It doesn’t seem quite right sending the students home to start their April vacation carrying their third quarter report card…but it’s just the way the cookie crumbled. Considering third quarter is traditionally the most difficult one academically, I thought as a whole, they managed it fairly well. 

Unfortunately, even though third quarter can be the most difficult academically, fourth quarter can be the most challenging….the sun is shining, the birds are tweeting, the sports are full steam ahead…a lot of most welcomed distractions! But that, coupled with the reality that the brains and body are tired of the school routine, means that everyone will need to dig down deep if we’re going to get the most out of the fourth quarter. And we really need to continue to do just that.

 

When the students return to school, we’ll all have to work together to keep them focused and on track for seven more weeks.

But, the good news is, the end is in sight. We have a couple of important dates set:

·        Eighth grade Graduation, June 7^th

·        Last Day of School, June 11^th

As far as other activities, we’ll have to wait and see. We’ll keep you posted.

Just a reminder, next week during vacation, we celebrate Earth Day. Our students have been sent home with an Earth Day Scavenger Hunt/Activity. This will count as their assignment for the All School Remote Learning Day on Monday, April 26^th (Professional Development Day for teachers). We’re hoping our families will embrace the assignment and spend some extra time with their children enjoying God’s beautiful creation.  We'd love to have you send us some pictures (p.lund@smaspringfield.org)!

And finally, we do have seven weeks to go. Let’s do our best to keep them Covid free. As you rest and relax, don’t forget the mighty three!

God Bless,

Our Calendar Raffle continues. It is the second major school fund-raiser of the year and we ask each family to sell a minimum of 5 calendars. We discourage all students from soliciting strangers and knocking on doors, but family members, relatives and friends are usually more than happy to support this fund-raiser! The initial returns have been great! Keep it up!!

April Vacation (Spring Break) begins on Monday, April 19th through Friday, April 23rd. Mark your calendars now!

As we celebrate Earth Day on April 22nd, we will be using our All School Remote Learning Day for our Earth Day Scavenger Hunt. Teachers will send home the assignment which can be completed on Monday, April 26th or any day during Spring Break. Although the task can be done independently, we encourage the entire family to participate and enjoy the day together. All activities will be grade level appropriate. For instance, Middle Level students will be given a menu of many different activities and then asked to complete 5 of them. Mark your calendars now and plan on a fun family adventure!

Don't forget to email pictures of your Earth Day Scavenger Hunt to Phyllis Lund (p.lund@smaspringfield.org).

If you are interested in receiving St. Michael's Academy tuition assistance, please apply as soon as possible. Funding is limited so please visit this site and apply NOW!

Spring Break has finally arrived! It has been a long stretch of school days since our last break! We were able to make it through with minimal disruption to our in school learning! That speaks to the partnership between all of you and St. Michael’s Academy. This brings me to the subject of travel over the break period.

Many of the kids are getting excited and are talking about their plans for the week. Several students have talked about travel plans out of state and out of the country. It is important to remember that Covid-19 is still with us, either in it’s original form or in one of the more contagious variants. Though Massachusetts is now under a travel advisory, it is still recommended to quarantine upon return to the state. If you are traveling outside the country, check the testing requirements to reenter the United States.

If you are traveling out of the state/country, we are requiring the students to have a negative PCR test in order to return to school on Tuesday April 27^th. You can test in the state/country you are traveling from or test upon return to Massachusetts. The AMR site at Eastfield Mall on Boston Road in Springfield is a free testing site. You may also check with your pediatricians to see if they are doing in office testing. I know many of us adults are vaccinated, but the children are not, and we still face the possibility of Covid-19 in our school. We have 33 days left and we want to be able to say, “We made it”, through a whole school year!

Again, I want to thank you for partnering with us in helping to continue to keep Covid-19 in our school at a minimum. If your child has any Covid-like symptoms upon your return, please keep them home and email or call the school nurse.

Have a great time on your vacation! If you have any questions or concerns please let me know!

Nurse Maureen

In first grade, we have been comparing numbers using the comparison terms equal to, greater than, and less than. The students have also been learning about adding and subtracting increments of one and ten. We have also been listening to the song Mr. Alligator Can Chomp by Jack Hartman to help them visualize this concept. The children have learned that an alligator likes to eat the bigger number. His nose moves toward the smaller number, but his mouth opens when he reaches the larger number.

We finished the unit by practicing graphing using jellybeans. Once they finished their graphs, they were able to compare the numbers using the skills they had learned the past week. Eating the jellybeans at the end of the lesson was a special treat too!

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Awareness Month. This week our faculty promoted child safety and raised awareness about child abuse. A blue pinwheel is a sign of people who are committed to keeping children safe. Our Pre-K students paraded around the playground with their pre-assembled pinwheels, while other classes meticulously assembled theirs in class.

Today our eighth graders enjoyed a unique day of retreat and reflection. This annual event facilitated by New Spirit is always one of the most memorable activities of the year. A specially designed day of reflection provided the students the opportunity to strengthen their relationship with God and self-reflect. We want to thank Pat Sears, Barry Kingston and their dedicated team of youth ministers for a fantastic day!

This past year, Fr. David Raymond has been celebrating daily Mass with our students on a rotating basis. He has prepared his homilies to specifically fit the needs of each particular class. This past week, we received word that Fr. David has been assigned as the new chaplain of St. Michael's Academy. Thank you for all you do for SMA, Father!

Our SMA "Girls on the Run" were out running this week despite chilly temperatures at times. The girls focused on the star power that shines strongly within each of them and different ways of channeling that power in a positive manner. YOU GO, GIRLS!

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