News for the Week of 12/23/20

 

A Merry Christmas to All from the SMS

Administration, Faculty & Staff!

Your presence in our community is a gift to us all year round!

Looking Ahead to a New Year!

School will reopen for a normal, full day of school on Monday, 1/4/21.  Both Early Drop Off and Aftercare will be available.

Our January School Mass is scheduled for Tuesday, 1/12/21.  We will continue to have some students attend Mass in Church while others attend via livestream.  At this time, we continue to request that parents refrain from attending Mass to comply with health and safety guidelines.

School will be dismissed early at 12:45pm on Friday, 1/15/21, for faculty faith formation.  School will be closed on Monday, 1/18/21, in observation of Martin Luther King Day.

Lunch Program - Tomorrow - Thursday, 12/24/20 - is the last day to order lunches for the week of 1/4/21. All orders must be placed via the Educonnect Parent Portal.  * There is no lunch ordering during our vacation week!  Lunch ordering will reopen on Monday, 1/4/21, for the week of 1/11/21. Please note that NO LATE ORDERS CAN BE ACCEPTED. If you miss the order period, you will need to wait for the following week.

Prospective Families Are Invited! - Instead of our traditional Open House on the last Sunday in January, prospective families can register for a personal, on campus,one on one tour on Sunday, January 31, 2021. Tours can be scheduled from 9am to 3:30pm. Temperature will be taken and masks are required. This is a great opportunity to see the school campus, classrooms and meet faculty and staff. 

Please share this information with any families that you may know may be interested in learning more about us and then remember to take advantage of our Family Referral Program.

SMS Christmas Stars - We are pleased to share the Advent/Christmas “Christmas Card” recording that Zander B. (Gr. 8) and his mom, Cynthia, were asked to make for the Leroy Anderson Foundation.   It has been set to a few beautiful pictures taken by the son of Mr. Anderson.   Leroy Anderson was the composer of the well known “Sleigh Ride” that you often hear at this time of year.  Click here.

🎄Christmas Cuteness!  Here's one more chance to view the amazing submissions to our Gingerbread House and Christmas Critter contests!  Thanks to all who participated!

SMS Spirit of the Season - We had a very festive "red and green" day!

Looking Ahead to Doing Good in the New Year - First Service Opportunity of 2021!

News for the Week of 12/16/20

 

SNOW DAY! - Tomorrow, Thursday, 12/17, school will be CLOSED due to the expected snowstorm. We hope all will have a safe and happy snow day!  As winter continues, please keep in mind that SMS generally follows the Simsbury Public Schools in regard to delayed openings and closures due to weather.  At this time, our plan is to enjoy "traditional snow days" when we are closed due to weather. SMS closures are announced via Remind text and also posted on the home page of our school website.

Winter Recess Reminder - Students do continue to go outside for recess when there is snow on the ground unless the temperature/wind chill is below 20 or it is actively inclement/slippery.  Students must have appropriate snow gear to play in the snow.  This includes snow pants, boots, and gloves.  We recommend sending a pair of dry socks in case feet get wet while outdoors enjoying the snow.

For Monday's Spirit Day - School Spirit Wear and/or PE clothes may be worn.  Catholic socks are also acceptable!  Tuesday and Wednesday are both non-uniform days but all outfits should be appropriate for school.  Please see the Parent/Student Handbook if you have any questions about what may be appropriate for school.

December Calendar Reminders - School will be dismissed early at 12:45pm on Wednesday, 12/23, to begin our Christmas break.  There will be no aftercare.  School is closed from Thursday, 12/24 - Friday, 1/1/21.  School will reopen for a regular, full day on Monday, 1/4/21.

Looking Ahead to a New Year!

Our January School Mass is scheduled for Tuesday, 1/12/20.  We will continue to have some students attend Mass in Church while others attend via livestream.  At this time, we continue to request that parents refrain from attending Mass to comply with health and safety guidelines.

School will be dismissed early at 12:45pm on Friday, 1/15/20, for faculty faith formation.  School will be closed on Monday, 1/18/20, in observation of Martin Luther King Day.

Lunch Program - Tomorrow - Thursday, 12/17/20 - is the last day to order lunches for the week of 12/21/20. All orders must be placed via the Educonnect Parent Portal. Lunch orders for the week of 1/4 (when we return from break) may be placed from next Monday, 12/21- Thursday, 12/24.  * There will be no lunch ordering during our vacation week!  Please note that NO LATE ORDERS CAN BE ACCEPTED. If you miss the order period, you will need to wait for the following week.

