The Trojan Times

St. Maria Goretti is a living testament to our Lord's work in His youngest disciples, exemplified by academic excellence, spiritual formation, and compassionate service to others.

St. Maria Goretti Catholic School aims to form what is True, Good, and Beautiful in the souls of our young disciples of Christ.

Dear St. Maria Goretti Catholic School Families,

Progress reports were sent out on Friday. If you didn't receive your child's, please contact Mrs. de la Pena for more information.

The 2023-2024 yearbooks are on the way to SMG. We will let you know when they arrive. If you did not order yours there is still time. We will will have extras on hand to order, more information to come. We are beginning to work on the 2024-2025 yearbook. Please send us your first day of school pictures! Please email them to pictures@smgschool.org. Put your child's name and grade in the subject line.

Next week students in grades 3rd-7th will be taking the IOWA and COGAT tests. Our 8th grade students will be taking the CLT exam. This will be a no homework week. Like you always do, please make sure students get a good nights rest and eat a healthy breakfast before coming to school.

Playground construction is moving along. We are waiting for the shade permits to pass in order to get them up, then the turf can be laid. The students have been great at practicing the virtue of patience.

Speaking of virtue, the virtue of the month starts in September. Please see the virtue and saints for September below. Talk with your children about this at home, as well as continue to practice the manner of the week. Father Maul has also challenged the students to answer adults with yes/no ma'am and sir or yes/no Father or Sister. They are doing a great job with these high expectations.

Mary's birthday is today! We will be celebrating with a sweet treat at lunch on Monday.

St. Maria Goretti, Pray for Us! Mother Mary, Pray for Us!

Blessings,

Amy Utendorf, M.Ed.

Principal

Faith is believing in God and all He has revealed. Faith is one of the theological virtues that God gives to us in baptism. Through it, we are able to believe everything that God says through His Word in Scripture and in Sacred Tradition.

Saint Martha believed in Jesus. She knew that He was God and could do anything. When her brother Lazarus died, Martha told Jesus, "If only You had been here, Lord, my brother would not have died." When Jesus asked Martha is she believed Him, she said yes-and Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead!

Saint Jerome was born into a wealthy pagan family and studied in Rome, where he became a lawyer. Because of his great intelligence, Saint Jerome came to believe in God in his mind - but not in his heart. After he was baptized, he began to study about God, and it was then that he finally had a true conversion. Saint Jerome then lived for years as a hermit in the Holy Land, and peope said a lion lived with him. This is why the saint is shown with a lion in most paintings. Saint Jerome became so famous for knowng Scipture that the pope asked him to help translate the Bible into Latin so that more people at that time and place could read it.

After Saint Paul, perhaps one of the most compeling stories of conversion to faith in Christ must be that of Saint Augustine. Born of a pagan father, who became a Christian only on his deathbed, and of Saint Monica, who was born and raised in the Christian faith, Saint Augustine was blessed with great intelligence and burdened with an unruly heart.

Although raised in the faith of his mother, Saint Augustine was not baptized and drifted away from belief in God to follow the world. By the time he was 15, he was living with a woman outside of marriage, with whom he later had a son. Saint Augustine's keen mind led him to the famous academic centers of the pagan Roman Empire, where he taught with great success. Unsettled in his understanding of the meaning of life, Saint Augustine followed the philosophy of the Manichaeans for a time, which saw the world as a great struggle between good and evil and life in the body as something to be scorned.

The turning point of the saint's life finally came when, inspired by the mysterious words of a child to "take and read," Saint Augustine opened up the Bible and his heart was opened to God. Baptized by Saint Ambrose, bishop of Milan, ltaly, Saint Augustine eventually returned to Africa, sold his property, and founded a monastery.

