St. Margaret Mary Newsletter
08.23.2023
ST. MARGARET MARY NEWSLETTER
August 23, 2023
Greetings from the Principal
Dear St. Margaret Mary families,
It is my pleasure to welcome everyone back to the 2023-24 school year! For those of you who are new to St. Margaret Mary School, I want you to know that you are coming to an absolutely wonderful school! I am excited to have the students back in the classrooms and hallways filling them with energy and enthusiasm for learning. Our new motto this year is "Celebrate!" We have so many blessings in our lives to celebrate! As we begin this school year, I pray that it will be a time of great growth in learning and in faith for all!
Gratefully,
Mrs. Jackie Lutz
Associate Principal
Orientation
Elementary School Orientation will be held in two sessions on Monday, August 28. Session one runs from 8am until 11am. Session two runs from 4pm to 6pm.
Planning for the 2023-2024 School Year
Who are these new faces?
Meet our new teachers! We are excited to welcome them aboard.
Mr. Zimmerman, 5th grade Teacher
Hello my name is Aaron Zimmerman.
A bit about me…
After getting my Bachelor of Science in Psychology at UWO, I went into the business world for the past 20 years. Now I am honored to teach 5th grade.
I grew up raised by a lineage of excellent teachers on my mother’s side. My Great Aunt Regina Megivern was a Teaching Sister BVM (Blessed Virgin Mary). Also, my Grandmother Josephine taught in a one room schoolhouse in rural Iowa. She got married, raised a family and then went back to school to be a professor at University of Northern Iowa. My mom was an Art teacher and after she passed she left me enough to go back to school and earn my teaching license. They all would have been proud I went into the family business.
I substitute taught Kindergarten through 12 grade in Winneconne and Appleton. At the same time, I took classes at UW Oshkosh and earned a Broad Field Social Studies teaching license. Last year I was blessed to be the building dedicated substitute at my old high school Appleton West. I‘m an assistant football coach for the Terrors. I also help coach swimming.
My wife Ruthe and I have been married for 15 years this September and have been blessed with two girls. My oldest Marilyn will be starting 6th grade at Valley Christian in Neenah and my youngest daughter Maggie will be in 4th grade at Johnston Elementary. My daughters both swim on the Fox Valley Wave Swim Team where my wife coaches. Besides coaching, my wife spends her time advocating for Down Syndrome Awareness in support of our daughter Maggie who was born with Down Syndrome.
I’m excited to be here and teach 5th grade with Daana.
Mrs. McKenna, School Counselor
Hello SMCS community! I was born and raised in Chicago, IL. Go Bears! My family lived in Austin, TX for 7yrs, but I am a Midwesterner at heart and Neenah is my new home. I graduated from Marquette University with a BA in Psychology, and it was there I met my husband, Dan. We will be celebrating our 21st wedding anniversary this December! I have two beautiful children who attend SMCS. My son, Henry is heading into middle school this fall and my daughter, Evelyn will be a senior in high school.
I earned my Master of Social Work degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 2002. I am also a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in the state of IL and WI. Over the years, as a mental health clinician, I have worked with vulnerable populations in child welfare, inpatient hospital settings, outpatient counseling and hospice care. I now look forward to utilizing these skills as the new guidance counselor at SMM. I am blessed to be a part of this great community and I am looking forward to a great year with you and your children.
Mrs. Simon, 4th grade Teacher
My name is Jenny Simon and I am excited to announce that I will be teaching 4th grade at St. Margaret Mary Elementary School this school year! This will be my fifth school year at SMM, where I previously and proudly have worked as an Instructional Aide, Substitute teacher, Learning Services support staff, and Camp Zephyr counselor. Prior to working at SMC, I spent many years working for my husband's family business, Simple Simon Bakery in Appleton as a cake decorator and marketing consultant. I graduated from St. Norbert College many moons ago, and always had a passion for child psychology and education which God guided me to later in life once my older children planned for their college pursuits.
Born and raised mostly in Appleton, I continue to live there with my husband of 24 years, Curt, and my 3 children: Connor, in his final year at UW Eau Claire, Caitlin, in her second year of Nursing at Creighton University, and Ciara, an 8th grade middle school student at Xavier. While it might seem quieter in our house when my older children are away, Ciara keeps me busy with her sporting activities during the week and traveling on weekends! As a family, we continue to love our time together and with friends in beautiful Door County.
I am excited for the opportunities that lie ahead this school year and to celebrate all the glorious gifts that God has provided us!
Mrs. Dopp, 2nd grade Teacher
I grew up in California and graduated from San Diego State University with a business degree. I am married and have 3 grown children. Our family have moved around the U.S.A. and over to England, Australia and China (Hong Kong, S.A.R.) before settling back in Ohio and now Wisconsin. I volunteered in my children's schools and worked as an educational aide before deciding to get a teacher licensure for Early Childhood.
I spent several years working as a substitute teacher from Pre-K up to 4th grade. In Milwaukee I taught 2nd and 3rd grade before moving north. It is a blessing to work with God's beautifully unique children. My enthusiasm comes from being a life-long learner and sharing God's lessons to build a stronger faith community.
At home I am often watching sports or HGTV, reading books or searching where to find live music nearby.
Mrs. Lamb, Kindergarten Teacher
Hi. My name is Tracy Lamb. My family has lived in Neenah for 20 years. It has been a wonderful city to raise our now grown children. I love spending my free time with my family. We love to play games, watch movies, get ice cream and ride bikes together. We also love to travel.
