What's the Buzz?

Remember to utilize our SMS Google Calendar subscription (click here to view), or view the “Events” page on the SMS website.

Nov. 1: All Sants' Day - 9am School Mass led by grade 3 students, reception for 3rd grade students and parents to follow

Nov. 2: HSA Meat Raffle - tickets still available at the door - join us!

Nov. 4: HSA Bills Dress Down Day (bring $2 or purchase pass)

Nov. 4: HSA Meeting, all are welcome! 7pm, Cafeteria

Nov. 8: 9am School Mass led by St. Joseph Faith Family (Mrs. Picone)

Nov. 8: HERO BOX Dress Down Day for Veterans (bring $2 for charitable donation to veterans, not included in HSA pass)

Nov. 8: Early Dismissal at 11:30am

Nov. 11: Veteran’s Day - NO SCHOOL

Nov. 13-15: SMS Book Fair

Nov. 15: 9am School Mass led by St. Gemma Faith Family (Miss Kirwan)

Nov. 15: School Adoration following Mass

Nov. 15: Drama Club Fall Play - Holy Mother of Bingo!

Nov. 18: HSA Bills Dress Down Day (bring $2 or purchase pass)

Nov. 22: 9am School Mass led by St. Catherine of Alexandria Faith Family (Mr. Kelly)

Nov. 26: 9am School Thanksgiving Mass led by St. Joan of Arc Faith Family (Mrs. Bishop)

Nov. 26: HSA Thanksgiving Luncheon

Nov. 27-29: Thanksgiving Recess - No School

Nov. 30: HSA Family Movie Night: The Star

PLEASE NOTE: The Lost & Found Box is now outside the school office window. Please check it if your student is missing items. See the post in our Facebook Parent Community Group to see photos of current lost & found items.

eSchool has made changes to the Parent Portal. Parents in grades 3-8 can access their student's grades, but the link has changed. If you go to the old link you will be directed to speak to your Administrator. Please save the following link for future use. https://parentportal.eschooldata.com/buffalodiocese

If you are interested in helping out in the lunchroom and are VIRTUS trained please sign up below using the buttons. If you have any questions, you can email Mr. Mangione at attendance@st.maryschoolswormville.org.

If you ordered books from the Monkey See Monkey Do order form they are in and will be going home with students tomorrow. Watch your students’ backpacks next week for a flyer on the Book Fair with in-school shopping available on: November 13, 12-3pm, November 14, 12-3pm, & November 15, 8-3pm. Shop the online fair 11/11-11/18, share the link with family & friends, & special book requests will be delivered to school.

Thank you for your support!

Our swim team wraps up their season at their meet this Sunday, we wish them luck and can’t wait to hear how they do!

Please remember to wash & return your students' Fall sports uniforms to Mr. Reeds when their seasons finish & the last games/practices are over. We’d like to congratulate all of our students who participated in Swimming, Baseball & Volleyball this Fall - whether you won games, achieved personal bests, or learned something new, we’re proud of your growth & commitment to an active, healthy lifestyle! We’re looking forward to our Winter Sports season beginning soon with Basketball! Click here for more info on the SMS Sports Program.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Known to most of us as Halloween,we dress up in costumes, share candy, & put up spooky decorations. The idea that we both acknowledge death & laugh at it because we know it is not the end for us as Catholics makes today a joyous occasion, as well as the vigil to All Saints' Day. Have fun tonight and stay safe, & tomorrow we will celebrate and honor all the men & women who have gone before us & answered their call to holiness. Be sure to check out our Live Feed & social media accounts tonight & tomorrow for photos of all of your students’ Halloween & All Saints Day activities!

Don’t throw out those old shoes, send them in for our 8th grade class shoe drive. Collection bins have been placed outside the school office & church vestibule & have been filling quickly, but we will take all we can get! Shoes, sneakers, cleats, hiking boots, rain boots, water shoes & sandals are acceptable. They will not accept single shoes, ice skates, roller skates, wet or moldy shoes, or shoes with holes or tears.

If you haven’t sent your photos & wording for any Drama Club Program Ads or Shout Outs purchased, please be sure to send them to rkisailus@stmaryschoolswormville.org ASAP.

Tickets for the highly anticipated 2024 SMS Drama Club Fall Play are now on sale to the public! Click here to purchase if you haven’t already as the show may sell out. It is an incredibly fun play where the audience is involved and plays 5 rounds of bingo with your students! Mrs. Baker will be sending over seat assignments later on. In an effort to save paper, you will not need a physical ticket.

Click here to purchase TICKETS

Mr. Harrison Reeds, Mr. Brendan Dolan, and Mr Parker Kelly will be conducting Intramural Fall Session #1 2024 | November 5th- December 19th. You must complete the sign up and send in payment for each student that is participating.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Days: Tuesday/ THursday

Grades: 5-8

Time: 6:30AM-7:30AM

Cost: $75

• Intramurals start promptly at 6:45AM! If you are not here on time, you will have to show up at 730AM for school

• We will not allow siblings that are Below Grade 5.

• Students will wear their PE Uniform to Intramurals

• Deodorant strongly suggested

• SMS requires a 75% or better in all classes to attend intramurals! Intramurals are a privilege, and school comes first.

• Intramural privileges can be revoked if Disciplinary issues arise, during school/ SMS sports, as well as during intramurals

• Showing up in PE Uniform is encouraged (to save time)!!

