News for the Week of September 16, 2015



SMS was well represented at last Sunday's "Back to School" Mass at St. Joseph Cathedral in Hartford.
We were so pleased to share a photo op with some of our alumni including James & John Sullivan (Class of '14),
 Sophie Howard (Class of '14),  Abby Herron (Class of '12)  and Kathryn Krocheski (Class of '14).
Congratulations to the newly elected members of our Student Council -

President - Jonathan H., Grade 8
Vice President - Isabel M., Grade 8
Recording Secretary - Isabella K., Grade 8
Treasurer - Declan W., Grade 8
Public Relations - Hanna C., Grade 8
7th Grade Class Representative - Kate S.
7th Grade Alternate - Audrey B.
6th Grade Class Representative - Hannah K.
6th Grade Alternate - Esteban S.
5th Grade Class Representative - Matthew G.
5th Grade Alternate - Maggie S.

We would also like to commend all the candidates that showed the interest and initiative to run for office this year.  All the candidates impress us with their mature behavior and eloquent speeches.  Each candidate made the most of this opportunity to share their leadership skills.  We fully expect that all of the candidates will continue to advance the mission of our school with their active involvement and desire to embrace all of the opportunities the St. Mary's experience offers.



Friday, 9/18 - Hot Lunch begins for those who have ordered.


Bus Transportation Reminder - On Friday, 9/18, Simsbury PUBLIC schools have an early closing for professional development but St. Mary's School has a regular full day. Buses may bring students home significantly earlier than usual. Please be sure you are home to greet your students or have discussed with them what to do in the event that you are not at home when they arrive.





Are you new to the SMS Community?  New Parent Night is almost here!
Join us on Tuesday, 9/22/15 -

Please make sure to RSVP to tchagnon@stmarysimsbury.eduk12.net by this Friday, September 18th if you are planning on joining us for this evening designed to welcome parents new to our community. We are looking forward to seeing you on Tuesday, September 22, 2015 at 7:00pm. in the Parish Center.



A word about iOS9 - Apple has made the iOS9 Software available effective today.  SMS STUDENT DEVICES SHOULD NOT BE UPDATED WITH THIS SOFTWARE AT THIS TIME.  Student devices will be updated in a scheduled manner using the Apple Configurator product once we are confident the software is stable and that the apps loaded to the device have updates available to assure they function properly with the new operating system.


Mrs. Lugo's Third Grade Class was happy to welcome our school chaplain, Father Garcia, to their Religion class.


Annual Asbestos Inspection & Management Plan Notification - Click here to review our annual notification regarding our school's asbestos inspection and management plan.




Grade 7 Parent Meeting re. ROPE -  Each year, SMS 7th grade students grow in a "Right of Passage Experience" via the school's ROPE program.  This team building, leadership program is an important part of our Middle School experience.  There will be a Parent Meeting for this program on Monday, September 21st at 6:30pm in the Parish Center.  If you have questions before this meeting, please contact Maribeth Mortillaro at mmortillaro@stmarysimsbury.eduk12.net.


Let's Get Focused...... on our website! Any time, expertise or feedback that you are able to give would be greatly appreciated as we brainstorm ideas for a redesign & refresh of our school's website. Please join our focus group! Contact Toni Chagnon at tchagnon@stmarysimsbury.eduk12.net or 860-658-9412.

Clothes for a Cause -The St. Ann's Church Scholarship Committee provides partial scholarships to approximately sixteen students from the Hartford area who want to attend a Catholic high school.  The scholarships assist students (selected by the school staff) at Northwest Catholic High School, East Catholic High School, and St. Paul's High School in Bristol.  Each student is guaranteed annual financial assistance throughout his/her high school career. The Scholarship Committee holds four annual fundraisers and the Clothing Sale is the last one for this calendar year. St. Ann's is accepting donations now and there will be a collection box at SMS from Monday, 9/21 - Monday, 9/28.  This is a great time to share some of your clean, gently used clothing and accessories for a great cause.  And if you are looking to refresh your own or your children(s)' wardrobe, why not see what's available at the sale at St. Ann's?



A first-of-its-kind conference, the Digital Citizenship Summit will take place on Saturday, October 3 from 9am-5pm in the Bruyette Athenaeum, located on the University of Saint Joseph's main campus at 1678 Asylum Avenue, West Hartford, Connecticut. The topic is of interest to parents, educators, school administrators, and students, as well as industry and organization leaders concerned about the misuse of technology among students — both children and teens. This full-day event includes four sessions of speakers, a panel discussion, and opportunities to network with leaders across the country intending to improve the use of present-day technology. The cost is $50 ($15 for students) and includes a light breakfast and lunch.  Click here for more information and to register.


 


The Fall Bookfair is coming in October!  Volunteer Help is Needed!

The Scholastic Book Fair will be held from October 5 - 11. We need volunteers to help with sales for morning, mid-day, and afternoon shifts, as well as assistance with the children during their scheduled classroom visits. When dates and classroom visit times have been determined, we’ll provide the details. As always, this is a great opportunity to be with your children and help foster a love of reading with them.  Please keep in mind all volunteers must have completed Virtus training. A Virtus training session will be offered here at SMS later this fall.  The date and time for this training session will be announced via the blog.

If you are interested in volunteering please contact either: Bridget Shanley (860) 738-8965(bashanley@charter.net) or Karen McKenna (KDSM1120@comcast.net)






Show Your School Spirit! SMS car magnets are available in the school office for $5 each. Stop by and see Toni Chagnon to purchase your magnets! Please bring exact change or a check made payable to St. Mary's School.






Correction - Thomas H.was erroneously identified as a 6th grade student in last Friday's blog.  Thomas is a grade 8 student.











Athletic News -  Want to stay up to date on all the before and after school sports opportunities at SMS?  Take a moment and subscribe to the SMS Athletics blog -  Click here.









Lego Robotics begin tomorrow - 9/17/15 - 3 spots are still available. This after school club is open to students in 6th-8th grade.  Click here to download a registration form.


Community News

Today is the final day you can sign up for the parish picnic - click here.





Boy Scout Troop 175 is hosting a recruiting night on September 17th - 









Next week, Pope Francis will be visiting in the United States.  Click here for a schedule of his visit activities.  Please keep our Pope and our country in your prayers that his visit here may be a time of joy and celebration and inspire us to live more authentically Catholic lives and deepen our commitment to our faith.



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