News for the Week of 1/27/21

 

We Begin Our CSW Celebration Sharing Information About Our School Community!  Prospective Families Are Invited! - On Sunday, January 31, 2021 families that have pre-registered can take a personal tour.   At this time, we are pleased to share that all available appointments on 1/31 are reserved. We are excited to meet these new prospective families!  If you know someone who is interested in learning more about us, please encourage them to schedule a personal campus tour at another convenient time.  For scheduling,  click here.

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.

SMILE!
"Make Up/Retake" Individual Student Photos - Lifetouch Photography will be here on the morning of Monday, February 1, from 9-10:30 to take Make Up & Retake Individual Student Photos for students in PreKindergarten, Kindergarten - Grade 7 (PK3 and Grade 8 photos were taken by an alternate photographer).  Students that need a retake photo should bring their original photo package.  Students that were not present on picture day, (Monday, September 14, 2020) should have their picture taken even if no portrait package is being ordered since every student is featured in our annual yearbook and in this year's composite group photo that will be comprised of thumbnail photos of each student since social distancing protocol precludes traditional group photos this year.  Students having their picture taken may wear their uniform of the day for the photo or bring an outfit to change into for their picture.  Uniform of the day should be worn for the rest of the day. 

If ordering a package because student did not have a photo taken in September, please use the information below:

#uKnighted in Celebration!  A Special Theme Every Day!

During this special week, we also celebrate Faculty & Staff Appreciation!  

Throughout the week, we will provide teachers with a breakfast treat, lunch (they won’t need to prepare for), as well as a Supply Bar. A Sign Up has been created to help support the events happening throughout the week. Click here.  As always, participation is completely optional!  Many thanks to all who have already donated!   There are still a few items available for donation.

Additionally, on Monday, February 1st, the theme will be “We can’t mask our love for our students and teachers” . We are asking that students write a note of appreciation/love for one, some or all of their teachers to bring to school, so students can share in the appreciation. 

Lunch Program - Tomorrow - Thursday, 1/28/21, is the last day to order lunches for the week of 2/1/21.   Lunch orders for the week of 2/8/21 will be accepted  Monday, 2/1/21, through Thursday, 2/4/21. All orders must be placed via the Educonnect Parent Portal.  Please note that NO LATE ORDERS CAN BE ACCEPTED. If you miss the order period, you will need to wait for the following week.

Parent/Teacher Conferences will be held from Wednesday, 2/10/21 - Friday, 2/12/21.  Each of these days will be a 12:45 early dismissal.  There will be no aftercare on conference days.   Please read the information that appears below carefully since conferences will use multiple formats this February.

All conferences will be held via Zoom sessions with teachers providing you with a meeting invitation for your requested day and time. 

Sign Up Genius links for PK3 & PreK, Kindergarten - Grade 5 are available until midnight, Sunday, 2/7/21.  After that, you will need to call the School Office to schedule a conference or make a change to a conference day/time.  Please note that if you do not schedule a conference, none will be scheduled for you.

Middle School (Grades 6, 7 & 8) will publish Progress Reports with comments via the Educonnect Parent Portal on Friday, 2/5/21.  If, after reviewing the Progress Report, you would like to schedule a conference, please send an email to Mrs. Work.  She will respond to you with scheduling information. 

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Click here to schedule your Parent/Teacher Conference(s).

More February Calendar Reminders - 

The Knights United Meeting scheduled for today, 1/27/21, has been rescheduled for next Wednesday, 2/3/21.  A Zoom link will be sent out the day before. Hope you can join us as  we look forward to our spring events!

School will be closed on Monday, 2/15/21 & Tuesday, 2/16/21 for the long winter weekend.

Ash Wednesday - 2/17/21 - Students will attend Mass at 9:15am as we begin the Holy Season of Lent.  In accordance with health and safety guidelines, some students will attend Mass in the Church with the rest attending via livestream.  Ashes will be distributed to all students. We regret that, at this time, we cannot welcome parents' attendance at this Mass.

