NEW! Thank You! Soooo many thank you’s to share after this past weekend’s Auction! The event was the most successful Auction EVER, with over 240 guests in attendance who raised a record amount of money for Saint Christopher Academy. The evening was full of friendship, energy, and generosity and was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone in attendance. We are completing our final accounting this week, but we already know this was a record-breaking event! Please join us in thanking the following who all had important roles in night’s success:
- Auction chairperson Jamie Gregoire and decorations/theme co-chairs Jane Gill and Erica Lilley.
- The auction committee, including Lisa Blanchard, Stacy Cardinale, Meliza Carew, Teresa Carlton, Catherine Collard, Caitlin Davis, Stephanie Ellison, Eleni Eliades, Rebecca Fessenden, Mark Gill, Ryann Gregoire, Shauna Hein, Jackie Langenfeld, Jaclyn Leland, Jen Liba, Alison Nardone, Susette Parks, Stephanie St. Jean, Jenn Torosian, and Don Whalen.
- Our many wonderful sponsors! A special shout out to Presenting Sponsor Matrix PMO, Platinum Sponsor Wanderlust Services, and Gold Sponsor Wireless Zone.
- The many, many, many donors and bidders, especially those who participated in our Faith in Action portion of the evening.
- The Event Center and Tyler Soucy of TS Event Productions.
- Our teachers and students!
NEW! Keegan Family Courage and Faith Foundation Donation - The biggest surprise of the Auction was the incredible $400,000 donation by the Keegan Family Courage & Faith Foundation to establish the Keegan Family Teacher Fund at Saint Christopher Academy. Brendan is a Saint Chris graduate, as are his children Kayleigh and Patrick, and fully believes in the power of a Catholic education to develop young men and women who will go on to be moral and responsible leaders in our challenging society.
Following the example set by the Keegans, our auction guests committed an additional $37,500 to our Faith in Action appeal to support our teachers through our newly established Teacher Fund endowment. And, in another surprise announcement, the Keegans matched the Faith in Action appeal!
We extend great thanks to the Keegans and the Keegan Family Courage & Faith Foundation for their love and support of Saint Christopher Academy, its students, and its teachers!
THIS WEEK! 3rd Quarter Report Cards - Report cards for the 3rd quarter on both campuses will be released TOMORROW, Thursday, March 30.
NEXT WEEK! Easter No School Dates - Next week is Holy Week, leading up to the great feast day of Easter! Please remember that we have several no school dates surrounding Easter Sunday. There will be an early release next Thursday, April 6, with the upper campus releasing at 11:30 and the lower campus releasing at noon. We will also have no school on Good Friday, April 7 and Easter Monday, April 10.
NEXT WEEK! UPPER CAMPUS YEARBOOK GROUP PHOTOS - We are taking group activity/club photos for the yearbook at the upper campus on Tuesday, April 4. All students should come to school in the regular uniform on those days. NOTE: 7th grade students who have gym on Tuesday afternoon should wear the regular uniform but may change into the gym uniform before class.
NEW! Willy Wonka Jr. – Step into a world of pure imagination with our Drama Club's upcoming production of Willy Wonka Jr.! Performances will take place Friday, April 14 at 7:00 pm and Saturday, April 15 at 2:00 pm at the upper campus gym. Drama Club students in grades 3 to 8 have been working hard to prepare this amazing show and can't wait to share it with you!
NEW! Shuttle Bus – We are also excited to announce that Bishop Guertin will be providing a shuttle bus between the lower and upper campuses for the Friday night production of Willy Wonka Jr! Parking around the upper campus can be a challenge for these big events, so make life easy for yourself and park in the big back lot at the lower campus! The shuttle bus will pick up in the bus drop-off on Brookline Street next to the lower campus building and will drop off at the upper campus. After the show, the bus will return to the lower campus. Thank you BG!
NEW! Summerbook Summer Skills Workbooks - – A copy of the catalog of Summer Books is being sent home today with students in grades Pre-K through 7. Summer Books offer a 10-week summer review for students entering Kindergarten through Grade 8. Books may be ordered individually by phone, online or by mail. Please do not send order forms into school. Saint Chris strongly recommends that students complete summer work in addition to summer reading assignments!
NEW! Spring Uniforms - Monday, April 3rd, marks the start of our Spring uniform policy! Please note:
Lower Campus:
- Boys may now wear the navy blue twill uniform shorts. Socks must be navy or plain white (no sports socks with logos).
