Weekly Howl
St. Francis Catholic School - 10.17.22
SFCS celebrates 26 Years of Growing Together in Faith & Knowledge
Dear SFCS Parents & Friends,
October is quickly passing us by! Everyone in the SFCS community is excited for the fall season as the first quarter of school ends, the Lowcountry Soiree social event is finally here, we have our first Pizza Friday during all lunches, Halloween approaches, our All Saints Day Mass is celebrated, second grade puts the finishing touches on their All Saints presentation, and the clocks turn back an hour on November 6. There is much going on at SFCS and I love how the community rallies together in support of the season!
I am delighted to share that this past week, Mrs. Kris Watson was honored by the Rotary Club of Hilton Head Island as Teacher of the Year! We are so proud of Mrs. Watson, and thankful for her dedication to the teaching profession, SFCS, and Catholic education. The love, care, and concern she pours into every student in her class each day is a joy to observe. We are grateful for Mrs. Watson, the gifts and talents the Lord allows her to share with our community, and the many lives she touches! (see story below)
The first quarter of this academic year will end on October 18th. Report cards will be available the week of October 24th. Accompanying the report card will be a copy of your student's MAP testing report for the first round of testing. The first round of MAP testing took place in September. MAP testing occurs three times during the academic year in grades K-8th. The next testing date will be in January.
While on the subject of testing, the 8th grade class sat for the PSAT 8/9 this past week. The students worked hard during the three hours of testing. They were champs! Score reports for that test are expected in November/early December.
Wishing you a wonderful week ahead!
Yours in Christ,
Andrea Smith, M.Ed., LPC, NCC
Principal
Obedience
Obedience: Listen to rightful authority, follow directions; give a prompt response.
Our Prayer :
Dear Jesus,
You are God, and yet you were obedient to Mary and Joseph.
Help me to do all that my parents and teachers ask of me – promptly, joyfully, and completely.
Amen
Knights of Columbus Pumpkin Patch - October 21!
The Knights of Columbus will be setting up a pumpkin patch for all of the SFCS students this Friday, October 21! Each student will get to pick a pumpkin to take home with them. We are thankful for the KOC's partnership, generosity, and gift for each student. On Friday, students will go to the "patch" by class to pick a pumpkin.
Lowcountry Soiree - October 21 - Final Call for Tickets!
This is a final call for ticket sales! Tomorrow, October 18th will be the last day to purchase tickets for the Lowcountry Soiree. Tickets will not be available at the door the evening of the event. Tickets are limited so reserve yours today!.
PIZZA FRIDAY!
The first Pizza Friday will be on October 28 during all lunches, as a fundraiser for FSA. Cheese pizza slices will be available for $3.00 a slice or two slices for $5.00. Please complete the form and turn in along with your check made out to SFCS to the School Office no later than October 21st. An order form must be completed for each student, but you may submit one check for your family. Don't miss out on the first Pizza Friday of the year!
Trunk or Treat - October 31
Please click on the link to sign up for a parking space.
Reindeer Run - December 3!
It’s that time of year again! Please join us for the 4th annual Reindeer Run!
5k run/walk for our seasoned runners/walkers and a 1 mile fun run for those 8 and under. A mega buffet catered by the Salty Dog Cafe for all registered runners/walkers to follow.
New this year….not a fan of running/walking, no problem! Join us for a mega breakfast buffet at 9:30am for $15/person.
The first 175 participants to register get a custom St. Francis/Salty Dog Reindeer Run T-Shirt so don’t wait! Forms were emailed on October 11 and are also available in the School Office.
School Family Sunday Mass Dates
Join the St. Francis Catholic School community at St. Francis by the Sea Catholic Church for School Family Sunday Mass on the following Sundays:
November 20, 2022
December 18, 2022
January 29, 2023
February 19, 2023
March 19, 2023
April 16, 2023
May 21, 2023
St. Francis Youth Group - Halloween Party! - October 26
The QR Code on the graphic below is not working. Please click on the link to register. We are sorry for any inconvenience.
St. Francis by the Sea - Christmas Strings and Sing-a-long - December 14
St. Francis Catholic School Facebook Page
Our official Facebook page is "St. Francis Catholic School". In an effort to consolidate communication, and have one central Facebook page for SFCS families to find announcements and learn about upcoming school events, the "St. Francis Families (St. Francis Catholic School, Hilton Head Island)" Facebook page is now inactive. As a reminder, the use of St. Francis Catholic School, or St. Francis by the Sea names, logos, etc., must be approved before associating any group with either name or SFCS. We appreciate your cooperation and partnership with this important policy and ask you to contact Mrs. Smith for school related requests, and the SFBTS Parish office for church related requests. Please join our school Facebook page! (scroll down to the bottom of the newsletter and click on link)
Mrs. Kris Watson - 4th Grade Teacher
Mrs. Watson, SFCS's 4th grade teacher, moved to Hilton Head from Birmingham, Alabama, over fifteen years ago. She is a former middle school teacher and consultant for a textbook publishing company. She volunteered and substitute taught at St. Francis before joining the staff as a full time teacher. Mrs. Watson and her husband have two sons, both graduates of St. Francis. Her youngest is a senior at Hilton Head High and oldest son is a sophomore at University of South Carolina. We are grateful for the Lord's provision of Mrs. Watson to SFCS...10 years and counting!
