The Voyager Voice

Dear Voyager Families,

As we continue to grow and strengthen our mission of faith and learning, it's always inspiring to hear about the great things our alumni are accomplishing in the world around us. Their achievements are a testament to the solid foundation they built here and to the ongoing support of this wonderful community.

We're especially proud to share that one of our very own alumni has returned to serve as a teacher, giving back to the school that helped shape his journey. It's truly a blessing to have Mr. Tardanico bring his passion and commitment to Catholic education to our students.

Additionally, we are excited to highlight another former student, Fr. Joe Hubbard. Fr. Joe is a former SFX student and also long-time parishioner of Saint Francis Xavier Church. He was ordained in 2020 and is currently assigned to St. Brigid's Parish in Lextington, MA. Fr. Joe's dedication to his vocation reflects the values we strive to instill in every Voyager. (Click here to read more about Fr. Joe, in his own words.)

These stories remind us of the lasting impact a Catholic education can have, not only on our students but on the communities they serve. As we look toward the future, we are also in need of support here on campus. We are currently seeking substitute teachers to join our school family. If you or someone you know is interested helping, we encourage you to reach out to the office for more information.

Let's continue to nurture the gifts of each of our students so that they too may go on to do great things!

God bless,

Mr. C. Kroekel

Principal

"It's a Great Day to be a Voyager!"

September- Kindness

Mon. 9/16

• MAP Testing window opens

Wed. 9/18

• Milk Delivery Begins (See below in Parent/Guardian Action Items for info)

Sun. 9/22

• Weymouth Irish Heritage Day Parade and Festival (SFX & SHS Partnership)

Sat. 9/28

• VIRTUS Protecting God's Children Training in McShea Hall (sign up below)

October - Peace

Fri. 10/4

• Early release at 11:00 a.m.

Fri. 10/4 First Friday Liturgy -

• 9:00 a.m. Hosted by Grade 7

* Join Mr. Kroekel for Coffee and refreshments in McShea Hall after Mass.

Mon. 10/14

• Columbus Day - No School

Fri. 10/18

• Walk for Mercy

Fri. 10/25

• Trunk or Treat 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. (SFX & SHS Partnership event)

Fruit of the Spirit:

As we embark on this new school year, we are excited to announce that the Fruit of the Spirit for the month of September is Kindness. At Saint Francis Xavier, we strive to cultivate an atmosphere where kindness is not just encouraged but lived out daily. Through simple acts of compassion and empathy, we aim to reflect the love of Christ in our school community. This month, students will engage in various activities and reflections designed to help them grow in this virtue, understanding how powerful even the smallest acts of kindness can be transforming hearts and minds.

Saint of the Month:

Alongside our focus on kindness, we are honored to introduce our Saint of the Month: St. Veronica. Known for her extraordinary act of courage and compassion, St. Veronica is a shining example of kindness in action. When Jesus carried His cross to Calvary, it was Veronica who, moved by love and mercy, stepped forward to wipe His face. Her small but profound act reminds us that kindness often requires stepping out in faith and showing love, even when it may be difficult.

Daily Prayer and Reflection:

To help our students stay grounded in their faith, we begin and end each school day, meeting, and event with a prayer and brief reflection. This daily practice encourages students to start their day with a focus on God's presence and His call to love and serve others.

The Peace of Adoration:

On the second Friday of every month, our students attend Eucharistic Adoration. This time allows them to better understand the importance and sacredness of truly being in the presence of God.

Monthly Mass:

We are blessed to have the opportunity to celebrate Mass as a school community each month. The first Friday of every month we have a schoolwide Mass at 9:00 a.m. We encourage families to attend this Mass with us and then join Mr. Kroekel and administrators in McShea Hall for "Coffee with Mr. Kroekel".

✅Photo Release Form:

We kindly remind you to return your Photo Release Form as soon as possible. This form grants us permission to include your child in photos and videos that may be featured in our school newsletter, website, social media, and other publications. If you have not already co; Please click here to access the Photo Release Form.

