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February 28, 2020
Dear School of St. Mary Families,
Congratulations to our Eighth grade Boys Basketball team as they defeated Faith Hope and Charity last night 41-36. Last night's semi-final win propels the team into the Catholic League's 8th Grade Boys Basketball Championship! The Championship game will be held at 2:45 pm on Sunday, March 1, at the Loyola Gym against OLPH. OLPH always has a lot of fans at the games, so let's come out and show support for our team and coaches. Our players would love any support they can get!
Congratulations and a huge thank-you are in order for Head Coach Tom Ford, and his assistant coaches Graham Conley and John Michael Talanges. Graham and John Michael are School of St. Mary alumni from the Class of 2018. Great job, gentleman! You make the School of St. Mary proud! Go, Crusaders!
As part of a special Sixth grade Valentine's service project, our students held a "Save the Koalas" fundraiser. With the devastating effects of the wildfires in Australia, many of its native animals been adversely affected. Based on an idea by Sixth-grader Gracie Forlenza, students in the class decided to do something as a result. Students raised money to donate to the Australian Koala Fund. More information about the fund can be found on their website,
savethekoala.com
. Before fundraising,
our students learned a bit about Koalas and got an update on the effects the fires have had on them and their habitat. It was important for our students to know why they needed their help. Special thanks to Lisa Potash for spearheading this fundraiser, and to Christine Farrell, Angela DeDolph, Katie Forlenza, Heather Fowler, and Class of 2018 alum Kaylin Potash for helping out. Great work, everyone!
In celebration of the sixty-sixth Anniversary of the Deer Path Art League, winners of the Mayor's Emerging Young Artist Award
were recently recognized for the artwork they produced by the Mayor Lake Forest, George Pandaleon at the Lake Forest City Hall
. Congratulations to our School of St. Mary students, Alexandrine Harig and Allison Jenner, for winning this award.
The School of St. Mary Gala is tomorrow night, Saturday, February 29
. The event promises to be a fun-filled night of dinner, music, live and silent auctions, as well as plenty of good cheer! This year's event will be held at Cuneo Mansion and Gardens. The goal of the Gala is to raise money to help benefit our school. Our Parent Association supports our school's overall operating expenses. Without your continued support of activities like the Gala, students would not have many of the special things they do that make their school day a fun-filled learning experience. All of our Parent Association Officers and Gala Committee are to be commended for their hard work and effort. The students and staff at the School of St. Mary have benefited immensely from your dedication and service. Thank you!
Our upcoming Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held on the afternoon and evening of Thursday, March 5, from 4:00 to 8:00 pm, and on Friday, March 6, from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm. During these times, you will have the opportunity for a private conference with your child's teacher(s).
We believe that direct and personal communication with your child's teachers is vital to his/her success. We encourage you to participate in these parent-teacher conferences. If for some reason you cannot attend, please be reminded that you are welcome to call the School of St. Mary throughout the school year to meet or speak with any staff member.
If you have any questions or problems with scheduling, please contact either Kathy Thompson or me. We look forward to seeing you at these conferences.
Dave Wieters
Principal
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Thank you to everyone that was able to attend the math coffee on Friday, February 21, 2020. The School of St. Mary views you as partners in your child's education. We appreciate your attendance, feedback, and suggestions for making sure all of our students experience success at the School of St. Mary, high school and beyond.
We heard a lot of feedback from you. Specifically:
- Allocated math instruction time;
- Students in Kindergarten through Fifth-grade being given class time, support and practice to build a solid mathematical foundation moving forward;
- Transitioning the current Sixth-grade on-level class to pre-Algebra, and ensuring those students are simultaneously challenged and supported;
- Preparation for high school mathematics; and
- Staffing - both in terms of the number of sections being offered and who will be teaching them, as well as how parents can better support their students in math instruction.
As pointed out in the meeting, there is a difference between curriculum and textbooks. Our curriculum at the School of St. Mary is aligned with the Archdiocese of Chicago Standards or Benchmarks. They may be found here:
https://schools.archchicago.org/curriculum-standards
. Textbooks are tools that are used to support the implementation and teaching of the standards; textbooks are not the curriculum. In adopting textbooks, we work to ensure that the books we utilize are in line with the Archdiocesan standards. The Archdiocesan standards are aligned with the Illinois Common Core Standards as established by the Illinois State Board of Education.
