Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,

Philippians 2:3

Principal Beam leads from her heart, but is guided by years of experience and the gentle wisdom of the Holy Spirit. She is committed to the well-being and success of every student and staff member in her building, and she has never lost her childlike wonder.

If you talk with our teachers, they will tell you she is the best boss they have ever had the privilege to work for. If you talk with our families, they will tell you she is always available and it is because of her leadership that they feel confident in choosing SMS for their child. If you talk with our students, they will simply tell you, "Mrs. Beam is the BEST EVER!"

And she is.

Principal Beam,

We are so grateful to you for your tireless efforts to make our school days the best that they can be. And we thank you for your counsel, your humility, your playful spirit, your willingness to do anything, including being duct taped to our building, so that our school community might soar.

We hope you are taking a lazy day to recover from all the fun and excitement of Fun Run Day. We love you!

With Gratitude,

The students, families and staff of Saint Michael Catholic School

We hope you will consider giving a donation of any size to ensure that students can attend SMS next fall. We continue to welcome new families each fall and do our best to meet the needs of all our families through tuition assistance.

Thea reality is that ALL of our families receive scholarship to attend SMS. The cost to educate a student is roughly $10,000 but we do not charge any of our families the full cost to educate their students. We make up the difference in fundraising efforts like this to keep tuition affordable for ALL our families, and to have resources to offer families who need a little extra help.

On behalf of all our students and their families, thank you for your generosity!

Sunday May 19 - Pentecost

Tuesday May 21 - Spring Concert in Rand Hall at 6:00 p.m. Doors open at 5:45

Wednesday May 22 - Health Fair - Faculty Meeting

Friday May 24 - EARLY RELEASE – Teacher In-Service

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

Saturday May 25 - High School Prom Cruise for grades 9-12 (contact katiepierce@smsvt.info)

Monday May 27 – NO SCHOOL - Memorial Day

Thursday May 30 - Solemnity of Corpus Christi - Holy Hour & Benediction

A Look Ahead to June

Wednesday June 5 - NO Faculty Meeting

UPDATE: Thursday June 6 – Move-Up Morning has been moved to June 6 after All School Meeting

Friday June 7 - Field Day at Camp Spofford

Friday June 7 - BENEDICTION: Solemnity of the Sacred Heart

Wednesday June 12 - EARLY RELEASE - Last Day of School ENJOY YOUR SUMMER 🌞

*Release at 12 noon, lunch served at 11:30, NO AFTERCARE

Thursday June 13 - High School Convocation Mass @ 5:15 p.m.

High School Graduation @ 6 p.m.

Thursday June 13th - Friday June 14 – Teacher In-service - Last Day of School for Faculty

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.

Our teachers are beginning to schedule their end of year class field trips.

We will update this list as dates and locations are finalized.

PK/K: Tuesday, May 14 trip to the Montshire Museum in Norwich, Vermont

Grade 1 and 2: Tuesday, May 23 trip to Stonewall Farm in Keene, New Hampshire

Grade 3 and 4: Tuesday, May 14 trip to the Montshire Museum in Norwich, Vermont

Grade 5: Wednesday, June 5 trip to the Springfield Museums in Springfield, Massachusetts

Grade 6: Wednesday, June 5 trip to the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Massachusetts

Grade 7: Tuesday, June 4 trip to Rudyard Kipling's Home Naulakha in Dummerston, Vermont

Grade 8-11: Tuesday, June 4 Walking Field Trip to West River Park, Brattleboro, Vermont

Grade 12: Monday June 3- Thursday June 6: Senior Class trip to Quebec!!!

With changes behind the scenes in FACTS and the new continuous enrollment process, we need to capture some data from our families because things change from year to year.

It is important that families register with the parish if your hope is to receive the parish subsidy. Our parishioners make monthly collections to benefit the school but this is intended to support families who are attending Mass weekly, participating in parish life, and nurturing the faith life of their children outside of school. We ask that all families complete the Parish registration form to make sure you are recognized.

Here is the link to register:

https://stmichaelvt.com/parish-registration

The Senior Thesis Defense is the capstone to our high school curriculum. The process is worthy of it's own explanation, and our seniors really shined this year with their final projects, so we plan to share more details with you next week. For now, if you see Lanie, John-Paul or Carter, please congratulate them! They deserve our highest praise for having performed so beautifully under pressure.

Dear Friends,

Michael and I are so overwhelmed by your generosity, through raffle sales and personal donations we were gifted $2,822.00. Above and beyond the money words can’t express what your love, prayers and support through this difficult time has meant to us. We know Michael wouldn’t be here without your prayers. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

Michael is doing well, he has had his prosthetic for almost 3 weeks and is determined to go back to work as soon as possible. We have good days and bad days, but we know God has a plan for us and we are trusting in Him.

“I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13

Thank you all again!!

We love you!!

God bless,

Michael and Sandi Gauthier

All of our mug orders have been fulfilled so we now have 7 mugs left for sale. They came out really nice!

If you would like to purchase one for yourself or as a gift, feel free to stop by the school office or submit your order online here:

https://saintmichaelschoolvt.org/sms-hs-drama-production

Saint Michael School is hiring for the 2024/2025 school year.

