SMCS Elementary Family Newsletter
09.20.2023
SMCS ELEMENTARY FAMILY NEWSLETTER
September 20, 2023
In This Email
Click here for St. Gabriel Elementary News
Click here for St. Margaret Mary Elementary News
Click here for St. Mary Elementary News
You can always visit the news page on our website for past newsletters.
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 SMCS families,
Today’s psalm “Majesty and glory are his work, and his justice endures forever. He has won renown for his wondrous deeds; gracious and merciful is the Lord” (Psalms 111: 3-4) has prompted me to reflect on the many wondrous deeds the Lord has done for us throughout the first few weeks of school. I have been constantly amazed and filled with gratitude for all the ways God has mercifully and gloriously blessed us.
I am so grateful for the beautiful all-system Mass we celebrated at the high school and a joyous Grandparents’ Day at St. Gabriel, to name a few. I am also most humbly grateful for the day-to-day blessings in our schools such as praying together as a school community each morning, observing our older students mentoring our younger ones during Mass, the acts of kindness and generosity I see among students, the gentle, loving ways our staff cares for our students, and so many other blessings day in and day out. What an honor it is to educate your children and to be a part of the SMCS community!
Many blessings,
Mrs. Anna Cihlar
Principal ~ St. Gabriel, St. Margaret Mary, St. Mary
Celebrate our Families!
- Parent Name(s)
- Address(es)
- Phone number
- Email address
We would like as many families as possible to participate, but we do understand the need for privacy. If there is certain information you do not want included, please fill out this form. If you want to be included in the directory, DO NOT fill out the form, but do verify your information is up to date in PowerSchool.
All are welcome at St. Gabriel Parish for the Feast of the Holy Archangels social following the 8:15am Mass.
Homecoming
- Sunday, Sept. 24 - Prayer service and pep rally @ 6 p.m. on the Zephyr HS field. All families are invited to attend!
Dress-up days for elementary:
- Monday, Sept. 25 - class color day (preschool=pink, 4K=purple, K=red, 1=orange, 2=yellow, 3=green, 4=blue, 5=class votes for color choice)
- Tuesday, Sept. 26 - mismatch day
- Wednesday, Sept. 27 - pajama day
- Thursday, Sept. 28 - jersey/sports apparel day
- Friday, Sept. 29 - Zephyr spirit day! Wear Zephyr apparel and/or school colors (SG only: This is also the celebration of the Feast of St. Gabriel so you may also dress like an angel! )
Homecoming parade and football game on Friday, Sept. 29:
- All 5th grade students from SMM, SG, and SM are invited to march in the parade.
- Drop off: Drop off your 5th grader at Schildt Park (1780 Cold Spring Rd., Neenah) at 4:30 p.m. Note, there will not be parking at Schildt Park.
- Parade: The parade starts at 5:00 p.m. and the 5th graders will march with the elementary Associate Principals and parent chaperones.
- Pick-up: Meet your 5th grader in front of the SMC middle school after the parade (approx. 5:30 p.m.).
- ***We will need one parent chaperone from each elementary school. Please contact your Associate Principal if you are able to chaperone. Thank you!
- All Preschool - 4th grade students and their families are invited to watch the Homecoming parade, cheer on the participants, and pick up lots of candy in a special Elementary Schools viewing spot! There are a couple of viewing locations this year. Either Park at SMC high school then proceed to the Elementary Schools viewing spot between the SMC high school exit and the Fox Crossing fire station or park at OSMS and proceed to the corner of American Dr. and Cold Spring Rd.
- Homecoming Football Game starts at 7:00 p.m. We invite all families to attend! As a reminder, all students must be accompanied by an adult.
GO ZEPHYRS!
Immunization Records
The state of Wisconsin requires all schools to submit immunization record reports annually. We kindly ask that all preschool, 4K, kindergarten, and new students submit immunization records to the school office prior to the first day of school. Parents who do not wish to have their child(ren) receive immunizations must complete the waiver section form and return it to the school office.
Please click the link below for the immunization reporting/waiver form. Paper copies are also available in the school office.
Thank you!
Renaissance Star Assessment
Here are a few tips on how you can help at home:
Make sure your child gets a good night sleep the night before
Have your child eat a nutritious breakfast
Avoid scheduling appointments on test days
Encourage your child to do their best
Save-the-date: Parent Teacher Conferences
We look forward to meeting with you for parent-teacher conferences! Elementary parent teacher conferences will be Thursday Oct. 19 from 3:30-6:30 p.m. and Friday, Oct. 20 from 8:00-11:00 a.m. Watch for a SignUp Genius to come.