- Both boys and girls may wear the navy blue uniform gym shorts on their gym day. Gym sweatpants do not need to be worn over the shorts.
Upper Campus:
- Boys and Girls may wear the khaki twill uniform shorts.
- Girls: Shorts can be no more than three inches above the knee. Socks must be navy or white knee socks.
- Boys: Shorts cannot be longer than one inch below the knee. Socks (navy or black) or white socks only that show above the sneaker or shoe must be worn. Socks can have small logos like the NIKE swoosh, but otherwise cannot have logos, stripes, or blocks. Socks must be worn at all times.
- Boys and Girls - Navy or red colored “golf/polo style” (long or short sleeve) shirt with Saint Christopher Academy logo may be worn.
- Boys and Girls - Navy blue uniform gym shorts may be worn on gym days.
- Boys and Girls on Mass Day - Students must wear their dress uniform on mass days. This includes the twill shirt for both boys and girls (with a tie for boys). Boys should wear their twill khaki uniform pants and girls may either wear their skorts or the twill khaki pants.
Please note: Spirit wear is not considered to be part of the school uniform. Therefore, students are welcome to wear these items on school or personal free dress days or on official Spirit Days.
NEW! April Vacation - Not that your kids will EVER let you forget, but here’s a reminder that we will be closed from April 24 to April 28 for our annual April vacation!
NEW! FINAL Hot Lunch Ordering – Hot Lunch ordering for May opens this Saturday on Booli.com through April 15. Hot Lunch will end on Friday, May 26 on both campuses. This is the last Hot Lunch ordering period for the school year! As of Tuesday, May 30, all students on both campuses must bring a bag lunch through the end of the year!
NEW! Upper Campus Forgotten Lunch - Upper campus students who forget their lunch will now be given a bagel and cream cheese as a forgotten lunch rather than the lunch of the day. Parents will be charged $3.50 in Boonli for each forgotten lunch. This mirrors the policy at the lower campus.
NEW! Trees, Hills, and Planters - Now that the weather is (sometimes!) getting warmer and students are enjoying their "freedom" after school, please remember that no children should be climbing any tree on school property (including the one right by the back door), nor should they be rolling down the hill in front of the kindergarten classrooms. In addition, we ask that students do not climb or walk on the stone wall by the St. Francis statue by the rectory. Student know that they are not allowed to do any of these things during the school day and the rules still apply after school has ended. We appreciate our parents' help in keeping everyone safe!
NEW! Earth Day Free Dress - On Friday, April 21, we will mark Earth Day with a Free Dress Day on both campuses! Some classes will be involved in a campus clean-up and several others will be planting flowers, so it makes sense to wear something a little more casual than our regular uniforms! Students must follow our Free Dress guidelines.
NEW! CMC Heart & Hands Scholarship – The CMC Heart & Hands Scholarship is presented to two students entering grades 7-12 in a diocesan Catholic school who have made a significant contribution or impact in their community. Learn more about the eligibility requirements and how to apply at www.catholicnh.org/scholarships.
Lenten Service Project- In this season of Lent, in addition to prayer and fasting, we make a particular effort to "give alms," and donate to those who are less fortunate. This year we are focusing our efforts on the Saint Patrick Day Cafe in downtown Nashua. The volunteers at the Day Cafe open the Saint Patrick Parish Center each morning to provide an oasis of calm and dignity to those who don't often find it. They provide a peaceful and safe space where those who live on the street can have a few hours of respite from the elements, enjoy a cup of coffee and snack, engage in conversation, and be seen as a child of God. Their work is entirely funded by donations. We would ask that our lower campus students please "give alms" by donating funds in the St. Vincent de Paul poor box in the lobby at school. All funds will be used for the purchase of the particular coffee, creamer, sweeteners, and snacks used by the Day Cafe.
We would also like our friends served by the Day Cafe to know the joy of Easter. Our upper campus students will be donating items for Easter gift bags that will be distributed to Day Cafe guests. To ensure we can create what we need, a sign up can be found HERE. If upper campus families prefer to make a monetary donation, they may send check or cash in an envelope to Lorrice Bedard. Thank you for your generous support of this worthwhile ministry.
Spring Sports at the Upper Campus - Tryouts for baseball and softball at the upper campus continue this week. Track and field practice has also begun. For all the details and schedules, please click HERE.
