December 2, 2016


St. Margaret Mary
School Newsletter
Christ IS Coming: Be Prepared
 "Band-Aid Raid"
Next Week! December 5-9
Sponsored by the Beta Club 
  
 
This band-aid fundraiser supports Supplies Over Seas in their mission
to help the needy in other countries.
 
We are asking everyone to donate 
boxes of band-aids (any brand/any size).
If you want to donate money
$1.00 = 1 box

The homeroom with the most boxes of band-aids will earn an ice cream party! Collection boxes are in each homeroom.

Parents - Please clearly mark monetary donations for the Band Aid Raid. With a Book Fair happening next week, too, we want to avoid any confusion.
Jesse Tree Donation Deadline:
Sunday, December 4, 11:00 am

Don't forget all donations are due to the church by 11:00 am on Sunday, December 4.  Thank you to all of the students and families who selected an ornament to donate.
St. Nicholas' Day Pancake Breakfast
 
Sunday, December 4
After the 8:00 & 10:00 am Masses
St. Margaret Mary Cafeteria
 
Come enjoy a delicious pancake breakfast with excellent fellowship. St. Margaret Mary's Boy Scouts will be hosting this community event. Everyone is welcome!
 
St. Nicholas, a.k.a the original St. Nick, was a 4th century bishop of Myra and devoted himself to helping the poor. St. Nicholas is best known for secretly leaving small bags of gold on the window sills of the poor in his community. His feast day is December 6. 
Family Night
Thursday, December 8

Thursday, December 8 is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, which is a Holy Day   of Obligation and it has been designated as a SMM Family Night. All school, parish, and athletic activities that begin at 6:00 pm or after will be suspended for this night so that families may focus on time together.
Priests' Christmas Gifts  

As in the past years, we would like to give the priests a monetary gift from the students and school families for all they do in the religious education of our children. If you would like to contribute, please send cash (if possible) in an envelope to the school office marked "Priests' Gifts" by Tuesday, December 13. Thank you!


Special Area Teachers
School Staff

It's time to show our
appreciation at Christmas to our amazing special area teachers who teach drama, art, music, Spanish (2 teachers), PE (2 teachers), computer, and our school librarian. This collection will also be shared with our school support staff that includes our maintenance, office staff, cafeteria manager and cafeteria monitors, administration and counseling staff.   (We don't want them to be left out because they do not have home room classes.)

Lindsey Phelps  will be taking up the collection this year. If you would like to donate (any amount), please send cash or check in a sealed envelope to the school office marked "Lindsey Phelps" by Tuesday, December 13. 
 
Let's show our staff that they are appreciated this holiday season! 

  
 
VS.
Thank you!
UK vs U of L Dime Wars 
Thank you for your generosity! A total of was $494.50 was collected in the Student Council Dime War. The UofL fans won the challenge with $306 in donations, while UK's collection was  $188.50.
After School Enrichment Classes 
December & January Offerings

Check out all of the new, fun, after school offerings by clicking here. Many of our teachers will begin a new set of offerings such as  Arts & Crafts, Tiny Techies , and many new  Math Mania Classes 

This information is posted on our school website under the Student Academic tab, then After School Enrichment

Congratulations to our St. Margaret Mary Jr. High Students who have been named to the Honor Roll for the 1st trimester. 
Mercy Academy 
Jr. Jag Dance Clinic
Saturday,December 10

Click here for more information.
Franciscan Kitchen Volunteers

On Tuesday, December 6, the following students will accompany Kim Cox to volunteer: Jeffrey Cox, Keegan Wagonner and Gibson Ochsner.
Advent Reflection
2nd week of Advent
Christ is Coming: Be Prepared

Please click here to view the reflections for the 2nd Sunday of Advent, December 3/4.
The Nutcracker
Sacred Heart School for the Arts

Please consider starting a new holiday tradition by going to see The Nutcracker presented by Sacred Heart School for the Arts. You will get to see many fellow Mustangs dance in this beautiful performance.  Tickets are available at www.showtix4u.com and performances are December 9-11 both evening and afternoon performances.
News from Mrs. Sims
            
Advent is a wonderful time of year, full of joy and anticipation.  There is no better place to be than surrounded by children as they wait, hope and wish.  We have added a prayer for Advent to our afternoon dismissal procedures.

Afternoon Prayer for Advent
God of Love,
Your son, Jesus, is your greatest gift to us.
He is a sign of your love.
Help us walk in that love during the weeks of Advent,
As we wait and prepare for His coming.
We pray in the name of Jesus, our Savior.
Amen.
 