I have been at St. Margaret Mary for the past two years. I have worked as a sub, an aide in Kindergarten and a Preschool teacher. While teaching preschool, I completed a teaching course and received my elementary teaching certification. I am really excited to be getting back into the Kindergarten classroom as a teacher!
Mrs. Pizarro, Teacher's Aide
My name is Amanda Pizarro and I am thrilled to be joining St. Margaret Mary Elementary as a teacher aide. I have worked over 12 years in childcare and adore the imaginations of children. I grew up in Green Bay and worked my way down to Neenah with my husband and 5 children. As a family we love to travel, go camping, try new restaurants, and enjoy movie nights. My husband and I own a small business which keeps us busy on the weekends driving limousines. Two of my daughters, Mila and Vivianna, attend St. Margaret Mary Elementary and my step son, Anthony, is at the high school. I couldn't be happier to go from a SMCS mom to staff! Go Zephyrs!
Mrs. Grebe, Art Teacher
My name is Rebecca Grebe and I will be the art teacher this year! I have loved teaching special education for the last couple of years but am excited to get back to my art roots. While this is my first year teaching art, I have a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Studio Arts and a lifelong passion for art and creating. I am very excited to explore art techniques and history with the students of SMCS and hopefully get a little messy and have fun while doing it.
Administrative Assistant
We currently are looking for an Administrative Assistant. We are fortunate that Patrick Batey will be subbing until we find the right person to fill this role. For those of you who do not know Patrick, he has been a teacher and school administrator in Catholic and public schools for 45+ years. Most recently, starting in 2009, he has been the SMC-High School Principal, SMCS Director of Educational Services, and SMCS Superintendent. After retiring in June 2020, Patrick has continued to assist SMCS as the Administrator of the Wisconsin Parental Choice Program for our five school campuses and helps out in various office capacities around our system when needed. Starting Monday, August 28th, Patrick will be assisting in the SMM office as we get the 2023 school year underway and until the vacant position is filled.
Kalina Schira asked to share this message with our families:
I have decided to semi-retire and have accepted a part-time position outside of St. Mary's. This will allow me to spend more time with my only child who will be in medical school year-round starting this fall. I thoroughly enjoyed my 2 1/2 years as the Administrative Assistant at SMM and will miss the staff, families, and especially the students greatly! Having never worked in a school setting before, I felt blessed to have had the opportunity to see such a combined effort by the staff and families to provide a caring educational setting for the students. I applied as a volunteer at SMM, so you will see me in the school from time to time. Wishing you a wonderful 23-24 school year!
Art Room Update
Please check out our newly remodeled art room on Orientation day! We have a beautiful space for our students to express their creativity! We are thankful for your support!
Backpack Blessing
Students of all ages from all schools are invited to bring their backpacks for a special back-to-school blessing at all three weekend Masses at St. Margaret Mary on August 26 & 27. All participating students will receive a St. Margaret Mary backpack ID tag. If weather permits, consider packing a picnic lunch and joining other families on the playground after the 9:30 Mass for fun and fellowship!
FACES Update and Calendar
FACES (Faith and Community Enriching St. Margaret Mary Elementary) is our school’s official PTO group. We meet monthly and host many events throughout the school year. This year our officers are: President Gretchen Cogswell, VP Kiki McMillan, Treasurer Jen Hildahl, Secretary Kali Sawyer and Parish Liaison Deborah Scott. Please feel free to contact us at our email address: faces@smcatholicschools.org with any questions you may have.
Upcoming Events
- Back to School Bash: Sunday, August 27th from 2-4 pm at Mahler Park. Please join us for light snacks and games, and reconnect with your school friends before the school year begins. We look forward to seeing you there!
- First FACES Meeting: Thursday, August 31st at 9 am (after mass) - All parents are invited, as well as little siblings. Please sign in at the office and then head downstairs to the cafeteria. Our meeting will start at after mass, and meetings usually last about one hour. We hope to see you there!
- Doughnuts with Grown-ups: Wednesday, September 13th at 7:15 am - All families are invited to join us for doughnut holes and coffee on the playground before school. More details to follow!
Please refer to the most current newsletters and emails, or check our SMM Facebook group page to make sure you have the most up to date calendar!
Lunchroom volunteers
Our school lunch program cannot run without the help of parent volunteers! We need two volunteers each day to help serve food and keep the cafeteria sparkling. This is a great opportunity to help at school and visit with your child too! Remember, you must be current with your VIRTUS documents to volunteer, and every three times you volunteer in a month you’ll get an out of dress code pass for one of your students! Please contact Justine Semrow at 920-209-5209 with questions about helping in the lunchroom, or sign up using this link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0C44AAAE22A0FF2-20232024
Interested in Volunteering?
We are so grateful to all our volunteers who contribute so much to our schools! If you are considering volunteering or chaperoning any school field trips or events, please complete Virtus training, a background check, and the code of conduct through the Diocese Green Bay. Please contact your schools' administrative assistant to get the process started. Thank you!
Contact Mrs. Charapata at rcharapata@smcatholicschools.org
A Look Ahead...
Monday, August 28: Orientation
Tuesday, August 29: First day of school
Wednesday, August 30: Parent Information Night (all schools)
Monday, September 4: NO SCHOOL
Friday, September 8: All System Mass
Contact Information
Call (920) 729-4565
Associate Principal: Mrs. Lutz, jlutz@smcatholicschools.org
Elementary Principal: Mrs. Cihlar, acihlar@smcatholicschools.org