NEW! Thank You - Thanks to all of our Prek and Kindergarten parents and kids who came out for our Playground Play Dates over the past 3 weeks! We had a super turnout each week and hope that everyone enjoyed getting to meet one another. On to the first day of school!
NEW! Commuter Student Instructions - Will you be dropping your student off in the morning….or picking him or her up in the afternoon? Please be sure to see the instructions HERE for lower campus students and HERE for upper campus students. We ask everyone’s cooperation in following these instructions carefully and mindfully in order to keep our students safe and our process orderly and speedy!
Facility Changes - Oh, what a crazy summer it has been here at the Academy! Thanks to the herculean effort of a number of staff, faculty, and alumni helpers, we have made the following important facility changes to our two campuses:
- 6th Grade - The move of our 6th grade to the upper campus is complete! Rose Hall will serve as the home base for the 6th grade and it has been remodeled and refreshed over the summer with new paint and flooring throughout.
- Upper Campus Teacher’s Room - Our UC teachers have a spacious new staff room for their use, located in the rear of the cafeteria.
- Upper Campus Offices - A number of our upper campus offices have been shuffled and additional offices added.
- Prekindergarten - Our Prekindergarten program has moved back into the main lower campus building! Prek will be located downstairs, across from the Kindergarten classrooms.
- Fine Arts Center - With the Prek back in the main building, our Art program will take place in the Fine Arts Center. We are excited to once again be using the Center for its original purpose!
- 4th and 5th Grade - 5th grade classrooms have been moved to the location of the old 6th grade rooms upstairs. In addition, the 4th grade classrooms have moved and are now located across the hallway from the 5th grade. 4th and 5th grade will be adopting the rotating class schedule that our 5th and 6th grade has used for many years.
- 3rd Grade - We have one additional 3rd grade class this year, so we have created an additional classroom where Mrs. Donohue’s 4th grade classroom was located last year.
- Title 1 - Mrs. Ternan’s former 4th grade classroom will now be used by our Title 1 teacher, giving her additional space to work with students!
- New Technology - New Smartboard technology has been installed in all classrooms on both campuses. The lower campus computer lab has also received all new Apple computers.
Education Freedom Account -- The New Hampshire legislature recently passed the needs-based Education Freedom Account (EFA) program which will offer grants of a minimum of $3,400 for families at 300% of the poverty line or below to spend on their children’s education, including:
- Tuition at a school of their choice, including Saint Christopher Academy
- Tutoring
- Internet connectivity
- Special education services and therapies
- Online learning courses and programs
- Fees for specialized or advanced courses, assessments, certifications and college entrance exams (SAT/ACT)
- Other learning experiences
You can find more information about the program from the state HERE.
The program is being administered through The Children’s Scholarship Fund New Hampshire and applications should be available on August 17. Sign up NOW so you will be notified when applications open! Please visit the Children’s Scholarship Fund website HERE.
Yes, Every Student Scholarship Program - Applications are still open for the Yes, Every Student Scholarship Program from the NH Department of Education. This is a first-come, first-serve needs-based grant program administered by FACTS for the NH DOE that can provide grants of either $2,500 or $5,000 to families, dependent upon income. Several Saint Christopher Academy families have already been awarded aid monies! Please click HERE for instructions on how to apply.
Nashua Bus Service Survey - If you did not complete the Nashua bus survey but still need bus service, you must contact the Nashua School Transportation Department as soon as possible. Their phone number is 603-966-1055.
School Hours - Just a reminder that the upper and lower campuses run on slightly different daily schedules. To view the lower campus schedule, click HERE. To view the upper campus schedule, click HERE.
First Day of School - The first day of school for ALL grades on both campuses will be Monday, August 30! Lower campus parents will receive an email on Wednesday, August 25 with a secure link to class lists. Teachers and staff will be stationed throughout the building on the first day of school to help students to their classrooms. Please also remember:
- All students on both campuses should be in full uniform on the first day of school.
- Lower campus students should bring in as much of their supplies as possible on the first day without being overwhelmed!
Labor Day Weekend - We will have Friday, September 3 and Monday, September 6 off for Labor Day weekend!
New Parent Orientation - New parents should be on the lookout for an email from the Academy about an Orientation event at 7:00 PM at the upper campus on September 2. Please reserve this time on your calendar.
