Weekly Howl-1.30.23

What a wonderfully busy week we had and now we look forward to the celebration of Catholic School's Week! Our gala on Friday night was so much fun. Congratulations to our Co-chairs, Heather Quinn, and Rileigh Knight and their fabulous Gala Committee, for an outstanding event! There were wonderful silent auction donations, and the class projects were amazing! A big thank you to Mandy White, for organizing and manning the Wine Pull. The live auction was a lot of fun, and a successful "paddles up" with money raised going to our STEM program, followed. There was dancing to close out such a fun evening. The co-chairs and I will begin planning for next year's gala on Thursday.

This week we celebrate Catholic School's Week with several activities including dress up days (see schedule below), and letter writing projects. I hope you were able to attend the Family Mass yesterday to kick off Catholic Schools Week and view the winning posters of the School Lenten Project. (The posters will be on display through the first week of March.) Today students will honor the priests serving at St. Francis by the Sea Catholic Church, by writing cards to them. On Tuesday, students will honor first responders by creating cards for Fire Station No. 5 and our Resource Officer, Master Sargeant Washington. On Thursday, the students will celebrate their school with an ice cream social at each of the lunches. Friday the priests will visit the classrooms for the Blessing of the Throats before the early dismissal of students at 11:30 a.m. Teachers will be treated to lunch before we gather for professional development in the afternoon. While we celebrate many people that make our Catholic school great, I also want to say thanks to you, our parents, and grandparents. You are an integral part of St. Francis Catholic School and we are grateful for your support, love, and prayers.

Our Scholastic Book Fair also begins today and runs through Friday. Mrs. Keefer has set up the library, beautifully showcasing all the wonderful books to consider adding to your student's book collection! As a reminder, parents will have a special time to view the book selections and enjoy pastries on Wednesday, February 1, from 7:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. Please plan to attend and then join us for our weekly School Mass at 10:00 a.m. at St. Francis By the Sea Catholic Church.

Here's to a week of celebrating the value Catholic education provides to our students and its contributions to our church, our communities and our nation!

Have a fabulous week!

Blessings,

Andrea

Andrea Smith, M.Ed., LPC, NCC

Principal

Meekness: Serenity of spirit while focusing on the needs of others.

Our Prayer :

Dear Jesus,

Be King of my heart, especially when I am frustrated or angry.

Amen

The re-registration period for the 2023-2024 school year will open on February 1, for families currently attending St. Francis Catholic School and for any siblings that may wish to enroll. This enrollment period specifically for current SFCS families, will go through Friday, March 3. A completed application for admission is required as soon as possible for any siblings who do not currently attend our school but wish to enroll for the '23-'24 academic year. Re-registration will be considered incomplete if your completed form and fees are not turned in by March 3, as open enrollment for new families begin on Monday, March 6, 2023. Many of our classes are currently at capacity which may result in a waitlist once open enrollment begins. Re-registration forms will be sent home with students on Wednesday, February 1.

Beginning January 9, the School Office will close every Monday at 3:00 p.m. for a staff meeting. Please make note of this change.

Parents, guardians, family and friends are invited to the SFCS Second Quarter Academic Awards presentation on February 1 at 2:00 p.m. in the Gym. We look forward to seeing you there to help us celebrate the students' achievements!

Join the St. Francis Catholic School community at St. Francis by the Sea Catholic Church for School Family Sunday Mass on the following Sundays:

February 19, 2023

March 19, 2023

April 16, 2023

May 21, 2023

We hope to see our families at each monthly Family Sunday Mass! Students should wear their Mass uniforms and dress code shoes. If your student would like to sing in the choir, please meet Mrs. Sweeney by the piano no later than 8:40 a.m. We'd love to have your student participate!

Show your spirit and dress up in honor of Catholic Schools Week!

Monday - January 30: Crazy Socks Day with school uniform

Tuesday - January 31: Crocs Day with school uniform

Wednesday - February 1: School Mass - Mass Uniform

Thursday - February 2: Sports Team Jersey or T-shirt with uniform bottom

Friday - February 3: Silly hat day with SFCS spirit t-shirt and uniform bottom

Mark your calendar for our Scholastic Book Fair beginning Monday, January 30 of Catholic Schools Week! All books will be purchased through e-wallet. You may set up your e-wallet account by clicking on this link: How eWallet Works (scholastic.com). We will have preview times set up for each class to filter through and make wish lists. Parents will be able to shop prior to dismissal on all days and on a special time on Wednesday. On Wednesday, February 1, we will host "Pastries for Parents" from 8:15 a.m. - 9:30 a.m., as part of the book shopping experience! We are in need of parent volunteers to assist with the book fair throughout the week. If available to help, please sign up using this link for the Sign Up Genius https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0B4CAFA62FA4F58-sfcs

Friday, February 3 will be a half day for students. Dismissal will be at 11:30 a.m. There will not be a lunch period or Aftercare on that day. Students should bring a snack to get them through until their dismissal. Thank you for taking note of this important announcement!

