NEW! Thank You - Thank you to Fr. David for visiting both campuses this week to celebrate mass and bless all of our classrooms and offices. It’s wonderful to start our year knowing that God has all of us in His tender care!
NEW! Lower Campus Cross Country Program - Calling all runners! Our fall cross country program for grades 2 through 5 begins next week. We will meet twice per week for practice at Holman Stadium and we have 4 meets scheduled in September and October. Volunteers will be needed to ensure the safety of our runners and instill our Wildcat spirit! Please see the schedule HERE for practices and meet details. Also, each child will need a signed permission slip HERE along with a $15 payment to the school (scholarship opportunities available). Please contact Coach Tracy Beauregard at [email protected] with questions and if you're able to volunteer.
Updated COVID Policies and Procedures - We have updated our opening COVID policies and procedures for the 2021-2022 school year. They were emailed to parents and can also be found HERE. Please note that we will continue to review ongoing COVID infection rates in our local area, as well as the recommendations of local health experts, and adjust our policies accordingly throughout the year. We appreciate our parents understanding and flexibility!
REMINDER! Visitors and Volunteers- Please note that in accordance with our COVID policies and procedures, ALL visitors and volunteers in the school must wear a mask at all times when in either the lower and upper campus buildings. Thank you for helping us keep our community safe!
NEW! Attendance Email - If your child is going to be absent for the day, you must notify the school by 9:00 AM. You may call the school at 603-882-7442 or send an email to the appropriate email address for your child’s campus:
- Lower campus parents should email [email protected]
- Upper campus parents should email [email protected]
These emails can also be accessed by clicking on the “Attendance” button on the respective campus’s 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! Lower Campus Pick-up - Thank you to everyone for your patience this week! To keep everyone safe, we need everyone to note the following procedures:
- If you live in Nashua, and do not have a PreK or Kdg student, you MUST park in the upper parking lot and meet your student at the side door to the church. Nashua students will be released there. Please do not instruct them to come out the back door of the school as this adds to the confusion.
- Please do not ask your student to walk across either the upper or back parking lot to meet you at your car. All students, regardless of age, must be met escorted from the release area by an adult.
Rectory Driveway and Grounds - Please note that cars should not use the rectory driveway at any time, nor block the driveway exit. In addition, please refrain from walking on any of the mulched areas around the parish. Thank you!
NEW! Saint Chris Car Magnets - Show your Saint Chris pride with a Saint Chris magnet on your car! These magnets are free upon request to Marta Nissen at [email protected].
Education Freedom Account -- Over the summer, 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.
NEW! Nashua Bus Issues - The first week of school is always challenging for the Nashua Schools Transportation Department and buses often run late. We understand parent frustrations with this. Please know that we have been in contact with the Transportation Department regarding this. If you have specific comments or questions, please contact them at [email protected].
Library News - The online Scholastic Book Fair is fast approaching. Mark your calendar for September 13th - September 26th. More info will follow on accessing the online catalog, how to donate books to your child's classroom and more! The magic is back!
THIS WEEK! Labor Day Weekend - We will have THIS Friday, September 3 and NEXT Monday, September 6 off for Labor Day weekend!
NEW! New Parent Orientation and Parent Information Night - We will be postponing our New Parent Orientation (originally scheduled for tomorrow night) and the Family Information Night (originally scheduled for next Tuesday, September 13) to determine the best way to hold the events in a COVID safe manner. Further information will be forthcoming.
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.
FIRST Lego League - We are looking for parent volunteers to coach our FIRST Lego League (FLL) team! This fun after school opportunity is open to students in grades 5 through 8 and runs from the beginning of school through the fall. The group would meet in a dedicated space at the upper campus. FLL “guides youth through STEM learning and exploration at an early age. From Discover, to Explore, and then to Challenge, students will understand the basics of STEM and apply their skills in an exciting competition while building habits of learning, confidence, and teamwork skills along the way.” If you are interested, please contact Mrs. Clarke at [email protected] as soon as possible.
UPDATED! Lower Campus Altar Servers -- We are in desperate need of altar servers for our lower campus 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. No previous experience as an altar server is needed! 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.
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.
UPDATED! Hot Lunch Volunteers Needed! Hot Lunch volunteers needed! We will be working on the schedule this weekend, so if you are able to volunteer, please sign up today so we can create a complete schedule. Thanks! 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.
NEW! Hot Lunch Ordering OPEN - The Hot Lunch program will begin on both campuses on September 27. Online at Boonli.com is now open through midnight on September 15. No orders can be placed after midnight, so please place your order prior to the 15th in case of technical difficulties!
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!
Calendar Raffle Fundraiser – It’s almost Fall Calendar Raffle time again! Oldest and only students on both campuses received 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!
Happy Hearts Day Care - Happy Hearts Daycare, located across the street from the lower campus at 12 Cushing Ave has two openings for extended care. The hours are 6:30 to 8:30 and 3:00 to 5:30. They accommodate students on snow days, two hour delay, early release, no school days (except for the major holidays) and even if there is a power outage :) They also provide care on the Christmas, February and April vacation weeks. If interested, please call...880-6575.