeds inside an egg shell can send a strong message about the power of new life. Take some time with your children to fill eggshell halves with soil. Rest these halves in an egg carton and then plant seeds in them. Marigolds or petunias work well. Place the carton in a sunny window and guide your children through nurturing this new life.

Also, consider setting aside some time on Wednesday of Holy Week for housecleaning. This custom stems from the Jewish tradition of cleaning before Passover. Many countries partake in this practice, cleaning every inch of their home so everything is neat and tidy in time for Easter.

Easter

On Easter morning, consider attending a sunrise service such as the one under the Pines at Bishop Moore Catholic. Or, perhaps you could attend the beautiful Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday which will allow you to take some time on Easter morning to spend in worship with your family. You can pack a picnic lunch and spend some time outside with the family, everyone enjoying eating and celebrating the Resurrection.

Many also have a tradition of wearing new clothes on Easter day. This is meant to be symbolic of the days when new converts were baptized on Easter. For their baptism, they wore new white clothes that symbolized their new life. If you choose to partake in this tradition, it may be a great opportunity to share the history of the custom.

There are many ways to celebrate Holy Week and Easter. Which traditions you and your family adopt are up to you. Adopting traditions gives the family something to look forward to each year, as well as refocus everyone’s attention on the most important subject: His Resurrection.

The St. Charles Borromeo community is excited for this time of celebration and remembrance. If you’re looking to enroll your children in a Catholic School in Orlando that addresses their academic and spiritual needs, consider visiting us. You can find more information about us and our values on our about us page. We wish you and your family a happy Easter!

School Culture: A Major Reason to Choose St. Charles Borromeo

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When you’re researching Catholic schools in Orlando, one of your concerns may be whether the school has a culture that addresses its students’ educational and spiritual needs. Both the faculty and the students at St. Charles Borromeo work together to create an environment where every student is given the opportunity to succeed and grow to be responsible, respectful adults. If you’re looking to enroll your child in a Catholic school, consider some of these factors that St. Charles Borromeo can offer.

Education

Education should be the central focus of every school, but what makes St. Charles Borromeo different in how it delivers a quality education? We believe that each student is a unique child of God with their own individual strengths and educational needs; not every student learns in the same way. We work hard to give students the tools they need to succeed academically, as well as promote a sense of responsibility in our students so they have the foundation necessary to persevere later in life.

Respect

At St. Charles Borromeo, we believe respect between faculty and students is critical for creating a healthy learning environment. Academic success grows from positive relationships between faculty and students. Mutual respect is a key factor in lessening behavioral disruptions in class, developing feelings of self-worth in students, and achieving academic success. We work better when we work as a team.

Faith

Students at St. Charles Borromeo don’t only experience a quality educational environment; they also see their spiritual needs attended to. Faith values are integrated into everyday life at St. Charles Borromeo. Our faith-filled community raises students in His word, giving them opportunities to learn about Him and devote time to serving their community. This integration of faith-filled activities helps students to follow in His footsteps and gives them a strong foundation to continue in His service later on in life.

At St. Charles Borromeo, we want our students to work hard, play hard, and pray hard. We are honored to be able to work with so many great students who can later move on to be responsible, respectful, and trustworthy adults due to a solid foundation early on. In your search for a Catholic school in Orlando, consider our dedication to our student’s educational and spiritual needs, combined with a healthy environment formed by mutual respect between faculty and students. If you want to learn more about enrolling your children at St. Charles Borromeo, please visit our admissions page. We look forward to meeting you!

Preparing For The Annunciation

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The Annunciation is an important event that, as an Orlando Catholic school, we at St. Charles Borromeo would like to take the time to remember. Let’s take a few moments to look back on the moment of The Annunciation and the reasons why it means so much to us.

Annunciation is a fancy old way of saying “announcement,” and what a huge announcement this was; The Annunciation celebrates the day that Gabriel announced to Mary that she would birth the Son of God. This day is usually celebrated on March 25th, nine months before Christmas. This is meant to be symbolic of the length of a pregnancy.

While the announcement itself is important, what we can learn from is Mary’s complete trust in Him. She does not doubt Gabriel when he announces her pregnancy. Instead, she asks how such an event will occur. Although she is legally married, she is still a virgin, and, considering the nature of her question, it may be implied that she is assuming she will have a virgin birth. Gabriel explains that all three Persons of the Trinity will make the birth possible—nothing is impossible with God.

