News for the Week of 5/29/19

Buy One - Get One Free Bookfair continues through tomorrow - Thursday, May 30th.

This is a great opportunity to stock up for Summer reading. Thank you for supporting our readers!

Our thanks to Tricia Prausa for chairing this bookfair and to all those volunteers who helped setup, clean up and assist with bookfair sales.

May School Mass -  Students will attend the 12:15pm Parish Mass tomorrow, May 30th, for Ascension Thursday.  All are welcome to attend this Mass.  Please remember that no PE uniforms should be worn to Mass.

Our June School Mass will be on Friday, June 7th at 10am in the Church.  Mass will be followed by our grade 8 Graduation ceremony. 

June Events - It's so hard to believe another school year is drawing to a close.  As always, the last few weeks will be busy with lots of special events.  Please take a moment to review and mark your calendars.

PreK End of Year Celebration - Tuesday, June 4,  in the lower church at 9:15am.

Grade 8 Graduation & Class Day Assembly - Friday, June 7.  Graduation ceremony will take place in church after the 10am school Mass.  Class Day Assembly begins at 1pm in the church.  All are welcome.

Kindergarten Prayer Service - Tuesday, June 11, in Church at 9am.  All are welcome to join us as we prayerfully conclude our school year.  All students should wear their relaxed uniforms. 

Hot Lunch Servers, Pie Sale Organizers, Library Helpers, Room Parents, Book Fair Workers, Coaches, Community Builders, Fundraisers, Club Moderators, Classroom Helpers, Eno Drivers, School Board Members to list just a few........

"Donut" what we would do without volunteers like you! Thanks a "Latte" for helping to make our school great!   Please stop in on Thursday, June 13th  at 8:30am in the Magowan Center Reading Room for coffee, donuts and treats, our way of thanking you for all that you do! 

Last Day of School & Awards Assembly - Thursday, June 13.  This will be a 12:45pm early dismissal with NO PreK Enrichment or Aftercare.  Awards Assembly will begin at 9am in the parish center.  Parents of students that will receive awards will be notified in advance.  All are welcome to attend.

Final Report Cards will be available via the Educonnect Parent Portal on Monday, June 17.  No paper copy of the report card will be sent home.  

Summer office hours will begin the week of June 17.   The office will be routinely staffed on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 9am-1pm and by appointment as needed.  The week of July 1, the office will be closed Thursday, July 4 and Friday, July 5. Both email and phone messages will be checked regularly.

Summer CHOICE Sales - CHOICE cards will be available for sale  in the school office during summer office hours.

The "Back to School" page for the school blog will be published the week of June 17th.  This page will provide updates to our summer calendar, links to supply lists and summer assignments.  Please  check this page frequently to stay up to date.

Family Enrollment Reminder - Family Enrollment is not complete until the signed Family Enrollment Form and $250 Family Enrollment  Fee are returned to the school office.  Incomplete enrollment means your students are not appearing on class lists for the fall and that your family will not receive important Back to School communications.  Please contact the school office if you are uncertain about the status of your family enrollment. 

Alumni News

Our congratulations to the following alumni of the SMS Class of  '15 who will be graduating from Northwest Catholic High School next week:  Olivia Chappano, Joanna Kuziak, Kieran Shanley, and Matthew and Meghan Shea, Lindsey Voelker and Mikayla Zordan.  We wish them success in all their future endeavors.

Community News

All are welcome

Magowan Center
&
Forcucci Faith Formation Center 

Dedication: This Sunday, June 2 at 11 am

Archbishop Blair will be joining us to dedicate our Parish Connection Project!
We will dedicate our new facilities and rededicate ourselves
in commitment to Christ and the gospel. 

The Carnival is Coming!  St. Mary’s Annual Spring Carnival is just around the corner.  Mark your calendars for exceptional family fun from Wednesday, June 5th thru Saturday, June 8th.  Same location as last year on 10/202 North field of CL & P.  The hours are Wednesday thru Friday from 6pm until 10pm and on Saturday from 4pm until 10pm.  Please plan to join us and catch up with good friends and great food!  Volunteers (teen through adults) are needed in everything from selling raffle tickets to cooking and serving food.  Please click here to sign up for a shift or two or use the sign up sheets at the exits of the church.  If you are having any difficulty signing up to volunteer or you have any questions just call or text Sandy at 860-214-6557.  School families are strongly encouraged to volunteer at the carnival since we receive a generous share of carnival proceeds each year - plus, its a lot of fun!

