As the newest Saint Michael School director, I knew that filling the shoes of my predecessor, Joshua Dionne, wouldn't be easy. I had directed many shows over the years, but never a mandatory high school production. Up to this point, my actors were always people, young or old, who chose to participate. My fears were soon found to be needless, as these students were already well-trained and understood what it takes to put this production together.

It seems like forever ago, I began the arduous process of reviewing scripts to select a befitting production for the 2023-2024 school year. I read several versions of Alice in Wonderland, Sense & Sensibility, along with countless others. One may have seemed perfect but didn't have nearly enough parts for our 21 high school students while others just fell short or didn't fit at least for the current year. I kept circling around to two comedies, The Man Who Came to Dinner and You Can't Take It With You, both written by George Kaufman and Moss Hart. While The Man Who Came to Dinner clearly was a favorite, I couldn't see tasking any one student with the lead role, Sheridan Whiteside. One day while speaking with Mr. Dionne and discussing his acquiesce, an idea came to mind that may just be the solution. What if Mr. Dionne took on the lead role thus leaving many fun and inviting roles for the students. As casting was put into place, I was extremely pleased as that was indeed our solution. My cast had come together perfectly! It has been a pleasure watching as our students put together their finishing touches on their characters. I find it notable that it doesn't seem to matter whether the actor is a freshman, sophomore, junior, senior or yes, even faculty, they continue rehearsal after rehearsal to add something to their role.

Over the past few months, we have put in countless hours of rehearsal, set building and costuming. This production would not have been possible without an incredible team behind the scenes. I can honestly say that this build that took place during our vacation was certainly one of the most pleasurable to build in all of my years of production. Costumes lent to us from River Theater Company or purchased locally were spruced up and adjusted by a few dedicated individuals.

Early on, I decided to initiate an art contest for our publicity. I was literally brought to tears when presented the artwork for this year. Freshman, Bridget Froula, proved that she not only had acting chops but also the skills of a gifted artist. The outcome was so favorable that the administration felt we needed to see more of her work. If you didn't know, this year you can purchase your very own mug with Mr. Dionne's 'mug' upon it.

I truly hope you enjoy this production as much as I have enjoyed myself as it came together.

On with the show,

Mrs. Theresa Norman

Director

This 2024 original artwork was submitted by SMS Freshman, Bridget Froula ('27), as part of a poster design contest. Congratulations, Bridget! You should see the original submission. It would take your breath away!

If this fundraiser is well-received, it is our intention to continue this as a tradition each year. By graduation, our families will have a mug to celebrate each year's production, all of their students' hard work, and fond memories together. Thank you for supporting the arts!

Tonight: Friday March 15 and Saturday March 16 - SMS Drama Production

Doors open at 5:45, the show will begin promptly at 6pm. Run time 3 hours plus a brief intermission.

Tuesday March 19 - School Mass - Solemnity of St. Joseph, details below and emails from teachers

Monday March 25 - High School Panegyrics: Mary’s Fiat

Monday, March 25 at 11:00 am Chrism Mass at the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Burlington.

Wednesday March 27 – Reconciliation Service @1PM.

Thursday March 28 - EARLY RELEASE @12 noon - Maundy Thursday

*Release at noon, lunch served and extended care available until 3:00 p.m.

Friday March 29 – NO SCHOOL - Good Friday

Sunday March 31 - Easter Sunday

A Look Ahead to April

Monday April 1 - NO SCHOOL - Easter Monday

Tuesday April 2 - All School Meeting: Unfurling Our Alleluia

Sunday April 7 - Monday April 8 - Grade 7/8 Eclipse Trip (late night return Monday evening)

Monday - April 8th: Eclipse Party! All are welcome, details to follow. View the eclipse here at SMS!

Read this Space.com Article about the upcoming eclipse.

Wednesday April 10 – Faculty Meeting

Thursday April 11 – Grammar School Dress Down Benefiting Grade 2

Monday April 15 - Friday April 19 - NO SCHOOL - Spring Break

Tuesday April 16 - Senior Patronal Feast Day - St. Drogo Coffee Day

Wednesday April 24 - NO Faculty Meeting

Thursday April 25 - All School Meeting - Grammar School Business Dress Up Day Benefitting Grade 5

Friday April 26 – Third Trimester Progress Reports sent home with students

Friday April 26 - Fundraiser benefiting Grade 7 and 8

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

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. You are also welcome to request for your email to be removed from our mailing list. Contact lindsayoneil@smsvt.info to be removed.

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 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.

Getting children up and out the door in the morning can be a challenge; as can after school and prepping for bed time. Why? These are transitional times; humans resist change and behavioral expectations may be unclear. So, what can a parent/guardian do? Establish transitional routines. This will make behaviors at times of transition habits that can be accomplished without much thought (or tears).

