The Trojan Times
St. Maria Goretti Catholic School January 15, 2023
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.
St. Maria Goretti Catholic School aims to form what is True, Good, and Beautiful in the souls of our young disciples of Christ.
Principal's Message
Dear St. Maria Goretti Catholic School Families,
Remember there is no school on Monday, January 16, 2023.
Our next Home and School meeting will take place on Tuesday, January 17, 2023. We will have information about the Dinner Dance, our newest intern Mr. Benson will be presenting on Internet Safety, and we will enjoy a performance by the Kindergarten class. Please note that this meeting will begin at 6:00 PM to ensure that our Kindergarten class is home in time for their bedtime. Parents who attend will earn a spirit hour and their child(ren) will earn a blue jean dress-down day on Monday, January 23, 2023.
The Dinner Dance, A Storybook Gala, will take place on Saturday, January 21, 2023. You can buy your tickets on our website or use the link found in this edition of the Trojan Times. This is one of our biggest fundraisers of the year and we hope that you will be able to attend.
Bishop Olson will be coming to SMG to celebrate the 8:00 AM Mass with us on January 25, 2023. Please make plans to join us if you are able.
Our annual Spaghetti Dinner takes place the weekend of January 28th-29th. This will kick off our enrollment period as well as Catholic Schools Week. On Saturday we will have takeout ONLY. On Sunday you can dine in or take out. Our students and some visitors from Nolan Catholic will be on hand to perform for us. This is a fun event and time for fellowship. Tickets will be sold in the front office this week as well as after all Masses next weekend.
Sign up to donate blood during Catholic School Week Open House and Spaghetti Dinner. Will you help us meet the need for blood? We cannot do it without you! Information to set an appointment on Sunday, January 29th is provided in this edition of the Trojan Times.
Re-enrollment will begin soon. We will offer an early bird discount until February 14, 2023. The application for financial assistance will be open at that time. Please be sure to apply if your family will need any kind of assistance. An email with all the re-enrollment information will be sent out on Saturday, January 28, 2023.
Catholic School Week is a week to celebrate all Catholic Schools in the nation. We will begin our celebration on Saturday, January 28, 2023, and end on Friday, February 3, 2023. We have a lot of fun activities planned for our students, staff, and families. We will be using our school theme of "SMGCS is Rooted in Christ" for our events. Look for more information in this edition of the TT.
We have many volunteer opportunities coming up to fill your 40-service-hour requirement. There are also opportunities for your students to help get their service hours. See links in this edition of the Trojan Times to help!
Thank you for your commitment to our Catholic School.
St. Maria Goretti, Pray for Us!
Blessings,
Amy Utendorf, M.Ed.
Principal
Dinner Dance - January 21, 2023
Instructions for Purchasing VIP Tickets
Bishop Olson - Mass January 25th
Bishop Olson will be celebrating the 8:00 AM Mass on Wednesday, January 25th. Our third-grade class will be hosting this Mass. Please make plans to attend if you are available.
Blood Drive - January 29th
Sign up to donate blood during Catholic School Week Open House and Spaghetti Dinner.
Will you help us meet the need for blood? We cannot do it without you!
The blood inventory remains greatly challenged. This continual shortage has been caused by a lack of donors due to many companies working remotely and school districts not allowing blood drives during the pandemic, which has decreased the access to potential donors.
Your blood donation is an irreplaceable gift that saves lives right here in your community. More than 1,000 people a day must donate blood in order to maintain our local blood supply. Please consider making a donation and giving the gift of life.
Catholic Schools Week Information
Volunteer Opportunities - Earn Spirit Hours
Below are some of the volunteer opportunities available right now! Earn your SPIRIT HOURS & hang out with fellow Trojan families, all while helping SMG.
Sports Website
Visit the Catholic Dioses of Ft. Worth website for sports schedules. Please check the site before a game for any last-minute changes. Games start this Saturday!
January CSW: All School Masses
Please mark your calendars to attend and participate in the Masses this year! All students and their families should plan to attend in their Mass uniforms.
2023 SMGCS Weekend Masses - Catholic Schools Week
- ALL Weekend Masses January 28-29, 2023
Please review the available slots in the link below and sign up for our All School Masses to kickstart Catholic Schools Week on Saturday, January 28 and Sunday, January 29th, 2023. Students participating must wear SMG Mass Uniform and arrive in the narthex 15 minutes prior to the Mass time. Jr High students may receive one (1) hour of service.
