The Trojan Times

St. Maria Goretti is a living testament to our Lord's work in His youngest disciples, exemplified by academic excellence, spiritual formation, and compassionate service to others.

St. Maria Goretti Catholic School aims to form what is True, Good, and Beautiful in the souls of our young disciples of Christ.

Dear St. Maria Goretti Catholic School Families,

Thank you for a wonderful Catholic Schools Week. There are lots of pictures in this edition of the TT for you to browse.

Please be sure to check out our updated website! Thank you to Keith Bartholomew for your help with this venture. www.smgschool.org

Enrollment for the 2025-2026 school year is now open. Please check the website for more information about tuition rates and to invite your friends and family to enroll today. Remember all current families will be automatically re-enrolled on February 14, 2025.

All applications for Tuition Assistance are due on February 28, 2025.

We are looking for volunteers to serve on the SMG Mother/Daughter Luncheon Committee. Their first meeting is on Thursday, February 6, 9:00 a.m. in the Hope Room on the SMG Campus. Please attend if you would like to help plan this event!

Students who attended Mass last weekend have earned a dress down day on Monday. Students may come in blue jeans, SMG Spirit Wear, socks, and tennis shoes.

St. Maria Goretti, Pray for Us!

Blessings,

Amy Utendorf, M.Ed.

Principal

Being honest and trustworthy means not only protecting and proclaiming the truth, it includes practicing what we preach. No one aspires to be a hypocrite, to say one thing and do another. To be trustworthy we must strive to be men and women of integrity, integrating our deepest principles into every area of our lives. A person of honesty and integrity will naturally win the friendship of many.

Francesco and Jacinta were brother and sister. It was their job to take care of the sheep with their cousin, Lucia. All three were visited by the Blessed Virgin Mary, who asked them to pray for the whole world. Some of the people where they lived tried to say the children were lying about seeing the Blessed Mother, and even put the children in jai! But the children did not give up, because they were telling the truth.

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Saint Kateri Tekakwitha belonged to a Native American tribe in New York state. Kateri’s mother was a Christian but her father was not. When her parents both died and left her an orphan, Saint Kateri asked to be baptized and then promised her life to God. Her non-Christian relatives made fun of her belief in God, but Saint Kateri remained true to her faith. She journeyed over 200 miles on foot to a Christian settlement of Native Americans and lived the rest of her life there, praying for and serving the people. After her death, people prayed to her for help, and miracles were performed through her intercession.

Saint Athanasius studied the Greek classics and theology in Alexandria, where he became bishop. He attended the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD and defended the faith against the heresy of Arianism, which claimed that Jesus was a mere creature and not truly God. Athanasius taught that Jesus was God the Son, having the same nature as God the Father. This sounds normal to us who profess this in the Creed, but the Council of Nicaea is what added this section to the Apostles Creed, because the issue was hotly debated at the time, and saints like Athanasius realized that the divinity of Christ was an issue of vital important.

It’s time for the most fabulous Mother/Daughter event of the year, and we couldn’t be more excited! Come join the SMGCS Gals for a fun-filled evening celebrating friendship and our love for Christ. Bring your favorite dish (the one you and your favorite gal(s) LOVE to share) for a yummy pot-luck style dinner! We’ve got cute crafts to make and a special treat to take home! Please RSVP to Alyssa at lysmarie.rod@gmail.com or text 512.699.3076, so we can make sure we have plenty of love (and food!) for everyone. Can’t wait to see you there! PS - Don’t worry boy moms, we also have a Mother/Son event in the works!

Devotional journaling group for girls in 4th through 8th grade that will create, reflect, pray, draw and grow together as girls of grace.

• Club meets the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month
• First meeting - February 12th from 3:30-4:30 in the library
• For more information contact Mrs. Abbey Lewis or Mrs. Utendorf

February Lunch Menu

Please enjoy this audio/visual experience of the goings on of Saint Maria Goretti. Consider that a "Subscription" to the YouTube channel and/or a "Like" on any video will help us grow our exposure and impact. Please do share anything you enjoy with other family members and friends that would similarly delight in the successes and accomplishments of the students.

https://www.youtube.com/@smgbroadcast2001

SMG students receive a Terrific Trojan sticker when they are "caught" being safe, responsible and respectful. After wearing the sticker during the day, the Terrific Trojan places it on the hallway bulletin board. We love seeing how full the bulletin board becomes by the end of the school year.

Thank you to everyone who donated items to the spaghetti dinner, made meatballs, set up, served, cleaned up, served at Mass, gave tours and joined us for a weekend of fellowship.

A BIG THANK YOU to Olivia and Jesse Bradley for organizing this event.

