"The Messenger"


            January 17, 2020
      Vol. VII, No. 22
St. Michael's Academy
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St. Michael's Academy 
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We didn't quite fill up the church on Thursday, but SMA had a strong showing! The taping of the Catholic Schools Week Mass on Thursday afternoon went well and was a beautiful experience for everyone present. Our church gathers its strength through worshiping together, and I believe everyone present was fortified by the experience. Thank you to our school choir, other students, parents, grandparents, teachers, and Board members (past and present) for attending. The Mass will air this Sunday at 10:00am on NBC, Channel 22.

Sunday we will also be holding our annual Open House and Curriculum Fair. At noon in the gymnasium, we will conduct an information session for prospective students and their families that will include a panel of teachers, parents, current students and alumni. Our student ambassadors will also be available to offer tours of the building at the conclusion. Did you know that 99% of students who attend Catholic high schools graduate and 86% of those students attend four year colleges? What a great statistic to share with family and friends!

For our current families on Sunday, we invite you to spend time visiting our classrooms and viewing student work. This is a great time to visit with other families and check out our raffle baskets located on the first floor. These baskets will be raffled off at our Pasta Supper the following weekend. We've gotten off to a good start with our Gray House collection, but will be accepting donations on the day of Open House for that as well. Click here to see suggested list of donations.

Thank you for your continued support of SMA.

Peace and God's blessings,
 
Ms. Ann E. Dougal
Principal
 
  Important Dates
 
Please Make A Note Of These Important Dates 

Violin every Thursday - Grade 2

Monday, January 27 - Friday, January 31, 2020
CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK

SUNDAY, JANUARY 26, 2020 
CURRICULUM FAIR AND OPEN HOUSE - Noon to 2 p.m.
INFORMATION SESSION at Noon in Gymnasium
Please spread the word to prospective families!

Monday, January 27th & Tuesday, January 28th
SMA Phonathon!!

Tuesday, January 28 at noon until 
Wednesday, January 29 at noon
DAY OF GIVING FOR CATHOLIC SCHOOLS
See details below

Tuesday, January 28, 2020 at 9:30 a.m.
Warm Winter Wishes
Grade 2 Grandparent Event

Tuesday, January 28, 2020 at 3:15 p.m.
Chess Club 

Wednesday, January 29, 2020 at 9:30 a.m.
School Mass
7th Grade Grandparent Event

Thursday, January 30, 2020
Teacher Appreciation Luncheon

Thursday, January 30, 2020 at 4 p.m. 
Chalice of Salvation Mass Taping

Friday, January 31, 2020
Student Appreciation Day
Dress Down - Sports Theme
"Get Up and Move"
Cards for Veterans



Please remember to attend Church as a family!

 Before and After School
 
ATTENTION PARENTS

Before and After School Payments

We would like to remind our families that payments for the Before and After School Program are due on a weekly basis.  If your account is past due, please make a payment before next Wednesday or you will be at risk of not being able to use the program.  We will be following up on outstanding balances the first week in February.




 Spread The Word!

Curriculum Fair and Open House

THIS Sunday, January 26, 2020 at NOON
Gymnasium

Help us spread the word!  As part of the Curriculum Fair, there will be an Information Session beginning at noon for prospective students and their families that will include a panel of 3 teachers, 3 students and 3 parents who will be available to answer questions. Know of a family that might be interested in attending? Encourage them to attend and find out why parents are choosing St. Michael's Academy for their child's education!


 National Day of Giving


Day of Giving - 4 MORE DAYS!
Tuesday, Jan. 28th 12 noon - 
Wednesday, Jan. 29th   12 noon

During this 24 hour period you can go online and make a gift in support of SMA to help us reach our $6,500 goal.

We have also been blessed by one of our generous benefactors who has provided a MATCHING CHALLENGE PLEDGE OF $3,000 during this 24 hour period. Once we raise $3,000, our donor will match it. WHAT AN INCENTIVE!
What can you do to help?
  • CLICK HERE to make a gift between 12 noon on Jan. 28th until 12 noon Jan. 29th
  • SHARE, SHARE, SHARE the link below with family and friends through social media
  • Encourage others to share the link and make a gift
  • Follow us on Facebook that day and watch our progress

THANK YOU for all you do for St. Michael's Academy! We are deeply grateful for your support.

                                
   
 Safety Alert
 
PARKING LOT SAFETY ALERT 

We feel the need to review our morning drop-off policies since routines on the Wheeler side of the building have become lax.  

Parents should be dropping  off their child(ren) at the designated area on Wheeler Avenue where we have teachers on duty to help them out of the car. Cars SHOULD NOT be pulling through the parking lot, parking in the lot and getting out of their vehicles (unless they have an appointment or business in the school) or pulling through the playground area (beyond the orange cones) to drop off in front of the side door.  It also takes away parking spots for staff in an already crowded lot. 

