Saint Benedict Catholic School
Are You Ready, Comets! 1 Week to Go!

There's LOTS of information, so be sure to read to the END of the newsletter (as always!) For all in-person events, indoor masking is required.

  • ENJOY your Final Week of Summer!


  • New (and returning) Family Zoom Lunchroom is open every day this week Monday-Friday, 12-1pm for your questions and to help you get ready! See New Family section below for Zoom links daily!

  • Tuesday, August 17th - 5:30pm (via Zoom) - VIRTUS TRAINING. Registration deadline was August 10th. Questions? Contact Brian Wingfield at bwingfield@saintbenedictschool.org.

  • Wednesday, August 18th - Rescheduled Zoom Town Hall 6-7pm, see below for link!

  • Thursday August 19:
  • JK & K Orientation (Parents, see invitation emailed to you from your teacher.)

  • Middle School Orientation - 7pm-8pm - St. Anselm Hall (IN PERSON). Parents and their students in grade 6 and new parents and their students in grades 7/8 are asked to attend this informative event.


  • Saturday, August 21st- SBCS SPIRIT Night at The Flying Squirrels WITH FIREWORKS! Buy your tickets HERE!

  • Sunday, August 22nd - Opening of the School Year Mass, 11am at St. Benedict Church


  • Tuesday, August 24th - 1st Day of School - Full Day Grades 1-8; Half-Day JK & K (JK & K parents only pick up at 12pm)

  • Wednesday, August 25th - Half-Day JK & K (JK & K parents only pick up at 12pm)

Looking Ahead....
  • Monday, August 30 - Yay Lunch Service Begins!

PLANNING AHEAD? Check out our school calendar on the website HERE!
Need a past newsletter? Check out our archives on the website HERE!
Principal's Corner
In Case You Missed This - Important Update From Mr. Cruess (from 8/13/21)

Dear Saint Benedict Parents, Faculty, and Staff,

After (Thursday's) announcement of the new public health order, I'm sure you have been waiting to hear how this will impact our students. I have attached the letter from the Office of Catholic Schools that notes our obligation to comply with the public health order and lays out the changes in our COVID-19 policy. 

I know that there are parents who did not agree with the prior policy and parents who disagree with the updated policy. I ask first of all, that whether we agree or not, we treat everyone in our community with respect. In the many conversations I have had with different parents, I know that all of us are coming to this from the perspective of trying to do what is best for our children. If we all keep our focus on working together to support our kids, we will successfully navigate these challenging times.

We have rescheduled our Back to School Town Hall for 6:00pm on Wednesday, August 18. I should be in a better position to outline our school plan and answer your questions at that time. As always, though, please feel free to reach out with your questions or concerns, and I'll do my best to address them.

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." (James 1:2-4)

In Christ,
Sean Cruess, Principal

RESCHEDULED Town Hall
In light of the changing healthy orders and its impact on our Covid-19 practices at SBCS, we rescheduled last week's Virtual Town Hall to this Wednesday, Aug. 18th at 6pm. We look forward to sharing with you what's new, what's staying the same, what's coming back and what we're excited about this school year. Please plan to join us!

Topic: Back to School Town Hall
Time: Aug 18, 2021 06:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

Meeting ID: 867 7425 4381
Passcode: 797040

Opening of the School Year Mass
Please join us for the Opening of the School Year Mass on Sunday, August 22 at 11:00 in St. Benedict Church. Students should wear their school uniform. Middle school students should wear their dress uniform. We hope to see your family then to start off our school year right!