We began Catholic Schools week by performing various service projects.

• 6th-8th: Mission Arlington Community Service
• 4th-5th: Padre Pio (boxed groceries, raked leaves/debris) and SMG campus service day
• 1st-3rd: Cards for Sister of St. Mary of Namur
• PK-K: Spiritual bouquets for the church

The St. Maria Singers celebrated vocations by visiting Our Lady of Victory Center. Wednesday, during Mass, we celebrated our Volunteer of the Year and our Teacher of the Year. We also welcomed visitors to our school during Open House. We welcomed City Council representatives Thursday as we celebrated our new playground with a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony. Students and teachers attended a pep rally on Friday and watched the annual 8th grade vs. faculty volleyball game.

In celbration of vocations, the St. Maria Singers visited Our Lady of Victory Convent to recognize the sisters of Saint Mary of Namur. They brought gifts for the sisters, were treated to a tour of the convent and entertained with a few songs. Thanks to Mrs. Richards and Mrs. Utendorf for coordinating this special event.

Following Mass, a meet and greet was held in the library with coffee and refreshments to honor our volunteers and welcome visitors to our school.

The 5th and 6th grade performing arts classes sang It's a Great Day before the celebration of the Teacher and Volunteer of the Year.

Matt Lester is the embodiment of what it means to give selflessly and with unwavering dedication. From the moment he first joined our team, Matt has brought an infectious energy, a friendly smile, and an incredible amount of passion to everything he does. His loyalty to our cause is evident in the way he continually goes above and beyond, always willing to lend a helping hand, and always stepping up when we need him the most.

Matt takes great pride in the work he does with SMG, and it’s not just about the hours he puts in—it’s about the heart he puts into every task. He’s shown time and time again that he’s not just a volunteer, but someone who truly cares about making a difference. Whether it’s a big event or a small behind-the-scenes task, Matt handles it with the same level of dedication and enthusiasm. But perhaps what stands out the most about Matt is his genuine kindness and his ability to make everyone around him feel welcome. He builds connections, fosters team spirit, and spreads positivity wherever he goes. His friendly and approachable nature has made him a beloved member of our community.

Matt, thank you for everything you do. Your passion, loyalty, and hard work have not gone unnoticed. You inspire all of us to give more, to care more, and to always show up with a heart full of purpose. We are truly lucky to have you as part of our team, and it’s a privilege to honor you as our Volunteer of the Year.

Mrs. Julie Griton, the 2023-24 Teacher of the Year, had the honor of announcing this year's winner. Congratulations to Mrs. Selena Vasquez.

Mrs. Vasquez displays a deep and abiding support for the SMG community. She is always there to lend a helping hand with a heartfelt smile and kind word. Her commitment to students is unwavering. She shows up every day ready to teach but also goes above and beyond to ensure every student feels seen, heard and supported. Her dedication to each student’s success is truly inspiring.

The Arlington Chamber of Commerce and City Council members joined us for the official ribbon cutting to celebrate our new playground.

Mrs. Saladino, Mr. Tran, and Coach Sferra organized a fun pep rally for the school. We were surprised by a second mascot and a student vs faculty relay race. Students created posters in support of SMG, 8th grade, faculty and volleyball players. The theme for the pep rally was "LIFE IS SWEET @ SMG." Congratulations to 3rd grade and PreK for winning the poster contest. A big CONGRATS to 8th grade for their volleyball victory.

Home & School parents and volunteers made our week extra special by pampering the teachers. Monday we had yogurt parfaits for breakfast and a multitude of snacks available in the lounge. Tuesday, cakepops were hand delivered to our classrooms. Later in the week we received a snack pack and a Sonic drik. We thoroughly enjoyed the To Go Salads for lunch on Friday. Thanks for a great week!

Spelling bee finalists from 4th through 8th grade participated in the SMG Scripps School Spelling Bee. Congratulations to the 2025 SMG Spelling Bee winner, Maddy Lester (8th) and to runner up, Damian Smeragliuolo (6th). Maddy will represent SMG at the Area Spelling Bee in February. Good luck Maddy!

The Rosary Club worked on making Rosaries the last two weeks. Yesterday they finished. We meet every Wednesday from 3:30 PM - 4:00 PM in the conference room. Come and join us!

Use gift cards or shop online through RaiseRight for your everyday purchases and earn money for your organization. It's easy to enroll today! To enroll email Olivia Bradley at scrip@smgschool.org for the enrollment code.

START EARNING NOW!

• Earn cash for our school just by scanning your receipts! It's as easy as that.

• Download the Box Tops app and make every shopping trip count.

