Mission Statement:
St. Mary Magdalene Catholic School is a community that proclaims the gospel by our dedication to quality instruction while fostering our commitment to the needs of others.
UPCOMING EVENTS

Friday, September 24th - Professional Development Day - No School;
KofC Fall Shrimp Boil
Saturday, September 25th - KofC Blood Drive, 10:00am-2:00pm
Monday, September 27th - School Picture Day
Friday, October 1st - PSO Parent Social, The Wurst Party Ever
Friday, October 8th - Gibbons Family Football Night
Thursday, October 14th - PSO Soup & Salad Teacher Lunch
Sunday, October 17th - StMM School Open House
Wednesday, October 20th - End of 1st Quarter
Friday, October 22nd - Early Dismissal, 11:30am; PSO Halloween Event
Friday, October 29th - Halloween Spirit Day

LUNCH MENU

Thursday, September 23rd - Taco-in-a-Bag
Monday, September 27th - Chicken Nuggets
Tuesday, September 28th - Hot Dogs
Wednesday, September 29th - Pizza
Thursday, September 30th - Hamburgers
Friday, October 1st - Quesadilla

St. Mary Magdalene Catholic School is a peanut/tree nut free school. To review the nut policy guidelines, please click here.
3rd GRADE BOOK DRIVE

Don't forget, our 3rd graders are collecting new copies of The Little Engine That Could for UNC Children's Hospital. Upon discharge, each child gets a copy of the book to enjoy. Your donation can be dropped off in the 3rd grade homerooms or in the main office through September 30th. THANK YOU so much for your support!
NOMINATIONS OPEN FOR LEWIS AWARD

Have a teacher you love at StMM? One who has made a difference, even a small one, for you, your child or your family? Nominate them for the Diocese of Raleigh Lewis Award. Get started by clicking HERE.
DOWNLOAD THE StMM FAMILY APP TODAY!

Guess what?! StMM has a new app, now available for download. Search "St. Mary Magdalene School" in the app store or just use your cell phone's camera to scan the QR code. Then, login with your Renweb/Parentsweb information. Remember, our District Code is STMM-NC. Special thanks to our StMM PSO for funding this app!
SCHOOL PHOTOS MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 27th

Smile big! School photos will be taken on Monday, September 27th. All students should wear their school uniforms. If your Monarch is scheduled for PE on Monday they SHOULD NOT wear their PE uniform, but their regular school attire. Students will be asked to remove hoodies for photos. Click here for information on ordering school portraits.
8th GRADE NEWS

Service Opportunity
Calling all 8th Grade Monarchs: Looking to give back to your school community and earn those service hours? Volunteer at our Open House on Sunday, October 17th. Hours of service will be 12:00-1:00pm possibly entertaining small children, 1:00-1:30pm tour families around our school campus. Sign up by clicking here.

High School Preparation
Many different schools Admissions have begun. Make sure to check out Mrs. Curliss’ email regarding all your educational options for local high schools! 

8th grade Spirit Wear
Did you order your 8th grade hoodie yet? Need an extra before winter hits? Order yours here: https://www.inkdthreads.com/find-my-store/school-pages/st-mary-magdalene-catholic-school-8th-grade
SUBSTITUTES NEEDED! APPLY TODAY!

St. Mary Magdalene Catholic School is in need of more substitute teachers for the 2021-22 school year. If you would like to be considered for our Substitute List, please email Kate Lawson, Assistant Principal or Nancy McElroy, Assistant Principal.
StMM ADMISSIONS

Interested in a Catholic Education for your child next school year but haven’t taken a tour? StMM invites you to attend our Open House on Sunday, October 17th beginning with Mass at 11:00am. Following Mass, make your way to the Academic Building for a presentation on how we pray, we learn and we care in grades PK3 through 8th grade. Campus Tours will be offered afterward. RSVP here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe5DZnXDdhUDusNrZuD9qunnWPN7DxXNkP7M-2go8KZUHDjKA/viewform?usp=sf_link 


Applications are live Friday, October 1st: http://school.stmm.net/admissions/
COUNSELOR'S CORNER

In every school and community, there are young people who suffer silently because they feel left out, alone, or invisible. Social isolation is a growing epidemic in our schools and across the United States. The pandemic is preventing children from being at school and playing like they normally would play and interacting with their peers. 

Young people who are isolated can become victims of bullying, violence, and/or depression. Many then pull further away from society, struggle with learning and social development, and/or choose to hurt themselves or others as a result. This is why we are bringing Sandy Hook Promise’s Start with Hello program to our school. For more information, please visit, Start with Hello

Start with Hello is an age appropriate training that raises awareness and educates students about social isolation and how to create a connected and inclusive classroom, school, and community. The students practice active listening by having fun learning about their other classmates through icebreakers. 

