The Trojan Times
St. Maria Goretti Catholic School September 20, 2020
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,
I hope you all are enjoying this beautiful Sunday with gorgeous fall-like weather! We had another great week at SMGCS last week filled with a lot of fun and excitement!
Thanks to the VERY generous help of so many families and friends of SMGCS for making this year's North Texas Giving Day such a HUGE success! With your help, we not only met our $50,000 goal, but exceeded it! The Communities Foundation of North Texas, the organization that hosts North Texas Giving Day each year, does a fantastic job promoting this event and helping non-profits such as St. Maria Goretti Catholic School gain additional resources, which enables us to continue to improve and develop our programs. In addition meeting our goal, St. Maria Goretti Catholic School was also in the top 10 of ALL schools in DFW and #1 in the Diocese of Fort Worth with the highest number of donations made by individual donors! That says A LOT about the support SMGCS has not only from our school families, but from the greater community as well!
As if our success on NTXGD wasn't enough, SMGCS was also awarded the Arlington Tomorrow Foundation $10,000 People's Choice Award, sponsored by the Gene and Jerry Jones Family Arlington Youth Foundation! Thank you to all who voted and for encouraging friends and family from all over to vote for our school. This is such an honor and a true blessing for SMGCS! See below for details and hi-lights from NTXGD.
Part of the fun on NTXGD the last couple of years has been hosting the SMG Gives! event. Since we were unable to come together in person this year, we instead hosted a mini SMG Gives! virtual event on Thursday evening. It was so much fun sharing in the NTXGD excitement with our students and families! If you missed it, please check out the link further down in the newsletter for a recording of the event.
Information was sent home in Friday Folders about the Empowering God's Children program which will be covered during K - 8 religion classes the week of September 28th. The letter mentions having the overview and lesson plan available for your review. The overview and lesson plans were not attached to the letter, but Mrs. Malloy emailed them separately to parents. If you did not receive the information or have questions, please call the front office. Only parents choosing to Opt-out of having their student(s) participate in the program need to send the completed and signed Opt-out form back.
Over the next two weeks, 3rd - 8th Grade students will be taking the ACT Aspire periodic tests. Again, the Diocese of Fort Worth will no longer be administering the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) and Cognitive Abilities (CogAt) assessements, and is moving to the ACT Aspire as our annual assessment tool.
We will be administering:
- ACT Aspire Periodic assessments now and again in January/February to ensure your child is on track for the next grade level.
- ACT Aspire Summative assessment in April/May to continue charting your child’s progress, and to use as a baseline when the summative test is administered again in the fall, 2021.
The valuable data we gain from these assessments allows us to make evidence based decisions when addressing your child’s strengths, areas for improvement, and growth potential. This can give you an early indication of his or her likely readiness for the future, providing time to address areas where improvement is needed. I will be sending an email to parents this week with this information, and also encourage you to click on the link below for more information on the ACT Aspire assessments.
Progress Reports were emailed to parents on Friday. Please contact your students' teachers directly with any questions.
Finally, if your student(s) enjoy our lunch program, please be sure to order lunches for the week by 3:00PM on Sundays. Please see further below in this newsletter for the link to order and for more information. As well, please be sure that your student(s) has enough water/water bottles to last the entire day. We do not keep a heavy supply of water bottles on hand and have almost depleted the limited supply we reserve for use in the nurse's office. Thank you!
As always, thank you parents for the privilege of working with your precious children. May God continue to bless you and your families.
St. Maria Goretti, Pray for Us!
Blessings,
Laura Behee, M.Ed.
Principal
North Texas Giving Day 2020!
SMG Gives! Virtual Event!
Cheerleader's NTXGD Videos!
Thanks for Dining Out with us at Danielita's!
Many thanks to the families who dined in or carried out at Danielita's Mexican Restaurant for our first SMG Spirit Night of the school year last Wednesday! Danielita's is a family-owned restaurant owned by the Zavala family and this was their first time running a virtual restaurant along side their live dining room. From the Zavala's, "Never have we had such large amount of to go orders in one night. Thank you to those who made it out. Thank you for waiting and thank you for your patience!"
SPIRIT Hours
Volunteer Hour Policy-
We will be continuing with our SPIRIT Hour policy from last year. In the absence of Kountry Karnival, we will be working to find other ways that families can earn hours. Opportunities will be communicated via emailed SPIRIT Updates, the Trojan Times, and on our website.