Bible in A Year Challenge!
As we prepare to start this new school year, I'd like to invite all of our parents to participate in a Bible in Year Challenge! This past January, Fr. Mike Schmitz and Ascension Press started a podcast to help listeners hear the entire Bible in the course of a year. Incredibly, the podcast topped the charts for Apple Podcasts and a number of other podcast apps. Fr. Mike does a great job of breaking down the Scriptures into manageable chunks and providing a brief but insightful commentary each day. The time commitment is about 20-25 minutes per day, and you can listen through any podcast app or even watch it on youtube. As a school community, we believe that parents are the primary educators of their children, and one great way to educate them in our Christian faith is to share Scripture with them. Our faculty and staff will be taking on this challenge, and we hope all of our parents will do the same. We'll have a sign up at Welcome Fair and House points will be awarded for participation. This can also be an opportunity to build community by having an accountability partner or group help keep us committed and to share our thoughts. If you're new to St. Benedict, I know our room parents would be happy to connect you with another parent in the class to team up with. I've heard that some parents have already started (which is great!), but for those who haven't, we are planning to start as a community on August 24. Click on the image below for more info!
PTO News & Volunteer Opportunities!
FALL CLEAN UP is 9am-12pm on SAT. AUG. 21ST!
Let's get our St Benedict School Campus ready for the new academic year! Volunteer to garden, pick up trash and generally tidy up the grounds. Please bring gloves, shovels, hedge trimmers, leaf blowers and other useful gardening tools. SIGN UP HERE TO HELP OUT!

GET YOUR SQUIRRELS TICKETS FOR SPIRIT NIGHT!
It looks like we're going to have a FUNNTASTIC turnout for our 1st SPIRIT NIGHT OF THE YEAR at the Richmond Flying Squirrels baseball game on Saturday, August 21st @ 6:05pm (first-pitch!). We're all excited for a whole lot of FUNN, plus their famous in-your-face FIREWORKS!! We'll have a section in the stands, so buy your tickets today! A portion of the proceeds will come back to our school, so let's have FUNN!! ORDER HERE!

WELCOME FAIR IS MONDAY, AUG. 23RD!
Join us for the St. Benedict Catholic School Back to School Welcome Fair on the blacktop, Monday, August 23. This is when all of our families stop by to drop off your student's school supplies, turn in any final paperwork, and say hello to the teachers! Students are welcome to attend with parents and they do not have to wear their uniforms. All parents MUST sign up to attend! Sign up here!

A Reminder about PTO Volunteer Hours...
  • A minimum of 20 volunteer hours per family are required per school year.  Any family member over the age of eighteen who is not a student seeking their own volunteer hours can contribute.  We love having grandparents, uncles and aunts and older siblings help out!
  • Any volunteer helping during the school day - when children are in attendance - must be Virtus-trained and background checked.
  • Each family is asked to work at least one OKTOBERFEST shift each year. 
  • Food donations are limited to 3 hours of total volunteer time for the entire year. Additionally, food donations equal one ½ hour of volunteer time.
  • Families are required to enter their volunteer time in ParentsWeb and are asked to do so promptly after each event. 
Clinic Reminders
All NEW students and rising Kindergarteners need a physical for the new school year. Junior Kindergarten students and rising 7th graders may need to update their immunizations. Please contact your doctor’s office this summer, so your child is ready for the first day of school. If your child requires any medication (prescription and/or over-the counter) the clinic must have a signed medication administration form for each medication before they can give the medication to your child. Ask the doctor now, especially if your child has certain allergies or medical conditions that require an emergency action plan. (i.e. asthma or anaphylaxis).
*Please be sure to stop by the Nurses Station at Welcome Fair to provide any medications for which you have a signed medication administration form.
Thanks for your help in keeping everyone healthy and safe!
Summer Reading & Middle School Math Review
Of course we want our Comets enjoying their summer and having a great time - but we don't want them to forget about their academics or quality summer reading! Parents, there is just 1 week remaining until the first week of school, so please make sure your Comet knows what their required summer reading assignments are and Middle School students should take some time for Mrs. Barlow's middle school math review work. (New families see below to the New Family section to see additional information under "Prep for Success this Fall".)
New Family Information
Family Question Zoom Lunchroom is THIS WEEK from 12pm-1pm daily! Hop on and Gretchen will be available to answer any of your questions to help you get ready and get set for a GREAT START to the school year.

