WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

• HALF DAY - FRIDAY, DECEMBER 22 NO EDP
• CHRISTMAS VACATION DECEMBER 25 - JANUARY 2
• SCHOOL RESUMES WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 3
• FIRST FRIDAY MASS - JANUARY 5 WEAR DRESS UNIFORM

PATIENCE AWARDS AND HONOR ROLL CERTIFICATES DISTRIBUTED AFTER MASS

• UNIFORM EXCHANGE- JANUARY 5
• HALF DAY - FRIDAY, JANUARY 12
• NO SCHOOL JANUARY 15 - DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY

Dear SHS Parents and Guardians,

Believe it or not Christmas is only 10 days away. In this week’s message I wanted to take a moment

and give a very special thank you to our PTA and parent volunteers. The past three weeks have been very joyful and fun thanks to all of your hard work. The festivities kicked off with the Holiday Bazaar. This year there were more vendors than ever. The auditorium was filled with shoppers and holiday spirit. The following week volunteers transformed one of our classrooms into a Christmas Workshop filled with gifts for our students to purchase for friends and loved ones. The items were organized, beautifully displayed, and even wrapped! Fast forward to this past Saturday where the PTA hosted Breakfast with Santa. The event was a huge success from the pictures to the pancakes. A good time was had by all! And finally, yesterday the PTA hosted a Christmas breakfast for the Sacred Heart School Faculty and staff. Mystery Teachers i.e.: parent/ guardian volunteers filled in for an hour or so while our teachers stepped away from the classroom and enjoyed a delicious breakfast, camaraderie, and relaxation. Thank you to everyone who chaired a committee, donated your time, items, and/or talent to make Christmas memories that will last a lifetime.

With deepest gratitude,

Mrs. Joanna Barlow

Principal

The week of December 18 we will be having our SHS Christmas Spirit Week. Each day of the week students, faculty and staff are encouraged to dress up according to the themed calendar days. Prizes will be given out to the most spirited grade. Also, the Deck the Door Contest is on… Over the past two weeks classes have been working hard to Deck their Doors. Each grade was asked to choose a Christmas Carol and design their door around the carol. On December 20th students will vote on the best interpretation of the carol. Fa la la la la la la la la….

Over the past month our 7th and 8th grade students have been learning how to become fiscally responsible. Sacred Heart School has partnered with the Bank of America who are sponsoring an eight week interactive financial literacy program for our 7th and 8th grade students. Once a week, during their STEM class with Mrs. Adams, students are given complimentary access to financial literacy resources from Stock Trak. This is an interactive, gamified experience where students are challenged to manage a personal budget for a simulated year and a half and complete the integrated curriculum.

In the Simulation, students take on the role of college students in their last year of school. They have a part-time job, and need to pay bills, balance work/school, and the uncertainty of income with a part-time job. Halfway through the game, students “graduate” and get their first full-time job. They have new health insurance and student loan bills to pay, and must strike a balance between their quality of life and savings goals. The main objectives of the simulation is to build an emergency fund, save at least 10% of their income every month, and build up their credit score by responsibly using their credit card, and maintaining a good quality of life.

The Simulation has over 40 financial education topics, with half being Bank of America’s Better Money Habits lessons. The integrated curriculum includes pop-up lessons, videos, calculators, and interactive activities, ending with short assessments. Topics include - Building an Emergency Fund, Filing Taxes, Common Banking Fees, Understanding Financial Records, and dozens more! Students who complete all included lessons, along with the full Simulation, will earn their Financial Literacy Certification.

Having observed the class myself, our students are very much engaged and enjoying the simulation. Mrs. Adams remarked, “My students are learning a lot and having fun. The program has been a great addition to my STEM classroom!” A special thank you to one of our 7th grade parents for connecting us with the Bank of America and this terrific program!