If you know someone that would be a great fit for our teaching team, please send them this video and encourage them to call us.

Please help us spread the word by sharing this video far and wide... we can't wait to see who God is calling to SMS next.

We were so excited to welcome Lauren Pelis to our community and our school board with the enrollment of her daughter Avery. Lauren is a doer and she immediately set out to find a way to make a difference at Saint Michaels. She agreed to assume the responsibility of organizing our Fun Run this year and she did knocked it out of the park! She and her husband Matt have been diligently working behind the scenes for months to make our Fun Run experience as fun, safe and motivational as possible.

Fun Fact: Lauren attended Saint Michael School for 4 years from 5th through 8th grade.

At the time, we did not have a high school so she have to graduate in 2004 and move on for high school. Now that she is back at SMS, she recruited one of her former classmates and current SMS parents, Martha Kingman, to help with the Fun Run this year. It is beautiful to see former SMS students give back to their old school and bless us with the enrollment of their children as they grow up!

Congratulations to the following runners with the most laps in their grade:

Male runner: Kurt with 23 laps

Female runner: Alex with 21 laps

Unfortunately, our preschoolers were napping during the awards ceremony so we had to present their medals afterwards. We were not able to capture a photo of Miss Alex but bravo young lady!

Congratulations to the following runners with the most laps in their grade:

Male runner: Miles with 31 laps

Female runner: Maeve with 40 laps

Congratulations to the following runners with the most laps in their grade:

Male runner: We had a 3 way tie between Connor, Lincoln, and Boe with 41 laps

Female runner: Lexi with 10 laps

Congratulations to the following runners with the most laps in their grade:

Male runner: We had a tie between Connor and Jasper with 43 laps

Female runner: Emma with 29 laps

Congratulations to the following runners with the most laps in their grade:

Male runner: Carson with 37 laps

Female runner: Genie with 38 laps

Congratulations to the following runners with the most laps in their grade:

Male runner: Reid with 52 laps

Female runner: Julia with 38 laps

Congratulations to the following runners with the most laps in their grade:

Male runner: We had a four way tie between Soren, Logan, Coleton and Joseph with 54 laps

Female runner: Maple with 43 laps

Congratulations to the following runners with the most laps in their grade:

Male runner: Weston with 33 laps

Female runner: Lena with 37 laps

Congratulations to the following runners with the most laps in their grade:

Male runner: Amasa with 52 laps

Female runner: Sophie with 45 laps

Congratulations to the following runners with the most laps in their grade:

Male runner: We had a tie between Stephen and Isaac with 46 laps

Female runner: Violet with 31 laps

Congratulations to the following runners with the most laps in their grade:

Male runner: Anthony with 62 laps

Female runner: Bridget with 40 laps

Congratulations to the following runners with the most laps in their grade:

Male runner: James with 56 laps

Female runner: Lily with 35 laps

Congratulations to the following runners with the most laps in their grade:

Male runner: Hudson with an impressive 71 laps

We should also recognize Hudson for having run the most laps of any student for the entire day. We will measure the track next week but for now, it is safe to say he ran approximately 7 miles in 1 hour. Way to go Hudson!

Congratulations to the following runners with the most laps in their grade:

Male runner: Carter with 44 laps

Female runner: Lanie with 35 laps

We will be offering 5 weeks of preschool summer camp this year for children ages 3-5.

Each week will be limited to 8 spots. Please let us know if you have any questions or trouble while registering your family.

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 periodically 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.

©2024 Roberta “Bert” Green, Ed.D.

It is impossible to live, work and go to school with other people and not have disagreements that sometimes escalate into conflicts. No matter how much people love each other, conflict is going to occur. However, conflict doesn’t have to be aggressive, mean spirited, or leave people with hurt feelings. I humbly suggest the I LOVE method for conflict resolution. This is a method that I have developed after many years of working with students from preschool through college.

I stands for Inventory. Take an inventory of your emotional space. If you think you are too upset, you may need to get into a better emotional state. This can be done several ways: taking deep breaths, counting backwards, taking a short walk, or even waiting a bit until you cool down. Remember: it is impossible to rationalize with someone who is being irrational. If either you or the other person are agitated, waiting to have the conflict resolved may be a good option.

(Pause if necessary)

L stands for Listen Actively. This means pay attention to what the other person is saying. Make eye contact, nod your head to convey understanding, and rephrase what you are hearing.

O stands for be Open and Observant. Be Open to what the other person is saying. What are his/her needs and opinions? Observe how they are speaking. What is their body language, as well as the tone and volume of their voice?

V stands for Value the other person and their opinion (even if you disagree with it). All humans want to be heard and valued. When you convey that you hear what the other person is saying in an honest way, that opens the other party up for better dialogue.

E stands for Express your ideas and opinions.

This strategy is intended to help both parties better understand the other and work out a compromise. When compromise between the parties can not be made, a mediator may need to be called in. The mediator should be an impartial individual who can help resolve the conflict.

Finally, compromise in everything but morals! Remember St. John reminds us to Love one another as Jesus loved us (John 13:34). Even if we disagree with what someone else is doing, we still need to love them and not judge them as a person.

Remember: Treat others as you want to be treated.

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

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.

✝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/

Donations:

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