PreK and K
The fire department stopped to visit with the Pre-K and Kindergarten students to talk about fire safety. The students had the opportunity to ask questions and explore the fire truck. We are grateful for the brave firefighters who keep us safe and all the first responders in our community!
1st Grade
The first grade had a very busy week!
- The students made one -decade Rosaries, in preparation for saying the Rosary every Friday during the month of October.
- The first graders also used Fall leaves that they collected to make hair for the people that they drew.
- First graders enjoyed their computer classes.
2nd Grade
The Second Grade took on the challenge of place value problems using rods and units to model the numbers. They also worked on matching number words with the resulting two-digit numbers.
3rd Grade
The third grade visited the Pre-K class last week to read to the students.
4th Grade
The 4th grade students made their favorite characters from the novel, The Whipping Boy.
5th Grade
In anticipation of Halloween, the 5th grade created amazing Haunted Houses based upon a mystery novel of their choice. These add the perfect touch of Fall to our hallways!
VISUAL ARTS - 4th Grade
African Masks
The fourth grade studied different styles of masks of the prehistoric period.
Natives both in America and Africa Fashioned for themselves masks which enabled them to "put on," so to speak, the attributes or qualities which they themselves lacked. These masks of great variety and excellence in design and craftsmanship were put on and worn at their most sacred and solemn functions.
PE
There is always much going on for our students during physical education. This past week, students trained for their mile time trial.
Yearbook Cover Contest
All students interested in submitting artwork to be considered for the 22.23 SFCS yearbook cover, please see information below! We'd love to have you enter the contest! The deadline to enter is October 28!!
Mrs. Kris Watson - Teacher of the Year!
The Rotary Club of Hilton Head Island honored the 2022 Teachers of the Year during a luncheon last week. Congratulations to Mrs. Kris Watson, our 4th grade teacher, nominated by her colleagues and Mrs. Smith! A few comments about Mrs. Watson from her peers:
“She is an amazing teacher and friend. Her strength, humor, and grace are blessings to our school.”
“With all the adversity she has undergone and continues to undergo, she maintains dedicated to her students. She is an awesome teacher as well.”
“Mrs. Watson managed to keep teaching and have great MAP scores while caring for her son going through Chemo.”
“She has been a tremendous help to me as I settle into my new teaching position. I can tell that she’s a very experienced, compassionate teacher, who challenges her students. Also, she's a great person to work with!”
We are blessed to have Mrs. Watson as a member of our faculty at St. Francis Catholic School and so very proud of her!
Career Friday in 5th Grade - Mr. Shelton - Trial Lawyer
Mrs. Brewster’s 5th Grade welcomed Trial Lawyer, Mr. Shelton, to speak at Career Friday. The students learned about the many opportunities within the legal profession. Students understood important terms such as consensus, deposition, verdict, ethics, and litigation. They had a turn at a mock trial where students supported their case for their favorite Halloween candy in front of a jury of their peers. Surely, the 5th grade has some future legal advocates in the class! Thank you, Mr. Shelton.
ANNUAL FUND
Thank you to all who have given to the SFCS annual fund so far! The annual fund is one of the most important gifts we ask of our St. Francis community. Gifts to the St. Francis Catholic School Annual Fund provide students access to opportunities that distinguish the SFCS educational, spiritual, and social experiences. Your gift to the SFCS Annual Fund today, will make an impact on the lives of many young people at our school.
Athletic Events This Week
Monday, October 17
Senior Volleyball HOME vs Bolden – 5pm – SENIOR NIGHT
Junior Volleyball 5/6th Grade Tournament @ SGG
Tuesday, October 18
Cross Country Lowcountry Middle School Championship @ Habersham – 5pm
Thursday, October 20
Middle School Volleyball Championship @ HHCA
Saturday, October 22
DOCYVT @ Charleston Athletic Center
THANK YOU TO OUR BUSINESS SPONSORS SUPPORTING SFCS ATHLETICS!
Mrs. Sweeney is requesting the following materials for her art classes:
empty paper towel rolls
yarn (remnants are ok)
FSA NEWS!
If you would like to be a part of the FSA community, please contact fsa.sfcs@gmail.com to learn how you may get involved!
SFCS VALUE CARD IS HERE!
ST. FRANCIS CATHOLIC SCHOOL IS ON SOCIAL MEDIA!
St. Francis Catholic School
Email: school@sfcshhi.com
Website: sfcshhi.com
Location: 45 Beach City Rd, HHI, SC 29926
Phone: 843-681-6501
Facebook: facebook.com/sfcshhi