St. Mary’s Catholic School

Empowering Students Through

Strong Academics and Christian Values

EST. 1877

St. Mary’s Home and School Association Monday, May 12, 2008

It is better to be the child of God than king of the whole world. – St. Aloysius Gonzaga

Prayer Requests

For Mrs. Watson, that the Lord comfort her and touch her with his healing hand.

For Carter and Lauren Khoury’s aunt who passed away last week

For Mr. Davis as he recovers from open heart surgery

For the Sanchez family on the arrival of their new baby boy

For Gavin Cole’s great-grandfather as he recovers from his heart procedure.

Current and Upcoming Events

May 14: Mass 9:30, 2^nd Grade Reads

May 15: Teachers Appreciation Lunch, (1 & 2 Grade Parents provide)

May 17: Mrs. Dering’s Spring Piano Recital

May 19-23: Spring Book Fair

May 22: Volunteer Appreciation Lunch, 11:30 – 1:00, Parish Center-All parent volunteers invited!

May 22: Used Uniform ½ Price Sale

May 23: 2^nd & 3^rd Grade Field Trip to Owens Farm

May 23: FULL DAY OF SCHOOL!

May 26: Memorial Day, No school!

Announcement from the Bishop

Bishop Farrell has announced that Sister Gloria Cain, S.S.N.D. has been selected to serve as the Superintendent of Catholic Schools effective July 1, 2008. Sister Cain comes from the Diocese of Victoria where she has served as Superintendent of Catholic Schools and Co-Director of Affairs for the Protection of Children and Young People. Prior to that she was Superintendent of Catholic School in the Diocese of Lake Charles, Louisiana. Sr. Cain earned a M.Ed. in Administration/Supervision from Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio. She brings a breadth of knowledge and experience to this position, and Bishop Farrell is looking forward to welcoming her to the Diocese of Dallas.

Request From the Kitchen

Please do not send lunch items to school with your child that requires microwaving or cooking. This has become a problem with too many children bringing these type items. Our lunch room is not staffed with enough volunteers to accommodate this service. Hot lunches brought from home should be sent in thermos type containers to keep food warm. Thanks in advance for your cooperation!

Coach Davis

It was great to see Mr. Davis at Mass last week! He looks great and seems to be recovering well from his surgery! If you want to send a card, his address is: 1001 Grand Avenue, Sherman, TX 75090. Keep those cards & letters coming, and let’s let him know we miss him! There is a copy of a note from Mr. Davis attached!

Uniform Policy

Please review the Uniform Policy in the Parent Student Handbook and make sure your students are following the Policy.

Free Kitten!

Mrs. Colvin has 1 kitten left that she is giving away! The kitten was born on Easter Sunday, and is ready for a new home! Please contact Mrs. Colvin if you are interested in giving the kitten a good home!

Lunchroom Help Needed

If you still need to do some volunteer work to fulfill your 20 hour commitment this year, please consider volunteering in the lunchroom! We only have 3 weeks of school left, but we will still be serving lunch every day and need parents to help in the lunchroom! Call Melinda Eubanks today and sign up! 903-327-4767

Don’t forget our fundraising opportunities!

Note from Mr. Wieck

Thanks to all the parents that supported the archery program this year. Thanks to Mrs. Kirkpatrick for letting me start the program. I am looking forward to next year’s progress.  

An additional THANKS to the Bramer extended family from Arkansas as they presented all the kids, the school, and me with a commemorative personalized monogrammed towel of the event. 

We survived nationals with a successful tournament and learning experience.  The national tournament had a total of 3,002 archers representing 24 states.    There were 124 representing Texas.  The final postings should be available soon on the national website.  Although we didn’t have anyone finishing at the top of the class we had a very respectable showing for our first year. 

Again Thanks for all the help and support of this years program. ~Mr. Wieck

Looking for a good book to help teach moral values to your child? Pick up a copy of Books That Build Character. This is a great guide to classic novels, contemporary fiction, myths and legends, and many other books that celebrate virtues and values.

Advisory Council Members Needed

If you are interested in serving on the Advisory Council next school year, please give Mrs. Kirkpatrick a call! The Advisory Council meets once a month and makes recommendations to the Principal regarding various school issues. Please consider serving St. Mary’s School in this capacity!

Home & School Officers

We are very excited to announce that Shelly McGraw, mother of Allison (5^th grade), Avery (2^nd), and Morgan (1^st) has volunteered to serve as President of Home & School next year! Mrs. McGraw has served St. Mary’s in various capacities in the past, and we are looking forward to a great year under her leadership!

Additionally, Mr. John Flynn, father of Jamison (5^th), Jacob (3^rd), Jonah (2^nd), Jesse (1^st), and Josie (K), has volunteered to serve as Vice-President! Mr. Flynn will be a great asset to the board with his previous leadership experience!

We still need to fill the Secretary and the Treasurer’s positions. If you are interested in a leadership role in our vibrant parent group are let Mrs. Kirkpatrick! You may email her at nkirkpatrick@stmarys-sch.org.

School Cook Needed for

08-09 Year

We still need a new cook for next school year! The cook will need to prepare lunch each day. Tuition barter is available! Please contact Mrs. Kirkpatrick if interested!

Congratulations to Tanya Sanchez in 1^st Grade and her parents, Virginia & Hector Sanchez, on the birth of her baby brother. Hector Ethan was born on Tuesday, May 6, 2008. He weighed 7 pounds 15 ounces and was 20 inches long. Congratulations to the Sanchez family!

Teacher Appreciation Week

The Teachers and Staff would like to thank all the parents and students for the wonderful treats last week! We had breakfast of donuts, juice and chocolate milk on Monday, a great Fiesta lunch from Lupe’s on Wednesday, and treats on Friday! You are all so sweet and considerate, and we appreciate you all!

Volunteers Needed for Spring Book Fair

Our Spring Book Fair will be May 19-23. We need volunteers to work at the fair. Please call the school office and volunteer your time today!

Third & Fourth Grade

Attend SISD Field Day

Our 3^rd & 4^th Graders attended the SISD Field Day on May 9^th. A great time was had by all! The girls brought home the traveling trophy for the 50 meter shuttle Relay! The girls who participated in the relay were: Crystale Fry, Patricia Alquiza, Ema Raney and Brooke Bailey. Way to go, 3^rd & 4^th Graders!

Used Uniform Sale

There will be a Used Uniform ½ Price Sale on Thursday, May 22, in the Teacher’s Conference Room. Stock up now for next year! Lots of sizes, all for $2.50 each!

Let’s Play Golf!

The Knight’s of Columbus will be holding their annual Golf Tournament on Saturday, June 14^th, at the Grayson County College Golf Course. This is a 4 person scramble with individual and team prizes. Entry fee is $55 per person, $220 per team. The Knight’s of Columbus have supported our school in many ways, so let’s return the favor and participate in their tournament! Let’s see how many SMS Teams we can get in the tournament! An entry form is attached to this newsletter!

Washington, DC Update

Just a reminder to those who will be attending the Washington DC trip this summer that the second payment is due to the school office by May 19^th! The payment amount is $408 per person. Please make sure your payment arrives timely!

Save the Date!

Mark your calendars now for Sunday, June 1 for our first Annual SMS Family Night at The Splash at Fairview Park! This will be our way of kicking off the summer! Everyone is invited! More details to come!