The freshman retreat will be held on Friday, October 3, 2008. It will be led by New Spirit.

The retreat is scheduled for during the school day. Students should be dropped off and picked up at school like usual. They will walk to Holy Trinity Parish. Lunch will be provided and there is no charge for the retreat.

The purpose of the retreat is to build community in our freshman class and to have them reflect as they begin their high school careers.

If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Fiorentino at jfiorentino@stmaryhs.com.

Labels: announcements, freshman, spirituality

Parents Back to School Night will be held on Thursday, October 2 at 6:30pm.

The intent of this evening is to afford parents the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the school and their child's teachers. This evening is not for individual conferences.

To begin the evening, parents will be given a copy of their son or daughter's schedule and a map of the building. Then parents will travel from class to class meeting each of their child's teachers, getting to know them, the content of their courses, grading policies, classroom procedures, and upcoming projects.

If you have any questions, please contact the school.

Labels: parents

Download our printable October calendar to keep track of all the school activities and events this month.

Labels: calendar

Saint Mary High School will be hosting a Harvest Dance and Social for 8th graders on Friday, October 10, 2008 from 7-9pm.

We will have contests, prizes, and refreshments and we'll have dancing to the tunes of D.J. Ismael Santiago.

The dance will be chaperoned by Saint Mary's personnel and students. Admission is free of charge. Please make sure students are dropped off at the front door at 7:00 and picked up in front of the school at 9:00.

Information on our school will be available. If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Jaszek at 413-568-5692 or email ktjaszek [@] yahoo.com.

Labels: admissions, announcements, students

Saint Mary's Schools will be having a book fair at Barnes and Noble in Holyoke on Friday, October 24 from 9am-11pm. Here's the schedule for the day:

10:00- Story time with Miss Murphy, elementary school librarian
10:30- Design your own mask
11:00-3:00- Game Table
12:00- Story time with Mrs. Schweitzer, high school librarian
12:30- make a fall craft with high school art students
1:00- Story time with Father Brian, pastor
3:00- paint a sugar pumpkin with Mrs. Farley, high school art teacher
3:30- Story time with principals, Mrs. Nietsche and Sr. Christine
6:00-8:00- enjoy the music of Amy Mercier
7:00-9:00- Activities for Jr/Sr high school students

A percentage of your Barnes and Noble purchases throughout the day will benefit our schools!

Download a flyer here to share with family and friends!

The Parent Involvement Committee (PIC) will be meeting this Wednesday night at 7:00pm. All Saint Mary's parents are welcome. This is their planned agenda:

Opening prayer
Secretary Report
Treasurer Report

Business:
Barnes & Noble Book Fair 10/24
Open House 11/5 – PIC information table
Drama Club: 11/7 & 11/8 –desserts & coffee/tea
Holly Days Craft Fair 11/22-23-volunteers
New York City Bus Trip 12/13

School Requests

Next Meeting: November 5, 2008, 7:00pm in Guidance Office

Labels: PIC

From October 3, 2008 - April 2, 2009, Saint Mary High School will have the opportunity to earn cash through Stop and Shop's A+ BonusBucks program. All you have to do is fill out a registration card. If you do not have one, you can email the information to Mrs. Jaszek.

Every time you shop at Stop and Shop, you can earn cash for Saint Mary High School. Even your friends and family can join in this easy fundraiser! All of these efforts help to keep our tuition rate the lowest in the region.

To enroll, email the following information to Mrs. Jaszek at ktjaszek@yahoo.com:

1. Stop and Shop card number (13 digits)
2. The first three letters of your last name

Labels: fundraising, parents

Last night, 11 volunteers from our school served 59 people at the Westfield Community Table. Despite the fact that it was Labor Day, eight students and three faculty members came out. We made egg salad and tuna sandwiches, fresh garden salad, and Rice Krispie treats.

We serve at the soup kitchen on the first Monday of each month year round. Our next date is on October 6.

Labels: community service

The Student Handbook for the 2008-09 school year has been posted here. It is required reading for all parents and students. The last page needs to be signed and returned by September 12, 2008. If you have any questions, please call the school at 413-568-5692.

For those that do not have the sheet that was sent home this summer, the cell phone policy with revised consequences can be found on page 10.

Labels: administration, parents, students

The School Board has as its primary concern the ministry of Catholic school education: the spiritual, intellectual, physical, emotional, and social development of the students. The members work in close collaboration with the pastor and the principal. They provide advice and counsel in the following areas: strategic planning, policy formulation, institutional advancement and development, and financial planning and management.

The members of the school board for the 2008-09 school year are: Fr. Brian McGrath, pastor; Mrs. Nichole Nietsche, principal; Mrs. Lisa LaBrecque, president; Mrs. Kristin Hagan, advancement; Mr. Joseph Flahive, Dr. Gary Gorman, Mr. Marc Hanks, Mrs. Kimberlee Jaszek, Mrs. Cathy Jocelyn, Mrs. Rosemary Pagios, Mrs. Patricia Schweitzer, Mr. F. Christian Schweitzer, Mrs. Kathleen Slepchuk, and Mrs. Susan Turrini.

Their meeting schedule can be found here.