We hope you had a great holiday weekend! Remember that you'll see news from St. Mary Catholic Schools every other Wednesday, except holiday weeks when school is not in session.

Please take time to read and absorb our system-wide news in this email. You can expect to find important dates, links, and upcoming events. Then click the photo below to find the news and information from your child(ren)'s specific campus. If there is something you can't find, please let us know, and please "follow" and "like" SMCS social media. It's a great way to see the good news with our schools!

Find specific news for each campus by clicking on the photo below.

Preparing and inspiring students to lead meaningful lives,

rooted in the teachings of Christ and our Catholic tradition.

We know so much is happening at the beginning of the year, but a crucial step is to ensure that all of your family and child information is current in PowerSchool. Have you had a change in email or phone? A new number for an emergency contact? Are forms completed? Click here or use your mobile app to finish or edit your PowerSchool information. We will use this information for the SMCS directory, so we strive for accuracy. Thank you for your help!

What could be better than a beautiful fall day with food, a Fun Run, kids' games, and entertainment? There's something for everyone at Zephyrs Connect! We invite people of all ages to join this open-air celebration at Zephyrs Fields on Sunday, September 29 from 2:00-6:00 pm. This year, Zephyrs Connect will lead right into the Homecoming pep rally, complete with Powderpuff football game, tug-o-war, and the "Lighting of the Z", all beginning at 6:00!

Schedule of Events

2:00 p.m. Registration/Check-in with Entertainment, Kids' Games, & Concessions

3:30 p.m. Kids' Fun Run

4:00 p.m. Fun Run/Walk

The Fun Run has divisions and distances by age / grade, concluding with the 5K Fun Run/Walk. Pre-registration for participants is greatly appreciated! Other attendees do not need to register. You can register at the link below or download the form.

Show your business or family support for the extraordinary extracurriculars at St. Mary Catholic Schools. There are very exciting new sponsorship opportunities, both year-round or event-based! Contact Kathleen McCurdy, SMCS Director of Advancement, kmccurdy@smcatholicschools.org or 920-722-7796 x201

The only thing more fun than All Aboard is being a part of the team to *PLAN* for All Aboard!

One of the best ways to connect with families in the SMCS community is to work together and celebrate together! All Aboard is a casual night of camaraderie, food, and fun, turning the vision of St. Mary Catholic Schools into a reality for more than one thousand children.

Start by marking your calendar for Saturday, November 2nd to attend All Aboard at The 513 in Downtown Appleton. Then join other fun-loving team members to help the planning and coordination. We will meet on Monday, September 16 at 7:00 pm in the Middle School. No RSVP needed - just drop in and join us... we love new faces and new energy!

For more information or to express your interest, contact Advancement Director Kathleen McCurdy at kmccurdy@smcatholicschools.org

What can you expect at All Aboard? Lots of laughter and Zephyrs spirit as we bring together parents, friends, and supporters of SMCS. This year's theme is "Masquerade Party". Play games, bid on silent auction items, and sign up for event boards to make more memories in the months ahead. The highlight of the night will be the first ever Zephyrs "Masked Singer" competition!

St. Mary Catholic Schools has so many opportunities for students to grow beyond the classroom! Be sure to check out STEM and Fine Arts offerings especially in the newsletters for each campus. Among other things, VEX Robotics is already ramping up for Middle School and High School, and preparations are beginning for the Middle School and High School Fall productions in the Jane F. Bergstrom Fine Arts Education Center.

To enroll your phone number, please text SMCS to (844) 947-5948. You will receive a confirmation text and a text indicating how to stop the service if needed. You may enroll multiple cell phone numbers using that same process. Consider putting your student's phone on the service also.

You can still put money in your child's lunch account through the school office with cash or check.

But now you can use a new platform for these payments, accessed through PowerSchool on a computer or web browser. (This feature is not yet available with the PowerSchool mobile app.)

Please see the attached instructions. It requires just a one-time setup of your account with the partner platform. We will be moving to this platform for other fees, like extracurriculars, so please take a few moments to set up an account. (Tuition payment will remain on its own system.)

Click here to access PowerSchool. The instructions at the link below will tell you what to do once you have logged into PowerSchool. You may find that some of your information automatically populates, but otherwise just enter it manually.

If you have questions, please contact Terry Frase in the Advancement Office, tfrase@smcatholicschools.org

NEW applications for free or reduced lunch (and breakfast) can be done at any time throughout the year. But if you want to carry over your eligibility from LAST year, you must renew by September 10!

If you previously qualified last year, you MUST RENEW BY SEPTEMBER 10, 2024. (It will automatically carry over for the first 30 days of this school year.) If you are new to the program, it is easy to fill out the application and submit it at any time during the school year. However it will not back date, so it is important to get the application in as soon as possible. If you qualify, your child will receive free breakfast and lunch each day. The applications are kept confidential at the business office level and are not seen at the school level, so it is up to each parent to disclose to their child if they choose.

You can find the free and reduced lunch forms here, or download them below. How to Apply and Application Form. There are also printed forms available at the school office.

If you need help completing the form, please ask first in your school office.

If you have other questions related to SMCS Food Service, please contact Tracy Ludka, our Director of Food Services, at tludka@smcatholicschools.org or 920-574-5974.

