Hark! the Herald
Friday, April 12, 2024
Important Dates and Reminders
Next Week: Monday April 15 - Friday April 19 - NO SCHOOL - Enjoy your Spring Break!
UPDATE: Tuesday April 23 – Parent Information Night at 6pm for rising middle and high school parents and guardians. Prospective families are invited to attend. Information to follow.
Wednesday April 24 - NO Faculty Meeting after school
Thursday April 25 - All School Meeting - Grammar School Business Dress Up Day Benefiting Grade 5
Friday April 26 - Visit with author/artist Bill Thompson
Friday April 26 – Third Trimester Progress Reports sent home with students
Saturday, April 27 - School and Parish Clean up Day from 10-12, details below.
Sunday April 28 - FIRST HOLY COMMUNION. All are welcome to attend 10:30 am Mass
Saturday, May 4, 2024 CONFIRMATION MASS at 1:00 pm. All are welcome to attend
SMS is still enrolling! We have open enrollment so it's never too late. Mrs. O'Neil works with new families considering enrollment throughout the year.
Parents are looking for alternatives in education right now more than ever. It is surprising how often we talk to someone that simply didn't know we were here! We encourage you to talk to your friends and family about your experience at Saint Michael School this year and help us grow.
FACEBOOK: If you haven't already done so, please like and follow our Facebook page so you can see other great photos not posted here in the Hark each week: https://www.facebook.com/SMSVT
Vacation Rules!!!
from Dr. Bert Green
Spring break- what an awesome time for relaxing and resetting. Vacations are times when routines become more flexible and people rejuvenate. Here are a few suggestions to make the most of Spring Break as a family.
Most families would like to spend more quality time together. This is possible even when grown-ups work, but it takes a bit of planning. To begin with, talk to your children (in the car, at dinner, whenever you can be together without distractions). Explain that even though it is vacation, life goes on… people and animals need to eat, laundry needs to be done, trash needs to be taken out, etcetera. Therefore, explain that if children do their part for chores, parents, whether working this week or not, will have more time to enjoy their free time with the children.
Have a vacation kick off event. This might be a stop at the playground (if it stops raining), or the local library (if it is still raining), a home game night or a movie with popcorn night. Talk to the children about what they would like to accomplish this week. Don’t be surprised when you hear ‘sleeping and gaming’. Adults should be prepared to offer suggestions that are agreeable to them. In addition to movie night and playground trips, here are a few suggestions:
*Check out the library and what programs and passes are offered.
* Have children plan and cook dinner. For littles this might be a peanut butter and jelly. sandwich, but older students can prepare more complicated meals. You can also make a family meal together.
* Get outside! Go fishing, hiking, biking.
*Start indoor seeds for the garden.
*Make a scavenger hunt for things to find outside (plants growing, bird nest, worm, pine cone, old leaf and so forth.)
* Check out a local museum or historical society
* Have a color day… Everyone wears the same color, or you tie dye old t-shirts a certain color. I like Pink Day because we watched the Pink Panther at night.
*Have a crafts day.
*Have a dance party.
*Arrange playdates. Families can even trade off child care, if the adult work schedules are different.
* Go to church and stay after if your church has a social hour.
It's also good to set about 30 minutes aside daily for quiet reading or coloring, as well as 30 minutes for chores. One routine that I recommend keeping is the bedtime routine. While the time may shift a bit (less for younger children), the routine should remain in place to promote healthy sleeping.
Have fun and be safe! Remember this is Spring Break for everyone!
The Parent Information Night for parents of current 6th to 11th grade students that was scheduled for this Thursday has been postponed to Tuesday, April 23rd.
The purpose of this information night is to better inform you about the curriculum of the St. Michael upper schools and prepare you to support your students. This meeting is intended for all current SMS families, and any prospective families are welcome and encouraged to attend if they are somewhere in the enrollment process.
We will be sending out an online survey in the near future in order to get an estimate of who will be attending this event and to canvas your questions about St. Michael School academic mission and methods.
Our school community has been blessed with so many exciting and educational activities which you, our student's parents, have supported in so many ways, and so well attended. Thank you! We are looking forward to all of your input and a great turn-out on April 23rd.
Join our SMS Parent Teacher Group
Teacher Appreciation Week is coming up from May 6-10 and we are looking for volunteers to get involved with the planning.
