News for the Week of 10/10/18

Our official 2018 National Blue Ribbon School Certificate!

Click here to read the Simsbury Patch's announcement of our Blue Ribbon Award!

Hot Lunch Order Period for November is OPEN now through Friday, October 12 - The hot lunch order period for November opened on Monday, October 8.  Orders will be accepted through Friday, October 12.  All orders must be placed via the Educonnect Parent Portal.  Payment should be sent in promptly when your order is placed.  This is your only opportunity to order hot lunch for November.  No late orders can be accepted.

Walk-In Wednesdays are here! - Families interested in learning more about SMS are invited to drop in any Wednesday morning that school is open in October.  If you know someone who would like to get to know more about us, please encourage them to drop by and be sure to register for our Family Referral Program!  Your support of our school is greatly appreciated.

We will also be hosting an Open House for Prospective Families on Tuesday, November 6th.  Interested families are invited to drop in at any time during our school day or to attend our evening event that will begin at 6pm in the Parish Center.  An RSVP to the school office is appreciated but not required.

Please help spread the word about our 2018 Blue Ribbon School! Do you live, or own a business on a busy street that would be good for a lawn sign? Do you know some good public venues that will allow flyers to be hung up? Click here to sign up for a lawn sign and/or flyers advertising our upcoming Open House on Tuesday, November 6th!  

VEX ROBOTICS ARE HERE!

Parent/Teacher Conferences are Coming - Our Fall Parent/Teacher Conferences for students in

grades K-8 will be held on Wednesday, 10/24, Thursday, 10/25, and Friday, 10/26.  Each of these days will be a 12:45pm Early Dismissal. Since PreK will not have conferences at this time, there will be PreK Enrichment available on these days BUT there will be NO AFTERCARE.  Click here to access the sign-up geniuses for conferences.  Both SMS Spirit wear & Choice cards will be available for sale in the school office during conferences.

Annual Lyman Pie & Otis Spunkmeyer Cookie Dough Fund Raiser is underway!  

Just in time for the holidays, our Home & School Association is selling frozen Lyman Pies & Otis Spunkmeyer Cookie Dough.  Order forms were sent home with all students on Friday, October 5th but can also be downloaded.  All orders and payments must be returned to the school office no later than Friday, October 19th.  Checks should be made payable to St. Mary's HSA.  Orders may also be placed online - click here.  Pies & cookie dough will be available for pickup on Monday, 11/12/18, 1-4pm in the Parish Center.  Please note - all products arrive frozen and must be picked up on 11/12.  The school does not have freezer space for products that are not picked up and will not be responsible for products that thaw.

Just in Time for Holiday Celebrations & Giving -- Again this year, Yankee Candle Fundraising is helping us raise money to support our instrumental music program including the FMI Recorder program in grade 3.  Shop now for the best selection of holiday items.  Click here and then enter our group number - 999977285 - where requested under "Start Shopping".  All products will ship directly to your home.

CHOICE Corner - Celebrate our Blue Ribbon School of Excellence Award with dinner (or lunch) out.  The CHOICE box has gift cards available to Max Group restaurants, Chili's, Chipotle, Little City,  or Panera.  Even more great restaurants are available via GL Scrip.  Click here to discover more choices!

Scholastic Fall Bookfair is Less than a Month Away! 

Reading for pleasure unlocks the power of information and imagination and helps children discover who they are. Here’s what you can do to help children develop stronger reading skills and a love for reading:

·   Set the example. Let children see you read.

·   Have a collection of books in your home. Update this collection routinely to keep up with changing tastes and reading skills.

·   Support our school’s Book Fair. Allow your children to choose their own books to read.

Our Scholastic Book Fair is a reading event that brings the books kids want to read right into our school. It’s a wonderful selection of engaging and affordable books for every reading level. Please make plans to help and visit our Book Fair and be involved in shaping your child’s reading habits.

Book Fair dates: Saturday, November 3rd - Thursday, November 8th

Click here for Volunteer Sign Up.

"Every Brick Has A Memory To Share"
Sponsor a brick for our new St. Mary Courtyard
Don’t miss out on personalizing your brick for the new St. Mary Courtyard.

Click to listen why Greta and Noelle sponsored their brick.  Sponsor yours today. Click here to learn more and order your brick.