Topic: SBCS Family Zoom Lunchroom
Time: Aug 16, 2021 12:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
    Every day, until Aug 20, 2021, 5 occurrence(s)
    Aug 16, 2021 12:00 PM
    Aug 17, 2021 12:00 PM
    Aug 18, 2021 12:00 PM
    Aug 19, 2021 12:00 PM
    Aug 20, 2021 12:00 PM

Join Zoom Meeting

Meeting ID: 769 0576 0121
Passcode: NkQpW0

School Supplies -If you purchased PTO Supply Kits, they will be waiting for your student in their classroom. If you didn't purchase kits, make sure to get your school supply shopping done this week and bring them to your child's classroom during Welcome Fair!

New Family Orientation Spring Presentation - If you joined us after our New Family Orientation or if you just want to revisit all of that information, click here! It includes helpful information about carline, ASE/Morning Care, and much more!

Make your Welcome Fair experience stress-free by returning all forms to Mrs. Autry in the front office no later than AUG. 20th These forms include:
  • Registration forms packet - provided to you in your welcome kit folder.
  • Original Birth Certificate - please bring it by school so we can lay hands on it and make a copy. We have to touch the original - we cannot accept a copy (state requirement).
  • Any custody documents we need to have on file.
  • Medication Administration & Authorization Form - required for all over-the-counter and prescription medications. The Diocese will not allow us to distribute any medication without this form signed by a physician.

Set Up Your FACTS Account - this is how we handle all of our incidental and tuition billing at SBCS. All families must set up a FACTS account (this is different from ParentsWeb). Go to https://online.factsmgt.com/signin/3R2M2 to set your up today. Our Finance Office has reached to you already to assist you in this process. If you have any questions, please contact Brian Wingfield, Director of Finance, at bwingfield@saintbenedictschool.org.

Set Up Your PARENTSWEB Account. Parentsweb is our online hub where you can check grades, track absences, record your volunteer hours and receive alerts. You can now go on to Parentsweb to set up your account. (Parentsweb can be accessed via our website. Top left corner on our home page.) Here's a 3-minute video about how to set up your account (password is Portal).

Prep for Success this Fall! You've received your child's prep kit for Fall, which includes an overview of their recommended review work and workbook (Grades 1-8) to help them get ready for a great start at SBCS. In addition, your student (Grades 1-8) will have summer reading assignments which can be found HERE on our website. Middle School students also have recommended Math, Latin and Grammar reviews provided at the same link. Questions? Email your child's teacher or Mrs. Ridgely at admissions@saintbenedictschool.org.

Uniforms - All uniform information can be found on our website here. (See the left hand column for your child's grade-level uniform information.) Generic items can be purchased anywhere. For embroidered logo items, unless otherwise offered through the school (ex. Spirit Gear), they can be purchased through Flynn & O'Hara or Land's End. (Please note: if you wish to have clothing items embroidered with our logo elsewhere, it must be of the exact same item style, material, color and logo presentation as provided by one of the above uniform stores.)

Any other questions? Please email Gretchen Ridgely at admissions@saintbenedictschool.org. We are here to help!!
Comet Sports are BACK!!
Believe it or not, the fall season is just around the corner! SBCS hopes to field several teams this year:

1st & 2nd grade soccer: Co-ed. No experience required. Brief practices before Saturday games at St. Edward's. A minimum of 2 coaches and 10 players per team. $25 fee to be billed by FACTS.

3rd & 4th grade soccer: Co-ed. No experience required. Brief practices before Saturday games at St. Edward's. A minimum of 2 coaches and 10 players per team. $25 fee to be billed by FACTS.

5th-8th grade boys' soccer: No experience required. Practices (if any) TBD by coaches. A minimum of 2 coaches and 15 players. $50 fee to be billed by FACTS.

5th-8th grade cross country: Co-ed. No experience required. Practices TBD by coaches. 2+ afternoon meets per season. $25 fee to be billed by FACTS.

5th & 6th grade flag football: Co-ed. No experience required. Brief practices before Saturday games at Westhampton Field at Patterson and Libbie. A minimum of 2 coaches and 8 players. $50 fee to be billed by FACTS.

