St. Peter School exists to provide a nurturing environment where students become Disciples of Jesus Christ, embrace the love of lifelong learning, and believe in the dignity of all people.

“To maintain a joyful family requires much from both the parents and the children. Each member of the family has to become, in a special way, the servant of the others.” St. John Paul II

Dear Parents and Guardians,

January has come and gone. February has already been a busy month!

We celebrated Catholic Schools Week at the start of the month. The students engaged in service projects, spent time with prayer buddies, enjoyed the annual Taco Day courtesy of Fr. Mecca, and made cards for nuns, among other events. Dress Down Day proceeds were spent on treats for First Responders. This year the focus was on Firefighters and Special Olympics. Staff members were treated to a Dessert/Coffee Truck sponsored by the HSA on Thursday afternoon and on Friday, the Advisory Board treated them to breakfast. Be sure to check out the St. Peter School family tree! Please send in a picture if you have not already done so...

The Special Person Dance held on February 10th was a success! It was wonderful to watch the St. Peter community come together for some fun and memorable times. We look forward to more events in the future. Thank you to the HSA and Lesser Evil for providing refreshments.

Next time you come to St. Peter School, be sure to check out the facade of the school. The attractive lettering on the building was a generous donation from the Daniel Jowdy Family in memory of their mother, Mary Beth Garavel, a graduate of St. Peter School and a life-long educator. The lettering is beautiful and makes our school shine! Over 138 years in the making!!

Our Vocations Chalice has started making the rounds at St. Peter School. The Chalice will be in one classroom per week. The first graders learned about Seminarians, and prayed for them to stay on the path of holiness to someday become a priest and offer Mass. The Vocations Chalice will be in 6th grade during the week of 2/13. Be sure to ask your child about this new tradition.

Fundraiser Information:

Our Chocolate Fundraiser ended on February 10th. Thank you to everyone who participated. The students enjoyed spinning the prize wheel everytime they sold a box of chocolates. It was a successful fundraiser for our families!

Our Read-A-Thon Fundraiser begins on March 6th. It was quite a success last year and we look forward to another successful year. Thank you, as always, for your support. Details to follow...

Registration Process 2022 - 2023 School Year:

The registration process is underway. If you are a returning family, please send in your registration form and fee as soon as possible. Registration for new families is also underway. If you are a PK parent and are interested in registering your child for kindergarten, please email mcorrea@spsdanbury.org or mtorre@spsdanbury.org or crodriguez@spsdanbury.org. If you are applying for financial aid through the Bishop Scholarship Fund, please click this link: FACTS Grant & Aid. The deadline for returning families is March 15, 2022 and the application deadline for new families is April 15, 2022. You will not be eligible to apply for school tuition assistance without first applying for the BSF. Note well: The Bishop Scholarship is available for students in grades K-8 only.

Have a blessed February!

In Christ,

Mary Lou Torre, Principal

PK - Mrs. Redmond/Ms. Ramos

K B - Mrs. Boyle/Mrs. McCabe

K A - Mrs. Arconti/Mrs. McCabe

1 - Mrs. Smith/Mrs. Kolitsas

2 - Ms. Galli/ Ms. Bush

3 - Mrs. Escudero - Moody

4- Ms. Marchese

5 - Mrs. Galante

6 - Mrs. Hanrahan (MS Math)

7 - Ms. Vivirito (MS English)

8 - Mrs. Puglisi (MS Science)

Social Studies - Middle School/Innovation/Technology - Ms. Vill

Specialists - Mr. Bellucci (PE), Ms. Campbell (Music), Mrs. Preveza (Art/Special Education), Mrs. Vizzo (nee Pantaleo) (Spanish and English Language Teacher)

Counselor - Dr. Repole

Danbury Support Team - Ms. Kruijs, Mrs. Conron

Catapult - Ms. McAvoy

Office Staff - Mrs. Correa, Ms. Burnside, Mrs. Rodriguez

Principal - Mrs. Torre

February 17: Early Dismissal - 11:50; Family Movie Night @ Parish Hall - "Despicable Me" - Admission is $1 and includes chips and a water bottle.

February 20 - 21: President's Day Break - No School

February 22: Ash Wednesday

March 10: Early Dismissal

March 17: Faculty Retreat - No School

March 19: Knights of Columbus Mass and Brunch - St. Augustine Church

April 5: End of Quarter 3 and Early Dismissal - 11:50

April 6: Holy Thursday - No School

April 7: Good Friday - No School

April 10 - 14: Spring Break

April 29: First Holy Communion - 10:30 a.m.