🥪Lunch Ordering:

Happy to report that the new Lunch Ordering Process is up an running! Thank you again for your patience and understanding.

✅Become a Parent Ambassador!

At Saint Francis Xavier Middle School, our community thrives on the strong bonds we share and the warmth we extend to others. As we welcome 39 new families into our school, we are seeking dedicated Parent Ambassadors to help guide them through their first year and spread the good news of our school within the wider community.

If you are interested in becoming a Parent Ambassador, please contact Heather McGailey at hmcgailey@sfxschoolwey.org. and we will connect you with a new family.

✅Family Portal and Login Instructions:

Family Portal is where you will find your student's information, as well as resources such as the Family Handbook, Webforms, FACTS Financial (tuition and incidentals), and more. Please familiarize yourself with your Family Portal. If you need assistance, please email dianewalsh@sfxschoolwey.org

Action Item: Log in to Family Portal:

• Go to: https://factsmgt.com
• Select: Parent Log In
• Select: FACTS Family Portal
• District Code: SFXSH-MA

✅Parent/Guardian Volunteer Requirements:

There are two requirements that must be completed to be a volunteer at Saint Francis Xavier School.

1. CORI - Any parent/guardian who would like to volunteer at SHS or SFX must complete a 2024/2025 CORI Form. Mrs. Walsh will have CORI Forms available at Back to School Night on September 11th at 6 p.m.
2. VIRTUS Protecting God's Children Training - This is a required course in order to volunteer, but only needs to be completed once. Upon completion of the program, you will receive a certificate to submit to our administration prior to volunteering at an event. Note: Please create an account and select the "Archdiocese of Boston" first in order to access the training at SFX.

MAP Testing Window Opening!

This week our testing window opens for Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) testing. MAP is an adaptive test measuring students' progress, achievement, and growth in learning by grade level in mathematics, reading, and language usage. Learn more here!

📝Grade 8 HSPT Class

Thank you for expressing your interest in the HSPT prep class. The class will be held for 6 weeks: Tuesdays and Thursdays 2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. in Mrs. Barry's or Mrs. Sayers' classroom. This program will begin on September 26th and end on November 2nd. Students may bring a snack to have during class. The cost for the class is $130.00 (which includes the text book) and will be billed to your FACTS account. The students will need an extra notebook and index cards (at least 50) for this class. We look forward to helping your student prepare for this important test! Please contact Mrs. Sayers to sign up. ssayers@sfxschoolwey.org

~Mrs. Sayers & Mrs. Barry

👩🏻‍🏫Substitute Teaching Opportunity:

We are currently seeking enthusiastic and dedicated individuals to join our team at SFX. Substitute teachers play a vital role in maintaining the learning environment and supporting our students' educational journey when classroom teachers are unavailable. If you, or someone you know, are interested in becoming a substitute teacher (paid position) and feel called to serve our Catholic school community, we encourage you to apply. For more information, please contact Mr. Kroekel or Mrs. Walsh. dianewalsh@sfxschoolwey.org

Helpful Tips on How to Help your Middle School Student:

As we continue to support our students both academically and spiritually, we wanted to share this insightful article: "How Students Learn". It offers tips and guidance for parents of middle school students. We hope you find it helpful!

😎Our reentry into school has been filled with sunny days rich with Vitamin D!

We have the opportunity to go outside for snack break and recess.

Please take the opportunity to get outside in the afternoon and on the weekend.

Vitamin D plays a key role in the body and in mental health. Low vitamin D levels can negatively impact mental health!

Be cognizant of the mosquitoes and take precautions.

~ Bridget E. Jaklitsch,BSN, R.N.

🍦Ice Cream Wednesdays

The Parent Association is happy to announce that beginning next Wednesday, Sept. 18th, ice cream sandwiches will be sold at lunchtime for $2 each (one ice cream per student). The funds will benefit our 8th Grade Leadership activities and events that take place throughout the year.