Made Bishop of Hippo (North Africa) by popular acclaim, Saint Augustine fought against the heresies of the day-including Manichaeism-and became one of the most prolific writers in the Christian faith the world has ever known. Perhaps the most quoted of his sayings is the one that best describes the profound faith of Saint Augustine: "Our hearts were made for You, O Lord, and they are restless until they rest in You. "

Lunch will need to be ordered a day in advance by 12:00pm, however, lunches may be preordered the whole month in advance if desired. (www.laislatx.com). You have the option of ordering other lunches besides the one offered for the day; however if you do so, you need to specify the date you want that lunch delivered. Please do so under special instructions. Under Special instructions, you may do special requests, ex: no tomato. In the event your child forgets his/her lunch and you did not pre-ordered lunch, you will have the choice to allow your student to purchase lunch for that day. You will need to fill out an authorization form to have that option. If you have questions about the lunch program or your lunch account, please contact me at

laislarestaurantpantego@gmail.com. Please allow 1-2 business days for a response.

Respectfully,

Martin Zavala

LaIsla Restaraunt

September Lunch Menu

Authorization form to charge credit card for forgotten lunch

Dear SMG Family,

Former folklorico members have been busy practicing folklorico. We will have our 1st school presentation Sepember 16th. If your child is interested in participating please fill out the FACTS form for the club dues. I will be calling them during the day to get shoe sizes. After the school presentation, new members will join for their 1st practice. If they come to the "try outs" they are in. Please help us provide snacks for a day or two. I be using the app remind to update you on club information. We will have a couple of fundraiser ideas to fund custumes and accessories. Thank your in advance for your love for latin culture.

Snack google sign-up Sheet

2024-25 Folklorico Schedule

Folklorico FACTS Dues

• 5:30 Fellowship: popcorn and sodas for sale
• 6:00-7:00 Home & School Meeting
• Babysitting Provided by NJHS & STUCO

Use the QR code or the store link below to order T-shirts for GorettiFest. The store will close on September 18th and all orders will be ready for pick up on September 26th at the school.

https://esixsportswear.com/saint_maria_goretti/shop/home

Middle schoolers grades 6-8, prepare to start an amazing adventure with Jesus as you explore Sacred Scripture! Join us on this half day retreat where you will be immersed in the Word of God, engage in scriptural prayer, and discover the incredible story of our salvation.

• Date: Saturday, September 28, 2024
• Time: 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Cost: $25 per person
• Location: Cristo Rey High School, 2633 Altamesa Blvd, Fort Worth, TX 76133
• Visit the Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth Ministries website for more information:

https://fwdioc.org/word-made-flesh

Please enjoy this audio/visual experience of the goings on of Saint Maria Goretti. Consider that a "Subscription" to the YouTube channel and/or a "Like" on any video will help us grow our exposure and impact. Please do share anything you enjoy with other family members and friends that would similarly delight in the successes and accomplishments of the students.

https://www.youtube.com/@smgbroadcast2001

Calling All Girls, attending Kindergarten to High School! We are inviting YOU to join our American Heritage Girls Troop this fall! AHG is a Christian Girls’ character building organization, where we Love God, Cherish our Family, Honor our Country and Serve in our Community! You can learn more about us by visiting www.American Heritage Girls.org

Additional information

Use the QR codes to sign up and help us plan how many teams we will have. Once teams are set, you will be contacted via email with the coach, practice times and payment information. You may contact the SMG Athletic Director, Ms. Bara, with any questions at cbara@smgschool.org

One SMG parent must complete this training so that their child can participate in athletics. This training is for new families, parents who have NOT completed the training, or parents with students who are in 5th grade and want to participate in any sports this year.

• Link to Register: https://playlikeachampion.wufoo.com/forms/mhwglp5036xjyp/
• Cost is free, use code: FortWorthParent
• It’s only necessary for one parent to registered. Parents can enter the code above into the coupon code box and that will take their cost down to $0.

Virtual Workshop Dates

• Tuesday, September 10th at 7:30 pm EDT
• Tuesday, September 24th at 7:30 pm EDT
• Tuesday, October 22nd at 7:30 pm EDT
• Tuesday, November 19th at 7:30 pm EST

SMG students receive a Terrific Trojan sticker when they are "caught" being safe, responsible and respectful. After wearing the sticker during the day, the Terrific Trojan places it on the hallway bulletin board. We love seeing how full the bulletin board becomes by the end of the school year.

