September 9-12 Scholastic Book Fair
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 – This week’s thank you’s absolutely must go to everyone who had a hand in the creation of our fabulous, amazing, wonderful new Fine Arts Center! From the donors who responded so generously (including our awesome Faith in Action donors at last year’s Auction!), to the crews who worked tirelessly over the summer, our community came together in the most amazing way to make this facility a reality. Special thanks go to Kevin Corriveau and his crew for their hard work and dedication to this project. As the general contractor, Kevin went above and beyond for us, ensuring that the project was done on time and below budget. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts, Kevin!
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!
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! Corpus Christi Food Pantry Brown Bag Drive -- The Brown Bags for our annual Fall collection for the Corpus Christi Food Pantry are being distributed to oldest and only students today! They are due by 9:00 AM on Friday, September 10. Please consider filling the bags with the items on the list attached to the bag…or other appropriate items…and bring them back for pick-up by the Corpus Christi van. Many thanks for your support!
NEW! NWEA Testing for Grades 2-6 – Students in grades 2-6 will be taking the NWEA test over the next few weeks. The NWEA is a computer adaptive assessment, and is unique to each student. Questions become more difficult if the student answers a question correctly or easier if a student answers a question incorrectly. It is powered by more than 30 years of academic research and taken by almost eleven million students annually.
As an adaptive test taken on the iPads, the MAP Growth Assessment is a more efficient way to assess students. Teachers and parents receive more data with fewer questions, which reduces the time from days to hours to administer the assessment. Student results are immediate and student reports include measures of individual achievement, individual growth, and goals for improvement. We are looking forward to seeing your child’s academic growth.
Your child’s teacher if you have any questions.
NEW! 2-School Mass at Nashua Catholic Jr High -- On Thursday, September 19, students in grades 1-6 will be walking over to Nashua Catholic Jr High for our annual Nashua Catholic schools mass to start the new year. This will be a weather permitting event only....if it is raining or there is rain in the forecast, we will not go. A permission slip will be sent home today or can be downloaded HERE. Parent chaperones are also welcome. Please complete the bottom of the permission slip if you are interested in walking over to Nashua Catholic. Thanks!
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 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!
UPDATED! Returning Calendar Tickets – Save our volunteer ticket counter’s sanity! Please be sure that all tickets include your child’s classroom! With 325 students returning over 2,000 total tickets, we want to be sure that every family gets the sales credit they deserve!
Need more tickets? (Yay you!) – Simply shoot Marta an email at [email protected], write a quick note to your teacher, or stop by the front desk at school! We have lots and lots of extras ready just for you!
DEADLINE This Week! 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 HERE by THIS Friday, September 13. There will be a special training with Fr. David.
NEW! Sunshine Math - Sunshine Math is a K-6 enrichment program that encourages student of all abilities to extend themselves beyond the normal math curriculum. On a weekly basis, students read and complete a set of problems. The problems are “starred” based upon the level of difficulty. Four stars are the most difficult.
DEADLINE This Week! 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 . Please sign up by THIS Friday, September 13. Thanks!
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!
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!
NEW! Popcorn! Popcorn Fridays start next Friday, September 20! Bags of fresh popped popcorn are available for 50¢ each on Fridays…it’s soooo yummy, every kid loves it! And, NEW this year, you may pre-pay for a year’s popcorn for your student/s! For $20 you can forget digging around the couch cushions for change every Friday…your student will automatically receive a bag of popcorn every Friday we serve it! For $30, our extra hungry students can receive two bags every week! Please see the flyer and sign-up sheet that will be coming home with your oldest/only today or click HERE for more details. (Please note, the yearly fee is on a per student basis, so each student in a family who would like to receive popcorn must pay a separate fee.)
NEW! FIRST Lego League – We have a coach! Thank you to Tara Osinski for agreeing to coach this super fun program! FIRST Lego League at St. Chris will be starting soon. The FLL season will run until mid-November and the cost is $100 per participant. Student signups are now available via Signup Genius HERE. The Signup Genius includes tentative meeting dates and times. The team is open to all students who are 9 years old or older in 2019, but space is limited.
THIS WEEK! 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 Sunday, September 15 at Boonli.com. Further information about the Hot Lunch program can be found HERE.
Hot Lunch Volunteering – More volunteers needed! 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 HERE.
Band and Fiddle Squad – 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.
THIS WEEK! Book Fair! Get Ready to Stomp, Chomp, and READ! – Just a few days left! Stop by the library to purchase your student’s favorite books!
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.
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!
THIS WEEK! 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.