🍀Weymouth Irish Heritage Parade

Sunday, September 22, 2024

We are excited to announce that our partnership schools will proudly participate in this year's Irish Heritage Parade, and we need your help to represent our community! Families are invited to walk with us as we showcase the unity of our campuses. This is a wonderful opportunity for our schools to shine, and we would love to see a great turnout. More information to come, along with details on how to sign up.

d🏈Fall Flag Football is back!

Exiting news! Our Flag Football Club is starting next week for grades 5-8! Join us for some fun, teamwork, and friendly competition. The clubs will be held for 5 weeks on the scheduled day and will run from 2:35 p.m. - 3:35 p.m. Mrs. Bouzan will be coaching Grades 7 & 8, and Mr. Tardanico will be coaching Grades 5 & 6

• Grades 7/8: Practices will be held on Mondays, starting September 16th.
• Grades 5/6: Practices will be held on Thursdays, starting September 19th.
• 
  

To sign up or for any additional information please email Mrs. Bouzan.

🎻Band Registration:

We have a fantastic band program here at St. Francis Xavier for all students in grades 5-8! Students may learn any band instrument (flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, drums) or violin.

Group lessons take place on Tuesdays under the direction of Mrs. Jennifer Hawes. All students (beginners included) will have an opportunity to perform in a Spring concert and experienced students will have the opportunity to also perform in the Christmas concert, at Faneuil Hall in Boston and may be selected to participate in the Massachusetts Honor Band. No experience in necessary to take lessons - we teach students of all experience levels.

Please see the links below for more information and to register and obtain an instrument. There will be a band demonstration at school on September 11 so that the students may hear and see each instrument in person.

Link to hear all band instruments played individually and as a group -

BE SURE TO WATCH THE LAST 5 MIN. OF THIS VIDEO (start at 11min. 50 sec.) to hear all instruments playing together- it’s the best part!:

https://vimeo.com/580337515/03219818a5

Link To Register for Band Online:

Pemusic.com/join

PDF of the Band registration form:

We are excited to announce a new initiative to is making the pick-up experience stress-free and efficient. With our two campuses in mind, we've created this special Head Start to Sacred Heart Lane in our parking lot at Saint Francis Xavier School, designed to help you get in and out quickly.

This lane will be dedicated to families who pick up from both campuses, ensuring a smoother flow of traffic and helping you get on your way to Sacred Heart School with ease.

Please keep an eye out for signage and instructions on how best to use this new feature. We appreciate your continued support as we work to improve your family's partnership school experience.

To register for a Head Start Pass, which must be displayed on your dashboard in order to use the Head Start Lane, please click here.

We'd LOVE to hear your feedback about our new initiative!! Click here to fill out a comment form.

Our parish is always bustling with activity, offering opportunities for faith, fellowship, and service! Here are a few upcoming events we'd love to see you at:

🎹 Sunday September 29, 2024

There will be a Free Concert in McShea Auditorium on Sunday 9/29/24. Concert pianist, Sergei Novikov, will be performing. Mr. Novikov has performed for presidents, royalty and many distinguished guests around the world. We are so thrilled to welcome him to our Collaborative. Monetary donations to the St. Vincent de Paul Societies of both parishes will be accepted gratefully.

Saturday October 19, 2024

Saint Francis Xavier Church proudly presents "MISgIVINGS". A divine comedy of belly laughs, blessings, and bingo. Join Father Patrick Aloyisus Misgivings for this divine presentation of stories and one liners about growing up Catholic. From miracles and marriage counseling, to bazaars and birth control, nothing escapes the good father's razor sharp Irish wit. This hilarious interactive comedy includes a collection, a raffle and even an actual Bingo game.

McShea Auditorium

Doors open: 5:00 p.m.

Dinner: 5:30 p.m.

Show: 6:30 p.m.

Tickets are $30 and include pasta dinner. Please visit the Parish Office or the church foyer after weekend Masses. Beginning Sept. 21st.

Click here to view General Information for parents on the website!