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NOV. 1 ACTIVITIES @ SMCS

Katie Botha • October 28, 2021

No amount of rain could dampen our excitement for the celebration of the Feast of All Saints Day on Monday, November 1–especially with the return of Mass Buddies! Monday’s “buddy system” will be a test run. We will debrief with our students afterward to determine ways to improve the system and hope to be able to replicate it again in the future.

Classes will be paired as follows: 1st graders with 8th graders, 2nd graders with 7th graders and 3rd graders with 6th graders. 4th and 5th graders will sit unaccompanied by buddies at mass but will then be paired with K and JK respectively for age appropriate after mass activities.

During buddies’ time together after mass, they will play “getting to know you” games as well as a host of other optional activities ranging from saint themed bingo to praying decades of the rosary together.

Upon returning to their classrooms, students will be asked to think about some of the personal qualities that define a saint. They will also reflect on their own classroom values and then work together to select a Patron Saint of their homeroom. Going forward, students will be reminded of the opportunity to add saints to their morning prayers and ask for their intercessions.

Related: A reminder to parents that afternoon dismissal will begin at 1:30pm on Monday, November 1 (ASC until 6pm) and there is NO SCHOOL on Tuesday, November 2. Parent Teacher Conferences will take place by appointment only from 3pm – 6pm on Monday and 8:30am until 12 noon on Tuesday. Please see Mr. Hess’ email (sent 10/25) regarding the process and time windows for requesting a conference for Elementary & Middle School students if your child’s teacher has not already reached out to you via email. Please note that both in-person and virtual options are available.

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Faithful Citizenship Resources In anticipation of Election Day on November 5, the Virginia Catholic Conference has prepared voter education resources to help Catholics confidently vote with an informed conscience. Those resources can be found on the Catholic Diocese of Richmond's website . School Day Reminders This year, Election Day is a regular school day with a regular bell schedule at Saint Mary's Catholic School. In prior years, it has coincided with Parent-Teacher Conferences resulting in a day-off for students; however, that is not the case this school year. Many of our students across all grade levels are aware of the importance of Election Day. We anticipate the days leading up to Election Day and those following it will provide topics of conversation that students may choose to engage in both inside and outside the classroom. If necessary, our teachers may offer age-appropriate explanations of the day's events and results. As family members, we encourage you to guide your children as they navigate their thoughts and feelings over the coming weeks and months.