In the short term, the School of St. Mary will continue to address concerns by doing the following:
- Review use of currently allocated math instruction time and make adjustments where necessary when scheduling classes;
- Continue to provide enrichment and accommodations for students, in collaboration with the Director of Student Services and the Resource Room/Special Education teacher;
- Begin strategic planning efforts to identify overall school focus and areas for investment;
- Interview alumni families for feedback on the school and how well their students are now doing in high school and beyond; and
- Review and determine the alignment of the Go!Math program with the Archdiocese math curriculum. We will be reviewing and evaluating a new math textbook series for students in Kindergarten through Fifth-grade.
We have switched over to the new textbooks being used at Lake Forest High School in our Honors Eighth-grade Algebra II with Trigonometry class. Our focus is to ensure that we are aligned with the scope and sequence of LFHS's Algebra II with Trigonometry class. Dr. Carlini has been working with the Chairman of the Math Department at Lake Forest High School, as well as consulting with Loyola Academy and Woodlands Academy in consideration of this decision. Additionally, both Dr. Carlini and Ms. Baniewicz will be attending upcoming articulation meetings with Lake Forest High School and the surrounding public and private schools. This is to ensure we are all on pace with each other and that our students are well-prepared for high school. Best practices and common concerns about math instruction at all of the schools will be discussed as well.
We have planned to help ease anxieties concerning math preparedness by offering math "boot camps" this summer for all grade levels. There will be more information to come. We are looking at ways to incorporate these into the existing class schedule at the school.
We will begin the implementation of the iReady assessment program in the fall of 2020. iReady is a tool similar to AimsWeb. iReady gives teachers a foundational understanding of students' strengths and areas of need. It will enable our teachers to determine each student's on-grade level proficiency based on state and national standards. iReady supports teachers with resources for remediation and reteaching at individualized, small group, and whole-class levels of instruction. It provides lessons that provide individualized instruction and practice for each student to accelerate growth. This fall, iReady will be implemented for grades Kindergarten-Second. Our goal is to adopt it in the other grades in subsequent years.
Beginning in the fall of 2020 - 2021:
- Our on-level Sixth-grade classes will begin learning Pre-Algebra. We will cover Semester I throughout the entire year, allowing for more time to build a strong foundation for students by the time they have completed Eighth-grade. Extending Pre-Algebra into Sixth-grade will not cause a gap in mathematical learning. Quite the opposite; Knowledge and skills will be enhanced.
- Our Seventh-grade students will focus on the second semester of Pre-Algebra, plus introduce the usage of Graphing Calculators.
- Our 8th-grade students will conclude with Algebra I.
The current format of middle school math classes at the School of St. Mary is designed to both instruct students in math classes through the traditional teacher-centered, direct approach as well as introduce them to the flipped classroom model of instruction.
A flipped classroom is an instructional strategy and a type of blended learning that reverses the traditional learning environment by delivering instructional content, often online, outside of the classroom. It moves activities, including those that may have traditionally been considered homework, into the classroom.
This instructional model requires students to take greater ownership of their learning, through self-teaching and persevering through new material. Many of the local and private high schools are instructing mathematics in this method. At the School of St. Mary, we not only want to introduce and familiarize students with this type of instruction but continue to value and instruct through the teacher-centered, direct approach in the classroom.
As partners in educating your children, we thank you and ask for your continued support and feedback. Thank you for taking the time to meet with us.
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Please consider contributing to it, whether it be via the Gala, the online auction or a donation directly into the AF, it all adds up. We are in this together as a community; a family! Please also look into whether or not your company does Matching Donations! It's an easy way to double or even triple your donation! To learn more ways to give along with a partial listing of companies that participate in corporate matching,
click here.
Our Annual Fund as of today is shown below.
