News for the Week of 1-17-13

Our Celebration of Catholic Schools' Month Continues!

 

Today was our annual Family Pizza Lunch.  It was great to see so many of you sharing lunch with your favorite SMS student(s)!  Click here for more photos.

On Friday, 1-18-13, students in grades Kindergarten - 4 will visit with author, Janice Hechter. Ms. Hechter lives in Farmington and has illustrated at least four children's books. She holds a BFA from Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA. Her book Hooray for Heroes was a National Best Book Award Winner in 2010. Ms. Hechter will be chatting with students about what an illustrator does and other topics related to this and read from her book The Great Elephant Escape. She will discuss the actual true story upon which her book is based.

Monday, 1-21-13, school is closed for Martin Luther King Day.

Wednesday, 1-23-13, we are hosting an Open House for Prospective Families at 6:30pm in the Parish Center.  If you know someone who has wondered if SMS is the right place for their family, please encourage them to attend.  They may call Donna Hatch or Tammy Budnick to RSVP or with any questions - 860.658.9412.

Report Cards will be distributed on Friday, 1-25-12.

Parent Meeting regarding Internet Safety - We have arranged for Officer Dunne from the Simsbury Police Department to join us on Monday, February 4, 2013 at 7pm in the Parish Center to discuss internet safety.  Due to the importance of this topic and its direct impact on our children, we are asking that you consider attendance at this meeting a mandatory commitment for at least one parent/guardian from each family.  Middle school students are encouraged to attend as well.

Due to this week's snow day on 1-16-13, Ski & Snowboard Club will be extended one more week and will meet on 2-6-13.

The Home & School Association Auction will be held on Saturday, 2-9-13, at 6pm at the beautiful Riverview in Simsbury.  Ladies, do you have your Derby hat?! Gentleman, is your bow tie picked out?!

Last call for auction items!! We would love to include your item in our program. In order to make sure it is, we need to have it ASAP. Kindly bring them to the school office or contact Michelle or Kimberly to pick them up.

We have some great items! Here is just a preview:

Horse Drawn Sleigh Ride-Be the ultimate valentine!! Whisk her away on a romantic 'Rose & Champagne' sleigh ride for 2 at Wood Acres Farm in Terryville. Call right away and let them know if you want to ride on February 14 or 15, 2013. Then come home and snuggle up under a handmade Irish knit blanket while you enjoy some gourmet cocoa & truffles or indulge in a nice bottle of champagne. To top it all off the basket includes a little blue box (sterling silver open heart pendant from Tiffany & Co.) to give your valentine.
Vera Bradley
Pandora
Alex & Ani
Saige 2013 American Girl doll
NY Giants tickets
Red Sox Tickets
Week stay in Newport, RI
Handmade rosary
Overnight stay and dinner at Mohegan Sun
Polish Stoneware
Weekend in Newburyport, MA
Framed poster of NY Jets #24 Darelle Revis
Golf Foursome

And much, much more.  Click here to order your tickets.

Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, February 13th.  We will attend the 12:15pm Parish Mass.  Please remember that no Physical Education uniforms should be worn to Mass.

Box Tops For Education – Have you sent in any Box Tops lately?  Don’t forget to keep clipping.  The next contest deadline is Friday, February 15^th.  The class with the most Box Tops will win the privilege of enjoying extra recess time with their classmates. Additionally, the winning class's teacher will receive a gift certificate to purchase something for their classroom. Please mark your envelope "Box Tops Grade ____." Contact Amy Lillis at amylillis73@gmail.com with any questions.

In just the blink of an eye, it will be time for our February vacation from Monday, 2-18-13 through Friday, 2-22-13!

The Office of Catholic Schools has announced that they are searching for a full time Director of the Connecticut Federation of Catholic School Parents.  Click here for more information. 

Grade 8 Fundraising - Again this year, 8th grade is recycling used ink and toner cartridges.  Cartridges may be dropped off at the school office.

