Weekly Howl
St. Francis Catholic School - 12.05.2022
SFCS celebrates 26 Years of Growing Together in Faith & Knowledge
Dear SFCS Parents & Friends,
Wow! What a week the SFCS community had!
We began our first week of Advent with the tradition of middle school students and teachers guiding all PreK - 8th grade students to their morning classes by candlelight and beautiful Christmas music. During the Advent season, students have this morning time to reflect and prepare their hearts for Jesus' birth.
SFCS Athletic Department hosted the weeklong "Knights of Columbus Tip-Off Classic", welcoming nine schools and 16 basketball teams to our campus. There were exciting games played, and late nights for the athletes, coaches, and parents. Congratulations to all the teams and players who gave their all at each and every game. The St. Francis Wolves placed second in the Championship. The Lady Wolves placed fourth. We are proud of both of our teams for their endurance, grit, and determination, and representing SFCS so well. (See photos featured below)
I have to brag on one or our 8th grade students. Nathan Gudaitis played in the basketball tournament all week, which included two grueling back-to-back nights of basketball Thursday and Friday. If you came to the games, you would have witnessed SFCS' terrific teamwork, and Nathan was instrumental in those games. On Saturday, we had the 4th Annual Reindeer Run, with Nathan coming in first place for the 5K! Great athletic opportunities are ahead for Nathan as he finishes up his final year at SFCS and heads to high school. Congratulations, Nathan!
On Saturday, SFCS hosted the 4th Annual Reindeer Run, with brunch catered by the Salty Dog. A note of thanks and gratitude to Megan and Zach Drescher, and Julie and Keith Pavlick, for spearheading and working hand-in-hand preparing for this very special event. It was fabulous! We had over 200 registered race participants and brunch attendees! A note of thanks also to all the parent, faculty, and staff volunteers who helped to make this event happen. Thank you, thank you, thank you! We are blessed with an amazing school community! It was also a blessing to meet and visit with so many grandparents. I am in awe at the number of grandparents who are so supportive, and influential in the lives of our students. Thank you for the gift of your presence and wisdom in their lives and in our community. (See photos featured below)
Let's commit to praying for each other, as families, students, faculty, and staff, continue to prepare for Jesus' birth. It is easy to get caught up in the busyness of the season, but our focus should remain on our waiting in hope as we repent and prepare for the birth of the Lord, and students finish academically strong before we break for the Christmas holiday.
Peace and blessings during this season of Advent,
Andrea Smith, M.Ed., LPC, NCC
Principal
Mrs. Jacqueline Gerwels
A heartfelt thanks to Mrs. Gerwels for sharing her time and amazing talent. Mrs. Gerwels decorated the school for the Christmas season. The entryway and school foyer have been transformed by her beautiful artistry and creativity! Thank you, Mrs. Gerwels, for sharing your fantastic gifts with us!
Megan Drescher and Julie Pavlick and the Salty Dog Cafe
Thank you, Megan and Julie, co-chairs for the 4th Annual Reindeer Run. The amount of time invested in overseeing and working out every detail of this huge event was incredible! A fantastic time was had by all the participants, spectators who cheered the racers on, volunteers, and brunch goers. The Salty Dog did a wonderful job with brunch. So delicious! Thank you so very much for your generosity!
Trustworthiness
Trustworthiness: Perform actions that restore and maintain trust.
Our Prayer :
Dear Jesus,
Help me to be faithful even in the little things of each day.
Amen
PSAT Score Reports
The PSAT score reports will be going home this week with your 8th grade student. Please be on the lookout for this important document.
Poinsettias - White or Red
Beautiful white or red poinsettias are available for purchase from the School Office or during carline pickup in front of the St. Francis Catholic School marquee. $20 each. Please make checks payable to SFCS. This fundraiser supports FSA. Thank you!
School Mass - Thursday, December 8 - Immaculate Conception
Please note our School Mass this week will be celebrated on Thursday, December 8, at 10:00 a.m. for the Immaculate Conception which is a Holy Day of Obligation. Students should wear their Mass uniforms on Thursday. Parents, guardians, family, and friends are invited to attend. In keeping with our Safe Environment guidelines, we ask visitors to please sit on the left side of the Church (Mary's side).
Student Christmas Dress Up Days! - December 12-16
The week of December 12 will be Christmas themed dress up days for all SFCS students.
Monday - December 12 - Christmas Sock Day (uniform top and bottom)
Tuesday - December 13 - Christmas Hat/Scarf Day (uniform top and bottom)
Wednesday - December 14 - School Mass - Mass Uniform
Thursday - December 15 - Christmas or Ugly Christmas Sweater Day (uniform bottom)
Friday - December 16 - Pajama Day and Breakfast with Santa
SFCS Christmas Advent Concert - December 15
The SFCS annual Christmas Advent Concert is planned for Thursday, December 15 at 6:00 p.m. in the gym. Please plan to attend this beautiful schoolwide event celebrating Christ's birth.
Friday, December 16 - Early Dismissal!
Students will be dismissed at 11:30 a.m. on Friday, December 16. There will be no lunches or Aftercare on this day. All students should be picked up in the carline.