New Student Release of Records - New students in grade 1-8 at the Academy must have school records forwarded to the school office from the prior school by August 15. If you have not yet done this, please download the form HERE, complete the information, and send it to your prior school. Do NOT send it to the Academy. If you have already had your child’s records sent….thank you!
Uniform Requirements - There are no changes to the uniform requirements for this year. All uniforms must be purchased from Red Brick Clothing in Hudson. Please see the visual guide to uniforms HERE. The Academy page on the Red Brick website is HERE.
UPDATED! Academic Calendar - You can print an Academic calendar for the upcoming school year HERE. Please be aware that while we strive to keep the calendar as is, dates may change during the year if necessary. All changes will be announced in the Wednesday News as soon as possible. You can also follow the school calendar on the Academy website HERE.
Lower Campus Back to School Supply and Required Reading List - Do you have your supplies yet?! The lower campus Back to School Supply and Required Reading List can be found HERE.
Upper Campus Summer Required Reading List - Please find the upper campus general English/Literature and History summer reading/project assignments HERE. Additional English/Lit assignments by class level were sent separately along with summer Math work.
NOTE: The upper campus does not have a traditional supply list like the lower campus. Teachers will share a list of needed supplies with the students in each class on the first day of school.
Lower Campus Band and Fiddle Squad -- The Baileys are back and we are so excited to have Band and Fiddle Squad return this year! Lower campus students in grades 3-5 may participate in either Beginner Band or Fiddle Squad. Both are before school enrichment programs that meet on Monday and Wednesday mornings at 7:45 AM. For more information and to register, please see the sign-up sheet HERE for Band and HERE for Fiddle Squad.
Lower Campus Altar Servers -- We are happy to announce that we will once again have altar servers at our school masses! Fr. David would like to invite any Catholic child in grades 4 and 5 who has completed his or her First Communion to sign up as a school altar server for the lower campus. Members of any Catholic parish are welcome to participate. Students must be able to sit still on the altar, remember and carry out instructions while standing in front of the whole school, and, most importantly, understand the sacred responsibility of serving at God's altar. There will be a training on September 15 during the school day. Questions? Contact Marta Nissen at [email protected]. Spaces are limited. Please use the Sign-Up Genius HERE.
Extended Care -- The Extended Care program will begin on the first day of school! Students who need to be dropped off early and/or picked up late can take advantage of our Extended Day program on both campuses! Please see HERE for information/hours on the upper campus program and HERE for information/hours on the lower campus program.
An additional fee does apply to the Extended Care program. The rate is $3 per half hour increment. Through our multi-child discount, families are charged full price for the first child and at a 50% rate ($1.50) for each subsequent child at the same campus. Parents are invoiced through their Family Portal on a monthly basis.
Please note: All Extended Care balances are due when billed on a monthly basis. If a family is past due on Extended Care payments above $100, they will not be able to utilize the program until that balance is paid.
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 (882-7442)! Please do not rely on emailing teachers or the office personnel at either campus as they may not be able to check their email until after school is over. With a quick phone call, you can be assured that the front desk will let your child know about the change in plans as soon as possible.
Hot Lunch Volunteers Needed! This is an early call for Hot Lunch volunteers! As our largest volunteer program, we need lots of people to make the Hot Lunch program a success at both campuses …over 100 people! 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, to see what’s going on at the Academy, and to see your children and their friends. Volunteers serve lunch 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!). Volunteer hours at the lower campus are approximately from 11:15 AM to 1:15 PM and 10:10 AM to 12:30 PM at the upper campus. To volunteer, use the Sign-Up Genius HERE.
Hot Lunch Ordering - The Hot Lunch program will begin on both campuses on September 27. Students will need to bring a lunch from home until that time! Ordering will open on September 1.
NEW! Hot Lunch Ordering Instructions: Ordering for Hot Lunch is done through Boonli.com. Full instructions for ordering can be found HERE for the lower campus and HERE for the upper campus. Please be sure to read all instructions carefully!
NEW! Calendar Raffle Fundraiser – It’s almost Fall Calendar Raffle time again! On the first day of school, oldest and only students on both campuses will bring home envelopes with our popular Fall Calendar Raffle tickets! We have some GREAT prizes this year, including gift cards to fabulous stores and lots of CASH! Every family is asked to sell a minimum of 10 tickets at $10 per ticket. 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 3,500 tickets between the two campuses! We can do it!
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!