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APRIL NEWSLETTER 2018

St. Mary Catholic School

Challenging the Mind—Living the Faith

www.stmarycatholicschool.org

Dear Parents,

During this solemn and sorrowful final week of Lent, we recognize God's goodness in sending His only Son to die on the cross for our salvation. The resurrection of Jesus brings us the joy and promise of eternal life for all who believe in Him. Thank God each day for our faith.

On behalf of Father Cibelli and the SMCS faculty and staff, I want to wish you a blessed Easter and a relaxing break. I hope your days are filled with lots of family time.

When we return on April 9, our students will definitely hit the ground running. Students in grades two through 8 will be given the Iowa Assessments April 11 through 19. Please encourage your child to get a good night’s sleep, eat a good breakfast, and arrive on time to school. Number two pencils would also be appreciated!

Although April is a short month, it brings many special events, such as the Middle School Science Fair, the American Legion Dinner for the Essay Contest Winners, the National Junior Honor Society Induction Ceremony, the final middle school dance of the year, and the optional spring uniform. Please read through the newsletter to keep informed of all upcoming events.

As always, I ask for your prayers to the Holy Spirit to give me the guidance and wisdom to serve as principal of Saint Mary Catholic School.

May God Bless you!

Patricia A. McDermott

MISSION STATEMENT

St. Mary Catholic School empowers children in their faith journey and

promotes academic excellence and life-long service inspired by the

Gospel of Jesus Christ in a nurturing community.

UPCOMING EVENTS

April 9 School resumes

April 11-19 Standardized Testing

Grades 2-8

April 20 Noon Dismissal

April 22 Open House

2:00 to 5:00 P.M.

April 23 School Closed

April 24 Optional Spring Uniform Begins

April 25 NJHS Induction Ceremony

April 27 Middle School Science Fair

HSA Dessert Night

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FAITH

SCHOOL MASS

Although we will not be in school for First Friday Mass in April, Father Cibelli will celebrate Mass for our students on Friday, April 20, at 10:30 A.M.

FIRST HOLY COMMUNION

Jersi Blundell, Conor Buckley, Nicholas Byers, Anna Capobianco, John Carroll,

Dominic Corsi, Charlotte Harman, Chloe Knipple, Eli Knipple, Julia Mele, and

Lance Sweet will receive their First Holy Communion on April 15 at St. Mary

Catholic Church. Please keep our students in your prayers.

TRIMESTER NEWS

ACADEMICS

The second trimester of the 2017-2018 school year ended on Friday, March 9.

The Archdiocese of Baltimore Department of Catholic Schools has standardized

the requirements for Middle School Honor Rolls across the Archdiocese. Students

who demonstrate high academic achievement and who positively impact the

learning environment are placed on Honor Roll based on the following criteria:

Principal’s Honor Roll – All A’s and Satisfactory or better in all special classes,

standards, effort, and conduct, including unstructured time

Second Honors – all A’s and B’s (more A’s than B’s) and Satisfactory or better in all

special classes, standards, effort, and conduct, including unstructured time

PRINCIPAL’S HONOR ROLL

8th Grade: Daniel Duncan, Logan Flanagan, Noah Hall, Gabrielle McCafferty, Anna Rohan, Hannah Webster, and Zachary Zanetti 7th Grade: Brianna Ellis, Noah Karn, Isabella Muto, Spencer Pentony, Jillienne Smith, Lucy Strama, Erica Weaver, and Evan Weaver 6th Grade: Collin Ambush, Zachary Kumar, Brynn Lietuvnikas, Sullivan McGreevy, Grace McMahon, and Mackenzie O’Berry

SECOND HONORS

8th Grade: Lydia Giannaris, Rachel Rohan, Rayan Shahid, and Matthew Stine 7th Grade: Phillip Aguila, Sofia Qaum, Otto Rice, and Daisy Zheng 6TH Grade: Isabelle Becker, Evie Brauner, Anthony Corsi, and Ethan Knipple

PARISH NEWS

ST. MARY PARISH NEWS

STATIONS OF THE CROSS

Friday, March 30

7:30 P.M.

St. Mary Catholic Church

HOLY WEEK

Holy Thursday (March 29): 6:30 A.M. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer (Tenebrae); no 6:30 A.M. or 8:30 A.M. Mass; 7:30 P.M. Mass of the Lord’s Supper (Communion under both forms), followed by Solemn Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, concluding at 11:45 P.M. with Night Prayer (Compline)

Good Friday (March 30): 6:30 A.M. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer (Tenebrae); no 6:30 A.M. or 8:30 A.M. Mass; 3:00 P.M. Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion; and 7:30 P.M. Stations of the Cross

Holy Saturday (March 31): 6:30 A.M. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer (Tenebrae); no 8:30 A.M. Mass; no confessions; 8:30 P.M. Easter Vigil in the Holy Night

Easter Sunday (April 1): Mass schedule 7:00 A.M., 9:00 A.M., 11:00 A.M., and 1:00 P.M. (EF)

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INTERIM REPORTS

Interim Reports for the third trimester will be distributed on April 30.

