IRISH WEEKLY
February 21, 2025
February 21, 2025
Send questions to administration@stvm.com
Please be sure to check all the tabs - there are updates on Athletics, Campus Ministry and Counselor's Corner including updates on upcoming ACT and SAT dates.
SCHEDULE CHANGE : the March Late Start Date has changed to March 4, Please see the updated One Page Calendar on the website to review the remaining late start dates.
It’s hard to believe your senior’s high school journey is nearing its end! As we enter these final months, we have several important events planned and want to ensure you have all the details needed to prepare. You should have recently received an email with a link to this letter outlining key dates, times, expectations, and dress codes for upcoming senior events. This serves as a helpful roadmap as we approach these special moments.
To provide further clarity and answer any questions, we will be hosting an optional Senior Parent Virtual Meeting on Monday, February 24, at 7:00 PM via Zoom. The meeting link will be sent out closer to the date. We encourage you to attend for a full overview and the opportunity to ask questions. Thank you for your support—we look forward to celebrating this milestone with you and your senior!
Showcase 2025: High Atop a Hill in Akron is only 5 weeks away! Our co-chairs, Steve & Beth Milkovich and Tawanda & Raymond McCray hope you can join us on Saturday, March 29, at House Three Thirty. Showcase is our largest fundraiser and annual auction, and we would really love your support!
Tickets for Showcase 2025 and 10K raffle tickets are available to purchase online. We are also seeking advertisers, sponsors, and item donations. Please visit the Showcase site to learn more, donate, and/or buy tickets. Need an idea for an item to donate? Check out our Amazon Wishlist.
Volunteers make Showcase possible! There are many ways to get involved—check out the Volunteer Sign-Up or contact Michelle Hlivko Schaeffer VM92 at mschaeffer@stvm.com for more information.
Don’t miss out—buy your tickets today before we sell out. Let’s make this year’s Showcase unforgettable!
CCP OH/ID Funding Night – March 11, 2025 at 6:30 p.m.
This will be an informational session to assist parents with the OH/ID Funding portion of the College Credit Plus Requirements for their students to participate in the CCP Program for the 2025-26 Academic Year.
Additionally, we are encouraging ALL parents of current and future freshman Classes of 2028 and 2029 to attend this meeting. STVM will transition to having all students take CCP speech because this class is required for both high school and college graduation credits. This move will also free up space on students' schedules, allowing them to explore other course offerings during their time at STVM.
Junior Parent Night – March 25, 2025 at 6:30 p.m.
We will host a Parent Information Night for current JUNIORS and their parents/families to share important information about the college application process. This session will also include information on admittance/denial factors, scholarship opportunities, and academic/leadership essentials for those interested in attending more selective colleges and/or pursuing highly competitive majors, programs, and scholarships.
Our team has been hard at work preparing for the 2025-2026 school year. During the month of February, counselors will be working with students to select courses based on both teacher recommendations and student interest and to review their unofficial transcripts for accuracy. Parents, be on the lookout for your child's course selection sheet. They will bring it home for you to review and sign off on. We are asking students to return forms the day after their presentation to avoid the paper getting misplaced. However, we understand you may want to take more time to review and discuss. Signed forms need to be returned no later than March 3. Forms not returned by March 3 time will be considered approved.
2025-26 Course Description Book
REVISED DATES:
February 19 and 20 - Class of 2026 (rising Seniors)
February 21 and 24 - Class of 2027 (rising Juniors)
February 25 and 26 - Class of 2028 (rising Sophomores)
March 18 - Class of 2029 Registration Night (in person, students and parents)
The Angel Fund scholarship application is now open. Families must complete FACTS and have their 2024 tax information available to complete the application. Please be aware that the Angel Fund Scholarship is provided by donors who gave donations through the Catholic Community Foundation, and funds are limited. Scholarships are available for new and returning students, but by law, priority is given to students with financial needs. Deadline to apply is March 15th, 2025.
It’s not too late! This year’s registration deadline has been extended to Monday, February 24 at 5:00 p.m. ET. We hope to see your team compete in this year’s M3 Challenge! Everything you need to make sure you’re ready for Challenge weekend can be found in the Challenge Checklist!