Looking Ahead to Next Year!   

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR FAMILIES WITH STUDENTS CURRENTLY ENROLLED AT SMS.

1.  If your child(ren) is/are already attending SMS, you DO NOT NEED TO REAPPLY for next year.  You will receive enrollment paperwork in March for the coming school year that will reflect the appropriate grade for the new year.  Your timely return of the signed Family Enrollment Form and Family Enrollment Fee is your "confirmation" that seats will be available for your child(ren) for the 2021-22 school year.  If your Family Enrollment Form and Fee are not returned by the requested date, it will be assumed that your children are not returning to SMS for the 2021-22 school year. 

2. If your child(ren) is/are currently enrolled in our full day PreK program, you DO NOT NEED TO REAPPLY for Kindergarten.  Unless we are notified of other plans, we assume that students in our PreK will be part of the following year's Kindergarten class.  We also assume that students in our PK3 program will be a part of the following year's PreK4's.

3.  If you have a child(ren) NOT currently enrolled at SMS that you would like to have join their sibling(s) at school next year - especially if entering PK3, PreK or Kindergarten - 

Please submit your applications by Friday, 2/5/21.  You can complete the online application here.  In celebration of Catholic Schools Week, we are waiving the application fee through February 5th!  

* Please note, submission of your application does not guarantee enrollment, but if submitted by 2/5/21, allows us to prioritize your application in accordance with our Admissions Policy.  

News for the Week of 1/20/21

 

The School Board will meet TONIGHT - Wednesday, 1/20/21, at 7pm via Zoom.  All are welcome to attend and Mrs. Williamson has sent out an all family email with the Zoom meeting credentials prior to the meeting.

Mark Your Calendars & join us for our next Knights United Family & School Association Zoom meeting on Wednesday, January 27th at 9am.  Help is needed in all capacities as we plan for our upcoming winter and spring events. Come have some fun and help us build our community spirit! Please look for an all school email prior to 1/27 that will provide the Zoom invitation and meeting passcode.

It's Almost Time to Celebrate!  Catholic Schools Week begins Sunday, January 31 and continues through Saturday, February 6, 2021!  There will be a special theme and associated events every day!

During this special week, we also celebrate Faculty & Staff Appreciation!  

Throughout the week, we will provide teachers with a breakfast treat, lunch (they won’t need to prepare for), as well as a Supply Bar. A Sign Up has been created to help support the events happening throughout the week. Click here.  As always, participation is completely optional!

This year, to be COVID-safe, we had to alter the donations of home-baked goods and lunch options for the year. We instead will have COVID-safe options provided through gift card donations. As a gentle reminder, you can always choose to purchase these gift cards through the CHOICE program! Please contact Mrs.Tricia Prausa in the school office to purchase them before January 27th.

Since we are SODAlighted to have our Teachers and Staff at SMS, we will also treat them to some Soda/Seltzer to show our appreciation.  

Additionally, on Monday, February 1st, the theme will be “We can’t mask our love for our students and teachers” . We are asking that students write a note of appreciation/love for one, some or all of their teachers to bring to school, so students can share in the appreciation. 

Lunch Program - Tomorrow - Thursday, 1/21/21, is the last day to order lunches for the week of 1/25/21.   Lunch orders for the week of 2/1/21 will be accepted  Monday, 1/25/21, through Thursday, 1/28/21. All orders must be placed via the Educonnect Parent Portal.  Please note that NO LATE ORDERS CAN BE ACCEPTED. If you miss the order period, you will need to wait for the following week.

Parent/Teacher Conferences will be held from Wednesday, 2/10/21 - Friday, 2/12/21.  Each of these days will be a 12:45 early dismissal.  There will be no aftercare on conference days.   Please read the information that appears below carefully since conferences will use multiple formats this February.

