Friday, December 22, 2017

Merry Christmas 2017









There was lots of fun at our Christmas Carnival today!  
Many thanks to all of the parents who sent in supplies or shared their time with us today.
Check our Facebook & Twitter Feed for lots more photos of our fun!


























We are looking forward to seeing everyone back to school on Tuesday, 1/2/18, for a regular, full day of school with Early Drop Off,  PreK Enrichment & Aftercare available.

Wednesday, December 20, 2017

News for the Week of 12/20/17








Calendar Reminder - Friday, 12/22/17, is a 12:45pm early dismissal.  There will be no PreK Enrichment or Aftercare.  School is closed for Christmas break from Monday, 12/25/17 - Monday, 1/1/18.  School reopens for full, regular day of school on Tuesday, 1/2/18.









Thanks to all who supported our collection of new toys for "Toys for Tots"
Thanks to your generosity, there will be a lot more smiles this Christmas.
Mrs. Williamson was on Santa duty to drop off
all our Toys for Tots donations!



Get in the "Spirit" of the Season with last minute gifts from the SMS Spirit Shop. Looking for some last minute Christmas gifts that show your spirit? Check out our new sign up genius to order spirit wear. All orders placed on items in stock will be filled in time for Christmas!   Also, check out some of our new items to order for the New Year! Click here to visit the store.



Pulling out all of your favorite recipes for the holidays? Snap a quick picture to submit to our Community Cookbook!  Here's one Mrs. Howard made for our Staff Christmas Party.  It's SO delicious!!



Recipes can be emailed as a photo attachment, typed into a submission form or handwritten on a 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper.  Click here for the link to the recipe form. All  recipes can be emailed to tchagnon@stmarysimsbury.eduk12.net or dropped off in the office.  


*Recipes need to be submitted no later than January 6th. Our plan and goal is to have the cookbook available for sale late February and feature it at our Annual Art Show on February 23rd.  We are hungry just thinking about it!  Thank you in advance for your participation.


Don't Forget to Clip & Save Your Box Tops for EducationAs you prepare all your family's favorites for the holidays, don't forget to keep an eye out for Box Tops for EducationClip, Save & Send into school to help SMS.  Box Tops can be found on lots of products like:  Annie's baking mixes, refrigerated dough and boxed macaroni & cheese, Reynolds bakeware pans and parchment paper, Chex cereals, Ziploc freezer bags and containers, Totino's pizza rolls and party pizzas, Lysol bathroom cleaner, spray and disinfecting wipes, Scott paper towels and toilet paper,  Land O'Lakes butter and cheese products, Pillsbury refrigerated cookies, Hefty disposable plates and trash bags and many, many other products.  Click here for a full list.

Yankee Candle Fundraiser - Orders Accepted until 1/11/18. Your voluntary participation in this Yankee Candle Fundraiser will help us defray the costs associated with a new recorder program for our third grade and the purchase of replacement music stands for our school band. Your order will ship direct to your address!  No school pick up or sorting! How convenient is that?  It's too late for guaranteed holiday delivery but orders may be placed until 1/11/18.  All orders must be placed on-line.  Click here to start shopping!  Please feel free to share this link with friends or family that might like to support our school.  Please note - when checking out, no need to fill out a Seller ID, our group number will be prefilled and that is sufficient. (If, for some reason, you land on a "general" page, please use our group number - 999977285)



Our congratulations to the SMS alums named to the Northwest Catholic Honor Roll for the first quarter.

First Honors: Kathryn Krocheski, Aaron Belletsky, Madeline Meskill, Caroline O'Meara, Amelia Toscano, and Brendan Wlochowski, all SMS Class of '14; Olivia Chappano, Joanna Kuziak, Emma Schumaker, Matthew Shea, Meghan Shea and Lindsey Voelker, all SMS Class of '15; Isabel Mortillaro, Evan Clark, John Dumont, Kelsey Bompane, Jonathan Heiden, and Isabella Krocheski, all SMS Class of '16 and Emily McKenna, Connor Melanson, Evan Sautters, Megan Shanley, and Maureen VonHassel, all SMS Class of '17.