To establish a routine in your family, think about how you would like a transition to go and what your goal is. Then sit down as a family and share your ideas. Ask the children what they think might be helpful to accomplish the goal. However, remember that the adult is the Executive in the family and while you consider the children’s input, you are in charge of establishing the routine.

HINT: Do not start with the most difficult part of the day. For example: if getting children up and out the door is challenging, leave that for now, and tackle bed time routines. You want to build success so work up to the most stressful time. Here is an example of a bed time routine.

Depending on your family’s size, needs, priorities and ages you might put a pattern into place like: Toileting, Bathing/washing up, putting on night clothes, putting clothes in laundry hamper, brushing teeth, prayers and reading. Start the routine at an appointed time and be explicit about the completion time. This is a pretty elaborate routine and would be suitable for later elementary age students. As the parents/guardians, you should make the routine age appropriate and as simple as possible to get the job done.

Once you decide the routine, make sure everyone in the family knows it. Have a reminder, chart, song, or checklist for the children to refer to until it is automatic. When my children were little, we used to have a jingle “You’ve got teeth, potty and prayers.”

Don’t expect immediate perfection but rather improvement with practice. Routines will take about 3 weeks to become habits.

As you may recall, last year we moved towards a "Continuous Enrollment" model for current and new families. We are now in the first cycle of re-enrollment under the new model.

If you wish to opt-out of Saint Michael Catholic School enrollment for the upcoming school year, you must submit the OPT OUT FORM by March 31st, 2024.

What is Continuous Enrollment?

“Continuous Enrollment” is a simple way of re-registering our current families for the new school year. Continuous Enrollment assumes that once a family enrolls at Saint Michael Catholic School they will continue their education with us until graduation from 12th grade. Due in large part to the fact that most of our families remain year after year, this method streamlines the re-enrollment process by reducing time and paperwork for parents and the school staff every year. Continuous Enrollment also provides vital real-time information to our school board for budgetary purposes as well as long-term planning. For current families, Continuous Enrollment ensures a seat in a class for your child(ren) for the next school year. The only time a parent will need to complete paperwork is, if for personal reasons, the students will not be returning to school. For instance, if a family is moving. In this case, we ask families to submit an 'Opt-out Notification Form" so we know your intentions for next fall.

In the event Saint Michael School does not receive an " Opt-Out Notification Form”, the non-refundable annual Registration/Enrollment Fee of $185.00 will be billed by FACTS Tuition Management in April. This gets the proverbial ball rolling for the next school year. The payment plan selected at initial enrollment will renew/rollover into the school year ahead. However, please note that families may contact the school at any time to discuss a change to the payment schedule if needed.

ALL SMS FAMILIES ARE ASKED TO REVIEW OUR WEBSITE for details about Continuous Enrollment, Opting Out, and the 2024/2025 Tuition Rates. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out.

From the desk of Mr. Peter Orlowski

Thomas Aquinas defines wonder as the desire for the knowledge of what a thing is and why it is. This is different from curiosity, which is simply a desire for information, regardless of whether or not that information is useless or harmful to us, whether or not that information leads to wisdom or folly. This is why the old maxim says, “Curiosity killed the cat.” Gossips are curious, and this curiosity frequently squelches their wonder.

Aristotle says, “All men by nature desire to know,” but the ultimate aim of man is not the knowledge of ephemeral things, the surface of reality, but the deep knowledge of the essences and causes of things. Ultimately, this is knowledge of God, but the knowledge of nature also inspires that yearning because it directs our thoughts to the very deepest realities.

The error commonly promulgated by the standard STEM curriculum is that the purpose of mathematics is to construct scientific theories, while the purpose of scientific theories is engineering applications to make technologies. But the truth is that math, though useful for science, is primarily for the sake of math. Most of the new areas of mathematics have no known application to physical entities. Most of the digits of pi (and when I say “most”, I mean an infinity of them!) are useless – the first 60 are more than enough for any application. But this does not stop mathematicians from caring! Likewise, many areas of physical science have no application to engineering or technology. Scientists do not study black holes or the Big Bang so they can make them! Although engineering and technology needs math and science, we study the deepest mysteries of mathematics and nature to satisfy our wonder, simply because these realities are true, beautiful, and good to know.

The St. Michael School science curriculum is founded on wonder. When a child sees anything mysterious in nature, it is the most fundamental human response to ask “what is it?” or “what causes this to happen?” The less we know something, the more unexpected it is, and so the more it excites our desire to know. Nature is full of wonders, and yet a culture immersed in technologies becomes divorced from nature and so fails to see these wonders. When our only concern is how to bend nature to submit to our desires, we become obsessed with ourselves, our needs, and our own inventions, and so we never rise above our appetites. Engineering and tech are good so far as it goes, but they cannot address our deepest yearnings.

