The Defender
May 12, 2023
Important Upcoming Dates
- May 15, 2023 Sizing Night at Dennis Uniform 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
- May 16, 2023 Field Day K-5
- May 16, 2023 6/7 Grade Leadership Retreat
- May 17, 2023 Last Day of School Dismissal at 10:00 AM
A Message from Mrs. Tate
Dear St. Michael the Archangel Families,
Congratulations to our 8th grade graduates! We had an amazing week with our 8th graders…celebrating, reminiscing, and praying with them. What a blessing they have been to SMA. Good luck to all of our graduates; you’ll always be part of the Defender family!
Congratulations, also, to our 6th grade students. They worked with our Leawood School Resource Officer this semester to complete D.A.R.E. training and graduate from the program. Drug Abuse Resistance Education has been a consistent program at SMA, and we are grateful to our Leawood Police Department for partnering with us in these efforts. Way to go, 6th graders!
Our 2nd graders got to present a whopping $1400 to Catholic Charities today from the profits of their Marketplace unit. WOW! Denise Ogilvie from Catholic Charities received the check and told the kids that their donation would purchase about 5000 meals for those in need. Thank you to all our 2nd graders, parent project managers, and volunteers!
Finally, we had a wonderful Mother's Tea in kindergarten. The kids sang to their moms, enjoyed mini-muffins and tea. It was a beautiful expression of their love for their mothers.
On behalf of our entire staff, I would like to wish our SMA mothers a Happy Mother’s Day. May the Lord bless all our mothers always; we pray this prayer for you:
Good and Gentle God
we pray in gratitude for our mothers and for all the women who have joined with you in the wonder of bringing forth new life. You who became human through a woman, grant to all mothers the courage they need to face the uncertain future that life with children always brings.
Give them the strength to live and to be loved in return, not perfectly, but humanly.
Give them the faithful support of husband, family and friends as they care for the physical and spiritual growth of their children.
Give them joy and delight in their children to sustain them through the trials of motherhood. Most of all, give them the wisdom to turn to you for help when they need it most.
- Author Unknown
Sincerely,
Diana Tate, Principal
St. Thomas Aquinas Scholarship Recipients
Congratulations to these 8th graders who received a St. Thomas Aquinas Scholarship.
Back Row: Alex Ryan, Murphy O'Keefe, Finnegan O'Keefe, Alexander Caldwell, Grady Huber
Front Row: Emily Proctor, Kate Carrigan, Grace Nelson, Maevry Neef
Not pictured recipients: Caleb Barron, Adrien Caldwell, Cassia Mazzella, Julia Rizzi
2nd Grade Marketplace
Kindergarten Mother's Day Tea
6th Grade DARE Graduation
6th and 7th grade Leadership Retreat on 5/16 at The Lodge at Ironwoods
We are excited for our middle school retreat on Tuesday! Parents of 6th and 7th grade students should make note of the following:
- Parents are asked to drop students off at the Lodge at Ironwoods (147th and Mission Road) between 7:55-8:10 a.m.(Slight change from previously published time) If you have students in lower grades at SMA, please drop them off first and then drop off your 6th/7th grader at the Lodge.
- Please pick up your 6th/7th grader at the Lodge at 3:00 and then head to SMA to pick up your younger children.
- Our parents ROCK! We have plenty of coolers of water for the day!
- The school will provide a Chick-fil-A lunch for the kids. Thank you to our VSL for helping us deflect some of the cost!
- Students should bring their school Bibles to the retreat along with a writing utensil. We will provide journals/paper for their notes.
- Students should wear their regular school uniform. We will not be doing strenuous games/tasks outside. Most of the retreat will be inside at the lodge and in the surrounding shaded area.
“Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interest of others.” (Philippians 2:3-4)
Note from the Health Room:
Please remember to pick up your child's prescription and over the counter medications in the Health Room before school is out! Medications not picked up by Tuesday May 16 will be sent home including over the counter medications, epi-pens, and inhalers. All other prescription medications must be picked up in health office.
Have a safe and healthy summer!
Sincerely,
Cathy Rysavy, RN
2023-2024 Tentative Calendar
VSL
2023-2024 Sign Up Link
LIBRARY
Library Book Returns
Please send in all your children’s library books the next couple weeks. Most classes will stop checking books out this week and we’ll be in “return” collection mode.
Thank you for your support of the library this year- it’s been fun!
School Supplies for the 2023-2024 School Year!
I am happy to announce we have paired with School Specialty for the upcoming year. Would you rather spend a summer day driving from store to store to purchase school supplies or get everything you need in one easy box? Great news! We are offering a pre-packaged school supply program this year. Supply orders include the exact colors, quantities, and brands your teachers have approved for class. Get your back-to-school shopping out of the way early and enjoy a summer day!
Simply place your order by MAY 26TH, 2023.
Order online at www.shopttkits.com.
Enter our school’s account number 88588.
Questions? Contact MOLLY COLE at MBAUER36@GMAIL.COM
CYO Summer and Fall Registrations
Summer and Fall registration is now open
Tennis (June 6-8) - Cross Country (Fall) - Flag Football (Fall) - Tackle Football (Fall) - Volleyball (Fall)
You can register at https://cyojwa.org/current-programs
If you have any questions, please reference our website https://cyojwa.org/home or contact your parish DSM (Director of Sports Ministry) at https://cyojwa.org/content/20986/ADDSM-Parish-contact.
St. Thomas Aquinas Summer Camps
During May, June and July, Saint Thomas Aquinas High School offers a variety of sports camps for students entering grades K-8 to explore. Our sports camps include Baseball, Basketball, Cheer, Cross Country, Dance, Football, Soccer, Softball, Strength, Speed & Agility, Swimming, Track & Field (Jumps) and Volleyball.
Saint Thomas Aquinas High School also offers several activity camps. These include Art, Baking, Break Out Boxes (intriguing puzzles similar to an Escape Room), Chess, Crafting, History & Film, Show Choir and a STEM camp!
Registration is available online through our website: www.stasaints.net/summercamps. Or if you prefer, you can download and complete the attached camp registration form and mail it to:
Saint Thomas Aquinas
Summer Camps
11411 Pflumm Rd
Overland Park, KS 66215
We look forward to providing a positive camp experience not only for your son or daughter but for their friends too! Please feel free to pass this information on to friends, neighbors and relatives too!