Weekly Update - September 29, 2016
PICTURE DAY IS TOMORROW!
Lost your picture form? Click here to order online.
In this update:

A letter from Mrs. Maxwell regarding our upcoming Top 20 Night!

One week until  Marathon ! We've provided a fundraising update below. We also added some volunteer needs for Marathon Day and Family Fun Night!

You may have already heard, but Mrs. Olmanson is working to earn a trip to St. Louis through social media. Find out how you can support her!

Veterans Day is a special day at St.  Michael. Mr. Olson is requesting tributes to share and display in November.

Other important items: VIRTUS training, no cost fundraising items, Catholic high school events, The Laker Educational Foundation Blue Jeans Bash, Upcoming Events, and volunteer opportunities.
laurieFrom The Principal's Desk

Parents,
 
I am excited for our long awaited Top 20 Night with Paul Bernabei!  The purpose of St. Michael Catholic School is the human development of our students, families, faculty and staff. During this presentation, Paul will provide practical ways of fulfilling this purpose.  We invite all parents to join our staff members at this event. We also encourage our 5th - 8th grade student to attend. Top 20 is truly a way of living and encouraging others. No homework will be assigned to students in 8th grade so that they will be able to attend the event.
 
What:  Top 20 Night
Where: St. Michael School
When: Tuesday, Oct. 4th - 6:30-8:30
Who: All parents, staff, and 5th- 8th grade students.
 
The Topic:  Guiding Our Children through Life's Challenges:
Becoming the Best Version of Ourselves
 
Paul Bernabei's presentation on October 4  will provide practical ways of fulfilling this purpose by answering seven questions:
 
1. How can we bring positive energy to every situation life sends our way?
2. How can we think in ways that benefit others and ourselves?
3. How can we eliminate negativity?
4. How can we help our students learn from mistakes?
5. How can we celebrate confusion?
6. How can we help our children know how they have intelligence?
7. How can we make things better after we have said or done something we wish we hadn't said or done?
 
Beginning on Friday we are replacing our peace-builders pledge during our Blues News Network (BNN) morning prayer time with the following pledge.
 
St. Michael Catholic School Top 20 Pledge
 
St. Michael's is a Top 20 School. We agree to create a positive environment for all students, staff and families in our school.  agree :
  •  to Help Others Succeed
  •  to Communicate "You Matter"
  •  to Honor the Absent
  •  to See the Problem, Own the Problem
When we all abide by these agreements, we are living above the line, making sure every human being is important. In this way we journey to become our true self and make St. Michael a better place to learn and grow.
 
See you at the Top 20 Event!

Blessings,

Laurie Maxwell
Principal
heroMarathon Updates

Marathon Day is almost here! As of Tuesday night, our donation total is $13,684. Thank you to all parents, friends, and family members who have donated. Our goal is $50,000.

Students have been getting excited and asking lots of questions about fundraising incentives. As a reminder, the drawings at Family Fun Night can be found here.

Online Donations: Online donations can be made  here

Does your employer have a company match program? Click here.

Volunteers: There are three ways to volunteer with Marathon:

Family Fun Night:  Make sure Family Fun Night is on your calendar! Join us Friday, October 7 from 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. for Human Foosball, Bingo, and El Jefe Food Truck.

Parents can be heroes too: The parish Nurse Ministry is sponsoring a blood drive on Tuesday, October 4 from 1:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. in Archangels Hall. You can donate blood and be a hero, too! Sign-up online by clicking here.
stlouisHelp Send Mrs. Olmanson to St. Louis!

Mrs. Olmanson is one of just 10 teachers selected from around the nation to participate in an exciting contest!
Over the next 10 weeks, Rachel will be posting all about Catholic schools on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. The National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) will be following her progress and t racking her influence. The first place winner receives a trip to St. Louis for NCEA 2016!
How can you help? 
Follow Mrs. Olmanson on social media:
Facebook:  SMCSBluesArt
Instagram: @SMCSBluesArt
Twitter:  @SMCSBluesArt

Then, like, re-tweet, share, love, and comment on her posts.
Go Mr. Olmanson!
veteranFamily Veteran Tribute

Do you have a loved one in your family who has served in the military and has passed away? We invite you to write a special tribute to this special person for our Veteran's Day Program. We will be choosing a few of these to read at our program, and the rest will be displayed at school on Veteran's Day.

