Week of January 23, 2022
Mrs. Brunner's Junior Kindergarten artists painted these beautiful 'stained glass' images of Martin Luther King, Jr. to decorate their classroom windows in honor of his birthday.
Coming up this week....
Masks are recommended for all in-person events, regardless of vaccination status.

  • Wednesday Jan. 26th Collection of Men's Deodorant & Body Wash (only) for our local Veteran's Hospital (McGuire) kicks off and runs through Wednesday Feb. 2nd.

  • Thursday Jan. 27th - TAG DAY! $2

  • Thursday Jan. 27th - PTO Meeting, 6:30pm Cafeteria

  • Friday Jan. 28th - Re-enrollment Packets sent home with youngest student

  • Sunday Jan. 30th - 11am Catholic Schools Week Mass at St. Benedict - students please wear your school uniforms for Mass.

  • Monday Jan. 31st - Friday Feb. 4th: Catholic Schools Week (see below for dress up days and other activities.

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 my email from last Thursday....

Dear St. Benedict Parents,
Since the Governor's Executive Order Two was announced last week, I know that many parents have been waiting to receive the official mask policy from the Office of Catholic Schools. Please see the attachments (below) for the updated mask guidance from the diocese, which will take effect Monday, January 24. After almost two years of masks in our school, I know that this change may feel jarring for some. Our school community includes families with greatly differing opinions on this issue, and we know that there may be some concern and anxiety with this change. I want to assure parents that while masks are no longer required, we will continue a number of strategies that we have in place to limit the transmission of the virus including: morning temperature checks, distancing in the classrooms, extra handwashing/sanitizing, and added air filtration in the cafeteria. I also want to remind parents that while there is now the option for students not to wear a mask, masking is still recommended.

One mitigation strategy of particular importance is for parents to continue to check their child each morning and keep students home when sick. In addition, we will continue to implement the 5 day quarantine recommended by the CDC and VDH for those with COVID-19 or having close contact . Students returning from quarantine after day 5, must wear a mask indoors until day 10. Students who are vaccinated or have had COVID-19 within the past 90 days, do not need to quarantine unless they are symptomatic.

In spite of differing opinions about mask wearing, I know that we are united by our care and concern for our students. I ask that we all respect the decisions of other families with Christian charity and act as models of loving unity for our children, in spite of differences, trusting in the loving care of Our Lord. If you have questions about the policy, please direct them to me. I will answer them as best I can, and if I cannot answer, I will direct it to the Office of Catholic Schools. Thank you all for your efforts to keep our students safe, healthy, and learning in-person.

Attachments emailed with above letter:

Helpful resources for our families:

COVID-19 Testing Information

How to Get the COVID-19 Vaccine
CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK IS COMING UP!
We are very excited to be celebrating Catholic Schools Week in just a short time, January 30-February 4. It is a week filled with special activities and opportunities to celebrate everyone who contributes so much to our school community and how grateful we are for our wonderful Catholic School community here at St. Benedict. The students and faculty love this week, and we wanted to give everyone ample time to plan for the fun dress up days and other activities we have in store - plus the special parts of our community that we are celebrating each day.

  • Sunday - 1/30: Celebrate Our Parish - All families are invited to attend the 11:00am Mass at St. Benedict Church with students dressed in their school uniform.

  • Monday - 1/31: Celebrate Our Alumni - Dress up like the 1920's in honor of the first decade of our school.

  • Tuesday - 2/1: Celebrate Our Students - Dress up as a favorite book or movie character.

  • Wednesday - 2/2: Celebrate Our Nation - Dress up for Wacky Wednesday by wearing mismatched, backward, or inside out clothing. We will also be collecting men's deodorant and body wash for our veterans at McGuire's VA Hospital from Jan. 26th - Feb. 2nd.

  • Thursday - 2/3: Celebrate Our Families - Dress for Spirit Day by wearing our school colors, BLUE and GOLD. (Parent's don't be afraid to show your spirit in carline!! 😉)

  • Friday - 2/4: Celebrate Our Faculty & Staff - Dress in your school uniform for Mass.
  • JK-5th My favorite thing about my teacher is...have your student(s) draw and/or write their favorite things about their teacher. ❤️
  • MS- Bring in a sweet treat for your teachers to enjoy on this special day.❤️
Next PTO Meeting is THIS THURSDAY
Next PTO Meeting
Our next PTO meeting will be held in the school cafeteria on Thursday January 27th at 6:30pm. We will continue working on the Gala and encourage any and all parents interested in helping to execute the event to attend. We have opportunities on all committees including Auction, Art Projects, Centennial Booklet, Technology and Logistics. 

