July 2, 2021

Blues News from Principal Connell-Torres

Hello Friends, We hope that you are enjoying the beautiful summer days together as a family, and that you are creating memories that will last a lifetime. St. Michael Catholic School has been buzzing with activity all summer long. Our teachers have engaged in professional development on building literacy, kids have filled our gym for basketball and volleyball camps, and dedicated staff and volunteers have cleared classrooms for new carpet. This week also marks Principal Sue Kerr's transition from St. Michael to St. John the Baptist in Savage. Our community has been blessed by Ms. Kerr's leadership this past year. Her energy, integrity, collaborative spirit, and dedication to Catholic education have inspired our students, parents and teaching staff to learn and grow. Please keep Ms. Kerr in your prayers as she begins her new adventure! Christ's Peace, Mr. C.

What's new Blues? 

Calling all ballers to the House of the Blues! Mr. C. and his sporty kids, Catalina and Santiago, are going to host open gym sessions for basketball and volleyball later this summer. Kids of all ages and parents are welcome to join in the fun.

Adventure seekers!  Summer Adventures Plus is off to a great start! This year's theme is "Around the World''. So far, we have learned about Australia, Germany, and the USA by playing games, making crafts and sampling food from each country. Father Tom has also joined in the fun as a special guest and taught us songs in German! For the first time in over a year, our students have been able to go on field trips! So far, our adventurers have enjoyed the Shakopee Sand Bottom Pool, Cleary Lake, Kid Create Studio and Yoga 4 You. We are looking forward to going to Crayola Experience, Edina Water Park, Hyland Park, Cascade Bay and The Landing. Space is limited but we still have openings for these trips and welcome drop-in's! Please reach out to Julie Herbst @ julieherbst@saintmpl.org with any questions.

Virtus Training & Volunteering

We are so excited to have our summer programs and ministries starting up again this summer, and we look forward to welcoming volunteers into the school when the school year begins! We can’t do it without your help, so if you are thinking of volunteering this summer or next school year please read this important update to keep our children safe:  In response to the Charter for Protection of Children and Youth, the Archdiocese of Minneapolis and St. Paul offers online training sessions for all adult volunteers having regular and/or unsupervised contact with children and youth. The program specifically addresses how entire Parish and School communities can protect all of God’s children from sexual abuse. This program is called: VIRTUS: Protecting God’s Children. This is required for all volunteers working with children, youth and vulnerable adults. Virtus consists of online training, a code of conduct and a background check all to be done at virtusonline.org. If you are a first time registrant the process will take about 1 ½ hours to complete. If you already have an account you might need to have it reactivated and renew your training and background check. With COVID restrictions this past year many accounts have lapsed and became inactive so please email Julie Herbst, school Virtus Coordinator, at herbst@saintmpl.org with any questions. Thanks so much and we hope to see you soon!

Middle School Students Register for Summer Stretch!

Lately, do you catch yourself daydreaming about the exhilarating feeling of summer fun? Although it may seem like a distant dream, summer is fast approaching and it is time to start planning your summer adventures. Join us on Tuesdays this summer as we put our faith into action by serving our community all while having fun with friends. Spend your mornings in faith and service, and your afternoons in recreation! Summer Stretch invites any and all students entering grades 6-8 in Fall 2021 to become Stretchers, and those entering 9th grade or older to become Summer Stretch Leaders. For questions, contact our Middle School Faith Formation Director Lori Hinker at lhinker@stmichael-pl.org For more information please visit our parish website: stmichael-pl.org/summer-stretch

Now Accepting VBS Registrations! 

Vacation Bible School save the date! Monday July 26th - Friday July 30th 9:30 a.m. - Noon at St. Michael Catholic School Ages PK (must be 4 by 7/1/21) through 5th grade (2021-22 school year). Cost is $40/child or a family max of $100. Volunteers needed! If you are interested in helping with our Vacation Bible School, please fill out and submit the volunteer form found on our website. Questions? Contact please contact Samantha Karnes at karnes@saintmpl.org

Registration and Volunteer Information

saintmpl.org School Office: (952) 447-2124 Fax: (952) 447-2132 24/7 Absentee Line: (952) 447-2230

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