August 30 – September 12 Online Scholastic Book Fair Bonus Days
September 4 – 30 Raffle Calendar Sales!
September 4 Opening School Mass – 10:00 AM -- Church
September 5 New Parent Orientation -- 7:00 PM – School Lobby
September 5-6 Scholastic Wish List Shopping
September 6 Fun Friday Calendar Raffle Incentive
September 9-12 Scholastic Book Fair
September 9 First Day in Full Uniform
September 10 Fine Arts Center Ribbon Cutting & Blessing – 5:30 PM --- Fine Arts Center
September 10 Parent Information Night - 6:45 PM – Church
September 11 Corpus Christi Brown Bag drive begins
September 12 Fiddle Sizing – 8:30 AM – Lobby
September 13 Friday Funday Calendar Raffle Incentive
September 15 Hot Lunch ordering ends at midnight
September 17 Fiddle Sizing – 8:30 AM – Lobby
September 20 Corpus Christi Food Pantry Brown Bags due at 9:00 AM
September 20 Friday Funday Calendar Raffle Incentive
September 23 Mass – 10:00 AM – 6E preparing
September 23 Hot Lunch Begins
September 25 Paper Wednesday News
September 27 Final Friday Funday Calendar Raffle Incentive
NEW! Thank You – We are blessed to have so many people who support St. Chris in so many ways! Each week, we like to highlight a few of those who have gone above and beyond for the school...so be sure to check back here each week! This week, we’d like to extend special thanks to our faculty and staff who worked all summer long to get St. Chris ready for our students this Fall: Gloria Sheehan, John Levesque, Gerry Levesque, Murrayann Abucewicz, Jackie Langenfeld, Claire Ternan, Carol Fiore, Marta Nissen, and Cindy Clarke! Special thanks go to the parish staff for their help, especially Fr. David Harris and Linda Sanborn! Finally, there will be more about this later, but we extend EXTRA special thanks to Kevin Corriveau and his crew for the amazing work they’ve done up at the Fine Arts Center!
NEW! Welcome Back from the School Board - The St. Chris School Board welcomes students, teachers, and parents back to school! We are looking forward to a productive and fun school year. The School Board is comprised of parents, parents of alumni, and local business leaders. Our role is to advise the principal on various matters pertaining to the management and development of the school. We are fortunate to have a strong and thriving school and one of our goals is to keep it that way and to help make St. Chris even better for everyone. We meet on the second Tuesday of most months in the library at 8:00 AM and welcome parents to attend our meetings. Our first meeting of the year will take place on Tuesday, September 10 at 8:00 AM in 6W. We are also always available to answer questions and to hear your thoughts and concerns through email at [email protected]. On behalf of School Board Members Cindy Clarke (Principal), Father David Harris, Fred Daniels (Chair), Todd DeRego, Tom Nardone, Mark Roy, Heather Griebel, Corrine Zeman, Tom McCarthy, George Torosian, Carol Fiore, and Marta Nissen, we welcome you and look forward to seeing you throughout the school year.
NEW! Attendance – Just a reminder that if a student is going to be out of school for the day, whether from illness or appointment, you must notify the school by 9:00 AM that day. You may call the school at 603-882-7442 and leave a message OR send an email to [email protected] (which can also be accessed by clicking on “Attendance” at the top of the website). If a student is not in school by 9:00 AM and we have NOT heard from a parent, we will be calling to doublecheck on the student’s welfare. This is to ensure that all our students are safely where they should be!
NEW! Morning Visits to Classrooms – Please remember throughout the year that mornings are NOT the time to visit the classroom and attempt to talk to your child’s teacher, as he or she is busy getting the children settled into the room and ready to start learning for the day. If you need to speak to a teacher, please either send him or her an email or send in a note with your student. Teachers will get back with you as soon as they are able during their busy day. If you have an emergency message about a particular issue, you can leave it with either the receptionist or Mrs. Sheehan who will be sure it gets to the teacher right away.
NEW! After School Student Pick-up Schedule Changes – We know that in this crazy world a parent’s plans can change without warning! If your wild day necessitates a sudden change in where your child should go after school (After Care, Linda Rousseau’s, carpool pick-up, etc.) or who will pick up (mom, dad, grandma, family friend, etc.), we must be informed by a PHONE CALL to the front desk (882-7442)! Please do not rely on emailing teachers as they are often too busy teaching to check their email until after the children have left. With a quick phone call, you can be assured that the front desk will let your child’s teacher know about the change in plans as soon as possible. We want to keep all our kids safe, so thanks for your help in this!
NEW! Parent Volunteers – It’s not too early to think about how you will make a difference at St. Chris! Our school is so thankful for the many, many volunteers who partner with us to offer special events and programs that would not exist without their help. Numerous studies show that students are more successful in school when their parent volunteers…it’s a win-win for everyone! To see the many ways you can get involved here at St. Chris, visit the volunteer page on the school website HERE! You can sign up to volunteer for the individual programs by clicking through to the Sign-Up Genius under each opportunity. Thank you SO much!
