The Messenger - VII, No. 4

"The Messenger"

September 6, 2019

Vol. VII, No. 4

St. Michael's Academy

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St. Michael's Academy

We gave you a break last Friday and waited until today to send home a truck load of papers from the school office! The one I'd like to draw your attention to is the September 29th Mass.

On Sunday, September 29th, which happens to be the Feast of St. Michael, the Archangel, we will be celebrating a special Mass in honor of the 10th year anniversary of St. Michael's Academy! Bishop Mitch will be here to celebrate the Mass and we truly wish to fill the church. Our ten year anniversary is an important milestone in the history of St. Michael's Academy. Our mission has been strengthened by the community of people who have come together to work for a common goal and it will continue to be strengthened by coming together as community to give thanks to God for the blessing of St. Michael's Academy and Catholic education in the city of Springfield. Please plan on coming. All are welcome!

Enjoy a nice weekend!

Ms. Ann E. Dougal

Important Dates
Please Make A Note Of These Important Dates Tuesday, September 10, 2019 from 5 - 6 p.m. Anniversary Gala Meeting Sunday, September 29, 2019 at 11 a.m. SMA 10th Anniversary Mass Celebrated by Bishop Rozanski with student participation Holy Cross Church

Don't Forget!

Tuition Assistance

PLEASE NOTE! If you have applied for tuition assistance and have NOT uploaded your tax documents, we are UNABLE to award assistance. Your application must be verified by the FACTS company and they will not do so until all documents are received.

If you are having difficulty uploading your documents, please contact the main office. Help is always available!

Haven't applied for assistance but would like to? Just log into your FACTS tuition payment account and click on the "apply for tuition assistance" button.

Banking
Attention All Savers! Banking will begin at St. Michael's next Wednesday, September 11th and continue on a weekly basis. Banking provides a wonderful opportunity to show your child the many benefits of saving money and helps them to develop a sense of responsibility.

From the Classroom of Mrs. Brodeur - PreK-3

NEWS FROM PREK-3

The children in PreK-3 are busy learning what it means to be students at St. Michael's Academy. Although we are only finishing up on a week and a half of school, the children are adjusting to their new daily routines quite nicely!

The children are learning prayers as well as the Pledge of Allegiance. They are making new friends and learning school safety rules. We even experienced a successful fire drill last Friday, which was only day three of our program!

In our PreK-3 classroom, we do our best to live by three simple rules, which certainly can be lived outside our school walls. They are:

The 3 Rules for 3 Year Olds

Be Gentle
Be Kind
Be Safe.

I am very excited for all that this school year has in store for these youngest students of St. Michael's Academy! There is so much to do and learn. We are off to a great start!

Did You See?

Dinosaurs in the Lobby

If you were in the lobby towards the end of this week, you were in for a surprise! Through the kindness and generosity of Mr. and Mrs. George Cartier and their children, a real cast of a dinosaur footprint is now on display.

The students have been fascinated by the footprints and the accompanying article about how an archaeologist in North Dakota found the jawbone of a triceratops, estimated to be approximately 65 MILLION years old!

Check it out!

Counselor's News

Lunch Bunches Set To Begin

Hello families of students in grades 3-6!

I will be hosting "Lunch Bunches" beginning on Wednesday, 9/11/19 and running Monday -Thursday through the end of the school year. These are small and informal groups of students who will get together with the goal of increasing self-esteem, social skills and strengthening peer relationships. All students will participate once a year during their grade level lunch period and will be randomly selected.

Please let me know if you have any questions! I look forward to lunch with your child!

Mrs. Cullen, School Counselor :-)

Around The School
Photos From The Second Week Of School

Home School Executive Committee
Home School Holds Its First Meeting St. Michael's Academy Home School Executive Committee held its first meeting last evening. The group is off and running and comprised of volunteers that are willing to be event chairs for all of our various events throughout the year. We are pleased to say that all chairs were assigned and plans are underway for a great year!

Important Parent Volunteer Information!

IMPORTANT !

Parent Volunteer Requirements

St. Michael's Academy welcomes all parent volunteers. In order to volunteer at the school or chaperone a field trip, all parents must complete the Safe Environment Training as mandated by the Diocese of Springfield.

The CORI background check and the Code of Conduct forms must be completed as well as viewing the safe environment video. A certificate of completion for the video will be provided at the end of the training and must be brought to the school. A link to required information and the training video can be found here. These requirements must be fulfilled every three years.

