Weekly Howl
St. Francis Catholic School - 9.12.22
SFCS celebrates 26 Years of Growing Together in Faith & Knowledge
Dear SFCS Parents & Friends,
Happy Monday!
As the weeks progress, our days are busier in the classrooms and halls of SFCS. Last week we began MAP testing, had school pictures, hosted a volleyball tournament, and welcomed Zoara, the comfort dog. The students, faculty, and staff, were excited to meet or be reunited with this special friend.
Students will finish their regular MAP testing this week with makeup testing beginning on Friday, September 16 through September 23. Each classroom teacher whose class is participating in this standardized assessment has sent out communication regarding class testing (subject, time, etc.). If you have not received the communication, please contact your student's teacher.
Due to the rain this past Friday, the 7th and 8th grade school pictures as well as makeup pictures had to be rescheduled. The new picture date is Tuesday, September 13. Students in 7th and 8th grades as well as any student who needs a makeup picture should wear their Mass dress uniform on Tuesday.
As you are aware, we have eliminated the NUT cards and moved to Spirit Fridays, when students may wear a SFCS spirit shirt and uniform bottom. If you purchased a NUT card opportunity through a fundraising event during the 21.22 academic year, please contact me as soon as possible.
We invite you to attend our School Mass each Wednesday morning at 10:00 at St. Francis By the Sea Catholic Church. Parents, Guardians, and Friends, please sit on the left side of the church (as you walk in).
And finally, in an effort to consolidate communication, and have one central Facebook page for SFCS families to find announcements and upcoming school events, the "St. Francis Families (St. Francis Catholic School, Hilton Head Island)" Facebook page will become inactive on October 1, 2022. Our official Facebook page is "St. Francis Catholic School". As a reminder, the use of St. Francis Catholic School, or St. Francis by the Sea names, logos, etc., must be approved before associating any group with either name. We appreciate your cooperation and partnership with this important policy and ask you to contact me for school related requests, and the SFBTS Parish office for church related requests. We are working on updating our Instagram account and website. Thank you for your patience with this process. You may join our official Facebook page by clicking on the link near the bottom of this newsletter.
We are looking forward to a wonderful week with your children!
Yours in Christ,
Andrea Smith, M.Ed., LPC, NCC
Principal
The Notre Dame Club of Hilton Head Island Generously Donates to SFCS!
Bob Clemens of the Notre Dame Club of Hilton Head gave a generous donation in honor of the Buzz Berger Memorial Scholarship to St. Francis Catholic School! We are grateful for the Notre Dame Club and their support of SFCS and Catholic education!
COURTESY
Courtesy: Showing awareness of the feelings of others; be polite. Go out of your way to help others.
Our prayer:
Dear Jesus,
Help me to show respect towards others in my words, actions, and manners. Amen.
Beta Club Meeting has been rescheduled!
Due to a scheduling conflict, the Beta Club will have their first meeting during lunchtime Wednesday, September 21. Current 7th and 8th grade members and those 7th and 8th grade students interested in joining Beta Club should plan to bring their lunch to the library at 12:44 p.m. to attend the meeting. Please contact Mrs. Keefer (amanda.keefer@sfcshhi.com) for more information.
Save the Date for the SFCS Lowcountry Soiree!
Plan to attend the SFCS Lowcountry Soiree on September 30! This will be a wonderful event with food, fun, and fellowship. Tickets will be on sale soon.
8th Grade 1/2 Day Retreat Wednesday, September 14
The 8th grade class with have a 1/2 day on campus retreat on Wednesday, September 14. Pizza for lunch will be provided, so 8th grade students should not bring a lunch unless they want something other than pizza.
Pet Blessing on October 4
More information on this beautiful event will be forthcoming. All pets must be secured either on a leash, or in an enclosed pet carrier. Please stay tuned for more details.
St. Francis by the Sea Parish Picnic - October 2
St. Francis by the Sea Catholic Church will host their annual picnic on October 2 from 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. at Honey Horn Plantation. Tickets are available for pre-sale at all masses September 17 & 18 and September 24 & 25. During the week, tickets will be available in the parish and school offices.
Pre-sale ticket prices are $5.00 individual or $15.00 family.
The ticket prices the day of the picnic will be $10.00 individual or $20.00 family.
Ticket prices include ALL food, drink, games, and entertainment.
Invite your family and friends to join the fun and fellowship of the St. Francis community!
Coffee with the Principal - September 27
Join principal, Andrea Smith, on Tuesday, September 27 at 8:15 a.m. in the SFCS cafeteria, for coffee, pastries, and conversation! We look forward to seeing you!
Family of Faith!
YOU ARE INVITED TO ATTEND A FAMILY OF FAITH:
The St. Francis by the Sea Religious Education organization is conducting a program for families to help them learn about and grow together in their faith. There are two goals for this program: equipping the parents to live out the faith at home with their kids, and forming bonds of friendships among parish families. Three Sundays a month from 10:15 -11:45 a.m., the families will be learning together as a family, and one Sunday of each month, we break into small groups by age and the children are separated from the parents. We have a great group of enthusiastic small group leaders. The primary grade group for the children is K-8 and high school students are welcomed. The program is interesting, fun, informative, and engages families in living and discussing their faith together. This year’s program began yesterday, September 11 and concludes on May 14, 2023 with a potluck luncheon. The theme for the 2022-2023 year is the Creed.
