NEW! Thank you - This week’s thank you goes to Miss Mary Lou Wefers for her help in getting our Calendar Raffle packets stuffed and ready to distribute last week! Miss Wefers is a retired Saint Chris teacher and we LOVE her help!
NEW! Early Release - Reminder that Friday, September 22nd will be our first Early Release day of the year so that teachers may attend professional development. Upper campus students will be released at 11:30 AM and lower campus students will be released at Noon (Prek will release at 11:40 AM and Kdg at 11:45 AM). Nashua buses will be provided on the early release schedule. There will be NO After Care that day.
Parent-Student Handbook - Our 2023-2024 Parent-Student Handbook has been posted on both the upper and lower campus websites and in the Family Portal:
- All families can find it in the Family Portal under the School - Resource Documents tab on the left side of the page.
- Lower campus parents can find the handbook on the website HERE and upper campus parents can find the handbook on the website HERE.
The handbook outlines important information about our school’s policies and procedures and is required reading for all families. Parents should review the handbook with their students and familiarize them with all applicable policies as soon as possible. Once you have completed this review, please print and complete the Signature Form located on page 54 and return it to school. Forms are due by September 15. Thank you!
Important Back to School Dates: Please mark your calendars with the following important back-to-school dates!
- THIS WEEK! Wednesday, September 6 - New Parent Orientation, 7:00 PM at the upper campus. All new parents should attend without their children.
- UPDATED! Tuesday, September 12 - Upper Campus Parent Information Night, 6:30 PM. All parents are encouraged to attend without their children. The evening will begin in the gym and parents will have the opportunity to follow their child’s schedule, visit classrooms, and meet teachers.
- UPDATED! Thursday, September 14 - Lower Campus Parent Information Night, 6:30 PM in the church hall. After a brief introduction by school staff, parents will be able to visit their students’ classrooms.
OVERDUE! Medical and Immunization Updates - Updated physical and immunization records for every student, grades PreK to 8 are now overdue. These can be provided in paper copy sent into school or by email to Gloria Sheehan at [email protected] at the lower campus and Laura Danielson at [email protected] at the upper campus. Note: If you student has a medical or religious exemption for immunizations, please also forward that document.
NEW! Allergy/Asthma Plan - If your child has an allergy/asthma plan, please forward it ASAP to Mrs. Sheehan at the lower campus ([email protected]) or Mrs. Danielson at the upper campus ([email protected]). Thank you for helping us keep your student healthy!
OVERDUE! Email Check-up and Primary Contact Selection Form - Due to software constraints, only ONE email contact per family can receive automated emails in order to purchase school portraits from our photographer, O’Connor Studios. Likewise, only this primary contact can receive automated emails about enrollment for next year.
To ensure that all emails are correct in our systems and are going to the correct primary email, all families MUST complete the short form located HERE Please only complete the form ONCE for every family. If you have not yet completed this form, please do so ASAP. We are still waiting on about 60 families. Thank you very much for your cooperation in this VERY important matter!
NEW!! Upper Campus Pickleball information coming soon!! -- Stayed tuned for details on how to join the upper campus Pickleball team. This club level sport will run this fall and is open to both boys and girls in grades 6-8.
NEW! Upper Campus Girls Basketball Open Gym - All grade 6 to 8 upper campus girls are invited to participate in the drop-in open gym times starting this Saturday, September 9, from 9:00 - 11:00 AM. These are not basketball team practices and are not required for students who would like to try out for the basketball team….They are simply time to get into the gym and shoot a few baskets! Students are welcome to attend some or all open gyms. Mr. Purcell will monitor the open gym sessions.
Nashua Bus Service - Please be patient with our school bus service over the next week or so as the Nashua School District refines the routes and continues to train their drivers. With all of the schools in Nashua back in session, there are a lot of students both at Saint Chris and at other schools who need transportation and there are bound to be delays and other mistakes. The schedule will smooth out as the year goes along! If you have any questions, please contact Jackie Langenfeld at [email protected]. She will forward all questions and concerns to the Nashua Schools Transportation office.
Lower Campus After Care Phone Number - Parents who use the lower campus After Care program are reminded that they can contact the After Care staff directly after school hours at 603-438-4735.
Upcoming School Masses - 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 unless otherwise noted. The schedule for the next month is:
UPDATED! September 7 - Lower campus (rescheduled from September 6)
September 7 - Upper Campus Eucharistic Adoration at 1:00 PM
September 12 - Upper campus
September 19 - Lower campus (grades PK - 2) - in Church Hall
September 27 - Upper campus
Hot Lunch Ordering OPEN - The Hot Lunch program will begin on both campuses on September 25. Ordering for the last week of September and all of October is now OPEN. 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!
