Saint Mary Magdalene Catholic School Newsletter, September 23, 2020

Mission Statement:

Saint Mary Magdalene Catholic School is a community that proclaims the gospel by our dedication to quality instruction while fostering our commitment to the needs of others.

An Update from Mr. Mihalyo

Dear Saint Mary Magdalene Catholic School Families,

It is official! We have been in school for one month! I know back in June this may have seemed an unlikely scenario considering where our state was with the pandemic. I am so happy we were able to return to school to kick off our year.

By now you may have seen Governor Cooper’s press conference on schools. One of the nicest parts of our plan is a smooth and easy transition as we move between plans. I will be meeting with members of the Diocese of Raleigh in the coming days to see if the governor’s press conference impacts our schools. Once we have been able to work through this, we will communicate updates to you. We appreciate your patience on this.

This week we added some new features to our morning announcements, including our "Saint of the Day". This allows our students to learn about different saints in our church’s history, as well as their role as a patron saint and other interesting information about them. During this pandemic our Monarchs cannot attend Mass as a school community, participate in service opportunities as we have in the past, or attend retreats. It is important for our Catholic faith to remain at the heart of our school.

This Friday our teachers will be participating in a Diocese of Raleigh Professional Development Day. There is no school for in person or distance learning students on this day. Normally, we would gather at Cardinal Gibbons as a diocese to attend training and professional development sessions. This year we are forced to do this a little differently. Sessions will take place via internet meetings, collaboration, and at the school level. Please keep our teachers at Saint Mary Magdalene Catholic School, and throughout the diocese, in your prayers on this day.

During the weeks of October 5th and 12th our students will be participating in our annual IOWA Testing. These will all be completed on computers this year for both in person and virtual students. To ensure our internet connections remain as strong as possible during the testing, the tests will be done over the course of two weeks and by grade levels. We are working with the Diocese of Raleigh and Riverside to set this schedule. We will have it ready for you next week.

Lastly, I want to give a big shout out to our Saint Mary Magdalene Catholic School teachers for the work they have done over the past month of school. They have made the commitment to return to school for this year and do what they do best: provide our Monarchs, both at home and in school, with a Catholic education. They have answered the call during a challenging time and showed why their vocation as a Catholic school educator is so important. Thank you, teachers, for all you do for our Monarchs, both those in person and those at home this year.

God Bless,

John Mihalyo, Principal

@StMMPrincipal

UPCOMING EVENTS

Thursday, September 24th, Day 1 - School Mass

Click here to watch our school Mass.

Friday, September 25th - Diocese In-Service Day, No School,

Virtual Learning Materials Pick Up

Monday, September 28th, Day 2 - PSO City BBQ Fundraiser,

New Student Applications Open for 2021-22 School Year

Tuesday, September 29th, Day 3

Wednesday, September 30th, Day 4

Thursday, October 1st, Day 5

Friday, October 2nd, Day 6

Monday, October 5th - Friday, October 16th - IOWA Testing

Click here to view our online school calendar.

CHROMEBOOK ORDER UPDATE

We have been in contact with the reseller for the Chromebooks that were expected to be delivered the second week of September. At this time, they are not able to give us a definite delivery date. We are working with the reseller to get them as soon as possible.

2021-22 APPLICATIONS OPEN MONDAY

Does your child have a sibling ready to become a Monarch? New student applications for the 2021-22 school year will be available beginning Monday, September 28th. To apply online, click here. Please note, current students DO NOT need to apply. Re-enrollment for our current students will begin in January 2021. Questions, please contact Lydia Binanay, 919-657-4800 x7296.

YEARBOOK SELFIE PHOTO CONTEST

Check out this fun yearbook selfie photo contest called Monarchs Unmasked! Entries are due Wednesday, September 30th. You can upload photo submissions by clicking here. If prompted for a user ID, enter 415464721.

ORDER YOUR 2020-21 YEARBOOK NOW

The 2020-2021 yearbook is sure to be a treasure for years to come! Purchase early to get the lowest price of the year. Students can personalize their book this year. As a special back to school promotion, choose 4 free personalization icons when you order before Friday, October 23^rd. Click here to learn more about ordering and personalization. To purchase online, visit http://jostensyearbooks.com/?REF=A01055247.