BREAKFAST TIMES by Campus:

• Elementary School - all campuses - 7:30 - 7:45 am
• Middle School - during Community Time at 9:10 am
• High School - 7:30-7:45 am

BREAKFAST PRICE for all Grade Levels: $2.00 (unless free or reduced)

BREAKFAST DETAILS:

Children can use this as a breakfast or a snack time. They can choose any one item from an assortment of grains and proteins from our a la carte selection, plus a fruit, fruit juice and/or milk. The breakfast menu is preselected each day.

For Middle & High School, a la carte is also available at these times for normal a la carte pricing.

LUNCH PRICES (unless free or reduced)

• Pre-K3 - 5 (Elementary) - $3.50
• Gr. 6 - 12 - $3.70

Lunch is available to all our students. A whole lunch includes protein, grains, fruit, veggies, and milk. We pride ourselves on giving the children multiple options and a large selection of fruits and veggies every day. Unlike many schools, we encourage our students to take as many fruits and veggies with their meal as they would like, but a half cup is always required to qualify as a whole lunch meal.

Facebook

Instagram

SMCS Athletics

SMCS Fine Arts

SMCS Alumni

YouTube for Livestream Events

Like & Follow St. Mary Catholic Schools on social media... and please help elevate our profile in the community by reacting to and sharing posts often!

***Keep in mind that your specific campus may also have a parent group for Facebook that can be a helpful resource. Contact your school office for more information.***

According to our Scrip calendar, this week is the last week of our summer delivery schedule. Starting next week (the week of August 26), we will resume our regular school year schedule of deliveries being sent to all 5 campuses and 3 parishes. If your child has changed campuses and therefore you need your delivery location changed, please take the time to email our RaiseRight coordinator Liz Uhlenbrauck (luhlenbrauck@smcatholicschools.org) so she can update your RaiseRight/Scrip profile.

Bonus Rebate Offered for Kwik Trip - During the month of September, Kwik Trip is offering a 5% bonus on our existing rebates. Regular gas card rebates will go up to 10% and grocery only cards will go up to 20%. This bonus rebate does not include car wash cards. Plan ahead and take advantage of this rebate bonus!

Friday - September 27 - NO SCHOOL - Professional Development for teachers

Sunday - September 29 - Zephyrs Connect - Fall Fun Run, Food, & Festivities!

Sept. 29 - Oct 5 - Homecoming Week - celebrations all week long!

For complete listing of all SMCS sporting events, check out the Big East Calendar

Please remember that no dogs/pets are allowed on the SMCS campuses, with the exception of licensed service dogs.

Wednesday, 9/4 – MS Volleyball

Thursday, 9/5 at 4:00 pm – Girls Varsity Tennis vs. Kewaskum

Thursday, 9/5 at 7:00 pm – Varsity Football vs. Valders

Friday, 9/6 at 5:30 pm & 7:00 pm – Volleyball JV2, JV, & Varsity

Monday, 9/9 at 4:30 pm - JV Football

Monday, 9/9 - MS Volleyball

Tuesday, 9/10 - Boys Varsity Soccer vs. Sheboygan Falls

Wednesday, 9/11 - MS Volleyball

Thursday, 9/12 at 4:00 pm Girls Varsity Tennis vs. Roncalli

Thursday, 9/12 at 7:00 pm - MS Soccer vs. Freedom

The Spirit Stop is located at the St. Mary Catholic High School Commons, adjacent to the Ralph "Cyclone" McClone Gymnasium. The Spirit Stop will be open for all of your back to school clothing needs on Monday, August 26 from 8:30 AM - 8:00 PM. This is the same day as the high school and middle school orientation. We will also have hours of availability during the school year, and that schedule will be released shortly. The Spirit Stop has a variety of adult-sized clothing, as well as baseball caps, winter beanies, and blankets available for sale. Unfortunately, we do not carry small kids clothing in stock in the store, but we do have several options online. For this and more, be sure to check out our online store here: St. Mary Catholic Schools Online Store | Silly Toast Designs | powered by OrderMyGear (itemorder.com)

Visit the online store frequently, as we will be adding new styles throughout the different seasons. We can't wait to see you sporting your Zephyrs pride!

We are growing, and looking for amazing people who believe in our mission of "Preparing and inspiring students to lead meaningful lives, rooted in the teachings of Christ and our Catholic tradition." Click here to view our current employment opportunities for St. Mary Catholic Schools.

Becoming a host family for an international student for St. Mary Catholic Schools makes the world smaller and your heart bigger! There is nothing quite like the joy of sharing culture, traditions, and everyday life with a young person from another country. You'll develop relationships that last a lifetime, and your hospitality creates a welcoming environment for a student to absorb the American experience beyond the classroom! To help support room and board, the ABC Education exchange program offers a stipend of $600 per month for a host family, and in addition, you can receive a $2,000 tuition credit for St. Mary Catholic Schools for your own child. To learn more, contact Kelly Beisenstein-Weiss at kbweiss@smcatholicschools.org

We are so grateful for our volunteers and are always looking for new and returning faces to help out in our schools!

Please visit the Volunteer Hub on our website to learn more about how you can complete the required steps to volunteer with SMCS.

If you are already a volunteer with SMCS, please ensure you have completed all Safe Environment requirements through Virtus Online- background check, online Virtus annual retraining, and annual acknowledgment form.

If you have any questions on the Safe Environment process, please reach out to the Human Resources department: pfoulks@smcatholicschools.org and ckind@smcatholicschools.org.

• SMCS 2024-25 systemwide calendar
• SMCS Staff & Teacher Directory

*** If you have changes to your email address or other updates, please click on "Contact" at the very bottom of this newsletter, but ALSO be sure to update any changes in your PowerSchool account!