40th Annual Spring Raffle!  Raffle tickets are $20 each and are now available at the Parish Offices in the Magowan Center.  

A total of 5 prizes will be award:

1st Prize - $10,000
2nd Prize - $600 Bill Selig Jewelers Gift Certificate
3rd Prize - $250 Fitzgerald's Food Gift Certificate & coupon booklet for one gourmet cake each month for one year.
4th Prize - $500 Holloways Appliance Gift Certificate
5th Prize - Apple Airpods with wireless charging case


Drawing will be held at Field North of Eversource, 34 Hopmeadow St., Simsbury, CT on Saturday, June 8, 2019 at 8pm.  Winner need not be present.

St. Mary's Walk & Bike Ride: Saturday, June 15th, 12 noon. Come & experience the joyful spirit of walking & riding a bike in a small group. Meet in our north parking lot, 12 noon, no cost, walkers will walk south on rails to trails towards the flower bridge, bikers will bike north to Red Riding Hood’s Basket (10 miles one way) for a little lunch. Of course, you can circle back at any point. This is Father’s Day weekend, so ask a Dad & do something special that everyone will appreciate and remember for years. Email Paul Mikkelson with any questions; mikbenefit@comcast.net.

Field Trip Fun - Students in PreKindergarten enjoyed a walking field trip to the Firehouse.

News for the Week of 5/22/19

School Board Meeting Tonight - All are welcome to attend tonight's  School Board meeting - Wednesday, May 22 at 7pm in the Reading Room of the Magowan Center.  Please note the updated location.  This meeting was previously scheduled to take place in the lower church. 

School will be dismissed early at 12:45 this Friday, 5/24.  There will be NO PreK Enrichment or Aftercare.  School will be closed Monday, 5/27, in celebration of Memorial Day.

It's "Buy One Get One" Book Fair time! Shopping begins on Memorial Day weekend after all Masses and continues next week!

Shopping Hours - After Masses on Saturday & Sunday, May 25 & 26

During school on Tuesday - Thursday, May 28 - 30 (Check your teacher’s blog for scheduled classroom visits.)

Your help is needed! - If you are Virtus trained, please consider volunteering to help - Click here to sign up.

We look forward to seeing you and your family at our Book Fair. Remember, everything is Buy One -Get One Free!  This is a great opportunity to stock up for Summer reading. Thank you for supporting our readers!

May School Mass -  Students will attend the 12:15pm Parish Mass on Ascension Thursday on May 30th.  All are welcome to attend this Mass.  Please remember that no PE uniforms should be worn to Mass.

Last chance to stick Mr. G to the wall!  Thursday, May 30th after morning prayer we will be catching Mr. G in a duct tape spider web. Don't miss out on this sticky situation! 

1 Yard Duct Tape strips for $5 each can still be purchased for your child to help make Mr. G's duct tape spider web. All proceeds go directly to the benefit of our students and the school. 

St. Mary’s School Kids in Business is pleased to announce that we donated a total of $440.80 to charity as a result of our May sale.

Recipients included Roaring Brook Nature Center, CCMC, The Connecticut Humane Society, Mystic Aquarium, Mary’s Kitty Corner, The Roger Williams Zoo, and The Simon Foundation. Thank you all for your support. We also extend our thanks specifically to Mrs. Omar, Mrs. Zybert, and Mrs. Prausa for helping with our meetings and the sale.

Alumni News

Our congratulations to Amelia Toscano, SMS Class of '14.  Amelia was named to Emerson College's Dean's List for the spring 2019 semester. The requirement to make the Dean's List is a grade point average of 3.7 or higher that semester.  Amelia is a Marketing  Communications major.



Community News

All are welcome

Magowan Center
&
Forcucci Faith Formation Center 

Dedication: Sunday, June 2 at 11 am

Archbishop Blair will be joining us to dedicate our Parish Connection Project!
We will dedicate our new facilities and rededicate ourselves
in commitment to Christ and the gospel. 

