St. Margaret Mary Newsletter
11.15.2023
St. Margaret Mary Newsletter
November 15, 2023
SMCS Mission
Preparing and inspiring students to lead meaningful lives, rooted in the teachings of Christ and our Catholic tradition.
Greetings from the Principal
Dear St. Margaret Mary families,
November is a great time to reflect on the many blessings we have in our lives. I am thankful for the opportunity to spend my days with your children! They fill my heart with happiness and joy. I am thankful for our teachers and staff who share their love of learning with our students. They are simply the best! And thank you, parents, for your active engagement in school! I am thankful for the many different ways you help and support our school.
As we gather with our loved ones to celebrate Thanksgiving, let us reflect on the countless blessings that surround us. May this Thanksgiving bring joy and warmth for you and your families. I wish everyone a blessed Thanksgiving!
Blessings,
Mrs. Jackie Lutz
Associate Principal ~ St. Margaret Mary Elementary
Classroom Spotlight - Mrs. Oneacre's 3rd Grade
It has been an exciting time in third grade. We have just finished up our Junior Achievement program that was 5 sessions on learning about money and what the different types of money are. They learned what it means to save and spend, as well as what visible and invisible money is and what they are used for.
Third grade is now working on a STEAM project called How to Catch a Turkey. They are learning how to budget, plan and create a project to catch a turkey. Students get STEAM bucks to buy supplies then use the materials to create a trap.
The students will then plan a Thanksgiving dinner where they will need to make sure each person gets a drink, an appetizer and an entrée, two sides and a dessert. They will need to stay under a budget of $60. We have been very busy reading and applying math to our projects.
3rd grade Field Trip to City Hall
On November 13, the third graders walked to Neenah City Hall to meet leaders in our community that truly make a difference. They learned about the history of Neenah and what makes Neenah such a special place to live. All of what we learned was tied into our social studies community unit. The students met and listened to Mayor Lang, Police Chief Olson, Stephanie Schott (Recreation Supervisor), and Nicole Hardina-Wilhelm (Director of the Neenah Public Library) talk about their roles and responsibilities. The students went on a tour of Mayor Lang's office. They even got to sit in her chair. It was a great field trip! We are blessed to have such committed and dedicated leaders working hard to do what is best for our community.
Food Drive
A very big thank you for your generosity in our annual food drive for St. Joseph's food pantry!! We collected 2,880 lbs. of food!
Christmas Concert
Thank You!
The staff is very thankful for the wonderful snacks, treats, and drinks provided by FACES. Thank you, Lashika Dharmaratne, for the special touches in making the table look so festive!
Winter Weather
Winter weather has once again arrived! Please remember to send coats, hats, waterproof gloves/mittens, snowpants and boots to school.
Upcoming Field Trips
4K - Thursday, November 16 going to P.A.C.
No field trips scheduled in December
Teacher Wish List
If you would like to support your child's classroom and teacher, please check out how you can donate to our teacher wish lists here.
Upcoming Masses
November 16 - Miss Ebert's 1st grade class
November 30 - Mrs. Oneacre's 3rd grade class
Friday, December 8, Feast of the Immaculate Conception - Mrs. Horan's 5th grade class
December 14 - Mrs. Logemann's 4th grade class
December 21 - Mrs. Simon's 4th grade class
Staff Birthdays
11/29 - Ms. Stuber
12/10 - Miss Ebert's 1/2 birthday
12/15 - Mrs. Miller's 1/2 birthday
FACES Update
FACES (Faith and Community Enriching St. Margaret Mary Elementary) is our school’s official PTO group. We meet monthly and host many events throughout the school year. This year our officers are: President Gretchen Cogswell, VP Kiki McMillan, Treasurer Jen Hildahl, Secretary Kali Sawyer and Parish Liaison Deborah Scott. Please feel free to contact us at our email address: faces@smcatholicschools.org with any questions you may have.
- Teacher & Staff Christmas Collection - Week of November 27th As we look forward to the Christmas season, we have a great opportunity to spread Christmas cheer and thank our fabulous St. Margaret Mary teachers and staff!
- On Monday, November 27th, red envelopes will be sent home with the oldest child in each family. If you are able, please enclose cash (or check made out to SMCS with the memo FACES) and return the red envelope to the SMM office by Friday, December 1st. Elves will also be collecting envelopes during drop-off on Thursday, November 30th. Contributions will be pooled and used to purchase Christmas gifts for all teachers and staff.
- FACES volunteering - We are always looking for parent volunteers! If you would like to help FACES with any of the fabulous events FACES sponsors, please sign up using the following link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0C44AAAE22A0FF2-202324
- Lunchroom volunteers - Our school lunch program cannot run without the help of parent volunteers! Remember, you must be current with your VIRTUS documents to volunteer, and every three times you volunteer in a month you’ll get an out of dress code pass for one of your students! Please contact Justine Semrow at 920-209-5209 with questions about helping in the lunchroom, or sign up with the link below. We have added a 3rd slot to help both in the kitchen and the lunchroom - please consider signing up to see your kids at lunchtime! https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0C44AAAE22A0FF2-20232024
To stay up to date on all FACES events, and other important school updates, please follow and like the SMM FB group named “St. Margaret Mary Elementary”.
St. Margaret Mary Parish News
Christmas Giving: As we begin planning for Christmas Giving, we are wondering if there are any persons or families in our parish who feel they could use a little help during this time of year. If you have previously had a meeting with someone from the Human Concerns committee, then you are already included. All information is confidential. Please call Debra Scott at the Parish Center (920-729-4560, x4113) by November 6 if we can help in any way. From, The Human Concerns Committee
Click here to see upcoming parish events and to share the word with others.
Elementary Breakfast & Lunch Menu for November
Upcoming Events
- Thursday, November 16 - FACES coffee social
- Monday, November 20 - Friday, November 24: Thanksgiving Break
Helpful Links
Contact Information
Phone: 920-729-4565
Associate Principal: Mrs. Lutz, jlutz@smcatholicschools.org
Elementary Principal: Mrs. Cihlar, acihlar@smcatholicschools.org