Comet Connection | Week of Aug. 13th | | |
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LAST CALL FOR
Back to School Night at the Squirrels, Comets!
Join us Saturday, Aug. 19th
First pitch is 6:05pm with FIREWORKS after the game!
Don't miss out on this
FUNN Family Time!
This year, we'll all be seated together on the Terrace Level. Tickets are $10 each.
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Let's Plan for a Great Back to School! | |
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Sun. Aug. 13, MIDDLE SCHOOL (grades 6-8) SUMMER SOCIAL
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Wed. Aug. 16th, JK & K Orientation (**See Welcome Fair note below under Principal's Corner)
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Thurs. Aug. 17, 3rd-5th GRADES SUMMER SOCIAL (see details below under PTO)
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Thurs. Aug. 17th, 7pm-8pm, Middle School Orientation ALL Middle School Parents (grades 6-8) asked to attend. St. Anselm Hall (ramp entrance)
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Sun. Aug. 20th, 11am - St. Benedict Church, Welcome Mass for the 23-24 School Year. Students asked to wear school uniform.
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Mon. Aug. 21st, Welcome Fair, 9am - 1pm, All families need to sign up for your time slot visit to Welcome Fair. See below!
TUES. AUG. 22ND - First Day of School ALL STUDENTS!
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Opening Convocation at 8:15am on the blacktop. RSVP here See details below!
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JK & K ONLY will have half days on the 22nd and 23rd, with pick up at 12pm each day. ASE will not be available for JK/K students on these 2 half days.
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ASE* will be available for students in grades 1-8 only on 8/22 and 8/23 and ALL students (JK-8) beginning 8/24. (*fee based)
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Morning Care* will be available from 7:30am-7:50am in St. Anselm (ramp entrance on Belmont Ave.) every day for all students. (*fee based)
Other notes:
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Summer Reading! Parents, don't forget that ALL students in grades 1-8 have summer reading assignments, and we also have helpful review materials included on our website HERE. Don't put this off, so your Comet can be all ready for a great new school year.
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School Supplies! Click HERE for your class list of supplies (no kit ordering this year).
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Opening Convocation
As we prepare to start this new school year, I'd like to mention the critical importance of the connection between home and school. The Catholic Church has consistently taught that parents are the primary educators of their children, and Catholic schools exist to assist parents in that responsibility. There are a number of events at the beginning of the school year to help strengthen that connection and sense of community, and I wanted to mention a few.
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We celebrate our Opening of the School Year Mass at 11:00am on Sunday, August 20. We encourage all families to attend the Mass with students wearing their school uniform. We are a parish school, and this event helps to show the bond between the parish and school communities.
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On Monday, August 21, we will have our Welcome Fair, and we ask all families to sign up for a time. This event ensures that all of our families are ready for the start of the school year. You can make sure all your documentation is complete, get information about school activities, and the students can organize their desks or lockers in preparation for the first day of school. (**For our JK and K Families you do not need to attend the Welcome Fair as long as you attend your JK/K Orientation this week, bringing all of your student's supplies and any remaining paperwork that is required before the first day of school - see New Family section below or contact pautry@saintbenedictschool.org if you have any questions about outstanding paperwork).
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Finally, we have a new event taking place on Tuesday, August 22 at 8:15am on the large playground - our Opening Convocation. We will gather as a community to dedicate our school year to the Lord and to bless our new playground area. If you (parents) are able to attend, please RSVP here.
Welcome New Faculty!
Mrs. Korte, our 4th Grade teacher has decided to take a position with Powhatan County Schools. In her place, we welcome Mrs. Molly Priest. Mrs. Priest is familiar to many of us as the mother of alumni Alexa and Owen and current student, Allie Grace. She earned her Bachelor's degree in Spanish from Virginia Commonwealth University. She has held a number of roles at St. Benedict including: Preschool Aide, Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Teacher, and most recently, substitute teacher. Mrs. Priest is very excited to work with our 4th Grade this year.
We also learned over the summer that Mrs. Briggs, who was planning to teach English, decided to go another direction with her career. I'm happy to welcome Mrs. Olivia Lomax as our new middle school English teacher. Mrs. Lomax majored in English and Italian at the University of Richmond, where she was very active in Catholic Campus Ministry. This past year, she taught at The Goddard School in Broadview Heights, Ohio before she and her husband decided to move back to Richmond. Mrs. Lomax expressed her enthusiasm about being able to have her love of teaching and English intersect in a place that strives to glorify God.
PTO Service Hours - Form Aug. 15th
Parents please be sure to complete the Service Hour Pledge form and select either the "PTO Support" or "Buy Out" option. All families are asked to turn in your PTO Service Hour Pledge Form via email by AUGUST 15 to Mrs. Autry at pautry@saintbenedictschool.org. (Families selecting the Buy Out Option will be charged on their FACTS Account in September.) Thank you!
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Sign Up for Welcome Fair! | | |
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Welcome Fair is Monday Aug. 21 and is the day for parents and students to drop off school supplies, meet teachers, connect with friends old and new, and take care of any last paperwork and purchase any needed supplies from the Comet Shop! This is not a school day, so students do not need to wear their uniform. Please sign up NOW for your time slot to attend Welcome Fair.
(**For our JK and K Families you do not need to attend the Welcome Fair as long as you attend your JK/K Orientation this week, bringing all of your student's supplies and any remaining paperwork that is required before the first day of school - see New Family section below or contact pautry@saintbenedictschool.org if you have any questions about outstanding paperwork).
