Principal's Message
Dear SMG Families & Friends,
Tomorrow, Early Bird Registration for the 2019-2020 school year opens. Information was emailed home last week and can also be found on the school website and in this newsletter. Early Bird Registration runs through Monday, February 25, 2019, after which regular registration opens.
On a different note, the Diocese of Fort Worth currently has 26 seminarians, 16 of whom attend St. Joseph Seminary College in Covington, Louisiana. These young men face the same challenges most college students face including struggles with their coursework and academics, social issues, and homesickness while also trying to discern what God is calling them to do. Every school in the diocese says a prayer everyday specifically for our seminarians and for all young men and young women called to a religious vocation. SMG students have recited that prayer every morning since the beginning of the school year.
As well, under Bishop Olson's direction, Superintendent Pelletier and Mrs. Leah Rios, President of Nolan Catholic High School and the Learning Support Specialist for the Diocese of Fort Worth about two years ago, began making quarterly visits to St. Joseph's, working with each seminarian on such things as time management and study skills, academic testing to identify and navigate any learning differences, tutoring, and working with school administration and faculty to develop a learning support center at the college. I was asked by Superintendent Pelletier to visit St. Joseph's with her and Mrs. Rios, and did so last Thursday, returning this evening.
What a wonderful experience it was! These young men are so impressive and their faith is so strong--one can literally see the Holy Spirit working in them. As most of you know, I have two sons who are both in college, so these young seminarians are the same age as my sons. I know how many times mine have changed their minds about their majors, and I am fairly sure one or both of them will change their mind at least a time or two more before they graduate. The seminarians experience similar feelings and emotions as they try to discern the priesthood. Most are confident that becoming a priest is truly their calling, and some naturally have doubts from time to time.
I am so grateful that our diocese supports our seminarians in this way. Seminarians from other dioceses who also attend St. Joseph's rarely, if ever, are visited by their bishop and certainly are not being supported by their superintendents of Catholic schools the way our (Fort Worth) seminarians are being supported. Please join me and your children in keeping these young men and all seminarians, as well as all religious vocations, in your prayers.
St. Maria Goretti, Pray for Us!
Blessings,
Laura Behee, M.Ed.
Principal
PSIA -Private schools interscholastic association
We are very excited to announce that St. Maria Goretti Catholic School will begin participating this year in the Private Schools Interscholastic Association (PSIA) extracurricular academic program for elementary and middle schools. Participating in PSIA provides an exciting opportunity for private school students to engage in academic competition with their peers throughout the state of Texas.
Though PSIA offers 19 contest categories offering a broad range of disciplines in 59 academic contests and is open to students in grades 1-8, we will only be competing in four academic events and will offer the program to 3rd-8th Grade students this year. We plan to expand the number of academic events and the grade-level in which we begin the program, next year.
Information about PSIA was emailed to 3rd-8th Grade parents last week and can also be found on the school website at: https://www.smgschool.org/documents/2019/2/PSIA%20Information%20Letter%20%20Sign%20Up.pdf or by visiting the PSIA website at:
Valentine Candy-Grams
The Student Council will be selling Valentine Candy-Grams for $1 each. The Candy-Grams are brightly colored greetings that will be delivered to students on Thursday, February 14th. Along with each gram, there will be a heart lollipop. If you would like to purchase a Candy-gram for your student, please return the order form (see link below) by Monday, February 11th.
Thanks so much for supporting Student Council!
https://smgschool.org/documents/2019/2/Valentine%20Gram%20Order%20Form.pdf
2nd grade first reconciliation
Over 100 second grade students of the parish attended a First Reconciliation Retreat, Saturday, February 2nd at SMG. They rotated through stations learning about the sacraments, the 10 commandments, and what to expect at their first reconciliation. They were prepared and excited to attend their first confession yesterday, Saturday, February 9th. God is merciful and kind.
Dinner Dance and Auction 2019
