Good Afternoon St. Mary Catholic School Families,

Thank you to everyone who completed the September Take Home Project. I have truly enjoyed  reading all of the  comments that were written on them.  The October Virtues in Practice Take Home Project will be sent home on Monday and is  also attached here.  The focus of this project is  Reverence, the virtue for October.

When we have the virtue of reverence we show, in both our words and our actions, our respect for God and all things of God - His Holy Name, the Blessed Virgin Mary, the saints, the Eucharist, and the holy objects found in the church or those that have been given a special blessing. When we show respect for each other we also show reverence for God, because we were made in His image and likeness.

Throughout this month, as we focus on this virtue, may we not only be consciously reverent in our words and actions, but also as we strive to recognize God’s will in our lives.  

In Christ,

Dr. Amy Summers

Text Alerts

We have begun using a new program to send our weekly text alerts and emails. The initial text alert went out a few weeks ago and we can see that many families replied NO or did not reply with YES to get the alerts. The initial text said “The Archdiocese of Baltimore would like to continue sending you text messages.”  Every week the SMCS Sunday newsletter is emailed and a link is sent by text. If you did not receive a text this week, please reply YES to 79041.  This is our main communication format with families, both weekly and in emergencies,  so we want to be sure you are receiving the text messages.

House T-Shirts

Our House t-shirts are in. They will be sent home on Monday. Students will be wearing them on October 11 for our next House Spirit Day. Families will be billed $10 through FACTS for the t-shirt

No School on 10/4 and 10/7

There will be no school on Friday, 10/4 as it is a Teacher Professional Development Day. There is also no school on Monday, 10/7. 

Interim Grade Reports

We are halfway through the first trimester. On Wednesday, October 2 the Interim Grade reports for grades 3-8 will be emailed home. A paper copy will be sent for students in grades K-2.  If you do not receive the email, please email Jenny Beck (jbeck@stmarycatholicschool.org) so we can ensure we have the correct email address.

BINGO Night

Please join us on Friday, October 18 for our HSA BINGO Night in the school gym. This will be one of the biggest HSA fundraisers of the year.  Doors open at 6PM and games begin at 6:30.  Tickets should be pre-purchased by October 11, using the QR code on the flier.  Tickets are $8 for 12 BINGO cards and a popcorn. Pizza, snacks, and drinks will be available for purchase and there will be three raffle baskets.

St. John’s Catholic Prep Visit

The admissions team from St. John’s Catholic Prep High School will be visiting with our 8th graders on Wednesday, 10/2 at 11:20.

K-2 Field Trip to Pumpkin Patch

Grades K-2 will be going to the pumpkin patch on Thursday, October 3. Please see the permission slip sent home for details. 

The Catholic Faith Explained

Every Thursday, from 7-8PM, Father James will host a class series called “The Catholic Faith Explained”. This week’s topic is The Catholic Church is the One and Only Church Jesus Christ Founded. Come learn and connect the dots of our faith. Please use this registration link: https://saintmarysonline.org/catholic-faith-explained/. All are welcome. 

Volunteer Hours

The parish is looking for volunteers who are Virtus cleared, to assist with babysitting options for families who are attending classes on Thursday evenings from 7-8PM and Sunday afternoons. These hours can be applied to your school volunteer commitment. If you are interested, please contact Amy Summers or Jeri Prokop (jprokop@saintmarysonline.org). 

High School Placement Test for 8th Graders

The High School Placement Test (HSPT) will be given at St. Mary’s on December 4th. Any current 8th grader who would like to take this exam will need to register using this link https://stsusers.com/stsusers/registration/static/baltimore.php.  If your 8th grader intends to attend a Catholic High School in WV, PA, or MD, they will need to have this exam as part of entrance requirements.  The cost of the exam is $45.

Clubs This Week 

Permissions slips must have been returned to participate:

Chess Club - Monday

Girls’ Volleyball - Tuesday and Thursday

Guardians of the Altar - Wednesday 

Young Women of Grace - Wednesday

Running Club - Wednesday

Daily Mass

On Monday grades 4-8 will be praying the Rosary at 8:25. On Tuesday, students in grades 2-8 will attend Mass, and Wednesday and Thursday students in grades 3-8 will attend Mass.  We welcome families to join us as well. 

Earning House Points

House points can be earned in different ways. Each week in the newsletter some of them will be shared.

1. Students can trade in the shields that they have earned from being Respectful and Kind, Responsible, and Safe. Grades PreK-3 can trade 6 shields for one House point and grades 4 - 8 can trade 4 shields for one House point.  When they trade these shields they will also be entered into a weekly drawing held on Thursdays before lunch. The drawing will be for different things each week.

2. Students can earn points by completing the October monthly take home project. If you would like to create your own family project tied to the rosary, please feel free to do that as well and just note that on the form. Students should turn in the completed form by October 31 to earn a point for their House.

3. This month the challenge is for students in Grades PreK - 1st grade is to learn the Hail Mary. Students in grade 2 - 4 should memorize the Hail Mary and know which beads contain the different prayers of the Rosary (Hail Mary - 10 little beads; Our Father - 5 large beads). Grades 5-8 should memorize the Memorare. 

Parent Commitment Hours

This year families are required to complete 20 volunteer hours tied to the school, whether that be volunteering at school, bringing in items needed by the school, etc.  Hours can be recorded here. 

SMCS is looking for volunteers to help in the dining hall. Please use this link to sign up. Only volunteers who are VIRTUS approved may volunteer for this opportunity. If you are unsure, contact the VIRTUS coordinator, Stephanie Roccograndi, at sroccograndi@stmarycatholicschool.org or 301-733-1184, ext. 2103.

Lunch Menus

Please use this link for the September Menu and the  October Menu.

Virtus Background Check

Any parent/volunteer who is interested in helping with field trips, classroom events, recess duty, etc.must go through the Virtus registration as mandated by the Archdiocese of Baltimore. We are asking as many parents as possible to do this so that we have volunteers who are readily available, if you have not already done so. Please be sure to complete the two parts, the video and the background check. Additionally, three references must be checked.  The registration instructions can be found here. This can be done at virtusonline.org. Please choose the VOLUNTEERS WITH SUBSTANTIAL CONTACT WITH CHILDREN option. 

If you have questions about your status, please contact Stephanie Roccograndi (sroccograndi@stmarycatholicschool.org)

Confessions This Week

Thursday, 10/3 - 4th grade

Upcoming Dates

October 3 K-2 Field Trip to Pumpkin Patch

October 10 PreK Field Trip to Pumpkin Patch

October 4 No School - Professional Development Day

October 7 No School

October 11 House Spirit Day

October 14 Winter Uniforms Begin

October 18 HSA BINGO Night

October 26 Crusaders 5K

October 31 Students may wear Saint Costumes

November 1 All Saints Day

November 7 Read-a-thon

November 8 Visit from the Children of Mary Sisters

November 11 Early dismissal - Parent teacher conferences