Dear Parents,
We are so excited to welcome our SMA grandparents tomorrow! Remember to have your child(ren) in dress uniform tomorrow. Tucked in shirts with belts (grades 3 and up) would be a plus!
The month of May is packed full of fun activities, presentations and opportunities. On Tuesday, students who are currently in 6th or 7th grade may apply for Student Council. Applications are due Friday, May 20th by 8:15 am in the school office. Next Friday, we ask that all students wear their Walkathon t-shirts to celebrate World Fair Trade Day and appreciate students for turning in thank you letters. Finally, we invite anyone who has volunteered their time and talent to join us in the garden on May 24th at 7:45 am for refreshments and a brief program.
As a requirement for graduation, the 8th graders will present their Student Learning Expectations (SLEs) Presentation to stakeholders, faculty, staff, parents & peers beginning next week from noon to 1:15 pm in the parish hall. This is a year-long project that allows each student to explain their academic and faith journey throughout their years at the Academy. Everyone is invited!
I'm sad to share that Mrs. Denise Pippin has announced her retirement after 36 years of teaching in Catholic education. She will be truly missed. Mrs. Pippin will be celebrated at the Catholic Educators Banquet later this month. The new third grade teacher will be introduced in next week's newsletter. We are hoping Mrs. Pippin will join us as a substitute from time to time.
Finally, our SMA Parent Group is now officially called the SMA Parent Teacher Group, or PTG. Our new executive officers and chairs met on Monday to discuss plans for the coming school year. We reviewed the '22-23 school year calendar, which reflects minimum days on all Fridays. Stakeholder survey results showed an overwhelming preference for Fridays instead of Wednesdays. After reviewing instructional minutes, it was clear that weekly minimum days would ensure consistency in the schedule for:
- staff to have regular collaboration time and training/professional development with me (improved instructional practice);
- parents and families to have a consistent day of the week for early release (every Friday);
- after school care to be able to hire and retain high quality child care staff (still offered at $8/hour).
Even with minimum days, we will be over the minimum instructional minutes required by the state of CA for grades 1-8 by 4,155 minutes.
Meet the SMA PTG Executive Officers:
President Genevieve Suzuki (Quinn 7th, Deacon 1st)
Vice-President Rosario Santoyo (Paul 7th, Alina 5th)
Treasurer Colm Driscoll (Victoria 3rd, Rauiri 1st, Padraig PreK)
Secretary Erin McCarthy (Delia 1st)
*New Room Parent Coordinator Jamie Stradling (Henry 6th)
You can read more about our new officers & room parent coordinator here.
Happy Mother's Day to Mary, Queen of Heaven, and all our mothers, both departed and living!
Jennifer Miller
Principal