On another note, our school accreditation visit went very well this week. We received many positive comments about our school community and facility. A detailed report will be coming our way in a few weeks. St. Margaret Mary School scored above the national averages in all areas- Teaching and Learning, Governance and Leadership, Resource Management, and Catholic Identity! We have so much to be proud of and thankful for at SMM.  

May God Bless You and Your Family,
Wendy Sims
Book Fair
Going On Now
through Friday, December 9

The exciting Buy One, Get One, Book Fair is now underway in the school library. Everything is Buy One, Get One! You purchase the item of greater amount, and the second item is FREE!

The Book Fair is open during the school day through next Friday, December 9. After-school hours will be announced on Monday.

Parents - please, label your child's money for Book Fair, since the Band Aid Raid is happening next week, and they are accepting monetary donations. 
SMM Music Christmas Concert
Tuesday, December 6
6:30 pm

Join us on Wednesday evening as the SMM beginning and advanced bands, Encore show 
choir,  SuperNova choir and Resonare' youth hand bell choir all perform in the PAC.
Congratulations - 5/6th grade
All State Choir Members
Congratulations to Mrs. Harrison and the following five students who will represent SMM in the 5/6th grade all-state chorus in February 2017.  These students competed against 5/6th grade students from the entire state of Kentucky to earn a place in their all-state choir.

Ben Breunig 6th grade
Audrey Lucas 6th grade


Gianna Claros 5th grade
Brenna Mathes 5th grade
James Moreschi 5th grade
PTO News
PTO Poinsettia Sales
Deadline Sunday, December 4

It that time of year again. Please click here to print the order form to pre-order your PTO Poinsettias. Deadline is Sunday, December 4. The homeroom with the most pre-orders will receive a party! Questions? Contact Jennifer Beem  beemsmm@gmail.com
Box Tops Collection
Friday, December 9 Deadline

'Tis the Season to Collect Box Tops! The family who turns in the most by December 9th, will receive a $25 Toy R Us Gift Card!  Click here to access the form and please make extra copies as needed. Please only put 25 Box Tops on each sheet. If you have a large amount of Box Tops and would really like to help us, please place your Box Tops in baggies, with 50 in each baggie. Please write the number on the baggie. Good Luck! Any questions please contact Debbie Arno at darno0124@gmail.com
Save the Date!!

Celebrate the Night in BLACK and WHITE. The Annual SMM Gala will be on Saturday, February 25, 2017 at the Louisville Marriott East. Please mark your calendars for this wonderful night of fundraising and fun. More details to come!
SMM Gala Wheel of Chance
Donations Needed!
 
The SMM Gala Committee is looking for donations for our popular Wheel of Chance. We are in need of a variety items of differing values. In the past we have received donated items such as an American Girl Doll, restaurant gift cards of various denominations, car detail gift certificate, Camp Hi-Ho, Yeti Cooler, GoPro, and Apple Watch. These are just a few examples but we are always interested in new ideas. Donations are being collected until January 20, 2017.
 
For more information please contact Elizabeth Galle at (502) 500-7543 or SMM.gala@aol.com
The Girl Scouts are excited to announce the dates of their upcoming all-school dances:

Father-Daughter Dance
Saturday,January 21
7:00-9:00 pm PAC

Mom Prom
(Mother-Son Dance)
Saturday, March 18
7:00-9:00 pm PAC
Join us for Reconciliation

The following grades will be attending the Sacrament of Reconciliation in preparation for Advent. Parents and family members are welcome to join our students in the church. There will be many priests available.
Tuesday, December 6 5th & 6th grades 1:15 pm
Wednesday, December 7 7th & 8th grades 1:15 pm
Families Needed -
Lighting of the Advent Wreath

Once again this year, we are inviting families to come up at the beginning of Mass during Advent to light the Advent candles. The first 2 weeks purple candles are lit, the third week we add the pink, the fourth week it is all 4 candles. We invite you to sign your family up and more fully enter the Advent experience.
Families may sign up by  clicking here
Keep Christ in Christmas 
Poster Contest

The Knights of Columbus are sponsoring a poster contest! Please click here for full details. There are 3 age categories - ages 5-7, 8-10, and 11-14. Students may pick up paper from the SMM school or parish office.

In Sympathy . . .

Please join us in prayers for:

Christine Williford, our parish's Director of Lifelong Formation,   and her family on the death of her mother.

Laurel Morris, our Communications Coordinator for the parish, and her family on the death of her paternal grandfather.
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