Thursday Newsletter

From the Desk of Ms. Hesed

It is always dangerous to count one’s chickens before they’re hatched (as my mother would have said), but it would seem that we are going to actually manage 4 days in a row at school!  Better yet, 4 days in a row that included quality thinking and working.
As I wandered the halls today, I heard 1st grade practicing their plurals and witnessed our 3rd graders totally engaged in mathematical thinking – one class working in centers and the other class working on ALEKS in the computer lab!  Meanwhile I could hear a group of preschoolers singing away in music class as another group of preschoolers found their dots (their places) to ready themselves for PE class. 

Everything you really need to know will be included in tonight’s Back to School Night for parents of students in 1st – 8th.  Parents of preschoolers and kindergartners met even before school began.  Just as a recap of some of the important issues:

• Family Handbooks were revised over the summer; nothing too, too surprising for our veteran families and yet there were some changes.  It is each family’s responsibility to read through the handbook – we do our best to adhere to it.
  • Please note pg. 5  and 6 – attendance; attendance is part of each child’s permanent record.
  • Pg 7, Drop-off and Pick-up – super important!!!  If each of our families would follow these directives it would be possible for us to move 247 families (350 children) in and out of school swiftly and safely.  When the directives are not followed, children’s lives are at risk, parents become anxious and angry – making for a bad day all around!
  • The spiritual environment (pg 12/13) is central to all that we do at school day in and day out.
  • Read fast until you get to pg 16 and then slow down – the SMOS guides all of our procedures and rules. Read slowly through to pg 23; our 3 and 4 year olds are just learning our SMOS, our 13 and 14 year olds are expected to know this by heart and to make their choices accordingly.
  • If you’re wondering about how much homework, how the assignment notebook is used, how we grade our students, then pages 24 – 33 are an important read for you.
  • Please note under the section on communication (pg 38) the sub-section titled Maintaining School Privacy.  Photos and videos are abundant, yet privacy is still the right of each family.  We invite all of our families to sign photo releases for their children, but respect their right to decline.  Please do not publish photos of SMOS students unless you know you have clear permission.  This holds true for students and adults.
  • Lots and lots of volunteer opportunities for those who are able and then you are almost at the end of the Family Handbook.  OH WAIT!  Don’t forget to review the Dress and Personal Appearance Code.  No, those purple shoes are not in uniform, nor are the cargo shorts.  And, yes there really is a gym uniform, loose though it may be, there are directives.
  • Finally, you’ve arrived at the last page.  Please do your child’s homeroom teacher a favor, sign this page and return it to school with your oldest child. 
• We are expanding our use of Fast Direct (Family Handbook, pg 37).  If you go to the Fast Direct menu bar and click on the Planner you will be welcomed into your child’s teacher’s bulletin board.  Important information about upcoming events, projects, tests, etc will be posted here.  You also have access to the school calendar, in case you have lost your paper copy.  And, you have easy emessage access to your child’s teacher.
  • Teachers are expected to update their bulletin boards by even dated Mondays and expected to update their Fast Direct grade books (for students in 3rd – 8th grade) by odd dated Mondays.
• And of course, tonight is the night your child’s teacher express to you her or his expectations.  Learning environments work best when there is a strong working relationship between the students and teachers, between children and their parents, and, equally important, between teacher and parent.  Tonight is intended to forge that relationship.

Your child should have brought home today a packet of important papers:

• Just Me Apparel order form for SMOS fleeces and sweatshirts – no others may be worn in school by students.  Who could have imagined last Thursday that we would need our fleeces this Thursday!!!
• A flier for the Big Night sponsored by our parish St. Vincent De Paul.  The SVDP is the charitable arm of our parish and school.  This event is one of the big events of the year that helps to support the SVDP which then helps to provide groceries and assistance with utilities to clients living within our parish boundaries.
  • Friend of the Poor – Walk a Mile in My Shoes is another SVDP venture, more to follow on that.
• City Greens’ Supa Fresh Veggie Mobile – perhaps you’ve already seen it sitting on the corner of 39th and Russell.  Do your family a favor and buy locally.