St. Mary's School Trust - St. Mary's School would like to acknowledge the St. Mary's School Trust for once again providing our students with $25,000 in tuition assistance grants.  Since its founding in 1994, the Trust has provided over $300,000 of tuition support to the families of St. Mary's School.  This year's funding comes through the generosity of the following grants:

*  The Margaret & Jacob Mesar Memorial Grant

*  The Steve & Laura Oleksak Memorial Grant

*  The Reverend William E. Dudack Memorial Grant

*  The Francine M. Sider Memorial Grant

These gifts help to keep our student body thriving.  We appreciate the support the Trust has given us over the years.  If you would like to contribute to any of the named scholarships or the Trust's general fund, you can contact Richard Sider at r.sider@cox.net.

Thanks to all that participated in last week's Pajama Day to benefit CCMC!  Donations to our online team exceeded $1400 and additional cash donations were also brought into school!

PJ Twins!  Mrs. Chan & , Margaret, (Gr. 1) were "twinning" on PJ Day!

Parking Lot PJ's - Fleecy PJ's were a great choice for morning prayer outside on a bright, but brisk, Friday morning!

 Celebrating the Season - 

Click here to view the PreKindergarten's A Little Christmas pageant.  It will warm your heart!

Lessons & Carols - Like so many things this year, we have had to be creative in our presentation of our beautiful Christmas tradition of Lessons & Carols.  Click here to view this year's beautiful retelling of the Nativity story by our students.  

 The Forneris family is waiting for Jesus and remembering the reason for Christmas with their beautiful family creche.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas in the Laird's house!

Emma (Gr. 4), Reese (Gr. 2) and little sister dropped off toys at a recent toy drive at Neckers to help bring Christmas joy to others!  Now that's the spirit of the season!

Is your family creating warm holiday memories?  We'd love to spread the joy and spirit of Christmas by sharing your photos.  Photos may be sent to smsoffice@stmarysimsbury.eduk12.net. 🎄

Looking Ahead to Doing Good in the New Year - First Service Opportunity of 2021!

News for the Week of 12/9/20

 

COVID - 19 Protocols - Updated Daily Screening Tool for Parents - Please take a moment to review the revised Daily Screening Tool for Parents that has been released by the Farmington Valley Health District.  We recommend printing a copy for daily reference.  Please contact our school nurse, Kim Tyrrell, with any questions or concerns.

Pajama Day - This Friday, 12/11/20 - Again this year, we will join with many other schools in Connecticut to participate in Pajama Day to raise money for the Connecticut Children's Medical Center. There are very few families who have not had some connection with the wonderful staff at CCMC. All students are invited to wear their best PJs to school this Friday, 12/11/20, and are encouraged to make a donation to our team. Let's show our solidarity with children who are in some type of medical situation where they spend most of their time in pj's. This year, we are encouraging you to make your donations directly to CCMC - Click here.  If you would prefer to send a cash donation into school, you may do so, but we hope many will take advantage of the ease of direct, on-line donation.

 

December Calendar Reminders

School will be dismissed early at 12:45pm on Wednesday, 12/23, to begin our Christmas break.  There will be no aftercare.  School is closed from Thursday, 12/24 - Friday, 1/1/21.  School will reopen for a regular, full day on Monday, 1/4/21.

Lunch Program - Tomorrow - Thursday, 12/10/20 - is the last day to order lunches for the week of 12/14/20. All orders must be placed via the Educonnect Parent Portal. Lunch orders for the week of 12/21  may be placed from Monday, 12/14- Thursday, 12/17. Please note that NO LATE ORDERS CAN BE ACCEPTED. If you miss the order period, you will need to wait for the following week. 

 There's still time to participate in our Gingerbread House competition and our Christmas Critter Photo Contest!  Also, don't forget to get your Christmas sweaters ready for Monday, 12/14! All students are invited to wear a crazy Christmas sweater on Monday, 12/14.  Sweaters should be worn over the "uniform of the day".   Prizes to win in all contests and categories!  All contests will be judged by an esteemed panel of judges that include faculty, Student Council officers and Light up the Knight Committee members.

Alumni News - 

We are happy to share that Maddie Zordan, SMS Class of '17, was recently accepted to St. Joseph's College of Maine and signed her NCAA letters of intent to both play volleyball and alpine ski race at the college.  Maddie is completing her Senior year at Northwest Catholic High School.

Celebrating the Season

"Mary on the Mantle" is spending the Advent season in 

Mrs. Howard's PreKindergarten classroom.  Every day

Mary helps the students prepare for Christmas with a suggestion

for a kind deed or action.

Sara (Gr. 8) & Kareem (Gr. 1) shared a

safe, socially distant visit with Santa!

Is your family busy with holiday preparations?  Is your Advent wreath particularly beautiful this year?  Is your creche a cherished family heirloom or a well loved, child friendly manger scene?  We'd love to share the spirit of the holidays with some photos - please send them along to smsoffice@stmarysimsbury.eduk12.net.

Supporting SMS - Thanks to all that are participating in Stop & Shop's A+ Rewards program.  Since August, our school has earned $311.37 with 68 families participating.  If you haven't joined the program, it's very easy and costs you nothing.  Click here.

