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The Messenger
St. Peter School News
March 2024
St. Peter School exists to provide a nurturing environment where students become Disciples of Jesus Christ, embrace the love of lifelong learning, and believe in the dignity of all people.
Dear Parents and Guardians,
March has been a busy month and it is hard to believe that Holy Week is upon us. We have a full day of school on Monday and Tuesday and an early dismissal on Wednesday. There is no school on Easter Monday.
Please check out the photo gallery for some recent events at the school.
Have a blessed Easter.
In Christ,
Mary Lou Torre, Principal
God loves each of us as if there were only one of us." - St. Augustine
8th Grade Family News
Please be sure to return the Confirmation information. We are still missing some forms.
There is a mandatory Confirmation Retreat on Saturday, June 1 from 1 PM-5 PM. Details to follow.
Confirmation rehearsal is on June 12 at 6 PM at St. Peter Church. Details to follow.
Confirmation is scheduled for June 13 at 6:00 PM at St. Peter Church. Students must arrive by 5 PM and sponsors must arrive by 5:15 PM.
Within a week or so, graduation information will be shared with you.
Thank you!
Drop Off and Pick Up Reminders
Due to the location of our school in downtown Danbury, we have limited options for drop off and pick up; therefore, I urge you to have your child take the bus if at all possible.
1) Patience is critical in the a.m. amd p.m. when dropping off or picking up children. We have lot of cars to filter through a very small place. Consider arriving a bit later in the p.m. to avoid the rush.
2) Do not pass on either the left or the right. Stay in the lane! Students are getting in and out of cars and nobody wants to have an accident.
3) Follow all the traffic rules.
4) When exiting the drop off/pick up area, be sure to turn LEFT. DO NOT TURN RIGHT.
5) The CIFC parking lot is OFF LIMITS. We do not own that property, and they are very strict about who can use the private parking lot. Cars will be towed.
6) The parking lot where staff park is also off limits as it is shared with the adjoining property. We receive daily complaints that parents are parking there while running in to pick up their children; oftentimes, parking in the fire lanes. The facility also notes that parents are parking in tenant parking spaces. Finally, the maintenance vehicle gets blocked in which results in another safety concern. Please note that there are often times when emergency vehicles need to enter the same parking lot, and they can not reach their destination. This is both discourteous and unsafe.
7) Cutting in the car line is unacceptable and leads to heated tempers which can lead to accidents. I encourage you to practice patience and remain in your vehicle. I thank you in advance for your courtesy during drop off and pick up. It is our collective responsibility to ensure the safety of ALL.
Attendance Reminders - Second Time...
Although we realize that emergencies and illnesses occur, we expect students to attend school regularly. It is important for every child to receive all the instruction available to him/her. Interruptions to the flow of your child’s instruction may not initially seem detrimental or a big concern; however, the negative impact of this decision may not be obvious until much later when an important learning moment has been lost.
As stated in the Parent/Student Handbook:
Absences one through nine can be excused for any reason approved by the parent/guardian. Absences of ten or more are excused based on a set of reasons including:
student illness accompanied by a note from a licensed medical professional
observance of a religious holiday
death in the student’s family or any emergency beyond the family’s control
mandated court appearances
lack of transportation
extraordinary educational opportunities pre-approved by district administrator
The school calendar provides for extended weekends throughout the school year. Parents are encouraged to schedule trips or family outings during these times so as to eliminate the need to interrupt a child’s learning process. Missed assignments are the student’s responsibility.
We continue to notice that a great deal of students arrive to school late. Lateness to class is detrimental in that work begins right away and those who enter class late, can miss vital information. I remind you of the following:
1) School starts at 8:20 a.m. Any student arriving after that time will be marked tardy.
2) If you are picking up your child for dismissal at the front door, keep in mind that school ends at 2:40. If they need to leave earlier, please let the school know the morning of the planned early dismissl so we can have them ready to leave and cause less disruption in the classroom.
PK-8 Staff
PK 3 - Mrs. Arconti/Ms. Timana-Vill
PK 4 - Mrs. Redmond/Ms. Ramos
K - Mrs. Boyle/Mrs. McCabe
1 - Mrs. Smith/Mrs. Kolitsas
1 - Mr. Conyngham/Mrs. Kolitsas
2 - Ms. Galli/ Mr. Arcuri
3 - Mrs. Escudero - Moody/Mr. Arcuri
4- Mrs. Driscoll
5 - Mrs. Galante/Ms. Bush
6 - Mrs. Hanrahan (MS Math)/Ms. Vill (SS)
7 - Ms. Vivirito (MS English)
8 - Mrs. Puglisi (MS Science) - In her absence, Mrs. Pipkin and Mr. Arcuri are teaching science.