AMERICAN LEGION ESSAY CONTEST

Each year the American Legion Auxiliary, Morris Frock Unit 42, sponsors the

Americanism Essay Contest. This year’s topic was “What can you personally do to

promote Americanism in your school or community?” First place winners receive

$50 cash, second place winners receive $35 cash, and third place winners receive $25

cash. SMCS students received eight out of the nine awards given!

And the winners are: Class I: Grades 3 & 4 1st Place: Bella Maciulla; 2nd Place: Emma Karn; 3rd Place: Amelie Augustine Class II: Grades 5 & 6 1st Place: Isabelle Becker; 2nd Place: Neekie Rahimian; Class III: Grades 7 & 8 1st Place: Ashton Shanholtz; 2nd Place: Jillian Sommerville; 3rd Place: Rachel Rohan

HOME & SCHOOL ASSOCIATION

HSA EXECUTIVE BOARD

President: Ms. Aggie Cantave Vice President: Mr. Jack Dill

Corresponding Secretary: Mr. Jay Zuspan Recording Secretary: Ms. Aggie Cantave

Bookkeeper: Mrs. Crystal Strother Treasurer: Mrs. April Nitzell

HSA ELECTIONS

It is time to begin planning for the 2018-2019 school year. Enough cannot be said

about the leadership of our Home & School Association officers. Their organizational

skills, commitment to SMCS, and boundless energy are true driving forces that assist

the principal, teachers, and staff in their efforts to fulfill the mission of SMCS. The

executive board certainly ensures that our teachers and students have what they

need to engage in an enjoyable learning environment. Many thanks are extended to

POSITIVE BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTIONS AND SUPPORTS

SMCS students have been earning keys throughout the month of March. We are truly blessed to have students who care about each other, who strive to excel in their academics, and who greet each school day with a smile.

As of March 23, the Key Count for students by grade level is as follows:

Pre-Kindergarten: 67 keys

Kindergarten: 180 keys

First Grade: 155 keys

Second Grade: 86 keys

Third Grade: 175 keys

Fourth Grade: 70 keys

Fifth Grade: 110 keys

Sixth Grade: 118 keys

Seventh Grade: 67 keys

Eighth Grade: 155 keys

A total of 1,183 has been earned by SMCS students!

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our officer who is vacating his position at the close of this school year, Jay Zuspan

(Corresponding Secretary).

The offices of Co-President, Corresponding Secretary, and Recording Secretary will

need to be filled by parents who are willing to take an active role as a leader on the

HSA executive board. The returning officers are Aggie Cantave (Co-President), Jack

Dill (Vice-President), Crystal Strother (Bookkeeper), and April Nitzell (Treasurer).

Please prayerfully consider becoming an HSA officer for the 2018-2019 school year.

The term commitment is two years. Nominations will be accepted after Easter Break.

SCRIP

Last year St. Mary families saved over $12,000 in tuition by

participating in the SCRIP Program. SCRIP dates this month

are April 9 and 24.

MIDDLE SCHOOL SOCIAL

The next Middle School Social is from 3:00 to 4:30 on April 13.

HERSHEY PARK FUNDRAISER

Are you planning an outing to Hershey Park this year? This

fundraiser is an opportunity for you to purchase tickets at a

reduced rate and support the SMCS HSA. Tickets purchased are

valid April 29-September 25, 2018. A flyer went home last month.

DESSERT NIGHT

The HSA is currently planning a Dessert Night in conjunction with the Middle

School Science Fair on Friday, April 27. Although the projects on display will be

from the middle school, all families are encouraged to participate in this evening

of sweets and science. More information is forthcoming.

STUDENT COUNCIL

STUDENT COUNCIL OFFICERS

President: Matthew Stine Vice President: Spencer Pentony

Secretary: Finn McGreevy Treasurer: Logan Flanagan Parliamentarian: Ashley Kenny

MARCH TAG DAY

St. Patrick’s Day at SMCS is always a fun day! It is amazing how many students get into sharing their Irish Spirit! This Tag Day raised $207.55 to benefit Children’s Village.

MANY HANDS MAKE LIGHT WORK VOLUNTEER PROGRAM

We are in the f inal tr imester of the school year. There are so many activ ities and events that are only made possible through our wonderful

volunteers. As of March 26 , 4,764.86 hours have been logged. We appreciate all the t ime and effort all of you are giving to support the mission of our school. Thank you!