Discovery 3M has announced that it is accepting entries for this year's Young Scientist Challenge.  This Challenge is open to students in grades 5-8.  Ten national finalists will have the opportunity to work directly with a 3M scientist in an exclusive summer mentorship program and bring their innovative ideas to life. One lucky student has the chance to win: $25,000, a once-in-a-lifetime trip with Discovery Student Adventures, and many more exciting prizes. Jeff Shook, one of our Middle School Science teachers, is happy to assist any interested students. To learn more, click here.

ROPE (Right of Passage Experience) 2013 has begun for our seventh grade students with a parent meeting on 1-17-13 from 7-8pm.  The next meeting will be for Opening Prayers on 1-21-13 from 6-8pm. A full schedule for this program appears on Mr. Walsh's Teacher Page.  Click here.

Grade 6 literature circles are doing a great job integrating iPad technology.  While reading Diary of Anne Frank, iPads were used to locate Anne's hiding place.

School is Closed - Wednesday, 1-16-13

Due to the winter weather, school is closed today - Wednesday, 1-16-13. Have a safe and happy snow day!

Don't forget - the Family Pizza Lunch will be held tomorrow. We are looking forward to see you there! The lunch schedule for Family Pizza Lunch is as follows:

11:15am - 11:45am -- PreK, K--Grade 2

11:55am - 12:25pm -- Grade 3--Grade 5

12:30pm - 1:00pm -- Grade 6--8

If you didn't place an order for a pizza lunch, please feel free to join us anyway! Bring a brown bag lunch and enjoy the time with your child(ren).

News for the week of 1-9-13

Our celebration of Catholic Schools' Month continues!

Friday, 1-11-3, is Student Appreciation Day. The Home & School Association will provide a free ice pop dessert to all students. Ms. Stacy Dekeyser, author of The Brixen Witch, will visit with students at 9am in the Parish Center and sign copies of her book. Click here for a book order form.

On Monday, 1-14-13, there will be a School Board Meeting at 7pm in the Lower Church.

Wednesday, 1-16-13, is our annual Family Pizza Lunch.  This year, all pizza lunches had to be preordered.  If you did not order a pizza lunch but would like to join your favorite student(s) for lunch, please bring a brown bag lunch and come and join the fun!

School Security Review Continues- We are pleased to share that Mr. Patrick Chagnon has agreed to work with us to review our facility and existing security procedures and offer us advice.  Father of Cici in grade 4, Mr. Chagnon founded BLUELINE Risk Mitigation Group, LLC in 2009 with the intent of providing quality professional security solutions to clients seeking customized services to fit their needs. With over 30 years of combined military, law enforcement, and security related experience; Mr. Chagnon has developed a trustworthy reputation and worldwide contacts. He is a retired law enforcement professional serving over 22 years within the Connecticut State Police Department, his last six years was with the Office of Counter Terrorism. Initially working with the Statewide Anti-Terrorism Task Force, he then became the Department of Public Safety Counter Terrorism Training Coordinator, working with State Homeland Security (DEMHS), Police Officers Standards and Training Council, Connecticut State Police Academy and Private Sector organizations. In addition to that, he often assisted with the State Critical Infrastructure Protection Unit in the Risk Management Assessment process within the State of Connecticut. For more information about Mr. Chagnon's experience and expertise, you may visit the BLUELINE Risk Mitigation Group website.  Click here.  Over the next several weeks, Mr. Chagnon will make periodic visits to school to observe our daily routines and procedures.  He is also reviewing our school's crisis plan.  Once his observations and review are complete, he will provide us with a report outlining his recommendations.  We are grateful for his assistance.

Sharing the Good News about Catholic Education -  Several of our students participated in the recording of a radio ad for the Archdiocesan Office of Radio and Television sharing what they love about our school.  This recording was made at the Office of Radio and Television on Monday, 1-7-13. Thanks to Ally and Lindsay Voelker and Mikayla and Madelyn Zordan for participating.  Be listening for this ad on WJMJ beginning on Friday, 1-11-13.

