Loving God,
we celebrate Your faithfulness and love.
On this day we commit ourselves
to the promotion of the full humanity
of all women everywhere.
We know that whatever denies,
diminishes, or distorts
the full humanity of women is not of God. Help us to be faithful to Your call to love.
Admissions Open House Help spread the word about our Open House, Tuesday, March 14, 8:30 - 10:30 a.m. If you know of any friends, relatives or coworkers looking for a Catholic, college preparatory school experience, please have them register here, or invite them to attend the event via Facebook. Walk-ins are accepted as well. Word of mouth continues to be one of the most effective ways to connect with future Red Knights. Thank you for your continued support!
Host Family Needed On behalf of BSM and Private School Exchange (PSE), we have a special situation where an exchange student needs to be placed immediately with a host family until the end of the school year. If you or someone you know may be interested in hosting an exchange student please contact this email. To learn more click here!
Why Giving Matters At Benilde-St. Margaret's School, we strive for an exceptional student experience for every Red Knight. Read about 8th grader Skya Favor's story on why Benilde-St. Margaret's School matters to her. We develop the fullest potential in each student - in body, spirit and mind. Your gift to the annual fund helps us educate servant leaders for a global society. Watch for more stories in the coming weeks!
China Summer Camp Opportunity Students interested in traveling to China this summer for a 10-day trip, should contact Ms. Li Sun. Please budget about $2500 for this trip: $100 application fee (to the camp organizer, not to the Confucius Institute), $2000 airfare, $235 for the Chinese visa, $30 for insurance and whatever remains can be their personal spending money. This trip is the trip of a lifetime to learn about Chinese culture, food, history and to experience China up close! Please see the tentative camp schedule here. If your Red Knight is interested please fill out an application by Friday, March 31 at4 p.m and send to Ms. Li Sun. Upcoming Events
March 14 - Admissions Open House (8:30 - 10:30 a.m.)
March 20 - 24 - No School (Spring Break)
March 31 - End of 3rd Quarter
April 7 - Early Dismissal (Noon) for Parent/Teacher Conferences (1:30 - 6 p.m.)
March is here and it's time to make plans to be at the 2017 BSM Mother-Son Knight, Friday, March 31, 6 - 9 p.m. at Pinstripes. Click here to register now, and also to see and save the dates for senior moms and sons song & dance practices! Come join the fun at our Casino Royale with blackjack and Texas Hold'Em. It's a sure bet that you'll enjoy bocce and bowling, plus the fantastic food from the Pinstripes Bistro along with the chance to win prizes. The $45/person ticket price covers everything. Please note, don't let the cost of the event keep you from attending. Scholarships are available by contacting Assistant Principal, Mary Andersen. Contact Pam Whitmore or Stephanie Drees for more information. Congratulations to Sheila Anderson and her son, Nathan '19, winners of the early-bird registration drawing for 4 Minnesota Wild tickets!
Senior Party Take advantage of early bird pricing! Click here to register your senior for the Senior Party, which immediately follows Commencement Friday, June 2. Students will be bused to the party venue from BSM and return to school at approximately 4:30 a.m. Saturday, June 3. Early bird registration pricing of $125 ends April 14; after that date, registration price increases to $135. If cost prohibits your senior from attending, please contact Assistant Principal Mary Andersen for assistance. Contact Party Co-Chairs Deb Shields or Kristine Carlston with any other questions.
AP exams will be administered at BSM between May 1 and May 12. Sophomores, juniors and seniors currently enrolled in AP courses will receive information about registering for these exams during homeroom February 23 and February 24. The 2017 AP Exam or Studio Portfolio fee is $56 per exam or portfolio. Students need to register online (by credit card payment) here by Wednesday, March 8, no exceptions.
College Planning Meeting for Parents of Sophomores BSM counselors will present to parents of sophomores Wednesday, March 29 in the Hamburge Theater. Parents can attend either the 10 a.m. meeting or the 7 p.m. meeting, both of which will be the same presentation. Some of the topics that will be covered include the ACT and SAT, paying for college, visiting colleges and a timeline for BSM’s college and career planning services.
College Fair BSM will host a College Fair Tuesday, April 25, 7 - 8:30 p.m. in the Haben Center. All juniors are required to attend as a part of their Building Your Future portfolio, and all other BSM students and parents are welcome to attend. Approximately 125 college and university representatives will be available to talk with prospective students and parents (click here to see a full list of colleges attending). They will answer questions about the college admissions process and provide information about their particular college or university.
Parents of Juniors The required Building Your Future college and career portfolio, which includes assignments and required attendance at the BSM College Fair Tuesday, April 25, are due in the college and career center by 3 p.m. on Tuesday, April 25. Juniors will receive half a credit and a passing grade on their transcript for the portfolio, and this is a graduation requirement. If students need help with any of the assignments, they should ask one of the counselors. Also, there are several sample portfolios available to look at in the college and career center. Portfolios will be graded based on what is turned in and grades will not be negotiated. Juniors will earn part of their total portfolio points from attending the College Fair on Tuesday, April 25, 7 - 8:30 p.m. in the Haben Center.
