The Messenger

September 4, 2015
Vol. III, No.2

St. Michael's Academy

Like us on Facebook!

Follow us on Twitter!

St. Michael's Academy

What a great first week! Despite the heat and humidity, our teachers and students got right back into routine and began the work of a new school year. Thank you parents for all of your efforts in preparing your child/ren for school. Your cooperation is very much appreciated and key to a successful start to the school year.

Last night we finished our last Parent Orientation sessions for the Fall and now we invite all parents to our Back to School Night on Wednesday, September 9th from 6:00-7:00PM in the gymnasium. During the evening you'll have another chance to meet your child's teacher, visit with old and new friends and hear news about our school from the Administration. We hope to see you all there! We'll have refreshments....

Finally, the Diocese of Springfield under the leadership of Bishop Rozanski has begun planning for an evangelization process designed to reach out to those who may be disenfranchised in some way, inviting them to Rediscover their Spiritual Roots. It is their hope that this process will encourage people to take a fresh look at our church and faith tradition. In order for them to plan an effective program, they're looking for your input. Please consider participating in and sharing with local family and friends an on-line survey (click here) now available which will help them understand issues. The survey is open to active and inactive Catholics as well as non-Catholics who work and collaborate with our faith community. Thank you!

Looking forward to seeing everyone Wednesday night. Enjoy your Labor Day weekend!

Peace,

Ann E. Dougal

Important Dates To Remember!
Please make note of these important upcoming dates: Monday - September 7, 2015 NO SCHOOL Labor Day Tuesday, September 9, 2015 from 6-7 p.m. "Back To School Night" SMA Gymnasium Parents Only

Before and After School Program

Welcome back! Statements for the extended day program are sent home each Friday in the communication envelope. The first statements will be sent home on Friday, September 11th and will include charges from Monday, August 31st through Wednesday, September 9th.

Payments are due on a weekly basis. In order for your payment to be reflected on your statement, it must be received at the St. Michael's Academy office by 5:00 pm on Wednesdays. Payments received after Wednesday will be reflected on the next week's statement. You can expect the billing cycle to run from Thursday of each week through the following Wednesday. Students may be denied participation in the extended care program when accounts become past due. The extended day program ends at 5:30 p.m. If you pick your child up past the 5:30 p.m. closing time, a $25.00 late fee will be assessed for each incident.

Should you have any questions, please contact either Nancy DeMars or Amy O'Brien at 782-5246.

And please always remember to alert your child's teacher if there is a change in schedule. Thank you!

News from the Admissions and

Advancement Departments

Admissions

Invest in a child's education AND their FUTURE!

A warm welcome to all of our new students and a warm welcome back to our returning students! We have had an awesome first week! Thank you to all of our parents for helping the students have a smooth transition back into school.

Just a quick reminder, if you have any outstanding paperwork/forms or updated physical forms, please bring them in as soon as you are able.

Next Thursday, September 9th at 6 p.m. we will be holding our annual "Back to School Night." A flyer with details was sent home today with your child. We hope you will join our faculty and staff and find out what's going on at St. Michael's Academy this year!

And don't forget to "LIKE" St. Michael's Academy on Facebook!

Advancement

IT STARTS HERE!

The Fund for St. Michael's Academy

I would like to extend a sincere "Welcome Back" to all of our students, families, friends, faculty and staff who have returned for the 2015-16 school year. Our theme this year is IT STARTS HERE!

Thank you for your amazing support of The Fund for St. Michael's Academy last year. Your generosity allowed us to purchase 5 additional SMART Boards, completing the installation plan for grades K-8, thirty new laptops for the students in grades 6-8, and a new portable school sound system.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Phyllis Lund, Director of Advancement, at 413-782-5246 ext. 1202. With your help, I look forward to an exciting and productive year!

Gym Uniforms Again Next Week!
It doesn't look like the heat is going to let up so all students will again be permitted to wear their gym uniforms next week!

News From Our Teachers

Each week, one of our SMA teachers will submit an article.

News from Mrs. Bedore - Grade 6

What is "It"?

When students arrived in school on Monday they were greeted with signs that read "It Starts Here". The students were curious as to what the "it" referred to.

So I asked the sixth graders what they thought it meant and their responses were insightful. Some of the responses included:

the life of knowledge and understanding begins at St. Michael's,
the path of Jesus because it is part of our school pledge,
the start of a new school year or journey.

The most common response was:

a new start to the year and new friendships.

Let's take these ideas and make them work for us. The educational journey does start here.

Welcome Back To School!

Catholicity

Thank you Fr. Ryan Rooney from Our Lady of the Sacred Heart parish for celebrating our first day of school Mass with us! And thank you Father for teaching us a three part prayer we can rely on whenever things get tough: "Jesus I hope in You, Jesus I trust in You and Jesus I love You." Encourage your child to use prayer when they are struggling with something. It will help to deepen their trust and faith in God.