Recently, I met with a representative from Studio 3:16, a Gospel based resource for Catholic schools. Studio 3:16 is a supplemental religion program for grades 2-8. The program is designed to complement our current curriculum and resources. The video-based program is designed to help transform our students' approach to the Bible. The concept is to help our students know Jesus and reach Him in today's modern world.

Studio 3:16 is the first program developed by Cross Boss Media for schools and parish faith formation. Its entertainment component is a Hollywood-level, educational comedy based on Gospel passages explained and made relevant through storytelling, music, and humor.

I found the lessons and material to be engaging and fun and something our students would enjoy. The cost for a yearly subscription is $3995 however, I filled out an application for a grant and Sacred Heart School was approved. Thanks to the grant SHS will only pay $200 for the program. We will begin implementing the program in the new year.

Icicles to Heaven are a beautiful way to remember our loved ones during the Christmas season. When you purchase an icicle ornament in memory of a loved one, a tag with his or her name will be attached to the ornament. The ornament will then be hung on a special Christmas tree in the Church near the Tabernacle in the Eucharistic Chapel. The names will also be included in a special book of remembrance placed close to the tree. Icicles will be hung on the tree by Christmas weekend, and those honored will be remembered at our School Mass in January. Icicles will be available for pickup at the school and in the auditorium after Masses at the conclusion of the Christmas season so that you may keep this special memento for years to come. Order forms can be found here, in the church vestibule, or online at sacredheartmh.org/foshs

**All orders must be placed by December 15th**

Giving Tuesday is a global day of generosity, when people make donations to all kinds of organizations. Tuesday, November 28 marked the 5th year SHS participated in this global day of giving. Giving Tuesday is not just about money, people can donate time, food and even parts of themselves. With this in mind, we saw Giving Tuesday as a teachable moment for our students. This past Tuesday our students pledged to give back by doing something good for others. We reinforced the idea that giving and kindness isn't about a day, it is a way to live our lives.

Sacred Heart School would like to thank all of those people who participated in our Giving Tuesday Campaign. If you missed out and would still like to participate in Giving Tuesday please click here or scan the QR code. Your contribution, no matter how small, will make a difference. Your financial gift will directly contribute to offering the students of Sacred Heart School a dynamic, faith-filled, values centered curriculum that fosters creative thinkers and problem solvers. Thank you for being a part of the Giving Tuesday movement with us!

Over the past few months, we have increased our social media presence. Make sure to follow us and like all the great things happening at Sacred Heart School!

Instagram: sacredheartschool_mtholly

Facebook: sacredheartschoolmt.holly

The Sacred Heart School Marketing Department is looking for volunteers to help us take Sacred Heart on the Road. Interested parents and their children are asked to help us spread the word about our awesome school.

Who: SHS Parents and Students

What: Be a presence at local events to showcase and spread the word about our school.

When: Tentative Events

12/8/23 - Mt Holly Tree Lighting

1/27/24 - Mt. Holly Fire & Ice Festival

3/2/24 - St. Patrick’s Day Parade

July 2024 Burlington County Farm Fair

If you are interested in being part of the SHS Show on the Road Committee please email schooloffice @sacred-heart-school.org. 7th & 8th grade students who participate with their parents can earn service hours.

Additionally, parents, if you have some time on your hands and would like to volunteer one day a week to assist with lunch or recess duty, please email schooloffice@sacred-heart-school.org. Please be advised that all volunteers must be VIRTUS trained and fingerprinted. If you need to start the process to be fingerprinted and/or VIRTUS trained please email ptaevents@sacred-heart-school.org. Any day you could offer assistance is welcomed.

General Information - For Families with Children Attending Catholic Schools in The Diocese of Trenton. Tuition assistance is awarded each year to families with children in our Catholic schools in grades K-8. Awards are made based on financial need.

How is the determination made? Information contained in the application along with the supporting materials is used to determine financial need. The formula utilized has been especially designed for families with children attending Catholic school. This calculation is based on a moderate standard of living for the geographic area of the applicant, further ensuring a realistic result. This formula determines the ability of a family to pay for private education. FACTS includes a comprehensive review and verification process ensuring the accuracy of the data.