Please consider volunteering to help during lunch and recess. Service hours will be earned. Click on the signup genius link for a description of duties. All volunteers must be current with their Virtus training.

Sign-Up Genius

• Date & Time: September 14, 2024 Game 1 (1:00 P.M.), Game 2 (4:30 P.M.), Game 3 (8:00 P.M.)
• Location: The Ford Center in Frisco, Texas
• Highlight: We are proud to announce the Honorary Chairman for the event will be Admiral Patrick M. Walsh, retired, who is a US Naval Academy alumnus now serving as President of Cristo Rey Dallas. He served 34 years, initially as a fighter pilot and then as deputy-director, director, commander, and vice chief of Naval Operations. He is a Jesuit Prep School Dallas alumnus and was also a pilot for the renowned Blue Angels.
• Admission: Ticket sales begin on July 15. To purchase tickets, visit globalfootball.com or check out our social media pages. ($20 adults, $10 students, 8 and under are free)
• Tickets available: https://www.globalfootball.com/catholic-bowl-iv/tickets/
• Teams: Nolan Catholic v Little Rock Catholic, Bishop Lynch v Bishop McGuinness, and Sacred Heart v John Paul II

Purchase tickets using this link. (The link in the flyer is not working)

https://www.mlb.com/rangers/tickets/specials/school-events?partnerId=redirect-tex-schools

PreK through 3rd grade attended their first Atrium class this week led by Atrium Director, Mrs. Massengale. Older studnets wrote lists of good habits and labeled items used in Mass. Younger students worked on practical life exercises.

The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is an approach to the religious formation of children grounded in Sacred Scripture, Catholic Doctrine, Liturgy and Prayer. Themes are presented in such a way as to develop the religious potential present in every child: the capacity to love and be loved and be in a deep relationship with God. https://www.mischool.org/cgs

Mr. Gleason and Mr. Halley are working with students to build scarecrows for the SMG garden. The scarecrow was first used to scare birds away from precious crops during harvest. Farmers used the first recorded scarecrows in ancient Egypt to protect their crops from flocks of quail.

Mrs. Utendorf and Mrs. Hill shared fellowship with the new SMG Rosary Group before school Wednesday. This group meets every Wednesday at 7:10, please join us!

Awards were give to PreK students who read ten books, exhibited great listening skills, or demonstrated wonderful circle time behavior.

Students who earned the Virtue Award this month were rewarded by wearing super hero capes and masks on Friday!

Nurse Beth trained another group of 3rd graders in Infant CPR. Congratulations to Coretta, Zaili, Karmen, Danyelle, and Athena! A special thanks to Nurse Beth for offering her time and talents to our SMG students.

Students read Sylvester and the Magic Pebble and practiced writing summaries by retelling and sequencing. After reading Frog and Toad, they made predictions, answered comprehensive questions in complete form and wrote letters.

Use the QR code or the Catholic Diocese Sports Calendar link in the SMG Clubs/Athletics/Tutoring section below.

Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth Sports Calendar

Monday

• 7:00-7:40 Cheer (Saladino/Risinger) Gym
• 12:16-1:01 Open Library Checkout (4th-8th)
• 12:16-1:01 STUCO (Daly) Computer Lab Begins TBD
• 3:30-4:45 Folklorico Current Members (Zavala) Hope Rm - New Members Begin Sept. 16
• 3:30-4:15 PSIA Spelling (Daly) Computer Lab Begins 10/9
• 3:30-4:15 PSIA Maps/Graphs/Charts (Utendorf) Rm. 110 Begins 10/9
• 3:30-4:15 Math Tutoring 6th-8th (Tran) Rm. 121 Begins 9/9
• 3:30-4:15 PSIA Ready Write 4th-8th (Vasquez) Begins 10/7 1st/3rd week
• 6:00-8:00 Robotics (Morales) 4/5 Sci Lab Begins 8/26 Some Saturdays 12:00-2:00

