The Trojan Times
Saint Maria Goretti Catholic School February 16, 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 fantastic time last night at the 2020 SMG Dinner, Dance & Auction! Our Dinner Dance committee once again out did themselves with attention to every detail. The Holy Family Life Center was absolutely transformed, decorated beautifully, and the auction items, games, drinks, food, dancing, music, and entertainment were perfect! New this year, artist Lance Brown intrigued guests as he created live, on stage during the auction, a one-of-a-kind painting of Christ. See pictures below--it was absolutely incredible!
We are so grateful to many people whose time, talent, and treasure went into making this year's Boots & Bling themed Dinner Dance a success! Thank you to our Title Sponsor, Michael & Martha McCoy, The Real McCoy Team; our Elite Sponsor, Steve Aslin Illustration; our Sapphire Sponsor, The Diaz Family; our Print Sponsor, PrintMailPro, The Hyde Family; Marketing & Signage, Air Ad Promotions, The Brady Family; Desserts, Marquez Bakery, The Venegas Family; DJ-Dulio Entertainment, The Gonzalez Family; Master of Ceremonies, Mr. Chris Salcedo; Legal Draft Brew Company for donating the beer; our incredible Dinner Dance Committee, Kathy Knowles, Jessica McGuinness, Christy Brady, Alex Massengale, & Cara Saladino; countless volunteers; and of course, all parents, alumni, and friends of SMG who supported our school by attending and/or bidding on items. Thank you, thank you, thank you! We will be sharing more pictures from the event in the coming days via social media and in next week's Trojan TImes.
Speaking of social media, we are hoping to update our official Facebook page with some more recent, positive reviews, likes, and shares. Please visit our official FaceBook page (Facebook@StMariaGorettiArlington) and help us spread the word about our great Catholic school!
Registration & Enrollment: Registration & Enrollment for the 2020-2021 school year is well underway and many took advantage of the Early Bird tuition rate by registering before midnight on February 10th! All registration and enrollment information can also be found on our website. As well, if you would like to defer your registration fee and pay it next month or over the next few months, please contact our registrar, Mrs. de la Pena (jdelapena@smgschool.org). 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 also encourage you to contact me with any questions or concerns.
8th Grade Basketball Tournament: SMG will host the 8th Grade Basketball Tournament this week, February 17-22, 2020. Volunteers are desperately needed to cover concessions, admissions, and score board. Even if you do not have a child on the team, please consider earning helping out and earning Spirit Hours! See below for more details or sign-up to volunteeer by visiting https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0D49A8AF2BA3FF2-smg8th.
Enjoy the rest of your evening!
St. Maria Goretti, Pray for Us!
Blessings,
Laura Behee, M.Ed.
Principal
8th Grade Basketball Tournament Needs Volunteers!
SMG will host the 8th Grade Basketball Tournament next week, February 17-February 22. Volunteers are needed to help make the tournament a success. If you are still in need of Spirit hours to fulfill your Spirit hour commitment, or if you have high school student at Nolan Catholic who is looking for service hours, please consider signing up by following the link below or visiting the sign-up on the school website!
Outdoor Learning Center & Garden
The Outdoor Learning Center & Garden (OLC) is becoming a reality thanks to a great group of dads, alumni, and friends of SMG. Below are some pictures of the progress made last weekend! We are so excited that our students will have the opportunity this spring to enjoy, work, learn, and grow in the OLC!
The SMG 28-Day Read Aloud Challenge
We hope you and your children are enjoying the 28-Day Read-Aloud Challenge and encourage you to keep on reading!
We are about half way through our 28-Day Read-Aloud Challenge that we kicked off on January 31 with World Read-Aloud Day. Keep your kids reading! Remember kids can read to anyone, even their pet!
Students, remember to turn in your completed calendars showing the dates that you read aloud for at least 10 minutes, to your homeroom teacher by Monday, March 2nd.
Students who complete the challenge will be eligible to win prizes in a drawing that will take place on Thursday, March 5th, as we celebrate Dr. Seuss’s birthday during our morning Read Across America Day assembly.
Happy Reading!