All SMG families must complete 40 hours (20 hours by December 18, 2020, and 20 hours by May 14, 2021). Otherwise, $400 per family will be billed ($200 in January and $200 in May). You are only charged for the hours you did not complete. For example, if you complete 19 hours by December 18, 2020, you will only be charged for the one hour you did not complete.
Volunteer Opportunities-
- Kountry Karnival Mobile Raffle Sales- volunteers are needed to sell raffle tickets after upcoming Masses. Please click the link to see if you can help!
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0448ada622a5fe3-kkmobile
- Room Coordinators- many homerooms still need volunteers. Room Coordinators work with the SPIRIT Coordinator and homeroom teacher to help make class and school events successful, and communicate with their homeroom families. Guidance will be provided. Parents whose students are distance learning are encouraged to sign up as well! Please let me know if you have any questions.
Athletics Update!
Thank you for your patience as we navigate what Athletics will look like this semester. Sports packets were sent home in your student's Friday Folder. Please fill these out and return to school as soon as possible. Also, remember that all students must have a physical turned in that was completed after June 1, 2020. Look for an email from Ms. Seyer for additional important information regarding athletics.
Questions or to volunteer, please contact our sports coordinator, Ms. Seyer, at eseyer@smgschool.org.
FWDIOC Volleyball Clinic and Tryout, Monday, September 21st!
In the link below, please find information that we just received this weekend for the FWDIOC Volleyball Clinic and Tryout that will take place tomorrow, Monday 9/21.
The Clinic/Tryout is for all Diocesan 6th, 7th, and 8th grade girls. The FWDIOC Team is for students at Diocesan Schools only. Home school students who are part of our parishes are allowed to play in our regular Diocesan League, but are not eligible for this team.
The Clinic times are:
- Monday 9/21: 5:00 – 7:30 PM
- Wednesday 9/23: 5:00 – 7:30 PM
Registration will take place in the Arena and will be run entirely by the Nolan Catholic Volleyball Coaching Staff.
Once we have a registration list of the students and school, we will bill participant FACTS accounts a one-time $10 fee. Students can attend one or both sessions, but will only pay once.
Parents may drop their athlete off at registration, but MUST return to their car for the duration of the clinic.
Masks will be required at ALL times in the building. If no mask is being worn, the athlete will be turned away by the Nolan Catholic Coaching Staff.
All questions about the FWDIOC A and B team can be directed to kmelton@nchstx.org.
Kountry Karnival 2020 Raffle Tickets on Sale Now!!
Though we are unable to host the Kountry Karnival this year, we are keeping the Karnival alive in spirit by continuing the long-standing tradition of the Kountry Karnival Raffle. This year’s prizes include a beautiful diamond ring valued at over $10,000, and an outdoor kitchen valued at $5000! Tickets are $25 each, or 5 tickets for $100, and are available for purchase online (see link below) and after all Masses this weekend and the weekends leading up to the big drawing on Sunday October 4th! Please consider supporting our wonderful Catholic school and purchase your tickets today!
Click on the link to purchase raffle tickets: http://bidpal.net/2020kkraffleSMG School Club Opportunities
Youth Choir - 3rd-8th Grade Students
Drama Club - 5th-8th Grade Students
Miscellaneous Information
NEW: Lunch Orders Must be Placed Sunday for the Entire Week
A parent text alert was sent Thursday with news of new lunch order procedures. Beginning this week, lunch orders must be placed for the entire week (Monday through Friday) by Sunday at 3:00pm. We cannot accept orders placed after the Sunday deadline.
We will continue to text families on Thursday afternoon/evening each week, which will allow parents/students to place lunch orders for the upcoming week. The link is also available on the school website and will continue in the weekly Trojan Times. The form has a link with the menu attached as well.
Click below for the order form:
The 2019-2020 Yearbooks have Arrived!
If you did not purchase a 2019-2020 Yearbook, there are still some available! Yearbooks are $30.00 each. Please see Mrs. Malloy in the front office for more information.
Back To School Night Video!
In an effort to keep everyone safe and to adhere to the protocols we have put in place related to COVID-19, we were unable to welcome parents to campus this year for the annual Back to School Night. Instead, we have put together a Back to School Night video on YouTube, which includes links from each teacher with information about their classes. Please follow the link below to view the video. Be sure to "Like" and comment on the video if you enjoy it, as well as subscribe to our YouTube channel and turn on notifications to see upcoming videos. Welcome Back!
