April 29, 2021 - News & Notes |
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From The Desk Of Principal Kerr |
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Could it be that spring has finally arrived? It is so great to see teachers moving instruction outdoors and adding some extra recess time. The middle school kids especially appreciate the chance for a change of scenery. We will be so happy to get them back into their usual schedule next year; and the teachers will be grateful to have their classrooms back as well. We hoped they would be teaching with mobile carts for a few months at most, and it has stretched through the whole year.
I am continuing with spring observations in the classrooms and as always it is so impressive to see our faculty interacting with the children. This week I have seen Mrs. Murray teaching the second graders to read music by playing along with boom whackers, a tubular plastic instrument that the kids play by striking it on their hands or legs. They were having too much fun to realize they were also reading musical scores. They sounded pretty good too!
I saw the 7th graders learning the rules and strategies of flag football in gym class. They impressed me with their inclusiveness, making sure everyone got a chance to shine. Their primary teachers would be very proud of the way they were taking turns.
The third graders were building their math vocabulary and learning about angles and parallel and perpendicular lines; second graders were learning about the different types of prayer, and kindergarteners were building decoding and comprehension skills.
We continue to see a lot of anxiety in children this year, some resulting in big reactions, and some expressed quietly with complaints of aches and pains. We are keeping our counselor, Mrs. Brenden busy. She has been a great support for us, offering strategies to help our students in this trying year. She works with Dr. Jules Nolan with Phoenix Counseling who offers monthly parenting sessions for our Catholic schools (funded by CSCOE). Her April session on “Mindful Parenting for Resilience” was well received. If you were not able to attend, her slides are linked here. We haven’t received the details about registering for the May session yet, but watch for them in the next NewsNotes.
Next week is Teacher Appreciation week, so if you have a chance, please send a note of appreciation to a deserving teacher!
Next week is May and the return of shorts to the uniform. The weather is cooperating just in time! Good bless your families this weekend, and enjoy the fact that spring is finally showing some backbone! Go Blues and go Gophers!
Mrs. Kerr
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Wednesday Early Dismissal Childcare Time June 2021 |
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Please let us know if your child(ren) will need Wednesday Early Dismissal Care (12:15 - 2:15) in June by completing this form as soon as possible, and no later than Saturday, May 15, 2021. We are offering this for families who do not have other options available for Wednesday afternoons. If you are able to have your child come home at 12:15, please do so, as the teachers are finding the Wednesday afternoon planning especially necessary this year.
If you are picking up your child before 2:15, we ask that you call the office so that one of our staff members can bring your child safely to their car line pickup zone.
In order to ensure proper staffing and the safety of all students we request no late enrollment.
Please complete one form per student.
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Plan to join us for our Family Picnic on Thursday, May 27th! |
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SCHOOL ADVISORY COUNCIL OPEN POSITIONS |
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School Advisory Council (SAC) is looking to fill 2-3 open positions for the ’21-’22 school year. Applicants do need to have child(ren) currently enrolled at the school and be a practicing Catholic. Please fill out the attached application by April 30, 2021. |
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Father John Deere Council Catholic High School Scholarship
The Knights of Columbus, Father John Deere Council 4914, is offering a total of (4) scholarships to students who will be entering 9th grade at a Catholic high school. The value of each scholarship is $250.00. You must apply no later than May 3rd, 2021.
Your application, typed on an 8.5 x 11 sheet will include your name, address, the school that you graduated from, the school you will be attending and an essay of 500 words or less on “How will I express my love for Jesus throughout my high school career”. The application is to be mailed to: Thomas Esterl, 9233 W 123rd St., Savage, MN 55378.
Scholarships will be awarded on May 21st, 2021. The checks will be presented to you and will be made out to the school that you will attend.
Thank you in advance for applying.
Thomas Esterl
Knights of Columbus
Father John Deere Council 4914
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It's Time to Order School Supplies for 2021-22!
