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Deirdre V. Cryor


Challenge Foundation
Wildcat Weekly
A Weekly Newsletter from St. Mary's Academy 
The Wildcat Weekly is a weekly newsletter for our St. Mary's Academy families published every Wednesday. Look for it to include information, updates and good news from the Premier Academy of the West!
Deirdre V. Cryor
Academy President
All Academy Open House: November 10

The All Academy Open House is this Saturday, November 10. Thank you  to the many volunteers! Be sure to share with your neighbors and friends the date of Open House. Come on by to visit your child's next grade!   Click here for more information.   

Samantha Schaffer Qualifies for US Track & Field Junior Olympic Regionals

8th grader Samantha Schaffer placed 13th  

with a time of 18:16 at the Colorado state cross  

country meet, qualifying her for the US Track  

and Field Association Junior Olympic Regionals 

in Albuquerque, NM on November 17.   

Congratulations Samantha!  

Paige Stock: Perfect Score on ACT

Congratulations to Paige Stock, 12th grade, who scored a PERFECT score on the ACT!  This score puts her in the top 1% of test takers in the country. The ACT is an achievement test that tests content and subject knowledge; so, in many ways, it's a test of our content and what the students have learned at SMA. Paige is also one of our National Merit Semifinalists.  Congratulations Paige!  

Annual Fund: A Facelift for the Forum

It's time for the Forum to be updated.  Thanks to this year's Annual Fund and funds raised in 2011-2012 Annual Fund, renovation of the High School Forum will begin in June. Click here for artist renderings of the "new" Forum.  

 

Renovation will include updated lighting, stronger acoustics, snazzy new entrances and much more. The Forum is the location for so many community activities: HS Mass and Town meetings, Grandparents Day, Fifth Grade Continuation, Back to School Nights, BINGO night, and much more! You can help Fund the Forum through your Annual Fund contribution. To make a gift online click here

Community News
  • Join the SMA Community for an exclusive tour of Becoming van Gogh at the Denver Art Museum.
November 17
8:00 AM at the Denver Art Museum

$35/person

 

The event will start with an overview given by the exhibition curator, Dr. Timothy J. Standring, DAM's Gates Foundation Curator of Painting and Sculpture.  Timothy is also the father of Hadley Standring '01 and Zoe Standring '07.

 

The event will be closed to the public and the SMA Community will have private access to Becoming van Gogh.

High School Art Teacher Andrew Beckham visited the exhibit last week. Click here to read his thoughts and impressions.

 

Please click here to RSVP by November 7 as we expect this event to be sold-out!
  • The SMA Astronomy Club will be holding a Star Party, November 10, 6:30 - 9:30 PM behind the Middle School. The usual applies: dress warmly, no bright lights please and we need to be quiet for our neighbors.  For more information please contact Pete Sniegowski at [email protected].   
  • Thanksgiving Pie Drop Off!!  Monday, November 19 at carpool. Academy Parents volunteers will be on hand to collect them. Thank you for supporting this annual tradition for the faculty and staff.
  • OUR KIDS OUR SCHOOLS is now WHOLESOME FOOD SERVICES! Same great lunches! Improved website!  If you haven't already logged into the new site www.wholesomefoodservices.com, please do so with your OKOS login email address and the password we sent two weeks ago. If you can't find that email or didn't get one, select "forgot password" on the new site and a new temporary password will be emailed to you. If you are new to our lunch program, select "sign up" or "register here". If you have further questions, please check our FAQ tab.  If you can't find what you are looking for there, please feel free to contact Nancy at 303-378-2766 or [email protected].
  • Congratulations to fourth grader Annabelle Stevens and seventh grader Abigail Stevens, who competed this summer with their father in the US Open for Taekwondo held at the Olympic World Arena in Colorado Springs. Anabelle, a high red belt, placed 4th in Traditional Poomsae (forms) in her first competitive tournament. She received the Spirit Award for her efforts. Abigail won a silver medal in Traditional Poomsae for 2nd Degree black belts, losing the gold by .2 points. Congratulations to the Stevens girls!    
Special Events
  • The LS Presto Orchestra musicians (Grades 3 - 5 honor orchestra) will have the honor of performing at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House on Sunday, December 9. The Colorado Ballet will be performing its traditional Nutcracker and our LS Presto Orchestra will be performing before the show in the lobby and again at the intermission. 
  • In honor the Loretto's 200th Jubilee, President of the Sisters of Loretto, Cathy Mueller SL present "Global Loretto."  November 18, 2:00 - 3:30 PM, Denver Central Library, B2 Conference Center.
     