News for the Week of 12/2/20

 

COVID-19 Update - Free Meals Available for Students - The USDA has approved funding that entitles all students, ages 18 and under, to free meals through June 2021.  These meals are distributed via the town's nutrition services department and the pick up process and availability depends on town of residence.  Click here for information about the Simsbury program and here for the Granby program.  Families residing in other towns should contact the local Board of Education for information about their town's program.  Please note that this free meal program is not in any way associated with our school lunch program but rather is a separate program, funded by the USDA and sponsored by each town.

Lunch Program - Tomorrow - Thursday, 12/3/20 - is the last day to order lunches for the week of 12/7/20. All orders must be placed via the Educonnect Parent Portal. Lunch orders for the week of 12/14  may be placed from Monday, 12/7- Thursday, 12/10. Please note that NO LATE ORDERS CAN BE ACCEPTED. If you miss the order period, you will need to wait for the following week. 

First Trimester Report Cards will be available on the Educonnect Parent Portal at the end of the school day on Friday, 12/4/20.  Please remember that no paper copy of the report card will be sent home.

Our December School Mass will celebrate the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception on Tuesday, December 8, at 9:15am.  We will continue to have some students attend Mass in the Church while others attend via livestream here at school.  At this time, parents are still requested to refrain from attending the Mass to comply with health and safety guidelines. 

THREE GREAT WAYS TO CELEBRATE THE SEASON!

Knights United is excited to announce that we are sponsoring a Gingerbread House Contest,

 

a Christmas Costume Contest for your favorite pet,

An in-school Crazy Christmas Sweater Contest on Monday, December 14 for the kids! All students are invited to wear a crazy Christmas sweater.  Sweaters should be worn over the "uniform of the day".  Students are encouraged to be creative!  Homemade Christmas creations are welcome!

Last year's reigning champ is pictured left in his homemade creation!  This year's contest is for students only, lest he triumph again!

Enter the two contests today & get that sweater ready for Monday, 12/14! 

Free to enter, prizes to win in all contests and categories!  All contests will be judged by an esteemed panel of judges that include faculty, Student Council officers and Light up the Knight Committee members.

Poinsettia Pick Up - This Friday, 12/4, 2-4pm in the Parish Center.  Thanks to all that supported this eighth grade fundraiser.  Poinsettias will be available for pick up this Friday from 2-4pm in the Parish Center.  Any questions, please contact Nicole Heiden (nbheiden@gmail.com) for more information on pickup location.

CHOICE Chat! 

Special Offers from Shop with Scrip during Dazzle Days!

While you’re shopping on your RaiseRight app for CHOICE cards, be sure to check out these Dazzling Offers:

*  Free shipping on family ship to home orders in your RaiseRight™ mobile app through 12/4

*  Surprise mystery bonuses through 12/11

* 2-week bonuses have begun and run through 12/11

Find more details on your RaiseRight app or at www.shopwithscrip.com.  Need help registering?  email tprausa@stmarysimsbury.eduk12.net with any questions.

Mrs. Herron's second grade class has created a beautiful Advent angel bulletin board.

Let's share some holiday joy!  You are invited to share Advent images from your home! 

Seasonal photos (e.g., Advent wreath, creche, tree trimming, cookie baking!)  may be sent to smsoffice@stmarysimsbury.eduk12.net.

Thank you for your kindness!  Thanks to all who supported our acts of kindness and service during the Thanksgiving season.  Our non-perishable collection for the Jack Bannon Turkey Trot was generous and helped restock the Foodshare shelves.  Our friends at the Eno Senior Center were so appreciative of the special meal we were able to provide in lieu of our traditional Senior Luncheon. Finally, we want to share how happy and grateful our custodian, Mr. Stokes, was for the many beautiful handmade cards and generous gift card donations. Your kindness meant the world to him - "He felt so special and was touched by the kids' thoughtfulness and creativity with the cards(he told me he really enjoys looking at those cards, it always makes him smile), he was blown away by all the generosity of the families and everyone that contributed to the gift cards..."

Alumni News - Congratulations to the SMS alumni named to the Simsbury Public High School Honor Roll for the first marking period of the 20-21 school year. Named to High Honors:  Venezia Sirianni, SMS Class of '20; Maggie Sullivan, SMS Class of '19; Mason Burhoe & Jenna Gomez-Nieto, SMS Class of '18; Sean (Gavin) Hughes, Ellie & Mary McElroy and Kathleen Sullivan, SMS Class of '17.  Named to General Honors:  Paige Bradley, SMS Class of '20 and Moira Hughes, SMS Class of '19.

Community News

Simsbury Public Library continues to offer a wide range of programs for all ages.  Click here for their calendar of events.  Some highlights include:  Family Trivia, Button Wreath Ornament Craft, Virtual Lego and Doodle clubs!