Weekly Howl-2.20.23

Happy President's Day! I hope everyone has been enjoying their long weekend.

This week begins our celebration of the Lenten season, with Ash Wednesday. Our weekly School Mass falls on Ash Wednesday and we hope to see parents, family, and friends gathered with us at

10:00 a.m., as we renew our faith, hope, and love, and commit to growing closer to Christ during this Lenten season. The Church gives us Lent as a time to reflect on the paschal mystery and how that translates into our daily life through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.

As I prepare my heart for the Lenten season, I reflect on last week's beautiful event for many of the second graders participating in their first Reconciliation. To see the class moms gather outside St. Francis by the Sea Catholic Church (see cover photo), observe them as prayer warriors on bended knees, praying for their child, the students in the class, and the teachers, was a gift. Thank you for allowing those in the Church to witness this beautiful and holy moment in time. The smiles from the students after leaving the confessional were heartwarming and reaffirming that each are on a lifechanging sacramental journey. Thank you for allowing SFCS to be a part of that journey of making saints and saving souls.

Wishing you a peace-filled week of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, as your family begins the Lenten season.

Blessings,

Andrea

Andrea Smith, M.Ed., LPC, NCC

Principal

Orderliness: Establish order in one's life. Keep belongings organized and tidy.

Our Prayer :

Dear Jesus,

You created all things in perfect order. Please help me keep order in my own life.

Amen

Our collection of lost sweatshirts, water bottles, various school uniform pieces, PE shirts, and jackets continues to grow! We do not want these items to take over our space, so please stop by the School Office and pick up your student's lost items today! Items are also brought to all lunches, so please remind your student(s) to check through the piles for any items which may be theirs. All items left at the end of the month will be donated. Thank you for your assistance with lowering our lost and found inventory.

The re-registration period for the 2023-2024 school year will open on February 1, for families currently attending St. Francis Catholic School and for any siblings that may wish to enroll. This enrollment period specifically for current SFCS families, will go through Friday, March 3. A completed application for admission is required as soon as possible for any siblings who do not currently attend our school but wish to enroll for the '23-'24 academic year. Re-registration will be considered incomplete if your completed form and fees are not turned in by March 3, as open enrollment for new families begin on Monday, March 6, 2023. Many of our classes are currently at capacity which may result in a waitlist once open enrollment begins. Please contact the School Office if additional registration forms are needed.

Students should plan to get out their favorite green shirt, socks, and hat, to celebrate St. Patrick's Day on Friday, March 17. Students may wear their favorite St. Patrick's Day gear with jeans or uniform bottoms. Jeans may not have any holes, rips, or tears. Tops may have a St. Patrick's Day motif or a solid holiday color. Apparel should not feature any alcohol advertising.☘️

"The Reverend Monsignor Martin T. Laughlin Scholarship Application" sponsored by the Women of St. Francis is now available to all currently enrolled SFCS students in grades PreK through 7th. This is a need-based scholarship. Please contact the School Office for an application if interested in applying. The application deadline is March 24, 2023.

Beginning January 9, the School Office will close every Monday at 3:00 p.m. for a staff meeting. Please make note of this change.

Join the St. Francis Catholic School community at St. Francis by the Sea Catholic Church for School Family Sunday Mass on the following Sundays:

March 19, 2023

April 16, 2023

May 21, 2023

We hope to see our families at each monthly Family Sunday Mass! Students should wear their Mass uniforms and dress code shoes. If your student would like to sing in the choir, please meet Mrs. Sweeney by the piano no later than 8:40 a.m. We'd love to have your student participate!

Friday, Feb. 24 is the one-year anniversary of the war in Ukraine. As we mark this day, students, faculty, and staff will take a break from their classes at 10:00 a.m. to pray the Rosary for a peaceful end to the conflict. We ask parents, guardians, grandparents, family, and friends, to join us from your home or office and pray with us, beginning at 10:00 a.m.

Two Music Opportunities for the Youth of our Parish!

Pueri Cantores is open to all children of the parish in grades three and up (or the equivalent if home schooled) and is a new ensemble of the Parish Music Ministry. Pueri Cantores will minister once monthly at a weekend Mass from September through June. All are welcome as there is no audition for this group. This choir will serve as principal ministers of music at their selected Mass.

Schola Cantorum

Schola Cantorum is an auditioned ensemble for students of any age, but music will be geared to two-part middle school choral literature. The ensemble will sing a variety of musical genres with a particular emphasis on Latin. Both ensembles will primarily minister at St. Francis Masses, but also will give concerts locally, regionally, and nationally along with tour opportunities. Schola Cantorum will follow the structure of the Royal School of Church Music and will also be members of the American Federation of Pueri Cantores.