Hot Lunch Fee Change - In order to make our Hot Lunch program fiscally sound and fully self-funding, we have made several necessary changes for this school year. Please note:
- Parents will no longer pay a $15 per year registration fee. Instead, parents will be charged Boonli processing and credit card fees for their order each month. This is currently a 6% charge.
- All meals on both campuses will now be $5. Additional pizza slices will be $1.00.
Lower Campus Bagged Lunch Reminder - Thank you to everyone for remembering to send in a bagged lunch for your student until Hot Lunch begins on September 25! Please remember to send your child with any necessary utensils to eat his or her bagged lunch. We do not have spoons, forks, or knives available for student use. 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].
Look Us Up on Social Media – Don’t forget that we have very active social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest! Each account usually has different material, so be sure to follow both! You can find us at https://www.facebook.com/SaintChrisAcademy https://www.instagram.com/saintchrisacademy/
https://www.pinterest.com/SaintChrisAcademy/
STARTS THIS WEEK! Lower Campus Scholastic Book Fair - Check out pictures of our Scholastic Book Fair here! The Scholastic Book Fair starts this week at the lower campus! We are so excited to start the year off with the Scholastic Book Fair to help support our lower campus library. Students will visit the Book Fair on either September 6th or 7th to compile their wish lists. Next week, students will shop at the Book Fair during their regular library time. Additional shopping opportunities include before classes begin from 8:30-8:50 AM, and during recess or lunchtime with their teacher's permission. New this year are Family Shopping Hours on Monday, September 11th from 12:00-3:00 PM and Tuesday, September 12th from 10:00 AM-12:00 PM. Parents may also shop during the Open House on Thursday, September 14th. Please contact Mrs. Noon at [email protected] if you are interested in volunteering at the Book Fair.
Online Book Fair and eWallet - The online Scholastic Book Fair runs from September 5th - September 18th. Please take a look at our Book Fair website HERE for some shopping ideas and to purchase the eWallet. The eWallet gives students a secure, cash-free way to shop the Book Fair. There is no charge to set up an eWallet. You can simply create an account and authorize a spending limit on your credit card. There will be a record of the eWallets at the Book Fair in case your student does not have their eWallet in hand. For more information, visit the online book fair HERE to shop and to purchase your eWallet!
NEW! Lower Campus Cross Country Deadline - Last call for cross country runners at the lower campus! If your child is interested in joining the team, please contact Mrs. Beauregard ([email protected]).
UPDATED! Hot Lunch Volunteering - We are still in need of many, many more Hot Lunch volunteers! If we are unable to find a minimum of three volunteers daily at the lower campus and two volunteers at the upper campus, we will be unable to provide Hot Lunch on the days that we are short staffed. As our largest volunteer program, we need over 100 people 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 10:15 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!
Calendar Raffle Fundraiser – It’s Fall Calendar Raffle time again! We have some GREAT prizes again 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 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! If your family are super sellers and in need of more tickets, please email Marta Nissen at [email protected]!
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!
Calendar Sales Incentives - We know that everyone…especially our most competitive friends…are waiting for this news! Here’s our student seller incentives for this year:
- Random Surprise Prizes – We’ll be picking random submitted tickets on random days…and the student seller for each of those random tickets wins a free dress pass. There’s no special schedule…it’s a surprise!
- Classroom contests –
- Top Selling Class across the Academy wins an ice cream sundae party with all the fixin’s!
- Top Selling Class on each campus wins a morning donut party (with coffee for the teacher!).
- Top Sellers - The three top sellers across the Academy win a Target gift card! (1st place - $25, 2nd place - $20, 3rd place - $15)
- Random School-Wide Turn-In Days - Keep an eye on your email…we may just throw out a few random days when any student who turns in a ticket gets a free dress!
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 AM and 3:00 to 5:30 PM. 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.
St. Christopher Parish Women’s Fall Book Study: Women of the school and parish community are invited to a Women’s Fall Book Study on Monday evenings from 7:15 to 8:30 pm in the Pennell Center (the white building across the parking lot from the church) , starting September 25th. The group will discuss Boundaries by Cloud and Townsend to help us explore how to apply the God given gift of Boundaries in our lives so we can multiply our love for God and others while minimizing resentment, exhaustion and all the other feelings associated with a lack of healthy boundaries in our lives. Please note: The authors of this book are not Catholic, however, it is based on sound Biblical principles shared by Catholics and Protestants. Sign up at: https://tinyurl.com/StChrisBoundaries.
