NEW! Thank you! Many thanks to parent Ken Britton and PCI Pharma for his donation of 7 wireless access points for the upper campus! We are excited to get them up and running and improve our wifi connectivity for our UC students and staff!
NEW! Student Absence Notifications - Please remember that when your child is going to be absent from either campus, you must notify the school office first thing in the morning by emailing [email protected] or [email protected]. Please include the reason for your child’s absence, particularly if he or she is not well. Our school nurses need to be aware of all illnesses affecting students in the school. Thank you!
NEW! 1st Quarter Grades Close - 1st quarter grades on both campuses will close on Friday, October 27.
NEW! Parent Alert System – We will be doing a test run of our Parent Alert system for both campuses on Friday, October 27 at 9:00 AM. We use Parent Alert for sending out mass communications, including text messages, robocalls and emails, to notify you of weather-related school closings, as well as any emergency information we might need to get to parents in a timely manner. By providing your consent, you are enrolling in Saint Christopher Academy's Parent Alert system. You may opt out of text messages by texting STOP to 31706 at any time. Please note that message and data rates may apply and subscription to the alerts is not required by the school. Please review the FACTS Parent Alert Privacy Policy HERE. Any text alerts from our school will begin with “SCA Alert” and calls will show from “603-882-7442”.
On the 27th, we will send out a test message to all parents using all forms of communication. Therefore, you should expect to receive several versions of this test message, both through your phone and email. If you do NOT receive the messages, please contact Marta at [email protected].
Note: Per Telephone Consumer Protection Act we have to provide all recipients the option to Opt Out of receiving our text alerts. Anytime we send out a text alert you will see “Stop to End”. If you reply “Stop” you will no longer receive ANY text alerts from Saint Chris.
Math Tutoring with Bishop Guertin Students – Bishop Guertin Campus Ministry Students who will be providing free math tutoring for upper campus students at the upper campus in the Cafeteria on Mondays and Wednesdays. Times will be from 3:30 to 4:30 PM each day. (Please note: Students who utilize After Care while waiting for tutoring to begin will be charged the After Care fee from 2:30 - 3:30 PM.)
If you are looking for a math tutor for your student, this may be just the program for you. It will also be a great opportunity to meet slightly older BG students who are happy to discuss what high school is like. If you have any questions, you can email Mr Daley at [email protected].
NEW! Weekly Math Tutoring SignUp - Students should sign up for math tutoring each week using the SignUp Genius HERE. This allows us to plan for the week's tutoring sessions. Thanks!
Open House for Prospective Families - Spread the word! We’re holding an Open House for prospective families on Sunday, October 29 from 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM at BOTH the lower and upper campuses! This drop-in Open House will include tours and the opportunity to meet with faculty and staff. To help us plan, those interested in attending should complete the RSVP HERE if they plan to attend.
NEW! Parent Group - Many thanks to those parents who attended last week’s first Parent Group meeting of the year! The group is currently working on plans for the upcoming Father-Daughter Dance (grades PK to 8) on November 18, Mother-Son Bowling (grades PK to 8) in January, and monthly Teacher Appreciation treats on both campuses. It’s not too late to get involved! Email Kevin Belt at [email protected] to help with the Father-Daughter Dance and either Jamie Gregoire at [email protected] or Jane Gill at [email protected] to help out with teacher appreciation! The Parent Group’s next meeting will be Thursday, November 2nd at 7:00 PM in Ms. Thompson’s room at the upper campus. Please join us!
8th Grade Art Project - 8th Grade Families! Your students are starting a printing project in art class. They will have the opportunity to print on fabric towards the end of this unit. Students should set aside, or keep in their locker, any items they would like to print on. This could include any cotton based items such as sheets, pillow cases, sweatshirts, tshirts, jeans, sweatpants, tablecloth, cloth napkins etc. Printing on a fabric item is optional, not required.
Upper Campus Art Contest - Upper Campus Students…your artwork could be chosen for the official Saint Christopher Academy Christmas card! The chosen design will be printed and mailed to all families and friends of our school! Please read the flyers posted around upper campus, or click HERE to read the details. Pick up a template paper in the main lobby at upper campus to make sure you meet all size requirements. All entries due by Oct. 31st.
NEW! Upper Campus Fall Dance - All upper campus students are invited to attend the Fall Dance on Friday, October 27 from 6:00 - 8:00 PM in the upper campus cafeteria. Tickets are $5 and will only be sold in advance at lunch through October 25. No tickets will be sold at the door. Questions about the dance can be directed to Katie Osborn at [email protected].
NEW! Orange/Black/White Free Dress - Tuesday, October 31 will be a booooo-tiful day on both campuses as our kids dress in their favorite orange, black, and white Free Dress outfits! Please keep our Free Dress rules in mind when picking out an outfit. Those rules can be found in our online Parent-Student Handbook HERE for the lower campus and HERE for the upper campus.
Ski Club - Registration for this year’s Ski Club is now underway! Parents were sent an email from Mrs. Joyce last week detailing the Ski Club and the same information can be found on the school website HERE. IMPORTANT: All students must be registered for Ski Club using the form HERE by December 1st!
Upper Campus Faith Opportunities - Ms. Thompson is excited to offer THREE upcoming Campus Ministry activities for upper campus students! All are wonderful ways to extend our students’ faith experience outside the classroom:
- Visiting the Elderly at The Courville’s Aynsley Place: Click HERE for more information on this once-a-month opportunity to spread kindness to the elderly.