This is not an easy thing to accept or agree to. The pregnancy could tarnish Mary’s social status and potentially strain her relationship with Joseph. Others would assume that her pregnancy would have been caused by unfaithfulness. This task would certainly bring her suffering, both known and unknown. She could anticipate the stress on her social status, but she had no way of knowing that the Crucifixion of her child was yet to come. Despite this, Mary entrusts herself entirely to God’s will. Through God, she had free will to choose her own path, and she chose to trust in Him.

As we approach The Annunciation, let’s remember the strength that it took for the Virgin Mary to trust in God so completely. Let’s remember the struggles thereafter that led to our salvation. And, in our day to day lives, let’s do our best to emulate that level of trust and devotion in His plan for us.

As an Orlando Catholic school, St. Charles Borromeo attends to the spiritual needs of our students so they can learn to trust in Him. If you’re looking for a faith-filled school that prioritizes both educational and spiritual needs, please consider visiting our community. You can read our about us page for more information about our community and what we stand for.

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Three Ways to Show Your Children Affection This Valentine’s Day

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While parents show affection to their children year-round, Valentine’s Day is a special time devoted to reminding our loved ones that we care. St. Charles Borromeo, an Orlando Catholic school, values the important relationship between parents and their children. If you’re wondering how to show your children you care this Valentine’s Day, here are a few options that can put smiles on their faces.

Be Spontaneous

It’s easy to get into the habit of telling your children you love them before you tuck them into bed, but are they used to hearing it at other times of the day? Try reminding your children that you love them at a time that they might not expect, such as during dinner or when working together on household chores. A little bit of surprise affection can stand out in their minds.

Be Unique

Not everyone shows affection the same way. Don’t despair if your children squirm over extra hugs on Valentine’s Day—there are other options to show you care that are fun for the both of you. If your children enjoy telling jokes, spend some time listening and sharing a few of your own. If they enjoy arts and crafts, then dedicate the evening to working on a Valentine’s Day project together. They’ll appreciate the time you spend with them doing things that they enjoy.

Enjoy a Family Event

If you and your children don’t feel like spending Valentine’s Day indoors, consider looking into a family-friendly event in the community. This could be a great opportunity to spend time and deepen your bond with your children, as well as create some wonderful lifetime memories! For Valentine’s Day, St. Charles Borromeo is hosting a Daddy-Daughter dance on February 11th. It will be an amazing time to dress up for a fun night to remember!
Every day spent with our children is special, so let’s take some time this Valentine’s Day to let them know how important they are. Whether you remind them that they’re loved or take them out on a night they won’t forget, your children will appreciate the time you spend caring for them. Also, if you want to make sure that they get the quality education they deserve at an Orlando Catholic School, please visit us at St. Charles Borromeo. We value our students and their futures, and we are dedicated to giving them an education that targets both their educational and spiritual needs. We hope you and your children have a great Valentine’s Day!

Catholic Schools Week

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We’re nearing the end of January, which means we’re rapidly approaching Catholic Schools Week—a time where Catholic schools nationwide, including Catholic schools in Orlando, celebrate Catholic education in the United States. This week-long celebration, starting the last Sunday in January, has been a beloved part of Catholic schools everywhere since 1974! St. Charles Borromeo also takes part in the celebrations, starting from January 29th and ending on February 4th this year—just in time for enrollment to open at St. Charles Borromeo! We would like to share some ways that Catholic education is celebrated through this week.

Daily Themes
Each year, Catholic Schools Week has a new theme. This year, it is “Catholic Schools: Communities of Faith, Knowledge, and Service.” Not only does the week itself have its own theme, but each day is also dedicated to different vital parts of Catholic schools. This focus includes celebrating the parish as well as service in the community which allows students in Catholic schools to grow closer to God. Catholic Schools Week also includes celebrating staff, students, and their families. Catholic schools thrive through support from the parish, the amazing students who attend, the families who support those students, and the staff who dedicate their time toward cultivating successful, spiritual students.

Events

 

Catholic schools often host extra events to celebrate Catholic Schools Week. These events generally include open houses, a Mass dedicated to Catholic education, as well as other activities for the whole family. St. Charles Borromeo is joining in the festivities with our own events. Come visit our campus during our open house on January 29th following parish Masses. We will also have an all campus Mass with Bishop Moore Catholic and Morning Star Catholic with Bishop John Noonan as the celebrant. To wind down a week of celebration, we are holding a family picnic (all are invited) and talent show on February 3rd. Make sure to come out and join us in celebrating Catholic education!

