The Trojan Times
Saint Maria Goretti Catholic School January 26, 2020
Mission Statement
St. Maria Goretti is a living testament to our Lord's work in His youngest disciples, exemplified by academic excellence, spiritual formation, and compassionate service to others.
Principal's Message
Dear St. Maria Goretti Catholic School Families,
What a great start to Catholic Schools Week 2020! The school Open House and annual Spaghetti Dinner were a huge success, and we enjoyed having our whole SMG community come together as we support our wonderful Catholic school! I am so proud of all of our students for their participation in the Masses and in all of the activities this weekend, as well as showing their Trojan pride and representing our school by wearing their school uniforms. I heard so many positive comments from parishioners and visitors today expressing how impressed they were by our students. I enjoyed speaking to parishioners during the 9AM and 11AM Mass this morning and meeting so many new faces as well. A transcript of my address can be found at
https://smgschool.org/documents/2020/1/CSW%20Speech%202020.pdf
We are all set to celebrate this week and have many exciting events planned for our students, parents, faculty/staff, volunteers, and community. Please see below for all that is happening at SMG during Catholic Schools Week!
Early Bird Registration & Enrollment for the 2020-2021 school year opened last Tuesday and we are well on our way to planning for next year! Details, including the 2020-2021 tuition rates, were communicated via an email to parents, and a paper copy of the registration information was sent home in the Friday folders as well. All registration and enrollment information can also be found on our website. Be sure to take advantage of the Early Bird Tuition rate by registering before February 10, 2020! As a reminder, tuition assistance is available and Father Jim and I are committed to making a Catholic education available to any family who wishes one for their child(ren). I encourage you to contact me with any questions or concerns.
Our Dinner, Dance and Auction committee is busy organizing a fantastic event! Please get your Boots and Bling together and plan to join us for the Dinner, Dance and Auction which will take place on Saturday, February 15, 2020 beginning at 6PM in the Holy Family Life Center. The Dinner Dance is not only one of the school's largest fundraisers of the year, it is a lot of fun!! Tickets can be purchased online (see info below or school website). We look forward to seeing all of you there!
St. Maria Goretti, Pray for Us!
Blessings,
Laura Behee, M.Ed.
Principal
UPCOMING EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES
Catholic Schools Week 2020!!
Catholic Schools Week is a time to celebrate our Catholic schools, specifically all that is True, Good, and Beautiful happening at SMG!
Catholic Schools Week at SMG 2020:
- Sunday, January 26th: Catholic Schools Week Begins!
- Monday, January 27th: Volunteer Appreciation Day. All volunteers are welcome to join us for breakfast and a short performance in the cafetorium beginning at 8AM. Volunteers can RSVP to attend by calling the front office (817) 275-5081 or using the following link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090448AFA82CA7FB6-volunteer
- Tuesday, January 28th: Parent Appreciation Day: Parents, look for a special treat in morning car line today!
- Wednesday, January 29th: Faculty/Staff Appreciation Day: Households Mass at 8:00AM. All are always welcome to join us for mass on Wednedays, but especially encouraged to attend our Household Mass! Thank you to our volunteers who are covering classrooms while faculty/staff enjoys lunch and an entire hour-long lunch break.
- Thursday, January 30th: Community Day: Students will be collecting various items which are needed at Cook Children's Hospital. Specific information regarding items needed will be communicated by homeroom teachers and can also be found further down in this newsletter. Students will also be writing thank you letters to First Responders in our community. 4th Grade Invention Convention; 8:30-10:30AM in the cafetorium
- Friday, January 31st: Student Appreciation Day-Faith Families Assembly beginning at 7:55AM; World Read Aloud Day; the SMG 28-Day Read Aloud Challenge kick off; DEAR (Drop Everything And Read) will be announced twice that morning beginning at 9:15AM. We will announce two lucky winners each hour during DEAR time who will receive $5 Half-Priced Books gift cards. Yo-Yo Presentation at 1:00PM in the cafetorium; Faculty/Staff vs. Students Volleyball Game at 2:00PM in the gym.
Community Day: Collecting Items for Cook Children's Hospital
As members of the Body of Christ, we are called to help those in need. We will be hosting a drive to help support Cook Children’s Hospital. Our drive will run from Thursday, January 23, 2020 until ??????.
Our overall school goal is for each student to donate an item to the drive. We would like to encourage the students to make the donation from their own pocket if possible, to acknowledge the gift of health and blessings with which God has blessed them. Each grade level is responsible for a different item for the baskets. The following are items that are needed at Cook Children’s at this time.
