Dear St. Michael Families,

What a joy it is for us to welcome you to the 2022-2023 school year at St. Michael Parish School. While summer isn’t officially over yet, we want to share key “Back to School” dates and updates with you.

This has been an eventful summer. Due to your incredible stewardship at our S.M.A.R.T. Gala, our facilities team has been busy (as supply chain issues allow) working on Fund-A-Need tasks and security additions. Thank you for your generosity at our auction.

Please welcome new staff members this year: Miss Eun Ju Livings, Middle School English/Language Arts; Mrs. Regan Brakebush, Instructional Aide in Kindergarten; Mrs. Jen McCauley who we heartily welcome back as a Kindergarten and Pre-K Aide Instructional Aide; and Mrs. Brandy Pelton and Miss Amelia McHugh, (a St. Mikes graduate and student at St. Martin's) who will be working as Instructional Aides in Pre-K. We are thrilled that they will be sharing their gifts and talents with our students.

To help you prepare for the start of school, please mark your calendars for these key dates:

August 30, 5:30 PM-7 PM Back to School Pizza Party and New Family Orientation on the playground out front:

Please join us for our annual Back to School Party! The Staff, Faculty, and PTSA are excited to welcome new and returning families for this upcoming school year!

--Pizza, chips, and water are provided. We will also have Sweetlee's Ice Cream Truck available at the parking lot for frozen treats. One free ice cream ticket will be given per student, and all are welcome to purchase more, if desired. Feel free to bring a picnic blanket, too!

--A Welcome Table will be available for new families to provide information about our school and programs.

--The SMART Family Fun Night Committee will be collecting wine and spirits (valued $25 and up) for the Family Night in October. This will count towards the required $150 procurement. Additionally, sign-ups will be available to those interested in volunteering.

--Representatives from the parish will be in attendance with ideas for volunteering.

In an effort to keep infection rates (due to Covid, flu, and colds) as low as possible and students in school, we are NOT MANDATING volunteer time this year, but strongly encouraging it and providing many opportunities.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact Kim DeBord at kimberlydebord@hotmail.com or Mary Sherman at mary.sherman814@gmail.com.

Thank you to Kim and Mary, PTSA chairs, for organizing this event with 1st and 5th grade room reps. The orientation for new school families will be held from 6:30PM-7PM in the lower parking lot behind the play structure and swings.

September 6, First Day of School (Grades 1-8): The first day of school is a noon dismissal.

September 15, 6:30 PM-8:00 PM: Curriculum Night: The goal of this evening is to build a strong foundation of communication and partnership between teachers and parents that will last all throughout the year. Our teachers will share an overview of our curriculum and let you know how you can best support the education of your children during the school year. Again this year, Curriculum Night will be a Zoom presentation with two sessions (session two will be a repeat of session one).

September 13, 10:30AM: Mass of the Holy Spirit at St. Martin’s University Pavilion:

We continue our tradition of uniting as one regional community of Catholic schools to begin the year with prayer. Our school will celebrate Mass with students from St. Martin’s University, Pope John Paul II High School, Holy Family Lacey, St. Joseph Chehalis, and St. Mary’s Aberdeen. We will take our 8th graders and their teachers. Parents are welcome to attend.

October 14, S.M.A.R.T. Family Night: This exciting St. Michael tradition is a community-wide sharing of time, talent, and treasure. Our auction generates vital resources for our tuition assistance endowment and our capital improvements fund. We are blessed to have Courtney Williams and Laura Dietz serving as our chairs for Family Night. Please stop by the S.M.A.R.T. table at Back to School Night to learn more.

Blessings,

Kathi Rafferty & Roseann Feldmann

Co-Principals

St. Michael Parish School will continue to follow the Washington State Department of Health “Requirements and Guidance to Mitigate COVID-19 Transmission in K-12 Schools and Child Care”, which was updated and published by the state on August 5, 2022.

In addition, St. Michael’s Parish School will continue to be in close communication with the Thurston County Health Department; therefore, all active cases of COVID-19 involving St. Michael Parish School students and staff need to be reported to Dr. Feldmann in the School Health Office.

Students who are not up-to-date are not allowed to attend school until they are in compliance with immunization law. (Although COVID-19 vaccinations are highly recommended, they are not mandated by Washington state law.) If you are in doubt about your child’s compliance with Washington state law, please consult your medical provider.