Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths:
all flesh shall see the salvation of God.
Lukes 3: 4 – 6
IMPORTANT DATES NEXT WEEK:
- Monday December 9 – School Mass Guadalupe Celebration
- Tuesday December 10 – Chipotle Spirit Night
- Tuesday December 10 – Richmond Symphony Orchestra Concert “SOLD OUT”
- Wednesday December 11 – Christmas Shop at SMCS Opens
- Thursday December 12 – Christmas Shop at SMCS
- Friday December 13 – 2nd Grade Field Trip
- Friday December 13 – Middle School Exams
- Friday December 13 – Polar Express Night
- Sunday December 15 – Advent Brunch & Christmas Shop
NEWS/EVENTS/NEED TO KNOW:
PLEASE NOTE THE SCHOOL OFFICE CLOSES AT 3:30PM.
Please use the After School Care entrance at the back of the school for students’ after school activity pick up. Thank you.
MONARCHS FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER
Knowledgeable: learners explore concepts, ideas, and issues that have local and global significance. In so doing, they acquire in-depth knowledge and develop understanding across a broad and balanced range of disciplines. Congratulations!
First Grade – Elias G, Ciaran H
Second Grade – Genevieve G, Chase W
Third Grade – Dhruv P, Ward H
Fourth Grade – Thomas D, Becky S
Fifth Grade – James O, Liam M
Sixth Grade – Alex T
Seventh Grade – Issac T
Eight Grade – Oge I
GIVINGTUESDAY UPDATE!
Thank you, Saint Mary’s. On GivingTuesday, 19 families together donated more than $4,000 to the Saint Mary’s Catholic School Annual Fund. More have contributed too, before GivingTuesday arrived. We are blessed.
The matching challenge continues through the end of December! You can contribute, too, by clicking here.
SHERBOURNE TOY DRIVE WITH OUR STUDENT COUNCIL
Our SCA is collaborating with the St. Anne’s group and Human Concerns Ministry of St. Mary’s Church to collect toys and/or clothes for Sherbourne Methodist Church. Each homeroom is collecting the week of December 9 – 13. SCA members have visited with each homeroom to talk about this wonderful opportunity..Please send in your new and unwrapped contribution – no batteries please – next week! Thank you in advance for your support of Children Helping Children!
CHIPOTLE SPIRIT NIGHT:
Join your SMCS PTO at the Regency Chipotle on Tuesday, December 10th for our December Spirit Night! When you dine-in or take-out between 4 and 8 PM, and show this flyer, Saint Mary’s will receive 33% of all proceeds!
ANNUAL CHRISTMAS SHOP
Get ready to shop! Our annual Christmas Shop will run Wednesday, 12/11 through Friday, 12/13 and during the Advent Brunch 12/15 for class shopping. All gifts range from $.25 to $10. We look forward to helping your child find the perfect gift for loved ones!
Christmas Shop Volunteers Needed 12/11-12/15: Come help make the Christmas Shop a success. We thank you in advance!
ANNUAL SAINT MARY’S ADVENT BRUNCH:
We are a little over a week from our PTO Advent Pancake Brunch! We are in need of many volunteers to make this wonderful, family friendly event happen!!! We have volunteer opportunities for middle school students, high school students and parents. Any help you can offer will be greatly appreciated. Please volunteer!
The Advent Brunch will take place Sunday, December 15, 2019, Saint Mary’s Parish Hall. There will be two seating’s: 10 a.m. and noon. Don’t miss this great annual event, Purchase your tickets now!
PAINLESS FUNDRAISING EVEN EASIER TO SIGN UP!
ANNUAL SAINT MARY’S CHRISTMAS LUNCHEON
Please join us for our annual Christmas Luncheon
Monday December 16, 2019
Hello Saint Mary’s Families, We would love for you to join us at our annual Christmas Luncheon. If you ordered the Christmas Luncheon in Boonli for your student and family, you DO NOT need to fill out this form. If you do not have a Boonli account please fill out this form to purchase tickets for our Christmas Luncheon. The total number of guests needs to include your student(s). The cost per person is $6.00, you will be billed through your FACTS account. If you do not have a FACTS account please bring payment marked “Christmas Luncheon” into the front office prior to December 16, 2019.