Lego sets
Fisher Price Medical Kits
Fisher Price “Little People” toys and dolls
Action figures (Super Heroes, Transformers, etc…)
Playing cards
Infant board books
Infant rattles
Travel size deodorants, toothpastes, shampoo, conditioner and body wash
Fiskar scissors
Ultra Fine Sharpies
School Glue
Stretched Canvas and boards
Playdoh
Adult Coloring Books and Journals
“It’s not how much we give-but how much love we put into giving.”-
Mother Teresa
World Read Aloud Day and the SMG 28-Day Read Aloud Challenge
On Friday, January 31st, we will be celebrating World Read-Aloud Day 2020 which actually takes place this year on February 5th. What is World Read-Aloud Day? Every year on World Read-Aloud Day, children, teens, and adults across the U.S. and in more than 100 countries worldwide celebrate the power of words by reading aloud and sharing stories to promote literacy. At SMG, students will be celebrating by "dropping everything and reading" and listening to stories being read aloud.
We are also using this day to kick-off our second annual St. Maria Goretti Catholic School 28-Day Read-Aloud Challenge! We are challenging students to read aloud for at least 10 minutes each day during the month of February. Students can read to anyone: a sibling, a parent, a grandma, a stuffed animal…..the point is to READ!! All students who complete the challenge will be eligible to win prizes during our Morning Assembly on March 5th.
More information about World Read Aloud Day and how to participate in the 28-Day Read-Aloud Challenge, including the 28-Day Read Aloud Calendar, was sent home in the Friday Folders and can also be found at the following links.
https://smgschool.org/documents/2019/1/28%20Day%20Read%20Aloud%20Challange%20Calendar.pdf
https://smgschool.org/documents/2020/1/28%20Day%20Read%20Aloud%20Challenge%20Directions%202020.pdf
Read Aloud Resources:
Around the World Yoyo Entertainment!
Around the World Yoyo Entertainment will present the “School is Cool” assembly next Friday, January 31st during our Student Appreciation Day assembly! It is a fun, fast paced, motivational, educational, inter-active program.
The entertainer is not only great with the yoyo; he is also a successful and experienced communicator. He will take the students on a learning journey using the yoyo and other fun activities to communicate the importance of school.
For five days following the assembly, yoyos will be available for students to purchase. There are three types of high quality yoyos in a variety of colors, with prices ranging from $8-$16. Order forms to purchase yoyos were sent home in the Friday folder last week and will also be available at the front desk and by visiting the following link.
https://smgschool.org/documents/2020/1/Yoyo%20Letter%20%20Order%20Form.pdf
Valentine Grams on Sale Now!
The Student Council will be running a fundraiser for Valentine’s Day. We will be selling Valentine grams for $1 each. The grams are tags that will be delivered on Friday, February 14. Along with each gram, there will be a rainbow twist lollipop. If you would like to purchase a gram for your student, please return the form (that was sent home in the Friday Folders) along with the necessary information (Student’s name, grade, and a personal message of your choice). The deadline for sending in orders is Wednesday, February 12th.
Additional order forms are available at the Front Office or at the following link:
https://smgschool.org/documents/2020/1/Valentine%20Gram%20Tags.pdf
Rubik's Cube Club
Sign up at the following link https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0D45A8AC2FABFD0-rubik
There is Still Time to Join the SMG Running Club
It is not too late to join the SMG Running Club.
These are the official Thursday dates that Running Club will meet:
- Feb. 6, 13, 20
- Mar. 5, 19, 26
- April 2, 23, 30
- May 7, 14
Running Club Information Flyer: https://ec-prod-sites.s3.amazonaws.com/12396/documents/2020/1/Running%20Club%20Flyer%202019%202-1.pdf
Running Club Sign-Up Form: https://ec-prod-sites.s3.amazonaws.com/12396/documents/2020/1/Running%20Club%20sign-up%20form%202019%202-1.pdf
Girls of Grace
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Get Your 2020 Dinner, Dance and Auction Tickets Today!
The Annual SMG Dinner, Dance and Auction is Saturday, February 15, 2020! Purchase your tickets today by visiting https://smgschool.org/dinner-dance!
If you have questions about volunteering or just want to learn more about Dinner Dance, please contact Kathy Knowles at this corrected email address:
817-240-2119
REMINDERS
The 2019-2020 Annual Fund
The St. Maria Goretti Catholic School Annual Fund is essential to help fill the gap between tuition and operating expenses. The school’s 2019-2020 Annual Fund helps provide funding for many of the school’s most pressing needs such as academic enhancements, security improvements and updates, professional development for our teachers, and general operating expenses.
Please, prayerfully consider supporting our school through the 2019-2020 Annual Fund. Donations can be made by check (payable to SMG Catholic School), or online by visiting https://smgschool.org/give-now. Every gift counts!
Remember to Keep Collecting Those BoxTops!
Rainy Day Morning Drop Off Procedure--Addendum to the Family Handbook
You talked, we listened! Inclement weather, especially the torrential downpours we experienced last week, make morning drop-off in the back of the school especially difficult and confusing. In an effort to not only clarify, but more importantly for the safety of our students, we have made a change to the morning drop-off procedure during severe, rainy weather. Please follow the link below for specifics and a map outlining the procedure change. This information can also be found on the school website and will be included in next year's Family Handbook.