All families must sign up for their Welcome Fair hour by August 15.
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Mark your calendars!
Help at our 2023 Welcome Fair! Service Hour Opportunity!
https://signup.com/go/aNzuNHp
Help Distribute YAY Lunches Service Hour Opportunity!
Everyday we need parents to help distribute lunches to our students in the cafeteria. Must be VIRTUS Trained & Background Screened. Click here to help!
https://signup.com/go/RqBCWxG
Help Out at Back to School Night: Wed. Sept. 6th Service Hour Opportunity!
This fun event requires a few volunteers to assist with setting up and breaking down chairs and tables and also with laying out refreshments.
https://signup.com/go/JbWWxam
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Summertime Comet Socials COMING UP!
Middle School (6-8) Summer Social
Date: Sunday, August 13th
Time: 3:00pm-5:00pm
Location: JB Fisher Elementary School
3701 Garden Road, Richmond, VA 23235
Grades 3-5 Summer Social
Date: Thursday, August 17th
Time: 5:00pm-7:00pm
Location: Dunncroft/Castle Point Park, Shelter 1
4901 Francistown Rd., Glen Allen, VA 23060
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Oktoberfest is coming and ALL SBCS FAMILIES are needed to work a minimum of 8 hours (2 shifts) in service to our school community and this major RVA event which brings over 50K guests annually. This year, ALL parent service hours at Oktoberfest will be counted towards your PTO commitment because this is such an important event for our school (we are the biggest beneficiary of Oktoberfest!)
and it requires the generous support of MANY volunteers (over 700 shifts)!
Oktoberfest will be held Sept. 15-17 and service opportunities will be available for that weekend AND the weekend and days leading up to the event so sign up now!
The Oktoberfest Committee is still in need of leads for Decorations and Committee Secretary. This is an EXCELLENT way for parents of O'fest High School Scholarships to serve! Email cgridgely@gmail.com if interested. YOU ARE NEEDED.
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OKTOBERFEST GINGERBREAD HEART BAKING, DECORATING & PACKAGING!
Volunteers are needed to help with our famous O'Fest Gingerbread Heart production on Saturday, Aug. 26 and Saturday, Sept. 9 here at school! If you aren't in town to support Oktoberfest the weekend of Sept. 15-17, you can still earn your PTO hours on these days! CLICK ON THE BUTTON BELOW TO SIGN UP. This is for adults only. No little ones please as this is a busy food production environment. Thanks!
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Yay Is Back!
School is right around the corner, and that’s something to say Yay about! We’re excited to continue our partnership with Yay, our lunch service. They’re hard at work curating a customized menu just for us, featuring nourishing meals made fresh daily by local chefs.
Register or update your account today to be the first to know when your Lunch Calendar is ready to explore! With exciting announcements, delicious options and big promos around the corner, you won’t want to miss a thing.
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After-School Instructor & Substitute Teachers
Needed at SBCS
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Saint Benedict School is looking for an ASE instructor and substitute teachers for the 2023-2024 academic year. Applicants should have their college degree and will have a background check performed as part of the application process. Please contact Sean Cruess or Pam Autry at 804-254-8850 if you are interested. Thank you! | |
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Thank you to all of the families who participated in our New Family Orientation Zoom! Here is a link to the presentation, which includes all of the information and links you need to help your family get ready for your new school!
A Few Key Dates and Reminders to Add to Your Calendar:
Must Do's NOW (IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY):
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Set up FACTS (Tuition & Incidentals) Account
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Turn in ALL student registration PAPERWORK to Mrs. Autry in the front office. (This includes showing us an original birth certificate.)
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Set up PARENTSWEB Account. (This is your hub for grades, school directory, demerits, absences, Parent Alerts and report cards.)
Mon. August 21 - Welcome Fair at St. Benedict! (Drop off your school supplies and meet your teachers. (**JK/K do not need to attend Welcome Fair since you have your own JK/K Orientation. Just be sure to bring all supplies and any outstanding paperwork to Orientation.)
Tues. August 22 - FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!
- Opening Convocation at 8:15am.
- 12pm pick up on 8/22 AND 8/23 for JK and K grades ONLY.
- ASE will not be available for JK/K students on 8/22 or 8/23 since they have half-days (ASE is available for all other grades however.)
- ASE will begin for JK/K students on their first full day, Thurs. 8/24.
- Questions on ASE? Contact pautry@saintbenedictschool.org
Monday, August 28th - Virtus Training Zoom - be sure to sign up HERE. (Make sure to select Richmond, VA Diocese in drop down to see this and all other available VIRTUS training dates.) Questions on training? Email bwingfield@saintbenedictschool.org or pautry@saintbenedictschool.org.
We are here to support you every step of the way!
Gretchen Ridgely (General Admissions) admissions@saintbenedictschool.org
Brian Wingfield (Financial/Tuition) bwingfield@saintbenedictschool.org
Pam Autry (Records/ASE/Clinic) pautry@saintbenedictschool.org
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This week, Father Josh Johnson challenges us to remember that everything in this world is finite - except for God. Everything passes - except for God. As we begin a new school year, let this 4 minute reflection from Father Josh inspire you to grab hold of the most important relationship in your life - now and forever - with our infinite, all-loving, all-powerful, all-merciful God. He's waiting for you.
Click on the image below to check it out!
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