School Family Sunday Mass Dates
Join the St. Francis Catholic School community at St. Francis by the Sea Catholic Church for School Family Sunday Mass on the following Sundays:
December 18, 2022
January 29, 2023
February 19, 2023
March 19, 2023
April 16, 2023
May 21, 2023
The 2023 SFCS GALA - SAPPHIRE BALL - January 27
We are excited for our 2023 SFCS Gala on January 27. Sponsorship information was emailed out last week. There are wonderful sponsorship packages to consider. Please contact fsa.sfcs@gmail.com for more information.
St. Francis Catholic School Facebook Page
Our official Facebook page is "St. Francis Catholic School". In an effort to consolidate communication, and have one central Facebook page for SFCS families to find announcements and learn about upcoming school events, the "St. Francis Families (St. Francis Catholic School, Hilton Head Island)" Facebook page is now inactive. As a reminder, the use of St. Francis Catholic School, or St. Francis by the Sea names, logos, etc., must be approved before associating any group with either name or SFCS. We appreciate your cooperation and partnership with this important policy and ask you to contact Mrs. Smith for school related requests, and the SFBTS Parish office for church related requests. Please join our school Facebook page! (scroll down to the bottom of the newsletter and click on link)
Mrs. Lesley Witkowski - First Grade Assistant
Mrs. Witkowski moved from upstate NY to Hilton Head just over eight years ago. She has been in education for over 15 years and spent her career working with middle school special education students and for the past 8 years on Hilton Head teaching PreSchool. "Ms. Lesley" has been married for 37 years and has two daughters. Outgoing, funny, loves to dance and sing, she can’t pass up petting a dog.
Getting to spend her days in the classroom teaching and caring for her “ Little Lovies” gives her much joy and happiness. We are happy for the Lord's provision of Ms. Lesley and the joy she brings to the first grade classroom and all who know her!
5th Grade - Career Friday
We are grateful to Mr. Chandler for sharing his vast experience as the Georgia District Manager of Lowes. The qualities of being punctual, having an excellent work ethic, determination, and making those around you happy, are the same for both students and leaders. By instilling these character traits and good habits now, our children are setting themselves up for success! Thank you, Mr. Chandler, for your inspiration.
8th Grade - Social Studies - Bill of Rights
8th grade Social Studies students wrote, as well as sang musical parodies about the “Bill of Rights”. Students worked in small groups, picking a popular song and then transformed the song into their own parody explaining the “Bill of Rights” as well as what each amendment meant. After practicing, they then recorded themselves singing the parodies. The students were incredibly creative and did a fantastic job.
4th Annual Reindeer Run and Salty Dog Brunch
ANNUAL FUND
Thank you to all who have given to the SFCS annual fund so far! We are excited that the SFCS faculty has reached their goal of 100% participation! The annual fund is one of the most important gifts we ask of our St. Francis community. Gifts to the St. Francis Catholic School Annual Fund provide students access to opportunities that distinguish the SFCS educational, spiritual, and social experiences. Your gift to the SFCS Annual Fund today, will make an impact on the lives of many young people at our school. During this season of giving, please consider a monetary gift to SFCS' annual fund.
Athletic Events
Monday - senior basketball games - AWAY vs JPII – 4:00 p.m. Girls / 5:00 p.m. Boys
Tuesday - senior basket games - AWAY vs Bolden – 4:00 p.m. Girls / 5:00 p.m. Boys
Wednesday - junior and senior basketball games - HOME vs Cross – 4:00 p.m. Jr Girls / 5:00 p.m. Jr Boys / 6:00 p.m. Sr Girls / 7:00 p.m. Sr Boys - (4 games)
Thursday - junior and senior basketball games- AWAY vs Holy Trinity – 4:00 p.m. Jr Boys / 5:00 p.m. Sr. Girls / 6:00 Boys - (3 games)
Basketball!
Last week SFCS hosted the Knights of Columbus Tip-Off Classic in the Wolves' Den. Nine schools and 16 teams competed on the hardwood. A display of great athletics, sportsmanship, and fellowship were witnessed by our community, visiting teams, and fans. Our concession stand was also rocking with sell out days, thanks to Mrs. Sweeney and her volunteers. We also had a special appearance by our Mascot, the Wolf of Gubbio, (Lewis Wolf incognito). Thank you, Lewis, for your amazing dance performances, attempts to start the "wave" and spiriting up the fans in the Wolves' Den! You were AWESOME!
THANK YOU TO OUR BUSINESS SPONSORS SUPPORTING SFCS ATHLETICS!
Specific Glass Jars Needed!
Glass jars from "Oui" yogurt or glass or crock jars from "La Fermiere" yogurt are needed for art projects. If you have these items, please drop them off at the School Office. Thank you!
FSA NEWS!
If you would like to be a part of the FSA community, please contact fsa.sfcs@gmail.com to learn how you may get involved!
SFCS VALUE CARD IS HERE!
ST. FRANCIS CATHOLIC SCHOOL IS ON SOCIAL MEDIA!
St. Francis Catholic School
Email: school@sfcshhi.com
Website: sfcshhi.com
Location: 45 Beach City Rd, HHI, SC 29926
Phone: 843-681-6501
Facebook: facebook.com/sfcshhi