News for the week of 1/27/16

CELEBRATING!  January is Catholic Schools' Month and we will be celebrating our school and community all month long.  Monday, our Student Council hosted Student Appreciation Day and coordinated a morning full of bingo fun featuring SMS water bottles as prizes.

Teachers & Staff enjoyed a delicious
continental breakfast on Tuesday.
Our thanks for such a wonderful treat!

Teacher Appreciation Week is underway.   We are grateful for all the wonderful treats and kind sentiments being shared this week!  A special thanks to Diana Kalamarides for coordinating this week's activities and to all the parents that have contributed to the week's festivities.

Tonight, 1/27, we are hosting an Open House for Prospective Families.  Last minute guests are always more than welcome! Open House will begin at 6:30pm in the Parish Center.





In February, we will worship with our parish family on Ash Wednesday, 2/10/16,  in observance of the start of the holy season of Lent.  We will attend the 12:15pm parish Mass.  All are welcome.  Please remember that no physical education uniforms should be worn to Mass.

School will be closed on Monday, February 15 & Tuesday, February 16 for a long winter weekend. School is open for regular, full days from Wednesday, February 17 - Friday, February 19.

Family Pizza Lunch is THIS Friday, 1/29/16!  Please come and enjoy lunch with your favorite SMS student(s).  Everyone - parents, grandparents, younger siblings, special friends - is invited. If you did not order a guest lunch, you can still come and enjoy the fun - just brown bag it!   Please note - Student pizza lunches were already ordered as part of the regular hot lunch order that was submitted in December.  

Questions - Contact Tammy Budnick in the school office - tbudnick@stmarysimsbury.eduk12.net or 860-658-9412. 

Extra helping hands are always needed on this day!  If you can help, even for just a part of the time, please contact Tammy Budnick using the contact information above.

Family Pizza Lunch Schedule -

11:00-11:35 PreKindergarten, Kindergarten, Grades 1 & 2

11:40-12:15 Grades 3 & 4 

12:20-12:50 Grades 5, 6, 7 & 8 

Art Show & Wine Tasting  at the Hill-stead Museum in Farmington is this Friday, 1/29/16.

SMS students have come together to create artwork for a spectacular art show celebration for adults.

EVERY STUDENT HAS CREATED THEIR OWN MASTERPIECE THAT HAS BEEN PROFESSIONALLY FRAMED 

AND WILL BE ON DISPLAY.

Purchase your child's framed original artwork for $35.  

Cash or check only - payable to St. Mary's School

***You may purchase reproductions of your child's work
 for other family members or friends for an additional $35 each.*****

Admission to the show is free.
A percentage of all sales comes back to the school.
Tours of the Hill-Stead Museum will be provided
Wine & beer tasting provided by Valley Fine Wine and Spirits.

Your RSVP to Toni Chagnon will be accepted up to the day of the event-tchagnon@stmarysimsbury.eduk12.net

Athletic News

This Saturday, 1/30 - JVA Girls Basketball is taking UCONN and the XL Center by storm! 

Mrs. Rushin and Mr. Davis will be coaching Teams 1 & 2 as they play against each other during halftime of the UCONN vs University of Memphis Women's Basketball game this Saturday, January 30, 2016 at 12 noon at the XL Center in Hartford. Tickets are still available to purchase.  Click here. Come on out and cheer on your favorite Lady Knights!  



Calling All Actors in Grades 3 & 4 and Grades 5-8--- SMS Drama Club Wants You!  Click here to download a registration form.  Please return the registration form and payment to the school office.

NEW Altar Server Training

Are you interested in becoming an Altar Server for Saint Mary's?

All students in 4th grade and above are invited to attend our yearly training program. There will be four training sessions on the following Saturdays from 1:30-2:30pm in the Church:

February 20, 27, March 5,12

Candidates must attend all four sessions. Please contact the Parish Office (860-658-7627) or Diana Kalamarides (ServerLeader@StMarySimsbury.org) with any questions. 

Altar Serving is a great way to grow closer to God and serve our community. We hope you will consider joining us in this ministry. 

Coming Soon! Munson's Fundraiser!! 

Beginning next week, the 7th Grade class will launch the Munson's Chocolates Fundraiser to benefit the class trip to Boston. Watch for the fundraiser brochure and order form which will be coming home to you in your child's backpack.  All orders and payments will be due NLT Friday, 2/19/16.  Pick up will be during March Parent/Teacher Conferences. Please plan to purchase your Easter candy, chocolate bunnies, and jelly beans through our fundraiser. The cost of the candy is the same price as at the local Munson's retail shop. Thank you in advance for your support!

The Saint Mary’s School Board Nominating Committee has started our process to identify potential school board members for next year. Potential candidates may self-nominate or be nominated by someone else. There is no requirement for board members to have children at Saint Mary’s School. We want to ensure we have the best talent serving on the board. The needs we will be looking to address for the upcoming term will include individuals with a financial or CPA background skills or individuals with skills focused on marketing, project management and strategic planning. Potential candidates must believe in and support Catholic education and be willing to serve a three year term.  If you are interested in being considered to serve on the School Board, please contact Claude Howard at claudeoh@gmail.com. In your e-mail, please include information about your Parish (Town), Occupation, if you have or had students at Saint Mary’s School and the specific talents you will make available to the board.

Grade 8 students are invited to experience Steubenville East Catholic Youth Conference this July.  For more information, contact Sean Hughes, smma95@gmail.com or Kathleen Keating, youthministry@stmarysimsbury.org.  Click here for the Steubenville East website.

Simsbury Public Library Announces Teen Programs for February.  There are lots of great programs coming up again in February including Harry Potter Book Night on 2/4/16 with two sessions: Grades 3-6 at 4pm and Grades 7-12 at 6:30pm.

SMS Stars - Our congratulations to Rebecca Lobo Rushin (mother of Siobhan, Gr. 6, Maeve, Gr. 4, Thomas, Gr. 1 and Rose, Kindergarten) on her induction to the Connecticut Women's Hall of Fame!  Click here to read the full story.