Second Honors:  James & John Sullivan, SMS Class of '14; Kieran Shanley, SMS Class of '15, Declan Wlochowski,SMS Class of '16; Matthew Poniatowski and Jacob Rodriguez, SMS Class of '17.

We also congratulate our alumni that have been named to the Avon High School Honor Roll.  Highest Honors:  Ava Howard, SMS Class of '17; Honors:  Thomas Howard, SMS Class of '16 & Ruairi Stenson, Class of '17.



We are also proud to share that a number of SMS alums have been named to the National Honor Society at Northwest Catholic High School.   Our congratulations to Olivia Chappano, Joanna Kuziak, Emma Schumaker, Kieran Shanley and Lindsey Voelker, all SMS Class of '15.







We are happy to share that Tim Nolan,
SMS Class of '14
, will attend the
Newhouse School at Syracuse University
in the Fall of 2018.

Friday, December 15, 2017

Service Project Announcement & Reminders - 12/15/17




Our annual Christmas prayer service, Lessons & Carols, will take place on Monday, December 18th in the church.  There will be a 10am dress rehearsal.  This is a perfect opportunity to take photos.  The prayer service will begin at 7pm. Church doors will open at 6:30pm.  All students in grades Kindergarten - grade 8 actively participate in this prayer service and attendance is expected.  If your child(ren) will not be able to attend, please contact Mrs. Williamson.  Please remember that if your child is absent from school on Monday, December 18th, they may not participate in the evening prayer service as noted in our Parent/Student Handbook.

GUIDELINES FOR DRESS & STUDENT ARRIVAL FOR LESSONS & CAROLS -
All students except Kindergarten and 8th grade wear their full, formal uniform (NO sweatshirts or sweaters).

Kindergarten & 8th grade students have received dress guidelines from their teachers. Summary of dress guidelines: Grade 8 students should wear khaki skort or shorts and plain white or light gray t-shirts with plain, white socks. Kindergarten students should wear uniform white, short sleeve polo shirt and PE shorts with plain, white socks.

Grades 1-7 should meet their teachers in the pews of the church at 6:45pm.

Grade 8 should report to the lower church at 6:30pm.

Kindergarten should report to the lower church at 6:30pm.

Dismissal directions for students will be announced at the conclusion of the prayer service.

The snow date for Lessons & Carols is Tuesday, 12/19.

**There will be instrumental music lessons on Monday, 12/18.  
Band students are reminded to bring instruments & music.**


Lifetouch Group Class Photos - Group class photos of students in grades PreK, K-7 taken by Lifetouch Photography were sent home on Friday, 12/15.  Please be sure to check backpacks.





Calendar Reminder - Friday, 12/22/17, is a 12:45pm early dismissal.  There will be no PreK Enrichment or Aftercare.  School is closed for Christmas break from Monday, 12/25/17 - Monday, 1/1/18.  School reopens for full, regular day of school on Tuesday, 1/2/18.

Wednesday, December 13, 2017

News for the Week of 12/13/17







Calendar Reminder - Friday, 12/22/17, is a 12:45pm early dismissal.  There will be no PreK Enrichment or Aftercare.  School is closed for Christmas break from Monday, 12/25/17 - Monday, 1/1/18.  School reopens for full, regular day of school on Tuesday, 1/2/18.




Hot Lunch Order Period for January - The order period for January hot lunch is OPEN through the close of the school day on Friday, 12/15/17.  This open order period is your only opportunity to order hot lunches for January. Please keep in mind that no late orders can be accepted.
NEW LUNCH SELECTION OPTION - As you complete your lunch order, you will notice that on January 17th, we will be offering grilled cheese and chicken noodle or tomato soup. If you decide to order this lunch, you will be prompted to choose which soup you would like. You will also now be able to choose an extra grilled cheese sandwich for $2.

Hot Lunch Volunteers Are Needed!  Our hot lunch program depends on the time generously donated by volunteers to serve and clean up.  We hope that if you are Virtus trained you will consider volunteering for hot lunch duty.  We are happy to train new volunteers and always happy to welcome back friends that have volunteered in the past.  Serving hot lunch is a great way to share in your child(ren)'s school day.  Click here to access the Sign Up Genius.

