Weekly Update - October 6, 2016
MARATHON DAY IS TOMORROW!
Please have your child wear their Marathon t-shirt tomorrow.
In this update:

A letter from Mrs. Maxwell regarding teacher communication.

Marathon Day is here ! There are a few volunteer spots available. We hope to see everyone at Family Fun Night!

Learn more about how teachers are using active learning tools.

An update from the School Advisory Council.

Information on the recent clown disturbances in the state.

Other important items: VIRTUS training, no cost fundraising items, Catholic high school events, other local events, Upcoming Events at St. Michael, and volunteer opportunities.
laurieFrom The Principal's Desk

Parent Spring Survey Results Part Three: 
Teacher Communication
Part One: Consistent Discipline can be found here.
Part Two: Communication from Administration can be found here.
 
You told us you wanted us to elevate the consistency of communications across the school (from teachers to administration).  Teachers have committed to the following plan.  
 
PreciouStatus is being used by teachers.   Teachers throughout the school are sending both classroom and personal messages through this app.  Have you ever asked your child how their day was and they say back to you "great". These messages can be used as conversation starters for you and your child.   It is great to get an actual picture into your child's day. 
 
Weekly Newsletters: Please be on the lookout for weekly newsletters in grades preschool through five.  Each grade level has shared what day their newsletter goes out to parents.
 
Middle School Communication:   In the middle school teachers have assignments on Educate (Cornerstone) by 4:00 p.m. each day.  At the beginning of the school year you received an email with your parent log-in information.  If you need help logging in to Educate, please contact Darlene Casey.   Emails are sent occasionally from both homeroom teachers and subject teachers.  The teachers' websites contain a nice curriculum overview. Lastly, take time to have your middle school child show you their google documents and assignments.  You will find both Educate and google documents very helpful when needing to help guide a child through an assignment.
 
Teachers have committed to responding to communications received from you, whether it be by phone or email within 24 hours of receiving it.
 
Next week I look forward to sharing about academic excellence in our school.

Blessings,

Laurie Maxwell
Principal
heroMarathon Updates

Marathon Day is here! Thank you to all our students, families, and donors for their hard work!

Students are excited about the fundraising incentives. As a reminder, the drawings at Family Fun Night can be found here. All donations received before noon tomorrow will be entered in the drawings.

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: 
We hope all families are able to celebrate our success on Friday night. To make the event safe for everyone, Human Foosball will be managed by grande levels as follows:
5:00 - 5:25 p.m.: 6th - 8th Grade
5:25 - 5:50 p.m.: 4th - 5th Grade
6:10 - 6:35 p.m.: 2nd - 3rd Grade
6:35 - 7:00 p.m.: Preschool - 1st Grade

All drawings will take place at 5:55 p.m.

Bingo will take place the entire evening.
activelearningTaking the Next Step in Active Learning

Now that the 6 th and 7 th graders have an opportunity to use adjustable standing desks and learning tools in Mrs.  Morgan's room as a result of last year's generous grants from the Laker Educational Foundation and Prior Lake Optimist Club, teachers are interested to see how learning tools help active learners in other grades. Ms. Baer, Mrs. DeGross, Mrs. Peterson, and Ms. Johannes are using some of the learning tools purchased as part of the grants including Yoga ball chairs and a jellyfish chair. This August, Ms. Johannes' classroom received a couple wobble chairs! The wobble chairs allow students to move a little in their seats while improving posture and strengthening muscles. Be watching for updates throughout the year regarding the affect learning tools have on our students!
SACAn Update from the School Advisory Council 

Greetings from your School Advisory Council (SAC)! We look forward to communicating with you on a regular basis this year,  and always welcome your input as we continue to strive to make St. Mike's the best school for our children.  

We completed the post analysis of the parent survey, made recommendations based on the results, and currently are in the process of writing our goals for the 2016-2017 School Year. We look forward to updating you on our progress throughout the year. 

SAC is hosting an upcoming hospitality after the 10:30 a.m. Mass on Sunday, October 16. We'd love to see you there.  Please join your fellow St. Mike's school families and parishioners for some coffee and donuts.

School Advisory Council meets the second Thursday of every month at 6:30 p.m. at the school. Our next meeting is October 13 at 6:30 p,m. Guests are welcome to attend, and agenda items are reviewed as well.  If you'd like to attend a meeting to observe or have an item for the agenda, please reach out to Kim Tremain at  Kimtremain00@gmail.com. We invite you to visit the link to our website to learn more about the School Advisory Council roles and responsibilities, as well as access previous meeting minutes. 
clownClown Disturbances

You may be aware that in recent weeks there have been some hoax appearances and/or rumors of menacing clowns in parts of the state and country. These rumors have included schools in Prior Lake and Savage.

It is important for you to know that there have been no clowns on our school property.
The Prior Lake and Savage police have had no confirmed sightings of menacing clowns in their cities. 

Our visitor policy is strictly enforced by all staff. Please contact the school office with any questions or concerns.
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

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.
highschoolCatholic High School Events

Holy Family Catholic High School Youth Night at Volleyball
Families are invited to join the Holy Family Catholic High School community for Youth Fire Fan Night at Fire Volleyball on Tuesday, October 18 . Arrive by 6:30 p.m.  for  
pre-game fun with Fire volleyball players. Enjoy special seating, a free meal from concessions, between game activities, and some fun giveaways. Print your family's free admission ticket to the game here.
othereventsOther Local Events

FREE Wrestling Camp:  The Prior Lake Wrestling Club will be holding its 4 th  annual FREE  wrestling camp for students grades PreK-9 th .  If you have never wrestled before this is a great opportunity to give it a try.  Camp dates are October 25 th  and 27 th .  To register and for more information on Prior Lake Wrestling visit their website:  www.priorlakewrestlingclub.org

Patrons of the Arts and Activities Club: Click here for information on the Royal Tea in support of the Prior Lake High School Theater Program.

calendarUpcoming Events

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 mstack@stmichael-pl.org)
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
October 25
Parent Conferences
October 27
Picture Retakes
October 27
Parent Conferences
October 28 7:00 p.m. Halloween Dance (Grades 6-8)
October 31
Halloween Party (Preschool - Grade 5)
.
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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