Sequence of Events

6:30-6:45AM - Drop off at Door B1

6:45-6:50AM - Changed into Uniform

7:15-7:20AM: Returning to gym (if outside), and putting away equipment

7:20-7:30AM: changing into SMS Uniform, preparing for school day

Recently Mrs. Christina Egleston, Catholic Education Director, gave a presentation to students about how with their families, they can enjoy learning more about vocations and spend time praying for those called to say yes to God by hosting the “traveling” Chalice & Paten in their homes! Through your prayers, we believe more men and women will hear God's call to seek out their religious vocations. You are invited to sign up to have the Chalice & Paten that Father Tom has blessed in your home. At least once a day, gather your family in the presence of the Chalice and Paten and pray. At the end of the week, return all of the contents the way it was originally packed back to school for another family to host.

Click here for more detailed instructions.

Click here to sign up to be a host family.

Questions? Please contact Mrs. Katie Bishop, kbishop@stmaryschoolswormville.org or the Catholic Education Office at 716-688-0599.

Has your SMS student achieved something notable outside of school recently in sports, scouts, or another community organization? Do you have news to share with our community as an alum? If so, tell us about it! We’d love to share the #BuzzWorthy news on social media or in an upcoming “What’s the Buzz” school newsletter. Simply email any photos and a short description to buzzworthy@stmaryschoolswormville.org.

• Google searches, word of mouth, and school search & review platforms account for 72% of how parents first discover the schools they consider for their children. With this in mind, SMS is launching a campaign this Fall to encourage alumni, current school families, parishioners and community members to become brand ambassadors for SMS! Talk to your neighbors & friends about SMS, share our social media posts with your networks, and share your personal review of the school! There are a few ways you can do this:
  

  
  

  
  

  • Visit https://tinyurl.com/4269mbtb to share a Google Review
  • Visit https://tinyurl.com/57jtaxcu to share a review on niche.com (the leading school search & review platform)
  • Email your review to rkisailus@stmaryschoolswormville.org to have it featured on our website. Feel free to include photos as well. We have a number of great reviews from families from the past, but would love to feature a few more recent alumni success stories, or anecdotes from families whose lives have been positively impacted by SMS.

HSA Events Flyer - Stay up to date with all the exciting things the HSA has planned for this Fall!

Spirit Wear went home with students today! If you have any questions please contact Rebecca Kisailus at rkisailus@stmaryschoolswormville.org.

By the time you’re reading this there will be less than 48 hours until the first spin at our Meat Raffle! Regular priced tickets are still available for $20 each. This is always a super fun event and many school families and teachers will be in attendance - don’t miss out on the most fun you’ve ever had at a Meat Raffle! In addition to the open bar & delicious meat, check out these great prizes available, but ONLY if you’re in attendance:

• BILLS TICKETS! Two tickets to the 12/1/24 game against 49’ers, Sec. 129

• Signed Keon Coleman Buffalo Bills Jersey from Dave & Adam's Card World

• $150 gift certificate to Pesci’s Pizza & Wings

• Lancome Holiday Beauty Box - a value of $650!

• Four different bottles of Mano's Buffalo Bills Themed Wine

• Two hour golf simulator package at 981 Golf

• Road trip basket including a brand new hat, sunglasses & snacks - worth $50

• Awald Farms Fall Products basket including jam, honey, beef jerky & fall decor

• Christmas Morning Pancakes Basket- including pancake mix, Christmas decor & 32 oz. of real NYS Maple Syrup

• Lottery Baskets with scratch-offs

• Patriotic Basket including a brand new US Flag from Grand New Flag

• Canisius High School cookie jar, shorts, t-shirt, ball cap & lightswitch cover

  
  

• St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute bag, medium sweatshirt, 20 oz. water mug, and journal

  
  

• St. Mary's High School, Lancaster small t-shirt, beanie cap, and bag

• Precious Moments Figurines Basket

• Set of 4 Buffalo themed pint glasses & magnetic Buffalo bottle opener

  
  

• Bathworks Bathroom Refinishing Kits from Munro Products

• Pesci’s Pizza sauce and gift card basket

• Restaurant gift certificates to NY Beer Project, D.A. Taste & MORE!

  
  

  CLICK HERE for more information

Save the Date for HSA Family Movie Night!

Join us in the gym for HSA Family Movie Night, we’ll be watching the Christmas Movie: "The Star”.

Saturday, November 30⋅6:00 – 8:00pm

RSVP Here: https://forms.gle/an8EjC1Yb71rMYFq7

If you'd like to help out by donating some supplies, please sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C044CAEAD2CA3F94-52326251-hsafamily

You are welcome to bring your own snacks and beverages. Pizza, water, and kids movie treat boxes (including a slice of pizza, treat, and juice box/water) will be available for purchase. Funds raised are restricted to the St. Mary’s HSA

Join us in the gym for HSA Family Movie Night, we’ll be watching the Christmas Movie: "The Star”.

Saturday, November 30⋅6:00 – 8:00pm

RSVP Here: https://forms.gle/an8EjC1Yb71rMYFq7

If you'd like to help out by donating some supplies, please sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C044CAEAD2CA3F94-52326251-hsafamily

You are welcome to bring your own snacks and beverages. Pizza, water, and kids movie treat boxes (including a slice of pizza, treat, and juice box/water) will be available for purchase. Funds raised are restricted to the St. Mary’s HSA