Tickets to the Home & School Association Auction on 2-9-13 are now available.  To purchase using a credit card, click here.  If you prefer to pay by cash or check, click here for a printable order form that can be sent to the school office.

Donations for silent & live auction are still being accepted.  Click here for more information.

Box Tops for Education - Send in your Box Tops now! Have you sent in any Box Tops lately? Don’t forget to keep clipping. The next contest deadline is Friday, February 15th. The class with the most Box Tops will win the privilege of enjoying extra recess time with their classmates. Additionally, the winning class's teacher will receive a gift certificate to purchase something for their classroom. Please mark your envelope "Box Tops Grade ____". Contact Amy Lillis at amylillis73@gmail.com with any questions.

Experiential Learning - Applying concepts to increase understanding -

As part of a simulation in Algebra 1, students pretended  that our school was contacted to help people living in a remote area of the Amazon who are in need of malaria medicine. Students needed to design a low-cost, insulated structure that was rugged enough to support transport of medicine (simulated by an egg).  This enrichment program is from the Boston Museum of Science and reinforces concepts from Algebra 1, engineering design, and Catholic social teachings. 

Students in Pre-algebra Honors learned about the Engineering Design Process when they participated in a simulation where they were stranded on an island and needed to build shelter with materials found on the island. Concepts such as ratios and scale modeling were reinforced through the use of this enrichment program from the Museum of Science in Boston.

HSA Minutes & Agenda for 1-9-13 meeting & Hot Lunch Menu for Feb. - Apr.

The minutes from the 11/27/12 H.S.A. meeting are now available on the Home & School Association page of the school website.  Click here.  The agenda for the HSA meeting on Wednesday, 1-9-13, at 9am in the lower church is also available.  Click here.

The order form for Hot Lunch for February through April is now available.  All orders and payments are due NLT Monday, 1-14-13.  Click here for the order form.

Painting With Shaving Cream?

Anything is possible in Kindergarten! The students had a great time last week y painting winter snow 

scenes using shaving cream and glue. Then...they  used shaving cream to write sight words on their tables!

 What a fun day! 

Mrs. Gannatti announces "Blue & Gold" Day on Monday, 1-7-13

In anticipation of Monday's championship game between Notre Dame and Alabama, Mrs. Gannatti invites all students to wear "Blue & Gold" with their uniform of the day on Monday, 1-7-13.  Examples of acceptable "Blue & Gold" add-ons include:  sweaters, sweatshirts, hats, hairbows, earrings, socks, neckties.  Please remember that the appropriate uniform of the day must be worn.  This is an opportunity to add something "Blue & Gold" to the uniform.

Go Irish!

Celebrating Catholic Schools' Month - Event Schedule

Welcome to 2013!  We begin our new year celebrating Catholic Schools' Month.  Listed below is a summary of events for this month.  We hope you will be able to join us for many of them as we celebrate Catholic education and our school community.

On Friday, 1-4-13, our seventh & eighth grade students will begin their Shakesperience residency.  This program will continue through February and culminates in a performance on March 1st at 2pm in the Parish Center.  Everyone is welcome to attend the performance.

On Wednesday, 1-9-13, there will be a Home & School Association Meeting at 9am in the Lower Church.

 Friday, 1-11-3, is Student Appreciation Day.  The Home & School Association will provide a free ice pop dessert to all students. Ms. Stacy Dekeyser, author of The Brixen Witch, will visit with students at 9am in the Parish Center and sign copies of her book.  Click here for a book order form.

On Monday, 1-14-13, there will be a School Board Meeting at 7pm in the Lower Church.

