COMMUNICATION

Many thanks to all those parents who have worked hard to successfully and completely register with Fast Direct.  I’ve learned a great deal about Fast Direct over the last few days; I am sure I will learn more as we continue to make use of it. 

• Fast Direct is an in-house messaging system.  Emessages through Fast Direct are not out there in cyber space, they remain within Fast Direct.  Therefore the actual emessage does not arrive in your email box.
• The receiver of an emessage receives a notice via his or her personal email that there is a Fast Direct message when the sender clicks on the “email notification” bar.  The notification bar is on the same menu bar as compose.  You probably saw that already.  It was just my old fashioned eyes that missed it until it was pointed out to me.

So in a perfect electronic world, last night you received the email notification that there was a Fast Direct message waiting for you.  You opened it to find that I had sent an emessage to let you know when and how to find the Thursday newsletter.  I will continue to send emessages, although on Thursdays, to remind you to take a look at the Thursday newsletter.  When I get really practiced at this emessage will be worth reading and the Thursday newsletter will be worth reading – until then I beg your patience as I slowly enter the 21^st century (kicking and screaming!).

That brings us to the SMOS website.  Long time parents who have been emailing with teachers over the years – you have been using the smos-school.org email via the Internet.  That email moves in and out of our personal email system, gmail, hotmail, etc.  You can communicate with the office, your child’s teacher or myself via SMOS email or Fast Direct messaging.  I hope in this case that more is better!

THURSDAYS’ BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHTS

I look forward to seeing all the parents of our Jr. High students tonight.  We will begin in the cafeteria at 7:00 do some whole group conversations and then move to classrooms to visit with teachers.  You will be home by 8:30.

• For our veteran parents the agenda will seem very much the same as in years past – what’s up in the Jr. High: a hint about curriculum, reminders about expectations for success, and some exciting plans for our students.
• You will receive a packet of significant information for each of the subjects that your child studies, notes for SMART (St. Margaret’s Academic Research Training) and the dates for high school visits.
• Most importantly you will get to visit with the parents of your children’s classmates and meet the teachers with whom they spend the majority of their day.
• Next week on Thursday, September 9, we will host our Back to School Night for all parents of students in grades 1 through 5.  Like the Jr. High we will begin at 7:00 in the cafeteria and you will be home by 8:30 if not before.
• At 7:00 Fr. Tom and I will welcome our parents
• No later than 7:30, I will send the parents without children in 4^th or 5^th off to visit classrooms for the first 20 minute round.  During that time I will introduce SMART (St. Margaret’s Academic Research Training) to our the parents remaining in the gym.
• 20 minutes later I will send the parents from the gym off to visit classrooms, and invite parents already in classrooms to visit another classroom.
• Altogether there will be three 20 minutes sessions to accommodate our larger families.

Parents, please remember that Back to School Night is a good time to hear your child’s teacher’s expectations.  It is NOT a good time to try to converse one on one with your child’s teacher.  If you need to conference with your child’s teacher please call or email to set up a time. 

PARENTS OF OUR KINDNERGATNERS, don’t feel left out.  Remember that your big meeting is on September 27 at 7:00 in the school cafeteria.  The Archdiocesan Coalition night is presented by a licensed therapist from West County Psychological.  It is an opportunity for parents of Kindergartners to learn a little more about strong parenting skills now that your child has reached this milestone year of kindergarten.

PARENTS OF OUR PRESCHOOLERS, we know most of you see your child’s teachers daily.  We are assuming that you don’t need one more meeting at this point in your lives.

It was great to see everyone at the barbecue, even if it was a little crazy.  I look forward to the next two Thursdays when I will have the chance to see you all again.

St. Margaret of Scotland Athletic Association News

Soccer
Soccer season is in full swing with many teams beginning their games on Sunday, August 29 at the St. Joan of Arc tournament.  Regular season starts the week of       September 11 and goes until mid- November.  After that, it’s playoff time!!  We have about 325 kids signed up for our soccer program – 11 Judge Dowd teams  (Kindergarten – 2^nd) and 11 CYC teams (3^rd – 8^th).  That’s a whole lot of blue and  gold!

Volleyball
We are also fielding 3 SMOS volleyball teams this year – 3^rd, 6^th and 7^th grade with almost 30 players.  Our Lady Dragons are sporting new uniforms this year, so make sure you check out one of the matches!  We expect to have a very exciting season!
GO DRAGONS!!!

The certificates are being sold directly from the school office for your convenience.  Please participate weekly!!!  Simply send in the order form, provided below.  Your child will bring the certificates home to you!