SMCS Elementary Family Newsletter
11.29.2023
SMCS ELEMENTARY FAMILY NEWSLETTER
January 10, 2024
In This Email
Click here for St. Gabriel Elementary News
Click here for St. Margaret Mary Elementary News
Click here for St. Mary Elementary News
You can always visit the news page on our website for past newsletters.
SMCS Mission
Preparing and inspiring students to lead meaningful lives, rooted in the teachings of Christ and our Catholic tradition.
Greetings from the Principal
Dear SMCS families,
I hope you all had a very blessed Christmas break full of precious memories made with family and friends. I am excited to enter into 2024 with all of you as we continue to celebrate the Lord’s abundant blessings all around us at SMCS!
A New Year’s Prayer
Lord Jesus,
Thank you for being with me at the start of this new year. Resolutions may come and go, but your love is always there. Open my ears this year, so that I can hear your voice. Open my eyes this year, that I may see your presence. Open my mind this year, that I may grow in wisdom and understanding. Open my heart this year, that I may love you more. Strengthen me this year, that I may follow your will in all that I do.
Amen.
Mrs. Anna Cihlar
Principal ~ St. Gabriel, St. Margaret Mary, St. Mary
Upcoming Spirit Days
- The Packers made it to the playoffs! Yay! Friday, Jan. 12 will be a Packers Spirit Day - wear Packers apparel and/or colors! Good luck on Sunday against the Cowboys! Go Pack Go!
- Due to the snow day on Jan. 9, our January Zephyr Spirit Day will be on Tuesday, Jan. 16. Go Zephyrs!
Upcoming No-School Days
Sock Hop
Join us for a SOCK HOP in the St. Margaret Mary Gym!
Mr. Dean’s Diner will be open from 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm serving hamburgers, cheeseburgers, hotdogs and milkshakes. Feel free to get festive! Dressing up is encouraged, but not required.
WHEN: Friday, January 26, from 5:30-7:30
WHERE: St. Margaret Mary Gym/Cafeteria (Enter on Division Street)
WHAT: Music, Dancing and Food
COST: $5 per person or $25 max per family
WHO: All SMCS elementary students and prospective students ages toddler through 5th grade
If you are able to join us, please fill out the form below and return to your respective school
office by Thursday, January 25, 2024 with payment.
Colder weather is here
Link to full SMCS Elementary Dress Code
Winter Weather Closings & Delays
To sign up for emergency and inclement weather notifications that are sent via text message, please text SMCS to (844) 947-5948. You will receive a confirmation text along with a text indicating how to stop the service, if needed. To learn about other ways to receive notifications visit: https://smcatholicschools.org/resources/emergency-notifications/.
Winter STAR Assessment
Here are a few tips on how you can help at home:
Make sure your child gets a good night sleep the night before
Have your child eat a nutritious breakfast
Avoid scheduling appointments on test days
Encourage your child to do their best
Phy Ed Teacher Switch-a-Roo
Our physical education teachers switch schools at semester. Beginning Jan. 23, Mrs. Loughrin will teach phy ed at SMM and Mrs. Rodman will teach phy ed at SG and SM.
Elementary Breakfast & Lunch Menus
4K & Preschool Preview Days
Catholic Schools Week
Catholic Schools Week is January 28 - Feb. 2. We are excited to celebrate our Catholic Schools with a variety of events and activities listed below! (Click on the flier below for an enlarged version)
SMCS Communications
SMCS will soon be piloting a new communication tool, Bright Arrow. Bright Arrow captures emails from PowerSchool. Please be sure that all parent information is up-to-date in PowerSchool, including mother and father emails, phone numbers, and addresses.
SMCS will send a test email from BrightArrow on Monday, January 15 around 1:00 p.m. The email will come from SMCS Communications and the subject line will read "SMCS Test Email Message." The email should be delivered to all mother and father emails currently in PowerSchool. If this test email is not received, please reach out to Kelly Beisenstein-Weiss (kbweiss@smcatholicschools.org) at your earliest convenience.
2024-25 School Calendar
End of Quarter 2
The end of the second quarter is Friday, Jan. 19. Progress reports will be sent home with students on Friday, Jan. 26.
Save-the-date for Parent-Teacher Conferences
Elementary parent-teacher conferences will be on Tuesday, Feb. 13 from 3:30-6:30 p.m. and Friday, Feb. 16 from 8:00-11:00 a.m. Please watch for a Sign-Up Genius to come!
Elementary Music Update
As you may already know, Mr. Dummer, the elementary music teacher at SMM and SM, has decided to resign from his position starting mid-February. We thank Mr. Dummer for all he has done for us this year and wish him all the best in his future. We are working closely with our human resources department to fill this vacancy and will keep you updated with any new information. If you know of anyone interested in this position, more details can be found on our website or by calling the offices at SMM (920-729-4565) or SM (920-725-5351). Please note, there has been no change to the music position at SG - Ms. VanBoxtel is continuing her role as elementary music teacher for SG.