May 25: Confirmation - 6 p.m. - St. Peter Church

• Vaccine Promotion: Vaccines remain the first line of defense against COVID 19, seasonal influenza and other vaccine preventable diseases.
• COVID Testing: Free test kits are available to all students, families, and staff through the office. Any student or staff member who develops COVID 19 signs and symptoms will be asked to wear a mask and sent home to test. The Sick Day Guidelines will remain in effect. Please see the link for the guidelines:

  Fall 2022 Sick Day Guidelines for Parents - Google Docs.pdf

  Portuguese Sick Day Guidelines 8-22 - Google Docs.pdf

  Spanish Sick Day Guidelines for Parents Rev 8-22 - Google Docs.pdf

• Quarantining/Isolation: Any student or staff member who tests positive for COVID will

  need to isolate for 5 days and may return to school on day 6 if symptoms have

  significantly improved, and the individual has been fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medications. The individual will need to wear a mask on days 6 through 10. Any individual who is unable or unwilling to wear a mask must remain at home for 10 days. Isolation days are determined as follows: Day 0 is the first day of symptoms, regardless of the test date, or the date of the positive COVID test if the individual has not had COVID symptoms. Parents and staff should contact their School Nurse or administrator during school hours to notify them of a positive COVID test result. Repeat testing is not required to end isolation. Quarantining is no longer required for those who are exposed to COVID-19, regardless of immunization status. The individual will need to wear a mask for 10 days and test on day 5 after exposure.

From the Nurses Office:

As we approach the colder months it is important to maintain a healthy learning environment for our students here at St. Peter School.

2. If a child is out two (2) or more consecutive days due to illness we will require a note from their physician.

3. Any child who has a fever or has several other symptoms (cough, runny nose, headache,
nausea, vomiting, diarrhea etc.), will be sent home.

4. If your child has a fever or several of the symptoms mentioned above, prior to coming to
school, please do not send them to school. Follow up with your child's pediatrician and place a call to the school to let us know.

5. With the colder months upon us, please be sure your child comes to school with a coat, mittens/gloves, and a hat to protect them from the elements.

6. With the flu season upon us, even though it is not required, we do encourage you to send you child to school wearing a mask.

Thank you!

Nurse Johnson

Theme and Gospel Values for 2022-2023 School Year:

As you know, our theme for this year is Faith.

The Gospel Value for the month of February is: Honesty - Being trustworthy and true.

Scripture passages to guide our Faith journey:

“Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

-Hebrews 11:1

“Just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.”

-James 2:14-16

“And the apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.”

-Luke 17:5

Please continue to pray with your children and support them along their lifelong journey with faith.

September = Faith = Believing in God and all He has revealed

October = Reverence = Showing your deepest respect for things of God

November = Stewardship = Returning to God the first fruits of your time, talent and treasure

Caring for the earth and its resources

December = Generosity = Giving without counting the cost

January= Gratitude = Seeing everything as a gift and being thankful

February = Honesty = Being trustworthy and true

March = Mercy = Caring and forgiving

April = Justice = Being fair and giving each his due

May = Zeal = Being driven by an intense love for God

I want to share some of these reasons with you over the next couple of months.

1) An Incarnational View of the World: "Catholic School students learn that God is present and active in their lives and in the world. They learn to recognize the "footprints of God" in their daily experiences. In an incarnational view of the world, all learning helps to develop and bring to full bloom that image of God that is in each person." (Rev Nuzzi)

2) Immersion in the Paschal Mystery: "Our lives are a series of small and not so small dyings and risings. In union with the Paschal Mystery, we rrealize that there is redemptive power in suffering, and in the power of the cross. In it lies the answer to the mystery of all of life's successes and failures. Like Jesus, we encounter our own Simon of Cyrenes to help us along the way. Wins and losses on the athletic field, A's and F's in class, and laughter and tears in our lives are the way we participate in Jesus' dying and rising." (Rev Nuzzi)

With regard to Bishop's Scholarship Fund, please see below:

• K-8 Only
• Apply online via FACTS Grant and Aid , complete all questions regarding BSF, and submit supporting documentation and a $30 FACTS processing fee.
• The application requires the entire 2021 IRS Federal tax returns along with 2022 W2s. If applicants do not receive W2s, then they must submit a 2022 tax return.
• Deadline to apply: March for current families and April 15 for new families.
• Award Notifications - Early May for current families and Late May for new families.

The BSF Brochure and the FAQs are attached below for your perusal.