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

Monday - April 8th: Eclipse Party! All are welcome to come view the eclipse here at SMS! We suggest families arrive around 2:30-3pm to help assist your children with activities and safe viewing of the eclipse.

For eclipse coverage, head here

NOTE: There will be NO AFTERCARE ON Monday. Please plan to pick up your child no later than 3:30 pm. The roads will be busy and we want to get everyone home.

Wednesday April 10 – Faculty Meeting

Thursday April 11 – Grammar School Dress Down Benefiting Grade 2

Thursday April 11 – Parent Information Night at 6pm for rising middle and high school parents and guardians. Prospective families are invited to attend. Information to follow.

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 Benefiting Grade 5

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

Friday April 26 - Fundraiser benefiting Grade 7 and 8

Saturday, April 27 - School and Parish Clean up Day from 10-12, details below.

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.

From the desk of Mr. Peter Orlowski

In all the excitement of the eclipse, we must not forget that Monday, April 8th is the Feast of the Annunciation, when Mary consented to conceive Jesus by the power of the Holy Ghost. And yet, rather than be a distraction, the eclipse can be itself a reminder of this great event of our salvation history.

How can the eclipse remind us of the Incarnation of God's Son? In answer to this question, it is worth looking at, and sharing with our children, the image from the tilma of Our Lady of Guadalupe, learning and sharing the miraculous story of Juan Diego and the conversion of Mexico. The icon of Guadalupe was miraculously imprinted on Juan Diego's tilma, reminding us of the pregnant woman of Revelations 12, who appeared right after an earthquake, clothed with the glory of the Sun, while holding the Son in her womb, with the Moon at her feet. And so the icon of Guadalupe looks something like an eclipse.

It is interesting to note that this week's eclipse will also be visible from Tepeyac in Mexico where Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared over 491 years ago to convert the Aztecs from worship of their Snake idol (a demon-god who ravenously demanded living human hearts be sacrificed to feed him) to the worship of Jesus Christ (the True God who generously sacrificed His own body to feed us, his own heart being pierced through for our salvation). Monday the partially eclipsed Sun as seen from Tepeyac will take on the same shape as the crescent upon which the Lady of Guadalupe stands. (Surprisingly, a reminder of the demon Quetzalcoatl will also be present at Monday's eclipse in the shape of the comet Pons-Brooks, which astronomers have dubbed "The Demon Comet" because its tail recently became forked, giving it the look of a horned demon.) Monday's New Moon clothed with the corona of the Sun should remind us of the moment when Jesus entered into the womb of a virgin, becoming a man like us so that the devil who once defeated Adam and all his offspring would now be vanquished by the new Adam and all those born again in Him. These are lovely reminders of the Annunciation, and the role of our Blessed Mother as the first missionary, the humble teenage Jewish girl who brings Jesus to us so that He defeats the dragons that inhabit our lives, and lift us up to reign in eternity with Him.

Many in our SMS community forget that St. Michael is composed of three schools: the primary school, the middle school, and the high school – one might call them after their classical titles: the grammar, logic, and rhetoric schools respectively. So, in order to highlight this, we have created Mid & High Notes. We will run this feature weekly for the rest of the school year: just make sure you scroll down until you see the Mid & High Notes banner.

And so without further adieu, we present to you this week’s news….

5th Grade is currently steeped in the mythology of Greek Antiquity from the pen of the eloquent 19th-century author Nathaniel Hawthorne in his Tanglewood Tales, a continuation of his earlier Wonder Book. From the Minotaur of Minos to the pomegranate seeds of Persephone, the 5th graders anticipate the upcoming Panathenea!

The 7th Graders are currently reading The Scarlet Pimpernel, a classic adventure story full of brave heroes, savvy heroines, and plenty of new vocabulary words. We encourage our upper school students to read with a dictionary nearby. Studies show words are retained better from a consult with the dictionary, rather than simply inferring from context.

In 8th grade Literature, students are reading The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane. The novel describes the experiences of a “youthful private” in the Union army during the American Civil War. Students have been considering the tension between the soldier as an individual or as a member of a greater whole.

For Ancient Literature, our freshman are reading Virgil's "Aeneid", the 12-part Ancient Roman epic poem about Aeneas, the ancestor of Romulus, the founder of Rome. A must read for any scholar in the classical curriculum.