7th & 8th grade flag football: Co-ed. No experience required. Brief practices before Saturday games at Westhampton Field at Patterson and Libbie. A minimum of 2 coaches and 8 players. $50 fee to be billed by FACTS.

League schedules will be shared as they arrive, but most seasons will run from early September through mid to late October.

Registration closes Monday, August 23. In order to ensure that SBCS and the leagues are prepared for the season, this is a hard deadline and no late registrations will be accepted.

As always, our ability to fields teams depends on student interest and on Virtus-trained volunteer coaches. If your student is interested in playing, and if you are Virtus-trained and able to volunteer as a coach, please fill out the form HERE. If you have questions, please contact Jeff Cronheim at jcronheim@saintbenedictschool.org
Middies Middle School Sports at BSoR!!
Benedictine College Prep and Saint Gertrude High School offer middle school athletic teams throughout the year, which are open to fifth- through eighth-grade students from area Catholic, private, and public schools, as well as homeschool students. Our Middies Program is designed to foster a love of sports and a way for middle school students to get acquainted with BCP and SGHS. Teams practice at the high school facilities and are coached by wonderful mentors who will help each young person in his/her athletic goals--whether it be learning a new sport or preparing for high school athletics. We hope you will join us! ☘️
 
Fall Offerings -- There's still time to register!
BCP Football ($175)
SGHS Field Hockey ($150)
SGHS Volleyball ($125)
 
Spring Offerings:
SGHS Lacrosse ($150)
SGHS Softball ($125)
BCP Lacrosse ($175)
BCP Baseball ($175)
 
Fall 2021 Middies Information
Practices for field hockey and volleyball will begin in early September. Teams will practice twice-a-week, in addition to games with other area middle schools. The volleyball team will also participate in the RVC Middle School league on Tuesdays. Register by August 23 to participate in SGHS Middies field hockey or volleyball.
 
If you are interested in any of our spring offerings, we are now accepting registrations for all sports. Click here to register for Benedictine Middies. Click here to register for Saint Gertrude Middies.
Substitute Teachers Needed
Saint Benedict School is looking for substitute teachers. 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!
Volunteer Now!
THE 16TH ANNUAL St. Benedict Oktoberfest is BACK - Sept. 17, 18, 19, 2021 in our Festplatz at the corner of N. Belmont and Hanover Aves. We are so excited and we know that RVA is as well, since our Oktoberfest is one of Richmond's TOP FESTIVALS! Welcoming 40-50K guests, however, means that MANY HANDS are needed, and because our school is the BIGGEST beneficiary of the event, ALL of our families are asked to work AT LEAST ONE SHIFT - and we are grateful for your generosity of time in helping to make this an AMAZING EVENT! This is a GREAT way to get a lot of volunteer hours in 1 weekend!!


We also need Junior Captains in the areas of DECORATIONS and PACK-UP. Please email Gretchen at volunteers@saintbenedictoktoberfest.org if you are interested in learning more about these important and key positions. VIELEN DANK!

Lebkuchenherzen (Gingerbread Heart) Volunteers Needed!
As the Annual St. Benedict Oktoberfest is quickly approaching ( September 17-19), it’s Gingerbread Heart Cookie making time folks! Volunteers are needed to help bake and decorate these incredibly popular cookies that are sold at our Oktoberfest every year! 
  • On Saturday, August 28, 9:00 a.m. (til finish) rolling, cutting and baking hearts will occur (Adults only, please). 
  • On Saturday, September 11, 9:00 a.m. (til finish) decorating and packaging will occur. Adults and Children (6th grade and up) are invited. Skilled decorators must be adults and students will help with packaging.
  • Lunch and refreshments will be provided on each day! 

Come for part or all of each day. Even if you don’t bake, your hands can be used for cleaning,
prepping and packaging. Baking and decorating will occur in the cafeteria of St. Benedict
School. Please enter through the ramp door on Belmont Avenue. If you are able to attend at any point, or have questions - please contact Holly Wilson: holly1644@gmail.com (804) 840-4604 or Danise Beirne at beirne6rva@gmail.com. Indoor masking requirements are in place regardless of vaccination status.
YAY LUNCH!