Saint Mary School Weekly Newsletter

Baseball is ninety percent mental and the other half is physical.

Yogi Berra

Dear Parents,

Spring is in the air! The Yankees won their Opening Day game. We are down to the Final Four in college basketball. The Masters Tournament is in a week. And the Saint Mary School Track and Field Team started their practices this week. The kids are back out on the field at recess, moving the big soccer nets in synchrony. We have even gotten a little taste of some warm weather. We are officially in the fourth quarter of the school year. Time is marching on. In just over a week we will be off for spring break, and when we return, our students will be back in spring uniforms. I hope that in all of the busyness, you are able to enjoy the small things that make spring special; the green of the grass, the flower buds exploding, songbirds in the morning. Each of these remind us of the goodness and Glory of God. Happy Spring!

God Bless,

Rachel

• Monday, April 7- SMS Spirit Dress Down Day; Confessions Grades 2&3; Music Kids; Afterschool Enrichment - Lil' Penguins Soccer, Comic Kids, Storytime and Crafts, Cooking and Canva
• Tuesday, April 8 - Confessions Grades 4&5; Band; Senior Luncheon; Afterschool Enrichment - K-4 Track and Field Practice
• Wednesday, April 9 - Optional Middle School Mass; Confessions Grades 6&7; Heritage Night
• Thursday, April 10 - Whole School Morning Prayer; Confessions Grade 8; Living Stations of the Cross; Afterschool Enrichment - Fun with Science, Grades 5-8 Track and Field Practice, Green Team
• Friday, April 11- Music Kids; Maturation Program for Grade 5

There is so much to look forward to this Spring at SMS! For those who like to plan ahead, here are some dates to save:

• April 14-19 - NO SCHOOL - Spring Break
• April 21 - NO SCHOOL - Easter Monday
• April 22 - Earth Day Dress Down
• April 23 - K-8 Start Spring Uniform

All Spring Enrichment Classes are listed on the weekly calendar above, but please note, not all of them have enough participants to run. You may hear from Mrs. Harron should a class be cancelled due to lack of registration. Registration Deadline is TODAY! LInk below.

Monday is an SMS Spirit Dress Down Day! Please note, this is NOT a free dress-down day. Students have the option of wearing:

• SMS spirit wear
• Class color T-shirt or class colors (this is not a competition day, should not wear face paint, tutu's, etc.)
• PE uniform

Students will have the opportunity to go to Confession during school. Please encourage your student to spend a few minutes reflecting in preparation. The schedule is:

• Grades 2&3 - Monday, April 7
  
• Grades 4&5 - Tuesday, April 8
• Grades 6&7 - Wednesday, April 9
• Grade 8 - Thursday, April 10

Grade 8 students and their families will dive into Heritage Night on Wednesday, April 9 at 6:30 pm in the Hall. We are so excited to learn about the varied histories of their family members.

All are invited to join the SMS community at a Living Stations of the Cross presented by Grade 7 on Thursday, April 10, at 1:00 pm in the Church.

The fifth-grade maturation program, including video presentations, will take place on Friday, April 11, 2025.

• Today is the final day to order pizza for the Grade 8 Fundraiser during Senior Lunch. Click here
• Today is the final day to register for Spring Enrichment classes. Click here

Now is the time to place your order for the 2024-2025 Saint Mary School Yearbook! The books will be delivered in early June. The deadline for ordering is April 8 and cannot be extended. The price of a book is $35. Please see how to place your order below. If you have any questions, please contact Lori Dight at dightl@smsridgefield.org.

Yearbook Ordering Instructions

1. Go to https://www.coffeepond.com/
2. Click on the "Order Yearbooks" button.
3. Enter the password sms25 and select online ordering and continue.
5. Enter your child's name and grade and the book quantity.
6. Enter your email under contact and select add to cart.
7. If you have another child to order for,
please select "order for another child".If not, you can finish checking out.

Don't remember if you ordered? You can check on line! Follow the first two steps in the instructions. Scroll down past the option to enter the password and you will see the option to search for an order by email.

It is a perfect time to stock up on items for Spring! Lands' End is having a 25% off sale on Uniform Pieces until April 11, 2025. Use CODE: WRITING and PIN: 3856. You may visit our store by clicking here.

Thank you to our co-chairs, Meghan Newman and Kate Cecil, and the planning committee for a fun night celebrating SMS moms and sons!

The committee will meet on April 10th at 12pm in the Hall.

Our events cannot happen without the help of parent volunteers. We are still looking for two people to co-chair our annual Father Daughter Dance! If you are interested in helping with this memorable event or simply want to get more information about the role, please contact Kristy at hsapresident@smsridgefield.org.

Our Golf Outing is changing venues and changing months! Coming soon, full details on the 2025 SMS Golf Outing to be held in September.