  • Cherry Hills Village Mayor Doug Tisdale has announced a competition for the creation of student-produced videos celebrating the beauty, history, legacy and value of the High Line Canal Trail that traverses through Cherry Hills. Entries will be due by January 7, 2013. The winning entries will be broadcast over the Cherry Hills Village Cable TV Channel.  For more information click here.  

Lower School News & Events

News:             

  • The next SMA Cub Scout Pack 861 meeting is November 8 at 3:00 in the Lower School.  The Scouts have been busy this year with rocket launches, go carts, homemade boat races and more!  For more information about the SMA Cub Scouts please contact Amy Quinette at [email protected].     
  • Click here to check out photos from Halloween at SMA!    

Events:      

  • November 8, 3:00 - 4:00 PM, LS Room 5, Cub Scout Pack Meeting
  • November 9, 8:10 - 9:10 AM, Assembly, Kindergarten Presentation
  • November 15, Picture Re-take Day
  • November 16, 8:10 - 9:10 AM, Assembly, Drama Club Thanksgiving Play   
  • November 20, Grandparents' Day, 11:40 AM dismissal 
  • November 21 - 23, Academy Closed, Thanksgiving Break
  • November 28, 6:00 - 7:30 PM, Junior Kindergarten/Kindergarten Information Night
  • November 30, 8:10 - 9:10 AM, Assembly, 5th Grade Presentation 
Middle School News & Events

News:

  • Eighth grader Samantha Schaffer placed 13th at the Colorado state cross country meet, qualifying her for the US Track and Field Association Junior Olympic Regionals in Albuquerque, NM on November 17.  Congratulations Samantha!
  • Click here to check out photos from Halloween at SMA!    

Events:      

  • November 8, 11:40 AM, Drama Performance, Forum
  • November 8, 7:00 - 8:00 PM, Choral & Instrumental Concert, HS Forum
  • November 12, 2:30 Trimester 1 Closing Ceremony
  • November 12, Trimester 2 Begins
  • November 15, Picture Re-take Day 
  • November 15, 11:40 AM, MS Prayer Service   
  • November 20, Grandparents' Day, 11:30 AM dismissal
  • November 21 - 23, Academy Closed, Thanksgiving Break  
  • November 30, 3:30 - 5:00 PM, Mixer
  • December 1, 8 AM - 12 PM, HS Placement Test 
High School News & Events

News:    

  • SMA High School Recognizes 2012 AP Scholars.  The Advanced Placement Program offers several AP Scholar Awards to recognize high school students who have demonstrated college-level achievement through AP courses and exams. This year SMA has 13 AP Scholars, with an average score of 3.84,  3 AP Scholars with Honors, with an average score of 4.08 and 9 AP Scholars with Distinction with an average score of 4.45. Click here to read the detailed list of all 25 AP scholars.  
  • This summer High School students who have completed Spanish Three have the opportunity to join a two-week trip trip to C�diz, Spain from June 29 to July 13.  The trip is open to current freshmen, sophomores and juniors. An informational meeting is scheduled for Thursday, November 8 at 5:00 in Ms. Krueger�s room.  A representative from the school in Spain will be present to answer questions.  Please make every effort to attend, but if unable email questions to [email protected] or [email protected].  �Nos vemos pronto!  

