The Messenger

Dear Fabulous Families -

We are excited to be able to release our 2025-2026 calendar, so that you are able to plan ahead for next year. A few things to note about creating the calendar:

• We need to meet the Archdiocesan requirement of having 177 days and 1140 hours of instruction.
• The total school day count has 3 snow days embedded.
• Note that the start date is August 18. The Assumption of Mary is a Holy Day and falls on the prior Friday. To avoid a "start, stop, start" like last year, since we are not in school on Holy Days, starting on August 18 makes for an easier transition at the beginning of the school year.
• We will attend school for a half day on Holy Thursday this year instead of having it off. This allows for a greater focus on the Triduum and preparation for Easter.
• Memorial Day is early this year.
• Graduation is the Tuesday after Memorial Day.
• The last day of school is still in May - May 29.
• The calendar was reviewed with team leaders, faculty, the Board of Education and Fr. Molini and adjustments made based on feedback and discussion.
• A more detailed calendar will be sent out as more information is obtained regarding items like testing, PFA activities, etc.
• Here is the 2025-2026 Calendar.

Parish Picnic - The Parish Picnic date has been confirmed for Saturday, October 11, 2025 with the Prelude the night before. See the "Save the Date" below in the newsletter.

Catholic Schools Week - We will be sending out a special Catholic Schools Week Smore edition filled with photos from the week from Friday afternoon. Check out the basket winners below!

Dine Out Night Tomorrow - Need a night off from cooking? Check out the Golden Hoosier and Bud's Pizza information below and support the school.

Coming home in the Wednesday yellow envelope:

Nothing from the office

Reminder: Submissions for the newsletter should be sent to Mrs. McEnery and Ms. Schmitt by noon on Monday. Graphics should be a jpg or png. In the subject line, please put "Newsletter".

Tonya McEnery

Principal

Jenn Schmitt

Assistant Principal

Students in grades K-3 watched "The Land of Smiles" performed by The National Children's Theater this morning. The program focused on dental health. Each student received a bag with a toothbrush, floss, and toothpaste.

Parents have the opportunity to volunteer at school by helping with lunch and recess duties. All volunteers must go through the Protecting God's Children / Safe Environment training requirement.

• Please do not sign up for a position if you have not completed Protecting God's Children / Safe Environment training. Information on this is posted below. .
• The following links are for the first trimester.
• Please only sign up for one spot to give others the chance to volunteer.

Here is the link to the Sign Up Genius for recess volunteers: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A044FAFAD2DA5FA7-52834478-recess

Here is the link to the Sign Up Genius for cafeteria volunteers: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A044FAFAD2DA5FA7-51700775-cafeteria

Summer Camp 2025

St. Gabriel summer camp is a service we provide for our school families for incoming kindergarten through current 5th grade. We will offer 3, 4 & 5 day options and have space for 50 to 55 kids per day depending on age groups. Some grade levels may fill up faster than others so don't delay. Camp hours are from 7:40 am to 3 pm with an aftercare option from 3-5:30 pm.

The first two weeks of camp we will not be able to accomodate incoming kindergarteners but will have openings for the remainder of the camp weeks.

Sign up link below opens on January 31st and can also be found on the school website.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScc_NrLp1KJNskpMADEh7cTMgI-kRQeB1xSdJo5MjQYD_CdqA/viewform?usp=header

Thank You

Jill Farace

Program Director

• Important - All volunteers need to successfully complete the mandated Archdiocesan Protecting God's Children/Safe Environment Training. Before signing up for lunch duty/recess duty, field trips, etc., volunteers must have this completed. Please use the following link to find the complete information from the church website: mandated training information. Please direct questions to our parish secretary and Child Safety Coordinator, Eileen Garavaglia, at 314-353-6303 Ext. 110 or garavagliae@stgabrielstl.org.

Dear Parents,

We are proud of Jude House's leadership!

Our school donated over $3,200 to support the ministry of Our Lady's Inn.

Next week, Augustine House is sponsoring a "Soup"er Bowl Collection.

One Can, One Vote! Vote for the Chiefs or the Eagles. The cans will be donated to support people in need who are served by Claver House.

https://www.claverhousestl.org/

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From the USCCB site:

https://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/what-we-believe/catholic-social-teaching/upload/catholic-social-teaching-poster-for-children-digital.pdf

The students are so proud when they have parts at Mass. We hope you can join us whenever you are able. See below for the school day Mass Schedule.