St. Christopher Parish Sacramental Prep -
- St. Christopher Parish Grade 2 Students! RECONCILIATION – Please register now for RECONCILIATION class this Fall 2023. Baptized students in Grade 2 and up who are St. Chris parishioners and who are seeking reconciliation should register for this class. Students and a parent attend 7-8 Sunday evening classes at the upper campu sduring our parish renovations as they prepare to receive this wonderful sacrament. We will learn about God’s love for all of us, His forgiveness when we go astray, the Ten Commandments and more. Registration forms for Sacrament Prep are available on the parish website at stchrisparisnh.org. Online registration and payment has been added for your convenience! Questions? Email: [email protected]
- St. Christopher Parish Grade 3 Students- CONFIRMATION – St. Chris parish 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 attend the 10:00 am Mass and then proceed to the upper campus (during parish renovations). Classes resume in the Church hall once our upper church is completed! Class will be from 11:30-12:30. Students and a parent participate together as they learn and prepare to receive both Confirmation and Eucharist in Spring 2024. Students registering for this class also register for First Eucharist, which runs from January to May 2024 .Sacrament prep registration can be done conveniently online from our website stchrisparishnh.org Questions? [email protected]
- St. Christopher Parish Confirmation for Grade 6 and up - Baptized students in grade 6 and up and a parent attend classes in January 2024 through April 2024, preparing to receive the sacrament of Confirmation. Students in this class should already have received Reconciliation and First Communion. Classes are 11 am to 12 noon after attending the 10:00 am Mass. Registration forms for Sacrament Prep are found at stchrisparishnh.org. Questions? [email protected]
COMMUNITY NEWS
NEW! Nashua Multicultural Festival - Join the Nashua Mayor’s Office and community for a celebration of food, art, dance and more on Sunday, September 10 from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM in the Nashua Public Library plaza and parking lot!. Meet your neighbors and share your culture at this fun, family-friendly festival. More information is available HERE!
NEW!! Egyptian Food Festival - Join our friends at St. Mary and Archangel Michael Coptic Church next weekend, September 15 to 17, for some delicious food, music, and fun at the Egyptian Food Festival. Hours are Friday 4:00 - 9:00 PM, Saturday from 11:00 AM - 8:00 PM, and Sunday from 12:00 - 6:00 PM. Less than a mile from Saint Christopher, at 39 Chandler Street (formerly Saint Francis Xavier parish).
NEW! National Charity League - National Charity League is a mother/daughter organization that helps encourage leadership and community service. No money is raised or exchanged - we give our time and teach young women to become leaders in their communities by getting involved. In the Southern New Hampshire chapter, we donate our attention to Our Promise to Nicholas, Special Olympics of NH, Mt. Carmel, Alzheimer’s Association, JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes), Animal Rescue League of NH, Bedford Community Food Pantry, Caregivers, Furled by Kids, and Families in Transition. We practice philanthropy, the active effort to promote human welfare. We teach leadership and encourage culture through tradition and core values.
If you have a daughter entering 7th to 9th grade and you want more information, please call Carrie Ayers at 301-755-4448 or email her at [email protected].
Immaculate Conception Parish Sacramental Prep - Registration for preparation for First Reconciliation at Immaculate Conception Parish in Nashua, to be held in October 2023, is now open and must be in by Thursday, September 21. Registration for the Sacraments of Confirmation & First Eucharist, to be held in the spring, needs to be received by January 1st, 2024. For more information, and to determine if your child is eligible to receive a Sacrament, and to register, please visit iccnashuanh.org/prek-8.
Thank You Project Water Walk - The Thank You Project’s mission is to bring a clean and reliable source of water to communities of Achi and Ututu in rural Nigeria. Members of these communities are forced to walk miles every single day to get unsanitary water. We have begun our sixth water well in Nigeria (at a cost of $30,000 each) and also are providing one college scholarship per year ($2,000/ student) to those who cannot afford to go to college in Nigeria. Go to www. thankkyouoproject.org to see our progress. If you or a group from your congregation would like to get involved, please register at www.thankyouproject.org and submit pledges by filling out the registration form. Donations are accepted by using PayPal, Venmo, or by mail (PO Box 23, Nashua, NH 03061)