News for the Week of 10/17/12

Reading Groups "there".....

And ....Grade 3 Reading Groups here ... iPad style!

Our Grade 3 Reading Groups are making great strides using their iPads.  With guidance from Mrs. Gore, students are able to download high interest PDF leveled readers that allow students to read similar content with varying degrees of difficulty.  This allows all students to move at the appropriate pace and challenge level.  The ability to address the specific educational needs of each child is one of the many benefits of our 1:1 iPad initiative.  Thanks for your continued support!

Gr. 8 Individual Photos & Class Photo will be taken by Paul Cryan on Friday, 10/19/12.  Click here for more details and information regarding afterschool appointments with Paul Cryan for other students.

Does your child have a love of music? Is he/she interested in taking piano lessons? Mr. Cosham will be offering piano lessons beginning in January when we return from Christmas Break. Mr. Cosham is the music director at his church, Saint John's in Middletown, CT and has been giving lessons for the past three years. Lessons will be given in the church basement in the music room. Please email Mr. Cosham at BCosham@stmarysimsbury.eduk12.net if you are interested or would like more information.

Health Office Notifications
 - Notification of Routine Screenings for Students - Click here for more information about routine health screenings including vision (K-­‐6), Audiometric (K-­‐3 and grade 5 and grade 8), and postural or scoliosis (grades 5-­‐8) that will be conducted by our school nurses.

- Notification regarding Fifth Disease - This is the time of year we begin to see fifth disease in our schools.  Click here for more information.

Athletic News - 

Fall Sports: All students participating in fall sports need to have their payments in by 10/24/12

Cross Country= $10

Field Hockey= $25

Soccer= $25

It's time to register for 2013 Ski & Snowboard Club-  Registration forms and payment must be received no later than November 1st.  Click here for more information and registration forms.  Any questions, contact the Ski Club organizer Ray Baker at: ray.scott.baker@gmail.com or 860 214-5046.

Home & School Association News -

The November H.S.A. meeting has been rescheduled.  The meeting is now scheduled for November 27, at 7pm in the grade 4 classroom.

Box Tops are due on October 19th!

Don’t forget to send in your Box Tops by this Friday, October 19th.  The class with the most Box Tops will win the privilege of eating lunch outside and enjoying extra recess time with their classmates. Additionally, the winning class's teacher will receive a gift certificate to purchase something for their classroom.

Please mark your envelope Box Tops Grade ____.

Contact Amy Lillis at amylillis73@gmail.com with any questions.

Book Fair -- Thank you to everyone who contributed refreshments to last week’s Book Signing and the Wine & Cheese after the 5pm Mass on 10/13/12.  Everyone had a good time mingling with parishioners and getting a last look at the Book Fair.  Thank you to Kristin Potter for organizing the refreshments.

Thank you to Ms. Christine Kornacki, SMS Alumna and American Girl illustrator, for her book signing last week.  We appreciate her taking the time to spend the day at St. Mary’s and help support our Book Fair.  Over 50 Sparkle Box books were sold at the Book Fair.

Many thanks to Jennifer Pavlonnis, Karen McKenna, and Amber Hall for all their hard work and to the parent volunteers who helped with the class visits.  The children had a great time shopping for books to add to their home and classroom libraries.  A special thanks goes to the newest member of our Book Fair committee, Laura Williams.

$50.00 was collected for All For Books.  50 books will be donated to the charities Kids In Need and Kids in Distressed Situations, Inc. in St. Mary’s School’s name and our school library will receive an additional $50 worth of books. 

The on-line portion of the Book Fair is open until October 19.  Click here to access the online fair.

Our school receives 50% of sales online to be used to buy books for our school.  Free shipping for on line orders and books will be distributed at school and sent home via kid mail. 

Pumpkin Bingo -- Join us for this fun family event.  Friday, October 26, 6:00 to 8:30 in the Parish Center. Bingo cards are sold at the door.  Pizza and baked goods will be available for purchase.  Admission is one non-perishable food item per person to benefit the annual Jack Bannon Turkey Trot food drive.  Click here for more information.  Volunteers needed to help sell food and bingo cards.  Please contact Peg Mancarella our3pumpkins@gmail.com to help.

Pumpkin Carving Contest - H.S.A. is sponsoring a pumpkin carving contest open to students in Kindergarten - Grade 8 on Wednesday, 10/31/12.  Click here for contest rules and details.

Grade 8 -

Thanks to everyone that has already supported our 8th grade's fund raising activities including the Flower Power bulb sale and the carwash on September 15th.  The carwash was a great success and a few of the town's police cars looked particularly shiny after a getting our SMS Deluxe Wash & Dry!  Click here to enjoy some additional photos from this event.