Hope to see you there!
Georgia Riccobono, PTO President
Our Centennial Gala is April 30th at the Commonwealth Club! 
Please join us for this historic occasion as we mark 100 years of service to the Richmond community. 

Enjoy delicious food and drink, dancing, and both a silent and live auction curated with fabulous items for all to bid on. 

Visit our Gala website today to purchase your admission tickets and commemorative ads to remember the occasion. 
Comets Drama Company - Spring Sign Up!
Comets Drama Company
will be reconvening for the second semester, starting on Tuesday, January 25th, 2022. 

All 5th - 8th grade students are welcome to join. In this second semester, 4th grade students are also invited to participate. We will be practicing our theater skills and working to prepare for our performance of Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” 

Our meetings will take place in the library on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:00 - 4:30pm. We are asking for a $25 fee per participant to cover various program needs. Looking forward to meeting all budding actors!
Library Notes and News
Thus far, Jerome House has the most finishers of the school-wide Reading Challenge. Go, Jerome! The challenge doesn't end until April 29, so keep reading, everyone. If you are joining late, you can find the Challenge information on the school website. 

The 4&5 Book Club meets on Monday, January 24. 

Friends of the Comet Library can donate to the library through our BTSB wishlist: https://www.btsb.com/sosl/saintbenedictcatholicschool/

Return your books on time; others are waiting for them.
Tuition Assistance for 2022-23
Tuition Assistance - All returning families without significant business/self-employment income must apply for tuition assistance no later than March 1st. Those with significant business/self-employment income have until June 1st. That being said, the sooner you complete your application, the sooner you will hear from us. You will have two weeks after receiving the tuition assistance decision to cancel your contract and receive your deposit back. Please know that because the tuition assistance model assumes that the only change on your tax return is your W2 income, in years with a lot of changes in your life the model struggles to be accurate; therefore, we may reach out to you and discuss waiting for your 2021 return to be complete before making a final decision. That being said this does not change the deadlines for applying.

  • March 1st Deadline:
  • Returning Families with W-2 income and without significant business self/employment income (2020/2021 Return and 2021 W2s)
  • Returning Families who do not file taxes - March 1 - other documentation of income
  • June 1st Deadline:
  • Returning Families without W-2 income who file a tax return (2021 Tax Return)
  • Returning Families with W-2 income and significant business/self employment income (2021 Tax Return)
Purchase An Ad in Our Congratulatory Centennial Booklet! Salute Your Comet!
Celebrate this momentous occasion of St. Benedict's Centennial and join our families, faculty, alumni, business neighbors and friends in congratulating our wonderful school for 100 years of service to RVA's children and their families!

This keepsake book will commemorate our school's Century of Service and feature special recognition letters from Church and school leaders, a history of our school community, shared memories and photographs from across the decades and congratulatory ads from our broader community. Leave your mark in this once-in-a-lifetime Comet publication by sending words of congratulations, honoring a loved one or memorializing friends and family. 

The book will be distributed at the Centennial Gala with limited distribution after the event. All advertisers will receive a copy of the booklet. Have questions or need help with your ad? Contact Gretchen at centennial@saintbenedictschool.org

Re-enrollment Time is Coming Up!
Just a reminder to all of our families that re-enrollment contracts for the 22-23 school year will be going out this Friday, Jan. 28th. We will send them home in your youngest student's backpack. You will have 2 weeks to sign and return your contract with your deposit to secure your child's spot in their classroom for next year. If you have any questions, please contact Gretchen in the Admissions office at admissions@saintbenedictschool.org.
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!
Growing in Our Faith
In Case You Missed This on Social Media...
High School Information & Upcoming Events
For the Health of Our Community
Executive Order Two requires that as of January 24, 2022 parents make the decision about whether their students wear masks in school.
• Indoors: Masks are recommended for all individuals aged 2 years and older, including students, teachers, staff, and visitors, regardless of vaccination status.
• Outdoors: Masks do not need to be worn when outdoors.

ONLY COME TO SCHOOL IF….