SMHS Weekly Newsletter
October 17, 2025
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Principal Update
Principal Update
Dear Parents,
As we celebrate homecoming next week, it is a great opportunity to reflect on the tremendous history, traditions, and accomplishments of this great school over the past 166 years. The positive impact this school has had on generations of alumni and on our community as a whole is immeasurable. Our five Lasallian Core Principles are at the heart of what our school has always been and will continue to be about. It will be wonderful to see our alumni and the entire St. Michael’s community come together at our football game on October 25th.
The first nine weeks progress reports were available in OnBoard on October 16th. I hope you have had an opportunity to review grades with your child. Please contact the teachers directly if you have any questions or concerns. Please consistently monitor your child’s progress in OnBoard. All grades should be up to date every Monday.
If your child is struggling academically, I encourage them to take advantage of individual teacher help either before school, at lunch, or after school. Students can also take advantage of peer tutoring as well as work with our college and career counselor on an academic support plan. If your child is experiencing high anxiety or stress, I encourage them to see our mental and behavioral health counselor for support. We have many resources to support your child and will do everything we can to help them be successful.
As we begin the second nine week period of the first semester, we are seeing an uptick in student absences mainly due to illness. It is important to keep your child home if they have a fever and/or are displaying COVID or flu like symptoms. Students may keep up with missed work through Google Classroom. It is important that all missed assignments are completed.
Thank you for your continued support of our students, staff, and our academic, athletic, and extracurricular programs. Go Horsemen!
Yours in Christ,
Martin C. Sandoval, Principal
WE ARE HIRING!!!
SENIOR ACCOUNTANT (full time) in our Business Office - immediately.
Please visit our Career Webpage to view the full job description at https://www.stmichaelssf.org/apps/pages/careers?tota11y=true
If you are interested or know someone who might be interested, please forward this information to them.
Cover letters, resumes and inquiries can be sent to:
-HR@smhs.me or dsaya@smhs.me
Safety Tip of the Week:
Never share personal information like your name, address, or phone number on the internet or with people you don't know from online chats.
Counselor's Corner:
Parents! click this for a really good article on what is an "academic emergency" and how to respond constructively.
As college application season gets underway, it’s important for seniors to start thinking about their letters of recommendation! These letters give colleges a more personal picture of who a student is beyond grades and test scores, but there’s a process to follow:
1) Ask first (and ask politely!)
Before adding a teacher as a recommender in Naviance, students should personally ask their teachers if they’re willing to write a letter of recommendation. A thoughtful, early request goes a long way!
2) Using the Common App?
Students must request teacher letters of recommendation through Naviance. This ensures the letter connects properly to their Common App schools.
3) Not using the Common App?
Students should research each college’s requirements and follow the correct process for submitting letters (for example, some may prefer email submission or an institutional portal).
Parents, please encourage your seniors to plan ahead, give teachers plenty of notice, and always express gratitude for their time and support.
If you have any questions about this process, please reach out to Ms. Martinez!
Homecoming October 25th
OCTOBER ACTIVITIES CALENDAR
10/1-31 SOCTOBER (Bring in socks to donate to the homeless)
10/21 School BLOOD DRIVE
10/23: Homecoming Mass
10/24: Homecoming Pep Rally
10/25: Homecoming Dance
10/29: Open House
Homecoming Dance Information
Homecoming Dance tickets will go on sale Tuesday, October 21st. Ticket prices are $25 for an individual and $40 for a couple.
Students must present a signed parent/guardian permission slip at the time of purchase. The form above can be printed from the provided link or picked up from Mrs. Temple’s classroom. Please note, students will not be able to purchase a ticket without this form.
If your student plans to bring a guest, a guest pass form is required. These forms are also available from Mrs. Temple and must be completed and returned no later than Tuesday, October 21st. Because the guest form requires multiple signatures, please encourage your student to pick one up as soon as possible.
Thank you for your support in helping make Homecoming a fun and safe event!
NHS Blood Drive:
Our first blood drive will take place on Tuesday October 21st. Click on the link below to make an appointment today.
Junior PSAT/NMSQT Testing Wednesday, October 22nd
9am -12pm Test information will be sent out to all Juniors as we get closer to the testing date
Members of the St. Michael’s choir who are also part of the St. Francis Cathedral Basilica choir— Candace Fuentes, Amy Hernandez, Jaslene Ramirez, Alan Rosales, Isaac Rosales, Isabella Santistevan, and Clare Velasquez—recently traveled to Mexico City for a once-in-a-lifetime musical pilgrimage. The students sang The Mass of the Americas at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, where they had the honor of viewing the miraculous Tilma. They also performed at La Sagrada Familia Church alongside adult choirs from across the United States. Isabella Santistevan was selected for the prestigious Chamber Choir. The students represented St. Michael’s with great pride and grace.
Tennis
Fall practices on Tuesdays and Fridays at Salvador Perez Park on Alta Vista from 4-5:30 p.m. for boys and girls, 8th grade and up through 10/28. All skill levels welcome. Contact Coach Barker at tennis@smhs.me.