- St. Chris’s Kitchen: Students will learn some kitchen basics after school…and with the saints! Click HERE for more information.
- Regina Caeli Girls’ Group: We have a new girls' group that will be meeting every other Monday starting October 16th from 2:40 pm-3:30 pm in Mrs. Bedard's room. All Upper Campus girls are welcome to attend! Click HERE for more information!
Parents of interested students should contact Ms. Thompson at [email protected]. Fees for St. Chris’s Kitchen should be sent to Ms. Thompson.
Now Hiring - UC Boys Basketball Coaches – Our upper campus boys basketball teams are in need of coaches for both the Boys A and Boys B teams. The 2023-24 basketball commitment begins Monday, November 6, and runs through the middle of February, with a potential of additional basketball through the end of March. Games and practices are primarily in the afternoon and evenings at least 3-4x during the week, and then again on Saturday mornings.
Interested applicants should have previous coaching experience. Previous coaching experience within the middle school age group is preferred, but not required. This is a paid stipend position, and all interested applicants should email a copy of their professional and coaching resume to Athletic Director, Ryan Farris at [email protected].
Hot Lunch Volunteers - Thank you to our fabulous Hot Lunch volunteers! The schedule for the next week is:
Thursday, October 19
LC: Athena Chisholm, Stephanie Ellison, Stephen Barton, Stacy Cardinale
UC: Teresa Carlton, Emily Uong
Friday, October 20
LC: Amanda Coan, Erica Lilley, Lisa Blanchard, Katie Osborn
UC: Sarah Neary, Nadra Bell
Monday, October 23
LC: Ann Marie Pellecchia, Sarah Currid, Amanda DeWitt, Sandra Currid
UC: Lorraine Barry, Lisa Censabella
Tuesday, October 24
LC: Tina Bruno, Shannon Silva, Amy Barry, Allyson Donovan
UC: Teresa Carlton, NEED A VOLUNTEER
Wednesday, October 25
LC: Olga Usyk, Amanda Vargas, Parissa Khayami
UC: Heather McCorry, Nadra Bell
Popcorn Poppers: Our popcorn poppers for this week are:
LC: Andrea Rugg, Amy Milinazzo, Emily Rodriguez
UC: Nadra Bell, Mike Slocumb, Priyank Bachwal
POSTPONED to NEXT WEEK! STEM Committee Meeting - The STEM Committee meeting has been postponed to Thursday, October 27 in the Board Room at the upper campus. Like the Parent Group, this committee encompasses BOTH campuses. Members work with faculty and administration to augment our STEM curriculum with a variety of programs, clubs, and activities. These might include: STEM Day speakers and STEM Night activities, Math and Science clubs, FIRST Lego League, Chess, Checkers, and Cribbage Club, and Coding and 3D printing clubs among other programs.
Fine Arts Committee Meeting - The Fine Arts Committee is a new endeavor at Saint Chris! Please join us in exploring ways to bring the beauty of art, music, and drama to the students of Saint Chris. Potential ideas might include special performances of local musicians, visiting artists or artist demonstrations, and exhibitions of student art in local businesses. The Fine Arts Committee will have its first meeting on Thursday, October 26th at 7:00 pm in Ms. Thompson’s room at the upper campus!
NEW! Lower Campus CYO Basketball - Team selection was last night for CYO basketball for boys and girls grades 3-6, but there is still room on the teams for more players. Click HERE for more information and to sign up. Contact Tracy Beauregard with any questions ([email protected]).
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:
October 18 - Upper campus mass
October 19 - Lower campus Eucharistic Adoration - all day
October 25 - Lower campus mass (grades PK - 2) - in Church Hall
November 1 - All Saints Day mass on both campuses
November 6 - Upper campus mass
November 14 - Lower campus (grades 3-6)
November 30 - Upper campus mass
Bishop Christian Scholarship - All families are invited to apply for the Bishop Christian Scholarship for financial assistance. The application can be found HERE and must be completed by October 27. All questions about the scholarship can be directed to Brian Harrison, Parish and School Development Manager for the Diocese of Manchester, at [email protected].
COMMUNITY NEWS
Respect Life Essay Contest - The New Hampshire Knights of Columbus is once again sponsoring a Student Respect Life Essay contest. The contest is open to any Junior High (grades 6 - 8) and Senior High (grades 9 - 12) student in New Hampshire. The New Hampshire Knights of Columbus will provide up to six cash awards of $100 each.
This year’s contest theme is: “What do you think is the root cause (i.e., basic reason for, or core issue) for abortion and how do we eliminate the root cause?”
RULES: Essays may not be longer than 500 words; typed, and submitted as a PDF or Word Document and emailed to [email protected]. Include student name, age, grade, school, parent name and address, phone, parish and email. Students may obtain help & information, including from parents, teachers, friends, and internet but the essay itself must be their own work. Deadline: Midnight, December 15, 2023
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.
Trinity High School Open House - Due to ongoing construction in the Trinity High School gymnasium, the Open House has been postponed to November 15 at 7:00 PM. Trinity High School is located at 581 Bridge St., Manchester. All future students in attendance will be entered into a raffle to win $1,000 off tuition! A Trinity High School education is affordable for all who desire it through several financial aid options. In addition, 2023 graduates of Trinity received over 24 million in merit awards. To RSVP, please contact the Admissions Office at [email protected] or by calling 603-668-2910 Ext. 220.Discover the difference at Trinity!