Elementary Band Update
We are in the process of interviewing candidates for the elementary band teacher position. Elementary band will begin as soon as we are able to fill this position. Updates will be shared with families as soon as possible.
"Zephyrs Night" with the Wisconsin Herd
We are excited to announce the return of our very popular "Zephyrs Night" with the Wisconsin Herd on Wednesday January 24, 2024! Last year, we were the largest group they hosted. With the purchase of tickets, our ZBC families will be able to:
- Pre-game watch (kids can sit courtside and watch player warm-ups and receive an autograph from some Herd players)
- High Five Tunnel (kids can join in the high five tunnel and get a free Herd T-shirt to high five the team on court during starting lineups)
- Post-game (Zephyrs families can come onto the court post game for a group photo, and shoot free throws)
Please see the flyer for more information. Special thanks to Kristin Billings for organizing this for us!
Interested in Volunteering at SMCS?
We are so grateful for our volunteers and are always looking for new and returning faces to help out in our schools!
Please visit the Volunteer Hub on our website to learn more about how you can complete the required steps to volunteer with SMCS.
If you are already a volunteer with SMCS, please ensure you have completed all Safe Environment requirements through Virtus Online- background check, online Virtus annual retraining, and annual acknowledgment form.
If you have any questions on the Safe Environment process, please reach out to the Human Resources department: pfoulks@smcatholicschools.org and ckind@smcatholicschools.org.
Come learn about Chinese culture!
Sign up here!
All Aboard for Turkey Bowling!
Don't wait... Registration closes January 25.
Date: Saturday, January 27, 2024, 1:00 p.m. Get ready for some kid-free fun on the ice at Payne's Point Hook and Spear Club in Neenah! Bundle up and get ready to throw some frozen foul on our turkey bowling ice lanes!
Arrive at the Clubhouse at 1pm, and bowling will start promptly at 1:30. Bowling is optional, cheering is required! Warm up in between matches in the cozy Clubhouse where there will be plenty of appetizers and drinks available. When darkness hits, the fun doesn’t end! Head inside for dinner, games and live entertainment by Pat Pedersen.
Discipleship Digest
Discipleship Digest (vol. 2, iss. 20)
“Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.”
We pray these words this Sunday, echoing a young Samuel. What does it mean to be radically available to God? It begins with the core belief that Jesus truly IS calling us – each in a unique way – to a life that fulfills us AND gives God glory.
How do we prepare ourselves to walk our particular path? Just as Jesus entered his mission with the baptism by John in the Jordan River, so we see our own baptism as the entry point to follow in his footsteps. In becoming a child of our heavenly Father, and a “temple of the Holy Spirit”, we become channels to share God’s love.
Following our call certainly this happens in our main vocation – whether as a married person, or priest or religious, etc. But it also may encompass our career, or the way we serve in the community. It includes the small daily ways that we say “Yes” to God. It means living with humility – not thinking less of yourself, as the saying goes, but thinking of yourself less.
Even with humility and trust in God, you won’t see neon signs showing the way forward! We still have to pray – with a listening heart. Look for God’s direction in Scripture, and in the encouragement of those who love you. For starters, build some intentional silence into every day of 2024 so that you can better hear Jesus calling.
©Steve Pable, Director of Adult Discipleship Formation
Welcome – Worship – Witness
Tuition Discount Opportunity
Our After School Care Program is hiring! If you or someone you know is looking for a part-time job, join SMCS! The schedule will be Monday – Friday from 2:45 – 5/5:30 p.m.
This is a paid position that offers great benefits! If you have a child enrolled in our schools, you will receive 50% off their school tuition and while you work in the after school care program, you can bring your child with you for free!
If you are interested in learning more about the After School Care Provider position or would like to apply, please contact the Human Resources Department by calling 920-722-7796 and ask for HR or email pfoulks@smcatholicschools.org or ckind@smcatholicschools.org
A Look Ahead...
Jan. 19 - End of Quarter 2
- Jan. 22 - No school, professional development day for teachers
- Jan. 28 - Feb. 2 - Catholic Schools Week
- Feb. 13 - Parent-teacher conferences (3:30-6:30 p.m.)
- Feb. 16 - No school, parent-teacher conferences (morning), professional development for teachers (afternoon)
- Feb. 19 - No school
- Mar. 21 - End of Quarter 3
- Mar. 22 - No school, professional development day for teachers
- Mar. 29-Apr. 5 - No school, spring break
Helpful Links
Contact Information
St. Gabriel: 920-725-4161
St. Gabriel Associate Principal: Mrs. Giombetti, jgiombetti@smcatholicschools.org
St. Margaret Mary: 920-729-4565
St. Margaret Mary Associate Principal: Mrs. Lutz, jlutz@smcatholicschools.org
St. Mary: 920-725-5351
St. Mary Associate Principal: Mrs. Blahnik, cblahnik@smcatholicschools.org
Elementary Principal: Mrs. Cihlar, acihlar@smcatholicschools.org