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St. Michael's Academy
Greetings! :
We had a special treat today. Magic Al the Magician put on a really great show. First he wowed the PreK-Grade 3 group, and then he bamboozled the older students. His magical illusions had everyone shaking their heads and in a state of wonder... particularly the state of wondering how they could use magic to get their work done!
Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way. But it sure is nice to dream.
Keep working.
Enjoy the weekend!
Ann Dougal
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Important Dates To Remember!
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Please make note of these important
upcoming dates!
Violin - Tuesday
Banking - Wednesday
PLEASE NOTE NEXT WEEK:
Monday, May 16, 2016
Gr. 8 vs Faculty/Staff Volleyball Game
Thursday, May 19, 2016, 6-7:30 p.m.
SMA Arts Night
Choral Program - Holy Cross Church
Art Exhibit - SMA Cafeteria
Friday, May 20, 2016
New Spirit Retreat Day
Grade 7
Friday, May 20, 2016
PreK-3 Magic Wings Visit
Friday, May 20, 2016
Grade 1 Field Trip
Big Y
Friday, May 20, 2016
Grade 3 Field Trip
Springfield Symphony Hall -
"Seussical"
Friday, May 20, 2016
Grades K-7
4th Quarter Progress Reports Distributed
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From The Classroom of Sr. Constance - Tutorial
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Homework - do I have to do it NOW?
The weather is nice, the days are longer, and student's thoughts turn to ... well, anything but homework! It's true, many of us would love to be outside - it's that time of year. Still there is a good part of a quarter to go. This quarter is a critical one for students and it is a difficult one. Therefore we have an even greater challenge to keep them focused and on task. Getting homework done correctly and on time is essential. And not an easy task. Here are some tips that may help improve your child's ability to engage in and complete homework.
- Designate a homework area for your child. The child knows that in that space there is everything that is needed for doing homework. There are sharpened pencils, paper, and all the other supplies your child will need to do homework. No need to keep getting up and walking around looking for supplies. This prolongs the process and frustrates the child.
- Make a checklist. Listing what needs to be done and putting it in order will allow your child to see that progress is being made. It is very rewarding to be able to check something off your list. Done!
- Schedule the time for homework. Many students have after school activities and these are important and help the child grow and develop in many ways. Still the main job of a student is to be a student. Sit down with your child and plan a specific time of day when they are able to focus and get their work done effectively without undue stress. It will also relieve the need to keep telling your child to go do their homework. Be available to help when needed and to see and encourage good study habits. Have a calendar available to mark due dates for long-term assignments. Be sure to check in that these assignments are being worked on regularly.
- Use a timer. A timer can help a child stay on track. It gives your child a better sense of how much time is left or how long they have been working. Sometimes it seems like a long time, but it isn't. Sometimes it is longer that we thought.
- Have a system for telling which folder belongs to which subject. Color-coding is one way. Each subject should be visibly marked. If the student picks up all the blue materials everything needed is with them; folder, notebook, and textbook.
- If your child needs help - help! Stop what you are doing and focus on your child. Students learn in different ways and perhaps you can help your child discover the joy of "getting" something that was eluding them.
- Check in and check up. This is not your "free time." You should not do your child's homework but be present, make sure they are understanding what needs to be done and are doing it correctly. Talk to you child and ease any homework stress they feel.
Does this look like it will take a lot of effort? Are these things that you are already doing? Either way the more you and your child engage in them the easier they become and the greater the reward. If you don't feel that you can do all of these things now pick some or come up with your own way of making homework less stressful and more productive. Save this for the new school year and start the year off with great homework habits.
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Grade 1 Parent Occupations
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Grade 1 Continues Their Exploration of Careers
Our 1st grade parent occupation series wraps up with Mrs. Medina who works at Health New England and spoke to the students about the importance of healthy eating.
And Mrs. Langone who is a special education teacher at Baird Middle School in Ludlow who talked to the children about autism.
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8th Grade Science Fair
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SMA Gym Comes Alive With Science
Bill Nye the Sicence Guy would have been proud of our 8th Graders last week as they displayed their projects for this year's Science Fair. Balloons were being inflated by dry ice, Alka-seltzer was fizzing and soda was being converted to gas!
Congratulations to the winners in each of the categories! For a full listing of winners, click here.
To view all the Science Fair photos, click here.
************************************************************************************** And many thanks go out to our esteemed panel of judges: - Jack Czajkowski - Professor of Education Elms College - Karl Martini - Associate Professor of Physics Western New England University - Joel Lund - Plant Manager Barnhardt Manufacturing - Buff Maniscalco - Senior Engineer Tighe & Bond - George Cartier - Co-Chairman SMA Fund for St. Michael's Academy
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5th Grade Science Fair
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Grade 5 Science Experiments and Fair
The 8th graders weren't the only ones wowing people with their science skills. Our 5th graders displayed some impressive science projects as well! Each student had chosen an experiment, formed a hypothesis, carefully documented their testing trials and stated a conclusion. All of the 5th grade students are commended for a job well done! To view all the photos from the Science Fair, click here.