2018 Altar Server Training for New Servers -New altar servers are needed at Saint Mary’s Church and School. Are you interested in joining this wonderful ministry? Classes will meet on Saturdays, time to TBD, on October 20th, 27th, and November 10th. All children in 4th grade or above are invited to join us. You must RSVP by email to Sheila Garilli, altar server coordinator, via email at ServerLeader@StMarySimsbury.org





Community News

Gently Used Clothing, Shoes & Accessories Needed!  Again this year, we will be collecting
gently used clothing( all seasons), shoes, handbags, accessories, jewelry, jackets and coats (infant/youth/teen clothing especially needed) for the St. Ann's Clothing Sale.  Items may be brought into school from Thursday, 10/18 - Friday, 10/26/18 and put into the donation bin that will be located near the faculty mailboxes.  The Clothing Sale will be held on November 2 &3 and benefits the St. Ann Scholarship Program which provides partial tuition support for Hartford students attending area Catholic high schools. Begun in 1979, the program has helped over 100 young people get their high school diplomas in a safe, supportive and spiritual environment.

News for the Week of 10/4/18

Click here to view TV coverage of our Blue Ribbon Announcement.

Click here to listen to Mrs. Williamson's radio interview on WTIC AM 1080.

Click here to read The Hartford Courant article about the announcement.

Calendar Reminders -

School will be dismissed early on Friday, 10/5, at 12:45pm for faculty faith formation.  There will be NO PreK Enrichment or Aftercare.  Don't forget the Peachwave 8th Grade Fundraiser - What a great early dismissal treat!

Click here to download & print flyer.

School will be closed on Monday, 10/8, in observance of Columbus Day.

There was some "fowl play" in Mrs. Jehning's
first grade when Aiden H. introduced the
class to one of his family's chickens.

Hot Lunch Order Period for November Opens Monday, October 8 - The hot lunch order period for November will open on Monday, October 8.  Orders will be accepted through Friday, October 12.  All orders must be placed via the Educonnect Parent Portal.  Payment should be sent in promptly when your order is placed.  This is your only opportunity to order hot lunch for November.  No late orders can be accepted.

Walk-In Wednesdays are here! - Families interested in learning more about SMS are invited to drop in any Wednesday morning that school is open in October.  If you know someone who would like to get to know more about us, please encourage them to drop by and be sure to register for our Family Referral Program!  Your support of our school is greatly appreciated.

We will also be hosting an Open House for Prospective Families on Tuesday, November 6th.  Interested families are invited to drop in at any time during our school day or to attend our evening event that will begin at 6pm in the Parish Center.  An RSVP to the school office is appreciated but not required.

Blue Knight - The Magazine of Saint Mary's School has been mailed to all SMS family & friends. The magazine is also available as a pdf - click here.






Annual Lyman Pie & Otis Spunkmeyer Cookie Dough Fund Raiser Starts This Friday, 10/5!  Just in time for the holidays, our Home & School Association will be selling frozen Lyman Pies & Otis Spunkmeyer Cookie Dough.  Order forms will be sent home with all students on Friday, October 5th.  All orders and payments must be returned to the school office no later than Friday, October 19th.  Checks should be made payable to St. Mary's HSA.  Orders may also be placed online - click here.  Pies & cookie dough will be available for pickup on Monday, 11/12/18, 1-4pm in the Parish Center.  Please note - all products arrive frozen and must be picked up on 11/12.  The school does not have freezer space for products that are not picked up and will not be responsible for products that thaw.

Fall is the time for health screenings!

Vision and Hearing K, 3, 4, 5

Posture girls 5^th and 7^th

Posture boys 8^th

On Tuesday, October 23, 2018, members of The Simsbury Lions Club will conduct vision screening.  The school nurse will conduct the hearing and postural screenings.  If any irregularities are found, a note will be sent home asking you to follow up with your physician.  If you do not want your child to be screened for any of the above, please make a request in writing to St. Mary’s school nurse, Kim Tyrrell, RN.

2018 Altar Server Training for New Servers -New altar servers are needed at Saint Mary’s Church and School. Are you interested in joining this wonderful ministry? Classes will meet on Saturdays, time to TBD, on October 20th, 27th, and November 10th. All children in 4th grade or above are invited to join us. You must RSVP by email to Sheila Garilli, altar server coordinator, via email at ServerLeader@StMarySimsbury.org.

Parent/Teacher Conferences are Coming - Our Fall Parent/Teacher Conferences for students in

grades K-8 will be held on Wednesday, 10/24, Thursday, 10/25, and Friday, 10/26.  Each of these days will be a 12:45pm Early Dismissal. Since PreK will not have conferences at this time, there will be PreK Enrichment available on these days BUT there will be NO AFTERCARE.  Click here to access the sign-up geniuses for conferences.  Both SMS Spirit wear & Choice cards will be available for sale in the school office during conferences.