We want to use this week as the catalyst for a Parent Teacher Group of sorts. There have been several parents this year asking about getting involved in a 'PTO' to help support the students and faculty, and get more involved in the school community. At this time, there is not intention of doing fundraising. The objective of the group will be to help plan and run events at the school such as:
Teacher Appreciation Week, summer gatherings, Parent Nights Out, Trunk or Treat, Coffee Hours etc. These events have been organized and run by the office and there has been a lot of interest by parents to take these activities over.
If you are interested in helping out, please contact one of our two coordinators:
Inga Paluch i_plisz@yahoo.com
Desiree DeLuca-Johnson desiree.delucajohnson@gmail.com
In case you didn't get a chance to read this yet, we implore you all to make the time to read this article
While the modern methods of education introduced by John Dewey in 1899 continue to fail all around us, the ancient method of education employed at SMS is catching on again across the country!
Here is an article that was shared with us by an SMS Parent. We encourage you all to make the time to read it:
Inside the New Wave of Old-School Education
(Shown here: "The School of Athens" by Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino
Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)
Middle/High School Math Teacher
We are looking to hire an experienced math teacher to meet the needs of our growing upper school in grades 7-12. SMCS administers a rigorous, integrated program of Catholic classical liberal arts. The ideal candidate will be competent in teaching middle and high school, experienced in managing a classroom of 15-20 students, and dedicated to professional development in the classical liberal arts and the pursuit of academic excellence.
Interested persons should send a curriculum vitae and a cover letter detailing their interest in teaching in St. Michael Catholic School's classical liberal arts curriculum to Principal Elaine Beam at elainebeam@smsvt.info
Join our Extended Care Team and make afternoons FUN for our students
This is a lovely part time position for the right person to get involved at SMS. We need someone to work from 3-5:30pm daily as part of our aftercare program. Interested persons should send a resume and a cover letter detailing their interest in teaching to: elainebeam@smsvt.info
Saint Michael Parish, School and Saint Brigid’s Kitchen Clean Up Day
Saturday, April 27th
following 9AM Mass until Noon
Please save the date and join us for this community event.
🧼🧹⚒️ Whether you are a backyard warrior, someone who likes to just help out in the community, or you are looking for an excuse to enjoy a morning with friends, this is a great opportunity. Please consider volunteering for both indoor and outdoor projects around the school and parish on Saturday 4/27 from 10am until 12. Check out the photo collage to see how much fun we had last year!
Get started with those fundraisers
Students received packets recently with details about the 2024 SMS FUN RUN fundraiser.
🤩 We have exciting new incentives for participation.... Like taping Principal Beam to the wall in Rand Hall!!!!
And if we meet our goal of $10,000 by April 19th, students will get the opportunity to tie dye their Fun Run shirts!
Please review the contents and get started with your fundraising efforts. Let your donors know that their donation is tax-deductible and we offer convenient online giving for instant donations and donor receipts. Here is the link https://saintmichaelschoolvt.org/sms-fun-run
Volleyball Round Robin
from Coach Theresa Norman
On April 6, 2024, the Saint Michael School volleyball team traveled to Putney, VT to participate in a round robin tournament.
At first, playing on a full-sized court proved to be challenging but over time the team adjusted. The referee commented that our team was the most improved throughout the day. It was great to see the team grow together and develop their skills over the course of the games. The cherry on top was being recognized as a team with great sportsmanship by several of the other teams and their coaches.
I look forward to seeing what this team will put on the court over the season. Our next two games are against BART on April 23rd and 25th.
Volleyball Team Game Schedule
Please mark your calendars and come out to cheer our team on if you are able.
Tuesday APRIL 23: St Mikes v BARTS, starting time 4:30
Thursday APRIL 25: St Mikes v BARTS. starting time 4:30
Wednesday MAY 1: St Mikes v PUTNEY starting time 4:30
Wednesday May 15: ULTIMATE TOURNAMENT. We are unsure what this will look like; it may be another round-robin-type event. Details of the place and time will follow shortly.
Game Location Addresses:
BART: 1 COMMERCIAL ST, ADAMS, MA
PUTNEY: 418 HOUGHTON BROOK RD, PUTNEY, VT
Please contact our Athletic Director, Michelle Kuusela with any questions or concerns at michellekuusela@smsvt.info
My name is Dr. Bert Green and am a school psychologist specializing in school neuropsychology. After a 25-year career consulting for schools in MA and VT I have retired and continue my work with children on a voluntary basis at St. Mike’s. I’m a member of the parish and my husband and I live in Dover, VT.