Learn to play Pokemon with Blake Pylypshyn! This will be a 3 week long after school activity for students in grades 2-5. Students will learn how to play pokemon for one week. Each grade level will have a week to learn how to play Pokemon. This will be an activity for Blake Pylypshyn's capstone project on Thursdays from 2:30-3:30. Grade 2 is April 10th, Grade 3 is April 24, and Grades 4 and 5 are May 1. If you want to sign up click the link here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C054CAFAF2BA7FDCE9-55913324-learn

Please support secondsight.org and Grade 8 student Christopher B's Capstone Project by donating eyeglasses that you no longer need. There will be a collection box by the main entrance, extended until April 10th.

For my Capstone Project I am starting an afterschool program to provide free math tutoring and homework help to interested students in grades K - 5. For more details and to sign up, please click here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0549AFAA2DA4FD0-54222596-smsmath

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me at dunleavyr25@smsridgefield.org

Thank you! Ryan Dunleavy

Students in Kindergarten - Grade 4 are invited to attend a Kids' Night Out Karaoke Dance Party on Friday, April 4 from 5:30-8 pm at the Ridgefield Rec Center. Cost is $40 for non-members and $35 for members. To RSVP and for more information, please click here.

SOAR’s mission is to increase levels of individual and community contentment one positive social connection at a time. At a Flower Power event, you can expect casual conversation and connection while creating beautiful flower arrangements to take home or gift to someone who needs uplift. For more information, visit here.

Check out the Teen Programs at the Ridgefield LIbrary! Upcoming classes include Raincloud Suncatchers, Creative Writing and Painting Flower Pots. Learn more at www.https://ridgefieldlibrary.org/

To celebrate the canonization of Blessed Carlo Acutis, please join Bishop Frank Caggiano for Mass and brunch. There is no cost, but pre-registration is required, and space is limited.

Mass will be celebrated in the Cathedral of St. Augustine in Bridgeport at 10 am and will include the blessing of statue and reliquary for Carlo Acutis, who will be declared a saint earlier that morning in Rome. Click here to RSVP.

Give your child the gift of a summer rooted in faith, friendship, and fun at Camp Fatima for boys and Camp Bernadette for girls! From horseback riding and tubing to archery, arts & crafts, and so much more, each day is filled with joyful adventures and opportunities to grow closer to God. Register Here!

Open to boys and girls currently in the 3rd to 8th grades. No coaches, no practices and players are assigned to a team. Each player receives a reversible Saint Mary CYO jersey. Games are usually played Sundays through Fridays between 5 & 9 PM. Games are approximately 45 minutes long. Please visit www.stmaryshoops.com to register. All games played at Saint Mary Gym – 183 High Ridge Avenue. Please contact Jeff Sansone via text at 914-329-9340 or by email at ctsansone@comcast.net if you have any questions or registration issues.

Immaculate High School's Summer Enrichment program offers students a chance to learn and grow over the summer! Students in Grades 6-12 can take advantage of the classes--which also includes HSPT preparation.The program gives incoming freshmen a chance to meet new friends and build new skills. Upperclassmen have a chance to expand their knowledge in a host of areas too to maximize their fall semester. Find out more here: Summer at Immaculate | Private School in Danbury, CT

NFL Alumni runs weeklong football summer camps for kids across the country. There are several in CT, including one at Ridgefield Academy, and new this year, a girls only camp in Greenwich. Please click here for more information.

To help families spend time together and share common experiences, the Leadership Institute of the Diocese of Bridgeport provides recommendations for Family Movie Night. Each week, a new recommendation and explanation are available. Click here for recent suggestions, including this week's suggestions, "Think Like a Dog".

Join us on Wednesday, April 9 at 6pm for our annual Spring Information Session at Immaculate! This event is great for current 6th and 7th grade families hoping to learn more about Immaculate and our admissions process, as well as for 8th grade families looking to enroll in Fall 2025. Students and parents will hear from our director of enrollment management, meet with administrators, faculty, athletic staff and current students, as well as tour the classrooms, newly renovated science labs, Dining Hall, Chapel and Fitness Center. We can't wait to welcome you to IHS! Click here to register.

Boys in Grades 6 and 7 and their parents are invited to learn more about Fairfield Prep by attending one of two info sessions - April 29 or May 7 from 7-8 pm. RSVP is required, please click here.

Below find links to High School Admissions Pages of local Catholic HIgh Schools:

• Immaculate High School, Danbury
  
• Fairfield Prep (boys only), Fairfield
• Notre Dame Prep, Fairfield
  
• Convent of the Sacred Heart (girls only), Greenwich
  
• Canterbury School, New Milford
  
• Kennedy Catholic, Somers NY
  
• St. Joseph High School, Trumbull
  
• Cardinal Kung Academy, Stamford
  
• Lauralton Hall (girls only), Milford
• Iona Prep (boys only), New Rochelle
• Fordham Prep (boys only), Bronx

Email: dowdinga@smsridgefield.org
Website: www.smsridgefield.org
Location: 183 High Ridge Avenue, Ridgefield, CT, USA
Phone: 203 438 7288
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StMaryRidgefield/