Social Studies - Middle School/Innovation/Technology - Ms. Vill
Specialists - Mrs. Pipkin (PE/K-5 Innovation), Ms. Campbell (Music), Mrs. Preveza (Art/Special Education), Ms. Morocho (Spanish)
Counselor - Dr. Repole/Mr. Bellucci (Intern)
Danbury Support Team - Ms. Kruijs, Mrs. Conron
Office Staff - Ms. Martinez, Ms. Burnside, Mrs. Rodriguez
Principal - Mrs. Torre
Fire Prevention Poster Contest
Every year our 4th and 5th graders have the opportunity to participate in the state-wide Fire Prevention Poster Contest. This year one of our fifth grade students, Angel Quilligana, was a city-wide winner! How amazing is that! Fire Marshall Timan came to share the news with Angel and his classmates. What an honor! His parents, teachers, and I attended a dinner honoring the Danbury Fire Prevention Poster Contest winners at Anthony's Lake Club earlier this month. We are so proud of Angel!
Important Dates
March 27 - Early Dismissal - 11:50
March 28 - Holy Thursday - No School
March 29 - Good Friday - No School
April 1 - Easter Monday - No School
April 3 & 5 - Lions Club - Eye Exams for K, 1, 3, 4, 5 - Details to follow, but make your calendar
April 4 - Art Show - 5-7 PM - St. Peter School
April 10 - End of Qtr. 3
April 15 - 19 - Spring Break
May 11 - First Communion - 10 AM - St. Peter Church
May 23 - 8th Grade Mass - St. Augustine in Bridgeport - Details to follow…
June 1 - Confirmation Retreat - (1 PM-5 PM)
June 13 - 8th Grade Confirmation - 6 PM @ St. Peter Church - Details to follow...
Health News
Reminders from the Nurse...
Your child must stay home for the following reasons:
● A temperature of 100 degrees or higher until he/she is fever free for 24 hours without fever
reducing medication. Fever is a symptom indicating the presence of an illness.
● 5 days after symptom onset and a diagnosis of the flu;
● An undiagnosed rash;
● Vomiting more than once in the last 24 hours;
● Diarrhea more than once in the last 24 hours;
● A severe cough, and/or chest congestion, a thick or constant nasal discharge, and/or
sneezing, chills or general body discomfort that will interfere with your child’s ability to
participate in his/her school day;
● A severe sore throat, and for 24 hours after the start of antibiotics if diagnosed with strep
throat;
● A severe earache with or without fever;
● Pink eye with discharge until 24 hours after the start of antibiotic eye drops;
● Impetigo: Blister-like lesions that develop into crusted sores, generally located around the
mouth and nose. Your child must remain home until receiving antibiotics for 24 hours and
the sores are no longer draining.
● Ringworm: A fungal infection that causes a flat, red ring-shaped rash which may itch or
burn. Your child should remain home until receiving 24 hours of anti-fungal treatment.
Lesions are to remain covered in school.
● Chicken Pox: Even if your child has received the chicken pox vaccine, there is still a slight
chance he/she may get a mild case. Your child must remain at home until all blisters have
scabbed over, generally 5 to 7 days.
A child's ability to learn and perform in school can depend on how they feel physically. Keeping
your child home when he/she is ill not only prevents the spread of illness in the school community,
but allows your child an opportunity to rest and recover.
Please be sure that the school has current phone contact information for you and your
emergency contacts. If your child becomes sick at school, please have arrangements for your
child to be picked up within 30 minutes. Sick children will not be permitted to ride the bus home.
Please contact the school nurse with any questions or concerns.
Thank you in advance for your cooperation.
Catholic Identity
Our disciples of the month for February (Kindness) are: Geovanna Dutra, Camryn Nunez, Sapphire Duque, Violet Panni, Ian Mejia, Manuelly Souza, Samantha Nugra, Brianna Villa, Austin Anguisaca, Alfredo Rosario, and Carlos Montiel. These students are recognized for: being friendly to everyone from the smallest preschooler to middle school peers, helping peers in need, being a role model for how to treat others in school, showing kindness to others the minute they walk into the room, and effortlessly encouraging others to be a team player. We are very proud of our disciples of the month!
We are so proud that three St. Peter School students have been chosen to have their artwork represented in the 2024 Catholic Schools Calendar. This is the second year Veritas has held this contest, and our students love entering their pieces! Sasha Lopez's artwork is featured in the month of May and depicts Ascension Day. When September rolls around, look for Iker Castro's depiction of the Feast of the Angels. Finally, as the year closes out in December, Ida Cabrero's depiction of Christmas is touching.
Behavioral Reminders
When dealing with a student who has made a poor choice, we work with them to find positive strategies to use in the future. One way we are helping all of our students is by showing them how to stand up for themselves through the use of videos/strategies.
We appreciate your support in helping your child maintain required behavioral expectations set forth by the school and by the teachers in the classroom. The home/school partnership is essential!
February Disciples of the Month
Fire Prevention - Angel
Fire Prevention - Angel
School Uniforms by Tommy Hilfiger - 2024-2025
Contact Us
Email: stpeterschool@spsdanbury.org
Website: stpeterschooldanbury.org
Location: 98 Main Street, Danbury, CT, USA
Phone: (203)748-2895
Facebook: facebook.com/StPeterSchoolDanbury/
Twitter: @spsdanbury