The Voyager Voice

Dear Voyager Families,

Safety is our number one priority! As we continue to ensure a secure environment for our students, staff, and families, we ask everyone to please be aware of your surroundings while on campus. We are working closely with the Weymouth Police Department to maintain a safe campus. They will be patrolling the campus and surrounding areas as they see fit or as we request. Their presence is a valuable part of our ongoing safety efforts.

The speed limit on campus is strictly 5 mph. This limit is in place to protect our students, especially during drop-off and pick-up times when there is increased foot traffic. This year we have several more "walkers" to and from campus, in the morning and afternoon. Please be mindful of our youngsters as they walk the campus.

*For morning arrival, follow the vehicle in front of you and wait until all children have exited the vehicle. Do Not Pass! Place your car in park. If your child needs assistance in the morning and the driver must exit the vehicle for any reason, please park in the spots by the basketball court - do not park in the drop off lane.

*For afternoon dismissal, please pay attention to the "Head Start to Sacred Heart" lane. All vehicles must display a Head Start Pass on the dashboard to use the lane. Click here to sign up.

Thank you for your cooperation and for helping us keep our school community safe.

God bless,

Mr. C. Kroekel

Principal

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

September- Kindness

Sun. 9/22

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

Tues. 9/24

• First Parent Association Meeting - McShea Hall 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

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.

Tues. 10/8

• Grade 8 visits Notre Dame Academy and BC High

Fri. 10/11

• Progress Reports Distributed

Mon. 10/14

• Columbus Day - No School

Tues. 10/16

• High School Admissions Fair for current Grade 8 families. McShea Hall 1:15 p.m.

Fri. 10/18

• Walk for Mercy
• Whole School Rosary

Tues 10/22

• Grade 8 visit Cardinal Spellman

Tues. 10/29

• Parent Association Meeting - McShea Hall 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Thurs. 10/31

• Have a safe and happy Halloween! 👻

Fruit of the Spirit:

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 so; Please click here to access the Photo Release Form.

✅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.

✅Saint Francis Xavier School Advisory Board - Seeking New Members!

The Saint Francis Xavier Advisory Board does extensive work in building the sustainability of our school in many ways, including Catholic Identity, Finance, Facilities, and Academics to name a few. We should all applaud their spirit of volunteerism and faith in helping build the premier Catholic middle school of the south shore. Please click here for information about the Board positions available and how to apply.

✅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 in the School Office.
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!

A reminder that our testing window is open and ongoing 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. We encourage to stress the importance of these tests at home. Encourage them to take their time, read each question carefully, and give their best effort. A good night's sleep and a nutritious breakfast can also help them feel prepared and focused on these testing days. 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

How can you drive your car without gas??

This is the analogy I convey to the students about BREAKFAST!

Quick ideas:

• A piece of fruit. Banana, apple, grapes, orange (things with just one ingredient always the best choice)
• Yogurt with granola
• Cereal (even a bag of cheerios if you are running late and need to eat in the car or at the bus stop) Bags of cereal can be made the night before or on the weekend
• A glass of milk (protein, calcium and vitamin D)

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

👪Parent Association First Meeting of the Year!

Wondering how to become a member of the Parent Association here at SFX??

Simple - You already are!!

Every parent/guardian that has a student here, is a member of the PA. Now, how to you enjoy the perks of being a member? Come to our First Parent Association Meeting of the year and get involved! We can't wait to share our event details with you, and to hear your ideas for this school year. Please come and join us Tuesday, September 24th @ 6:00 p.m. in McShea Hall. We hope to see you then!!

🍦Ice Cream Wednesdays

The Parent Association is happy to announce that ice cream sandwiches will be sold at lunchtime every Wednesday 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.

There are many families from Sacred Heart planning to walk with us on Sunday. Let's Voyage together!!

If you plan to walk:

• Please note this is a community event and not School Sponsored. Students must be accompanied by a parent.
• Please wear your gym uniform.
• We will meet at the Hamilton School by 10:15 a.m. *There is no parking at the school, but parking is available at 67 Sharp Street (less than one mile down the road)
• There is a shuttle running from Sharp St to the Hamilton School beginning at 8:30 a.m.
• When you arrive at Hamilton School look for Red Heart Balloons - that will be our group.
• The parage begins at 11:00 a.m. and is approximately 1.2 miles.
• We will finish in Stella Tirrell Park to the left of the main stage. That is where you can meet the rest of your group.

Saint Francis Xavier/Sacred Heart School Collaborative Outreach Committee:

This wonderful committee was formed to enhance the community atmosphere between the school and the families who attend. The purpose of this committee is to provide families, students and staff with assistance in times of need, such as an illness, surgery, death of a family member, a birth, or those instances deemed appropriate by the committee and Mr. Kroekel and Mrs. Mazza.

If you would like to donate, please complete the bottom of the form, click here, with your donation in an envelope marked ~Outreach Committee~ Attention: Anna Lisa Carey. You may also Venmo @AnnaLisa-Carey-Outreach

Thank you in advance for your kindness!

🎻Band Registration: **Deadline approaching** Register by 9/23/2024

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.

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!

Old South Union Church Youth Group. Click here for information