CHOICE Corner 

It's time to think about Halloween candy!  If you buy it now, there's still time to eat it all and then buy some more for trick or treaters!  Here are some CHOICE vendors who can help you get those treats in stock at your house-

Big Y
CVS
Geisslers
Shoprite
Stop & Shop
Target
Walmart

Send in your order via kidmail or stop by the school office!

Alumni News
Our congratulations to Patrick Sheridan, SMS Class of '15, on being named as one of this year's Commended Students in the 2019 National Merit Program. Approximately 1.5 million students take the PSAT as juniors each year and the College Board selects the top 32,000 individuals for recognition. Those students in the top 16,000 are identified as Semi-Finalists, and students in the second half of the grouping are deemed Commended Students.  Patrick is a senior at Simsbury High School.

News for the Week of 9/26/18

Looking Ahead to October -
Our October school Mass will be held on Tuesday, 10/2, at 9am in church.

School will be closed on Wednesday, 10/3, for professional development.

School will be dismissed early on Friday, 10/5, at 12:45pm for faculty faith formation.  There will be NO PreK Enrichment or Aftercare.

School will be closed on Monday, 10/8, in observance of Columbus Day.

Congratulations to our HOPES St. John Neumann
Award recipients.  Pictured from left - Father Matera,
Rose Marie Belo, Sarah Mutarelli & Mrs. Williamson

Individual Student Photos by Lifetouch for Students in Grs. PreK-7 will be sent home on Friday, 9/28/18.  Be sure to check backpacks!  Photo proofs for students in Gr. 8 may be viewed online - click here.  Makeup photos & retakes will be available when our group class photos are taken on Monday, 11/12.  The original photo package must be returned for a retake.

Walk-In Wednesdays are coming in October - Families interested in learning more about SMS are invited to drop in any Wednesday morning that school is open in October.  If you know someone who would like to get to know more about us, please encourage them to drop by and be sure to register for our Family Referral Program!  Your support of our school is greatly appreciated.



Read All About It!  

This year's first issue of the SMS Times is fresh off the presses!  Click here.



Annual Lyman Pie & Otis Spunkmeyer Cookie Dough Fund Raiser is Coming Soon!  Just in time for the holidays, our Home & School Association will be selling frozen Lyman Pies & Otis Spunkmeyer Cookie Dough.  Order forms will be sent home with all students on Friday, October 5th.  All orders and payments must be returned to the school office no later than Friday, October 19th.  Orders may also be placed online - click here.  Pies & cookie dough will be available for pickup on Monday, 11/12/18, 1-4pm in the Parish Center.  Please note - all products arrive frozen and must be picked up on 11/12.  The school does not have freezer space for products that are not picked up and will not be responsible for products that thaw.

Students in Mrs. Jehning's first grade class have developed
a "growth mindset mantra" --- We can all benefit from their wisdom!

2018 Altar Server Training for New Servers -New altar servers are needed at Saint Mary’s Church and School. Are you interested in joining this wonderful ministry? Classes will meet on Saturdays, time to TBD, on October 20th, 27th, and November 10th. All children in 4th grade or above are invited to join us. You must RSVP by email to Sheila Garilli, altar server coordinator, via email at ServerLeader@StMarySimsbury.org.

"Every Brick Has A Memory To Share"
Sponsor a brick for our new St. Mary Courtyard

Watch this brief video clip to hear about why one student at SMS sponsored a brick and then don't miss your chance to leave a legacy! Help us create a beautiful Mary Garden.  Extended through October 15th.  Click here to learn more and to order your brick.

CHOICE Corner - It's fall fashion week in the Choice Corner.

Purchase your gift cards to update your fall wardrobe. 

Nordstrom $100 and $25 6%

Macy's $100 10%

Lands End $100 and $25 15% - Formal uniform starts on 11/1 for grades K-7.  Eighth grade begins formal uniform on 12/3.

Lots of other vendors are also available both "in stock" and via GLScrip.  Click here to learn more.

Grade 8 Invites You to "Celebrate" an Early Dismissal Day with Peachwave!

Click here to download & print the flyer or just mention it when paying for your order
Peachwave is located in the Drake Hill Mall at 710 Hopmeadow St., Simsbury.

Fall Fun!

Last weekend featured scarecrows, classic cars and an airshow!  Sara (gr. 6) and Kareem (PreK) enjoyed these great autumn activities.  If your family is having a fall adventure, we'd love to share your photos.  Photos can be emailed to smsoffice@stmarysimsbury.eduk12.net.