NEW! Raffle Calendar Fundraiser –It’s calendar time again…and we have some GREAT prizes this year, including new stores and MORE cash! This paper Wednesday News packet includes 10 calendar raffle tickets per family. Each ticket is $10. As in the past, for every 10 raffle tickets your family sells, you will earn one entry into a raffle for a $1,500 Tuition Credit or $1,000 Cash! This is the first of our three major fundraisers in the annual Invest in Excellence campaign, so we are really counting on your support! This year, our school goal is 2,000 tickets! We can do it!
We will have a number of fun student seller incentives throughout the month of September! Check them out!
FRIDAY FUNDAY incentives for every Friday in September (except on Sept 28, a no school day!). Any student who brings in at least one ticket will receive the prize of the day:
Friday, September 6 – Free Dress Pass for Friday, September 13
Friday, September 13 – Free popcorn on Friday, September 20
Friday, September 20 –Cookie treat at lunch on Monday, September 23 (first day of Hot Lunch!)
Friday, September 27 – Free Dress Pass for THAT day, September 27!
Student Surprise Free Dress Prizes will be chosen on random days during the month of September from anyone who turns in a ticket on that day.
Crazy Mrs. Clarke will make a special appearance in October if we beat our school goal of 2,000 tickets! We’ve met our goal each of the last 10 years…can’t wait to make this number 11 and see what crazy Mrs. Clarke will do this year!
NEW! Altar Servers Sign-Ups – Would your child love to serve the Lord at mass? Fr. David would like to invite any child in grades 3-6 who has completed his or her First Communion to sign up as a school altar server, whether he or she attends St. Chris or not! Students must be willing to sit still on the altar, be able to remember and carry out instructions while standing in front of the whole school, and, most important, understand the sacred responsibility of serving at God’s altar. If your child is interested, please complete and return the altar server form in this week’s paper News. There will be a special training with Fr. David.
NEW! Parent-Student Handbook – Your paper Wednesday News includes a copy of the updated Parent-Student Handbook for this year. Please take the time to read it yourself and review it with your student(s). All students and parents must sign and return the form located at the back of the Handbook by September 13.
NEW! Teacher Parking Lot and Auction Parking Spot – Please keep in mind that the parents should not park in any of the spaces in the parking lot in front of the church/school along Cushing Ave. during school hours. This lot is for teachers only so they can park easily and get into the school for the kids! If you’d like to ensure you always have a guaranteed parking spot, the first space in that lot is up for bid each year at the Auction to the highest bidder! This year’s winner has permission to park there until March 21, 2020…so please keep that space clear!
NEW! School Store – Our School Store, nicknamed the Husky Hut, is located in the lobby, against the you-can’t-miss-it bright yellow wall. For most of the school year, students and their parents run the store every morning from 8:30-8:50 AM. Available items include supplies like pencils and notebooks, as well as Husky spirit items. During the year, look for announcements of school spirit wear and other items that will ONLY be available at the school store!
Student volunteers from grades 4-6 and their parents are needed to run the store! This is a great chance to volunteer WITH your child and gives our students a chance to practice their math and service skills! To volunteer, please check out the Sign-Up Genius at https://tinyurl.com/HuskyHut2019. Thanks!
NEW! Address Changes – If you have moved over the summer, please be sure to send us your new address and phone information as soon as possible so that we can update our records. It is imperative that we have the correct information for your student! You can use the change of address form in the back of the Student-Parent Handbook to update info, or send any new info to Marta at [email protected]. Thanks!
NEW! Snack Cart – Learning makes kids hungry! All classes will have a snack time at some point each morning to refuel. Students are welcome to either bring a snack or purchase one at the snack cart located on each floor. The first floor snack cart is located in 1M, while the 2nd floor snack cart travels from one end of the hall to the other dependent on snack time. Snacks are 50¢ each and include a variety of student favorites! Also, in several weeks, we will begin offering popcorn on Fridays! Volunteer parent popcorn poppers are needed…check out the SignUp Genius on our volunteer page of the website.
NEW! FIRST Lego League Coach Needed – St. Christopher competes in the First Lego League for children in grades 4-6. This international event is based upon a common theme and a mission that all teams attempt to complete. A team of students design and program a Lego Mindstorms robot to complete specific tasks and then compete with other teams in an exciting regional event in November. In addition to the robot mission, the team also researches, creates, and presents a five minute report on a specific topic related to the theme. This extracurricular involves creativity, problem solving, team building, friendly competition, and most of all, fun. We are in need of a coach or two for the Fall! Past head coach Lana Tyrrell is able to help with much of the work, but family obligations preclude her being the head coach. If you can volunteer, please contact Lana at [email protected]. Thanks!
