Thursday Newsletter

From the Desk of Ms. Hesed

Congratulations Athletes

The Cardinals weren’t the only ones earning hard-fought wins in St. Louis. 

• Our 5^th grade girls’ soccer team has won the privilege of moving on to the city/county playoffs.  To prepare for the play-offs the girls need some practice time to play on lighted fields.  They have taken matters into their own hands and will host a bake-sale to cover the cost of renting field space.  Please support their bake-sale after school tomorrow, Friday, from 3:00 to 4:00 out in the parking lot.
• Our Seventh grade girls’ volleyball team took 2^nd place in our St. Margaret of Scotland tournament. 
• Finally, congratulations and thank you to our Athletic Association for all their hard work and time in planning a very successful volleyball tournament – the first of many, we hope.

Sometimes it’s the little things that make the biggest difference.

During most of October our Seventh graders hosted a school-wide collection of empty but reusable containers.  Our final count – 550 reusable containers.  Several Saturdays ago, Ms. McCabe took the last of the collected containers to the Missionary Sisters of Charity.  She stayed around to help serve lunch that Saturday. They served 80 people including a grandmother and her two children and a mom and two little ones.  The containers that she brought that day were used immediately by families and individuals for leftovers to take with them. 

It was a very simple service project, it cost most of us absolutely nothing and yet the containers will mean a second meal that day for many people. 

As we enter into November and Thanksgiving, December and Advent and finally Christmas we are gearing up for our annual St. Vincent De Paul food drive.  We will begin collecting non-perishable foods and hygiene items as of Monday.  Most of the children will be ferocious in their collecting of food and hygiene items.  I must confess that we add an air of competition to this service project; it fires those generous hearts. 

The food drive will help to stock the pantry at St. Margaret of Scotland church from which weekly deliveries are made, never to the same family more often than three times in a year.  The drive will also help to stock our outreach center, the Fr. Gavin Center on Lafayette just east of Compton.  They maintain a food pantry, support frequent clothing drives and will support many families through Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Your child’s generous heart (and, admittedly, competitive spirit) will feed many very needy individuals and families.  The food deliveries that I make from the St. Vincent De Paul pantry most often go to families with children.  The gratitude is always real; I am always proud to know that our children are part of such essential service in our city in these hard times.

Thank you for raising children who so innocently and generously care for those who have so little.

Change is good, or so I hear.

We are changing how we run our Parent Teacher Conferences this fall. 

• Rather than one long day into the evening, we are going with a full evening and a day that goes somewhat into the evening. 
• Likewise, instead of handing you your child’s report card at the conference we are hoping that you will have time to look at it before meeting with your child’s teacher(s).  Report cards will be available on-line on Wednesday, November 9 for parents with children in 1^st – 8^th.
• Finally, instead of a brief 10 minute meeting, we have stretched the meetings to 15 minutes – just a little more time for teachers and parents to communicate over the learning needs of each child.

Almost all of our families have contacted Mrs. Stephens via Fast Direct to set up conferences times.  Thank you.  Those families who did not contact Mrs. Stephens and do not have children in 7^th or 8^th grade (parents of 7^th and 8^th graders without appointed times see your Fast Direct emessage.) have been given a scheduled time.  We hope you will make every effort to be present.  If you are unable to make your appointed time, we hope you will Fast Direct, email via SMOS-school.org or call your child’s homeroom teacher to let her or him know that you will not be present.  At that time you can also make arrangements to receive your child’s ITBS scores. THE PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCE SCHEDULE IS POSTED UNDER LINKS / EVERYBODY ON FAST DIRECT.  A paper copy (maybe more reader friendly) is in your child’s back pack.

Between today and November 8 Fast Direct gradebooks (for students in 3^rd through 8^th) will be turned off for parent viewing while teachers complete report cards.  On November 9 as early as possible I will open Fast Direct once again for parent viewing at all grade levels from 1^st through 8^th.  For parents with children in 1^st – 8^th grade, this will include being able to access your child’s report card.  We hope that you will come to conferences having viewed your child’s report card first, ready to discuss any concerns you might have.  In January even preschoolers and kindergartners will have report cards on-line.

We look forward to seeing everyone at parent-teachers conferences.  Thank you for caring so much about your child’s learning environment; your care makes all the difference.

Last Call for Lost and Found

Three tables worth of lost and found will be set out during parent teacher conferences.  At the end of the conferences, generic clothing in good condition will be given to the Fr. Gavin Outreach Center.  SMOS clothing will laundered and ready for sale in Maggie’s closet.  Last call!

Other information and announcements…

Christmas shopping – looking for easy opportunities?  We have them, check your child’s backpack, there is a full listing of our SHOPS vendors….Check out all of the different types of gift cards available.  Something for everyone!

What about those Cardinals?? –

From the PTA (Cardinal Calendar Orders Due on Wednesday, 11/9)

Just a reminder that the order forms for the 2012 St. Louis Cardinals Calendars is due next Wednesday, 11/9. – another Christmas gift idea for the Cardinal fans in your life.

Please return the forms to the school office, with checks made payable to SMOS PTA.  Calendars will be delivered in early December.  If you have any questions, please contact Dan Carpenter (dacstl@sbcglobal.net).  Thank you for your support of the PTA.

Walk-a-thon – The pledges for the walk-a-thon were due today.  If you did not send in, please do so as soon as possible.  Remember, if we make our goal of $15,000, November 23^rd will be a day off of school.

Pizza Day – do you need to order pizza for the second quarter?  Just let the office know and an order form will be sent home with your child.  The forms are also available in the school office. 

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