Orders placed by June 10, 2021 will ship directly to school FREE and arrive before school starts in September. Supply kits can be customized by removing items or adding additional supplies as needed.
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Register for Summer Adventures Plus 2021
NEW THIS SUMMER
Summer Adventures Plus (SAP) is open for ages 4 and older.
Limited spaces are available. Registration is required.
Hours of Operation
Monday through Friday 8:00 am-4:00 pm
SAP reserves the right to close due to lack of enrollment.
SAP will be open June 14-August 20
PLEASE NOTE: SAP will be closed the week of July 5-July 9 for routine building maintenance.
Fees
Registration Fee – $60 per child
Session Fee – $50
All fees will be billed via TADS Billing Management
Why choose our program?
Each week a new theme will be introduced. The following special events and activities will tie in with each weekly theme.
-Community service project
-Spiritual theme and bible verse
-Virtual or in-person field trips
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Junior Leader Opportunity |
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Don't let learning stop over the summer!
- Summer tutoring provides an opportunity to review difficult material.
- Working with a tutor during the summer helps students retain past content for a smooth transition into the following academic year.
Teachers are available to provide summer tutoring to students. Please email them directly for more information or to schedule tutoring.
Mrs. Kelley DeGross, K-5 Math and Reading (Orton-Gillingham trained), degross@saintmpl.org
Mrs. Amy Peterson, 1st grade teacher, K-1 Math and Reading,T-W-Th, peterson@saintmpl.org
Ms. Deanna Vochoska, All Grades and All Areas, vochoska@saintmpl.org
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Lunch and Recess Volunteers Needed! |
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We still have many empty spots to fill; your help is appreciated!
- Lunchroom and kitchen every day from 10:30am - 12:45pm. If you are available midday, please sign up using the Sign-Up Genius button below.
- Recess from 11:10am - 1:10. Please use the Sign-up Genius button below.
All volunteers must be up to date on Virtus training.
Please visit virtusonline.org to log in or to create an account and complete the required steps to be a volunteer.
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COVID-19 Testing for Kids and Families
The MDH announced a recommendation for all youth attending school in-person, and their families to get tested every two weeks through the end of the school year. While it is not a requirement, regular testing complements other safety measures already in place, such as masking and social distancing.
Getting tested every two weeks from now until the end of the school year can help keep schools open and sports operating, and ensure we are limiting the spread of COVID-19.
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Routine COVID-19 Saliva Testing
St. Michael Catholic School’s next testing day is scheduled for Thursday, April 15. Because you can not eat or drink 30 minutes prior to testing we recommend that your child/ren test in the evening of Wednesday, April 14 and drop it off in the nurse's office on Thursday morning when they come to school. Do not hesitate to contact Julie Herbst and Hayley Kulstad with questions.
Student COVID-19 Testing Procedures
At Governor Walz’s direction, MDE is removing yet another barrier to testing: the UPS drop box. While some kids live down the street from a drop box, it’s quite a haul for others.Students are now able to send their Vault-at-Home tests back to the lab through St. Michael.
How this works:
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Students or families order tests through the Vault-at-Home program (remember tests are no cost to Minnesota residents).
- Students complete their test at home.
- Students seal their sample tube and place it in the biohazard bag. The biohazard bag then gets sealed in the shipping bag that came with the test. The shipping label sticker is attached to the bag.
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Students bring their sealed shipping bag with the shipping label to school on your designated onsite testing day (every other Thursday).
- Students will test on the same schedule as staff every other week. Our next scheduled staff testing day at St. Mike’s is Thursday, April 15.
- Students will need to have a Vault-at-Home kit on hand at home to complete and bring to school on staff testing day.
- Once students receive notice that their sample is being processed at the lab, they can order another Vault-at-Home kit for the next screening day.
- Students will not have to quarantine unless they are experiencing symptoms or have been named a close contact.
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Students can wear shorts in May/June!
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School Office: (952) 447-2124
Fax: (952) 447-2132
24/7 Absentee Line: (952) 447-2230
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