Get ready for the SMA Walk-a-thon!

Mark your calendars and get ready for some fun! It's time for the sixth annual "SMA Walk-a-thon" on Friday September 25th from 9 - 11 a.m. Information on the Walk-a-thon was sent home today with your child.

Friends, parents and grandparents are encouraged to join the fun and walk with their child or line the course and cheer on the participants. All students, pre-kindergarten through eighth grade, will participate in this fun event and middle level students will "buddy" with pre-kindergarten students.

The course will be around the St. Michael's campus and include 20-30 minutes of walking or jogging depending on the age group. Students will be issued a "lap card" with the goal of completing as many laps as possible during the allotted time frame.

The Walk-a-thon is a child-centered fundraiser that combines the promotion of physical fitness while raising money to benefit St. Michael's Academy. All are welcome to participate.

The rain date for the event is Friday, October 2.

If you are unable to attend the Walk-a-thon but would like to make a donation to St. Michael's Academy, contact the Advancement Office at (413) 782-5246, ext. 1202.

Remember...."It Starts Here" at St. Michael's Academy!

Safe Environment Training
All faculty, staff and volunteers must complete the Safe Environment Training. This consists of a CORI check, the Code of Conduct review and viewing the "Protecting our Children" DVD. This applies to field trip chaperons as well in-school parent volunteers. A Safe Environment Training will be held on Wednesday. Sept. 30th at 5:30 p.m.

News From The Diocese

Pope Francis in his encyclical The Joy of the Gospel continually raises the need for the Church to reach out to people-- in a spirit of welcome, understanding and mercy.

The Diocese of Springfield under the leadership of Bishop Rozanski, has begun planning for an evangelization process designed to reach out to those who may be disenfranchised in some way, inviting them to Rediscover their Spiritual Roots. It is our hope that this process will encourage people to take a fresh look at our church and faith tradition.

In order for us to plan an effective program we need to hear from you about your experiences with the church, the strengths you perceive and the areas which cause you difficulty or may need more attention.

Please consider participating in and sharing with local family and friends an on-line survey now available which will help us understand these issues. It is open through October 5 to all active and inactive Catholics, as well as non-Catholics who work and collaborate with our faith community. The survey can be accessed through both diospringfield.org and iobserve.org.

Thank you in advance for sharing your thoughts with us!

Parish News

St. Mary's Parish, 27 Somers Road in Hampden, invites you to its Fall Tag Sale on Saturday, September 12th from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the parish parking lot. Rain date is September 18th.

Holy Cross Parish, 221 Plumtree Road in Springfield and adjacent to St. Michael's Academy, is having its annual fall tag sale on Saturday, Oct. 3, from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. in the Gym. Tag sellers wanted! Rent an 8' table for $25. Tables are limited, so please reserve early. Call Gail at 626-9652 for further information.

St. Catherine of Siena Parish, 1023 Parker Street in Springfield, will hold its annual Community Picnic on Sunday, September 13th from noon to 6 p.m. Tickets are $10/adults, $8/children 6-12 years old and children 6 and under free. Tickets are available at the parish office and will be sold after Mass on Sept. 5th and 6th.

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish, 123 William Street in Springfield, will host a pancake and sausage breakfast on Sunday, September 20th from 9 a.m. to noon in the Marian Hall downstairs. Donations will be accepted and proceeds will support three teenage parishioners and their chaperons attend the National Catholic Youth Conference in November.

Spanish Teacher

St. Michael's Academy is currently seeking a Spanish teacher for grades PreK-3 through Grade 8. Applicants should possess a Bachelor's Degree and a MA Teacher Certification is preferred. Qualified candidates should be committed to student focused education and classroom teaching experience is preferred.

Applicants should submit their cover letter, application, resume and letters of reference to Ann E. Dougal, Principal, St. Michael's Academy 153 Eddywood St. Springfield, MA 01118 or e-mail to a.dougal@smaspringfield.org.

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:

Mr. Peter Rakouskas

Mr. and Mrs. John Jasiel

Stephen Paterwic

Mr. and Mrs. Salvatore Tassone

Lisa Biscaldi-Bruso

Karen and Greg Warbington

And we pray for our recently departed:

Mrs. AnnaBelle Gramse

Mr. Christopher Mix

Mr. Eduardo Rosario

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.

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.


Thank you for your interest in St. Michael's Academy. To ensure receipt, please add smanews@smaspringfield.org to your address book. You may unsubscribe if you no longer wish to receive our emails St. Michael's Academy 153 Eddywood Street - Springfield, MA 01118 www.smaspringfield.org 413.782.5246 office 413.782.8137 fax