The Carnival is Coming!  St. Mary’s Annual Spring Carnival is just around the corner.  Mark your calendars for exceptional family fun from Wednesday, June 5th thru Saturday, June 8th.  Same location as last year on 10/202 North field of CL & P.  The hours are Wednesday thru Friday from 6pm until 10pm and on Saturday from 4pm until 10pm.  Please plan to join us and catch up with good friends and great food!  Volunteers (teen through adults) are needed in everything from selling raffle tickets to cooking and serving food.  Please click here to sign up for a shift or two or use the sign up sheets at the exits of the church.  If you are having any difficulty signing up to volunteer or you have any questions just call or text Sandy at 860-214-6557.  School families are strongly encouraged to volunteer at the carnival since we receive a generous share of carnival proceeds each year - plus, its a lot of fun!

40th Annual Spring Raffle!  Raffle tickets are $20 each and are now available at the Parish Offices in the Magowan Center.  

A total of 5 prizes will be award:

1st Prize - $10,000
2nd Prize - $600 Bill Selig Jewelers Gift Certificate
3rd Prize - $250 Fitzgerald's Food Gift Certificate & coupon booklet for one gourmet cake each month for one year.
4th Prize - $500 Holloways Appliance Gift Certificate
5th Prize - Apple Airpods with wireless charging case


Drawing will be held at Field North of Eversource, 34 Hopmeadow St., Simsbury, CT on Saturday, June 8, 2019 at 8pm.  Winner need not be present.

News for the Week of 5/15/19

On Friday, 5/10/19, our second grade class, surrounded by our community including loving grandparents and special people, continued the beautiful annual tradition of May Crowning.  
May Mary always protect and bless them and their families and friends.

The Spring Band & Vocal Concert is next Monday - May 20th. Since all students in grades K-8 will perform in the vocal portion of this concert and because performance is part of each student's music grade, attendance is considered mandatory .  If a student is unable to attend, you must contact Mrs. Williamson.  There will be a dress rehearsal at 2pm and the performance will be at 7pm in the Parish Center.  Band students will receive instructions regarding arrival time and dress from Mrs. Morse.  All other students should plan to arrive no later than 6:45pm and follow the dress guidelines from their homeroom teacher.  If no specific instructions have been given, students should wear either Sunday best or the relaxed uniform.  Sunday best for girls is a dress or skirt/skort of modest length or neat trousers with a top that covers the shoulders.  Sunday best for boys is a collared shirt with neat trousers (not jeans) or walking length neat shorts (similar to the relaxed uniform).  If there is any doubt that an outfit is "Sunday best", please wear the relaxed uniform.  No flip flops, high heels, backless sandals or sneakers, please.




School Board Meeting - All are welcome to attend next week's School Board meeting on Wednesday, May 22 at 7pm in the Reading Room of the Magowan Center.  Please note the updated location.  This meeting was previously scheduled to take place in the lower church. 

School will be dismissed early at 12:45 on Friday, 5/24.  There will be NO PreK Enrichment or Aftercare.  School will be closed Monday, 5/27, in celebration of Memorial Day.

Mark your calendar, it’s almost "Buy One Get One" Book Fair time! Shopping begins on Memorial Day weekend after all Masses.

Shopping Hours - After Masses on Saturday & Sunday, May 25 & 26

During school on Tuesday - Thursday, May 28 - 30 (Check your teacher’s blog for scheduled classroom visits.)

Your help is needed! - If you are Virtus trained, please consider volunteering to help - Click here to sign up.

We look forward to seeing you and your family at our Book Fair. Remember, everything is Buy One Get One Free!  This is a great opportunity to stock up for Summer reading. Thank you for supporting our readers!

May School Mass -  Students will attend the 12:15pm Parish Mass on Ascension Thursday on May 30th.  All are welcome to attend this Mass.  Please remember that no PE uniforms should be worn to Mass.