Rehearsals for the youth in our parish interested in singing are weekly on Thursdays from 5:30 pm - 6:10 pm with pickup at 6:15 pm, at St. Francis by the Sea Catholic Church.

Student Cantors

Students interested in becoming a Cantor for regular weekend Masses also will have an opportunity to enter Cantor Formation! Children interested in becoming a Parish Cantor meet at 5 pm prior to rehearsal.

For more information, please contact Director of Music Ministries at St. Francis by the Sea Catholic Church, Lisa Screeton at l-screeton@stfrancishhi.org for more information.

Please remember that on Friday, March 3, 2023, there will be no school for students while teachers participate in an all-day Diocesan professional development conference.

Middle school students are invited to the annual Middle School Dance. The theme, selected by the 8th grade class is "Black Tie". We look forward to hosting this fun event on campus for grades 6, 7, and 8! Tickets are $10.00 per person. Check in begins at 6:45 p.m. Lock-in will be 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Attendees should be in modest and appropriate attire. No low cut, spaghetti straps, strapless, or high slit dresses for the girls. Jackets and ties are optional for the boys but no t-shirts, jeans, or pants with holes, rips, or tears.

Save the date for our annual Grandparents/Grandfriends Day on April 5, 2023. This annual event will begin with Mass at St. Francis by the Sea Catholic Church, followed by breakfast, and tours of the campus and classrooms. Don't miss this wonderful tradition! If you would like to preorder SFCS spirit wear, especially for grandparents, please click on the following link:

https://sfcsspiritwear2023.itemorder.com/shop/home/

Members of Mrs. Gaherty's and Mrs. Schoeppe's 2nd grade class made their First Confession this past week. Thank you to the parents and family members who came to pray and sit with their student during this special time in their sacramental journey.

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)

The first graders had a great week! They celebrated Valentine’s Day by doing a fun math activity with valentine candy. They had fun exchanging Valentines and having a party. Mrs. Smith was our Mystery Reader this week. The first graders enjoyed the story she read to them.

Last week, Mrs. Brewster's 5th Grade Class took a field trip to the Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum in Pooler, GA. The class had a dedicated tour guide who shared so much history showcased at this wonderful museum. What a terrific opportunity these students had to see, feel, and hear about stories of courage, character, and patriotism.

Our sixth grade science class is beginning a study of the atmosphere. Students were introduced to the chemistry topics of atoms, molecules, and chemical bonding by building models of important molecules in Earth's atmosphere. In the process they learned that that the atoms of elements are different, atoms combine to make molecules, molecules have chemical formulas, elements are represented by symbols, and scientific drawing. Students also learned how to put together models of molecules by looking at a chemical formula. Students also learned the importance of the molecules to Earth's atmosphere, and that they each have a function.

Our Middle School Students were treated with a guest visit from the Greenwood Genetics Center. All middle schoolers learned the importance of accurate micro pipetting skills. Seventh and eighth grade students were taught how to use the lab equipment provided to load samples into an agarose gel that was then placed into an electrophoresis chamber. They learned that gel electrophoresis works to separate molecules based on their size and electric charge. Each group's test samples included two controls and two sample dishes. Students examined the results to determine which dishes, if any, were contaminated with peanuts. Class finished with a discussion about how peanuts could get into a dish that wasn't supposed to contain them and we learned about cross-contamination and how that could occur.

Sixth grade students learned the principles of gel electrophoresis by examining how different colors were combined to make a new color. They made various mixtures of colored solutions, filled the gel chambers, and saw how the colors separated into a rainbow based on the size and charge of the molecules.

Greenwood Genetics Lab did a terrific job teaching our students new experiences and skills. Thank you for a great day!

The Bake Club made chocolate covered strawberries for Valentine's Day with fresh strawberries picked in Florida by Mrs. Sweeney. Each baker went home with a dozen strawberries for their loved ones!!

2/24-26 - Diocesan Tournament – Charleston

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!

The FSA has secured some spiffy new SFCS spirit wear! Below is a sampling of what's available. Please click on the following link to order:

https://sfcsspiritwear2023.itemorder.com/shop/home/

Orders will be taken through February 28.

https://www.facebook.com/sfcshhi

Email: school@sfcshhi.com
Website: sfcshhi.com
Location: 45 Beach City Rd, HHI, SC 29926
Phone: 843-681-6501
Facebook: facebook.com/sfcshhi