Arrival & Dismissal Procedures
School Day Schedule and Arrival/Dismissal Procedures
Morning Arrival and Afternoon Dismissal moved along fairly well last week, considering all of the protocols and procedures we have put in place related to COVID-19. Please remember: 1.) ALL students (PK - 8th) must be dropped off in the morning using the morning carline in the back (west) parking lot; 2.) Parents/guardians may not enter the building to walk their students to the classroom. We will again have our Junior High Safety Patrol students and plenty of faculty/staff in the back lot during carline to walk little ones to their classrooms. Please understand, this is in an effort to limit the number of people entering and moving through the building for the safety of all our students, faculty, and staff; and 3.) Parents/guardians must download the Healthy Together app on their cell phone. Parents/guardians must show the completed screening to car line personnel each morning before their children will be allowed out of the car to enter the school.
The entire arrival and dismissal procedures can be found on the link below and is also outlined in the SMG Family Handbook, which is now available on the school website. Please Note: There may be changes to the Arrival/Dismissal procedures as we begin the school year and adjust to the safety protocols we must adhere to due to COVID-19. Any necessary changes to the Arrival/Dismissal procedures will of course be communicated to parents.
Arrival/Dismissal Procedures: https://smgschool.org/documents/2020/8/Arrival%20%20Dismissal%20During%20COVID%20%20Addendum.pdf
Healthy Together App
By now, most have downloaded the free Healthy Together app (found in the App Store). Please continue to complete the app before arriving in carline and be ready to show the completed screening to a faculty/staff member on duty in carline each morning. Multiple students can conveniently be added to one app. Please call the front office if you have any questions about how to install the app.
Student Email Accounts and Google Classroom
All students, whether learning On-Campus or via Distance Learning, have school email accounts that they generally access during computer class, and will also need to access Google Classroom. Parents of students in Grades 4th - 8th who are attending classes On-Campus were sent information and instructions for their student(s) to access their email accounts, log-in to Google Classroom, and create a bookmark on their home devices. Students have also be given this information during computer class, as many 4th-8th Grade teachers provide feedback on assignments, etc. to students via Google Classroom. As well, being familiar with logging in to Google Classroom will be helpful should we ever need to move to distance learning during the school year. If you did not receive your student's log-in information or have questions, please contact Mrs. Daly (jdaly@smgschool.org).
As well, please check out the following tutorial for detailed instructions on signing into Google Classroom.
SMG 2020-2021Family Handbook
The 2020-2021 Family Handbook has been updated and has been posted on the school website (http://smgschool.org). Please note, there was an addendum related to COVID-19 placed at the end of the handbook, before the acknowledgement page. Please be sure to read the handbook then print, sign, and return the acknowledgement form at the back of the handbook indicating that you have read and understand the handbook. A signed acknowledgement form from each family was due back to the school last Friday, August 28th. If you have not yet returned your signed acknowledgement form, please do so as soon as possible.
2020-2021 Academic Calendar
Please click on the following link to view the 2020-2021 Academic Calendar. It can also be found on the school website at smgschool.org.
https://smgschool.org/documents/2020/5/SMG%202020-2021%20Academic%20Calendar%202.pdf
COVID-19: Safety Procedures and Protocols
Please see the SMG Safe Return to School plan that was sent to all school families last week, by clicking the following link.
Virtus Training
VIRTUS Safe Environment training for volunteers will begin to expire in September 2020. Parent volunteers will need to renew their VIRTUS training in order to continue volunteering. The VIRTUS renewal program is called "Keeping the Promise Alive" and must be attended in order to keep Safe Environment status current. Our school Safe Environment coordinator will email parents with information for how to register for a renewal session. Please email smalloy@smgschool.org with any questions.
Box Tops - Earn Money for SMG!
Box Tops makes it easy for families to earn cash for schools and help teachers get the supplies they need. Traditional Box Tops clips are being phased out of production, but may continue to be found on many products throughout the store. Although you may still clip coupons, there is a NEW and EASY method:
- Create a Box Tops for Education account via the Box Tops app or website - View the video: How it Works, Join For Free
- Buy Box Top Products
- Use your app to scan the store receipt within 14 days of purchase -View the video: How to Scan
2020-2021 Enrollment & Registration
Registration & Enrollment for the 2020-2021 school year can be found on our school website. There are still spots available at most grade-levels. As a reminder, tuition assistance is available and we are committed to making a Catholic education a reality for any family who wishes one for their child(ren). Please contact Mrs. Behee (lbehee@smgschool) or our Registrar, Mrs. de la Pena (jdelapena@smgschool.org) with any questions or concerns.
Last Week at SMG.....
Kindergarten's First School Mass in the Church!
Rubik's Cube Club - Come Join the Fun During Recess
- 4th-5th grade: 12:29-12:49
- 6th-8th grade: 12:09-12:29
Solve the Rubik Cube and work to make a Rubik mosaic.