The first two Sundays, (September 11 and 18) are set up to provide an opportunity to meet other families in fellowship and to experience the format of these sessions. If you are interested in attending, please let Mitzi Weaver know by Friday, September 16 how many adults and children from your family will be attending so that there is sufficient refreshments for all. You may email her at mt-weaver@stfrancishhi.org or leave a message on her parish extension, 843-681-6350 x248. If after attending either these informal sessions you wish to register, registration forms are available. There is a nominal $60 fee to cover the cost of parent guides and activity books. We welcome all families and no family will be turned away if there is an inability to pay.
Lost and Found
Our lost and found bin is growing! We have an assortment of water bottles, lunch boxes, uniform clothing, sweaters, and jackets. Please have your student check the lost and found bin which is in the office and also brought to each lunch period daily. We will start cleaning out the bin on the last day of every month, so please come and get reunited with your belongings! As a reminder, please label your student's water bottle, lunch box, clothing, etc., to make it easier to claim since we have many look-alike items. Thank you!
Mrs. Lisa Kessinger
This is Mrs. Kessinger's first year at SFCS, serving as the Middle School Social Studies teacher, but she is in her 15th year as an educator. Prior to St. Francis Catholic School, Mrs. Kessinger taught at Hilton Head Middle, and schools in Raleigh, Northern Virginia, San Diego, and Connecticut. She graduated from the University of Connecticut and from Vermont College of Fine Arts with a MFA in Writing. Mrs. Kessinger just wrote her first novel! When not working she enjoys reading, writing, taking walks on the beach, and cycling. She and her husband have two children, Taylor and Caroline, as well as two dogs, Lucky and Zoey. We are thrilled to have Mrs. Kessinger as our Middle School Social Studies teacher!
1st Grade
First grade enjoyed story time with Mrs. Lesley, reading Curious George!
5th Grade
Career Day Guest Speaker - Mr. O'Rourke
This past Friday kicked off "Career Day Guest Speakers" in Mrs. Brewster's class. The students learned about investments and financial planning from Mr. O'Rourke, CIO of Wellspring Wealth LLC. Thank you Mr. O'Rourke for your inspiration, and generous goodie bag!
Middle School Science
Father Christopher visited our seventh grade science class as they began investigations of microscopy. Father gave the students a great lesson on microtext. Microtext is not visible to the naked eye and is embedded on U.S. currency over $10.00 or more. It was an awesome and eye-opening experience for all. Thank you, Father Christopher!
Middle School Social Studies
Mrs. Kessinger challenged the 6th grade to create travel guides for Mesopotamia, which highlighted important people, places, and events in Mesopotamian history. What a creative way to learn about Hammurabi's Code of Laws, empires Mesopotamia is known for, and the geographic details of this region!
PE
Students worked on their upper body strength with a series of push ups. We love how the students encouraged their classmates to give it all they've got!
Zoara the comfort dog visits SFCS!
What's Cooking?
SFCS Baking Club in Action
Mrs. Sweeney (center), fine arts teacher, and sponsor of the Baking Club, manned the concession stands with Fr. Christopher and Terry Grieco, volunteer, for the Tip Off Classic Volleyball Tournament last week. An assortment of freshly prepared items were for sale with the walking tacos, rice krispy treats, and chocolate chip cookies selling out! Half of the proceeds from the concession sales go back into the SFCS Baking Club.
Coach's Corner
Volleyball
Junior Team:
Monday: Practice 5:15-6:45
Tuesday: Home Game against Riverview 5:00, blue jersey
Wednesday: Practice at 5:15-6:45
Senior Team:
Monday 9/12 - Practice until 5 pm
Tuesday 9/13 - Home game Riverview 4pm
Wednesday 9/14 - Practice until 5 pm
Thursday 9/15 - Away game JPII 4pm
Cross Country
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday practice
Tuesday - XCountry Meet at Meadowbrook Baptist Church - 12 Lupo Dr. Beaufort, SC - Race starts
at 5:00 pm. Runners should be at the meet by 4:15 p.m. Don't forget the pink racing socks and
racing sunglasses
TIP OFF CLASSIC VOLLEYBALL TOURNEY
THANK YOU TO OUR BUSINESS SPONSORS SUPPORTING SFCS ATHLETICS!
ST. FRANCIS CATHOLIC SCHOOL IS ON SOCIAL MEDIA!
FSA NEWS!
If you would like to be a part of the FSA community, please contact fsa.sfcs@gmail.com to learn how you may get involved!
FSA Co-Chairs: Heather Quinn and Rileigh Knight
SFCS VALUE CARD IS HERE!
St. Francis Catholic School
Email: school@sfcshhi.com
Website: sfcshhi.com
Location: 45 Beach City Rd, HHI, SC 29926
Phone: 843-681-6501
Facebook: facebook.com/sfcshhi