The Defender
September 9, 2022
Important Upcoming Dates
- Sept. 13 - Penance Service 3rd-8th (9:00)
- Sept. 15 - Individual Student Picture Day
- Sept. 19 - Alex's Lemonade Stand fundraiser
Message from Mrs. Tate
Dear SMA Families,
Although it’s been a short week, we have been quite productive! On Tuesday, our faculty professional learning centered around mandated reporter training and crisis response procedures to protect the safety and security of students, staff, and families. During our morning session, we welcomed a speaker from Sunflower House, a local child abuse intervention and prevention organization, to provide mandated reporter training to our staff. In the afternoon, we attended an awesome “phishing” training by parishioner, Joel Ekis, to learn more about cyber safety. We also spent part of our afternoon reviewing and discussing our Crisis Response Plan. We had our first fire drill last week, and this week we completed two more drills with the kids, lockdown, and severe weather.
Although the topics are sometimes heavy, it’s important to prepare and practice for all types of emergencies. Do I hate that we must practice lockdown drills? Yes, in some cases, but in my experience, I have used lockdown procedures in many situations. For instance, a student or staff member may faint in the hallway, and we need to get medical personnel to them. We would call a lockdown in that instance simply to keep kids and adults out of the hallways to allow medical personnel to get in quickly and to protect the privacy and dignity of the person needing help. Not every lockdown will be because of an imminent threat to children, just like every severe weather episode may not include a tornado…that’s why we took that word out of the drill’s title.
The most important reason for being prepared for all kinds of situations – lockdown, weather, fire – is to create routines that kids are familiar with and that adults are prepared for so that IF we need to use them for real, we fall back on routines when our adrenaline is high. Thank you for your support in keeping our students, staff, and families safe.
We are supporting the Alex’s Lemonade Stand Fundraiser for childhood cancer in conjunction with other Catholic schools in Johnson County. The fundraiser day for SMA is Monday, September 19. Other Johnson County Catholic schools are participating on Sept. 15, but since that is our individual school picture day, we moved our day to Monday, September 19. Kids can bring a donation (they ask for $5) to wear yellow or gold (the color for pediatric cancer) shirts, scarves, hats, jewelry to support this important fundraiser. Students should wear their uniform bottoms (skirt, jumper, pants, or shorts) with their yellow/gold items.
We hope you have a wonderful weekend! Go Chiefs!
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Diana Tate
From the School Nurse
- Please turn in family emergency form and the non-prescription/over-the-counter medication permission forms to the school office ASAP.
- Kindergarten parents please send in current immunization records and health forms to school nurse ASAP.
Empowering God’s Children Program
Catechesis Level I and Level II
The level 2 children (grades 2 and 3) continued our discussion about the History of the Kingdom of God. We reviewed the 3 moments in the story (Creation, Redemption and Parousia). Ask your child what they will write on their blank page (the work they will need to do to get to heaven)
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Level III After-School Opportunity
Dear Parents,
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Level III (for children in 4th, 5th, and 6th ) grade is being offered as an after-school opportunity on Mondays and Thursdays from 3:30-5:00 PM. Please complete this brief FORM if you would like more information or to register.
The fee for the year is $60 per child. Classes meet once per week beginning Monday, September 12 or Thursday, September 15 and follow the SMA School Year Calendar. Space is limited.
Thanks and Blessings,
Shawna
Drop-Off and Pick-Up Procedures
VSL Information
Looking to sign up to volunteer? Curious what your teacher’s favorite snack is? All this and more can be found on the VSL page. Check it out!
Parish Picnic
Click on the link below to volunteer at the Parish Picnic
https://stmichaelcp.org/parish-picnicLiving the Liturgical Calendar in Your Home
September 14th is the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. This feast commemorates three events: Finding of the True Cross by Saint Helena; dedication of the churches on the site of the Holy Sepulcher and Mount Calvary; and restoration of the True Cross to Jerusalem by Heraclius II.
This feast day is a celebration of God’s greatest work: His death and resurrection –defeating death and opening Heaven. Christ transformed an instrument of torture and humiliation into a symbol of salvation. To follow Christ, we must take up His cross, follow Him and become obedient until death.
Quick: Pray the Stations of the Cross or walk the Stations with your kids. The prayer repeated at each station: We adore You, O Christ, and praise You, because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world. Learn how to help children get more out of the stations of the Cross.
Easy: Place blessed crucifixes prominently throughout your home. Teach children to reverently make the sign of the cross. When you practice stand next to children rather than in front, so they don’t get confused with right and left. Check out FORMED for a story about St. Helena and the True Cross.
Super Fun: Make and decorate a cross. Popsicle sticks are a favorite, but sticks from the yard tied with twine are great. Children can place one on each plate at dinner. Even a coloring sheet or ceramic tile in cement. Be creative!
There are great food traditions for this feast, too! Red food symbolizes the blood Jesus shed on the cross. Eating white foods, like mozzarella cheese, reminds us of our baptism (when we were signed with the cross). Tradition says sweet basil grew over the place where the True Cross was found. Put all of that together and you have these! The wood of the skewers even reminds us of the cross.
Try a dinner of spaghetti with tomato basil sauce and fresh parmesan. The important thing is to lift up the colors and their meaning.