Zephyrs Basketball Club
Registration Now Open through 9/30 - Grades 3 through 8
Attn: Basketball Fans and Prospective Basketball Fans!
What is the Zephyrs Basketball Club? The Zephyrs Basketball Club is a competitive youth basketball tournament team program that looks to develop players for more advanced play. It is open to players grades 3rd – 8th, the goals of the program are different for each grade level. ZBC tournaments are usually weekend tournaments and competitive level increases as players get older.
For more information on the ZBC program, including Parent and Player Guidelines, please see this link to our website: https://smcatholicschools.org/zephyr-basketball-club.
We would love to have you!! Don’t delay!
Teacher Wish List
Support your child(ren) and their teacher(s) in the classroom. Donate to a specific school and grade level and provide classroom enhancement for our teachers. Gifts can be made in $25 increments. You can select as many grade combinations as you wish. You can choose the school you would like your donation to go towards on the second page. Donations will be used for teachers to purchase additional items for their classrooms in order to better the educational experience and opportunities for their students. Check out our teacher wish lists here.
Raising Digital Citizens
You're invited to a meeting of the "Raising Digital Citizens" group on Monday, October 9th from 6-7pm in the SMCS High School Resource Center at 1050 Zephyr Drive.
This group is for parents who want to learn more about how to help their kids navigate the digital world safely and responsibly. We'll review and discuss research on topics surrounding:
- Social media and cyberbullying
- Online gaming and internet safety
- Digital citizenship and media literacy
The group is free and open to all parents of students at our school. We hope you'll come and learn more about how to help your kids thrive in the digital age.
To RSVP, email jplemon@smcatholicschools.org.
A Message from our Food Service Director, Mrs. Ludka
We are entering the beautiful month of October, which is filled with rich tapestries of our world's cultures! In China, you can be captivated by the graceful art of Chinese calligraphy, enjoy the flavors of fried rice and fortune cookies, and celebrate the vibrant colors of the Lunar New Year. In Germany, you can dance to lively polka music, savor yummy sausage, and join colorful parades during Oktoberfest. Over in Hispanic heritage, there's the joy of salsa dancing, the taste of mouthwatering tacos, and vibrant festivals. Each culture is like a treasure chest full of wonderful traditions, food, and fun. Let’s embrace and explore these beautiful heritages to learn and grow, and remember, our world is a dazzling mosaic of cultures waiting to be celebrated! We are very excited to let our children celebrate through our hot lunch program this month by introducing authentic meals from each of these cultures. Each school will have a map in their cafe so we can show the children where we are exploring foods from.
Elementary Breakfast & Lunch Menus
First Friday Adoration
Adoration takes place in the St. Mary Catholic High School chapel, located at 1050 Zephyr Drive in Neenah. Sign up here.
Elementary Band Update
We are in the process of interviewing candidates for the elementary band teacher position. Elementary band will begin as soon as we are able to fill this position. Updates will be shared with families as soon as possible.
Dress Code Reminders
A few reminders from the SMCS Elementary Dress Code:
- Navy blue or khaki shorts and capris in solid color may be worn in August & September and May & June.
- Dress shorts must be 3” above the knee or longer (no athletic shorts).
- Navy blue or khaki skorts, skirts, or jumpers must be 3” above the knee or longer.
- Navy blue and light blue solid-colored polo dresses must be 3” above the knee or longer.
- Jumpers must be worn with a dress-code approved collared shirt underneath.
- Sandals may be worn in May & June and August & September. Sandals must have a strap across the ankle. Flip-flops of any kind are not allowed. “Crocs” or similar style shoes are not allowed.
- An additional pair of tied or Velcro tennis shoes that are non-marking or light-bottomed need to be left at school at all times for physical education.
- On Zephyr Spirit day, students may wear Zephyr t-shirts, apparel, and/or school colors. Students may wear casual pants or leggings.
- On out-of-dress code days, students may wear leggings.
- On a student’s birthday or half-birthday he/she may be out of dress code. If the birthday falls on a weekend, the student may choose the Friday before or Monday after.
- When a student is out of uniform for an approved reason, he/she must dress modestly for a Catholic School setting. School administrator has the right to determine what is appropriate.
Link to full SMCS Elementary Dress Code
Interested in Volunteering at SMCS?
We are so grateful for our volunteers and are always looking for new and returning faces to help out in our schools!
Please visit the Volunteer Hub on our website to learn more about how you can complete the required steps to volunteer with SMCS.