When we add in the funds raised from our Catholic Schools Week, Day of Giving, we have raised $125,638.02! Although we still have a ways to go to reach our goal, what we really want
100% SOSM Family Participation! Thus far this year we have had
33.47% participation. Let's all join together to show support for our SOSM community, our hard working and dedicated teachers and most importantly, our students!
Click on the image below to donate directly to the Annual Fund!
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New Family Referral Program
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New Family Referral Program:
Would you like to receive a $1,000 tuition credit?
Parents are the best promoters of Catholic education and we want to thank all of you that have recommended the School of St. Mary (SOSM) to your family and friends. Through our New Family Referral Program, you could receive a $1,000 tuition credit for each new family you refer to SOSM who enrolls a full-time student (see Rule #3 below) that is officially admitted to our school and meets all of the admission requirements as well as the rules and regulations listed below.
Here's How It Works!
Parents or guardians will receive a $1,000 tuition credit for each new family they formally refer to SOSM that is accepted based on our current admission requirements. Tuition credits will be applied to the referring family's account after the new student has successfully completed one semester. All referrals must adhere to the New Family Referral Program's rules and regulations.
Who is eligible/ineligible to participate?
- All current parents, guardians, teachers, and staff members who currently pay tuition at SOSM are eligible to participate in this program.
- Referrals of new families enrolling part-time students are very much appreciated but are not eligible for the referral incentive program.
Rules and Regulations
- It is your responsibility to submit a completed New Family Referral Form to SOSM for each new family you refer before the new family formally applies for admission. No exceptions will be made to this requirement. Referrals may not be made retroactively. Forms are available in the SOSM Office or online at www.schoolofstmary.org.
- The referred family cannot already be in our school's database concerning a previous enrollment inquiry, have had children previously enrolled, or currently have siblings at SOSM.
- The new family must enroll a full-time Kindergarten (5K) through 8th grade student at SOSM.
- Regular enrollment criteria must be met. Final decision for family acceptance rests with the recommendation of the Principal of SOSM.
- Students must enroll and successfully complete one semester before tuition credit will be awarded.
- If a new student begins attending school after the academic year has begun, the tuition credit awarded to the referring family will be prorated based on the student's first day of attendance.
- There is no limit to the number of families that you may refer; however, the total tuition credits received may not exceed your current tuition requirement in a given school year.
- If more than one family refers a student, the tuition credit will be divided equally among the referring families.
- The referral incentive program begins immediately; however, the tuition credit will be applied in the 2020-2021 school year, after the new student has successfully completed one semester.
- SOSM retains the right to reevaluate, revise or cancel this program at any time.
If you have any questions, please contact:
Mandy Castle at (847) 295-4830 or email at [email protected]
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We are now accepting preschool applications for the upcoming 2020-21 school year!
We are excited to offer an additional section of our popular Little Angels Preschool Class. One section will meet on Tuesday and Thursday mornings and the other on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings. Families can select their preferred days in the application. Historically, this class has filled quickly, so please apply right away if you are interested.
We are also pleased to offer an All-Day Three-year-old Preschool Program next year. This class will, of course, be developmentally appropriate, including both lunch and a rest period. If you are interested in any of our preschool offerings, please follow these steps:
- Go to factsmgt.com
- Click on the Parent login on the top right corner
- Click on FACTS Family Portal (ParentsWeb) in the top right corner
- Enter our District Code: SOSM-IL
- Enter a user name
- Enter a password
If you are a current family, you already have a portal account as well as a password. If you have any questions or concerns, please call Mandy Castle at 847-295-4830.
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Click in the image to go to the site!
TCS Applications for 2020/21 School Year
TCS Donation Update: 2 for 1 TCS Matching Program
As of Jan. 28, we have eight schools that have reached the $50,000 cap. Only archdiocesan-run schools are eligible to participate in this matching program. Donations are coming in rapidly and we are over 70 percent through the match pool funds. Donations designated to a school will continue to be matched until the funds are depleted or Feb. 29, 2020, whichever comes first. There are 102 Catholic schools participating so far, but we would like to see all schools with eligible students involved in the program. It is not too late to start! Click
here
for information on how to get started. If you have any questions about the matching gift program, please contact Clare Sullivan at [email protected]
.