VIRTUAL MONARCHS

Materials Pick Up This Friday, September 25th

Virtual Monarchs, don't forget to pick up your virtual learning materials this Friday, September 25th. Please come at the times designated for your grade level. Park in the back of the school building and use the back entrance near the gym/cafeteria.

PK-2nd: 8:30-9:00am

3rd-4th: 9:00-9:30am

5th-6th: 9:30-10:00am

7th-8th: 10:00-10:30am

Keep The Photos Coming!

We love to see our virtual monarchs learning at home! Please keep sending us pics of your children in their home classrooms. Email your pictures to Lydia Binanay.

COUNSELOR'S CORNER

In a recent Catholic blog post, I was intrigued by the title, Walking with Purpose: You Are Not Enough https://walkingwithpurpose.com/about/our-ministry/.

How am I not enough? Compared to whom? It wasn’t an uplifting title that normally gives me hope and encouragement. The blogger describes feeling stressed, filled with anxiety, not able to help oneself or others. No matter what you can do or can’t do, God is always there. He is enough.

If you or others in your family are feeling overwhelmed, how do you handle it? Here is a useful article with tips to help teens and others in your family: How to Cope with Anxiety, https://yourteenmag.com/health/teenager-mental-health/cope-with-anxiety.

Validate feelings. Dismissing someone's feelings makes them seem less important. Encourage your child to keep talking by validating their feelings and asking what is bothering them.
Follow a set schedule. Create a schedule after school, incorporating family time and a regular bed time. When state guidelines change and school schedules change, it may take more time to adjust your schedule and during this time you may sense more anxiety in your children.
Set limits on media time. No matter if your child is in person or a distance learner, they are spending time on a screen. Be the example at home and put down the phone, turn off the news, and spend time outside enjoying the fall weather or watching a family movie.
Encourage other distractions. Explore hobbies and outdoor activities. Encourage your child to play outside, go for a socially distant walk with friends, and set up facetime with family members.
Create healthy eating habits. Snacks and snacking all day is not going to help in the long term. Keep on hand a variety of fruits, cut up vegetables and have well-balanced meals no matter what your schedule.
Keep up with their mental health. Pay attention to your child if he/she is sleeping more, seems more moody, and isn't sharing part of their day.
Manage your self-care. Talk about what coping strategies you use. Let your children know what you do to take care of yourself as a way to model healthy behavior.
Know your resources. The pediatrician knows your child the best. They can also recommend other resources if you think your child needs them. Don’t hesitate to reach out for help.

Remember, we are not enough. We have God to pray to for guidance. Other support people around us are there to help as well. Speak up if you need help.

FROM THE CAFETERIA

LUNCH MENU

Monday, September 28th - Chicken Nuggets

Tuesday, September 29th - Hot Dogs

Wednesday, September 30th - Pizza

Thursday, October 1st - Chicken Wraps

Friday, October 2nd - Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

A taste of fall now available from our cafeteria! Add a cup of freshly cut apples to your child's lunch order for just $2.10 a cup.

Did you know you can check the balance of your child's lunch account on Renweb by checking your FACTS prepay account? You can see a complete list of charges and even add funds right online. Visit https://stmm-nc.client.renweb.com/pwr/.

PSO UPCOMING EVENTS

CITY BBQ FUNDRASIER ON MONDAY!

Nothing goes better with cool fall weather than warm BBQ! Join us this Monday, September 28th from 11:00am-8:00pm for a fundraiser with City BBQ at 1305 Kildaire Farm Rd, Cary in the Shoppes of Kildaire shopping center. You get a Monday night off cooking and yummy BBQ, and the PSO gets 20% donated by City BBQ! Or, treat your friends, online learners or co-workers to lunch. Feel free to share our code with friends, grandparents and neighbors.

There are 3 easy options to order. Order takeout online (https://order.citybbq.com/menu/cary) or on the City BBQ app using the code "FundA". They offer curbside pickup too! Or, you may order in the restaurant for dine-in or carry-out. Just show a picture of the flier in the newsletter or the school's social media posts using your phone or a printed version, and mention code "FundA" to the cashier. Remember: no matter how you order, use code "FundA" to help the PSO! Unfortunately, orders placed through third-party delivery services do not count in our fundraiser, so please order from City BBQ directly and use code "FundA".

OCTOBER USED UNIFORM SALE

Save the date: The next used uniform sale will take place Tuesday, October 6th from 5:00-6:00pm in the school lobby. Wear a mask and bring a checkbook!