Nolan Catholic High School Happenings
Online Application is Open
New Student Tuition Assistance Application is NOW OPEN
The application for returning students opened December , 2019. Learn More.
Spring Preview
Nolan Catholic High School would like to invite all prospective families, transfer students, and 6th-8th-grade families to our Spring Preview on Friday, March 20, 2020. Families interested in learning more about the admissions process and tuition assistance are encouraged to join us. This two hour event will run from 9:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. beginning in the NCHS Auditorium. Hear from Nolan Catholic Administration, current NCHS families and students, enjoy a campus tour, and leave with a better understanding of why Nolan Catholic is the right educational choice.
Please contact admissions@nchstx.org to schedule a family tour, or for more information.
LAST WEEK AT SMG.....
School Open House and Spaghetti Dinner - Another Great Event at SMG!
SMG opened our doors Sunday to provide campus tours for prospective families. The Saint Maria Goretti Catholic School faculty and staff were on hand to welcome visitors and provide a glimpse of the curriculum and the Catholic education offered at our school. A scrumptious Spaghetti Dinner was offered in the Holy Family Life Center where we shared fellowship with our SMG community! A huge THANK YOU to our many volunteers who once again made the day such a success! More pictures to come next week!
Texas Rangers Foundation Grant Presentation
Texas Rangers pitcher, Brock Burke #70, mascot, Captain, and Mr. Ray Casas, Manager of Programs & Community Outreach for the Texas Rangers stopped by SMG to congratulate us on being one of the recipients of the Texas Rangers Foundation Grant, which will be used to make some much needed improvements to our baseball/softball field. Students, faculty, and staff enjoyed the interview and Q & A session, and Brock and Captain generously (and patiently) participated in numerous photo-ops and provided many autographs to SMG fans!
PK4 Ice Skating During Indoor Recess
PK4 Practicing Sight Words and Winter Word Math Problems
HALLWAY HAPPENINGS
Spanish Class - The Hungry Caterpillar
4th Grade - We are Like Snowflakes - Unique
3rd Grade Students Set 2020 Goals
3rd Grade: MLK I Have A Dream
1st Grade Learns to Regroup
PK4 Offer Advice to Melting Snowmen
PK4 Catholic Virtues
Boy Scouts Support SMG Basketball Teams!
On Sunday, January 18th, SMG Tiger Den from Pack 15 (who meets at SMG and mainly SMG 1st graders) went to Nolan Catholic High School to support SMG 8th grade boys basketball and earn a scout badge. Fun outing! Our Cub Scouts learned what it takes to be a part of a team!
School Website Under Construction
Pardon our reconstruction.....we are in the process of cleaning up and updating the school website. This is a work in progress, and we ask for your patience as we work to improve the site. In the meantime, if you are unable to find information you are looking for on the website, please feel free to call the office.
Calendar Notes
- Jan. 26-Feb. 1: Catholic Schools Week (see above for details)
- Monday, 1/27: Volunteer Breakfast 8:00AM; Rubik Cube Club Meeting Lunch/Recess; Ceceilian Singers 3:30-4:15PM; PSIA2nd-8th Spelling 3:30-4:15PM; PSIA 4th-8th On-Site Drawing
- Tuesday, 1/28: PSIA 6th/7th Reading Writing 3:30-4:15PM
- Wednesday, 1/29: Households Mass, 8:00AM; PSIA 2nd/3rd Math 3:30-4:15PM; PSIA 4th/5th Math 3:30-4:15PM; PSIA 1st/2nd Creative Writing 3:30-4:15PM; PSIA 4th-6th Maps, Graphs & Charts 3:30-4:15PM
- Thursday, 1/30: 4th Grade Invention Convention 8:45-10:30PM; PSIA 6th-8th Math 3:30-4:15PM; PSIA 3rd-5th Ready Writing CANCELLED; Library Aid Society 3:30-4:15PM
- Friday, 1/31: Faith Families/Morning Assembly 7:50AM; DEAR (Drop Everything And Read) 9:15AM, 10:15AM; Yo-Yo Presentation 1:00PM, 8th Grade vs. Staff Volleyball Game 2:00PM
Need Prayers?
We all do!! The St. Maria Goretti Catholic School Community would love to pray for you and your intentions. Please send all prayer requests to: smgprays4u@smgschool.org.
Meet Our Priests!
St. Maria Goretti Parish Website: https://www.smgparish.org/
Fr. Jim Angert, T.O.R.
Fr. Mike Ciski, T.O.R.
Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth
Serving the North Texas Catholic community by providing the faithful opportunities to grow in Christian discipleship and strengthen their relationship with Jesus Christ.
St. Maria Goretti Catholic School
Email: development@smgschool.org
Website: https://smgschool.org
Location: 1200 South Davis Drive, Arlington, TX, USA
Phone: (817)275-5081
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StMariaGorettiArlington/