Events:      

  • November 9, HS Winter Sports Practice Begins
  • November 13, 9:55 AM, HS Mass
  • November 14, 10 AM - 1:30 PM, Junior Food Court 
  • November 14, 6:30 - 8:30 PM, HS Fall Sports Awards Ceremony, HS Forum
  • November 17, HS Fall Ball  
  • November 20, Grandparents' Day, 12 PM dismissal
  • November 21 - 23 Academy Closed, Thanksgiving Break
  • November 27, 10 AM, Town Meeting 
Admissions News
  • The All Academy Open House is this Saturday, November 10.  Thank you to the many volunteers! Be sure to share with your neighbors and friends the date of Open House. Come on by to visit your child's next grade! Click here for more information!
Advancement News
  • Phonathon is here!  November 8 and 12 marks the SMA Fall Phonathon.  Our parents are eager to talk to you, so please answer when they call.  Just five minutes of your time could mean so much to the future of SMA.  To make your gift online, please click here.      
  • Just in time for the holidays ...   

St. Mary's Academy is expanding the Grocery Certificate Program to include the following Scrip offerings:

 

Bed, Bath and Beyond ($25), Chipotle ($10), Container Store ($25), Crate and Barrel ($25), Einstein Bagels ($10), TJ Maxx/Marshalls/Home Goods ($25), iTunes ($15), Macy's ($25), Panera ($25), REI ($25), Sports Authority ($25), Starbucks ($10, $25), United Artist/Regal ($25), Walgreens ($25), Whole Foods ($25, $100).

 

Beginning November 12 you may purchase gift cards for these companies in the SMA Business Office (Sanders House 1st Floor). 

 

SMA nets 3% - 10% (depending on the business) which will benefit endowment at St. Mary's Academy.

 

To maximize the return for SMA - we would prefer payment by cash or check allowing SMA to avoid credit card processing fees - thank you!

 

Whether you reload at King Soopers, purchase grocery cards, or purchase Scrip cards - THANK YOU for the many ways you support SMA!  

  • November 20 is Grandparents' Day!  Grandparents are invited to a pancake breakfast and a performance by SMA's musical groups. Grandparents then join grandchildren in their classrooms.  Invitations were mailed to all Grandparents on record this past Monday. Please RSVP to Molly del Monte at [email protected]
  • THANKS for re-loading!  Here's an update on the results from our King Soopers Reloadable Grocery program
    • Number of cards reloaded: 82 
    • Total dollar amount reloaded: $76,667
    • SMA Net: $3,833

This is such an easy way to support SMA!  58 cards reloaded is less than 10% of what we distributed.  We have great room for growth in this program.  Keep re-loading!  

Athletic News
News:
  • High School winter sports (basketball, swimming & diving, dance)  begin November 9.  Go Wildcats! Congratulations to our Fall athletes on a great season.   
Inclement Weather Policy
St. Mary's Academy encourages parents to use their own judgment about the safety of roads on snowy days. Teachers waive late arrivals and tests on severe weather days.

 

In the event of inclement weather, St. Mary's Academy might call a "Delayed Arrival" for the campus. On a Delayed Arrival day, all classes will begin at 9:05 a.m.

 

For students who might arrive earlier than the 9:05 a.m. start time, school personnel will be present in the school buildings beginning at 8:00 a.m. In the Lower School, students should go to the gym.

 

The decision to announce a Delayed Arrival day will be made according to the following factors:

  • quantity of snow fallen or forecasted;
  • ability of students and staff to travel to school;
  • ability to clear and maintain parking lots and pathways;
  • ability of school function (heating, water, etc.)

As soon as the decision is made to change the schedule, we will put a message on our main phone line: 303.762.8300, and on our website, www.smanet.org.   Usually this decision is made and posted by 6:00 a.m.

 

Further, we will announce any school closing or schedule change due to weather or other emergency by 6:45 a.m., as best we can, on television stations including: KCNC (TV) Channel 4, KDVR Fox 31 (TV) Channel 31, KMGH (TV) Channel 7, KUSA (TV) Channel 9, KWGN (WB2 TV) Channel 2; and on radio station 850 KOA Storm Center.

 

When school is in session and we have inclement weather, decisions related to activities/athletics will not be made until after 1:30 pm. Weather changes quickly in Colorado, and we will do our best to make the decisions as efficiently as possible. If school is cancelled due to weather concerns, activities and athletics will be cancelled. Information about cancellation of events or school closing is available by calling the school at 303.762.8300.

 

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