College Reminders for Parents for Seniors
Scholarships: Be mindful of scholarship deadlines. There are still many scholarship opportunities that can be found in the “scholarship list” or the “National Scholarship Search” under the “colleges” tab in your Naviance account. Other websites with scholarship searches can be found here, here and here.
Housing Deposits: The housing deposit is different than an enrollment deposit. Once admitted, or in some cases before you find out an admission decision (larger campuses), you should submit your housing deposit to secure a room. Students may submit housing deposits at more than one college. Note that the housing deposit is often refundable before May 1. Read all of the e-mails (remember to check your junk mail frequently) and letters sent to you from each of your colleges, and look on their website and/or call the admissions office or residence life office with any housing-related questions.
Contact the colleges you will not be attending: If you know that you will not be attending a college that you have been admitted to, please contact that college's admissions office (by phone or by e-mail) to let them know that you will not be attending. Contacting colleges now, or as early as possible, allows them to make better decisions about whether they can admit students who have been deferred or waitlisted.
The Spring Party is Thursday, March 9, 6 - 8 p.m. at the St. Louis Park Roller Garden. Cost is $5, which includes skate rental (students may also bring their own skates). The junior high Student Council will be collecting non-perishable food donations for PRISM at the door. Pizza, hot-dogs and other food will be available for purchase at the Roller Garden. There will be a DJ, contests and gift card prizes!
Parents of 7th Graders Course selection for next year is taking place this week! Directions for selecting music and world language classes for 8th grade were sent to students yesterday. If you have not turned in your contract for next year, your student will not have access to the registration page until the contract is received. A reminder email was sent to families whose contracts have not been completed.
Join us for a summer of fun at BSM! Register for one of our many Summer Camps. Online registration is now available. For more information on camps, contact Athletic/Activities Director Jerry Pettinger 952-915-4346. To register click here.
BSM Boys' Lacrosse Chipotle Fundraiser Show your team spirit by joining us for a fundraiser to support BSM boys' lacrosse teams. Come into the Calhoun Commons Chipotle Tuesday, March 9, 6 - 8 p.m. Bring in a flyer, show it on your smartphone or tell the cashier you’re supporting the cause to make sure that 50% of the proceeds will be donated to the boys' lacrosse teams here at BSM.
Impact Baseline Concussion Testing For those students who will be participating in a spring sport and have not completed this testing during the 2016-2017 school year...sign up here...
https://docs.google.com/a/bsmschool.org/forms/d/1aOTOn3tDtcE-C7fQe6f5oT4klV7f3BAy1-yDQZfVTws/edit
Prayer and Share Please join us in the BSM Chapel for Prayer and Share. During Lent we will meet on the following Wednesdays: March 8,15, 29 and April 5, 12, 9 - 10 a.m. Prayer and Share is an informal gathering of parents who meet to provide spiritual support for the BSM community. We begin with a scripture reading and take time to pray about, reflect on and discuss both specific and universal issues in our children's lives and our community. First timers always welcome!
Just for Parents As students develop and the level of competition in athletics intensifies, the risk of injuries increases. Join BSM's sports trainer, Thursday, March 9, 1 - 2 p.m. in the library conference room to learn practical tips on how to help student athletes prevent injuries, as well as manage injuries throughout the healing process. Light refreshments will be served.
How a Lenten Challenge Can Benefit BSM's Garage Sale A Lenten Challenge that has recently received a lot of attention is the “40 Bags in 40 Days Decluttering Challenge.” For more info click here. Lent is a great time to “declutter” to be able to turn our focus to our faith and family. As you declutter, please consider donating your goods to the BSM Treasure Hunt Garage Sale. Our next drop off date is Friday, April 7 during conferences in the Haben Canter. For more info on items to donate and the schedule of donation and event times click here. Donating your time is another great opportunity to give back to the BSM community. To find out more about parent volunteer opportunities click here and here.
Sponsorship Opportunities: This year we have an opportunity for BSM community members to support the Garage Sale. We are looking for sponsors to help cover some of the costs of facilitating and promoting this fundraiser. For $150 a business will have its logo on the Treasure Hunt Garage Sale website page and promotional posters. For $300 a business will have its logo on the volunteer event t-shirts, website and posters. If you are interested in learning more, please contact Victoria Levy Smith.
HoneyBaked Hams for Easter Purchasing HoneyBaked Ham Gift Cards is a great way to help BSM, with 20% of all sales going to support our school. Use HoneyBaked Gift Cards to shop online, order from the catalog or go to any location nationwide. Choose from their signature hams, tender turkeys, delicious desserts or Heat & Serve sides. To buy your gift cards click here. Please allow one to two weeks for delivery by mail. Encourage your friends and relatives to participate as well! If you have any questions, please contact Parent Association representative Youa Smith and thank you for your support!
Spring Break Essentials Spring break is right around the corner. Before you pack your bags, visit us in the Spirit Shop for all of your travel essentials such as Red Knight t-shirts, sunglasses, bucket or baseball hats, golf balls and even beach towels. We have your spring break travel needs covered!
Spirit Shop hours are 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. on school days.