Get ready for Pottery Jam 2023 fundraising event benefitting our Fine Arts program, beginning on Friday, February 3 through Sunday, February 5! Below outlines the Pottery Jam 2023 Fundraising Event Schedule:

February 3 - 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Kids Night Out - Grades 4th - 8th. Painting, pizza, games, and prizes. $15.00 entry fee. Pottery pieces are an additional cost ranging from $5.00 - $40.00. Students may paint as many pieces as time allows. Each piece is priced separately. Participants must RSVP to Katie Bolchoz (kbolchozstfsc@gmail.com).

February 4 - 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. - Open Studio - Pottery pieces range in cost from $5.00 - $40.00. Participants may paint as many pieces as time allows. Each piece is priced separately.

February 5 - 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. - Open Studio - Pottery pieces range in cost from $5.00 - $40.00. Participants may paint as many pieces as time allows. Each piece is priced separately.

We hope to see you there!

Tickets will go on sale after all weekend Masses, beginning February 11 through February 19.

Middle school students are invited to the annual Middle School Dance. The theme, selected by the 8th grade class is "Black Tie". We look forward to hosting this fun event on campus for grades 6, 7, and 8! Tickets are $10.00 per person. Check in begins at 6:45 p.m. Lock-in will be 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Stay tuned for more information.

Students in grades PreK-8th created posters for the Lenten Mission Project. The posters were created to bring awareness to a Faith Formation Ministry Event...."Come Encounter God's Love For You". The posters will be on display in the vestibule of the church and in the school through the first week of March.

While there were so many wonderful posters submitted, the following students' artwork was selected for each class:

PreK - Isabella Q.

Kindergarten - Bridget K.

1st Grade - Tucker S.

2nd Grade - Kayla C.

3rd Grade - Georgie B.

4th Grade - Lillian S.

5th Grade - Palmer S.

6th Grade - Cadence S.

7th Grade - Claire O.

8th Grade - Kelly B.

Congratulations! We are so proud of the meaningful expressions by the students of the upcoming Lenten season, while focusing on the theme "Come Encounter Christ".

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)

The Kindergarten class celebrated 100 days of school by dressing up as though they were 100 years old! We love our young "oldsters"!

The First graders had a very busy week. They enjoyed hearing stories from mystery readers, Father Christopher and Mrs. Markey. The class celebrated the 100th day of school by counting 100 M&Ms and doing other 100th Day of School activities. They also learned about how bears hibernate during the winter, and learned about polar animals.

This week Mrs. Watson' 4th grade class ministry’s chairperson, Natalie Usher, visited the students. She explained the mission of the ministry as the class made cards and prayer rocks for the residents Mrs. Usher visits.

Mrs. Brewster’s 5th Grade Class welcomed Dr. Catalano to Career Friday. Dr. Catalano is the Chief Radiologist for the Pregnancy Care Center of the Low Country. The students learned about the care that is critical for mothers to be, and how their prayers and donations impact this Pro Life cause. The 5th grade students viewed ultrasounds and learned about the advances of medical imaging. Dr. Catalano encouraged the class to cherish and pray for the sanctity of life from conception to natural death and every stage in between. Thank you, Dr. Catalano, for sharing part of your day with the students!

Come join the spring St. Francis Equestrian Show Team! Practices will take place at Moss Creek Stables. Registration day is February 14!

2/1 – AWAY vs Cross – 4 Jr G / 5 Jr Boys / 6 Sr Girls / 7 Sr Boys

2/2 – HOME vs CHAA – 4:30G / 5:30B

2/4 (Saturday) – AWAY vs HHP – 9 Junior G / 10 Jr Boys / 11 Senior Girls

2/7 – HOME vs Beaufort Academy – 4:30G / 5:30B – Senior Night

2/9 – AWAY vs HHP – 4G / 5B

2/10 – AWAY vs Lowcountry Montessori (LMS) – 4G / 5B – Suzane Gonzalez

2/15-17 – Middle School Championships – HHP

2/24-26 - Diocesan Tournament – Charleston

*Please check the schedule often as games are subject to change.

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!

https://www.facebook.com/sfcshhi

Email: school@sfcshhi.com
Website: sfcshhi.com
Location: 45 Beach City Rd, HHI, SC 29926
Phone: 843-681-6501
Facebook: facebook.com/sfcshhi