John 8
I am the light of the world, says the Lord;
whoever follows me will have the light of life.
March 22, 2019
Please visit the school calendar for all your up to date information!
UPDATE! Friday May 3 Early Dismissal 12:20pm students do not eat lunch in school.
IMPORTANT DATES THIS WEEK:
Tuesday, April 2 – Frank’s West Spirit Night
Wednesday, April 3 – March for Life 7th & 8th Grade Students
Thursday, April 4 – School Mass, Celebrated by our Bishop, the Most Reverend Barry C. Knestout
NEWS/EVENTS/NEED TO KNOW:
NEW – Spirit Night at Frank’s West: Tuesday April 2, 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Dine in or Carryout!!!!!
Mass and School Blessing: Saint Mary’s Catholic School invites you to join us for Mass Celebrated by our Bishop, the Most Reverend Barry C. Knestout. Followed by a blessing and dedication of our renovated spaces. Thursday, April 4, 2019 9 a.m. Mass at St. Mary Catholic Church. Blessings and dedication to follow*. Reception afterwards in the Upper Commons. RSVP by March 29 to jjanus@saintmary.org
*If you are unable to attend, you can watch it LIVE on Facebook or Instagram at saintmarysrva.
NEW – 8th Grade Religion Dates: 8th graders have a lot going on especially in religion class, so here are a few important dates;
March 25 and 26th Practice for ACRE (ACRE is the Diocesan Assessment for Catholic Schools Test)
March 27 School Mass
March 28 Religion Test, Religion Our Year Review
March 29 Religious Arts
April 1 ACRE Test
April 2 ACRE Test
April 3 March For Life
April 4 School Mass and Blessing with Most Reverend Bishop Barry C Knestout and ACRE Test Make Up
April 5 Religious Arts
Annual Fund Drive For SMCS: Any gift you make to Saint Mary’s Catholic School is more than a donation of money – it’s a sign of your desire to make the world a better place for our children. Saint Mary’s Catholic School exists to provide an opportunity to grow in faith, wisdom and knowledge in a challenging academic environment formed by Catholic tradition. You are key to our mission, through your prayer and your faithful support. Our school’s Annual Fund for 2019 has a goal of $65,000. This amount is built into the operating budget for the 2019-2020 school year. While the majority of our school’s operating expenses are covered by tuition and subsidies from the parish, the Annual Fund is the sustaining portion of our budget that allows us to do more and be more for the children who attend Saint Mary’s. The Annual Fund ensures that our students and teachers have the tools and the learning environment they need. Please make a gift to Saint Mary’s Annual Fund at www.saintmary.org/give, or send a check to the office with Annual Fund in the memo line. Should you have any questions, please contact Development Coordinator Jennifer Janus at jjanus@saintmary.org or (804) 740.1048 ext. 42. Your participation makes a real difference to our students, and is an investment in today that will help create a better tomorrow.
NEW – PTO Coffee and Donuts: Catch up with your Saint Mary’s community on April 11th from 7:45 to 8:45am. In front of the playground. Come one come all!!
The Budo Center Second Session: If your child missed martial arts last session and wants to learn self-defense while building self-confidence, respect, and discipline, please take note that a spring session will be offered beginning April 4th. If your child is currently signed up and would like to build on their skills for belt advancement as well as help lead beginning students, you may also sign up for a second session.
The cost is $120 and a check should be made payable to The Budo Center.
Waiver forms will be available at the ASC desk or in the main office, as well as ATTACHED. Thursdays 3-3:30pm for grades JK-1 (April 4 – May 23) or Fridays 3-4pm for grades 2-5 (April 5 – May 31)
Fish Fry Fridays: at Saint Mary’s Catholic School on March 29th!
Come and enjoy a wonderful Lenten meal with your church and school community in the Parish Hall. Delicious food will be provided by Morrissey’s Catering and it will be served by a team of our teachers! Adult beverages will be available for purchase. Activities will be provided for children including Wii and Bingo. Following our April 12th Fish Fry you can stay for Stations of the Cross, starting at 7 pm in the church. We can’t wait to see you there! All proceeds will benefit Professional Development for our faculty. March 29th HERE
Please click HERE to volunteer for the Fish Fry, we need your help.
NEW – Smoothies For Sale, 8th Grade Community Project: Our names are Sofia B and Brianna E, starting tonight we will sell fruit smoothies at the Fish Fry! Healthy and refreshing fruit smoothies for $3.00 each. All sales will be donated to CZC, Comfort Zone Camp. Comfort Zone Camp is a bereavement organization that transforms the lives of children who have experienced the death of a parent, sibling, or primary caregiver. Their programs are free of charge and include confidence building activities and age-based support groups that break the emotional isolation grief often brings. Please help us raise money for this great camp. Click HERE for our information flyer.