Our Top Volunteers per Hours Logged are:

Cassandra Kinna

April Nitzell Crystal Strother

Jenny & Kevin Beck Candice Romsburg

James & Stacey Renken Stacey Stine

Leslie Kocevar

Remember to log into HelpCounter to track your hours. Trimester III started on March 9 and ends on June 13. Questions can be emailed to volunteer@stmarycatholicschool.org.

OPTIONAL UNIFORM

Students may wear the optional warm weather uniform beginning on April 24.

Please follow the guidelines in the Handbook on pages 28-30.

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APRIL TAG DAY

An out-of-uniform day will be held on April 27, with all proceeds to benefit St.

Vincent DePaul Children’s Camp in Baltimore.

MIDDLE SCHOOL DANCE

The last dance of the year will be held on Friday, April 20. Theme and attire guidelines are forthcoming.

STUDENT COUNCIL ELECTIONS FOR 2018-2019

2018-2019 Nomination forms for Student Council officers will be available on April 9. Sixth and seventh grade students are eligible to run for office. More information is forthcoming.

OTHER NEWSWORTHY ITEMS

SMCS NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM

Our annual SMCS Night at the

Washington County Museum of Art was

an overwhelming success as three

hundred and five people attended to

appreciate the amazing art work of our

students. Each year Mrs. Stacey Renken

challenges our students to use their

talents to create spectacular

masterpieces! Each grade level studied a different artist and created projects

inspired by that artist: kindergarten (Eric Carle), first grade (Vincent Van Gogh),

second grade (James Rizzi), third grade (Claude Monet), fourth grade (Mary Cassatt),

fifth grade (Pablo Picasso), sixth grade (Georgia O'Keefe), seventh grade (Paul Klee),

and eighth grade (Maud Lewis). At least one piece of art from each student was

displayed. This event was definitely a true celebration for our school community.

Mrs. Renken and her art students deserve our congratulations.

EIGHTH GRADE RECOGNITION

Eighth grade is such a special year for our students at SMCS. Please keep our

eighth graders in your prayers as they complete their final trimester at SMCS. The

Class of 2018 includes Ty Ambush, Da’Monique Brown, Louis Concordia, Susan

Concordia, Abigail Cushwa, Daniel Duncan, Logan Flanagan, Lleyton Foster, Lydia

Giannaris, Noah Hall, Zoe Hochstrasser, Ashley Kenny, Saif Khan, Maxwell Larkin,

Gabrielle McCafferty, Finn Mc Greevy, Krystal Nogales, Shannon Quinones, Anna

Rohan, Rachel Rohan, Laurel Rothstein, Rayan Shahid, Ashton Shanholtz, Joseph

MARCH GOOD SAMS

I want to congratulate our Good S.A.M.s for March:

Kindergarten – Emma Easterday

First – Riley Freda

Second – Delaney Flanagan

Third – Luke Scott

Fourth – Willa Pentony

Fifth – Sebastian Wilkinson

Sixth – Cardin Dang

Seventh – Noah Karn

Eighth – Max Larkin

Thanks for your Service, Attitude, and Manners!

PHASE III RAFFLE TICKET WINNERS

Thank you is extended to Mrs. Jackie Swarner for coordinating this fundraiser and to Sister Aloysius for faithfully picking the winning ticket each week.

Congratulations to the following March winners:

($50) Week 1: Alex Skellie

($50) Week 2: The Lietuvnikas Family

($50) Week 3: Danny & Rose O’Berry

($100) Week 4: The Rahimian Family

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Shultz, Matthew Stine, Georgiana Tedeschi, Hannah Webster, and Zachary

Zanetti.

INTERMEDIATE SPELLING BEE

On March 19, students from the third, fourth, and fifth grades participated in the St. Mary Catholic School Intermediate Spelling Bee. All the participants did an outstanding job of demonstrating how well they can spell. Congratulations to the following students who are our spelling bee contestants: Third Grade Eric Cabezas, Riley Horn, Bella Maciulla, Kaitlyn O’Berry, Louisa Poffenberger, Hailie Pryor, Madeline Stonebraker, and Lucy Zuspan Fourth Grade Francesco Capobianco, Sabrina Harman, Olivia Kocevar, Johan Michael, Willa Pentony, and Nicholas Smallwood Fifth Grade Brooks Carpenter, Owen Liu, Leah McCafferty, Neekie Rahimian, Madelynn Renken, Raniya Shahid, Lauren Stine, and Sebastian Wilkinson And the winners are… Grade 3: Hailie Pryor Grade 4: Johan Michael Grade 5: Lauren Stine

Special recognition goes to Lauren Stine, who is the overall SMCS spelling bee champion! Our gratitude is extended to the HSA for providing the prizes for our winners and to Mrs. Kristy Gross for serving as the judge for the bee. Much appreciation is also extended to Mrs. Karn for coordinating the event!