Email Mrs. Utendorf at autendorf@smgschool.org
AM/PM Car Line - Helping Others
PreK Students Doing a Great Job Cleaning Their Workspace
Kindergarten - Slipper Day!
Pre-K Outside and Inside
Last week, Mrs. Hill's Pre-K students took advantage of the beautiful weather and moved outside for Bible journaling and Science. They drew in their journals all the things they saw outside that God created. Inside, students participated in math lessons on sorting by color and counting activities with buttons from their book of the week, Pete the Cat, and the four groovy buttons!
Kindergarten - Johnny Appleseed
John Chapman (September 26, 1774 – March 18, 1845), better known as Johnny Appleseed, was an American pioneer nurseryman who introduced apple trees to large parts of Pennsylvania, Ontario, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, as well as the northern counties of present-day West Virginia.
He spent 50 years of his life growing apple trees in America so that people could enjoy apples, and also apple cider (a common apple drink). This is why he has become an American legend – his life was one of selfless actions for his desire to share and care for others.
Kindergarten - Alphabet Sequencing and Life Cycle of the Apple
Scientists At Work
First Grade - Adjective Scavenger Hunt - Describing Nouns With Adjectives
Mrs. Salomao's Science Class Building Towers
Mrs. Gutierrez's Second Grade Engineers
Mrs. Gutierrez - Religion Class
4th Grade Religion Class
Spanish
Mrs. Zavala dressed as Father Hidalgo to teach 1st - 8th Grade students about Mexico's Father of Independence.
Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla was a Mexican Roman Catholic priest and key figure in the Mexican War of Independence (1810–21). Hidalgo is best remembered for his speech, the “Grito de Dolores” (“Cry of Dolores”), which called for the end of Spanish colonial rule in Mexico.
Spanish
Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd Grade chose their favorite animal from the book De la Dabeza a los Pies by Eric Carle.
Spanish: 6th - 8th Grade Written Narration of La Víbora - The Snake
Computer Class - Practicing Keyboarding Skills
SMG Hallway Happenings
Jabberwocky - Seventh Grade
Jabberwocky
’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
“Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!”
He took his vorpal sword in hand;
Long time the manxome foe he sought—
So rested he by the Tumtum tree
And stood awhile in thought.
And, as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!
One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.
“And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!”
He chortled in his joy.
’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
Fourth Grade: Building Descriptive Sentences
Music: Rhapsody in Blue
The Rhapsody in Blue Rose was named after Gershwin's musical composition. Kindergarten students imagined and drew a new kind of flower, then gave it a name.
Music: Rhapsody in Blue and Tin Pan Alley
George Gershwin studied with several piano teachers until he was about 13 years old and introduced to Charles Hambitzer. It was during the next few years that George's talent quickly took shape. He dropped out of school when he was 15 and started working as a "song plugger" for a publishing company on Tin Pan Alley earning $15 a week. Tin Pan Alley was a street in Manhattan where songwriters and music publishers set up shop to sell their music.
Second and third grade students explored the sounds of the city in Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue. After discussing Tin Pan Alley and the sounds that could be heard there, students created their own make-believe alley and described the sounds that someone would hear walking down their street. Combined, their alleys make up "Sound City"
Calendar Notes
- Monday, 9/28-Friday,10/16: Follett Online Book Fair - watch for more information
- Sunday, 10/4: Kountry Karnival 2020 Raffle Drawing
- Friday, 10/9: 1st Quarter Ends
- Monday, 10/12: 2nd Quarter Begins
- Monday,10/12-Friday, 10/15: Follett In-Person Book Fair - watch for more information
- Wednesday, 10/14: Picture Make-Up Day (individual yearbook pictures)
- Thursday, 10/15: Early Dismissal at 12:15PM - No Lunch Service - Parent Teacher Conferences 1:00-7:00PM (1st Qtr. report cards distributed at conference)
- Friday, 10/16: No School, No SMEED; Professional Development for Faculty/Staff
- Friday, 11/13: Early Dismissal at 12:10PM - No Lunch Service -Progress Reports Emailed to Parents
- Monday, 11/23-Friday, 11/27: Thanksgiving Holiday - No School
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/
Fr. Jim Angert, T.O.R.
Fr. Mike Ciski, T.O.R.
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.
Like Us on Face Book!
We are hoping to update our official Facebook page with some more recent, positive reviews, likes, and shares. Please visit our official Facebook page (Facebook@StMariaGorettiArlington) and help us spread the word about our great Catholic school!
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/