TCS Matching Gift Funds
The TCS matching funds will be provided to schools via the EI portal approximately two weeks after the match program closes. Donations designated to a school (pre-match) are reported currently in the EI school portal and will be available next week when Empower Illinois begins to make awards.
Donating to Empower Illinois
Next week (January 15) the Empower Illinois Scholarship application goes live to families interested in attending Catholic Schools but who need scholarship assistance. We have the opportunity to donate to help fund scholarships while also earning a 75% Illinois State tax credit; and through February 29, 2020 the 2-for-1 Tax Credit Scholarship (TCS) Gift Program is open. Any TCS donations designated to a school between now and February 29 (or until funds are depleted) are eligible for a 2-for-1 matching gift.
The process to donate is a four-phase process. It involves first requesting a letter ID from Illinois, activating your account at mytax.illinois.gov, reserving your credit and then making the donation. The details around the whole process may be found at this link:
How to Donate for Tax Credit Scholarship Program
.
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Clic on "Request a Letter ID"; under the "Miscellaneous section:
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Enter your Social Security Number and one of the following:
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Click 'Submit' and enter and confirm your email address; then click 'OK' to submit and receive your confirmation.
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Your Letter ID will be mailed to the address on your last year's tax return. You should receive it within 7-10 business days.
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Then proceed to the second phase of the donation process: Activate Your Account
Please consider donating to Empower Illinois and designate School of St. Mary. We will be able to accept more families with generous donations, particularly if donations are completed by February 29, 2020. Please contact Mandy Castle with any questions on how to donate (
[email protected]
).
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Gala Online Silent Auction is now Live!
The Roaring into the Twenties Silent Auction is open! Click on the link below to start bidding on your favorite items and spread the word to your family and friends!
You will need to create an account and add a credit card in order to submit bids. Every dollar raised goes towards our kids' education! So bid well and often - have fun, Crusaders!!!
Click on the image to go to the online auction site!
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Click on the image to see the Raffle's Rules and Regulations
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Fishing Club!
Attention all Upper Grade Center parents and students: SOSM will be having a fishing club this Spring! Students should be in grades 4-8 and should be accompanied by an adult. 3 dates are planned - April 11, April 25, and May 30 (all Saturdays) - at local ponds and lakes. If you and your child/parent would be interested in joining, please email
[email protected]
. Jim Castle (Father to Owen grade 7 and Kyle grade 4) will be coaching, and will provide all needed equipment. All you have to bring is yourself, an Illinois fishing license for those age 16 and older (very easy to obtain on the web), and sun/eye protection. Sign up may be limited, so please email soon.
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Click on the image to register!
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School of St. Mary Parents' Association
Father - Child Night of Service at Feed My Starving Children
Who
: School of St Mary Fathers & Children. Recommended for 2nd graders and up. See minimum age and required adult/child ratios below. Space is limited.
What:
Join your fellow Dads for a night of community building and service! Help turn hunger into hope by packing nutritious meals.
You'll hand-pack rice, soy, dried vegetables and a nutritionally complete blend of vitamins and minerals for shipment to the neediest children
around the world.
When:
Thursday, March 12, 2020 from 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Where:
Feed My Starving Children -
742 East Park Ave, Libertyville, IL 60048
How
: Registration is 100% on-line and easy. Simply use the following link to find our session & register:
Space is limited!
The minimum age for volunteering is 5 years old. For safety reasons, children under the age of 5 are not allowed to participate in packing sessions.
For Dads bringing multiple children, FMSC requires the following adult to child ratios:
- Grades K-2: 1 student to 1 adult
- Grades 3-6: 3 students to 1 adult
- Grades 7-9: 4 students to 1 adult
- Grades 10-12: 5 students to 1 adult
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Alumni Committee
We are looking for parents to be a part of our Alumni Committee! Help us grow our Alumni database, you don't have to be an alum to be a part of this committee, just a willing parent! Sounds like you? Please contact John & Rose Hancir at:
[email protected] or [email protected]
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The Parent Association is looking for parents who volunteers for some end of the year volunteer activities!
