News for the week of 3/6/17

Joseph and Cassie share the churches they created out of milk cartons
as part of a religion lesson in first grade.

For those participating in Ski Club, the Wednesday, 3/6/13 session has been cancelled due to expected bad weather. Club will meet 3/13/13.









Email Notification - Mrs. Gannatti requests that you check your email inbox for communication regarding an end of year staffing change at SMS.

Locker Repair -Middle School lockers will be repaired over the weekend of March 9-10. To help these repairs move along efficiently, we would like ALL lockers (not just broken lockers) to be emptied of all contents on Friday, 3/8, before students go home. Students should take home all personal items. School property may be housed in the homeroom classrooms. This will be a good opportunity for everyone to "clean house" .

Saint Mary's is a "Cool School" !  WFSB was here today to tape 4 segments that will air on Friday, April 5th beginning at the 5:00 a.m. news. The segments will air one at a time during each half hour - 1 at the 5:00 news, 1 at the 5:30 news, etc...

March Conference Schedules are now available for viewing on the Parents Only secure page of our school's website. Conferences will be held on Monday, 3/18, Tuesday, 3/19, Thursday, 3/21 and Friday, 3/22.  Dismissal will be at 12:45 on each of these days.  There is no PreK Enrichment or Aftercare.  School is closed on Wednesday, 3/20, for a faculty inservice.  Click here to access the Parents Only login screen and see what appointments are still available. The file names are2013marchk5conferenceschedule.pdf for grades K-5 andmiddleschoolconferenceschedulemarch2013.pdf for grades 6-8. To schedule your conference, please email your requested appointment day/time(s) toSMSOffice@stmarysimsbury.eduk12.net or call the school office at 860-658-9412. Please remember that unlike the Parent/Teacher conferences that are held at the end of the first quarter in the Fall, March conferences are not mandatory unless requested by a teacher. No appointment will be scheduled for you unless you request one.

IOWA Testing begins on Monday, March 11th and continues through Thursday, March 22nd. IOWA tests are administered to students in grades 3-7. A child who arrives at school after 9am wil not have admittance into a testing classroom until the testing session has been completed. It is critical that no interruption should occur to provide the optimal environment for the success of each child. The children have been engaged in practice exercises and learning test taking strategies. The best way for you to prepare your child is to keep their days as routine as possible, ensure a good night's rest and provide a healthy breakfast.

No morning CHOICE sales during IOWA testing:  During the week of March 11-15, there will be NO morning CHOICE desk sales.  There will, however, be sales on Monday, Tuesday and Friday afternoons from 2:45 - 3:20.  Kidmail orders will also be filled on those three days; however, the cards may have a one-day delay in coming home due to the orders being filled at the end of the day.  Thank you for your understanding.

Important Hot Lunch Notification - Due to an unforeseen scheduling conflict, Fitzgerald's will be serving the hot lunch that was ordered for Wednesday, March 13th on Thursday, March 14th. If you ordered lunch on March 13th, please pack a lunch for your child(ren) that day. Thank you!


Principal's Commendation - Mrs. Gannatti extends her special thanks to 3 lunch volunteers for "service above and beyond the call of duty" at lunch on Monday, 3/4/13.  Special thanks to Kim Zanini-Bryant, Bridget Shanley and Kristy Walz.  You've all earned your "Silver Tray" award!

Join us on Friday, March 22, in the Parish center for a "Simple Lenten Soup & Bread Dinner".

Dinner will be followed by the Living Stations of the Cross, enacted by our 8th graders.

Dinner will be served from 5:30pm-6:45pm. Stations will begin promptly at 7:00.

There is no cost for dinner. Donations will be accepted to help defray the cost.

We hope that many families make this a tradition during this Lenten season.

RSVP YES to lessilva98@gmail.com no later than Monday, March 18th. The Living Stations of the Cross will also be presented on Thursday, 3/28/13, at 10am for the whole school community. Everyone is also most welcome at this presentation. March 28th is Holy Thursday, this is a 12:45 early dismissal day. There is no Prekindergarten Enrichment or aftercare. School is closed on Good Friday, 3/29/13. Due to snow day makeup - SCHOOL IS OPEN ON MONDAY, 4/1/13. This is a change to our original school calendar.

Athletic News

Congratulations to the 5th and 6th grade Blue Knights JV basketball team  for finishing as the runner-up in the Central Connecticut Deanery. The team lost a heartbreaker in Saturday's championship game 23-22.  The boys all played all-out to chants of "SMS" by very proud and supportive fans!

Over the weekend they will be looking to make a comeback as they enter the state tournament as a #2 seed. Go Knights!

St. Mary's School 2012-2013 Yearbook is still available for pre-order sales only.  Even though the SMS Butter Braid, Cookie dough, and Munson's Chocolate Easter Basket drawing is past, the yearbook is still available for purchase! The snow from the blizzard is melting, our children are preparing for spring sports and all are counting the days until Easter and spring break!  In a blink of an eye the 2012-13 year will be drawing to a close. This is your chance to celebrate the memories of your children, whether they are just starting their journey at St. Mary's as a PreK student or ending their journey as the class of 2013 heads off to high school. The yearbook costs $28.00 and will be on sale until March 28th.  You can place a credit card order on line today on Lifetouch's secure website athttp://ybpay.lifetouch.com.  Just enter our school code 9415313 and follow the simple instructions.  If you prefer cash or check, please click here for an order form. 

SAVE THE DATE

Please plan to join the St. Mary’s School community at our annual Fairway to Heaven Golf Outing on Monday, May 13, 2013 at the Golf Club of Avon.  The day includes lunch, golf, cocktail hour and dinner as well as a silent and live auction.  Even if you are not a golfer, you are welcome to join us in the evening for the cocktail hour, dinner and auctions.  More information and registration will be available at the beginning of April.  Please invite your fellow golfers to join us at this fun event which benefits the students of St. Mary’s School.

Community News

Hall Farm is offering 5% donation to St. Mary's school on the cost of a share in their Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, which runs from mid-June to late October, and in winter, if desired. Fresh weekly produce pick-up is at the farm, or if 15 or more people sign up through St. Mary's, the farm will offer delivery to the school. 

This 5th generation farm is located in Simsbury and grows super tasty, certified organic, non-gmo produce. To learn more about the farm, click here. To sign up to participate in the program and benefit SMS, click here.

Keeping Busy in Kindergarten!  Kindergarten students began their Lenten journey by making pretzels! Legend tells us that the first pretzels were baked by a monk to reward children for learning their prayers.  The shape of the pretzel looks like arms crossed in prayer and helps us recall the Holy Trinity. The opportunity to bake also provided a time to review what students have learned about fractions in math.  The delicious pretzels were sent home as a tasty family snack.

  Kindergarten has also been learning about the importance of dental hygiene during Dental Health Month. Students learned about healthy and non-healthy foods for their teeth.  They also had a visit from Doctor Jeanmarie Cosgrove.  Doctor Cosgrove discussed the importance of brushing and flossing our teeth and took students on a virtual visit to her dental office.  They even got to practice their brushing skills using some of Doctor Cosgrove's friends!