Please consider volunteering to help during lunch and recess. Service hours will be earned. Click on the signup genius link for a description of duties. All volunteers must be current with their Virtus training.

Sign-Up Genius

Please consider volunteering to help with the chickens on the weekends. Service hours will be earned. Click on the signup genius link for a description of duties.

Sign-Up Genius

Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth Sports Calendar

Monday

• 7:00-7:40 Cheer (Saladino/Risinger) Gym
• 12:16-1:01 Open Library Checkout (4th-8th)
• 12:16-1:01 STUCO (Daly) Computer Lab Begins TBD
• 3:30-4:45 Folklorico Current Members (Zavala) Hope Rm
• 3:30-4:15 PSIA Spelling (Daly) Computer Lab Jan. 27, Feb. 3, 10, 24
• 3:30-4:15 PSIA Maps/Graphs/Charts (Utendorf) Rm. 110 Jan. 27, Feb. 10, 24
• 3:30-4:15 Math Tutoring 6th-8th (Tran) Rm. 121
• 3:30-4:15 PSIA Ready Write 4th-8th (Vasquez) Feb. 3, 10, 17, 24

• 7:00-7:40 Cheer (Saladino) Gym
• 12:16-12:36 Library Leaders (Richards)
• 12:16-1:00 NJHS (Jones)
• 3:30-4:15 Cantoring (Breed) Church

Wednesday

• 7:15-7:45 Math Tutoring 2-5 (Sister Mary Monica) Rm. 116
• 12:16-1:01 Open Library Checkout (4th-8th)
• 12:16-12:36 SMG Broadcast (Jones) Rm. 120
• 3:30-4:15 4th-8th Detention Rooms Vary
• 3:45-4:30 Run Club (Gutierrez)
• Feb. 12, 26, March 12, 26, April 9, 30, May 7

• 3:30-4:15 PSIA Drawing (Jamison) Art Room
• Jan. 29 Feb. 12, 26

• 3:30-4:30 Chess Club (Tran) Rm 121
• 3:45-4:15 Science Tutoring (Saladino) Rm. 109
• 3:30-4:00 Rosary Group (Utendorf) - Conference Room
• 3:30-4:30 Girls of Grace Club (A. Lewis) - Library - Begins Feb. 12 - 2nd/4th Wednesday NEW

• 7:15-7:45 AM Saint Maria Singers (Richards) Library NEW DAY
• 7:15-7:45 AM PSIA Math 2nd/3rd (Sr. Mary Monica) Rm 116
• Feb. 6, 20

• 7:15-7:45 AM PSIA Math 4th/5th (Sr. Mary Monica) Rm 116 Feb. 13, 27

• 7:00-7:45 AM PSIA Math 6th-8th (Tran) Rm 121
• Feb. 6, 20

• 3:30-4:45 The Trojan Troupe (Richards) Library/Stage
• End time extended to 6PM beginning in March
• 3:45-4:45 Card Club (Saladino) Rm 109

Friday

• 12:16-1:01 Open Library Checkout (4th-8th)

Feb. 2, Sunday: Last day to order SMG via online spirit store

Feb. 3-11: Candy Gram Orders for Valentines Day

Feb. 6, Thursday: Sports Jersey/Jeans $3 Fund Raiser, 9:00AM SMG Mother/Daughter Luncheon Committee first meeting

Feb. 7, Friday: 6:30 PM Mother/Daughter Galentine's Party

Feb. 10, Monday: Short Story Writing Contest Entries Due, SMG Spirit Orders Delivered

Feb. 14, Friday: Grandparents/Grandfriends Day, 6:00-8:00PM Jr. High Game Night

Feb. 17, Monday: In-service - No School

Feb. 18,Tuesday: PSIA forms due to Homeroom teachers

Feb. 22, Saturday: PSIA Competition-Prestonwood Christian Academy, 6801 W Park Blvd, Plano, TX

Feb. 28, Friday: Tuition Assistance Applications Due

April 26, Saturday: Save the Date: Platinum Gala

We all do!! The St. Maria Goretti Catholic School Community would love to pray for you and your intentions. Please send all prayer requests to: smgprays4u@smgschool.org.

St. Maria Goretti Parish Website: https://www.smgparish.org/

Serving the North Texas Catholic community by providing the faithful opportunities to grow in Christian discipleship and strengthen their relationship with Jesus Christ.

https://fwdioc.org/

Email: development@smgschool.org
Website: https://smgschool.org
Location: 1200 South Davis Drive, Arlington, TX, USA
Phone: (817)275-5081

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smgcatholicschool/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StMariaGorettiArlington/