Middle School Brown Bag Lunch: Monday April 8th, 2018 SMCS graduates return to talk about transitioning to high School. Being successful in both public and private high schools will be addressed. All middle school students may order lunch, Order Form.
NEW – Blessing Bags 8th Grade Community Project : Hello! Our names are Olivia A, Emily P, and Molly K, and for our 8th Grade Community Project, we are assembling bags to give to the homeless shelter Caritas. We ask that you send items listed below with your child. We have placed bins in one room for each grade so that the students can place the supplies they have brought into the bins. We will be conducting the drive from March 25th to April 5th. Thank you so much for your generosity!
List of Things to Bring:
Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Men’s deodorant
hand/baby wipes
Hand sanitizer
Non- alcoholic mouthwash
Small vaseline
Lotion
Body wash
The Classroom that donates the most supplies will receive a special treat! If you have any question please ask Molly K, Emily P, or Olivia A! We thank you very much for your help!
NEW – Board Game Class: Starting April 9th. Students will have fun playing board games while learning board game strategies and skills, click HERE for exciting information.
Change For Haiti:
During 2019 Lenten season, in solidarity with our twin Parish school in Angouman, Haiti, students of our 1st to 5th grade classes will be asked to take part in “Change for Haiti.” Next week, each student will be coming home with a donation box to collect change to be donated for purchase of much needed school supplies for the Haitian students. The donation boxes will be collected in April after Lent. Thank you for your support. Questions? Please contact David Park, Chair of St. Mary Haiti Ministry dypark@gmail.com.
NEW – Art Show Volunteers: We are looking for art show shift volunteers for Friday morning, May 3 to assist with frame sales in the Upper Commons. Please consider signing up for volunteer hours. We can’t do it without your support! Many thanks!
NEW – Field Day Volunteers Needed and Volunteer/Parent T-shirt order:
Field day is May 24 this year, please sign up HERE to help with this wonderful event.
Field Day t-shirts for volunteers and parents. If you plan to volunteer please fill out the form in the link below so you have a volunteer shirt. The cost of the shirt is $10.00. If you want a shirt in the same color as your child but not volunteering please fill out the form link below and say no volunteer. Thank you for volunteering for this wonderful event. Please fill out the form by April 5, 2019. Click HERE
Middle School Final Exam Schedule:
8th Grade – May 31, June 3, and 4th with the 5th being for makeup exams.
6th and 7th Grade – June 3, 4th, and 5th with the 6th being for makeup exams.
NEW – Saint Gertrude High School Meet Me at the Matinee: “The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940”, Saturday, April 6 12pm – 3pm. Open to students grades 6 – 8. Get a behind the scenes look at our spring play. Join us for a pre-show where you’ll meet the talented cast and crew, and even pick up a few theater tips and tricks. Then stay for the afternoon performance. “The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940” is a play about a creative team responsible for a recent Broadway flop. Register for this event HERE
Cardinal Newman Academy Spring Middle School Math Circle: Are you intrigued by math puzzles and brainteasers? Click HERE for all of the information needed for CNA Middle School Math Circle.
Church Events:
“A Retreat for Men” Saturday, March 30 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church. Living the Masculine in the Fire of the Spirit. Click HERE for information.
“Virginia March for Life” will take place on Wed., April 3. Fr. Mike will be leading a group from St. Mary’s by bus. The schedule for the day is: 8 am – depart from the Columbian Center at 2324 Pump Road; 9 am – Mass with Bishop Knestout at the Greater Richmond Convention Center; 11 am – Rally at the Capitol; 12 pm – March for Life; 2 pm – bus departs from the Convention Center; 2:30 pm (approx.) – bus arrives at the Columbian Center. There is no fee to ride the bus or to park at the Columbian Center but a free will offering will be taken on the bus to help defray costs. If you would like to join us, contact the parish office at 740-4044 to reserve your place on the bus.
Richmond 101 Seminar A grassroots seminar, Richmond 101, is offered for attendees at the March for Life to get in-depth training on how to be an effective pro-life advocate at the state and local level. This will take place on April 3 from 2 – 3 pm at the Greater Richmond Convention Center, Lecture Hall B10. The cost is $15/person and online registration is available at http://bit.ly/VAMFL. Anyone interested in this seminar will have to arrange separate transportation to/from the March rather than taking our bus, since the bus will be leaving Richmond at 2 pm.
“His Excellency The Most Reverend Barry C. Knestout” SAVE THE DATE! Thursday, April 4, 2019 9:00 a.m His Excellency The Most Reverend Barry C. Knestout, Bishop of Richmond will be here at St. Mary’s to celebrate Mass and bless our newly renovated school.
“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 April 28, 2019.
Helpful Links:
Volunteer for Carpool Duty
Volunteer in the Lunch Room
Painless Fundraising
Flynn O’Hara Uniform infor