An email was sent on Thursday, February 13 outlining the registration steps, which can be found here.
All Forms and the Registration payments are due by March 15, 2025. Please do not email paperwork to the school. You or your student can drop off paperwork at the front office during business hours (7:30am-3:30pm) and 5:00pm-7:00pm every Tuesday and Thursday in February. Staff will answer any questions during those hours as well.
Having Blackbaud issues or have questions regarding paperwork? Email us at registration@stvm.com.
ACT Test:
Who: All current Juniors
Where: STVM
When: Tuesday, March 11 | Normal Start Day (no longer a Late Start)
This is a state-provided official test. No registration steps are needed for the March 11th exam. **If your child is eligible for accommodations, those have been sent to the College Board for approval. See the Counselors Corner for other important details about this test.
IOWA (Graduation Test)
Who: All Freshmen; Sophomores with IEPs; All Sophomores who did not pass
Where: STVM
When: March 11 | Normal Start Day (no longer a Late Start)
Please see the Counselor's Corner for more details on National ACT and SAT test dates and information.
It’s our favorite time of the year – let’s get this "PADDY" started! Our STVM families always go above and beyond in supporting our teachers and staff, and once again, we’re reaching out for your help to throw a successful St. Patrick’s Day Party on Friday, March 14th!
Please check out the SignUp Genius link and consider donating items for the Teacher St. Patrick’s Day celebration. All donations should be turned in to the front office by Thursday, March 13th. Venmo donations (@STVM-ParentsClub) are always welcomed and appreciated! Thank you in advance, Irish families. YOU SHAMROCK!!!
The St. Vincent-St. Mary High School Foundation Family & Memorial Scholarship application for returning students for the 2025-2026 school year is now available on the STVM website. Family & Memorial Scholarships are provided through the generosity of our donors and the STVM HS Foundation and are a valuable source of tuition assistance. Students should apply for any State of Ohio scholarships for which they are eligible (EdChoice-traditional and Expansion, JPSN, or Autism) and the FACTS application to be eligible to receive a Family & Memorial Scholarship. Students who are currently receiving a Family & Memorial Scholarship must reapply every year. The deadline for applications is Friday, February 28, 2025. Click here to go to the Financial and Scholarship Info section at STVM.com for instructions on completing the Family & Memorial Scholarship application and the required FACTS Financial Aid application.
The STVM Used Uniform Sale is a great way to get quality uniforms for a fraction of the price, and it’s coming up soon! This year, we will hold the sale during Incoming Freshman Registration on March 18 and again in the summer.
We need your help to stock the sale! We are currently accepting donations of gently used, non-stained items, including polos, belts, skirts, STVM sports apparel, and spirit wear. Please note: we are only accepting women’s pants at this time as we have a large supply of men’s pants.
Donations can be dropped off at the school office during regular school hours. Your contributions help make the sale a success and benefit the entire school community.
Thank you for supporting this important initiative! If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to Tracy Fox at tlfox99@yahoo.com.
This week, we celebrate Cardinal Wilton Gregory, the first African-American cardinal in the Catholic Church, who was appointed by Pope Francis in 2020 and serves as the Archbishop of Washington, D.C. Throughout his career, Cardinal Gregory has been an advocate for racial justice and reconciliation, he has worked tirelessly to promote healing and integrity within the Church. His leadership and commitment to pastoral care have made him a significant figure in American Catholicism and an inspiration to the Black Catholic community.
Join us for a summer of fun, learning, and adventure! With 15 exciting camps in athletics, academics, and the arts, there’s something for everyone. Don’t miss out—register today before spots fill up!
Please plan to join us for the next Parents' Club Meeting on Weds., March 12 @ 5:45 PM in the LRC (library). Your input is always welcome!
Please order online for the 2024-25 school yearbook at yearbookordercenter.com.
Click here to learn more. STVM order number is 3108.