Christmas Luncheon Sign Up Ticket Purchase
SMCS ALUMNI CHRISTMAS POTLUCK DINNER
SUPPORT SAINT MARY’S CATHOLIC SCHOOL’S ANNUAL FUND!
Start your holiday season by making a gift to support Saint Mary’s Catholic School’s Annual Fund! The SMCS Annual Fund goal for the 2019-20 school year is $65,000. This amount is built into the school’s operating budget, and ensures that our students and teachers have the tools and learning environment they need. The Annual Fund link is available at the top of our school homepage, “Donate”, “Annual Fund.”
For the third year in a row, an anonymous donor has issued an Annual Fund matching challenge around Giving Tuesday. From now through the end of the year, this donor will match any gift to the SMCS Annual Fund up to a total of $7,500. Please give generously to help us reach our goal of $65,000, and please give soon to double your dollars through this matching gift!
Speaking of which — please check with your employer to see if matching gifts through your workplace might be available too. Many Richmond companies support nonprofits this way, including Altria, Anthem, Bank of America, Brinks, Dominion Energy and Genworth. Another option for seniors: Saint Mary’s supports who are over 70.5 and have an Individual Retirement Account may want to consider giving their Required Minimum Distribution to the Saint Mary’s Annual Fund, so that the RMD does not have to be claimed as taxable income and is instead a gift to Saint Mary’s Catholic School.
For any questions about the Annual Fund, please contact Development Coordinator Jennifer Janus at jjanus@saintmary.org or 804.740.1048. Thank you for your support of the students and teachers of Saint Mary’s Catholic School!
LUNCHROOM VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: 4TH & 5TH GRADE PARENTS WE NEED YOUR HELP AT LUNCH!
Parents – are you looking to get involved, see your child and help out in a much needed way? One way to volunteer is during lunch. Each grade level is assigned a month. Please consider helping!
Click on the month to sign up!
January 2020 – 2nd & 3rd grades
CARDINAL NEWMAN ACADEMY OPEN HOUSE FOR SMCS MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS
Attention ALL current 6th, 7th, and 8th grade middle school families: Cardinal Newman Academy is holding a special Open House for Saint Mary’s middle school families on Thursday, December 12, 2019 at 6:30pm at Cardinal Newman Academy. Come and find out the great work that is being done at CNA, a growing and affordable Catholic co-education high school, right here in Richmond! Light refreshments will be served. Located at: 8706 Quaker Lane (Bon Air – off of Bufford Road) North Chesterfield, VA 23235. For more information, please visit our website or contact Eileen M. Lapington, elapington@cardinalnewmanacademy.org
ST. MARY’S CATHOLIC CHURCH EVENT:
“Middle School Youth Group Nights” For Grades 6-8…Food, Friends, and Fun! Gatherings will focus on fellowship and building relationships. Open to ALL Saint Mary’s community middle schoolers and their friends. Participants must be registered for parish faith formation (select Attends Catholic School in the online registration at the parish website) to ensure parental permission. Nights are planned for Nov. 24, Dec. 15, and Jan. 5.
“Are You Interested in Becoming A Catholic?” If you have never been baptized, if you were baptized in another Christian denomination and would like to become Catholic, or if you were baptized Catholic, but never received the Sacraments of Eucharist or Confirmation, you are welcome to join our RCIA Inquiry Process. For more information, call Sr. Pat at 740-4044, ext. 13, or go to our parish web page, and click on “Interest in Becoming Catholic”.
“St. Mary’s Catholic Church Registration” Parish registration takes place monthly on Sunday afternoon at 12:30 pm or some weekdays at 7 pm in the Bishop Sullivan Room. During this one-hour program, you will meet other parishioners, our Pastor and staff, receive an introduction to St. Mary’s Parish and complete the registration documents. Childcare and refreshments are provided.
Our registration will take place on November 17, 2019.
HELPFUL LINKS:
Volunteer for Carpool Duty
Painless Fundraising
Flynn O’Hara Uniform information