WALK, WALK, and MORE WALKING!
We have 3 very different, yet very essential, opportunities for walking fundraisers for your children and their families.
September 24 is the annual SVDP Walk a Mile.  The walk allows SVDP to be a visible presence in our Shaw neighborhood.  Parish and school families are invited to join the walk.
On Friday, September 23, after the 8:00 Mass the school children walk from church back to school saying the rosary. This has become our traditional way of supporting the SVDP Walk a Mile.
Also on September 24 the City Catholic Collaborative (all the Catholic elementary schools in the city) is sponsoring a walk to earn monetary donations for St. Mary’s school in Joplin, MO.  It is one of the schools that was destroyed by last spring’s tornado. I am hoping that some of our families will choose to participate.  Your child will bring home a sign up page tomorrow, I ask that you return it by Wednesday indicating if your child will join students, teachers and families from all over the city as we Step up for St. Mary’s School – Joplin.  Donations should be sent to our school office before the actual walk; checks should be made out to St. Gabriel the Archangel School and marked clearly for Joplin. If your child participates, he or she may wear the Steppin’ Up t-shirt on Mondays to school.  If your family is unable to participate you are most welcome to make a donation. 
October 22 is our SMOS school walk-a-thon. More will follow in later weeks, but  suffice it to say that you should clear your calendars of any other obligations.  We will all be in Tower Grove Park walking and walking and talking and playing and having a great time while amassing $15,000.00 for our school’s operating budget.  So much more fun than increasing tuition costs!  In previous years some students have walked more than 20 miles over the course of the day.  The plaques on the window wall of the cafeteria record historical mileage and the heroes who walked it.
The walkers will earn dragon tees from this walk and may wear them on any Monday as their uniform shirts.
Tons more information will be coming out on this huge event in the life of our school families.

Important News from the Dragon’s Grove
Garden Work Day Saturday, Sept. 10, 9-11am Come if you can, even a half hour of weeding would do a lot for our cause! We'll construct the pergola if we have enough help.

School BBQ - Saturday, Sept. 10, 5:30-8pm There will be tables set up for all the school volunteer organizations, including the garden.  Please, email Emily Edgell at emily_edgell@yahoo.com  to sign up for a 20 minute shift to help recruit some new blood. You can bring your kids, your food and your friends to keep you company during your shift.

Art in the Garden Sunday, Sept. 11, 3-4pm Found Art Jewelry Class,  ages 6-11. This class was full but had to be rescheduled due to weather.  Half the participants now have a soccer game at the same time so we have space for 6 more kids, email Emily Edgell to sign up.

Stewardship Sunday - Sunday, Sept. 18 This is the yearly event where parishioners can sign up to volunteer in the parish.  The Dragon’s Grove will have a table in the church basement after each weekend mass.  Emily will cover 4:30 mass on Saturday and provide all the materials.  We still need volunteers to work the table after 8:00 and 10:00 mass for about a half hour.  Please, let Emily Edgell  know if this is something you can help with.

Art in the Garden Sunday, Sept. 18, 3-4pm Nature Print Journals, ages 9 and up.  This will be the last in our art class series.  There are still spaces available.  Email Emily Edgell  to sign up.

Garden Committee Meeting Tuesday, Sept, 27, 8-9pm 4149 Castleman Ave., planning for our biggest party of the year, Pumpkinfest, and many other exciting projects. All are welcome.

Other information and announcements…

From the PTA
Just a reminder that the Back to School BBQ is this Saturday, September 10th from 5:30-8pm at SMOS. 
This year the BBQ will be held outside in order to keep our school clean.  Please consider bringing lawn chairs for your family as we will have limited seating. We also ask you to send your potluck dish in a disposable container.  If you do not bring it in a disposable dish please mark your dish and utensils with your family name so it may be returned.
Last Names beginning with:
A-D: Side Dish
E-I: Dessert
J-P: Fruit
Q-Z: Salad

Maggie’s Closet will be open along with other SMOS gear sales.  Plus we will have school activity sign-ups available.
If you are interested in volunteering to help with set-up &/or clean-up please contact: Nicole Mohler ngallimohler@earthlink.net.
See you all rain or shine!

SHOPS program (e-scrip) – as follows:  for in-stock items – more info to come…..keep looking!!! – This is a dollar for dollar fund raiser, you buy a $25 or $100 gift card – you actually receive a $25 or $100 gift card.

Please, remember to buy your grocery / shopping certificates through our “SHOPS” program. Below are the certificates we always have in stock.  There are dozens more vendors to choose from.  These make great last minute gifts as well!!!
 
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!

Name:__________________________________

Child’s grade:____________(to send home)

Shop and Save  ________$25.00
Shop and Save  _______$100.00
Dierbergs  ________$25.00
Dierbergs  _______$100.00
Home Depot             ________$25.00 
Lowe’s   ________$25.00 
Starbucks  ________$10.00 
Walgreens  ________$25.00
Panera (Bread Co.) ________$10.00
Target   ________$25.00
Target   _______$100.00
BP Gasoline  ________$50.00
Shell Gasoline  ________$25.00
Papa John’s Pizza ________$10.00

Saturday from 5:30 to dusk all are invited to the back to school BBQ on the school parking lot.  See everyone there!

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