Ms. Carter's 1st Grade class working on their tablets and their blends! They did GRRReat! |
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Monday, Jan. 18th - NO SCHOOL - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday
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Wednesday, Jan. 20th - TAG DAY - $2 (No theme, but Tag Day dress code rules apply - see handbook with any questions for Tag Day dress.)
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Friday, Jan. 22nd - REPORT CARDS posted on ParentsWeb. Be sure to check your child's grades!
OTHER IMPORTANT DATES FOR YOUR CALENDAR...
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Saturday, Jan. 23rd - JK & K Assessments for NEW applicants. (This is not for current students already attending our JK program). New siblings and new families must apply first and then schedule their assessment time to be considered for the 1st Round Priority Consideration deadline of Jan. 31st.
- Friday, Jan. 29th - Re-enrollment Packets go home with youngest sibling.
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Sunday, Jan. 31st - DEADLINE for 1st Round Priority Consideration for 21-22 Academic Year (not current students - new applicants only).
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Sunday, Jan. 31 - Saturday, Feb. 6 - CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK (see below for details)
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Thursday, Feb. 4 - State of the School Presentation with Principal Cruess on Zoom at 7pm (details below)
- Friday, Feb. 12 - Last Day to Return Your Re-enrollment Contract
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Planning Ahead? Always check out our school calendar on the website HERE!
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Need a past newsletter? Check Need a past newsletter? Check out our archives on the website HERE!
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Middle School - you are on the Week 1 Schedule this week (Days 6-10). Not sure? Check ParentsWeb on our website! (Once in ParentsWeb, go to Student - Schedules to see your child's class schedule.)
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Tag Day this Week!
The Student Council is sponsoring a tag day on January 20. There is no theme, but students should follow all tag day guidelines found in the School Handbook. The cost of the tag day is $2. Remember that all tag days are optional; students who choose not to participate should wear their normal school uniform.
Catholic Schools Week
Catholic Schools Week is coming Jan. 31-Feb.6th...and it's a such a fun week for our school. We're announcing the following Spirit Days so parents can PLAN NOW to help your students show their Comet Pride!
Monday - 20's Day (dress in the style of the 20's to honor the founding of our school)
Tuesday - House T-Shirts
Wednesday - Patriotic Day (wear red, white, and blue)
Thursday - Spirit Day (show your school spirit by wearing blue & gold)
Friday - School Uniform (middle school wear dress uniform for Mass)
State of the School Address
This year, Mr. Cruess has prepared a State of the School presentation, which we plan to be an annual event going forward. The virtual presentation will be held on Thursday, February 4 at 7:00pm. We will share information about the wonderful achievements of our school this year, and the challenges we face. We hope that all of our families will join us. A Zoom link for the meeting will be coming soon.
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Pictures from last year's Roaring 20's Spirit Day to give you some ideas for this year! |
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Mr. Cruess's Family Reading List |
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As we start the new calendar year and put some of the hustle and bustle of the holidays behind us, this is a great time to slow down, turn off some of the stressful things in our lives, and focus on our faith and our families. One of my favorite ways to be at peace is by immersing myself in the adventure of a good book. With the cold weather and longer nights, it's the perfect time to get cozy and enjoy an engaging story together. To get you started, I've put together a short list of "Mr. Cruess's Recommendations for Family Reading in 2021."
1. Horton Hears a Who - This book combines all the rhyming and silliness Dr. Seuss is known for with a beautiful story about the value of each individual person.
2. The Wind in the Willows - I love the characters in these stories. We witness the friendship of Mole and Rat, the quiet kindness of Badger, and of course, the loud, conceited, but loveable Toad.
3. The Book of Three - Loosely based on Welsh legends, the story follows the adventures of an assistant pig keeper and his friends as they face off against the sinister Horned King.
4. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe - The story of the Our Lord's sacrifice comes alive in a new way as the Lion, Aslan, lays down his own life for the person who betrayed him.
5. The Lord of the Rings - This is my favorite story of all time! The hobbit, Frodo, journeys to Mordor to destroy the ring of power. If you liked the movies, the books are even better.
As a bonus, if you're looking for some spiritual reading, take a look at The Story of a Soul, the autobiography of St. Therese of Lisieux.
I'll leave you with one final thought about peace from St. Paul's letter to the Philippians, "And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:7)
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From Our Admissions Office |
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RE-ENROLLMENT - Here's How it Works! - For our first-year families who have not been through the RE-enrollment process (and as a reminder to all school families), here's how it works:
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You do not need to reapply. Each family will receive a re-enrollment packet, which includes tuition contracts for each of your current students. (A checklist is also included, so you know exactly what needs to be returned.) The packet is scheduled to be sent home with the youngest sibling in the family on Friday, January 29.
