Mount Saint Agnes Comings & Goings
Friday, November 20, 2015
Upcoming Events
November
- Friday 27th - Non-uniform day for Veteran Association and Bermuda Legion
- Monday 30th - WINTER UNIFORM
- Wednesday 2nd - Elementary Assembly at 8.35 am
- Thursday 3rd - Middle School Assembly during TA
- Friday 4th - Red & Green non-uniform day for St. Vincent DePaul ($2 donation)
- Saturday 5th - H&S Santa Breakfast in the Auditorium 9 - 11 am (ELP - Gr. 4)
- Tuesday 8th - Feast of Immaculate Conception Mass @ 10:30 am (K - Gr. 12)
- Friday 11th - Sugar Plum Shop for Elementary
TUITION REMINDER
For Parents/Guardians who pay tuition in three installments, please note that the next due date is 4pm, December 1, 2015. Parents/Guardians who pay on a monthly basis should be on their fourth payment in December.
Late fees and interest will apply to all accounts that are overdue. If you have any questions regarding your account, please feel free to contact the Business Manager, Mrs. Gloria Araujo, at 292-4134, xtn 1904 or via email, garaujo@msa.bm.
SCHOOL NOTICES
REMINDER: ELEMENTARY STUDENTS NOT PICKED UP AFTER SCHOOL BY 3.30 PM ARE NOT TO REMAIN IN THE COURTYARD...THEY WILL BE SENT TO THE AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM AND PARENTS WILL BE BILLED ACCORDINGLY. WE ARE CONCERNED WITH THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS LEFT ON THE PREMISES UNSUPERVISED.
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The 2015 Christmas Concert will be held on Tuesday, December 15th and Wednesday, December 16th this year, two nights only. The show will start at 6:30 pm. Tickets will go on sale on December 1st at 8 am outside the school office. As the show will only be for two nights, Administration has decided that in order to be fair to everyone wishing to attend, an initial limit of 6 tickets will be allowed. A waiting list will be created for those who wish to purchase additional tickets which will be processed beginning December 8th.
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- MSA Staff has a morning prayer service daily. If anyone has a family member, living or deceased, that you would like us to pray for, please send in their name with your child (or email Karen Wicks at kwicks@msa.bm) and we will pray for them daily in the chapel.
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CHRISTMAS SPIRIT OF GIVING
This Advent season, we will continue our tradition of collecting non-perishable items for S.T.A.R. In addition to food items, you may choose to bring in toiletries, cleaning supplies etc. Also, please remember kid-friendly foods/treats. Please check the expiry dates on the food items. We will be collecting the goods November 23rd – December 11th.
S.T.A.R. offers support including spiritual guidance for any person infected or affected with HIV/AIDS. They also have support groups for loved ones of people living with HIV/AIDS. Through “The Lighthouse” they provide counseling by experienced and caring volunteers and even provide housing for HIV positive persons before the need of hospitalization.
Thank you in advance for your generous support of these efforts and may God bless your generosity! “For it is in giving that we receive” – St. Francis of Assisi
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House-Sit Wanted
The family of one of our teachers will be visiting over the Christmas Break and are looking for a house sitting opportunity. If anyone will be travelling over the holidays and have pets and/or plants that they would like taken care of this may be the perfect arrangement. Please contact the office if you are able to assist.
Digital Dilemmas
Explaining the News to Our Kids
Kids get their news from many sources -- and they're not always correct. How to talk about the news -- and listen, too.
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/blog/explaining-the-news-to-our-kids#
Shootings, terrorist attacks, natural disasters, end-of-the-world predictions -- even local news reports of missing kids and area shootings -- all of this can be upsetting news even for adults, much less kids. In our 24/7 news world, it's become nearly impossible to shield kids from distressing current events.