Come & enjoy lunch with your favorite SMS student(s) on Wednesday, 1-16-13 at our annual Family Pizza Lunch!   This year all lunches for this event had to be preordered.  Orders were due no later than December 21st.  If you did not get your order in, we will accept orders until this Friday, 1/4/13.  This is your last opportunity to order.   Click here for an order form. If you do not order but would like to join us for lunch, please feel free to bring a brown bag lunch! 

On Friday, 1-18-13, students in grades Kindergarten - 4 will visit with author, Janice Hechter. Ms. Hechter lives in Farmington and has illustrated at least four children's books. She holds a BFA from Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA. Her book Hooray for Heroes was a National Best Book Award Winner in 2010. Ms. Hechter will be chatting with students about what an illustrator does and other topics related to this and read from her book The Great Elephant Escape. She will discuss the actual true story upon which her book is based.

Monday, 1-21-13, school is closed for Martin Luther King Day.

On Wednesday, 1-23-13, we will host an Open House for Prospective Families.  If you know someone interested in learning more about our school, please invite them to join us at 6:30pm in the Parish Center.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Report cards will be distributed on Friday, 1-25-13.

 

The Home & School Association will host Teacher Appreciation Week during the week of 1-28-13. We appreciate their generosity.

...and looking ahead to

Parent Meeting regarding Internet Safety - We have arranged for Officer Dunne from the Simsbury Police Department to join us on Monday, February 4, 2013 at 7pm in the Parish Center to discuss internet safety.  Due to the importance of this topic and it’s direct impact on our children, we are asking that you consider attendance at this meeting a mandatory commitment for at least one parent/guardian from each family.  Middle school students are encouraged to attend as well.

The Home & School Association Auction will be held on Saturday, 2-9-13, at 6pm at the beautiful Riverview in Simsbury.  Come and enjoy a fabulous evening featuring delicious appetizers and dinner, a terrific silent auction and spirited bidding at the live auction as coveted items like the first parking spot in the carpool lot are auctioned off.

In just the blink of an eye, it will be time for our February vacation from Monday, 2-18-13 through Friday, 2-22-13!

Happy New Year!  School reopens on Wednesday, January 2nd & our celebration of Catholic Schools' Month begins! 

 There will be no time for the January blues!  Our school calendar for this month is full of activities, meetings and special events including an Open House for Prospective Families on Wednesday, 1/23.  Look for a full listing of January events in our regular Wednesday blog post this week.  Here are a few highlights for this week- 

Ski & Snowboard Club begins on Wednesday, January 2nd and continues on each Wednesday through January 30th.  If there should be a cancellation due to a snow day or early closing,  additional Wednesday(s) will be added.  Skis and snowboards may not be brought to school on the school bus.  Skis, snowboards and other gear may be stored in the Parish Center vestibule during the school day.

Our Shakesperience residency for students in grades 7 and 8 begins this Friday and continues through February culminating in a performance on Friday, March1 at 2pm.  Everyone is invited. 

The annual H.S.A. Auction is just a little more than a month away!  Saturday, February 9th at the beautiful Riverview in Simsbury, we'll be "Racing Into the Future".  We hope everyone will join us!

Please keep in mind that Before Care is no longer available.  Aftercare continues to be available until 6pm.  For more information about the Aftercare program, click here or contact Mr. Gangloff at ADirector@stmarysimsbury.eduk12.net.

Don't forget snow gear for recess!  There's fresh snow to play in, but students need boots, snow pants, hats and gloves to do it.  Without the appropriate gear, it's strictly "blacktop play". We also recommend a pair of dry socks in each backpack so no one has to spend the afternoon with cold, wet feet.

A review of our school security procedures is ongoing.  As mentioned prior to vacation,  locks on several doors are being rekeyed or installed to enhance building security.  Additional security cameras are also planned.  If you are coming to school to volunteer or pickup your child(ren), you will be asked to identify yourself prior to entry if our security camera view is not clear.  You may also find that there will be times you will need to wait for an entrance to be unlocked.  Please remember that any inconvenience is unintentional but also unavoidable as we strive to do our best to keep your children safe.