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D4CACA729AAFBC25-january
- 11:00 AM Sunday, March 5, 2023
- 1:00 PM Sunday, April 23, 2023
UTA Social Worker: Benevolent Childhood Experiences (BCEs)
In my master’s courses for Social Work we are frequently taught about Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)- traumas that, if they occur to children, can hurt long term academic, health, and relationship outcomes (i.e. future likelihood of divorce) well into adulthood. Opposite to ACEs are Benevolent Childhood Experiences (BCEs), a list of positive experiences children can have that act as protective factors against ACEs and other traumas experienced during childhood. BCEs are determined by responding ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to the following 10 prompts, with every ‘yes’ counting as a +1 on the BCE scale.
“Growing up, did you have…”
- At least one caregiver with whom you felt safe
- At least one good friend
- Beliefs that gave you comfort
- Enjoyment at school
- At least one teacher that cared
- Good neighbors
- An adult (not a parent/caregiver or person from #1) who could provide you with support or advice
- Opportunities to have a good time
- Ability to like yourself or feel comfortable with yourself
- Predictable home routine, such as regular meals and a regular bedtime
These experiences are proven to help a child develop resiliency to trauma, giving them the resources and early life experiences needed to have a better chance of navigating the stressful world of adulthood in a successful way. I’d encourage you to make sure your child has the opportunity to experience as many BCEs as possible. To finish out, here is the link to the study that established the BCE scale in 2018.
Nolan Catholic High School Announcements
Prospective Parent Coffee & Tour
- Friday, February 3
- Friday, March 31
Last Week at SMGCS
SMG Broadcast
Send pictures and information to broadcast@smgschool.org and we will do our best to feature the amazing things happening in our school.
View this week's SMG Broadcast at
CPR Training
- Top row: John Paul, Grace, Olivia,
- Bottom row: Landen, Holly, Jill
Kindergarten - My Snowman Melted Because . . .
1st Grade New Year's Resolutions
2nd Grade
After listening to Three Cheers for Tacky by Helen Lester, students shared a feeling they felt which was similar to Penguin Tacky.
Tacky is always being teased by his perfect penguin friends. Deftly delivered humor reinforces the message that there is nothing wrong--and quite a bit right--with being different.
3rd Grade
SMGCS Clubs
Monday
- 3:10-4:30 PM 3rd-8th Cecilian Singers Club 3rd - 8th (Richards)
Jan 23, 30, Feb. 5, 13, 20, 27
- 3:30-4:15 Spanish Club (Zavala)
- 3:30-4:15 PM PSIA Spelling (Bara)
- 3:30-4:15 PSIA 6th-8th Mathematics (Tran) every 1st/3rd Monday
- 4:00-5:30 Boys' Basketball Practice
Tuesday
- 12:10-12:50 NJHS (Jones) bi-weekly
- 3:30-4:15 PM PSIA Maps/Graphs/Charts (Daly)
- 3:30-5:00 PM Cheer Practice (Richards)
- 5:00-6:30 Girls' Basketball Practice
- Folklorico Club (Zavala) MOVED to Wednesday during month of January
Wednesday
- 12:09-12:49 STUCO (Daly)
- 3:30-4:30 Garden Club (Risinger/Cruz)
- 3:30-4:15 Rubik Cube Club (Tran/Utendorf)
Jan 25, Feb. 8, 22, March 8, 22, April 12, 26, May 3, 17
- 3:30-4:15 PSIA 2-3rd Mathematics (Tran) every 1st/3rd Wednesday
- 3:15-4:30 Folklorico Club NEW TIME/DAY during month of January
- 3:30-4:15 Run Club (Gutierrez/Schump)
Feb. 1, 15, Mar. 1, 29, April 19, May 10
Thursday
- 12:09-12:49 Library Leaders (Richards)
- 3:10-4:30 PM 5th-8th Trojan Troupe Drama Club (Richards)
- 3:30-4:15 PSIA 4th-5th Mathematics (Tran) every 1st/3rd Thursday
- 3:30-4:15 PM PSIA Ready Write (Jones)
- 5:00-6:30 Girls' Basketball Practice
- 4:00-5:30 Boys' Basketball Practice
Calendar Notes
January 16, Monday: MLK Holiday - No School
January 17, Tuesday: 6:00PM Home & School Meeting (SPECIAL TIME)
January 20, Friday: 3:30-5:30 CPR Club 4th Grade
January 21, Saturday: Storybook Gala Dinner Dance & Auction
January 25, Wednesday: 8:00 Mass - Bishop Olson to Celebrate Mass at SMGCS
January 27, Friday: 3:30-5:30 CPR Club 2nd Grade
January 28-February 3: Catholic Schools Week
January 28, Saturday: 5:00-6:30 Spaghetti Dinner - Take Out Only
January 29, Sunday: 9:00-2:00 Open House, Spaghetti Dinner (Dine In & Take Out), 8:30-3:00 Carter Blood Drive
March 25, Saturday: PSIA District Meet at St. Martin de Porres Catholic School, Prosper, TX
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/
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/