Fine Arts Center Ribbon Cutting and Blessing – We are SO excited to announce that our Fine Arts Center almost ready to go! Students will begin attending art and music classes in the Fine Arts Center the week of September 9 (which is also the first week of gym, Spanish, computer, and library). Parents are invited to attend the Ribbon Cutting and Blessing ceremony on Tuesday, September 10 at 5:30 PM, the same night as Parent Information Night. Please join us and take a look around!
Carpooling Instructions -- Please understand that the first few weeks of the morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up are unusually busy and sometimes a bit confusing. We ask everyone’s patience as new parents learn our routine and veteran parents get back into the swing of things! Please take a moment to review the following procedures to keep us all going safely in the RIGHT directions:
Morning Drop-off –
Pre-K and Kdg – ONLY these students should be dropped off in the REAR of the school. (The only exception would be those older students who carpool with PreK or Kdg students).
Please enter the back parking lot via the entrance closest to the school building and pull up to the top of the stairway, perpendicular to the parking spaces.
You should not park or exit your car. Teachers will meet your car and help your student out of the car.
Once your student has exited your car, please proceed forward and then circle around to exit the parking lot via the exit closest to the dumpsters.
To avoid congestion on Brookline St., please go straight out of the parking lot down Hill St.
Grades 1-6 – These students should be dropped off along the sidewalk in FRONT of the school.
Parents should turn onto Cushing Ave via Manchester St. ONLY and pull as far forward in front of the school as possible.
Your child should exit the car immediately without your assistance so that you may move on as quickly as possible and make room for other parents behind you.
For safety and security reasons, please do not park your car in front of the school or attempt to have your child cross the street from the opposite direction (even with your assistance).
In addition, students should not exit your car into the teacher’s parking lot…please wait until you have pulled up to the sidewalk.
Afternoon Pick-Up – Again, the first few weeks will be very busy in the parking lots…please be patient! The following rules are very important for student safety:
Back Parking Lot: This area is for Pre-K and Kdg pick-up, as well as those students who live OUTSIDE Nashua. (Students who carpool with Pre-K and Kdg students will exit to the back parking lot also.)
If you arrive early, you may find that the entrance to the parking lot is blocked by cones. Please do NOT move the cones. Classes often use the parking lot for activities until just before pick-up and it must remain clear. We will have 6th grade student helpers come to move the gates when appropriate.
Enter the parking lot via the entrance closest to the school building.
Please BACK into the spaces along the outside of the lot first, saving the inside row of parking spaces for later arrivals.
Exit your car and meet your child at the top of the stairs. Do not ask students to walk across the parking lot alone.
Please keep students with you and keep them from climbing the trees and running down the hill on the grass.
Exit the parking lot via the exit closest to the dumpsters.
Upper Parking Lot (by the Church): This area is for those students who live INSIDE Nashua.
Please park your car within the marked spaces only. If extra parking is needed, you may park in the lot next to the parish’s barn (beyond the white house with the Mary statue in front)
Exit your car and meet your student in the parking lot by the door to the church. Do not ask students to walk across the parking lot alone.
Please do not allow students to jump off the stone walls or run around in the memorial garden next to the Rectory.
Hot Lunch – Our Hot Lunch program will begin serving lunch on Monday, September 23. Ordering for September 23-October 31 is now open until midnight on September 15 at Boonli.com. Further information about the Hot Lunch program is included in this week’s paper Wednesday News.
Hot Lunch Volunteering – Speaking of Hot Lunch, it’s not too early to start thinking about volunteering for Hot Lunch! Our Hot Lunch program is run entirely by volunteers….in fact, it takes over 100 people to make it work! Everyone is welcome to volunteer…we’ve had parents, alumni parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles! Hot Lunch is a great way to get to know other parents, be a part of what’s going on in the school, and see your children and their friends. Volunteers serve lunch just one day a month on the day of the week of your choice (although those who want to help out several days a month are always welcome!). To volunteer, use the Sign-Up Genius at https://tinyurl.com/HotLunchVolunteer2019.
Band and Fiddle Squad – Is your 3rd to 6th grade student interested in Band or Fiddle Squad? All students in those grades will attend an instrument demo on Tuesday, September 10 and information/signup sheets are included in the first paper News. Mrs. Bailey will be in the lobby on Thursday, September 12 and Tuesday, September 17 at 8:30 AM to do fiddle sizing for interested students. The Advanced Fiddle Squad and Advanced Band will begin on September 23 and Beginning Fiddle Squad and Beginning Band will begin on September 25.
