NEW! Thank You - Thanks to all of our Pre-k and Kindergarten parents and students 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 know one another. There will be no more playground dates this year….on to the first day of school!
NEW! Faculty Welcome - We are happy to welcome additional new faculty and staff to Saint Chris this fall! Lynn Lynch will be joining us at the lower campus, Jordan Quigley will be our new music teacher at both the lower and upper campuses, and Michael Soucy will be our lower campus Extended Care coordinator. At the upper campus, new teachers include Carrie Soucy and Summer Foley. We have more to come….stay tuned!
In addition, we are happy to announce two new members of our administrative staff: Mrs. Deb Gauvin is joining us as Assistant Principal and Mrs. Shauna Hein is our new Business Manager. Welcome to both!
TONIGHT AND TOMORROW! Upper Campus Fall Sports MANDATORY Meeting - Fall sports offered at the upper campus include boys and girls soccer, girls volleyball, and cross country. All sports with the exception of cross country will have tryouts and are open to all students in grades 6-8.
There will be two MANDATORY athletic meetings for parents and athletes who are interested in participating in fall sports. Families do not need to attend both meetings. The two meetings will be offered TONIGHT, Wednesday, August 17 and TOMORROW, Thursday, August 18 in the Upper Campus Gym starting at 6:00 PM. These meetings will cover general athletic department information, tryout information, expectations of players, parents, and coaches, game schedules, athletic policies, and much much more. Anybody interested in playing a fall sport must attend one of the two meetings.
UPDATED! URGENT! Upper Campus Cross Country Coach Needed - We are still in need of a cross country coach for the upper campus. This is a paid stipend position. Previous coaching experience is preferred but not required. If interested, or if you have any questions, please contact Athletic Director Ryan Farris at [email protected].
Back to School Dates - Please mark your calendars with the following important back-to-school dates!
Monday, August 29 – Lower campus Meet the Teacher from 9:00 - 11:00 AM. Class lists will be posted in the school that day. Pro tip: This is a drop-in event. To avoid the crowd, come by closer to 10:00 AM!
Tuesday, August 30 - First day of school for all students on both campuses. Students should be in full school uniform that day.
Friday, September 2 and Monday, September 5 - No School…Labor Day Weekend
Tuesday, September 13 - New Parent Orientation, 7:00 PM at the upper campus
Wednesday, September 21 - Lower Campus Parent Open House, 7:00 PM
Thursday, September 22 - Upper Campus Parent Open House, 7:00 PM
NEW! Upper Campus Schedules - Student schedules are currently being finalized at the upper campus. Please note that due to a technical issue, some parents were able to preview their child’s schedule last week on the Family Portal. Those schedules were not complete and are being updated, therefore parents should disregard any prior information. Once schedules are complete and have been posted, parents will be notified.
NEW! Commuter Student Instructions - Will you be dropping your student off in the morning….or picking him or her up in the afternoon? Please see the important instructions HERE for lower campus students and HERE for upper campus students. We ask everyone’s cooperation in following these instructions very carefully and mindfully in order to keep our students safe and our process orderly and speedy! It is imperative that all parents follow all of the instructions. NOTE: The first two weeks of school will be very busy at both drop-off and pick-up time as families learn the procedures and adjust to the timing that works best for them. Please be patient and kind to staff members and other parents.
NEW! Absences, Late Arrivals, and Early Dismissals - If your child is going to be absent from school, arriving late due to an appointment, or will need to be dismissed early, you must notify the school as soon as possible. Lower campus notifications should be emailed to [email protected] and upper campus notifications should be emailed to [email protected]. Please note:
- Absence or Late Arrival: If a student is absent and we do not receive notification of the absence by 9:00 AM, parents will be called to confirm the absence.
- Early Dismissal: Notice of a student’s early dismissal must be submitted by 9:00 AM. Parents are asked not to arrive at school to dismiss students without first notifying the school. Last minute and unexpected dismissals are disruptive to the class and may be difficult to accommodate if students are in other parts of the building for gym, recess, art, etc.
Uniform Requirements - There are no changes to the uniform requirements for this year. All uniforms must be purchased from Red Brick Clothing in Hudson (or online HERE). Please see the uniform requirements HERE.
Used Uniforms Donations - Has your child had a growth spurt and you find yourself with a few extra uniform pieces? Please consider donating to the used uniform closets on both campuses! Donations are always appreciated! Parents are actively looking for used uniforms now, so please drop donations off at either campus between 8:30 and 12:00 PM, Monday through Friday.
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 - For those of you who like to be prepared, it’s time to stock up on supplies for the upcoming school year! 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 summer reading/project assignments HERE.
UPDATED! Upper Campus Supply List - Upper campus parents can find a supply list for students in grades 6 to 8 by clicking HERE. This list has been updated to include supplies for both 7th and 8th grade Science. Please note that because of the wide number of classes and levels offered, not all teachers are able to provide a supplies list until after classes have started. Students will be informed of any additional materials on the first day of classes.
Book Covers - Just a reminder that ALL hardcover textbooks must be covered with paper or a book sack throughout the school year. Book sox are often on sale over the next month, so keep an eye out and stock up!
NEW! Calendar Raffle Fundraiser – It’s 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 fundraisers, so we are really counting on your support! This year, our Academy goal is 4,000 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!
