SGB Week Ahead

Thank you very much to all our families who were able to attend SGB's Back to School Night last week! It was wonderful to see everyone and have an opportunity to meet you in person. If you weren't able to make it, please reach out to your child's teacher who will share any information that was provided.

🚫IMPORTANT🚫

Please NOTE: There is NO SCHOOL PLUS or WRAP AROUND available at SGB on EARLY DISMISSAL DAYS.

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During Back To School Night, I shared that one of our school goals is building relationships with our students so they feel connected to us. Research shows that students who feel connected at school are more likely to engage in healthy behaviors and do better academically. Along with that goal, we are also focusing on building resilience. Resilience (the ability to face challenges and bounce back) is a skill that will help them for the rest of their lives, both in and out of the classroom.

Today's Gospel has a great connection to building resilience. Jesus shares a parable with his disciples about how the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner and goes on to tell them about how the landowner paid THE SAME for the workers who started first thing in the morning and to those who only started at the end of the work day. Many of the workers who worked hard all day thought that was so unfair!

His response explained that he did not cheat any of the workers out of what was promised, so why are they upset if he is generous?

At first, I was like....'huh? I'd be pretty annoyed too if I worked ALL DAY and got the same as someone who just showed up!"

But the message in this parable and many others like it, (like how the shepherd will go after the one lost sheep even with 99 in his care). It's about how WE are of INFINITE WORTH to God. This is the message our students need to hear and live knowing they are of infinite worth. They may/will face challenges, but God is always with them and they are always worthy in God's eyes.

Last week, I started our weekly grade level meetings. I met with Grades K-2, then 3-5, and finally 6-8. The goal of these meetings with me is to give me time to get to know all the students a bit better. It's an opportunity to share what I want them to focus on and resilience will be a major theme. We had an opportunity to play games that build resilience, where students have to try something outside their comfort zone. We also had a chance to sing together!

To show how important feeling connected is, SGB will have a WELLNESS WEDNESDAY every month. It is one school night a month where students will not have any homework for the evening, nor anything due the following day. Please enjoy our WELLNESS WEDNESDAYS, and take advantage to do something to connect at home.

Tonight and tomorrow, please keep our Jewish brothers and sisters in your prayers on their most solemn of Holy Days, Yom Kippur. It is their day of atonement and a time when they seek reconciliation with God.

Also, pray for the entire Archdiocese of New York Staff who will gather tomorrow for our annual Spirituality Day.

Have a wonderful week and we will see everyone on Tuesday!

God bless,

Ms. Clarke

SGB is very excited to bring back our SGB Library in addition to a STEM MAKERSPACE. Efforts have been underway over the summer to organize our current collection of books, as well as the space by Mrs. Beth O'Sullivan (SUPERHERO!). She has dedicated many hours to this passion project and we would like to share it with everyone during our Fall Festival on SATURDAY, OCT. 21. (More info to come..)

In order to have what we need for our SGB Students, we are in need of donations. I have compiled a list of resources we would like to have to make this a robust library and a fully functioning makerspace.

We appreciate any amount of generosity you can give as we work to make this an amazing space for all our SGB Students!

Please click here if you would like to donate a book(s) to our new library. (Each donated book with have a book plate with the donor family's name.)

Please click here If you would like to donate materials/resources for our makerspace.

Volunteers are needed for our SGB School Hot Lunch Program.

In addition to PIZZA FRIDAYS, we will be adding CHICKEN TENDERS & FRENCH FRIES TUESDAYS. (INFO on how to order will be coming soon...). In order for us to make this happen, we rely on parent volunteers to help serve and distribute the food.

If you'd like to lend a hand...the sign up forms are below. We need 3-4 volunteers for each day and volunteers need to arrive at the school by 10:50am to get things ready.

• K-3 LUNCH begins at 11:20am.
• Grades 4-8 LUNCH finishes at 12:25pm.

ALL VOLUNTEERS must complete the ADNY Safer Spaces Training online. CLICK HERE FOR THE TRAINING. Fill out the form and send it to the school prior to beginning the online training.

Many of you have already done this in years past for SGBS and if that's the case you don't need to repeat it. If you took the training at another ADNY school you'll need to repeat it for here.

• CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR PIZZA FRIDAYS. 🍕
• *please note that the pizza days for November are on Thursdays due to the calendar

• CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR CHICKEN TENDERS/FRENCH FRIES TUESDAYS. 🍟🍗

Monday, 9/25

• School CLOSED 🚫(ALL Grades) - Spirituality Day for Archdiocese Staff

Tuesday, 9/26 or Wednesday, 9/27 (your choice)

• Sacramental Meeting for Parents in grades 2 and 7 at 6pm in the Parish Center

Tuesday 9/26

• SGB Folk Group Practice (recess)

Thursday, 9/28 or 10/5

• Confirmation Meeting for 8th Grade Parents 7pm (Church)

Friday, 9/29

• SGB STRONG SCHOOL SPIRIT DAY
• Wear your SGB Gear or dress in our school colors: RED and WHITE.

Saturday, 9/30 : MARIAN SHRINE PROCESSION

🌟🌟🌟🌟IMPORTANT ALL SGB STUDENTS 🌟🌟🌟🌟 😇

• Eucharist Revival Event at Marian Shrine 11am - 2pm. (Students wear uniforms). We will have a processional at the Marian Shrine with Cardinal Dolan. It is important for all our families to join us on this reverent occasion. Please make every effort to attend.

Sunday, Oct. 1: SGB Parish and School Picnic

ALL ARE INVITED TO ATTEND.

Picnic begins immediately following 11:30am Mass.

For more info on upcoming dates, please use our SGB Calendar located on our website. (Located half way down on the home page to the right of our daily online school prayers.)

Tuesday, 10/3

Wednesday, 10/4

• School Picture Day

Thursday, 10/5 (9/28 or today - your choice)

• Confirmation meeting for 8th grade Parents at 7pm (Church)

Friday, 10/6

• Early Dismissal Day - No School Plus or Wrap-Around on Early Dismissal Days
• Grades K-8 dismiss at 11am
• Sr. Anne's PreK dismisses at 10:30am
• UPK AM: 8:15-10:45am
• UPK PM: 10:00-12:30pm
• UPK Full Day: 8:15-1:15pm

• School Mass at 10am at St. Gregory Barbarigo Church (All are welcome!)
• Faculty Meeting/Professional Development
• Fall MAP Testing ends

For more info on upcoming dates, please use our SGB Calendar located on our website. (Located half way down on the home page to the right of our daily online school prayers.)

1. CHANGES in DISMISSAL or ABSENCES

• Please complete the online form to notify the SGB Staff of any changes in your child's dismissal or if your child will be absent. Any child who is absent for 3 or more days must have a note from a doctor upon return. Thank you!

2. PARKING

• Please avoid parking in the teachers' parking lot. There is available parking in the church parking lot if you should arrive early. Please wait there until your child's drop off time.

3. VISITING SGB & NEW SIGN IN

• In an effort to keep our school safe and know when guests are in the building at all times, ALL adults will sign in when they enter.

For your convenience, you can sign in using:

1. The NEW SGB APP (Click here to download)

2. The QR Code on the front door.

3. The laptop in the lobby.