News for the Week of 4/6/16

Our April school Mass will be held on Friday, April 8th at 9am in the church.  NOTE - This is a change to our original school calendar.  Mass was originally scheduled for April 1st.  Please remember that NO physical education uniforms should be worn to Mass. 

April Calendar Reminders  -As we look ahead to April, please keep the following in mind:

*  Third Quarter Marking Period ends on 4/1/16.  
     Report cards will be sent home on Friday, 4/8/16.

*  School is closed for Spring Vacation from Monday, 4/11/16 - Friday, 4/15/16.

*  Relaxed Uniform begins on Monday, 4/18/15.  Please keep in mind that a belt is required with walking shorts and that school shoes with socks must still be worn. 

2016-17 Enrollment Packets were emailed to all families. Family Enrollment forms & fees were due NLT April 4, 2016. If you have not returned your Family Enrollment Form and fee, the school office will be following up with you via an email or phone call.

The application for the 2016-2017 St. Mary's School Trust Scholarships is now available.

ST. MARY SCHOOL TRUST SCHOLARSHIPS

Who can apply:

Any family whose children have completed a year's enrollment in kindergarten or above and will be enrolled in grades 1 through 8 at St. Mary's School during 2016-2017 is eligible to apply. There are no requirements regarding parish or religious affiliation.

Applications must be submitted no later than April 30, 2016. Click here for a  helpful reference guide. Additional instructions are provided when you access the application link. The link for the scholarship application is:

http://www.psas.org/1267.aspx

If you have any questions regarding the application process for the St. Mary's School Trust scholarships or about other financial assistance that may be available, please contact the school office.

Additional Tuition Assistance  - Again this year, tuition assistance will be available from funds provided by the Archbishop's Annual Appeal (AAA), the Catholic Schools' Support Program (CSSP) and our school's budget.  These funds are distinct from the scholarships that are available from the St. Mary's Trust.  The application period for the Trust Scholarships is also open now.  Application details for the Trust Scholarships appear above.

To apply for tuition assistance from the Archbishop's Annual Appeal, CSSP and the school budget this year, your application must be submitted via SMARTAID.  SMARTAID is a confidential service provided by SMART, LLC that helps schools to assess a family's need for financial assistance based on the information provided to SMARTAID by the family.  St. Mary's School, with the guidance and advice of our pastor, Father Matera, will continue to be solely responsible for all tuition assistance decisions and the school will notify all applicants of any tuition assistance awards.

The application deadline for tuition assistance requests is May 15, 2016.  There is a $35 fee to apply via SMARTAID.  If this fee presents a hardship for your family, please contact Mrs. Gannatti.

Click here for a set of helpful guidelines for completing your SMARTAID application.  To access the SMARTAID application, click here.

BOGO Scholastic Book Fair Open Now! Stop by Wednesday, 4/6,  8:30-3:00, and Thursday-Friday, 4/7 & 4/8, 8:30-3:45. Stock up on spring and summer reading materials with BUY ONE - GET ONE free!

There's still time to order your SMS Yearbook - 

Yearbooks must be preordered.

The SMS Yearbook is a great way to remember a fabulous school year. Every student is pictured and every special event is captured and captioned. Every year our students have great fun having all their friends and teachers sign their yearbooks.  All yearbooks must be preordered.  Orders will be accepted until this Friday, April 8th. Click here for a downloadable order form that can be sent to the school office with payment or click here to order online. Our Yearbook ID Code is 9415316.

April Service Project - During the month of April, our third grade class will be coordinating the collection of packages of paper napkins to be used at the House of Bread.  The goal is to collect 1,000 packages of napkins!  Thanks in advance for your support!

Open Houses for Prospective Families -  We will be hosting an Open House for families interested in learning more about SMS on Wednesday, April 20th from 8:30-11:30am. 

There will also be an Open House especially for families with children getting ready to enter Kindergarten or a primary grade on Wednesday, May 4th at 6:30pm in the Primary Unit.

 An RSVP fir either event to Toni Chagnon is appreciated -tchagnon@stmarysimsbury.eduk12.net.

Spring has Sprung! Time to mark your calendar, our annual "Fairway to Heaven" Golf Tournament is fast approaching.  The Tournament is scheduled for Tuesday, May 24th at the Hop Meadow Country Club in Simsbury. 

Exciting new addition this year, Morning Tennis Round Robin Mixer! Stay tuned for more information... 

CHOICE News - Beginning April 9th, just in time for Mother's Day and upcoming graduations, GL Script has a limited supply of gift cards in smaller denominations perfect for "a little something".  Some of the cards that will be available include:   Amazon.com $10, AMC Theatres^® $10, Barnes & Noble $5, Starbucks $5 and Target $10.  For a complete list, click here.  Please note - these cards are special order.  They will not be "in stock" in the CHOICE box. Great news for stylish shoppers: Nordstrom^® is now available to order in $10 increments, from $20 - $1000, with a 6% profit percentage. 

 If you have any of the plastic envelopes that are used to send home completed CHOICE orders, please return them to the school office.  Thanks!