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Perfect Attendance
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Congratulations to our perfect attendance dress-down winners! In order to qualify for the weekly drawing, a student must have no absences, tardiness or early dismissals the previous week of school. We select one from PreK - 2nd grade, one from 3rd - 5th grade and one from 6th - 8th grade. Congrats to this week's winners!
Micah - Gr.KB Ana- Gr. 4B
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5K for SMA
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The Results Are In!
Thank you to everyone who helped to make this year's 5K for SMA a fantastic success! To view the race results, click here.
For photos from the event, please click here.!
And a BIG thanks goes out to the Springfield College students who helped out at the 5K Run!
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SMA Future Chef!
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Hope Collects On Her Egg Recipe!
As previously reported in The Messenger, St. Michael's Academy 5th grader Hope Clark wowed the judges in this year's Future Chef competition with her "Hope-ful Baked Egg" recipe. Her creation earned her a gold medal and first place in the Sodexo competition.
Along with the honor came a host of fantastic prizes. Sodexo Public Relations Specialist Enrique "Henry" Figueredo had the pleasure of delivering some of Hope's prizes that included an iPad with all the accessories and a $100 gift card!
Congratulations Hope!
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Breakfast Is Coming To St. Michael's!
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Breakfast Program Begins on Monday!
Sodexo is happy to announce that the breakfast in the classroom program will begin on Monday. This program ensures that all students have the opportunity to start the day with the nutrients and energy they need to learn better, behave better and perform better in school.
Breakfast will be served in their classrooms from 8:15 until 8:30 a.m. Our Sodexo staff will prepare the breakfast on site and delivery to each classroom. The students will have menu choices such as Cereal, Pancakes, Egg and Cheese Breakfast sandwiches, fruit, juice and milk.
Sodexo is very excited to implement this new program and bring a nutritious breakfast to the students at St. Michael's.
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Loads of Fun At The Carnival!
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SMA Carnival Huge Success!
A great big THANK YOU to all the families that helped out at the carnival and contributed to a fun morning! We appreciated you taking time out of your weekend to join the fun! New this year and a LOT of fun was the photo booth!
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Six Flags Catholic School Day
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SAVE THE DATE! Catholic Youth & Family Day at Six Flags New England on Tuesday, August 16, 2016 The day will include a morning mass at 9:30 a.m. in the Rivers Edge Picnic Grove celebrated by the Most Rev. Mitchell T. Rozanski. The theme park opens at 10:30 a.m. There is a special package for the day which includes early entry for the morning mass, free parking (a $25 value), theme and water park admission (a $61.99 value), and an all-you-can-eat buffet lunch (a $16.99 value) all for only $42.24.
For those only wanting early entry for the mass and theme and water park admission, the cost is $35.00. Please note: free parking is not included in this price.
For those with season passes, there is no cost for early entry for the mass, however, there is a package that includes free parking (a $25 value), and the all-you-can-eat buffet lunch (a $16.99 value) for only $18.99.
Tickets can be purchased online by clicking here and using the promo code catholicday16 or
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News From Bay Path College
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 Summer Camp at Bay Path College
This summer, a dozen graduate occupational therapy students at Bay Path College will run a week long day camp on the school's Longmeadow campus.
Chillin' Out in the Summertime is a program for students entering grades 6 - 11 this fall. Camp activities are very eclectic, and all designed to allow pre-teens and teens to experience a wide range of productive group and individual activities. These activities can serve to manage stress and anxiety, fostering a more positive mental health. Camp includes nature walks, yoga, crafts, games, dancing, personal reflections, team-building exercises, and the like, all with an element towards mindfulness. For a brief video describing the camp experience last summer click here. For additional registration information click here.
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Parish News
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Holy Name Bus Trip to Lake George
Holy Name Parish Men's Club is sponsoring a BUS TRIP to Lake George, New York for a Brunch Cruise & Saratoga Winery.on Saturday, June 11, 2016
This trip will include a buffet luncheon and entertainment aboard the ship as you cruise Lake George. Following the cruise, you will board the bus for a trip to Saratoga, where you will be visiting the Saratoga Winery for a presentation and tasting of wine or beer. Following the tasting you will board the coach and depart for home.
Pick up will be at the Quality Inn in West Springfield and at the Holy Name Parking lot. There will be rest stops going to and returning from our trip. The cost of the trip is $103.00. For more information, please contact Ed & Ann Marie Gosselin at 413-733-7524.
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Prayer Corner
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St. Michael the Archangel, pray for us! 
We pray for all St. Michael's Academy students, families, faculty, and staff, and their special intentions.
Katherine Stratton
Mr. and Mrs. John Majane
Mr. and Mrs. Mahdee Naylor
Laura Wells
Kenny Cesar
And we pray in a special way for all our dearly departed.
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.
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Thank you for your interest in St. Michael's Academy. To ensure receipt, please add smanews@smaspringfield.org to your address book.
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St. Michael's Academy 153 Eddywood Street - Springfield, MA 01118
www.smaspringfield.org 413.782.5246 office 413.782.8137 fax
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