News for the Week of 4/1/20

As directed by Governor Lamont, St. Mary's School will be CLOSED from 3/16/20 through at least 4/20/20. At this time, the School Office is closed but emails are being checked regularly.

Distance learning continues through Wednesday, April 8. April 9 is Holy Thursday and April 10 is Good Friday - there will be NO distance learning on either of these days as we all prepare for Easter.  Unless otherwise notified, the following week of April 13-17 will be our April break. Rest, relax catch up on assignments if need be but there will be no planned schooling during the break.

We must understand that the situation is fluid and does change. If we are closed beyond April 20, distance learning will resume. 

Thanks to all for the efforts you are making at home to help your children, our students, navigate the new world of distance learning.  Many of you are doing this while also working from home or caring for younger siblings or both!  Please note that teachers are committed to being available to our students and responding to questions and concerns promptly.  With that in mind, please keep in mind that emails received after 4pm may not receive a response until the following day.  We are confident that working together, with patience and persistence and #uKnighted in our faith, we can all continue to learn and grow despite these uncertain times.

Attendance Policy During Distance Learning - If your child(ren) is/are unable to participate in distance learning because of illness (or other cause), please send an email to: HOffice@stmarysimsbury.eduk12.net, smsoffice@stmarysimsbury.eduk12.net and your child(ren)'s homeroom teacher.  Please make note if the absence is due to illness or another cause.  Since it is our intention that these days can be counted as days of school completed, it is important that we continue to maintain our attendance records.

Health Office News - If you should need to contact our school nurse, Kim Tyrrell, to share health information in regard to your child(ren),  Kim is available for contact Monday through Friday from 10am until noon.  Please contact her via her school email:  hoffice@stmarysimsbury.eduk12.net.  If you would like her to respond via the phone, please provide her with your preferred phone number.  She will endeavor to respond promptly within the 2 hour daily availability window.  Health forms for the 2020-21 school year may be mailed to school to the health office's attention.

We encourage all to follow us on Facebook (St. Mary's School) and Instagram (smssimsburyknights). Students (and parents/guardians) are encouraged to join us for Morning Prayer each day and Facebook GoodKNIGHT stories are airing nightly at 7pm! Mrs. Gore is sharing a chapter read aloud at 8pm! Keep an eye out for great ideas from our Create Club moderators, too!

Do you have photos of distance learning in progress? We'd love to see and share some photos of our students hard at work at home. Share on Facebook & Instagram or send emails to smsoffice@stmarysimsbury.eduk12.net and kwork@stmarysimsbury.eduk12.net.

Now that's a one room schoolhouse! 

2020-21 Family Enrollment Forms and Fees should be mailed to school. Please keep in mind that the Family Enrollment Forms and Fees were requested to be returned by March 27th. If you have not already sent yours in, please do so at your earliest convenience. Mail is being picked up and processed on a periodic basis. Having this enrollment information helps us get the 2020-21 school year off to a good start:)

Art Class is Coming! Click here to visit "your new art class".  Right now, Van Gogh coloring pages are available but more activities will be added soon!  Bookmark the link and check back often!

 Mrs. Bennett has been hard at work creating a new shared folder in a Google Drive that will allow her to bring you content for Art Class.








Online Ordering for Yearbooks has been extended through this Friday, 4/3/20!   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.   Our yearbook ID code is 9415320.  Please note that our yearbook publisher,  Lifetouch, has advised that the online order link will close this weekend, so please get those last minute orders in!  All yearbooks must be preordered. 

Our faith can be of great consolation during these uncertain days, visit the St. Mary's Church website homepage for Staying Connected Through the Word. Once on the homepage, you may need to scroll down a bit to access the daily service. Each service is approximately 15 minutes and includes the readings for the day, a brief homily, and an opportunity for Spiritual Communion. Our thanks to our Pastor, Monsignor Matera, for making this resource available to us. It may also be helpful for all of us to keep in mind his wise advice - "Make these stressful days your Lenten retreat. Make this retreat with your family and loved ones. Take time to pray and read God’s Word. Let this time be an opportunity to reflect on what is important."