We have witnessed several close calls as people are parking, stopping and maneuvering around other vehicles. This makes it extremely dangerous for people walking through the lot.  If children are dressed appropriately for winter, it should not be a problem to walk the short distance from the drop off area into the school. 

Our policies are put in place in order to keep everyone safe. Please help us maintain our safety.



Chalice of Salvation

Great Job Students! 
Thank You Parents!

We send a great big thank you "shout out" to our students, choir members and families who showed their support for Catholic education by attending the taping of the Chalice of Salvation Mass yesterday at St. Michael's Cathedral on State Street. The Mass will be aired on Sunday at 10 a.m. on Ch. 22.
 

 Perfect Attendance

 
Good Attendance Pays Off ! 

Congratulations to our perfect attendance dress-down winners! In order to qualify for the weekly drawing, a student must have no absences, tardiness or early dismissals the previous week of school. We select one from PreK - 2nd grade, one from 3rd - 5th grade and one from 6th - 8th grade.  Here are our recent winners:

                     Selah - Gr. 2B                                    Liam - Gr. 3B
    
Mason - Gr. 6B


From the Classroom of Mrs. Wozniakowski - Gr. 6&7 Math

It's Time to Sum Up What We Are Doing In 
Mathematics Class!
 
In grades 6 and 7 we are solving equations using algebra to identify the unknown values.

Algebra is that dreaded word that sends a shiver of fear down the spine of some students and many adults. Anxiety about using letters (variables) in mathematical problems is why many people question algebra's use in daily life. Math and especially algebra, form an essential part of our day-to-day lives, even if you don't notice it. From food, to buying a house, to opening a bank account, to studying, math is everywhere in our lives! Whether we're adding, multiplying, subtracting, or even solving equations, we are using math without realizing it.

In class, solving equations teaches students problem-solving. The students are instructed to use a set of steps to find the value of a variable. This teaches students to think methodically and logically when analyzing a problem. In addition, students must be thorough and follow through with the equations to get the correct answer.     

While algebra can be challenging at times, one of the most important lesson that it teaches is to never give up. Keep working until you have an answer and if you are wrong, go back and try it again. Also, solving equations is a lot of fun  (says the math teacher!).

 



 SchoolsNEXT

The 8th Grade Students Present Their Projects 

The time had finally arrived for the 8th grade students. The months of hard work were coming to an end. The paint had dried and the glue hardened on the models. The final touches were put into the PowerPoint presentations. The students were dressed in their Sunday best and ready to go.

We are talking about the team presentations of the SchoolsNEXT Projects!  The 8th grade students presented their projects to a board of outside judges who were very impressed with their hard work.

Join us at the Open House and Curriculum Fair where the projects will be displayed in the gymnasium. The winners will be announced at 1:45 p.m.  See you there!





School Assembly
 
Magic Jim Amazes! 

St. Michael's Academy welcomed "Magic Jim" this week. The students learned about the importance of reading and even learned a few magic tricks to bring home to amaze their friends and families!




 Breakfast and Lunch Menus  

Springfield Public Schools Introduces
 "Meal Viewer" 

Beginning February 1st

The Springfield Public Schools is introducing the "Meal Viewer" where you can now go to view the breakfast and lunch menus. A copy of the menus will no longer be going home with students (really this time) and will only be available through this site.

To access the menus, please go to schools.mealviewer.com or download the app on your mobile device.  You will be asked to create a login and input any allergies your child might have. Search Springfield and find St. Michael's Academy and you will then be directed to the menus.  You can bookmark the site to make it easier for future access. 

The link will also be located on the St. Michael's Academy website under the student life section.  Once you log in, subsequent visits should take you right to the St. Michael's Academy menus.


 Calendar Sales
 
Calendar Raffle


Don't forget to sell your calendars!  They are $10 each.  Those who purchase the calendar will have 29 chances to win prizes up to $500!

And for our hard-working students who are selling the calendars, we have a few rewards:

- Any family that sells all five calendars will receive a Uniform Free Day! 

- Any family that sells 10 or more calendars will be entered into a raffle for a variety of prizes!

- The top seller will receive a special prize!  

Let's sell some calendars!

 Pasta Supper
 
 Pasta Supper Coming Up!

Did you get your Pasta Supper tickets yet? 

The annual Pasta Supper will be held on Saturday, February 1st from 5 - 7 p.m. in the gymnasium. The supper is a wonderful way to catch up and socialize with friends and fellow parents!

Avoid the last minute rush and get your tickets early!  They are now on sale - $5 for adults, $3 for children aged 3-12 and FREE for children under 3.   Please note that tickets will NOT be sold at the door. Need another order form? Click here!



Food For Thought
 
"One should not say that it is impossible to reach a virtuous life; but one should say that it is not easy. Nor do those who have reached it find it easy to maintain."

                                     - St. Anthony of the Desert

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:

Richard and Melanie Sitnik

And we pray for all of our recently departed.

Stephen Hupfer


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. 



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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