Athletic Passes
Athletic Season Passes are in, please contact Athletic Director Dakota Montoya at dmontoya@smhs.me for purchase of season passes. We will also sell them at the gates for our athletic events, please have cash or check available in full at the time of purchase. Passes are good for all SMHS Regular Season Home Games Only.
Streaming Options
https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/ Search for St. Michael’s High School - Santa Fe, NM (Must purchase a subscription to watch)
On-line ticket sales
Living Lasallian:
Living Lasallian:
Casimiro "Casey" J. Garcia Jr. Obituary 2025 - Rivera Family Funerals & Cremations
Rosary will be on October 28 @ 6 p.m. at Rivera Family Funeral Home; Mass of Christian burial will be October 29 at 11 a.m. at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi; followed by internment at the National Cemetery at 1 p.m.
October is widely celebrated in our Faith as the Month of the Rosary! What a wonderful celebration it is to honor one of the most powerful forms of prayer this month. The rosary is a reflective and meditative prayer that helps us to Encounter Christ more deeply, meditate on Mary’s “Yes” to God, find Strength in our Suffering, and notice the Moments of Grace in our lives. It was St. Pope John Paul II who said: “Do you want me to teach you a ‘secret’? It is simple, and it is no longer a secret; pray, pray very much; recite the Rosary every day.”
Our loving Savior is waiting to meet us in our lives and in our prayers. As a community we pray for strength and a continued mission of bringing the love of God to our students. Happy Month of the Rosary!
Calling all Horsemen Alumni:
St. Michael’s High School will be celebrating Homecoming Week October 20–26, 2025. As part of the week of Horsemen festivities, the St. Michael’s High School Alumni Association is inviting alumni to join us for a Horsemen Alumni Social Evening on October 22, 2025 at Boxcar - Santa Fe from 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm.
Boxcar - Santa Fe has set aside a private space for the Alumni Association for this event. The Alumni Association will provide appetizers for the event, and a cash bar and full menu is available from Boxcar - Santa Fe.
For more information, email us at stmikesalumni@gmail.com
We are still in need of volunteers to help in the concession stand for both Football and Volleyball games. Your help is appreciated! If you are available to help please call Brian Gutierrez @ 505.989.1111
Parents' Association is working diligently on the tuition assistance awards. We are hopeful that all award letters for the 2025-2026 school year are out soon.
It is with great regret to announce that Henrietta Baca has decided to step down from the position of Concession Co-Chair. Parents' Association is thankful for all her hard work and dedication. We wish Henrietta the best going forward.
We are blessed to have Courtney Cole and Bree Rodgers to ensure a smooth and successful transition with concession sales. I would also like to thank all our regular volunteers who are doing a great job.
If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact me @ 505.989.1111.
Thank you
Brian g
Go Horsemen
SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Voice of Democracy Competition.pdfVFW Auxiliary National Scholarship.pdf
The NMAA Foundation is excited to announce a continued partnership with a non-profit organization that provides scholarships to graduating seniors here in New Mexico. This relationship is with the Daniels Fund and we hope that you will pass this on to your coaches, counselors, and fellow administrators so that students across our state can be made aware of this great opportunity.
Applications for the Daniels Scholarship Program are now open, and we need your help getting the word out to high school seniors in your community!
The Daniels Scholarship Program makes college possible for motivated students from New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming. Scholarships cover a full ride at partner schools or up to $25,000 per year at any accredited college in the United States. Daniels Scholars receive more than just financial support — they also gain leadership skills, personal support, and a brand-new MacBook!
The application for the Daniels Scholarship Program will be open from September 15 through October 17, 2025 at 4:00pm MT and typically takes students less than one hour to complete.
Please encourage students to learn more and apply online now at DanielsFund.org/scholarships!
NMAA Foundation Scholarship Opportunity
The Michael L. Danoff Memorial Scholarship Fund recipient will be announced and recognized on December 26, 2025, on the field during the Isleta New Mexico Bowl. It is important the applicant has a strong background in community service during his or her high school career and reflects that of a “stand-up citizen.” The $2,500.00 scholarships may be used toward tuition, fees, books, required equipment/technology and/or room and board at the college or university.
Applicant must:
• Be a New Mexico resident
• Involved in extracurricular activities
• Have a minimum cumulative 2.5 GPA
• Have experience in community service and a reflects “good citizenship” in the community
• Submit an essay (no longer than one-page double spaced size 12 font) reflecting community
service involvement, good citizenship, extracurricular activities and how he or she will give back to the community. It is important to note why this scholarship will help with your future success and why this scholarship will help you to accomplish your goals in education. Your essay should also include your school and year of graduation as well as anything else you feel is important for the selection to consider such as family background, hobbies, career ambitions, etc. Your essay should also provide contact information for how you can be reached if selected.
Application Deadline: All applications shall be submitted to danoffmemorialscholarship@gmail.com by November 7, 2025
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