SMCS NEWS: Active Listening
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Making music in new ways
Many teachers have had to adapt the way they teach this year, including Mrs. Moretti. In a time when singing inside poses a potential health risk, she sees opportunity to share another side of music with students: listening. Her excitement for the innovation the pandemic has sparked is palpable in her Back To School Night video.
Q: What can our students expect to experience with you this Fall in Music class?
A: Our younger students will learn about scales, notes and famous musicians throughout history. We have some really fun and creative ways of learning these basic foundations together. For some of the Middle Years Program students, we are working on a virtual performance idea and blending it with social justice themes they are learning in Religion class. It's going to be really inspiring!
Related: SMCS families can tune in to the Virtual Richmond Folk Festival this weekend. It's a great way to practice listening and sharing in music appreciation from the comfort of your own home! Mrs. Moretti is looking forward to hearing music from the Lakota tribe and soul fusion music from Butcher Brown featuring J. Plunky Branch. Families can also click below to register their participation in the St. Mary's Church Outdoor Sing Along planned for Sunday, October 18 at 3:00pm. (Approx. 30 spots were remaining as of Thursday evening).
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COMMUNITY: Civilize It! & Voter Registration Challenge + Book Spotlight + Vision Screening + PTO items
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The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has launched an initiative that invites Catholics to model civility, love thy neighbor and engage in respectful dialogue leading up to the November 3 elections. “Civilize It: Dignity Beyond the Debate” is built on the idea that every person, even those with whom we disagree, is a child of God and possesses inherent dignity.
You can find resources, including this prayer for peace and civility, in English and Spanish by visiting wearesaltandlight.org or civilizeit.org.
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Visit the Virginia Department of Elections where you will find an official registration link or use these quick links below!
Online Registration: https://bit.ly/2F3Dcy7
Verify your registration status: https://bit.ly/2DGLCum
Find your polling place: https://bit.ly/2DGLCum Early in-Person Voting: https://bit.ly/3hbgcKf
Request Absentee Ballot: https://bit.ly/3hbgcKf
Source: www.vacatholic.org
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THIS WEEK'S BOOK SPOTLIGHT FROM MRS. LAVALLEE
New Title: The Next President
written by Kate Messner and Adam Rex
"And right now—today!—there are at least 10 future presidents alive in America. They could be playing basketball, like Barack Obama, or helping in the garden, like Dwight D. Eisenhower. They could be solving math problems or reading books. They could be making art—or already making change."
>> Place a hold on this new title recently donated to the SMCS Library through our Leave a Legacy program!
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Students in Junior Kindergarten, Kindergarten, First Grade, Third Grade, Fifth Grade, Seventh Grade and all new students will participate in state-mandated vision screenings this month.
Please be sure to complete this consent form and return it to your child's homeroom teacher. Forms are available in both English and Spanish. Results will be sent home to parents.
Screening Schedule:
Thursday, October 15: JK + K
Friday, October 16: Grades 1 + 3
Monday, October 19: Grades 5 + 7
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Join your Saint Mary's PTO at Panera Bread (Regency location) from 4-8 PM this Wednesday, October 14th for Spirit Night. Our school will receive 20% of all online & in-store orders!
Saint Mary's supporters must show this flyer (on a mobile device or printed) for our school to receive credit! When ordering online, please use the code "PRFUND". We hope to see you there!
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Reminder from our Painless Fundraising Chair:
Amazon's annual Prime Day is next Tuesday, October 13 and Wednesday, October 14. Be sure that your AmazonSmile! settings are updated to benefit Saint Mary's Catholic School.
Deadline to return all clipped Box Tops for Education and Coke Rewards Codes is October 23!
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The Saint Mary’s PTO will host a Drive Thru Trunk or Treat on Thursday, October 29th, from 5:30-7:00 pm. Please use this link to sign up to decorate a trunk, volunteer your time and/or donate candy.
PTO will put together treat bags to be handed out at the end, in exchange for a canned good for the Church's food pantry. (If you forget the canned goods, no worries!) Individual trunks will NOT be passing out candy. Let’s have some fun! Any questions about this event, please contact Kate Faraci.
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BY THE NUMBERS: Sounds of the Season
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This week, we asked a group of 2nd grade girls about their favorite sounds of the season. We also asked them if listening looked or felt different at school this Fall since we are all wearing masks.
There is limited scholarly research on the impact of face masks on interpersonal communication outside of a healthcare setting, but here's what our randomly selected student sample had to say on the matter!
Their top three favorite Fall sounds in no particular order were:
>> Fall leaves crunching
>> Acorns falling
>> Wind in the trees
100% of the students we spoke with claimed to have fully adjusted to communicating with masks, but admitted that they have had to learn to speak more loudly and to focus more on people's eyes when they are listening to others.
Related: Fall is in the air and visible in the hallways of our Early Childhood Development Center. Visit our Instagram feed or Instagram stories to see student artwork currently adorning the ECDC walls!
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MINI-SESSION BOOKING = HOLIDAY CARD PHOTO
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On Sunday, October 18 & Sunday, October 25, former RTD photographer, Mark Gormus, will offer mini-outdoor portrait sessions at Saint Mary's Catholic School. This is your chance to get a holiday card photo for 2020!
For $125, your mini-session will last 5 to 10 minutes and include kid-only photos as well as family shots. Photographer's choice of edited images will be provided digitally with full usage rights.
Reminder to New Families & Buddy Families: We plan to introduce you in the Flash and on social media in the coming months, so don't miss out on this opportunity to be ready with a family photo for us to share!
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MARK YOUR CALENDARS
Tues. Sept. 15 - Thurs. Oct. 15: Virtual! Qué Pasa Festival
Friday, Oct. 9: School Holiday
Friday, Oct. 9 - Sunday, Oct. 11: Virtual! Richmond Folk Festival
Sunday, Oct. 11: Outdoor Sing Along, 2:30pm
Monday, Oct. 12: Student Holiday
Tuesday, Oct. 13: School Photo Retakes
Tuesday, Oct. 13: Pink Out Tag Day ($3)
Wednesday, Oct. 14: School Mass, 9:00am (G5-G8)
Wednesday, Oct. 14: FREE Flu Shot Drive Thru, 3:15pm - 5:15pm
Wednesday, Oct. 14: PTO Spirit Night @ Panera, 4:00pm - 8:00pm
Thursday, Oct. 15: School Mass, 9:00am (G1-G4)
Thurs. Oct. 15 - Mon. Oct. 19: Vision Screenings, 9:00am
Saturday, Oct. 17: Knights of Columbus Italian Night To-Go Curbside Pick Up, 10:00am - 2:00pm
Sunday, Oct. 18: Outdoor Mini-Photo Sessions, 9:00am - 5:00pm
Wednesday, Oct. 21: Virtual! Open House, 6:30pm - 7:30pm
Thursday, Oct. 22: Virtual! Open House, 9:30am - 10:30am
Friday, Oct. 23: Early Dismissal, 12 noon
Sunday, Oct. 25: Outdoor Mini-Photo Sessions, 9:00am - 5:00pm
Wednesday, Oct. 28: School Mass, 9:00am (G5-G8)
Thursday, Oct. 29: School Mass, 9:00am (G1-G4)
Thursday, Oct. 29: PTO Truck or Treat, 5:30pm - 7:00pm
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The Friday Flash is a weekly newsletter intended to connect, inform and support the Saint Mary's School community. Your feedback/suggestions regarding content are always welcome and appreciated: kbotha@saintmary.org
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