If your children are not enrolled in a Catholic school in Orlando and you want to see why there is so much to celebrate, please consider visiting St. Charles Borromeo. Our re-enrollment period begins on January 29th, and new student enrollment opens February 13th. St. Charles Borromeo believes that students should work hard, play hard, and pray hard the entire year—not just during Catholic Schools Week. Our staff is dedicated to cultivating students who grow up to be respectable, responsible adults who strive to emulate God. Please visit our admissions page for more information.

Teaching Goal Setting Leads to Long-Term Benefits

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thumbnail-6If you want to succeed in life, you need to have a clear idea of where you want to go. Goal setting is a critical part of climbing the stairway to success. This isn’t a skill that comes naturally. Just like any good habit, goal setting is best learned early. St. Charles Borromeo, an Orlando Catholic School, aims to cultivate responsible adults who are confident in their ability to succeed. This is the reason why we believe that learning how to set goals is critical later in life.

Self-Efficacy

One of the best lessons children can learn is their ability to build their own future. When children set goals, and are given the support they need to meet them, they learn to stick to a path that leads to success. Goal setting helps children learn that they can make the changes they want to see in their life. This is especially helpful when they become adults, as children who learn how to set goals become adults who strive for accomplishments.

Self-Confidence

When children set and reach an achievable goal, it raises their confidence in their own ability to succeed. Self-confidence in reaching goals leads them to gradually reach for bigger and greater accomplishments. It is important to make sure they reach toward a goal that is achievable so they build a healthy relationship with goal-setting. Children who set goals they can reach understand a goal they didn’t meet isn’t failure—it’s an opportunity to learn and try harder.

Maturity

Self-efficacy and self-confidence are common traits found in mature, responsible adults. Once children are capable of setting goals and they’re confident enough to reach them, they continue to do so into adulthood. They are mature enough to stick with the goals they have set, even though they may be difficult. Life can sometimes make goals harder to achieve than intended. A mature, confident adult can weather the storm and keep pushing forward toward success.

St. Charles Borromeo promotes a safe environment for children to learn how to set goals and find success. Our faculty is dedicated to creating the best environment possible for students to learn, grow, and become well-rounded adults who are responsible enough to handle the trials we so often face in life. If you’re considering enrolling your children in an Orlando Catholic School, St. Charles Borromeo may be the place for you. Please visit our about us page for more information.

How to Tell if Your Child is Ready for PreK

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thumbnail-3When should your child start PreK? Some would argue that the right age is around two-and-a-half years old, as this is when children are usually developmentally ready to attend school. However, this isn’t true of all children. Each child is an individual and some may need a little bit more time before PreK can be an enjoyable experience. If you’re wondering whether your child is ready to enroll in St. Charles Borromeo, a Catholic school in Orlando that accepts students from PreK 3 through 8th grade, consider some of these points.

Independence

PreK is a huge step for a young child who may still need you to help them through tasks. Before they’re enrolled in PreK, they should be able to perform some basic skills without assistance. Is your child potty-trained, able to feed themselves, and wash their own hands after arts and crafts activities? Then they may be able to handle the day-to-day activities PreK offers. It is also important to consider whether your child is used to spending time away from you. This isn’t a deal-breaker, as a child can learn in PreK how to be separate from a parent. However, it is an easier transition if this is not a new experience.

Self-Entertainment and Group Interaction

The activities children enjoy in PreK require them to be able to entertain themselves and play well with others. Some arts and crafts projects may require your child to focus on one task for a small period, while other activities will involve speaking and listening to others. These can be difficult tasks for young children who are still learning how to interact in a social environment. If your child is already used to playing alone and with others, then it may be a good time to enroll in PreK.

Stamina

Is your child still bounding with energy after hours of play, or is a mid-morning nap still a necessity? PreK is full of projects and physical activity and if your child lacks stamina, they may find the experience to be stressful. If your child can make it to afternoon nap time without extreme exhaustion, then the level of activity in PreK shouldn’t be too strenuous.

While these are great starting points to figure out if your child is ready for PreK, every child is still an individual. A time that works perfectly for one child may be too stressful for another. St. Charles Borromeo is a Catholic school in Orlando that cares about your child’s well-being at school. Please check out our enrollment page if you’re considering enrolling your child at St. Charles Borromeo. We would be happy to discuss with you if now is the right time for PreK.