This is why St. Michael School does not have a STEM program in the usual meaning of the term – where science, technology, engineering, and math stand on an equal footing with one another, or even worse, where science and math are subservient to engineering and technology. The primary aim of a classical science curriculum is a deeper understanding of nature. This is why classical education does not study nature in the spirit of the engineer, whose aim is to dominate nature and bend it to make his technologies. For although technologies can assist us in reaching scientific knowledge, technology itself is not the aim of science. Technology is a work of man, but nature is the work of God; and so when we better understand nature, we better understand ourselves as a part of nature, and the divine Artist who made nature to show forth His Glory.

The case is similar with mathematics. The primary aim of mathematics is to understand quantities and the relations between quantities, and since nature is quantified, the scientist can apply this knowledge to his goal of understanding nature. This does not mean that our students are ignorant of engineering and the technologies that engineers make, but rather that our students also understand that math and science are worth knowing for their own sake.

Our 8th Grade scientists went out into the neighborhood on a quest: to find pocket-sized natural objects with potential secrets, secrets hidden beyond the reach of our eyes. And they returned with an assortment of common things: a spider web, leaves, moss, plants roots, a millipede… Then the mysteries of these common items were uncovered in the laboratory, in the light and lens of the microscope. Peering into the tiny structures of these common things exposed these young scientists to a world of incredible detail and beauty, a world of wonder!

Having seen that even the things they commonly experience have mysteries to behold, and having practiced their microscope skills on the visible world, these young scientists were then prepared for a deep dive into the invisible world, the microworld of flatworm planarian, protozoa, protists, and diatomaceous earths. And this is exactly what they did!

Have you ever noticed how lemon juice turns black tea yellow?

Most people assume the color is nothing more than yellow pigments added from the lemon juice, but the fact is that the color comes from the black tea itself! Our Sophomore scientists had the opportunity this week to study the effect that acids and bases have on certain organic pigments.

Beginning with a red cabbage donated by the first grade classroom, and a teabag smuggled out of the teachers’ lounge, students created two different solutions of organic pigments – the brown thearubigins in tea and purple anthocyanin in cabbage. Students then observed how

• both the citric acid in lemon and orange juice and the acetic acid in vinegar turned the thearubigins light yellow, and the anthocyanin red,
• while the alkaline salts in washing soda, wood ash, and quicklime quickly turned the thearubigins an opaque black,
• and the anthocyanin turned the red pigments first back to purple, then to blue, and then to green, as they neutralized the citric acid, and then overwhelmed it.

Scripture says (Genesis 41:55) that during a famine the Egyptians cried out for bread, and the Pharaoh replied: " Go to Joseph!" The old Joseph prefigures the new Joseph, and so today the Church also says, "Ite ad Joseph! Go to Joseph!" For just as the old Joseph saved bread for the Egyptians, the new Joseph brought the Infant Jesus to Egypt. He also brought Mary to Bethlehem (Hebrew for "house of bread"), and when we cry out for help today, Joseph points us to the Bread of Life. Recalling all this, on Tuesday. March 19, St. Michael School will be celebrating the Solemnity of St. Joseph, the foster father of Jesus and the husband of His mother.

For this great feast, not only will we move our usual Wednesday School Mass to Tuesday, but the Upper Schools will also be celebrating the solemnity with a "block party" in the high school hallway, beginning at 12 noon. We are asking our students to bring in dishes for a "pot luck" lunch for this hallway party (especially wheat dishes, pastas, fancy breads, or pastries!) Any parents who want to help set up and decorate for the party, please let us know and come in at 11:30. We will have tables in the hallway for the bread and dishes that parents or students bring in for this middle school and high school party.

Note: Students must wear their dress uniforms on the feast day, but we encourage students to bring in red accessories to wear of the party: a red scarf, bandana, hat, socks, or armband.

Also: Note that Canon Law grants to the whole Church dispensation from our Lenten penances on this day so that we can celebrate the one whom the Holy Bible calls "a just man". It is a wonderful break from our penitential routine in mid-Lent, and a great way to share a heightened spirit of joy!.

Ite ad Joseph!

The seniors are doing a hot cross buns Easter fundraiser for their end of the year trip. Thank you in advance for your support!

Hot cross buns are a common Easter morning breakfast pastry. They are symbolic of this significant day in the Christian faith when Jesus was crucified. Each bun is decorated with a cross made from flour paste, which represents the cross on which Christ died. The spices in hot cross buns are said to represent the spices that were used to embalm Christ after his death.