At home, you can continue the conversation by modeling active listening, greeting people in your community when you are out and about, talking about how to involve others at school recess, and encouraging your child to talk with you if they feel lonely.
PSO NEWS
Registration for the Wurst Party Ever Extended! 
Good news! Registration for the Wurst Party Ever parent social has been extended until MondaySeptember 27th! Plan to join us Friday, October 1st at 6:30pm in the school courtyard. Pre-registration is required for this adults-only event, so be sure and grab your tickets ASAP!! We can’t wait to see our community of StMM parents come together once again! https://payit.nelnet.net/form/oHOudbQG 
Only 8 Days Left to Sponsor Monarch Mondays! 
Monarch Mondays is entering the final week to sponsor. Let's finish strong! Every Monarch is touched by Arts and Specials from PK or 8th. We offer Spanish, Band, Music, Drama and amazing Cultural Arts assemblies, to name only a few. We have a rich and diverse Cultural Arts program to offer this year (thanks to our CA Reps, Jenny and Betto Herrara) from music, to writing, to learning about women's history, musical genres from Bach to DooWop and Native American pottery. We also want to help make classroom, stage, and sound system improvements. With 8 days to go, we have 28 donors and sponsors; at $16,460, we're just over half way to last year's total of $30,904.  The sponsorship window will close on Thursday, September 30th at 11:45pm. Only ONE top logo sponsor spot remains; email Erin Bonasso (erinbonasso@gmail.com) to claim it.  Click here to sponsor or donate a teacher shirt online, or print the paper form to send into school with a check.

We have around 95 school staff members, and we'd like to give each one a free shirt so they can participate in Monarch Mondays too. Please help by donating a shirt to a teacher at only $20 per shirt; use the links above, but skip to the end to donate teacher shirts. More information about sponsorships, our fundraising focus, and an FAQ form may be found on the Monarch Mondays section of the school's website.
Impact of Last Year's Monarch Mondays 
The fence along the sports fields was completed this week using funds from last year's Monarch Mondays, which focused on outdoor and recess improvements. This improves the aesthetic look of the field and keeps children safe from trying to chase balls into the parking lot. The PSO is also working with the parish administrator to support repairs to the playground equipment. Finally, a big THANK YOU to Daniel Gunter, former StMM student and Boy Scout, for building 4 benches to go with the picnic tables behind the cafeteria (which are being professionally refinished) to provide outdoor seating at lunch. These will be a great addition to the outdoor eating area! Thanks, Daniel!
Fall Soup & Salad Lunch For Teachers - Thursday, October 14th
We are happy to announce the return of the annual Fall Soup & Salad Lunch for Teachers, sponsored by the PSO. This event is always a staff favorite. If you can help by donating soup or chili, breads, salads, desserts, drinks or decorations on Thursday, October 14th, please sign up here. As always, nut free items only! Contact Amy Griffin with questions (amywgriffin@gmail.com). 
Monarch Shopping Partners and Reminders
See the PSO Monarch Shopper section of the school's website for information about how to link your Harris Teeter VIC cards, Lowes Foods Fresh Rewards cards, Publix Partners, AmazonSmile, and Box Tops for Education to benefit the school at no cost to you. Remember to enter our drawing by 11:59pm on Thursday, September 30th to be eligible to win a spirit shirt! Entry details on the website.

If you haven't done so already, please fill out the volunteering interest poll by Thursday, September 30th to tell us what you're interested in helping with. Please sign up for Safe Environment Training through the church if needed; many volunteer roles require C Level certification.
Save the Date! Cardinal Gibbons Family Football Night Friday, October 8th
CGHS will be hosting all of the local Catholic schools for an evening of non-stop family fun and fellowship on Friday, October 8th! Tailgating before the varsity football game will begin at 5:00pm until kickoff at 7:00pm. StMM PSO will be hosting our school tailgate. Please be on the lookout for a SignUp Genius on what to bring to the pitch-in. Click here to register for free game tickets for your entire family. Questions? Email your CGHS Ambassodors, Anne Burge, anneburge143@gmail.com, or Sarah Larson, sarahalarson@yahoo.com.
PRICE INCREASE AHEAD!
ORDER YOUR YEARBOOK TODAY!

Have you ordered you 2021-22 yearbook yet? The price is just $29 through the end of the month but will bump up to $34 in October. Don't miss out on the lowest price of the year! Order your yearbook by clicking HERE.
KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS UPCOMING EVENTS

Fall Shrimp Boil Friday, September 24th
The Knights of Columbus Council 7186 is proud to sponsor a fall Low Country Shrimp Boil. Proceeds will support individuals with intellectual disabilities. This is a pre-order, curbside pick-up only event. Go to www.KofCseafoodboil.com and place your order today! Supplies are limited.
Blood Drive Saturday, September 25th
Help support the KofC Blood Drive by signing up to donate! The blood drive will be held on Saturday, September 25th from 10:00am-2:00pm. Bonus! Monarch parents who donate will receive a free dress down day for their family. Please note, there is a quick Covid test administered before donation. Sign-up at: https://donate.thebloodconnection.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/176090
SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION

Mr. John Mihalyo, Principal
Mrs. Kate Lawson, Assistant Principal
Mrs. Nancy McElroy, Assistant Principal
Mrs. Barbara Senn, Early Childhood Coordinator
Mrs. Nikki Curliss, Guidance Counselor
Mrs. Lydia Binanay, Marketing & Recruitment
Mrs. Laura Tomczak, Communications & Admissions
Mrs. Priscilla Shanmugham, Business Services
Mrs. Wendy Walsh, School Nurse
Mrs. Megan Mastrogiovanni, Special Programs Manager
Ms. Mary Stein, Receptionist
Mrs. Brooke Kingston, Administrative Assistant
Mrs. Kathy Loeschorn, Technology
Mr. Joel Groelle, Athletics Director