Book Fair! Get Ready to Stomp, Chomp, and READ! – We are so excited to start the year off with our Scholastic Book Fair to support the library! For the first two weeks of school, the library will be FULL of great books and items that are sure to be a hit with your kids (and even a few things for us adults, too!). Each class will visit the library during the Book Fair and parents are welcome to shop any time that school is in session or during any of the evening Back to School meetings. Also, volunteers are needed to help Mrs. Noon with the event. (Bonus points for anyone who would be willing to dress up in our Husky costume for 30 minutes at drop-off time during the Book Fair!) If you can help, please contact Mrs. Noon at [email protected].
Online Book Fair and eWallet Update -- The online book fair runs from August 30-September 12th. Get a jump on your online shopping or peruse the Scholastic site for some book fair shopping ideas. Good news! This year Scholastic has extended the online shopping rewards program. We will receive 25% rewards during the dates mentioned as well as 2% rewards all year long! While you are online check out the eWallet. The eWallet gives students a secure, cash-free way to shop the fair. There is no charge to set up an eWallet. You can simply create an account and authorize a spending limit on your credit card. For more information visit SCHOLASTIC.
Back to School Parent Events - Mark your calendars for the following events! They are a great opportunity to meet fellow parents and/or get caught up with old friends, as well as find out what's new at St. Christopher School!
- THIS WEEK! New Parent Orientation- We can't wait to welcome our new parents to St. Christopher School! Our New Parent Orientation will be held on Thursday, September 5 at 7:00 PM in the school. The session will cover volunteer opportunities, upcoming events, "inside info" from veteran families, tours of the school, question and answer session, and more! Note: After the introductory general school information, PreK parents will move to the PreK classroom for a special information session.
- Parent Information Night - ALL parents should attend the Parent Information Night on Tuesday, September 10 at 6:45 PM. The meeting will begin in the Church with a series of short presentations outlining the state of the school and the upcoming school year. We will then adjourn to the school so parents may visit their children's classrooms (be sure to leave a note in your child's desk...they'll be looking for it!). We'll see you there!
Free Dress – No uniforms until September 9! Shorts are okay, but please be sure that your child's clothing follows the Free Dress guidelines set out in the Handbook, including NO tank tops/spaghetti straps/tube tops/halter tops, NO clothing displaying rock groups/violence/inappropriate sayings, NO extra-large or baggy shirts or pants, and NO shorts/skirts/skorts that are more than 2-3 inches above the knee. Thanks!
Before and After Care - Our Extended Day programs have begun! Before Care opens at 6:30 AM and After Care is available until 6:00 PM. Additional information can be found in the paper Wednesday News. All students who attend either Before or After Care must have a completed registration form on file before attending. (It is okay to send the form in with the child on the first day he or she attends.)
NEW! Morning Mass & Before Care – On Monday through Thursday, students who are in Before Care by 7:10 AM will be invited to attend morning mass with Mrs. Clarke and several faculty/staff members. This mass lasts approximately 30 minutes, so students would return to Before Care around 7:45 AM. While not mandatory, we’d love to have interested students join us in starting our day in this very special way!
Paper Wednesday News – Today, oldest and only students will be bringing home the first paper News of the year! This packet will be chock full of information, flyers, forms, handbooks, and more, so be sure to ask for it when your child arrives home! For those new to St. Chris, please note that your envelope will be labeled with your family’s name on it. We use the same envelope throughout the year, so be sure to empty it and return it right away. Also, please do not send any forms/permission slips/payments, etc. back in this envelope as it will not be found until next month!
NEW! Electronic Wednesday News – If you are not receiving the Wednesday News via email each week, or would like to add an email address to our email list, please contact Marta at [email protected].
NEW! First Friday Eucharistic Adoration – St. Christopher Parish invites all parents and families to spend time with the Lord in quiet prayer and contemplation during the First Friday Eucharistic Adoration on Friday, September 6 from 1:00-3:00 PM in the church. The chaplet of Divine Mercy will be recited at 3:00 PM.
From the Diocesan Catholic Schools Office -- The Catholic Schools Office would like to extend an invitation to all educators and parents to attend an evening with Dr. Donna Hicks to learn more about the dignity of the human person and conflict resolution. This event will be held in the Trinity High School gymnasium on Thursday, September 12 from 6:30pm – 7:30pm. Based at the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs at Harvard University, Dr. Hicks has successfully applied her signature dignity model on a global stage. Her clients include the World Bank, the United Nations, the US Navy, and governments worldwide. She has worked with Nobel Laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu to help resolve conflicts in Northern Ireland; she currently helps to create cultures that foster innovation and dignified human relationships, and is the author of Dignity: Its Essential Role in Resolving Conflict. Dr. Hicks will be participating in the Building with Israelis and Palestinians campaign with our Diocese this fall. Professional Development hours will be awarded for educators who sign in upon arrival. There are no fees associated with this event; however an RSVP would be appreciated. Please join us to hear about this most important topic from a world-renowned expert. Click HERE to RSVP.