All conferences will be held via Zoom sessions with teachers providing you with a meeting invitation for your requested day and time. 

Sign Up Genius links for PK3 & PreK, Kindergarten - Grade 5 will be active beginning on Monday, 1/25/21. Conference scheduling will be open via Sign Up Genius from Monday, 1/25/21, until midnight on Sunday, 2/7/21.  After that, you will need to call the School Office to schedule a conference or make a change to a conference day/time.  Please note that if you do not schedule a conference, none will be scheduled for you.

Middle School (Grades 6, 7 & 8) will publish Progress Reports with comments via the Educonnect Parent Portal on Friday, 2/5/21.  If, after reviewing the Progress Report, you would like to schedule a conference, please send an email to Mrs. Work.  She will respond to you with scheduling information. 

Click here to schedule your Parent/Teacher Conference(s).

Looking Ahead to Next Year!  It's hard to believe that January is almost over! As admissions for the 2021-22 school year get underway, we have limited space available in our PK3 & PreK program and Kindergarten.   If your older child(ren) is/are already enrolled here at SMS, we would like to make sure that you have first consideration for these seats. If you are planning to enroll a younger child for the upcoming school year please submit your applications by Friday, 2/5/21.  In celebration of Catholic Schools Week, we are waiving the application fee through February 5th!  You can complete the online application here.

* Please note, submission of your application does not guarantee enrollment, but if submitted by 2/5/21, allows us to prioritize your application in accordance with our Admissions Policy.  

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR FAMILIES WITH STUDENTS CURRENTLY ENROLLED AT SMS.

1.  If your child(ren) is/are already attending SMS, you DO NOT NEED TO REAPPLY for next year.  You will receive enrollment paperwork in March for the coming school year that will reflect the appropriate grade for the new year.  Your timely return of the signed Family Enrollment Form and Family Enrollment Fee is your "confirmation" that seats will be available for your child(ren) for the 2021-22 school year.  If your Family Enrollment Form and Fee are not returned by the requested date, it will be assumed that your children are not returning to SMS for the 2021-22 school year. 

2. If your child(ren) is/are currently enrolled in our full day PreK program, you DO NOT NEED TO REAPPLY for Kindergarten.  Unless we are notified of other plans, we assume that students in our PreK will be part of the following year's Kindergarten class.  We also assume that students in our PK3 program will be a part of the following year's PreK4's.

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. Temperatures 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.

"Make Up/Retake" Individual Student Photos - Lifetouch Photography will be here on the morning of Monday, February 1, from 9-10:30 to take Make Up & Retake Individual Student Photos for students in PreKindergarten, Kindergarten - Grade 7 (PK3 and Grade 8 photos were taken by an alternate photographer).  Students that need a retake photo should bring their original photo package.  Students that were not present on picture day, (Monday, September 14, 2020) should have their picture taken even if no portrait package is being ordered since every student is featured in our annual yearbook and in this year's composite group photo that will be comprised of thumbnail photos of each student since social distancing protocol precludes traditional group photos this year.  Students having their picture taken may wear their uniform of the day for the photo or bring an outfit to change into for their picture.  Uniform of the day should be worn for the rest of the day. 

If ordering a package because student did not have a photo taken in September, please use the information below:

It's Time to Order Your Yearbooks!  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.  We will also be sending home a paper order form on Friday, 1/22/21, that may be completed and returned to the school office with payment. Our yearbook ID code is 9415321.  Please note that the order deadline is March 29, 2021 and that all yearbooks must be preordered. 

Thanks to all that participated in our first service project of 2021!  As the photo shows, the combined response from St. Mary's Religious Education program and SMS for Cat's Diaper Drive benefiting Gifts of Love was awesome!  Your generosity is appreciated!

News for the Week of 1/13/21

 

January Calendar Reminders

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.

The School Board will meet on Wednesday, 1/20/21, at 7pm via Zoom.  All are welcome to attend and Mrs. Williamson will send out an all family email with the Zoom meeting credentials prior to the meeting.