Award Amount - Families who apply can receive up to one-half of the school’s in-parish tuition

Rate. Click here to learn how to apply.

FOSHS cordially invites you to the Blue and Gold Gala and Basket Auction April 20th at Deerwood Country Club. Dinner, dancing, a super 50/50 and fantastic basket auction are some of the highlights of what will be a wonderful evening. Details to come!

MySchoolBucks is a convenient online service that allows you to securely pay for your student’s meals online using your credit/debit card or electronic check.

You can:
- Set Up Automatic Recurring Payments
- Track & Review Meal History
- Create Low Balance Alerts
- Make Payments with the Mobile App
- And More…
Sign up now! Registering for your FREE account is easy, go to https://www.MySchoolBucks.com. Create a secure account and never worry again about sending cash or checks with your student(s) to school again!
https://www.MySchoolBucks.com | (855) 832-5226

Have a smartphone? Get the MySchoolBucks Mobile App:

iOS (iPhone) - https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/myschoolbucks/id661878685?mt=8
Android -
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.hss.msb&feature=search_result

****NO EDP ON DECEMBER 22*******

Morning Care (6:30am-7:30am) and Extended Day Program (EDP) is available. If you are interested in either of these programs, please be sure to visit the website to get all the information you need. This is also where you can register your child for the programs.

Mrs. Fortin, our Art teacher, is excited to introduce the SHS Virtual Art Gallery. This year we will be showcasing the student's artwork through a new online website called Artsonia. We recently began uploading student art to their portfolio. We will be adding to each student's portfolio throughout the school year. If you do not see any artwork for your little Picasso do not worry, we are just finishing up additional projects in each class.

Please take a moment to scan the code on the flyer to access your child's artwork. If you love your little Rembrandt's piece; this site allows you to purchase it as keepsake. Full giftshop options including ornaments, shirts, mugs etc. Twenty percent (20%) of all proceeds will be donated back to Sacred Heart School!

Genesis credentials were sent to new users. These credentials come from Genesis SIS – not Sacred Heart School. Existing users should use the credentials they already have. If you have forgotten your credentials, click on the Forgot Password link. If you attempt to access an account 5 times using incorrect credentials, NO PASSWORD, even one sent from the Forgot Password link, will work until the account is re-enabled. Accounts are re-enabled Tuesday – Friday, sometime between 8:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. If your parent account is disabled please:

· Wait until midnight

· Go to https://parents.dioceseoftrenton.org

· Click on forgot password link

· Wait for a new password to be sent

· To avoid errors, copy and paste the new password

If you do not think you received credentials, please check your SPAM before posting a parent access support request.

*** If you did not complete and sign off on the start of school forms:

• Sacred Heart School 2023-24 Photo Release Form
• Sacred Heart School 2023-24 Student/Parent Handbook & Acceptable Use Policy

Your Parent Access Account has been deleted. You can no longer access your child(ren)’s assignments, grades, or report cards. Your Parent Access Account will not be restored until you provide physical copies of the forms.***

To view our great products click SHS SPIRIT WEAR to enter the website. Remember all your purchases support our school and show our Chargers Pride!

Let’s show everyone all the amazing things happening at Sacred Heart School! Have you taken some great pictures of events or activities at SHS? If so, share your photos with us. Your photo(s) could be used to promote our school via our website, newsletter and our social media accounts. We will also use the photos for our 23/24 school yearbook.

To share, email photos@sacred-heart-school.org and use the following guidelines:

● Try to include more than one SHS student in the photo

● Email photos with name of event or activity in the subject heading

● Include names of students and grades

If you are happy with our school, please consider giving us a 5 star review on google and yelp. If you are not happy, please let us know at schooloffice@sacred-heart-school.org