Lower Campus Fiddle Squad -- Mrs. Bailey will hit the ground running with a Fiddle demonstration on the first day of school! Lower campus students in grades 3-5 may participate in either Beginner or Advanced Fiddle Squad. Beginner Fiddle Squad will meet Mondays and Wednesdays at 7:45 AM and Advanced Fiddle Squad will meet Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7:45 AM. For more information and to register, please see the sign-up sheet HERE.
UPDATED! Extended Care -- 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. NOTE: Parents do not need to do an extra Extended Care registration. Both the morning and afternoon programs are on an as-needed basis and all students are eligible to attend. At the lower campus, please inform your child’s teacher when your child will be attending After Care at the end of the day.
An additional fee does apply to the Extended Care program. The rate is $3.50 per half hour increment (an increase of .50 from last year). Through our multi-child discount, families are charged full price for the first child and at a 50% rate ($1.75) 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 Change Notification – 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 to 882-7442! Please do not rely on emailing teachers or the office 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.
Volunteer Requirements - Do you think you might be interested in volunteering this year on either campus? Great…we’d love to have your help! To keep our students safe, all volunteers must complete the Diocesan Safe Environment requirements before volunteering. Requirements include:
- Volunteers must complete a Volunteer Application.
- Complete background checks for all states in which they have resided during the past 5 years. Background check forms (“CRR”) are returned to the school, not mailed to the State. NH CRR’s must be recompleted every 4 years.
- Complete child abuse awareness training online. Must take refresher training every 4 years.
Additional information about the volunteer requirements, as well as the forms to be completed and links to the online training, can be found on the Diocesan website HERE. In addition, Jackie Langenfeld is our Safe Environment coordinator here at the Academy and is available for questions at [email protected].
UPDATED! Hot Lunch Volunteers Needed! We still need many, many, many volunteers for our Hot Lunch program! As our largest volunteer program, we need over 100 people each year to make the Hot Lunch program a success at both campuses! 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 at the lower campus, use the Sign-Up Genius HERE. To volunteer at the upper campus click HERE. Be sure to click through the tabs at the top of each Sign-Up Genius to view the teams and dates available for each day of the week!
UPDATED! Hot Lunch Ordering - The Hot Lunch program will begin on both campuses on September 26. Students will need to bring a lunch from home until that time! Ordering will open on September 1. 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!
Lower Campus Art Newsletter - Mrs. Fessenden has news to share! Check out her Art Room newsletter HERE!
NEW! 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.
Please note that the morning drop-off schedule for the upper campus has changed this year as we return to pre-COVID scheduling. Morning Cafe (extra charge) runs from 6:30 to 7:45 AM. Regular morning drop-off is between 7:45 and 8:00 AM. To view the complete upper campus schedule, click HERE.
Upper Campus Fall and Winter Art Club - Our new upper campus Art teacher, Ms. Krassowski, is ready to hit the ground running with the Fall and Winter Art Club for upper campus students! Sessions include Typography and Printmaking in the Fall and Illustration and Storyboarding for Books and Film in the Winter! For more information, click HERE. You can contact Ms. Krassowski at [email protected].
NEW! Note from Ms. Krassowski - Please click HERE for a short note from Ms. Krassowski about supplies and curriculum!
UPDATED! Lower Campus Cross Country - We are excited for our upcoming cross country season! Students who will be in grades 2 - 5 in the fall are able to join the team. Practices will begin on Thursday September 1st and will be every Monday and Thursday after school until 4:30pm (weeks with Monday holidays, practices will be moved to Tuesday) through September and October. There are 2 Friday afternoon practice meets, 1 Saturday afternoon championship meet and 1 Saturday morning Catholic school meet. Deadline for registration is Friday, September 2. To sign up, complete the form HERE! Email the coach, Mrs. Beauregard ([email protected]) with any questions.
Volunteers are needed to help make this program a success! Please use the Sign Up Genius HERE to see when you could help out at practices and meets. You will also need to reach out to Jackie Langenfeld ([email protected]) to ensure you have completed the necessary volunteer training.
Cheer Coaches - Looking ahead to winter sports, we are also looking for cheer coaches at both the lower and upper campuses. If interested, please contact Mrs. Clarke at [email protected].
NEW! Lower Campus Book Fair! Books Bring Us Together! – We are so excited to start the year off with our Scholastic Book Fair to support the lower campus library! From September 13th through the 22nd, the library will be FULL of great books and items that are sure to be a hit with your kids. Each class will visit the library during the Book Fair and parents are welcome to stop by during school hours, or during the Parent Open House on September 21st. Please contact Mrs. Noon at [email protected] if you have any questions about the Scholastic Book Fair. Happy Reading!
Family 2 Family Referral Discount - Don’t forget that the Diocese is offering a limited time parent referral incentive, called Family 2 Family, which will provide $500 tuition credit to both referring and referred families! Between July 1 and September 1, 2022, any family enrolled in a Diocesan Catholic school that refers a new family to any of Diocesan Catholic schools (including Saint Christopher Academy) is eligible for the incentive. Our current families are always our best spokespeople..and we are pleased that they can be rewarded for their efforts through this program!
NEW! Happy Hearts Day Care - Happy Hearts Daycare, located across the street from the lower campus at 12 Cushing Ave has a few 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...603-321-9320.