ANNUAL FUND

SMCS will be kicking off the start of its fourteenth Annual Fund Campaign. The SMCS

Annual Fund helps the school to invest in new programs, to maintain and upgrade

technology, to offset tuition increases, and to enhance other aspects of our students’

educational experience. Please prayerfully consider making a donation this year.

Many thanks are extended to Mrs. Carrie Stumpf for chairing this endeavor.

RACE 4 TECHNOLOGY

This year’s Race 4 Technology will take place on May 10, 2018. The students will be

writing letters to family members, friends, and/or local businesses about the

importance of this event. This is a great way to reach out to others who support our

children and SMCS, but do not know how they can make a difference.

Submissions are already rolling in for the Race 4 Technology t-shirt design contest.

Please be sure your submission is handed in before dismissal on April 13, 2018, so it

can be considered for the contest. The 1st place winner will receive a $50 iTunes gift

card.

NATIONAL JUNIOR

HONOR SOCIETY

Executive Board members are: Daniel Duncan – President Noah Hall – Vice-President Rayan Shahid – Treasurer Zachary Zanetti – Parliamentarian

Invitations to apply to the SMCS George A. Limmer Chapter of the National Junior Honor Society were extended last week to current sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students who have a cumulative grade point average of 3.7 or above for their middle school semesters. After T2 report cards were distributed, student G.P.A. records were reviewed to determine eligibility status. All eligible students were notified personally and given an application packet. Completed application packets must be returned to Mrs. Gross by 12:00 P.M. on April 11. The faculty council will extend membership to the NJHS based on each applicant’s scholarship, leadership, citizenship, character, and service. The induction ceremony will be held on Wednesday, April 25, at 6:30 P.M. Current officers will assist in the induction ceremony.

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Parents or companies who wish to sponsor this event may do so using the Race 4

Technology pledge form sent home with your child. In order to allow time for

printing, company/family sponsorships who wish to be included on the t-shirt must

be received by April 20, 2018.

SMCS SPRING SPIRIT WEAR

The Spring 2017 Spirit Wear will be kicking off April 9, 2018. Orders will be due April

20th. Keep an eye out for this flyer!

OPEN HOUSE

SMCS is holding its Spring Open House on Sunday, April 22, from 2 – 5 p.m. Be sure

to hand out the Open House cards that came home with your child. Distributing 5

cards earns you 1 hour of volunteer time. Contact Mrs. Carrie Stumpf if you would

like to earn additional hours distributing cards. You can also help support this event

by signing up for our Open House Cleanup Day on Saturday, April 21st. See the Sign-

Up Genius for details.

PERPETUAL ADORATION CHAPEL

NEW ADORERS are needed for the Perpetual Adoration Chapel located at St. Maria Goretti High School. "The time you spend with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament...will help bring about an everlasting peace on earth.” (Mother Teresa of Calcutta) Call Mr. or Mrs. Ott for more information at 301-739-4167.

HEALTH NEWS

If you have any health-related questions, please contact Ms. Paula Radley at (301)733-1184, ext. 104, or by email, pradley@stmarycatholicschool.org. Please keep the school informed of any updates to your child’s immunization record.

IN YOUR PRAYERS

Please remember Mary Burkey (great-grandmother of Matthew and

Lauren Stine), John Casey (godfather of Sylvia and Amelie Augustine),

and Walter J. Koterwas (great-grandfather of Isabella, Josephine, and

Michael Muto) who passed away this past month.

May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

VIRTUS

The Archdiocese of Baltimore and Saint Mary Catholic School are committed to providing a safe environment for children. Our procedures for volunteering in schools require that a volunteer who will have substantial contact with children must complete screening and training procedures that are outlined on the www.archbalt.org website. The current and effective version of the Archdiocese of Baltimore’s Child and Youth Protection Policies and Procedures, including the Statement of Policy for the Protection of Children &Youth and the Code of Conduct for Church Personnel of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, which incorporates any revisions to the Archdiocese of Baltimore’s Child and Youth Protection Policies and Procedures that may be made from time to time, is available on the Child and Youth Protection page of the Archdiocese of Baltimore’s website and on the Archdiocese of Baltimore’s online compliance management system, VIRTUS. Please register as a St. Mary Catholic School Volunteer at http://www.virtusonline.org/. All new volunteers should complete the process as soon as possible. Please contact Jan McCarter, our screening coordinator, at jmccarter@saintmarysonline.org, or (301)739-0390, ext. 129, with any questions or concerns. Virtus training IS NOT complete until all parts of the process are fulfilled, including the background check. Just completing the online training itself DOES NOT fulfill the requirements for volunteering.