Thanks from our 8th Grade - Our 8th grade has conducted fundraisers throughout the year to raise funds to defray costs associated with their field trip and graduation activities.  Recently, there have been fundraisers via Mixed Bags, Peachwave and Ava Grace.  Thanks to all that have supported these fundraisers and help our students meet their fundraising goal.

Your support of our 8th grade helped them fund their
field trip on Wednesday to NYC.  Their trip
included a visit to St. Patrick's Cathedral, the "Top of the Rock"
and the musical Wicked!

While 8th grade was busy in NYC, our 6th grade spent the day
at the CT Science Center.  One of the activities they completed
was DNA extraction.  This particular activity is usually completed
by students in high school and the activity coordinator was very
impressed with the lab skills demonstrated by our students. 

Grade 7 was also "on the road" on Wednesday, spending the day in Boston
visiting the aquarium and going on a harbor cruise.

Alumni News

Our congratulations to Conall Hughes, SMS Class of '11.  Conall has graduated from Franciscan University of Steubenville, Magna Cum Laude with a double major in Economics and Theology. He received the Senior Departmental Award for Excellence in Economics. Conall has decided to pursue his vision of seeing revival in the Catholic Church and so will soon begin as a missionary for Damascus Catholic Mission Campus. 


Community News

All are welcome

Magowan Center
&
Forcucci Faith Formation Center 

Dedication: Sunday, June 2 at 11 am

Archbishop Blair will be joining us to dedicate our Parish Connection Project!
We will dedicate our new facilities and rededicate ourselves
in commitment to Christ and the gospel. 

The Carnival is Coming!  St. Mary’s Annual Spring Carnival is just around the corner.  Mark your calendars for exceptional family fun from Wednesday, June 5th thru Saturday, June 8th.  Same location as last year on 10/202 North field of CL & P.  The hours are Wednesday thru Friday from 6pm until 10pm and on Saturday from 4:00pm until 10:00 pm.  Please plan to join us and catch up with good friends and great food!  Volunteers (teen through adults) are needed in everything from selling raffle tickets to cooking and serving food.  Please click here to sign up for a shift or two or use the sign up sheets at the exits of the church.  If you are having any difficulty signing up to volunteer or you have any questions just call or text Sandy at 860-214-6557.  School families are strongly encouraged to volunteer at the carnival since we receive a generous share of carnival proceeds each year - plus, its a lot of fun!

News for the Week of 5/8/19

**Guests may park in the North (playground) parking lot and come to the main north door.
We will have an ambassador on hand to open the door for our guests.**

New School Entrance Update - As you know, the main school entrance is now located behind the Magowan Center.  When requesting admittance to school, please ring the bell where indicated and remain in front of that camera/intercom unit until the door is released.  Please be aware that at certain times of day, the shadow from the building makes it difficult to discern who is at the door via the camera.  If we ask you to identify yourself, we aren't being rude, we're just trying to keep everyone safe:)

Morning Drop-Off for Tutoring - If your child is arriving early at school for tutoring or extra help, they should be dropped off at the school's main entrance behind the Magowan Center to be buzzed in.  The north parking lot should only be used by students participating in the Early Drop Off program.

Carpool Dismissal Request - When planning your arrival for carpool pickup, please keep in mind that the gate behind the Magowan Center will not be open until 3pm.  The parking lot adjoining this gate is the one that must also be used for parents picking up for early or sick dismissals. A long line of cars lined up significantly before 3pm will present challenges for those that need to enter this lot, park and pick up early and then leave the lot using  the Iron Horse exits.  Please be courteous and plan your arrival to wait for pick up for 3pm or later.  Thank you!

Family Enrollment Reminder - Please keep in mind that until your signed Family Enrollment Form and Fee are received, your child(ren) are not considered enrolled for next year. Information regarding middle school math and literature placement, summer reading, summer assignments and supply lists as well as "Back to School" email packets in August are sent only to those that have completed enrollment.  If you need your Family Enrollment Packet sent to you again, please contact the school office.

Click here to read the latest edition of the SMS Times.

