NEW! Thank You - Thank you to all those who have already returned some calendar raffle tickets!
TOMORROW! Lower Campus Cross Country Program - Calling all runners! Our fall cross country program for grades 2 through 5 begins TOMORROW! 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 $45 registration to the school (scholarship opportunities available). Please contact Coach Tracy Beauregard at [email protected] with questions and if you're able to volunteer.
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!
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!
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.
UPDATED! Rectory Driveway, Parking Space, and Grounds - Please note that cars should not use the rectory driveway at any time, nor block the driveway exit. Parents are also asked during afternoon pickup to avoid parking in the spots directly in front of the rectory marked “Pastor” and “Associate Pastor.” These are reserved for Fr. David and his guests. Finally, please refrain from walking on any of the mulched areas around the parish. Thank you!
NEW! Upper Campus Pickup Directions - Upper campus parents are reminded that they should not approach the school via Webster St. (the street along the gym side of the building). The pickup line is on Bartlett Ave only and extends from the front of the school all the way down to Wellington St. Parents are not permitted to “cut the line” by using Webster St as a shortcut to the front of the pickup line. Thank you!
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.
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!
UPDATED! New Parent Orientation and Parent Information Night - Thanks for your understanding on our need to reschedule the New Parent Orientation and the Parent Information Night events! We have scheduled the dates and planned the events to be as COVID safe as possible:
- NEW PARENT ORIENTATION: This meeting is for all parents on both campuses who are new to the Academy this school year. You will meet key “people to know,” hear about Academy programs, and have the opportunity to ask questions! The New Parent Orientation will take place September 13 at 7:00 PM at the upper campus.
- DROP-IN PARENT INFORMATION NIGHTS: This new format will be on a drop-in basis so that we can minimize the number of parents in our buildings at one time. Parents are welcome to visit their children’s teachers at either campus from 6:00 to 8:00 PM on the night indicated by the first letter of their last name below. To avoid COVID exposure, we respectfully ask parents to visit their child’s classrooms only and not wander throughout the buildings or socialize with other parents in the building.
- Families with last names starting with A to K attend on Wednesday, September 22 from 6:00 - 8:00 PM at both campuses.
- Families with last names starting with L to Z attend on Thursday, September 23 from 6:00 - 8:00 PM.
UPDATED! FIRST Lego League - We have one volunteer parent coach and are looking for at least one more parent volunteer 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.
NEW! Water Walk - All families are invited to support the Thank You Project’s upcoming Water Walk on September 18. The Thank You Project (https://thankyouproject.org/) was started by Charles Okorie, native of Nigeria and parent of two alumni. The goal of this Christian-based nonprofit organization is to significantly impact the lives of individuals in a rural area of Nigeria by:
- Providing the equipment necessary to dig fresh water wells.
- Establishing a scholarship fund for deserving students who cannot afford the cost of university tuition (only $2,000 per year).
- Building a spiritual center.
Families may support the Water Walk by downloading a pledge form HERE, getting sponsors, and participating in the actual walk (details HERE). They may also donate directly by using the Venmo and Paypal links on the Thank You Project website.
In addition, we will have Water Walk buckets at the front office of each campus from tomorrow, September 19 through next Friday, September 17 for loose change donations from our students and families. We are happy to support the wonderful efforts of the Thank You Project with our donations!
NEW! Look Us Up on Social Media – Don’t forget that we have very active social media accounts on Facebook and Instagram! Each account usually 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/
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.
Hot Lunch Volunteers Needed! Thanks to all those who signed up to volunteer for Hot Lunch this year! We can always use a few more...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 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.
NEW! St. Christopher Parish Grade 2 Students! RECONCILIATION begins 10/3 -
Baptized students in Grade 2 and up from St. Chrisotpher parish who are seeking Reconciliation should register for this class. Students and a parent attend 8 Sunday evening classes and prepare to receive this wonderful sacrament. Visit stchrisparishnh.org for registration information. Questions? Email: Christine Mercurio at [email protected]
NEW! St. Christopher Parish Grade 3 Students! CONFIRMATION begins 10/3 -
Students in grade 3 who received their Reconciliation last Fall may register for this CONFIRMATION class. This class meets on approximately 7-8 Sunday mornings. Families will attend the 10:00 AM Mass and then proceed downstairs for class from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM. Students and a parent participate together as they learn and prepare to receive both Confirmation and Eucharist in Spring 2022. Students registering for this class also register for First Eucharist, which runs from January to May 2022. Sacrament prep forms can be found at the parish website to print and return- stchrisparishnh.org Questions? Contact Alex Sullivan at [email protected] or Christine Mercurio at [email protected].