LAST CALL FOR TOY DONATIONS!




Again this year, we will be accepting donations for Toys for Tots.  New, unwrapped toys may be brought to school until Friday, 12/15/17.  Thanks in advance for making the Christmas season bright for children in need.




Students are busy practicing for Lessons & Carols.  Above, Mrs. Keany's second
grade class prepares.
Our annual Christmas prayer service, Lessons & Carols, will take place on Monday, December 18th in the church.  There will be a 10am dress rehearsal.  This is a perfect opportunity to take photos.  The prayer service will begin at 7pm. Church doors will open at 6:30pm.  All students in grades Kindergarten - grade 8 actively participate in this prayer service and attendance is expected.  If your child(ren) will not be able to attend, please contact Mrs. Williamson.  Please remember that if your child is absent from school on Monday, December 18th, they may not participate in the evening prayer service as noted in our Parent/Student Handbook.

GUIDELINES FOR DRESS & STUDENT ARRIVAL FOR LESSONS & CAROLS -

All students except Kindergarten and 8th grade wear their full, formal uniform (NO sweatshirts or sweaters).

Kindergarten & 8th grade students have received dress guidelines from their teachers.  Summary of dress guidelines:  Grade 8 students should wear khaki skort or shorts and plain white or light gray t-shirts with plain, white socks. Kindergarten students should wear uniform white, short sleeve polo shirt and PE shorts with plain, white socks.

Grades 1-7 should meet their teachers in the pews of the church at 6:45pm.

Grade 8 should report to the lower church at 6:30pm.

Kindergarten should report to the lower church at 6:30pm.

The snow date for Lessons & Carols is Tuesday, 12/19.



Campus Connection Update - At the end of last week, Mrs. Williamson shared an important Campus Connection Update via an all family email.  If you missed that email, click here to read the update.




Lifetouch Group Class Photos - Group class photos of students in grades PreK, K-7 taken by Lifetouch Photography will be sent home on Friday, 12/15.  Please be sure to check backpacks.




SMS CHOICE - Time is running out to get your gift cards for Christmas giving!  We can no longer guarantee Christmas arrival for special order cards but the school's CHOICE box still has lots of great selections to area grocery stores and stores including Kohls, Barnes & Noble, and Dicks along with restaurants like the Max Group and Chilis and favorite stocking stuffers like Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts.  Click here for an order form that can be sent in via kidmail.




Yankee Candle Fundraiser - Orders Accepted until 1/11/18. Your voluntary participation in this Yankee Candle Fundraiser will help us defray the costs associated with a new recorder program for our third grade and the purchase of replacement music stands for our school band. Your order will ship direct to your address!  No school pick up or sorting! How convenient is that?  It's too late for guaranteed holiday delivery but orders may be placed until 1/11/18.  All orders must be placed on-line.  Click here to start shopping!  Please feel free to share this link with friends or family that might like to support our school.  Please note - when checking out, no need to fill out a Seller ID, our group number will be prefilled and that is sufficient. (If, for some reason, you land on a "general" page, please use our group number - 999977285)





Looking for a Gift that Keeps on Giving?  Your donation to the SMS Support the Mission annual campaign is always a perfect fit and helps us continue to give the gift of a rich, faith-filled, academically challenging Catholic education to the children of the Farmington Valley. Click here to make your donation.






Pulling out all of your favorite recipes for the holidays? Snap a quick picture to submit to our Community Cookbook!  Here's one from Mrs. Hatch's kitchen - we'd love to feature one of your family's favorites next week.

Recipes can be emailed as a photo attachment, typed into a submission form or handwritten on a 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper.  Click here for the link to the recipe form. All  recipes can be emailed to tchagnon@stmarysimsbury.eduk12.net or dropped off in the office.  

*Recipes need to be submitted no later than January 6th. Our plan and goal is to have the cookbook available for sale late February and feature it at our Annual Art Show on February 23rd.  We are hungry just thinking about it!  Thank you in advance for your participation.