If you plan to volunteer for the Walk-a-thon on Sept. 27th , the above training must be completed. Please plan to set aside 1 1/2 hours to view the safe environment video and complete testing modules.

After School Clubs

Do You Have A Talent That You Would Like To Share?

We need your help!

St. Michael's Academy would really like to offer its students expanded after-school experiences. Do you have an interest? Would you help us? Ideas for after school clubs might include a cooking class, arts and crafts class, public speaking class, creative writing class....the possibilities are endless but we cannot do it without your help! Classes can be weekly, every two weeks or monthly - whatever fits into your schedule.

If you are interested, we would love to chat with you. Please contact Nancy Coley in the Admissions Department at [email protected] or by calling (413) 782-5246, ext. 1208.

Our students really enjoy the clubs - consider joining us!

Girls On The Run

ATTENTION MIDDLE SCHOOL GIRLS!

This is your last opportunity to register!

Do you want to:

Build confidence and self-esteem
Manage stressful emotions
Make healthy choices
Make connections with other girls
Increase physical activity while having fun
Run a 5k at Smith College on November 23rd

Then here is your program! The Fall season for Heart & Sole is about to begin and there is still space. We need an additional 4-6 girls so we can begin so please register today!

Practices will continue to be held on Mondays and Fridays from 3:30-5:00. We truly had a great time getting to know the girls last season. Each one of them grew so much, and we hope to see them return this Fall. Please ask them to also spread the word to their friends - we would love to see more girls involved!

You can register here: Heart and Sole Registration

Each season, our girls learn to recognize their individual strengths, and gain a better understanding of who they are, what's important to them, the value of teamwork, and developing healthy relationships.

Over the course of the ten-week program, girls develop essential skills to help them navigate their worlds and establish a lifetime appreciation for health and fitness.

For more information, please contact Kristie Budrecki at [email protected] or 413-271-4700, or go to www.girlsontherunwesternma.org.

Food For Thought
"If we could comprehend all the good things contained in Holy Communion, nothing more would be wanting to content the heart of man." - St. John Vianney

Parish News

Reminder For Grade 2 Parents

Parents of grade 2 students are reminded that it will be a sacrament year for their child and they will need to attend CCD classes at their individual parishes. Please contact your parish to enroll your child! This is a Diocesan requirement even if you attend a Catholic school.

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Holy Cross Church

Single Parent Support Group

Holy Cross Parish extends an invitation to all single parents who are currently raising their children from infancy through college age, whether with primary or shared custody.

If you would like the support of others with similar experiences, people who would understand what you are going through, please join us on Wednesday, September 18, at 7 p.m. in the rectory parlor. If you need to be late or leave early, please join us for the time you are available. Not everyone's schedule matches the set time.

The group has provided a great source of strength to those who have participated in the past. Perhaps it could help you as well. For more information, please call Sr. Cindy at 372-6241. You are welcome to "give it a try" if you are currently raising your children as a single parent.

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Our Lady of Mt. Carmel

On September 21st from 5-7 p.m., Our Lady of Mt. Carmel will be holding its annual " Quarter Auction." There will be vendors, 25 cent auctions, raffle baskets and door prizes. Light supper will be available for purchase. Auction paddle with $5 admission fee.

On October 5th join with friends for the annual "Taste of Italy" from 5-8 p.m. The evening will feature 40+ Italian specialties, wine and beverages and a variety of desserts. There will be a cash raffle along with merchandise prizes. Food tickets are $1 at the door.

On December 8th from 2-4 p.m. you are invited to " A Christmas Carol Festival" featuring reverent caroling and narration, stories of faith, living Nativity prayers along with homemade cookies and a gift to bring home.

This event is free!

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Holy Name Parish

What if you could become a better version of yourself? Grab a friend and don't miss this opportunity! There are still seats available at the Dynamic Catholic presentation on September 14th from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The featured speaker will be Jonathan Fanning - you can meet Jonathan by clicking here. You'll be glad you did!

For addition details (because this flyer is a little hard to read) please call Holy Name Parish at (413) 733-5823.

Prayer Corner
St. Michael the Arch angel, pray for us! We pray for all St. Michael's Academy students, families, faculty, and staff, and their special intentions. And we pray for all of our recently departed: Francis "Ted" Williams Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

Thank you for your interest in St. Michael's Academy. To ensure receipt, please add [email protected] to your address book.

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St. Michael's Academy

153 Eddywood Street - Springfield, MA 01118

www.smaspringfield.org

413.782.5246 office

413.782.8137 fax