News for the Week of 12/21/16

Signs of the Season

Students in Miss Kane's PreKindergarten re-enacted the Nativity Story in their Christmas Pageant.

Friday, 12/23, is a 12:45pm early dismissal.  Students who have contributed to the Christmas Food Drive may dress down. Please be sure to follow the criteria that appear below in the blog. Please also help your child(ren) make dress down selections that are appropriate for school.  There will be NO PreK Enrichment or Aftercare available on Friday, 12/23.  School reopens on Tuesday, January 3.

Until Friday, 12/23, we are collecting non-perishable food items for the Food Bank at Eno Hall.

Students participating in the food drive will be able to dress down on December 23^rd using the following criteria:

Bring 1 item: Red or Green Shirt of your choice

Bring 2 items: Add pants of your choice

Bring 3 items: Add Christmas hat, socks or hair piece to outfit

The order period for February hot lunches will be announced after our Christmas vacation.  Notification will appear in this blog and also via an all family email.

The Sign Up Genius for Hot Lunch Volunteers for January - June is now available.  Click here to volunteer.

Celebrating SMS & Catholic Schools Everywhere!  In January, we will join Catholic schools across the country in celebrating Catholic Schools' Week from 1/29 - 2/3.  We will begin our celebration at the 5pm St. Mary's Parish Mass on Saturday, 1/28.  This is an opportunity for us to worship together and we anticipate that all school families will attend.  Students should wear their formal uniforms.  The Parish Center has been reserved for an community event after Mass.  If you are interested in coordinating a community building event after Mass (e.g., potluck or pasta dinner?  appetizers?), please contact the school office.

Drama Club begins in January!  Click here for more information about this year's Drama Club.  This club is open to students in grades 3-8.  Students in first and second grades may participate with a teacher's recommendation.

SMS Times - Read All About It!  Volume 1, No. 3 is now available.  Click here to read all the news as reported by our students.  Our continued thanks to Mrs. Michelle Howard for moderating this grade 4 student publication.

Our Thanks to Mrs. Debbie Morse, our FMI Instrumental Music Teacher, for the beautiful sounds of the season on Monday, 12/19, at our Christmas Band Concert.  Congratulations to all of our student musicians on a wonderful concert.

SMS Cadet Band 2016

SMS Advanced Band

Couldn't make it to the Holiday Spirit Shop? No worries, limited quantities and sizes of Pajamas, Athletic Socks, Fleece Jackets,T Shirts, Sweatshirts, Blankets & more, are still available just in time for Christmas! Please contact Toni Chagnon or drop by the office, tchagnon@stmarysimsbury.eduk12.net

Gift Cards from CHOICE are Great for the Holidays!

Whether you are doing your weekly grocery shopping, filling your oil tank or shopping for all those special someones in your life, the SMS CHOICE program is here for you!  There are lots of great gift ideas in stock in the CHOICE box including cards to area grocery stores, Barnes & Noble, Target, Walmart, Bertuccis and even Little City Pizza along with many others!

For a limited time we have a small quantity in stock of Bath & Body Works in denominations of $25s and $10s and Amazon in $100s and $25s for your Christmas shopping!

We also still have a limited quantity of $5 gift cards available for Starbucks and Panera.

Please do send back in any large plastic 

CHOICE envelopes.  Our supply is dwindling.

Thanks to all that participated in our Toys for Tots Toy Collection!  Thanks to your generosity, Mrs. Budnick's SUV was stuffed with wonderful toys for delivery.  Our thanks to SMS alum, Caleb Budnick, Class of '14, for his help loading up all the toys!

Used Uniform Exchange - Click here for an updated inventory of items available from the Used Uniform Exchange.

Faith in Action - We are so pleased to share that Colleen Langlais, mother of Kelsey in PreK, has been recognized by the Hartford Courant as a "Hometown Hero".  
Mrs. Langlais does extensive fundraising for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS), which helps find cures and better treatments for blood cancer patients. All of her fundraising helps LLS fund hundreds of promising researchers at leading cancer centers and universities worldwide.  Click here to read the whole story.

Alumni News - Our congratulations to SMS alumni who achieved honor roll status at Simsbury High School for the Fall semester.

SMS Class of '13 - Griffin Myslow, High Honors; Bradley Bedson, Nicole Gomez-Nieto & Allison Mancarella, Honors

SMS Class of '14 - Domenico Cirielli, High Honors; Spencer Bernard & Parker Myslow, Honors

SMS Class of '15 - Mark Bedson, High Honors; Kurt Bedson, Honors

Signs of the Season

Father Matera joined us for morning prayer and shared
a story about why God chose Bethlehem as the birthplace of Jesus.

PreKindergarten & Kindergarten students worked together to create
placemats and napkin rings for the holiday dinner at the
Simsbury Senior Center.

Charlotte T., and her friends in Mrs. Jehning's first grade class
decorated gingerbread cookies.

PreKindergarten students worked with their 8th grade buddies to create a Nativity project.

Community News

St. Mary's Parish - Mass Schedule for Christmas

Christmas Eve
4:00 pm*      6:00 pm      10:00 pm
* Mass at 4 pm will be celebrated in both
the Church and Parish Center

Christmas
9:00 am        11:00 am

New Year's Eve
4:00 pm
(Please note: there is no Mass at 5 pm)

New Year's Day
8:00 am      9:30 am      11:00 am

Simsbury Public Library has announced a line up of exciting programs for January 2017 for

teens and tweens.  Click here to view the entire calendar of events.