God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ
Luke 15:1-32
and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
IMPORTANT DATES THIS WEEK:
- Friday, September 13 – Tonight Middle School Dance
- Tuesday, September 17 – Constitution Day
- Tuesday, September 17 – PTO Coffee & Doughnuts
- Wednesday, September 18 – School Mass
- Wednesday, September 18 – PTO Panera Spirit Night
- Thursday, September 19 – High School Night
- Friday, September 20 – Interims; 1:30pm Early Dismissal, Regular Lunch Schedule,ASC Provided
NEWS/EVENTS/NEED TO KNOW:
2019/20 School Year calendar: We have created a concise one page calendar for easy reference.
THE QUEST FOR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT:
New email
Communication is key and to streamline your search for information in your inbox, you will be receiving emails from “info@saintmary.org“. These emails are general communication about Saint Mary’s Catholic School. We hope you like the new method of delivery.
School Website
We have an update to the website! Our focus on the website was making it current for current families and attractive for prospective families. The work will continue as we seek to streamline and organize content. Be sure to check it out!! One item to highlight; in the office, we scroll daily messages and birthdays on our office TV screen. This same content is available on the website. Toward the bottom you click “Watch SMTV” and you can view the slide show that is shown in our office.
Also, don’t forget to follow us on social media. All three sources; Twitter, Facebook and Instagram are aligned at @saintmarysRVA. Spread the word.
STUDENT ABSENCE, TARDY and EARLY DISMISSAL:
If your student is absent, will arrive to school late or will leave school early, please email attendance@saintmary.org and their homeroom teacher. Please include your student’s full name and if they are dismissing early, as well as the time the student will be leaving.
OUR FIRST MIDDLE SCHOOL DANCE:
The back-to-school middle school dance will take place Friday, September 13, from 7:30pm to 9:30pm in the school gym. Admission is $5, a canned good, and a permission slip. Please park and walk up for drop off and pick up. Please volunteer at the dance or help with supplies.
CONSTITUTION DAY CELEBRATION:
On Tuesday, September 17, Saint Mary’s will celebrate Constitution Day. Please meet in the front of the school near the flagpole at 8:10 for the festivities. Mrs. Slifka will begin our celebration by leading us in prayer. Ellery Team, our SCA president, will lead the school in saying the Pledge of Allegiance, and we will also have some wonderful singing to help spread the patriotic spirit. Rumor has it that Lady Liberty and Uncle Sam will be making an appearance!
In recognition of this very special day in our country’s history, Tuesday will be a red, white, and blue Tag Day. The cost for this is $3.00, with all money going to the school. Please note that Tag Day dress rules apply.
Let’s create a sea of red, white, and blue on Tuesday as we honor the 232nd birthday of our Constitution!
HIGH SCHOOL INFORMATION FAIR:
Saint Mary’s Catholic school would like to invite your middle school students and their parents to our annual high school information fair to be held on Thursday, September 19, 2019 from 6:30 to 8 PM in the upper commons of St. Mary’s Catholic Church. There will be 20 schools represented at the fair. Please volunteer to help with this exciting event. Sponsored by the Saint Mary’s Catholic School PTO.
REGISTER TODAY! BE PART OF A THIS GREAT ANNUAL EVENT:
Our annual “Go Forth 5K” is September 21, 2019. A fun time for the entire family and great annual fundraiser. Register for the race or if you’re willing to help with the 5k, volunteer!
PTO SKATE NIGHT:
Join the PTO for Saint Mary’s Catholic School Skate Night on Wednesday, September 25th from 6:00 – 8:00pm at Ashland Skateland. Doors will open at 5:45pm. Admission with skate rental is $10 per person and admission without skate rental is $5 per person. Ashland Skateland is requesting participants use cash if possible.
ICE CREAM SUNDAES:
On Early Dismissal Days, our 8th grade class will be selling ice cream sundaes to our 2nd – 8th grade classes during lunch. The cost is $2 each and students can add their flavor of syrup, sprinkles and whip cream.
They will be providing ice cream cups to our Junior Kindergarten, Kindergarten and 1st grade students during the same lunch times. No toppings – provided. All proceeds benefit the 8th grade graduation fund.
LUNCHROOM VOLUNTEERS NEEDED:
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 month will be assigned to grade levels; however, August is open to everyone! Please consider helping.
Click on the month to sign up!
MORE WAYS TO GET INVOLVED:
Volunteer for Carpool Duty
Painless Fundraising
PAINLESS FUNDRAISING UPDATE:
The easiest way to help earn money for our school is by making purchases through companies like Kroger, Amazon and Publix. Please see the Painless Fundraising flyer for more information.
FROM YOUR SMCS PTO:
- Coffee & Doughnuts on the Playground – September 17th: Join your PTO on Tuesday, September 17th (Constitution Day) beginning at 7:30am for coffee and doughnuts on the playground. This will take place before our annual student led celebration of the signing of our constitution outside at the flagpole.
- PTO Event: Panera Spirit Night – September 18th: Please join us on Wednesday, September 18th from 4-8pm at the Panera near Regency Mall for our fist Spirit Night of the school year. Be sure to show this flyer to the cashier and SMCS will get back 20% of the proceeds! Spread the word to your family & friends on Facebook as well!
RECYCLING OLD MARKERS PROGRAM:
We are excited to announce again this year our participation in Crayola Color Cycle Program. Last year we sent FOUR big boxes to be recycled, YAY! “Crayola and schools across North America are banding together to help kids understand the importance of their role in protecting the environment. Through this initiative, students in K-12 schools across the continental United States and parts of Canada can collect and re-purpose used markers”. Saint Mary’s will be collecting and recycling all brands of plastic markers. This will include dry erase markers, highlighters and markers. Let’s keep them our of the landfills!
ST. MARY’S CATHOLIC CHURCH EVENTS:
“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.
For this first event, interested youth can rsvp or register directly with Chris (cjenkins@stmarysrichmond.org) or Laura (lstapleton@stmarysrichmond.org) by Friday 9/6 so we can order enough food. We can provide families with a paper registration if needed.
“Diocesan Middle School Rally” Saturday, October 19, 2019. A gathering of young Catholics from parishes all over Central VA will be held at Charlottesville Catholic School from 10-5pm. A day of inflatables, activities, music, sacraments, a guest speakers, and more…await! The event specific registration form is available to print. Turn youth registration forms into Laura in the parish office by 10/2 with $40 payable to St. Mary’s Catholic Church. *Chaperones are free. Youth price increases to $50 after 10/2. **We have chartered a bus for this event, departing 8:30am, returning 6:30pm. Space is limited.
“A Concert with David Haas” St. Mary Catholic Church would like to invite you and your families to a concert with David Haas. David will present “I will Bring You Home; Songs of Prayer, Stories of Faith” on Thursday, September 26, 2019 at 7 pm. David Haas is highly regarded as one of the preeminent authors and composers of liturgical music in our Church today. Some of his well-known pieces are You Are Mine, Blest Are They, and Song of the Lord’s Command, to name a few. Information and tickets (only $10 in advance, $15 at the door) are available on our parish website and attached is a flyer with all of the details. We are pleased to offer a light reception following the concert and hope you and your guests will be able to join us for this very special evening!
“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 October 13, 2019
HELPFUL LINKS:
Volunteer for Carpool Duty
Painless Fundraising
Flynn O’Hara Uniform information