If you are already a volunteer with SMCS, please ensure you have completed all Safe Environment requirements through Virtus Online- background check, online Virtus annual retraining, and annual acknowledgment form.
If you have any questions on the Safe Environment process, please reach out to the Human Resources department: pfoulks@smcatholicschools.org and ckind@smcatholicschools.org.
Discipleship Digest
When something is truly important to us, we seek after it. Recent weeks have given us heart-rending images of people seeking their loved ones among the devastation in Morocco and Libya. Diplomats seek peace in Ukraine. Auto workers seek justice in the workplace.
We even find ourselves seeking our keys when running late for an appointment. Today Isaiah tells us to “Seek the LORD while He may be found, call to Him while He is near.” We seek what is truly important to us.
The heart of the Gospel is that the Lord is also seeking after us! Knowing that we are lost sheep, the Good Shepherd doesn’t rest until He has found us. Better still, Jesus wants to be found by us!
Do you want to seek the Lord? Here is some spiritual GPS guidance. Seek Jesus at the Twin Cities Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration Chapel. More information is available in the bulletin or online, and you can always get access by contacting a parish staff member or any regular visitor to the chapel. It is located on the back entrance at St. Margaret Mary, but is a shared ministry of all five parishes of Neenah-Menasha.
Are you just seeking a moment of quiet? Worried about a loved one? Overflowing with gratitude? Or just trying to find a little peace in a chaotic world? Then it’s time to seek the Lord. You can find Him, waiting for you in the chapel. As He told His first disciples so many years ago, “Come and see.”
©Steve Pable, Director of Adult Discipleship Formation
Welcome – Worship – Witness
YOUTH HOCKEY - Fox Valley Blades
Boys and girls age 4-8, come give hockey a try. The Fox Valley Blades offer two great low cost introductory options to see if hockey is right for you. No skating experience is needed.
PROGRAM 1: choose 8 weeks or 16 weeks. 8 week introductory sessions are available for $50. First year skaters are offered one 8 week session at no cost. Full equipment rental is available for $50.
Visit www.foxvalleyyouthhockey.com for more information (select PROGRAMS tab, choose INTRODUCTORY PROGRAM)
PROGRAM 2: one day program. 3 dates to choose from. Join us to try hockey for free. Full equipment is provided.
Visit https://foxvalleytryhockeyforfree.eventbrite.com/ for program dates and more information
Bring a friend and join us for 1 day, 8 weeks or both!
Tuition Discount Opportunity
Our After School Care Program is hiring! If you or someone you know is looking for a part-time job, join SMCS! The schedule will be Monday – Friday from 2:45 – 5/5:30 p.m.
This is a paid position that offers great benefits! If you have a child enrolled in our schools, you will receive 50% off their school tuition and while you work in the after school care program, you can bring your child with you for free!
If you are interested in learning more about the After School Care Provider position or would like to apply, please contact the Human Resources Department by calling 920-722-7796 and ask for HR or email pfoulks@smcatholicschools.org or ckind@smcatholicschools.org
Sports, Fine Arts, & Football Games
We invite all families to attend our co-curricular athletic and fine arts events!
Click here for the SMCS Big East Sports Calendar
Click here for the SMCS Fine Arts Calendar
Football season is underway! To ensure the safety and well-being of all our students, it is our expectation that middle school and elementary-age students attend these high school sporting events with a responsible adult for proper supervision. Your presence ensures that our younger students can fully enjoy and engage in the event while being under the guidance of a caring adult.
At our home football games, we have yellow ropes marking off areas of safety for middle school and elementary students. We kindly ask that you stay within these ropes. This keeps all students in the light and on the grass or blacktop for safety.
A Look Ahead...
Sept. 24 - Homecoming prayer service & pep rally
Sept. 25-29 - Homecoming week dress-up days
Sept. 29 - Homecoming Parade and Football Game
Oct. 3 - Zephyr Spirit Day
Oct. 6 - Zephyrs Connect
Oct. 19 - Evening parent-teacher conferences (elementary)
Oct. 20 - No school. Parent-teacher conferences (a.m.), staff development (p.m.)
Helpful Links
Contact Information
St. Gabriel: 920-725-4161
St. Gabriel Associate Principal: Mrs. Giombetti, jgiombetti@smcatholicschools.org
St. Margaret Mary: 920-729-4565
St. Margaret Mary Associate Principal: Mrs. Lutz, jlutz@smcatholicschools.org
St. Mary: 920-725-5351
St. Mary Associate Principal: Mrs. Blahnik, cblahnik@smcatholicschools.org
Elementary Principal: Mrs. Cihlar, acihlar@smcatholicschools.org