SMS Stars


The Girls Varsity Basketball Team won two games on Sunday night,
lifting their league record to 3-0 and their overall record to 5-0.


Classroom Heros!
Students in Mrs. Keany's second grade researched an American hero, typed up their findings on their iPads using the Notability app, created an interactive book about their hero using the Book Creator app, and made a cut out of their hero. Parents were invited to their "Living Museum", put a ticket in a cup and pushed a "button" on the floor to make my "artifacts"- hero characters- come to life and told facts about their hero!


Wednesday, December 6, 2017

News for the Week of 12/6/17









Click here to read Mrs. Williamson's recent letter to parents and guardians about our exciting new efforts to grow our brand and visibility in the community so that many other families can share the SMS experience.






 If you want to show your #UKnighTED school spirit to be used in some of our external social campaigns, click here for a copy of our sign and take a picture of your family and/or your student(s) sharing your St. Mary's story.  Email your photo to tchagnon@stmarysimsbury.eduk12.net . 



Thanks to all who supported the Gr. 8 Poinsettia sale.
Donations to area senior living communities were greatly appreciated.



PreKindergarten students presented the nativity story to parents and friends.
It was an adorable day in Bethlehem!








Our December School Mass will be on Friday, 12/8, for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.  We will worship with our Parish family at the 12:15 Mass.  All are welcome.  Please remember that no PE uniforms should be worn to Mass.







Report cards for students in K - 8 will be available via the Educonnect Parent Portal at the end of the school day on Friday, 12/8/17.  Please note that no paper copy of the report card will be sent home.  Please contact the school office if you have questions about logging into Educonnect to access the electronic report card.







Hot Lunch Order Period for January - The open order period for January hot lunch will be open from Monday, 12/11/17 through the close of the school day on Friday, 12/15/17.  This open order period is your only opportunity to order hot lunches for January. Please keep in mind that no late orders can be accepted.
NEW LUNCH SELECTION OPTION - As you complete your lunch order, you will notice that on January 17th, we will be offering grilled cheese and chicken noodle or tomato soup. If you decide to order this lunch, you will be prompted to choose which soup you would like. You will also now be able to choose an extra grilled cheese sandwich for $2.

Hot Lunch Volunteers Are Needed!  Our hot lunch program depends on the time generously donated by volunteers to serve and clean up.  We hope that if you are Virtus trained you will consider volunteering for hot lunch duty.  We are happy to train new volunteers and always happy to welcome back friends that have volunteered in the past.  Serving hot lunch is a great way to share in your child(ren)'s school day.  Click here to access the Sign Up Genius.


December is a busy time and everyone could use a night out!
Not sure if your child can make it?  Drop ins are welcome!  

JOIN US! 8th Grade Class of 2018 invites your students in Kindergarten - Grade 7 to Kid's Night Out in the Saint Mary's Parish Center on December 9th featuring a showing of THE POLAR EXPRESS. 8th graders have holiday crafts and fun games planned. Pizza dinner will be served as well as hot chocolate and popcorn during the movie! Come in PJs, bring a blanket/pillow to watch the movie with. Bring a friend! All children must be Kindergarten (age 5+) and up. $25 per child. Drop off is at 4:30, pick up by 9:30. All proceeds support 8th grade fundraising, which provides the 8th graders with funds for graduation expenses, a class trip, and a gift to the school from their class. They have been working hard this year and appreciate the continued support from the community! RSVP via the form below.

 Click here for a sign up form - last minute drop ins on 12/9 will also be accommodated.

Grade 8 Student & Parents are needed to make Kid's Night Out a success! Please consider sharing some of your time to help with this activity to benefit your class.   Click here to access the sign up genius.



Sounds of the Season - All are invited to our Christmas Band & Chorus Concert on Monday, 12/11/17.  There will be a dress rehearsal of this concert for the whole school at 2pm on 12/11.  The evening performance will begin at 7pm.  Guests are welcome at either performance.  Band students are reminded to bring their instruments, music, stands and all necessary accessories to school on Monday.  Click here for Mrs. Morse's directions regarding arrival time and attire for the concert.