News for the Week of 9/19/18

School Board Meets Tonight - Wednesday, 9/19/18, at 7pm in the lower church.  All are welcome.








Important Safety Request - So far our drop off and pick up procedures have gone extremely well and, with safety as our primary goal, we have managed to do things in a timely fashion.  Now that we are a few weeks into the year, we have run into a couple of issues that really need attention.

#1 When waiting to enter the parking lot  for afternoon pickup please, please do not park two or three across the opening. We must maintain a lane for people to enter or exit in case of emergency. It never mattered before because we did not use the north entrance for anything during the day, now we do. 

#2 Please consider arriving at school close to or just after the 3:20 dismissal. Traffic backing up on Hopmeadow is not safe and when the line begins at 2:30 we are just asking for an accident or for police intervention.

Thank you so much for your attention to these matters.

Looking Ahead to October -
Our October school Mass will be held on Tuesday, 10/2, at 9am in church.

School will be closed on Wednesday, 10/3, for professional development.

School will be dismissed early on Friday, 10/5, at 12:45pm for faculty faith formation.  There will be NO PreK Enrichment or Aftercare.

School will be closed on Monday, 10/8, in observance of Columbus Day.

Walk-In Wednesdays are coming in October - Families interested in learning more about SMS are invited to drop in any Wednesday morning that school is open in October.  If you know someone who would like to get to know more about us, please encourage them to drop by and be sure to register for our Family Referral Program!  Your support of our school is greatly appreciated.

2018 Altar Server Training for New Servers -New altar servers are needed at Saint Mary’s Church and School. Are you interested in joining this wonderful ministry? Classes will meet on Saturdays, time to TBD, on October 20th, 27th, and November 10th. All children in 4th grade or above are invited to join us. You must RSVP by email to Sheila Garilli, altar server coordinator, via email at ServerLeader@StMarySimsbury.org.

CHOICE Card Corner - It's football season! Where are you getting your snacks from? 

You choose...

Fitzgeralds 5%

Shop Rite 5%

Stop & Shop 5%

Whole Foods 3%

Game on!

Click here for a CHOICE card order form 

or stop by the school office to get your CHOICE cards.

Grade 8 Fundraising - 

It's time to pick up your beautiful fall mums! Those that ordered mums from the Gr. 8 mum sale may pick up plants on Friday, 9/21, from 2-4pm in the Parish Center or after all Masses on 9/22 and 9/23. Thanks to all who purchased!

This Saturday, 9/22, is the 8th grade carwash!  Come on down to the north (playground) parking lot between 8am-12noon and our smiling 8th grade students will give your car a fabulous wash and rinse.  Thanks in advance for your support!

Athletic News - If you have not already done so, please send in all Running Club, PE Club, Basketball Club and Soccer Club payments by Friday, 9/21/18. Fee Schedule is as follows:

Soccer - $30
PE Club - $40 per month of participation, due in advance
Running Club - $30 for 6 sessions
Basketball Club - $40 for 8 session in September & October

Basketball season is coming soon!  We are looking for a volunteer coach for JVC (Grs. 2 & 3) Boys. Virtus training is required for all coaches.  More information about the upcoming basketball season will be coming soon!

Don't miss your chance to leave a legacy! Help us create a beautiful Mary Garden.

Students, parents, teachers, and alumni - please consider sponsoring a brick for our new St. Mary Courtyard now through the end of September. Please click here to learn more and place your order.   

HOPES Dinner - Congratulations to Mrs. Mutarelli & Mrs. Belo - Each year, the HOPES Dinner recognizes the extraordinary volunteers who support our students, teachers and faculty in making Catholic schools exceptional institutions for learning academics and the Gospel.  Please join us in congratulating this year's SMS recipients of the St. John Neumann Award - Mrs. Rose Marie Belo and Mrs. Sarah Mutarelli.  Mrs. Belo has served as our school's Advancement Chair for the past 2 years and has been instrumental in the success of important events like our 60th Anniversary Gala and last year's Cinco de Mayo celebration along with our recent "Back to School Knight" and other advancement activities.  Mrs. Mutarelli has been an active volunteer in our community since her children began school here.  She has been a loyal hot lunch volunteer and an active member of our Advancement Committee. Currently, Mrs. Mutarelli also serves as  the chairperson of our School Board.  This year's HOPES dinner will be held on Tuesday, September 25th at the Aquaturf in Southington.  There is still one seat available at the SMS table.  Please contact Mrs. Williamson if you interested in attending.

Grade 3 students are happy to get reacquainted with their coding friends,
Dot & Dash.