Today, kids get news from everywhere. This constant stream of information shows up in sharable videos, posts, blogs, feeds, and alerts. And since much of this content comes from sites that are designed for adult audiences, what your kids see, hear, or read might not always be age appropriate. Making things even more challenging is the fact that many kids are getting this information directly on their phones and laptops. Often parents aren't around to immediately help their children make sense of horrendous situations.
The bottom line is that young kids simply don't have the ability to understand news events in context, much less know whether or not a source of information is credible. And while older teens are better able to understand current events, even they face challenges when it comes to sifting fact from opinion -- or misinformation.
No matter how old your kid is, threatening or upsetting news can affect them emotionally. Many can feel worried, frightened, angry -- even guilty. And these anxious feelings can last long after the news event is over. So what can you do as a parent to help your kids deal with all of this information?
Tips for all kids
Reassure your children that they're safe. Tell your kids that even though a story is getting a lot of attention, it was just one event and was most likely a very rare occurrence. And remember that your kids will look to the way you handle your reactions to determine their own approach. If you stay calm and considered, they will, too.
Tips for kids under 7
Keep the news away. Turn off the TV and radio news at the top of the hour and half hour. Read the newspaper out of range of young eyes that can be frightened by the pictures. Preschool children don't need to see or hear about something that will only scare them silly, especially because they can easily confuse facts with fantasies or fears.
At this age, kids are most concerned with your safety and separation from you. They'll also respond strongly to pictures of other young children in jeopardy. Try not to minimize or discount their concerns and fears, but reassure them by explaining all the protective measures that exist to keep them safe. If you're flying somewhere with them, explain that extra security is a good thing.
Tips for kids 8-12
Carefully consider your child's maturity and temperament. Many kids can handle a discussion of threatening events, but if your children tend toward the sensitive side, be sure to keep them away from the TV news; repetitive images and stories can make dangers appear greater, more prevalent, and closer to home.
At this age, many kids will see the morality of events in stark black-and-white terms and are in the process of developing their moral beliefs. You may have to explain the basics of prejudice, bias, and civil and religious strife. But be careful about making generalizations, since kids will take what you say to the bank. This is a good time to ask them what they know, since they'll probably have gotten their information from friends, and you may have to correct facts.
You might explain that even news programs compete for viewers, which sometimes affects content decisions. If you let your kids use the Internet, go online with them. Some of the pictures posted are simply grisly. Monitor where your kids are going, and set your URLs to open to non-news-based portals.
Tips for teens
Check in. Since, in many instances, teens will have absorbed the news independently of you, talking with them can offer great insights into their developing politics and their senses of justice and morality. It will also give you the opportunity to throw your own insights into the mix (just don't dismiss theirs, since that will shut down the conversation immediately).
Many teens will feel passionately about events and may even personalize them if someone they know has been directly affected. They'll also probably be aware that their own lives could be impacted by terrorist tactics. Try to address their concerns without dismissing or minimizing them. If you disagree with media portrayals, explain why so that your teens can separate the mediums through which they absorb news from the messages conveyed.
Additional resources: For more information on how to talk to your kids about a recent tragedy please visit the National Association of School Psychologists or the American Psychological Association.
Outside Events
- SAVE THE DATE: Thursday evening Dec. 10th and Saturday Dec. 12th we will have the special privilege to have Kimberly Hahn, an internationally known speaker, author, parent and scripture expert. She is the wife of Scott Hahn, and together they co-founded one of the largest Catholic Scripture institutes in the world. She will share their story of becoming Catholics, among other subjects relevant for today’s busy parents. An event not to be missed. Keep tuned for more details.
Uniform Shop Hours
November
Thursday - 26 - 8:15 am to 9:15 am
December
Tuesday - 1st - 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm
Thursday - 10 - 8:15 am to 9:15 am
Mount Saint Agnes Academy
Email: comingsandgoings@msa.bm
Website: msa.bm
Location: 19 Dundonald Street, Hamilton, Bermuda
Phone: 441-292-4134
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mount-Saint-Agnes-Academy/122732467780429