Our annual Christmas prayer service, Lessons & Carols, will take place on Monday, December 18th in the church.  There will be a 10am dress rehearsal.  This is a perfect opportunity to take photos.  The prayer service will begin at 7pm. Church doors will open at 6:30pm.  All students in grades Kindergarten - grade 8 actively participate in this prayer service and attendance is expected.  If your child(ren) will not be able to attend, please contact Mrs. Williamson.  All students except Kindergarten and 8th grade wear their full, formal uniform for Lessons & Carols.  Kindergarten & 8th grade students will receive dress guidelines from their teachers.  The snow date for Lessons & Carols is Tuesday, 12/19.


Stirring the Pot - Pulling out all of your favorite recipes for the holidays? Make an extra copy to submit to our Community Cookbook! 

Recipes can either be typed into a submission form or handwritten on a 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper or click here for the link to the recipe form. All  recipes can be emailed to tchagnon@stmarysimsbury.eduk12.net or dropped off in the office.  

*Recipes need to be submitted no later than January 6th. Our plan and goal is to have the cookbook available for sale late February and feature it at our Annual Art Show on February 23rd.  We are hungry just thinking about it!  Thank you in advance for your participation.


Request for the time and talent of creative volunteers!
Calling all those with the passion and talent to help the Advancement committee with school branding efforts.  If you have experience in photography, videography, social media, and/or content writing, please send an email to tchagnon@stmarysimsbury.eduk12.net.  All are welcome to volunteer, including recent graduates who would like to build their portfolio.





Again this year, we will be accepting donations for Toys for Tots.  New, unwrapped toys may be brought to school until December 12th.  Thanks in advance for making the Christmas season bright for children in need.









Time is running out to get your Gift Cards from CHOICE for Christmas giving!










SMS Stars -  


Coach Williams (far left) & Gideon W., Max W., Sean O., and Evan P. along
with Mr. Prausa & Mr. O'Meara.
Our congratulations to the members of Running Club that completed this season's race on Sunday, 12/3, in West Hartford at the 5k Mitten Run.  Great job!



Yankee Candle Fundraiser - Orders Accepted until 1/11/18. Your voluntary participation in this Yankee Candle Fundraiser will help us defray the costs associated with a new recorder program for our third grade and the purchase of replacement music stands for our school band. Your order will ship direct to your address!  No school pick up or sorting! How convenient is that?  It's too late for guaranteed holiday delivery but orders may be placed until 1/11/18.  All orders must be placed on-line.  Click here to start shopping!  Please feel free to share this link with friends or family that might like to support our school.  Please note - when checking out, no need to fill out a Seller ID, our group number will be prefilled and that is sufficient. (If, for some reason, you land on a "general" page, please use our group number - 999977285)






Spirit of the Season - Students in first and third grades participated in a Holiday Bear Service Project by sponsoring 2 girls for Christmas.  Many wonderful gifts were donated by families to complete the girls' Christmas lists and were wrapped during a "Wrapping Party" this week.  Lovely to see the spirit of the Christmas season present in our school.
















Alumni News -

Congratulations to the SMS Alums recently named to the Honor Roll at Simsbury High -
Gr. 12 General Honors - Spencer Bernard, Domenico Cirielli,  Parker Myslow and Robert Tomasello - all SMS Class of '14;  Gr. 11 General Honors - Kurt & Mark Bedson, Justin Donnelly,  Grace O'Bryan, Cristina Santillan, and Patrick Sheridan - all SMS Class of '15; Gr. 10 General Honors - Shayna Glazier, SMS Class of '16; Gr. 9 High Honors - Ellie & Mary McElroy and General Honors - Grace Arcouette and Luke Doskos - all SMS Class of '17



 Christine Kornacki, SMS Class of '03, invites you to experience more joy this Christmas by taking #TheSparkleBoxChallenge.  Click here to learn more or visit the Facebook page.  Christine is the illustrator of The Sparkle Box and several other children's books.