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The Messenger
October 24, 2014
Vol. II, No.10
 
 
St. Michael's Academy
Reminders
News
Upcoming Events
Prayer Corner
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St. Michael's Academy 
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Greetings!


 

Believe it or not, today ends the first quarter! Teachers will begin working on report cards this weekend, which will then be distributed on Tuesday, November 4th, at parent/teacher conferences.  Please look for your family's assigned conference time sent home yesterday in your child's backpack.   During the next week, please take some time to jot down any notes that might be helpful to share with the teacher.  Our conference schedule moves quickly, and it's important that everyone be prepared, so that meeting time can be maximized.  Thank you.


 

Fall is in full swing and temperatures are dropping a bit! While our handbook states that students may wear shorts to school throughout the months of September and October, we ask you to keep a few things in mind when your child is selecting their outfit. Our students are outside in the morning prior to 8:15am and again for their recess period. Please make sure that they are dressed warmly enough for the day's forecast. Also, we've certainly entered coat season. Make sure that your child wears appropriate outerwear. As we begin to enter cold and flu season we want to make sure that our students are dressing appropriately. 


 

I look forward to seeing all your ghosts and goblins tonight at our annual Trunk or Treat!

 

Peace,

 

Ann E. Dougal, Principal 

 
Reminders
  • There will be NO SCHOOL on Tuesday, November 4 for Parent/Teacher Conferences.

  • SMA Spiritwear is available through Donnelly's. Click here to check out the variety of affordable items. Spiritwear may be worn to compliment the uniform on Fridays. 

 
Admissions Report

Believe it or not, we've already started thinking about next year! It's that time of the year that we begin planning for new admissions and registration. Currently, we are focusing on our middle level enrollment, beginning with a Middle Level Information Night this past Wednesday. The families that attended were able to meet with current students, parents, teachers and alumni! It was a great event and we hope to host many more like it.

If you know of any current fifth or sixth grade students who may be looking to join the SMA community for the 2015-2016 school year, send them my way! I would love to give them a tour and talk to them about the exciting opportunities that exist for all of our students at St. Michael's Academy.
  
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If there is a photo of your child in The Mesenger you would like to have e-mailed to you, please e-mail [email protected]


Advancement Report

Serve the Lord with Gladness

 

During his installation as the new Bishop of the Diocese of Springfield, Bishop Rozanski stated that he strives to live out his personal episcopal motto, "Serve the Lord with Gladness."  What a compelling inspirational statement!  As members of St. Michael's Academy, we try to help and serve on a daily basis.  The challenge arises in accomplishing this with gladness. 

 

Everyone is challenged to serve with gladness in different ways.  Our 8th grade students volunteer to lead us in prayer every morning as we recite a decade of the rosary during the month of October.  Several dedicated parents, faculty members, students, and an alumni volunteered to serve as resources for prospective new families at our recent Middle Level Information Night.  Finally, devoted administrative assistants minister to students daily, addressing all possible scenarios from a simple skinned knee or a forgotten lunch, to a backpack left on a bus.  They have truly mastered the art of multi-tasking with gladness!

 

Thanks to the inspiration of Sr. Constance, a beautiful banner displaying this theme currently hangs in our lobby.   It serves as a constant reminder to all that our goal is to follow in the Bishop's footsteps and "Serve the Lord with Gladness."

 
From the Teacher's Desk...Mrs. Dean, 2B

 

The Second graders have been hard at work in school. In Religion we are learning about the Sacraments, the Seasons of the Church year and the Rosary. We have been praying a decade of the Rosary each morning as a school community.

 

We have made beautiful fall place-mats for our school neighbors as part of our "Good Neighbors" program.

 

 

 

We are excited about the stories we are reading in our new reading series. We are learning about the many different literature genres and we are reading more non-fiction stories.

 

We are looking forward to our All Saints Day Mass on October 31st. The Second grade saints are St. Tarcisius and St. Bernadette.

 

Iobserve

 

As mentioned in last week's issue, our grade eight students had a unique opportunity last week. They were asked to provide some feedback about The Catholic Mirror. Click here to read the full article on Iobserve.

Scholastic Book Fair

 

The Scholastic Book Fair will be at St. Michael's Academy November 3rd -6th. A volunteer request sheet went home this week. Please send this sheet back to school ASAP, but no later than Tuesday, October 28th. 

 

This is a very short turnaround time to get volunteers scheduled and confirmed. If you do not have the volunteer signup sheet, and have any time available on these days, please email Julie Dougal at

[email protected].

 

Each class will have a scheduled time to shop during the week. The schedule and forms will go home next Friday, October 31st. The fair will also be open all day during parent/teacher conferences on Tuesday, November 4. You can drop your children off at the fair to browse while you complete your conferences.

 

Attendance Incentive 

 

In an effort to encourage all of our students to have good attendance, 
SMA has instituted a new incentive. Each Monday, a student name will be drawn at random and if that student was in schoolon time, and did not get dismissed early every day the previous week, the student will receive a dress down day on Tuesday. 


 

This week, a fourth grade student, Shawn, received a dress down day!

Upcoming Events
Monday, October 27:
Measurement Monday: Money

Tuesday, October 28: 
Suzuki Violin Program

Wednesday, October 29: 
Banking
Middle Level Dance, 5:30-7pm

Friday, October 31:
School Mass, 9:30am, Holy Cross Church
Parish Corner

From Holy Name Parish in Springfield - Just a friendly reminder to parents of second graders who will be making their First Communion next spring to please register with the Religious Education Office as soon as possible.  Applications are available at the Church and at the Rectory.  Classes have begun, but it's not too late to enroll.  Any questions, please contact Claudine Bouchard Collins at 733-5823, ext. 123.

 

Sunday, Oct. 26, at 3 PM, a concert of live music and personal story by Barry Kingston of New Spirit Inc: "Messages from Heaven, A Musical Journey through Medjugorje,"  in OL Mt. Carmel Church, 123 William Street, Springfield. Freewill offering, refreshments follow concert.

Prayer Corner
St. Michael the Archangel, pray for us!

We pray for all St. Michael's Academy students, families, faculty, and staff, and their special intentions.

This week we pray in a special way for Linda Crespi, Mr. & Mrs. John Hurley, Rosa Fernandes, Sophia Mensima LaMaire, John Smith, Joseph Smith & Nathan Lapierre. 

Our prayers continue to be with Mr. Rancitelli, who is undergoing treatment for a cancer recurrence. Each week, a different homeroom sends him cards. If your family would like to send a card, please send it to school with your child, clearly marked for Mr. Rancitelli. His family has set up a blog to write about this experience. Click here to read the blog. 

We also remember in our prayers the deceased: Stanley Kent

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them.  May the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.  Amen.
St. Michael's Academy - 153 Eddywood Street - Springfield, MA 01118
413.782.5246 office - 413.782.8137 fax