There's One More Chance to  Shop Kids in Business - 

Shop at Lunch Tomorrow - Thursday, 5/9

 Young entrepreneurs have been hard at work creating wonderful products! Please support St. Mary’s Kids in Business! We’ve created products that will make great gifts for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and upcoming birthdays.  Students can shop in the Parish Center during lunch time on May 8th and 9th. At least 50% of each student’s profits will go to charity. Only cash can be accepted.  Click here to preview available products.

The Spring Band & Vocal Concert is coming soon!  Please mark your calendars for Monday, May 20th. Since all students in grades K-8 will perform in the vocal portion of this concert and because performance is part of each student's music grade, attendance is considered mandatory .  If a student is unable to attend, you must contact Mrs. Williamson.  There will be a dress rehearsal at 2pm and the performance will be at 7pm in the Parish Center.






May School Mass -  Students will attend the 12:15pm Parish Mass on Ascension Thursday on May 30th.  All are welcome to attend this Mass.  Please remember that no PE uniforms should be worn to Mass.

Click here to download & print flyer.

Mark your calendar, it’s almost "Buy One Get One" Book Fair time!

Shopping Hours - After Masses on Saturday & Sunday, May 25 & 26

During school on Tuesday - Thursday, May 28 - 30 (Check your teacher’s blog for scheduled classroom visits.)

Your help is needed! - If you are Virtus trained, please consider volunteering to help - Click here to sign up.

We look forward to seeing you and your family at our Book Fair. Remember, everything is Buy One Get One Free!  This is a great opportunity to stock up for Summer reading. Thank you for supporting our readers!

CHOICE News - Whole Foods has decided to discontinue participation in gift card fundraising programs. Whole Foods will continue to honor gift cards—any gift cards purchased by May 18 can be used in store with no expiration date. The CHOICE box does have Whole Foods cards in stock at the 3% profit rate but no additional cards will be available once the current inventory is exhausted.

The 18-19 CHOICE program concluded on April 30th.  For families with students in Kindergarten - grade 8, participation in CHOICE is a part of your family's tuition commitment as outlined on the Family Enrollment Form. If your family has not met your CHOICE commitment, please send in the balance due ASAP.  If you have questions, please contact Michelle Howard in the school office.  Any purchases made after April 30th are being credited to your family's 19-20 CHOICE commitment.

Settling into the Magowan Center -It has been a happy and exciting week as students begin to use the classroom spaces in the Magowan Center.  It has been wonderful to hear the children exclaiming with joy about the new spaces.

The new art/music space provides lots of room
for creative projects.

Mrs. Mortillaro is busy welcoming students
into our new library in the Magowan Center Reading Room.
Students have been very enthusiastic and happy to
begin to use the beautiful new facilities.

Alumni News - Our congratulations to the following alumni who have been named to the Honor Roll at Simsbury High for the third quarter of the school year.  Alumni who achieved High Honors are Shayna Glazier, SMS Class of '16; Mary McElroy & Kathleen Sullivan, both SMS Class of '17.  The following achieved Honors:  Cristina Santillan, SMS Class of '15; Sean Hughes and Ellie McElroy, SMS Class of '17; Francesca Cirielli, Greyson Kellner, and Cole Pirrello ~ all SMS Class of '18.



Community News

Simsbury Public Library offers programs for all ages!  The May calendar for the Simsbury Public Library is full of great events for all ages, including Juggle Jam with Xaq for grades 5-12 on 5/10.

REGISTRATION IS OPEN! Come away with us to Athens this summer! Saint Mary’s Vacation Bible School will run from Monday, June 24 - Thursday, June 27. Campers will meet Paul and hear stories of his dangerous journey to share the life-changing truth of God’s love. This is an adventure you won’t want to miss! Campers will gather for celebration with our live worship band, take part in outdoor games, visit the marketplace to use their crafting skills, and enjoy a delicious snack. Space is limited so sign up early! Click here to visit the VBS webpage and look for the blue “Register Now” button.

Virtus trained parents and guardians! Please volunteer with us. Parents often tell us how much they look forward to this experience. This is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the joy of your faith with your children! Please contact Kathleen Keating at youthministry@stmarysimsbury.org 860-658-7627 ext. 302 or Lori Oleasz at drelori@stmarysimsbury.org 860-658-7627 ext. 304 for more information. We look forward to working with you!