• 7:00-7:40 Cheer (Saladino/Risinger) Gym
• 12:16-12:36 Library Leaders (Richards) Begins 9/10
• 12:16-1:00 NJHS (Jones) Begins TBD
• 3:45-4:45 Cantoring (Breed) Church

Wednesday

• 7:10 Rosary Group (Utendorf) - Cafetorium - Begins Sept. 4
• 7:15-7:45 AM Saint Maria Singers (Richards) Library Begins 10/9
• 12:16-1:01 Open Library Checkout (4th-8th)
• 12:16-12:36 SMG Broadcast (Jones) Rm. 120 Begins 9/11
• 3:30-4:15 4th-8th Detention Rooms Vary
• 3:45-4:30 Run Club (Gutierrez) Begins 10/9
• Oct. 9, 23, Nov. 6, 20, Dec. 11, Feb. 12, 26, March 12, 26, April 9, 30, May 7

• 3:30-4:15 PSIA Drawing (Jamison) Art Room Begins 10/16
• Oct. 16, 30 Nov. 13 Dec. 4, 18 Jan. 15, 29 Feb. 12, 26

• 3:30-4:30 Chess Club (Tran) Rm 121 Begins 9/11
• 3:45-4:15 Science Tutoring (Saladino) Rm. 109 Begins 8/28

• 7:15-7:45 AM PSIA Math 2nd/3rd (Sr. Mary Monica) Rm 116 Begins 10/3
• 1st/3rd Thursday of the month

• 7:15-7:45 AM PSIA Math 4th/5th (Sr. Mary Monica) Rm 116 Begins 10/3
• 2nd/4th Thursday of the month

• 7:00-7:45 AM PSIA Math 6th-8th (Tran) Rm 121 Begins 10/3
• 1st/3rd Thursday of the month

• 3:30-4:45 The Trojan Troupe (Richards) Library/Stage Begins 9/5
• End time extended to 6PM beginning in March
• 3:45-4:45 Card Club (Saladino) Rm 109 Begins 10/26

Friday

• 12:16-1:01 Open Library Checkout (4th-8th)

Sept. 12, Thursday: 5th grade field trip

Sept. 14, Saturday: Fourth Annual Catholic Bowl IV

Sept. 16, Monday: Ballet Folklorico Tryouts

Sept. 16-20: IOWA/COGAT/CLT Testing Week

Sept. 17, Tuesday: 5:30 Fellowship, 6:00 Home & School Mtg. (PK & K perform)

Sept. 18, Wednesday: Last day to order GorettiFest T-Shirts

Sept. 21, Saturday: Texas Rangers Catholic Schools Night

Sept. 25, Wednesday: Group Pictures & Individual Makeups/Retakes

Sept. 26, Thursday: GorettiFest T-Shirts delivered, Dine Out at Portillo's

Oct. 4, Friday: 11:00 Pet Blessing, 12:00 Early Dismissal

Oct. 5-6, Sat/Sun: GorettiFest Weekend

Oct. 9, Wednesday: 10:30 Jr. High Field Trip, Run Club Begins

Oct. 10, Thursday: 3:30 Trojan Troupe Auditions

Oct. 11, Friday: No School, Diocesan Inservice Day, End of 1st Quarter

Oct. 15, Tuesday: 4th Grade Field Trip

Oct. 16, Wednesday: Vik-a-thon at Nolan

Oct. 21-24: Fall Book Fair

Oct. 25, Friday: 12:00 Early Dismissal, Parent Conferences

We all do!! The St. Maria Goretti Catholic School Community would love to pray for you and your intentions. Please send all prayer requests to: smgprays4u@smgschool.org.

St. Maria Goretti Parish Website: https://www.smgparish.org/

Serving the North Texas Catholic community by providing the faithful opportunities to grow in Christian discipleship and strengthen their relationship with Jesus Christ.

https://fwdioc.org/

Email: development@smgschool.org
Website: https://smgschool.org
Location: 1200 South Davis Drive, Arlington, TX, USA
Phone: (817)275-5081

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smgcatholicschool/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StMariaGorettiArlington/