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You have 2 weeks to return your contract with your $200 family deposit (which goes towards next year's tuition). The deadline is February 12th. Please understand that your child's spot will be released if we do not receive your contract and deposit by the deadline. This year we were at full capacity in all but 2 grades, and we have several children on our waitlist in other grades. While we do anticipate increasing capacity in all grades for the fall, we have a very active admissions season underway and many prospective families anxious to enroll their children at SBCS so they can return to full-time, in-person, classroom learning with their peers this Fall. (Something we have been very blessed to enjoy this year.)
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Your family is our #1 priority, and we are here to help you throughout the process. If you have any questions along the way, Dr. Hanson will be available to discuss any financial/tuition assistance questions you might have, and Gretchen Ridgely can help with anything else!
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 2020 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 (2019/2020 Return and 2020 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 (2020 Tax Return)
- Returning Families with W-2 income and significant business/self employment income (2020 Tax Return)
NEW Enrollments for the 2021-22 School Year - Thank you to all of our parents who have submitted applications and signed up for assessments already for our new siblings who plan to join us next school year! If you have a new student to join us in the Fall - and have not already done so - please submit their application ASAP, so that your child can be scheduled for our JK/K Assessment on January 23rd - or if they are coming into grades 1-8, we can schedule an assessment before January 31st. All NEW applicants seeking priority admissions consideration must apply and be assessed before January 31st. Any questions? Email Gretchen Ridgely at admissions@saintbenedictschool.org.
Refer a friend! - If you refer a friend, you'll receive a $75 tuition credit! How it works: You will receive a $75 (2021-22) tuition credit on the first day of school for every new family that starts the school year and who listed you as having referred them to Saint Benedict. Only one $75 referral credit will be awarded for each new family. If the new family mentions multiple families on their application, only the first family listed will get the credit.
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Your PTO wants you to know that this week's PTO Meeting and Uniform Swap have been postponed in an effort to help keep our school community healthy and together while community covid rates remain high. Stay tuned for new dates and some new events! Want to be help make our PTO amazing??? Email PTO Chair, Georgia Riccobono at georgiaariccobono@gmail.com. |
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The Virginia Department of Social Services is reaching out on behalf of the Virginia
Department of Education (VDOE), the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation (VECF), and the
University of Virginia to help spread the word about the 2020 Virginia Survey of Families with
Young Children. The purpose of this survey is to better understand children’s care and/or
education experiences during COVID-19.
• All Virginia families of young children, birth through kindergarten, can take the survey.
• The survey will take about 10-15 minutes and is voluntary.
• The survey is available online in English or Spanish.
• Families can take it on their phone, tablet, or computer using the link above.
• All information from this survey is anonymous. The survey does not ask families for their
names or their programs’ names.
• The survey is about their children’s care and/or education experiences during COVID-19.
• The survey is not about evaluating any program.
If you would like to participate in the survey, please use this link: vafamilysurvey.info. Surveys must be completed by January 25.
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Keeping Our School Healthy and Together... |
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Covid Question? Email:
And remember...
ONLY COME TO SCHOOL IF….
- Your temperature is under 100.4 degrees.
- In the past two (2) weeks, you HAVE NOT presented symptoms of COVID-19, such as a fever, chills, sore throat, cough, shortness of breath, muscle pain, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea, with no alternative diagnosis.
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In the past two (2) weeks, you HAVE NOT been exposed - less than six (6) feet for greater than 15 minutes - to anyone who has tested positive for or exhibits symptoms of COVID-19 (with no alternative diagnosis), without wearing the appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
UPDATED SEPTEMBER 3, 2020
If you are keeping one student home because they have COVID-19 symptoms with no alternative diagnosis, then you are reminded to keep all of your students home.
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Taking Care of our Comet Family |
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Please remember that we are one community that is supportive and respectful. As in any year, from time to time teachers and students may be out of school. Please respect privacy and don't jump to conclusions. Whenever a member of the school community has a confirmed case of COVID-19, we will work with the Diocese and the Health Department to make sure close contacts are notified so they may take appropriate action inline with CDC guidance.
Also, here's some other helpful information:
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CDC recommendations for gatherings.
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Differences between COIVD-19 and the Flu here.
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If You Missed This on Social Media... |
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Father John David and our wonderful seminarian, Christopher, visited us this week to bless our school with the traditional Epiphany Blessing. Father and Christopher blessed our classrooms with this traditional blessing that includes writing in chalk on the doorframe the year and the 3 initials of the Magi, C+M+B. #catholicschoolsrock |
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