“Blessed are you who are poor,
for the kingdom of God is yours.
Blessed are you who are now hungry,
for you will be satisfied.
Blessed are you who are now weeping,
for you will laugh.
Blessed are you when people hate you,
and when they exclude and insult you,
and denounce your name as evil
on account of the Son of Man.
Rejoice and leap for joy on that day!
Behold, your reward will be great in heaven. Luke 6:17 20-26

 

MASQUERADE BALL & CASINO NIGHT ITEM SPOTLIGHT!

Fishing with the Principal!

If your kids love fishing and our principal, you won’t want to miss the chance to win this week’s auction item!

The winner of this fun experience will join Mr. Hess and Virginia Outside for three hours of fishing at a private pond in Hanover County, along with 7 guests of their choice. This exciting day will include fishing for large mouth bass, sunfish, crappie and anything else that is biting! Fishing experience is not necessary and all equipment will be provided.

Be sure to purchase your Ball tickets TODAY to have a chance to bid on this great experience with our principal.

 

February 15, 2019

Please visit the school calendar regularly for the most up-to-date information as times and dates may change.

IMPORTANT DATES THIS WEEK:

Friday, February 15 – Middle School Valentine’s dance
Monday, February 18 – Presidents’ Day School Holiday
Wednesday, February 20 – School Mass

NEWS/EVENTS/NEED TO KNOW:

TONIGHT Middle School Valentine’s Day Dance:  Friday February 15, 2019 from 7:30 to 9:30.  Volunteers are needed (chaperones, food donations, etc.) and our middle school students are STRONGLY ENCOURAGED to sign up to decorate and clean up.  Please click HERE  to make this event a possibility.  Click HERE for required permission slip (admission $5, a jar of peanut butter or napkins).

NEW – Go Forth! Capital Campaign Thank You!:  Recently year-end letters were mailed to all the many people who contributed and continue to contribute to Saint Mary’s Catholic School’s Go Forth! Capital Campaign. Every gift to the capital campaign has supported an extensive renovation that has improved the daily experience of our student, faculty and parish community.  We Thank You!  Click HERE to view a video that our students and Mr. Tlusty put together to say thank you to all of the people who support us. You make our world a better place.

NEW – Carpool Important Information: If you use the back carpool for afternoon pickup, please pay attention while waiting in line along Marywood Lane and leave space in front of all entrances/exits.  We have received reports that employees and residents are sometimes blocked from entering or leaving both St. Mary’s Woods and Marywood.  This is especially important if there is a need for emergency vehicles to enter either complex.

NEW – Re-enrollment: We are looking forward to having you back next year!  We emailed the link for re-enrollment this past Tuesday.  If you have not received this link, please let Anne Leigh Bisese know either by email at albisese@saintmary.org or call 804-740-1048.  The process should take around 15 minutes to complete.  The due date for completion is Tuesday, February 26th.

NEW – Financial Assistance:  The Catholic Diocese of Richmond and Saint Mary’s Catholic School work together to provide financial aid to families who demonstrate need.  In order to qualify for these funds, families must complete a FACTS application form by clicking this link and also provide  supporting documents to FACTS by March 1, 2019 for existing families.  If you have questions or concerns about the FACTS application process, you may speak with a FACTS Customer Care Representative at 1-866-315-9262.

NEW – Kids Challenge Running Log: The Kids Challenge Running Log is coming home this week with your student.  It is an optional program and not through the school, it is a Sports Backers program. Run! Earn! Celebrate! Start running, keep track of your miles, and earn free prizes along the way. They can even run their last mile for the Kids Challenge at the Virginia529 Kids Run on April 13.  Students Grades JK-1 will have a Kids Challenge Running Log sent home in there folder soon. Grades 2-8 were given the option to take a Kids Challenge log home if they wished.  The running/walking logs are due back to  Mrs. Robinson on or before April 5, 2019.   Please let me know if you have any questions.

NEW – Flag Football Registration and Information: 1st and 2nd Grade Coed Flag Football,  3rd and 4th Grade Coed Flag Football, a new season!  Below you will find a link to the registration form for flag football 2019.  All forms must be submitted through this Google form, by Friday, 2/22 at 4 pm.    Please submit a check to the office in c/o of Scott Schaefer made out to Saint Mary PTO- Flag football in the amount of $75.

Games will be on Saturdays on the field near Patterson and Maple Avenue starting on March 9th with the playoffs beginning in early May.  There are no games on April 20th or 27th during Easter Break.   Practices are usually held right before the games.

1st and 2nd Grade Link: Click HERE

3rd and 4th Grade Link: Click HERE

 NEW Girl Scout Recruitment Night!:  Is your daughter interested in joining Girl Scouts? They are having a Daisy Recruitment Night here at Saint Mary’s on Thursday, February 21st from 6:30 – 7:30pm. Please click HERE for more details.

Prayer and Reflection: There is a group of moms (although dads are also welcome) that has been meeting on Mondays at 8AM in the daily mass chapel to pray the rosary – for all the intentions of our school community. It has been a meaningful start to our week!  This week, we are adding “a bookend” to the other end of the week. Join us Fridays at 1:30PM in the St Mary Room (down among the church offices) to look ahead to the readings for Sunday and reflect, discuss, and continue to help make our Catholic School experience meaningful. We planned it for “just before pickup” in the hope that you can make it work in your day.   For both events, no preparation is required and children are invited.  We look forward to seeing you!

Crayola ColorCycle: Send in your old markers!  We are excited to announce our participation in Crayola ColorCycle program.  “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 grades K-12 in 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 and highlighters.  Let’s keep them out of the landfills! Please send makers in a paper bag marked “Mrs. Trout”.

Masquerade Ball and Casino Night:

Tickets are now on sale for our Masquerade Ball & Casino Night, Saturday March 2!!! We have tax deductible sponsorships available as well. Purchase tickets, sponsorships and TAG week HERE.

 

Field Day Help Needed:

Field day is May 24 this year, please sign up HERE to help with this wonderful event

WORTH REPEATING …

 

Church Events:

“Pope Francis After Six Years” Saturday, February 16th, 10 a.m. St. Mary’s Catholic Church.  Fr. Thomas Reese. Click HERE for more information.

“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 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 next registration will take place on February 21st, 2019 at 7:00p.m. in the evening.

 

Helpful Links:

Volunteer for Carpool Duty
Volunteer in the Lunch Room
Painless Fundraising
Flynn O’Hara Uniform inform