Thank You! Many thanks to all those who have participated in our Parent Information Nights on Monday and Tuesday and again tonight! We ran into some technical difficulties the first night, but our teachers and parents were wonderfully understanding! We totally appreciate the opportunity to get to meet all of our parents and look forward to having more sessions as the year goes on!
Family Portal and IMPORTANT FORMS – All parents at both campuses should have now created their Family Portal account. If you have not yet done so, please follow the instructions HERE. This portal will allow parents to update student information, complete important forms (see below!), pay Extended Care billing, and more! Please note: Lower campus parents will not see student grades or assignments through the Family Portal at this time.
Once parents from both campuses have created their account, they are asked to complete all forms under the “Family Demographic Form,” including the Student Demographic Form, the Emergency Contact Form, and the Student Medical Form for each student in the family. These forms can be found under “Webforms” on the menu list on the left side of the window. These forms contain vital information the Academy needs to keep students safe and healthy!
UPDATED! Virtual Parent Information Nights – We have one more night of our Parent Information Night meetings tonight (plus a makeup session for Prek on Thursday!). Please see the schedule for the final two nights HERE.
Lower Campus Band and Fiddle Squad Online Lessons – As previously announced, COVID-19 restrictions do not allow us to hold Band and Fiddle Squad at the lower campus at this time. However, Mr. and Mrs. Bailey would still like to offer online lessons to our students so they can maintain their love of music! Students in grades 3 to 6 are welcome to participate. Please click HERE for more information from the Baileys!
NEW! Upper Campus Book Fees Due - A reminder from the upper campus that the 7th & 8th grade book fees are due in the amount of $180.00. Please make checks payable to Saint Christopher Academy and forward to 6 Bartlett Avenue, Nashua, N.H. 03064. Thank you!
NEW! COVID-19 FAQ’s - We have a short list of new COVID-19 FAQ’s to answer today, so we are including them here instead of in a separate document:
When should parents wear masks at school?
We ask all parents to wear masks whenever they are near the children or the staff. This would include picking up students after school, at cross country practice, or coming to pick up at After Care. Not only does wearing a mask at all times keep our community safe, but it also sets a great example for our students about respecting others and the rules that are set for their safety.
Is one mask a day enough for my student?
We are finding that some students are having difficulty in getting through the day with just one mask. Some students get especially sweaty and their masks get very wet by the end of the day. Occasionally masks are dropped on the floor or ground and are not sanitary to place back over a child’s mouth. And, believe it or not, masks do tend to “disappear” during the day! We recommend that if possible, students wear one mask to school in the morning and bring another clean mask in a plastic bag in their backpack in case it is needed!
My student is a remote learner. Occasionally, I need to ask the teacher a question. Is it okay if I ask it while the students are doing a lesson over Zoom?
While we require that parents monitor their students carefully during remote learning, parents should not interrupt the online lessons unless there are technical difficulties that are preventing their child from hearing or seeing the lesson. Parents are encouraged to email the teacher with any specific questions. However, please understand that our teachers may not be able to answer your questions until after the end of the school day as they are busy teaching while the students are in the building.
My child is a remote learner and is able to finish his/her work before the teacher can finish helping those in the classroom. What should he or she do while waiting?
Parents should help at home learners use their time constructively while they wait for the rest of their class to finish working. Remind them that even though they are at home, they are still “in class” at that time and should be doing whatever they would normally do when they are waiting. Reading a book, finishing other work, drawing a picture, etc. would always be acceptable. Playing video games and surfing the web during this time would not be available in school, so it should not be encouraged at home.
I am picking up my Prekindergarten student early from school today. I’ve sent in a note to the teacher. Can I just go directly to the Fine Arts Center?
No. To ensure our students’ safety in the Center, we request that you park in the upper parish parking lot and call the front office at 882-7442 to let us know you are here. The front desk will call the Prek classroom and ask them to prepare the child to leave. One of the teachers will escort your child to the front of the Center and you may meet them there.
NEW! Lower Campus Library News:
Checking Out Books
Grades 2-6 will search the Destiny Discover Online Library Catalog to put their books on hold. The library has over 8,000 books for book reports, projects and fun reading! Students should put their book on hold by this Friday to receive their books this Monday. Students will not be sharing books but may bring their books home. There will be a library bag in each classroom that will act as a book return. After I empty the bag, I will use it to deliver the next batch of library books for your teacher to distribute. Students will be invited to join their Library Google Classroom where they will find a link to show them step by step how to use the online catalog. Please email Mrs. Noon at [email protected] with any questions.
Grades PreK-1 will have library books delivered to their classroom. Appropriate books will be chosen for these grades and the teachers will distribute them in class.
At Home Learners
Grades 2-6 students can follow the same procedure to put books on hold as outlined above. The books will be held at the front desk. When you arrive to pick them up, please ring the bell and let reception know that you are there for a curbside pick up for library books. The receptionist will bring the books out to the front door for you. Please contact Mrs. Noon at [email protected] with any questions.
Birthday Book Program
The birthday book program will continue this year. It will look a little different than in the past. As the "new" procedures are established, you will receive information on how to order a book this year. Typically students choose a book and then a bookplate is attached to the inside cover stating the students name and birthdate. The book becomes part of the library for other students to enjoy. Each year our library typically gains 60+ new books thanks to the birthday book program. Students really enjoy choosing a book and having the opportunity to check it out first! They love the cracking sound of a book opening for the first time! :)
Upper Campus Paper Towels – Our upper campus teachers are looking for some rolls of paper towels to help with sanitizing the desks after every class! Any extra rolls that parents could send in with their student to Mrs. Zeman would be GREATLY appreciated! Thank you!
Looking for a Milford/Amherst Carpool for Lower Campus – We have two families who are looking for car pooling from the Milford/Amherst area. If you are interested in sharing the burden of driving back and forth to school, please contact either Geoff Gilbert at [email protected] or Erin Mello at [email protected].
NEW! Merrimack Carpool Request for Lower Campus - One of our new families in Merrimack will also be looking for a carpool in the near future! If you are coming from Merrimack and would be interested, please contact Natalie Boldeia at [email protected].
Raffle Calendar Fundraiser – It’s calendar time again…and we have some GREAT prizes this year, including gift cards to fabulous stores and lots of CASH! Oldest and only students at each campus will be sent home tomorrow with 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 (and only three!) major fundraiser, so we are really counting on your support! This year, our Academy goal is 2,500 tickets between the two campuses! We can do it!
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!
NEW! Need More Tickets? We ran out, but we now have more! Please send a note to Marta at [email protected] to have more sent home in with your child today!
NEW! Welcome Seminarian Peter Cuong! St. Christopher Parish is happy to welcome Seminarian Peter Cuong back to the parish for his pastoral year! Seminarian Peter was here over the summer and is excited to be here through May while the school is open. He is a native of Vinh, Vietnam and currently a seminarian at Holy Apostles College and Seminary in Cromwell, CT. Like Fr. David, Seminarian Peter will be joining a class for lunch once a week starting in October and visiting many classrooms during the week. Welcome Seminarian Peter!
Look Us Up on Social Media – Don’t forget that we have very active social media accounts on Facebook and Instagram! Each account has different material, so be sure to follow both! You can find us at https://www.facebook.com/SaintChrisAcademy and https://www.instagram.com/saintchrisacademy/