St. Mary Newsletter
11.29.2023
St. Mary Elementary Newsletter
January 10th, 2024
SMCS Mission
Preparing and inspiring students to lead meaningful lives, rooted in the teachings of Christ and our Catholic tradition.
Greetings from the Principal
Christ is Born!
Dear SMCS families,
EPIPHANY
This week we celebrated Epiphany in the church. Fr. Michael Lightner blessed our chalk and each classroom has the blessing/prayer to bless their classroom for the new year. This is something you can also do at home. Here is a prayer you can use to bless your threshold with the chalk marking 20+C+M+B+24.
TESTING
January is here! We are specifically focused on our Mid-Year Literacy and STAR testing this month. Please watch for your teacher's weekly newsletters for details regarding this testing and how it will impact your child.
NEW STUDENT
This month we have one new student joining us in PK4 - Welcome to our school Liam and family!
BAPTISMS
Congratulations to Aizen and Tristan who will be baptized this coming weekend! We are so excited to welcome you into the church in this special way!
NEW STAFF MEMBER
We also welcome new staff member, EL Teacher, Ms. Dori Sanchez. Ms. Sanchez is a recent graduate of UWGB's education program with a specialization in working with English Learners. This semester she will be easing into her new position by getting to know the students, our campus and the learning team teachers. We are truly blessed to have her joining us! January 10th will be her first day.
THANK YOU FAMILIES
A HUGE thank you to all of the families who made our December activities go so smoothly... we could not have done any of our activities without you! You helped with the Posada, Tie-Blankets for Homeless Children, Adopt a Family Gifts and Dress Down $ collection, Cookie Decorating, and everything in between. 💙💛💙💛
CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK & SPECIAL PERSONS DAY
January 28th - February 2nd will be filled with a number of fun activities and events. Next week I will release a detailed calendar for each day of that week. Please save the date for Sunday, January 28th though, because that will be our school's Special Person's Day. Come to the 11:00 am mass at St. Mary here in Menasha, enjoy a lovely reception in the cafeteria with some breakfast snacks, and have your child bring you to their classroom for a special gift and tour of their classroom.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Crystal Blahnik
Associate Principal ~ St. Mary Elementary
4K & Preschool Preview Day
PARKING SAFETY AND HANDICAPPED REMINDERS
Please watch for children, buses and moving vehicles at dropoff and pickup. While our start and end times are staggered with Head Start, we still have a lot of adults, children and vehicles to navigate each day.
1. Escort your child across the street if parking on the opposite side of 2nd St.
2. Please Don't have your child run across the street without you
3. Meet your child in the courtyard or in front of the church at pickup, please don't have them walk across the street unescorted
4. Please be aware of Handicapped Spaces and Bus Spaces. We do have families in our community that rely on these spaces. Do not use them unless you have a proper handicapped tag.
DECEMBER HIGHLIGHTS
ADOPT A FAMILY
Our dress down tickets funded this beautiful outpouring of Christmas gifts for one of our own families.
COOKIE DECORATING
DRESS UP DAY
Teacher Wishlist
If you are looking for a way to support your child's classroom teacher, please consider giving a classroom donation to the "Teacher Wishlist". Thank you!
All Aboard for Turkey Bowling!
Don't wait... Registration closes January 25.
Date: Saturday, January 27, 2024, 1:00 p.m. Get ready for some kid-free fun on the ice at Payne's Point Hook and Spear Club in Neenah! Bundle up and get ready to throw some frozen foul on our turkey bowling ice lanes!
Arrive at the Clubhouse at 1pm, and bowling will start promptly at 1:30. Bowling is optional, cheering is required! Warm up in between matches in the cozy Clubhouse where there will be plenty of appetizers and drinks available. When darkness hits, the fun doesn’t end! Head inside for dinner, games and live entertainment by Pat Pedersen.
Upcoming Events
JANUARY CALENDAR
January 9th - First day of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (1st Grade) SM Elementary ..... and EVERY Monday through the end of May.
January 11th - 1st Grade to Children's Museum
January 12th - Fr. Mark Mleziva (coming to speak about vocations!)
January 17th - Parish/School Staff Potluck Meal
January 22nd - NO SCHOOL/Staff PD (development day)
January 28th - SPECIAL PERSON'S DAY! Mass, Reception, Open House and Classroom tours. 11:00 am- 1:00 pm St. Mary Church and School. Catholic Schools Week kick of
Helpful Links
Contact Information
Phone: 920-725-5351
Associate Principal: Mrs. Blahnik, cblahnik@smcatholicschools.org
Elementary Principal: Mrs. Cihlar, acihlar@smcatholicschools.org