December 18, 2020 Volume VII, No. 16

From The Desk Of The Principal

Greetings! It took a little longer to get here this year, and maybe it was the snow that helped it along, but I could just feel the excitement in the air when the students returned to school today. Despite this pandemic, the students are filled with joy. Witnessing their joy is like an instant cure for anyone overwhelmed by the worries of today’s world…as long as the heart is open to receive it. We’ll be wrapping up on Tuesday with a full day of school. We’ll start with Mass in the morning at 9:30 (we’ll send the Zoom link in the morning) and we’ll finish with a little Bingo in the afternoon (candy cane prizes). Should be fun! Enjoy a nice weekend before the big day! Peace and God's blessings, Ms. Ann E. Dougal

Ho, Ho, Ho

Christmas Dress Down All students are invited to enjoy a Christmas Dress Down Day on Tuesday, December 22nd featuring two or three articles of Christmas attire. Please remember that we will be attending Mass in the morning so attire should be appropriate.

Reminder for Remote Learning

Mark Your Calendars This is just a reminder that in order to help mitigate the spread of Covid after the Christmas and New Year's holidays, the following remote days will occur: January 4:       No school for all, Professional Development Day for teachers. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- January 5-8:    Full day Remote learning for Grades 1-8 (homeroom teachers will email you grade level schedules) ------------------------------------------------------------------------- January 5-8:    In school learning for Pre K and Kindergarten *Before and After School Program will be available *Student must bring their own lunch  ------------------------------------------------------------------------- We apologize for the inconveniences that remote learning may cause for some parents but we need to stay vigilant in our fight against Covid. This is a very necessary action in order to keep everyone safe after the holidays.

Nurse's Office - IMPORTANT!

Important - Flu Vaccine REQUIREMENT! We have had this notice in every week but there are still 180 students who have NOT submitted proof of their flue vaccine. The thermometer moved again this week but still has a long way to go! Next Tuesday is the LAST day to bring in proof of vaccination before the Christmas vacation. ALL students, including remote learners, in grades PK through Grade 8 are required by the state to have the flu vaccine by December 31, 2020. Proof of vaccination must be submitted to the school nurse by this date for school re-entry in January. Medical and religious exemptions are acceptable with written documentation submitted to the school. As you can see from our thermometer, we still have a large number of students who have NOT received the flu vaccine or provided proof of receiving it. The vaccine is available at most physician offices and pharmacies. Please do not put off getting the flu vaccine. There will be a huge vaccine rush at the end of December so students can re-enter school! For additional information about the flue vaccine, please click here! Families are also reminded to consult the nurse's section on the website (https://www.smaspringfield.org/parents/nursesoffice/) for guidelines for a safe return to school after the holidays. If you have any questions, please call Mrs. Penna at 413-782-5246.

From The Classroom of Ms. Kisiel - Gr. 8

Test Week Hits 8th Grade Hard This week, the 8th Grade students have been working hard to bring several learning units to a close and to prepare for the associated unit tests. There have been the typical stressors, the hope for success, and the feeling of academic exhaustion! The good news is that we have all finally made it to the end of the week! Students are feeling the workload that comes with the 8th grade, but they are truly pushing themselves to succeed this year. Now, students are working to turn in the rest of their assignments and prepare for the upcoming holiday. In between the hard work and excitement of next week, they find rest when they can!

Catholicity

Lighting The Advent Wreath Deacon John Miller helps 7th grade students Sophia and Jarin light the Advent Wreath during the 7th grade Mass this week. All are welcome to join us at our daily Masses held at 1:35 p.m. at Holy Cross Church.

*Please be sure to keep a look out in your email next week for a link to attend our Christmas Mass on Tuesday! We hope you can join us remotely!

Grade 4 Reading Groups

Reading from Home and School Ms. Gauthier's 4th grade students were having fun in their independent reading groups with their remote learning friends. They take turns reading a story to each other!

News from PreK-4

Experimenting With Color Ms. Urena's PreK-4 students practiced their coloring techniques this past week creating images of their favorite Christmas things.

Help Us Spread The Word!

Talk To Your Friends and Neighbors! St. Michael's Academy will begin accepting applications for the 2021-2022 academic year on January 1st. Help us spread the word by "talking it up" with friends and neighbors. The most powerful form of marketing is word of mouth and who better to do that than our current families and students! We will also be holding Virtual Open Houses on the following dates: Thursday, Feb. 4th at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 9th at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 10th at 6 p.m. You don't even have to leave your home! Please choose a day and time that works best for schedules. Participants will view a brief information session followed by a panel of students, teachers and parents for a Q & A session. Pre-Registration is necessary and can be done by visiting https://bit.ly/smaOpenHouse. A link to join the Zoom meeting will be sent out via email. If you are already at SMA - no worries! Current students will have the opportunity to register beginning on March 1st and will be given first priority for classroom slots. We have a GREAT school here and we want the world to know!

Food For Thought

"Let us love the Cross and let us remember that we are not alone in carrying it. God is helping us. And in God who is comforting us, as St. Paul says, we can do anything."  — St. Gianna Molla

Prayer Corner

St. Michael the Archangel, pray for us! We pray for our brothers and sisters across our nation and across the world. May God give everyone strength during these especially stressful times. We pray in a special way for all of our families and friends in need: Juan Hernandez We pray for our recently departed. We pray for all those lives that have been taken by the Covid-19 virus across the world.  Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

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