News for the Week of 3/11/20

Bring a Water Bottle From Home - In accordance with an OEEC directive, our water "fountains" are not available to students as a precautionary measure at this time.  Our water bottle filling stations are still working and can be used to refill water bottles brought from home.  Please be sure to send students with an unbreakable, reusable water bottle that is clearly labelled with first and last name.  Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.

Order April Hot Lunches Now - The hot lunch order period for April is open through Friday, 3/13/20  via the Educonnect Parent Portal.  No late orders can be accepted.  Payment should be sent in as soon as your order is submitted.

Second Trimester Grades will close on Friday, 3/13/20.  Report cards will be available on the Educonnect Parent Portal at the close of the school day on 3/20/20.  No paper copy of the report card will be sent home.









All are invited to attend the March School Board Meeting on Wednesday, 3/18/20, at 7pm in the Reading Room of the Magowan Center.  Mrs. Williamson will present the annual State of the School Address at this meeting.

St. Mary's School has a tradition of having a well-organized and hard working School Board! We are looking for a few people to fill upcoming vacancies for the 2020-21 school year. Ability to attend Board meetings approximately 6 times per year and participate on Committees is very important. We are also interested in members with financial and/or marketing experience. The term of service is three years with a one time renewal possible.  Please contact Board Chair Sarah Mutarelli at SEMutarelli@comcast.net or Mrs. Williamson at mwilliamson@stmarysimsbury.eduk12.net.

Mother/Son Bowling CANCELLED - Out of an abundance of caution, the Mother/Son Bowling scheduled for Thursday, 3/19, has been cancelled at this time.  The event will be rescheduled for a date to be announced in the future.  The sign-up list will be retained and use it in the future, if possible.  Any payments that have been sent in will be returned.  Thank you for your understanding.

School will be dismissed early on Friday, 3/20/20, at 12:45pm.  There will be no PreK Enrichment or Aftercare.

Congratulations to our Girls Varsity team on their Deanery Championship win! #uKNIGHTedinPride!

Yearbook Orders - Order Deadline is Friday, March 27!
 Don't miss a minute of memories!  The SMS yearbook contains a photo of every student along with candid photos from all major school events.  Yearbooks are $35 each and may be ordered online - click here.  You may also complete a paper order form.  Order forms were sent home earlier in the month with all students and extra order forms are available in the school office.  Our yearbook ID code is 9415320.  Please note that the order deadline is March 27, 2020 and that all yearbooks must be preordered. 

Alumni News

Congratulations to Natalie McDonough, SMS Class of '12.  Natalie has been named to the Fall 2019 Dean's List at Stonehill College.  To qualify for the Dean's List, students must have a semester grade point average of 3.50 or better and must have completed successfully all courses for which they were registered.

We also congratulate Jacob Hanelius, SMS Class of '16.  Jacob has attained the rank of Eagle Scout.

Relaxed Uniforms begin on Monday, April 20th!
Our school code is 900132150

Community News

A Special Lenten Invitation from Father Matera -

Dear Friends,

I am writing to invite you to a Parish Retreat Day—Alive in Christ—that our Parish Council is sponsoring on Saturday, March 28^th, from 8:00 AM to 12:30 PM in the Parish Center.

The theme of our Retreat Day is the theme that we have been developing throughout the year: Being Alive in Christ. As we journey through Lent this year, seeking to deepen our relationship with Christ, please join us for this one day retreat so that you can become more Alive in Christ. 

The day begins with a light breakfast. The rest of the day will focus on how we can become more Alive in Christ, as individuals and as a parish. The retreat includes Morning Prayer, an inspiring video on sharing the gospel, prayer in silence, recitation of the Rosary, small and large group discussions, and stories of faith. We will conclude our day with Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament in the Church.

This Retreat Day is an opportunity for us to pause during this Lenten season and spend time in community considering what it means to follow the Lord and how we can share our faith in Christ with others. Come, even if you can only be present at part of the day!

Please set aside Saturday, March 28^th, for a day of prayer and renewal. Registration opens the weekend of March 8^th in the bulletin and online.

Sincerely,

Father Matera

Looking Ahead to Summer - Vacation Bible School!  Students that have completed PreK3 - grade 6 are invited to participate in the St. Mary's Parish Vacation Bible School from Monday, June 29 - Thursday, July 2.  Registration will open soon.   For more information, send an email to Kathy Piggott at reled1-6@stmarysimsbury.org .