In Medieval literature, the 10th graders recently finished travelling with the diverse collection of pilgrims in The Canterbury Tales. Through this work, they have been discussing how the late middle ages reflect on and critique the chivalric ideal of the early middle ages, the roles of the husband and wife portrayed in many different marriages, the way the poet teaches virtue by satirizing vice, and the allegory of a soul's journey through life. Now, they are moving on to follow Saint Augustine's journey toward God as he relates it in his Confessions, starting to see in particular how Providence uses the evil and suffering caused by men to bring about good and to draw us closer to Him. This autobiographical work was written in the late 4th century AD and remains one of The Great Books of the western world. Looking for a suggested read over April Break? Check out this endorsement for Confessions

In Modern Literature, the juniors and seniors just finished reading Giuseppe di Lampedusa’s novel, The Leopard. Set in Sicily during the late 19th century, the story gives insight into the perspectives of the old noble class who face the revolutionary change brought to their island by the Italian Unification. Early in the work, a character declares that “If we want things to stay as they are, things will have to change.” The juniors and seniors have spent classes discussing how to interpret this line in light of the way the plot unfolds.

From the desk of Ms. Theresa Peek

Our combined 11th and 12th grade Biology class will be working on dissections for a considerable portion of the trimester. Altogether, we have a perch, an earthworm, a bullfrog, a clam, a grasshopper, a starfish, and a crawfish.

We chose the perch for our first dissection lab, since several students were already knowledgeable of a fish’s innards from their fishing experiences.

After that, we gave some time to the humble earthworm; these particular worms were extra chunky specimens, so that their organs could be easily identified.

Mrs. Miller, our 2nd Grade teacher, came upstairs to share with us her extensive experience with dissections and anatomy for the bullfrog dissection. Just look at that frog!

Before the dissections began each day, Mrs. Miller invited the students to pray together in gratitude for the lives of the animals before them, reciting Psalms 19 as a reminder that all of God's creation is a revelation of Himself. We are very grateful for Mrs. Miller's time and expertise!

Thought: Looking at the various parts of an animal, one could compare them to a complex but perfect machine; however, it is obvious that this would only be an imperfect comparison. Like a machine, they have interdependent parts in a particular organization. But a machine’s purpose is to serve something different from itself; nothing in the machine is for the machine’s own good. On the contrary, the lungs and legs and eyes of a frog are clearly for nothing else other than the frog itself. Even under the dissection knife, the provision of God towards even the smallest animal is manifested.

Which animal would you like to dissect next if you were in this class?

While the modern methods of education introduced by John Dewey in 1899 continue to fail all around us, the ancient method of education employed at SMS is catching on again across the country!

Here is an article that was shared with us by an SMS Parent. We encourage you all to make the time to read it:

Inside the New Wave of Old-School Education

(Shown here: "The School of Athens" by Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino

Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

The date for the Great American Eclipse is approaching quickly!

We have several important announcements regarding the Total Solar Eclipse occurring on Monday, April 8, 2024. Please read on to make plans as a family for this exciting day:

Your student has an opportunity to travel to northern Vermont to experience the eclipse in its totality. We have made arrangements for our students to travel to Highgate on Sunday, April 7, stay overnight and observe the eclipse on the afternoon of the 8th, traveling back that evening. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and we are excited to share it with our middle school students.

We will be departing by 12:30 pm on Sunday April 7th, so all students must arrive arrive no later than 12 Noon to allow time for packing cars. Families are welcome and encouraged to attend St Michael's Mass at 10:30 to be right here on site for departure. In fact, two of our students will be baptized this weekend after Mass and you are all welcome to witness this special day with the family!

To see what you have signed up to bring, please look here

To see the suggested packing list, please click here

We invite you to come experience the eclipse together as a school community here at SMS. We have ordered special glasses so you can safely view the eclipse with your children. Teachers are planning simple activities to enjoy while observing the event.

We have also ordered MOONPIES to eat together in celebration. 😋

The peak viewing here in our area will be at 3:20 pm. Families are invited to arrive by 3pm to watch with your children.

NOTE: There will be NO AFTERCARE ON THIS DAY. Please plan to pick up your child no later than 3:30 pm. The roads WILL become congested in the hours after the eclipse so we want you to head home.