Mark Your Calendars & Join us for our next Knights United Family & School Association Zoom meeting on Wednesday, January 27th at 9am.  Help is needed in all capacities as we plan for our upcoming winter and spring events. Come have some fun and help us build our community spirit! Please look for an all school email prior to 1/27 that will provide the Zoom invitation and meeting passcode.

It's Almost Time to Celebrate!  Catholic Schools Week begins Sunday, January 31 and continues through Saturday, February 6, 2021!  There will be a special theme and associated events every day!

Lunch Program - Tomorrow - Thursday, 1/14/21 is the last day to order lunches for the week of 1/18/21.   Lunch orders for the week of 1/25/21 will be accepted  Monday, 1/18/21 through Thursday, 1/21/21. All orders must be placed via the Educonnect Parent Portal.  Please note that NO LATE ORDERS CAN BE ACCEPTED. If you miss the order period, you will need to wait for the following week.

Reminder - NO Glass Water Bottles, Please!  Please do not send glass or glass/metal combination water bottles to school.  They present a safety hazard when they fall and break.   

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. Temperatures 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.

"Make Up/Retake" Individual Student Photos - Lifetouch Photography will be here on the morning of Monday, February 1 from 9-10:30 to take Make Up & Retake Individual Student Photos for students in PreKindergarten, Kindergarten - Grade 7 (PK3 and Grade 8 photos were taken by an alternate photographer).  Students that need a retake photo should bring their original photo package.  Students that were not present on picture day, (Monday, September 14, 2020) should have their picture taken even if no portrait package is being ordered since every student is featured in our annual yearbook and in this year's composite group photo that will be comprised of thumbnail photos of each student since social distancing protocol precludes traditional group photos this year.  Students having their picture taken may wear their uniform of the day for the photo or bring an outfit to change into for their picture.  Uniform of the day should be worn for the rest of the day. 

If ordering a package because student did not have a photo taken in September, please use the information below:

It's Time to Order Your Yearbooks!  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.  We will also be sending home a paper order form that may be completed and returned to the school office with payment. Our yearbook ID code is 9415321.  Please note that the order deadline is March 26, 2021 and that all yearbooks must be preordered. 

Diaper Drive Donations will be accepted until this Friday, 1/15/21!  

Thanks for your support of this service project.

Supporting SMS - Stop & Shop A+ Rewards Update!  Thank to the 68 families who are participating in this program.  Since August, our school has earned $390.04 because these families have designated St. Mary's School as their choice for donation.  If you shop at Stop & Shop and haven't joined the A+ Rewards program, you can still join now!  Click here.  Our school code is 06075.

There are other easy ways to support SMS!  We also participate in:

 Box Tops for Education, Shoprite for Education and Fitzgeralds Register Tapes for Education.  Last week, we received a check from Box Tops for $275 for the submission period between 3/2/20 and 11/2/2020!  Thanks to those who are already participating in these programs and for taking some time to learn about them now!  Every little bit helps!

News for the Week of 1/6/21

 

January Calendar Reminders

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.

COVID - 19 Protocols - Daily Screening Tool for Parents - Please take a moment to review the current version of the 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.

Lunch Program - Tomorrow - Thursday, 1/7/21 is the last day to order lunches for the week of 1/11/21.   Lunch orders for the week of 1/18/21 will be accepted  Monday, 1/11/21 through Thursday, 1/14/21. All orders must be placed via the Educonnect Parent Portal.  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. Temperatures 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.

Lands' End is offering a great incentive to spruce up your uniform items!  When ordering, please be sure to use our school code:  900132150 to assure that the items you order are part of our uniform code.  Keep in mind, too, that Lands End cards are available via the CHOICE program with a 15% profit rate.  Buying your uniforms using CHOICE cards helps defray your family's annual CHOICE obligation.