I have been working with students, faculty and staff since last summer and I'd love to now partner with you as parents and guardians to our students. I look forward to periodically writing helpful articles for the Hark! The articles are meant to be general guidelines to help support your child’s education. Please feel free to email bertgreen76@gmail.com if you have suggestions for topics or questions.
Please sign your child up for lunch daily
Teachers are now taking lunch orders IN THE CLASSROOM at role call. Make sure each of your children knows if they have a packed home lunch, or should order a hot school lunch.
We will be sending out a printed menu each month for your daily reference. You may also consult the Hark for a digital copy.
IF YOU ARE TARDY:
Our meal order must be submitted by 8:30 am. If you anticipate arriving after 8:25 am, please email the office and your homeroom teacher in the morning with any HOT lunch orders.
Lunch costs $4.15. Families will receive an invoice on the 5th of each month with the lunch bill for the month prior. Your FACTS account will autopay the bill on the 20th of that month. You will receive emails from FACTS so please be diligent in checking your emails monthly. Applications for eligibility to participate in the National School Lunch Program for Free of Reduced Lunch were sent out earlier this year and are still available in the office.
Call 802.254.6320 for questions
or email sandigauthier@smsvt.info
The Diocese now offers a free tool for Estate Planning. You do not need to be Catholic! Read on...
✝Memento mori
"The one thing that unites us all, no matter our background, is the fact that we will all die. It’s a truth that we all know, yet many of us are scared to face it head-on. This fear of mortality is what inspired the ancient practice of Memento Mori, which encourages us to reflect on our mortality and use it as a tool to make the most of each moment and enjoy the journey."(Andrea Shelley)*
Vermont Catholic Community Foundation (VCCF) recently engaged with FreeWill, to provide free, confidential, online assistance with creating a will, advance directive, and power of attorney in addition to outlining your wishes for a Catholic funeral and burial. You can also make a simple bequest in your will specifying an amount or percentage of your estate that would benefit a specific Catholic ministry, such as Saint Michael Catholic School! This tool is free for our community. It only takes 20 minutes to complete your will now: https://www.freewill.com/vccf
🙏We hope you will please remember Saint Michael Catholic School in your estate planning and leave a legacy of faith.
Pass it along. This is not only for Catholics or those wanting a Catholic Funeral.
No one should be without their wishes in writing.
For further information, contact Ellen Kane (Executive Director of Vermont Catholic Community Foundation) at 802-846-5837.
*To read more from Andrea on the meaning and history of the practice of Memento Mori, visit https://andreashelley.com/blog/memento-mori-meaning-and-history/
Ways you can help
If anyone is looking for a way to make a donation to help out the school, we could use:
- barrettes and hair elastics
- boxes of tissues
- healthy snacks for the school day and aftercare
- copy paper
- band aids
- disposable cups
- reusable water bottles
- Children's pain/fever reliever (liquid please)
- multi-symptom children's cold medicine (liquid please)
- unused, new pairs of white, black or navy socks, navy leggings, and underwear for our uniform closet.
- We would also appreciate black or brown belts, new or gently used, all sizes.
We are here for you!
Questions? Thoughts? Suggestions?
Please reach out. We LOVE to hear from our families!
UNSUBSCRIBE? As we begin each new school year, we hope you all will continue to stay connected with Saint Michael School but we understand if you are in a new season of life. If you are no longer interested in receiving our newsletter, please know that there is an "unsubscribe" option at the end of every newsletter.
Emails:
Elaine Beam, Principal elainebeam@smsvt.info
Sandi Gauthier, Administration, Accounting, Record Requests sandigauthier@smsvt.info
Lindsay O'Neil, Admissions and Development lindsayoneil@smsvt.info
Janna Andrus, Religious Education jannaandrus@smsvt.info
Joshua Dionne, Dean of Curriculum, joshuadionne@smsvt.info
Michelle Kuusela, Athletics michellekuusela@smsvt.info
Peter Orlowski, Dean of Students, peterorlowski@smsvt.info
As a reminder, all of our teachers and staff have personal emails which can be found on our website at: https://saintmichaelschoolvt.org/faculty