School Masses

Tuesdays- 1-4 Attends

2/4 1C

2/11 1M

2/18 4W

2/25 4H Baptism Mass

3/4 3S

Wednesdays- 5-8 Attends

2/5 6D

2/12 6W

2/19 5W Baptism Mass

2/26 5P

3/5 8M-Ash Wednesday-All School

Thursdays- All School Attends

1/30 3B

2/6 Augustine House

2/13 2K

2/20 2G

2/27 2A

3/6 5-8th Level Mass 5H

Looking ahead 2024-2025:

Family Mass Schedule-Mass is at 10:00 am

2nd and 3rd Grade- February 9th

K and 1st Grade- April 13th

Second Grade

First Eucharist

First Communion Parent Mtg.- Wednesday, March 26th- 6:30 pm in church

Sunday, May 4th- 1st Communion, 2pm Mass

Confirmation

Confirmation Day of Reflection- February 18, 2025

Confirmation Mass -February 20, 2025 at Saint Gabriel the Archangel Church at 7 pm

Prayer Resource:

The School Sisters of Notre Dame have a virtual prayer space to pray for peace.

SSND Prayer Room: Open on Fridays from 9am- 9pm Central Time.

https://ssnd.org/ssnd-virtual-prayer-room/

Please contact me if you have any questions.

Come pray with us!

Deborah DaLay

Coordinator of Religious Education

Dates below are subject to change and additional days will be added as we continue to plan for the year. Dates are also posted on the Google calendar located on our website.

2024-2025 SCHOOL YEAR

January

31- Noon Dismissal

February

7- End of American Heart Association

Fundraiser

9- 2nd & 3rd Grade Family Mass (NEW)

14- End of 2nd Trimester

14- Valentine’s Day Parties, 11:05am

14- Planning & Collaboration (Noon

Dismissal)

17- No School: Presidents’ Day

20 - 8th Grade Confirmation

21 - 8th Grade Only Off School (After Confirmation)

25- Parents/Students/Teacher Conferences, 3:30-7pm

27- Parents/Students/Teacher Conferences, 3:30-7pm

28- Noon Dismissal

March

5- Ash Wednesday

6- 4th Grade Field Trip to LinkUp (Updated)

7- Stations of the Cross

8 - Auction

14- Stations of the Cross

17-21- Spring Break

24- 8th Grade Field Trip to Holocaust Museum (Updated)

26- First Communion Parent Meeting,

6:30pm

28- Stations of the Cross

April

4- Planning & Collaboration (Noon

Dismissal)

13 - Kindergarten & First Grade Family Mass (NEW)

17- No School: Holy Thursday

18- No School: Good Friday

20- Easter Sunday

21- No School: Easter Monday

23-25 - 6th Grade Camp

25-27 - AYM Luke 18 Retreat for 8th Graders

May

2- 2nd Grade Jesus Day

4- First Communion, 2pm

5- 2nd Grade Only, No School

6-7- Art Fair

6- Vocal Concert (Kindergarten, 1st, and 3rd grade students, and Honor Choir), 7pm

7- Band Concert, 7pm

9- Noon Dismissal: Field Day

15- May Crowning

15- 8th Grade - Last Day

16- 8th Grade Mystery Trip

16- 7th Grade Leadership Day

20- 8th Grade Graduation, 6pm

23- Noon Dismissal: Last Day of School

Save The Date!

Totus Tuus will return to St Gabriel’s this summer during the week of July 7-11. The day program is for school aged children entering grades 1st-6th from 9 am - 3 pm in the school. There is also an evening program for those entering 7th-12th grade at 7:30. For those who are unfamiliar with Totus Tuus, it is a Catholic youth program led by missionary and seminarians from across Missouri who are dedicated to sharing the Gospel and promoting the Catholic Faith through evangelization, catechesis, Christian witness, and Eucharistic worship through Confessions, Mass, and Adoration! This is also an opportunity for junior high and high school students to volunteer who are in need of completing service hours! Registration for Totus Tuus will be opening soon! Stay tuned for further information!

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Faith Kremer at fkremer@stgab.org or Sarah Henderson at hendersons@stgabrielstl.org

https://www.stgabrielstl.org/Worship-and-Formation/Youth-Group

https://goraisedough.com/buy/2590