CALLING ALL VOLUNTEERS: We are looking for a few parents willing to step up and help organize the afterschool Eclipse party. Many of our faculty will be up north in Highgate so we will need extra help. Please contact Mrs. Beam if you are able to help at elainebeam@smsvt.info

Yes, we are aware that many of the schools are dismissing students early to avoid traffic, but honestly, this event is just too educationally exciting to pass up on. 🤩 We want our students to enjoy this phenomenon, and we want them to do so safely, with proper eyewear and supervision.

We are not in the path of totality so we anticipate that most eclipse viewers will be well on their way to their destination and roads should be clear by the end of the school day.

However, if you would prefer to keep your child home, or pick them up early, please feel free to do so and know that this will be considered an excused absence.

Sadly, this one is out of our control 😨 We will send you all home with a moon pie as a consolation. 💔

Pray the weather is perfect for viewing on Monday, April 8th.

If there is heavy cloud cover or rain, there will be nothing to see. The weather looks promising for Monday at this point but who knows... its New England, anything can happen!

Like "the magnitude-4.8 quake that struck at 10:23 local time today (15:23 GMT) near Lebanon, New Jersey, and could be felt from Pennsylvania to Connecticut."

There are all sorts of interesting scientific phenomena that occur during an eclipse.

For the best viewing experience, experts in vision science recommend wearing red and green for the upcoming April 8 solar eclipse.

"About 4 minutes before totality you experience the weirdest lighting effect you can ever witness on Earth! The slow transition to night vision through the Mesopic Zone creating the Purkinje Effect."

Click on the video link below to learn more behind the science of this occurrence.

And make sure to wear a red or green shirt on Monday, April 8th 🤩

For obvious reasons, this fundraiser is not being run by the school or through our school office.

Mr. and Mrs. Gauthier are so grateful for everyone's love and support. If you would like to purchase tickets, make a straight donation, or ask questions, please contact Jenn Thompson at 603-998-1843.

When life gives you lemons…

Saturday, April 27th

following 9AM Mass until Noon

Please save the date and join us for this community event.

🧼🧹⚒️ Whether you are a backyard warrior, someone who likes to just help out in the community, or you are looking for an excuse to enjoy a morning with friends, this is a great opportunity. Please consider volunteering for both indoor and outdoor projects around the school and parish on Saturday 4/27 from 10am until 12. Check out the photo collage to see how much fun we had last year!

Ms Peek and her science students would like the opportunity to raise chicks in the classroom as part of their spring curriculum. However, we must find someone willing to take the chicks in once they are ready for the great outdoors.

If you raise chickens and would be committed to taking them when they are ready, please contact Theresa Peek by email at peek.theresa@smsvt.info Only serious inquiries please.

Students received packets recently with details about the 2024 SMS FUN RUN fundraiser.

🤩 We have exciting new incentives for participation....

Like taping Principal Beam to the wall in Rand Hall!!!!

And students are encouraged to submit original artwork for the t-shirt design contest (deadline April 15)

Please review the contents and get started with your fundraising efforts. Let your donors know that their donation is tax-deductible and we offer convenient online giving for instant donations and donor receipts. Here is the link https://saintmichaelschoolvt.org/sms-fun-run

Please mark your calendars and come out to cheer our team on if you are able.

Saturday APRIL 6: ROUND-ROBIN played at PUTNEY beginning at 9 am with a pizza party at the end. Each participating team will donate cash towards the pizza. See email from Mrs K for details

Tuesday APRIL 23: St Mikes v BARTS, starting time 4:30

Thursday APRIL 25: St Mikes v BARTS. starting time 4:30

Wednesday MAY 1: St Mikes v PUTNEY starting time 4:30

Wednesday May 15: ULTIMATE TOURNAMENT. We are unsure what this will look like; it may be another round-robin-type event. Details of the place and time will follow shortly.

Game Location Addresses:

BART: 1 COMMERCIAL ST, ADAMS, MA

PUTNEY: 418 HOUGHTON BROOK RD, PUTNEY, VT

Please contact our Athletic Director, Michelle Kuusela with any questions or concerns at michellekuusela@smsvt.info

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.

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/

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