We are always looking for parents who want to be a part of the Parents' Association who have ideas on how to bring the community together both socially as well as to raise funds for our Annual Fund
Interested!?! Please contact John or Rose Hancir at:
[email protected] or [email protected]
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Click on the image to register online.
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Regina Dominican High School would like to invite your 7th and 8th grade girls to an inspiring presentation by Diana Kapp, author of Girls Who Run the World: 31 CEOs Who Mean Business.
As Kapp puts it, "girls do not aspire to what they do not see," so her presentation targets a teen/pre-teen audience and is sure to encourage and embolden!
While her book explores the inside stories of female entrepreneurs who are changing the face of corporate leadership, her stories speak to the dreams and aspirations of young girls as she shares the inside stories of companies they've undoubtedly heard of (Soul Cycle, Stitch Fix, Pop Sugar, Glossier and others).
If you'd like to send a group of students, please let me know so that we can plan seating accordingly.
Monday, March 2
9:15am (presentation begins promptly)
Regina Dominican O'Shaughnessey Theater
701 Locust Road
Wilmette, IL 60091
Admission is free!
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Shadow Days for Carmel Catholic, Loyola Academy, Regina Dominican & Woodlands Academy
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- Saturday, February 29th
- 2nd Grade First Communion Retreat at UGC- MPR, 9:00AM-Noon
- School of St. Mary Gala at Cuneo Mansion 6:00-11:00PM
- Sunday, March 1st
- Scout Sunday at 10AM Mass
- Scout Sunday Reception: Parish Center Conference Room 11:00-2:00PM
- 8th grade Boys Championship against OLPH at Loyola on Sunday at 2:45PM
- Thursday, March 5th
- First grade will go to Marriott Theatre to see Princess and the Pea, 9:30-11:30AM
- Early Dismissal: PGC- 2:00pm; UGC - 2:21 pm
- No Afternoon Extended Day
- Parent-Teacher Conferences, 4:000-8:00PM
- Friday, March 6th
- No School, Parent-Teacher Conferences, 8:00-Noon
- Saturday, March 7th
- 2nd Grade 1st Communion Retreat, 9:00-Noon, MPR
- Solofest: Frassati Catholic Academy - Elementary & Middle School, 316 W Mill St, Wauconda, IL 60084 10:00-11:00AM, Student Call times vary.
- Sunday, March 8th
- PGC Choir sings at 10AM Mass
- Monday, March 9th
- American Heart Association, Grades 6-8, 9:00-10:00AM
- School Advisory Council Meeting, 6:45- 8:45PM, MPR
- 8th Grade Confirmation Rehearsal in church, 7:00-8:00PM
- Wednesday, March 11th
- PGC Mass at 9:10AM
- Senior Citizen Luncheon, Noon-1:00PM
- Parent Association Meeting, 6:30-7:30PM, MPR
- Thursday, March 12th
- 6th Grade Field Trip: North Shore Congregation Israel, 9:00-11:30AM
- Carmel Catholic High School: Spiritus Speaker Series, 6:30-8:30PM, Black Box Theater (enter door A or N), Carmel Catholic High School, One Carmel Pkwy, Mundelein
- 8th Grade Confirmation Rehearsal in church, 7:00-8:00PM
- Friday, March 13th
- Casual Day
- Used Uniform & Crusader Wear Closet Sale, 8:45-9:30AM, UGC Crusader Closet
- UGC Stations of the Cross, 9:00-10:00AM
- Principal's Coffee, UGC Library, 10:00-11:00AM
- Saturday, March 14th
- 8th Grade Confirmation in the church, 10:00AM, A-K
- 8th Grade Confirmation in the church, 2:00PM, L-Z
- Sunday, March 15th
- 1st Grade attend 10AM Mass
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AmazonSmile
is a website operated by
Amazon
with the same products, prices, and shopping features as
Amazon
.com. The difference is that when you shop on
AmazonSmile
, the
AmazonSmile
Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price of eligible products to the School of St. Mary.
To use amazon smile go to smile.amazon.com and then select School of St. Mary Lake Forest, IL as your organization of choice.
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