If you wish to participate, please type (or write neatly) a tribute about your family veteran. Please limit the tribute to a half page or less. You may either turn it in to your child's homeroom teacher or email it to Mr Olson. If you e-mail your tribute, please be sure to include the name of the St. Michael student(s) related to the veteran.

Please turn tributes in no later than November 4.
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If you have any questions please contact Mr. Olson at [email protected].
virtusAdditional VIRTUS training session added at St. Michael

In response to the Charter for the Protection of Children and Youth, the Archdiocese of Minneapolis and St. Paul requires training sessions for all adult volunteers having regular and/or unsupervised contact with children and youth. The  program specifically address how the entire parish and  school communities can protect all of God's children from  sexual abuse.
 
A FREE VIRTUS training is being offered at St. Michael  Catholic Church on Tuesday, October 11 from 6:00-9:00 p.m. in Archangels Hall. Please register online at www.virtus.org. Call Tammie at 952-447-2491 if you need assistance.
fundraisingNo Cost Fundraising at St. Mike's

NEW - AmazonSmile: Have you signed up yet? Go to smile.amazon.com and designate St. Michael Catholic Church, Prior Lake and Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases.

Box tops:  Did you hear about the new Box Top Bonus App? Click here for the details.

Metro Dining Cards are here!  Click here for more details.

Uncle Ben's Beginners: Cook with your child and win $15,000 for yourself and $30,000 for the school. Click here for details.

Bright Future Promotion from Cheese Heads: How would you spend $10,000 at St. Mike's? Tell Frigo Cheese Heads in 50 to 200 words. Click here for the details.
highschoolCatholic High School Events

Academy of Holy Angels: Attend a Student Visit Day, Parent Observation Morning, or Open House. For more information, or to schedule, please click here

The Academy of Holy Angels Volleyball team would like to invite you to our Middle School and Fan Appreciation Night on Monday, October 10.  The Stars are off to a 15-1 start this season and will be facing the Eagles from New Life Academy with the first serve taking place at 7:00 pm. 
 
All fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students get into the match for FREE.  If you play volleyball for your grade school, we encourage you to wear your team jersey.  We will have plenty of giveaways, contests and fun!
 
Please contact Joe Berg at [email protected] if you have any questions or if you plan on bringing your full team.  We will do a brief introduction of all our middle school students before the match. 

St. Thomas Academy & Visitation School: 8th graders, click here for a free ticket to their Homecoming Football Game!
lakerLaker Educational Foundation Blue Jeans Bash
a note from Cory Postle

As some of you may know,  I serve on the board for the Laker Educational Foundation.  The Laker Educational Foundation has a history of supporting St Michael Catholic School through grant support. This Blue Jeans Bash is the fundraiser through which they raise the majority of their funds- to distribute back to the schools.
 
I would love to see our St. Mike's community well represented at the event. Tickets are $50 per person and I am selling them; I am hoping ten people from our school community will join me. It is a fun night out, including social hour, dinner, silent auction, and comedian.

Please let me know if you are able to join us Friday, October 14, with social hour beginning at 6pm. ...also, please spread the word to any who may be interested.
 
Thanks
Cory Postle

calendarUpcoming Events

September 26-30
NWEA Testing (Click here for the full schedule)
September 30
School Pictures
October 3-6
NWEA Testing (Click here for the full schedule)
October 4 6:30 p.m. Top 20 Training Presentation
October 7
Service Marathon and Family Fun Night
October 13 6:30 p.m. Marketing Meeting (contact Maggie Stack if you'd like to join at [email protected])
October 13 12:30 p.m. Reconciliation for grades 3-8 - Parents welcome!
October 19-21
MEA Break - NO SCHOOL
October 24
Staff In-Service - NO SCHOOL
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You can view the entire school calendar here.
volunteer volunteer2Volunteer at St. Mike's

Volunteers are essential to the success of St. Michael Catholic School. We welcome parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, alumni, and friends to volunteer. Please review the many opportunities to help find one that best meets your skills and interests .

The current active sign-ups are:


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