Senior Parents – Now is the time to place your Senior Congratulations orders! Celebrate your student and make their senior year extra special with a dedication. Upload your picture(s) and a heartfelt message for your senior today! Click here to learn more.
The Irish Family extends our heartfelt gratitude and best wishes to math teacher Mr. Jim Mellody. Jim has accepted a teaching position at Chesterton Academy for the 2025-2026 school year. While we will be sad to see him go at the end of this school year, we wish him much success in his new position. STVM is thankful to Jim for sharing his love of math through his five years as a teacher, his service as moderator of Mu Alpha Theta, and his reliable supply of math jokes! Please keep Mr. Mellody and his family in your prayers as he embarks on this new and exciting chapter of his career.
This Ohio Scholarship Tax-Credit Program lets you “Turn taxes into Tuition” by directing your tax dollars to our St. Vincent-St. Mary High School students. The money will be used for tuition assistance for those students with the greatest need. This will help STVM meet its fundraising goals and keep tuition affordable. You don't have to have a child attending STVM to be eligible. All Ohio taxpayers can participate.
How does it work? Make a donation to Angel Scholarship Fund, for which you may receive a 100% Ohio income tax credit of up to $750 ($1,500 if married filing jointly) against your 2024 state tax liability. These funds will be used to provide tuition assistance for Catholic school students, and you can direct the funds specifically to STVM. In other words, the state of Ohio allows you to "spend" some of the state income taxes (that you must pay anyway) to provide tuition assistance for STVM students. The Angel Scholarship Fund is a win-win-win for taxpayer donors, scholarship recipients, and our Catholic schools.
Click here to watch this short video explaining how easy it is to contribute to the Angel Scholarship Fund.
Click here to learn more and to make your gift.
Click here to read the FAQs.
When there is inclement weather requiring us to close school:
We will notify you via the One Call system, making automated phone calls
We will post to social media - Instagram and Facebook
We will notify local news outlets
We follow the Akron Public Schools for closings. As you know, we are independent from them and will notify you separately, but when they close, we close.
Parents: If your child is (1) not going to be in school, (2) going to be late to school, or (3) leaving early from school, it is critical that you notify the school by calling the attendance line as soon as possible at 330-253-9116.
NEW and EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY: Students MUST sign OUT of the Attendance Office if they leave school early.
Brenda Palinkas is now available to schedule appointments for our Administration.
Principal: Erin Faetanini
Dean of Academics: Becky Busey
Dean of Students: David Cochrane
Please reach out to Brenda to schedule an appointment. Brenda can be reached at 330-253-9113, ext 254, or via email at BPalinkas@stvm.com.
IMPORTANT DATES
February 24: Virtual Senior Parent Meeting 7:00 PM via Zoom (Email with Zoom info. coming soon)
February 28: Black History Show
March 4: Late Start | 9:00 AM
March 5: Ash Wednesday Mass
March 6: End of 3rd Quarter
March 7: No School | End of 3rd Quarter Records Day
March 11: ACT/ IOWA Testing Day (no longer a Late Start Day)
March 11: CCP OH/ID Funding Night | 6:30 PM
March 17: St. Patrick's Day | No School
March 18: Class of 2029 Registration Night
March 20: 7th Grade Visitation | No School
March 25: Junior Parent Night | 6:30 PM
March 29: Showcase
April 2: Open House | 6-8 PM
April 3-4, 6: Spring Musical
April 4: Memorial Mass
April 9: Late Start | 9:00 AM
April 11-12: Spring Musical
April 17: Early Release
April 18-27: Spring Break
April 30: Awards Night | 6:30 PM
IMPORTANT ENROLLMENT EVENTS
February 27: Shadow experience for 8th graders who haven't shadowed yet
March 18: Incoming Freshman (Class of 2029) Registration Night
March 20: 7th Grade Visitation Day
April 2: Spring Open House, 6-8 pm
April 12: High School Placement Test Prep Course for 7th graders
May 10: High School Placement Test Prep Course for 7th graders
May 15: Transfer and 8th grade applications closed
May 17: High School Placement Test for 7th graders
June 26: High School Placement Test for 7th graders promoting to 8th grade