Orders must be turned in NO LATER than March 19th but may be turned in earlier.

You can send your order to laniegoodwin@smsvt.info or return this form to the office

*PAY IN ADVANCE* please drop your payment off in the office *CASH AND CHECK ONLY*

The buns can be picked up on Holy Thursday (March 28th) either at drop off or pick up at 12:00pm in the office. Remember, March 28th is a half day with dismissal at 12 noon.

In the gospels, Christ speaks seven times from the cross. These seven sayings, or words, provide a rich point of reflection during Lent, in particularly during Holy Week and on Good Friday. Join for a service of the Seven Last Words here at Saint Michael on Wednesday, March 27th at 5:30PM. Meditations on each of the seven words will be preached by Father Chalifoux from Our Lady of Fatima in Wilmington, Vermont. Musical meditations will be sung by the Saint Michael Choir. Confessions will be available throughout.

Thank you to everyone who helped to complete our survey. Based on everyone's response, we will be offering 5 weeks of preschool summer camp this year.

We will only be offering camp to our preschoolers, children ages 3-5. Thank you to all our kindergarten families for your input.

It is our intention to allow SMS families a few weeks to register children, at which time we will open up remaining spots to children in the community. Each week will be limited to 8 spots. Please let us know if you have any questions or trouble while registering your family.

The GOTR registration is open now. The first meeting will be on Monday, March 18th.

It is for girls from 3rd-5th grade. We will be meeting on Mondays and Thursdays from 3:15-4:45pm each week until the culmination of the program- a 5k!

The registration fee is $130 with financial help available.

Here is a little write up on the program from their website:

Girls on the Run has fun, evidence-based programs that inspire participants to recognize their inner strength, increase their level of physical activity, imagine their possibilities, and confidently stand up for themselves and others.

Here is the registration link:

Girls on the Run Vermont (gotrvt.org)

Questions can be directed to our Head Coach, Inga Paluch at i_plisz@yahoo.com

We are looking for 1 or 2 assistant coaches for Girls On The Run.
We will be meeting twice a week from March 28th to June 8th.

The season culminates in an unforgettable 5k run with the team.

Your child does not need to be on the team for you to participate.

Contact Head Coach Inga Paluch if you are interested or want more information at i_plisz@yahoo.com

We have received several requests to resume an afterschool homework option for our upper school. Does your student need extra support when completing assignments? Does your student work best at school rather than at home? Do you need a safe place for your student to get their work done?

If your family could benefit from this opportunity we have two parents who are willing to supervise a homework club on Mondays from 3:10 - 4:30 in Mrs. Andrus' room.

• You MUST sign your student up each week, or sign up once and we will make sure your student comes each week.
• Every student MUST bring their planner with them and the assignments to be completed.
• Students MUST stay with the group the entire time, i.e. students cannot work for 10 minutes and then go outside to play basketball until a parent arrives to pick them up.
• Pick-up time is 4:30. Students will be dismissed at that time. Please be prompt.

When? Beginning next Monday, March 4th.

Thank you so much to Mrs. Velto and Mrs. Deluca-Johnson for offering this opportunity.

Feel free to contact them with any questions at dvelto@gmail.com and/or desiree.delucajohnson@gmail.com

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

As our school grows, prospective families are eager to hear from current families. We have a web presence on many sites but the reviews are outdated. A lot has changed and we are hoping that each of you will pick a site or two to leave some comments and reviews to help us spread the word.

Here is our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/SMSVT

niche.com

privateschoolreview.com

winnie.com (for our preschool)

greatschools.org

And of course a good ole fashioned Google search and review of SMS by typing Saint Michael Catholic School Brattleboro VT

✝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.

https://www.freewill.com/vccf

*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/

If you know of an event that might be interesting or beneficial to our school community, please feel free to send us details and a flyer to include there.

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.

This parent facebook group is intended for current SMS parents, grandparents and caregivers only as a private way to connect with one another, share cute photos or events and collaborate on school tasks, such as Teacher Appreciation Week.

We are so grateful for the donations of beautiful books and learning toys for the students. If you have toys still in great shape that you'd like to rehome, check with your teacher to see if they could use them in the classroom. Great items include Legos, Tinker Toys, wooden blocks, magnetic tiles, puzzles etc.

To purchase new items for a classroom, visit our Amazon wish list here:

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1MR1QH7HRGU1?ref_=wl_share

Not inspired by anything you see? Check back as our teachers will be adding items. Thank you in advance for your generosity! Our students are so grateful for your support!

To see our uniform Dress Code for the 2023/2024 school year, please go here

We will be working with students in these early weeks to make sure they are dressed according to the guidelines.

Uniform compliance starts in the home each morning. We thank you in advance for your help before they leave the house for the day.

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