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:
Chess Club
The SMG Chess Club meets on Wednesday from 3:30-4:00PM in the 5th-8th Science Room. Space is limited to 20 participants and is open to all 5th-8th Grade students. Sign up at:
The Magic of Chess Video
Anyone who is interested in learning how to play chess, who’s just getting started, or who already loves to play: Watch The Magic of Chess.This charming short film by Jenny Schweitzer Bell, presented by The US Chess Federation, was filmed at the 2019 Elementary Chess Championships at the Nashville Opryland resort. The short film is filled with excellent advice, “uninhibited, philosophical insights” by kids who seem to love playing chess:
https://thekidshouldseethis.com/post/the-magic-of-chess-jenny-schweitzer-bell
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
Fifth through eighth grade girls are invited to join the Girls of Grace Club, a devotional journaling group which meets the third Wednesday of each month, except this month's meeting has been moved to Wednesday, February 26th. Visit our web site for more information https://smgschool.org/girls-of-grace
.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.
SMG Alumni and Former Student News
Calling all St. Maria Goretti Catholic School Alumni and Former Students!!
Mark Tompkins, SMG class of '73 along with Tom Moore, class of '67; Janey Morrow Wright, class of '64, Pru Vader Brett, class of '57, Pam Fields Webb, class of '69, Dave Tompkins, class of '82 and Laura Perez, class of ‘81 are on a mission to get all 2,500+ SMG Alumni and former students together to celebrate!
St. Maria Goretti School's 65th Anniversaryfor our HOMECOMING
Saturday, March 28, 2020.
7PM- 9PM
SMG School Cafetorium
Laura Perez is SMG Catholic School’s new Development Coordinator and our Alumni Liaison for the SMG School.
Over the years, school records have been lost and we are without contact information for many of our alumni and former students. For you to have received this newsletter, we have your current email address and we are asking your help in contacting as many of our alumni and former students as possible, so we can update our records.
First and most important, please provide your full contact info to: www.smgschool.org/alumni.
Then please forward this newsletter to your classmates, siblings, and SMG friends and ask them to also provide their contact info to: www.smgschool.org/alumni.
We look so forward to hearing from you! Your help in our mission to contact all the former students and getting together for our 65th Homecoming on March 28, 2020 is valuable to carry on our SMG tradition.
Should you have any questions and/or want to join our committee, please contact Mark Tompkins metntex@yahoo.comand/or Janey Morrow Wright jawright44@aol.com.
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.
Classical Education Speaker Series at NCHS
Stephen Breen Wildcat Challenge - Order Your T-Shirt Now
The Stephen Breen Wildcat Challenge is an annual basketball tournament held at Saint Andrew Catholic School that celebrates the life of Stephen Breen and provides support to his foundation. This year’s tournament is February 21st – March 5th. Saint Andrews is selling gear for the Stephen Breen basketball tournament! Short and long sleeve shirts, as well as black shorts, are available. Each t-shit has the roster of every diocesan basketball team (including those not playing in the tournament). Those who wear the t-shirt to the tournament will receive free admission. All proceeds go to the Stephen Breen Foundation, which provides tuition assistance to students in our diocese, as well as assistance to families of children battling cancer. Please contact Ms. Seyer (eseyer@smgschool.org) with any questions. Thank you for your support!
Order online at the following site:
LAST WEEK AT SMG.....
2nd Grade Reconciliation
Good Food, Good Friends
Performing Arts Students Practicing Blocking for Spring Play
Chess Club Begins
3rd Grade - Valentine Day Mystery
PreK 4 - V is for Volcano
Music - Kindergarten
Valentine Grams
Spanish Class - Valentines
Junior High Valentine Dance
The Painted Christ: Speaking the Gospel with Paint
AMAZING!!
HALLWAY HAPPENINGS
Music Class Compositions
Spanish - Aztec Calendar
PreK 3: What Does Heaven Look Like?
PreK 4: I Can Count by 10's
Kindergarten Love
1st Grade Religion
2nd Grade Animal Essay
8th Grade Literature
Boston Tea Party - 8th Grade
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
- Monday, 2/17: Rubik's Cube Club Meeting Lunch/Recess; Ceceilian Singers 3:30-4:15PM; PSIA 2nd-8th Spelling 3:30-4:15PM; PSIA 4th-8th On-Site Drawing 3:30-4:15PM
- Tuesday, 2/18: PSIA 6th/7th Reading Writing 3:30-4:15PM
- Wednesday, 2/19: 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; Chess Club 3:30-4:15PM
- Thursday, 2/20: Running Club (weather permitting) 3:30-4:15PM; PSIA 6th-8th Math 3:30-4:15PM; PSIA 3rd-5th Ready Writing 3:30-4:15PM
- Friday, 2/21: NCHS Spring Musical Tour 8:30-9:15AM in the Cafetorium
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/