NH Education Freedom Accounts and Education Tax Credit Scholarship Applications Open - The Children’s Scholarship Fund has announced that applications for the Education Freedom Account awards and Education Tax Credit Scholarship for the 2023-2024 school year are now open HERE. All parents who apply for Saint Christopher Academy financial aid are required to apply for these scholarships.
Silver Knights Education Day - We are excited to announce that our grade 1 through 6 students will be attending the Silver Knights Education Game on Wednesday, May 31! Parents will also be given the opportunity to purchase tickets and attend with us. More details on ticket prices and other arrangements will be forthcoming in April!
End of the Year Dates - The end of the school year may seem like a long way away, but it will come quickly! Please put the important dates below on your calendar! (Note: Specific student dress code requirements for Field Day, Baccalaureate Mass & Dinner, Convocation, and Graduation will be shared with applicable parents in the next few weeks.)
Friday, May 19
- Lower campus Field Day
Friday, May 26
- Family BBQ at the upper campus (all current families invited!)
Thursday, June 1
- 5:00 PM – 8th grade Baccalaureate Mass at St. Christopher Parish (graduate and two parents only)
- 6:30 PM - 8th grade dinner at the upper campus (graduate and two parents only)
Tuesday, June 6
- Last day of school for 5th and 8th grade students
- 5:30 PM - 5th grade Convocation at the upper campus
Friday, June 9
- Early Release and final day of school for grades PreK to 4, 6 & 7
- 7:00 PM - 8th grade Graduation at the upper campus
Recognizing Excellence Award Nominations - Nominations for the 2023 Diocese of Manchester’s Teacher of the Year and Clergy of the Year awards are now open!
- Teacher of the Year Award - The New Hampshire Catholic School Teacher of the Year views Catholic education not only as a profession, but as a vocation of service to students and to the greater Church. A practicing Catholic active in his or her faith, the award recipient brings a joyful witness to his or her ministry that inspires students to not only achieve academically, but to put their skills and knowledge to good use creating the Kingdom of God on Earth. Submit a nomination HERE.
- Clergy of the Year Award – The recipient of the Spirit of St. John Vianney Award is a member of the clergy who similarly provides inspirational support for Catholic education in the diocese. The faithful witness that the recipient of the Spirit of St. John Vianney award provides is inspirational to students as they go on to eventually discern their vocation in life. Submit a nomination HERE.
School Mass Schedule - All parents are invited to attend our weekly school masses! Parents must enter through the front door of each campus facility, sign in, and receive a nametag to attend. All masses are at 9:45 AM on both campuses. The schedule for March and April is:
April 3 - Lower campus
April 12 - Upper campus
April 18 - Lower campus Vocation Day
THIS WEEK! Final Lower Campus Stations of the Cross - 5B will present our final lower campus Stations of the Cross this Friday, March 31 at 2:15 PM. Parents are welcome to attend this short (approximately 20 minutes) observation of the stations and should come through the school and sign in prior to going to the church.
Hot Lunch Volunteers - Thank you to our fabulous Hot Lunch volunteers! The schedule for the next week is:
Thursday, March 30
LC: Tina Bruno, Sadie Presenti, Weilin Li
UC: Susette Parks, Nadra Bell
Friday, March 31
LC: Stacy Cardinale, Lisa Blanchard, Trisha Muldoon
UC: Nadra Bell, Meghan Delyani
Monday, April 3
LC: Amanda DeWitt, Jennifer Liba, Erin Sarette, Ann Marie Pellecchia
UC: Christine Saltzman, Paul Schibbelhute
Tuesday, April 4
LC: Tina Bruno, Sadie Presenti, Hanna Sullivan
UC: Elizabeth Cyran, Sue-Ellen Maher
Wednesday, April 5
LC: Mary Schreiner, Sadie Presenti, Luci Foppa
UC: Rebecca Small, Desiree Sullivan
NEW! Hot Lunch Subs - We are in need of a couple Hot Lunch subs in April! Please contact Marta at [email protected] if you can help fill one of these spots!
- Lower Campus - Two volunteers needed for Tuesday, April 18
- Upper Campus - One volunteer needed for Wednesday, April 12.
Popcorn Poppers: Our terrific lower campus popcorn poppers for this Friday are Loni Rooney and Laura Gehringer!
NEXT WEEK! Holy Week Schedule - St. Christopher Parish invites families to join them for Holy Week and Easter next week! Please see the schedule below:
