NEW! Thank you! We’d like to extend our thanks to Chief Judge Landya McCafferty and her staff at the Federal Courthouse in Concord for welcoming our 6th grade students last week! The students were able to witness a Naturalization Ceremony honoring more than 60 new American citizens from 34 different countries. Several Saint Chris students led the Pledge of Allegiance, and our chorus members sang the National Anthem, America the Beautiful and God Bless America. After the ceremony, students enjoyed presentations by the U.S. Probation Office and the Federal Protective Services K-9 Unit, and participated in a moot court activity exploring 1st Amendment rights. We appreciate all of Judge McCafferty’s efforts to make this a meaningful and memorable experience for our students!
Parent Group Thanks - We also wanted to extend our appreciation to the Parent Group…with special thanks to Erica Lilley and Francesca Failla…for the boo-tiful Halloween decorations and treats in our teachers rooms yesterday!
NEW! Winter Uniform begins November 1 - This coming Wednesday, November 1st, marks the beginning of our winter uniform season on both campuses! Please be sure that students are dressed appropriately and all uniform pieces have been purchased from Red Brick Clothing. Thank you for your cooperation in making the following changes….
Lower Campus:
- Boys must now wear navy blue uniform pants. Shorts may be worn again on April 1.
- All students must wear navy uniform sweatpants over their shorts for gym class.
Upper Campus:
- Boys must now wear khaki uniform pants. Shorts may be worn again on April 1.
- Girls must now wear either khaki uniform pants or plaid skorts. Shorts may be worn again on April 1. Note that skorts can be no more than 3” above the student’s knee.
- All students must wear the blue long sleeved oxford shirt with the SCA logo. Short sleeve polo shirts may be worn again starting April 1.
- All students must wear uniform sweatpants over their shorts on gym days.
NEW! Veterans Day Commemorations - This year, both campuses will be holding Veterans Day Commemorations on Friday, November 10. The upper campus ceremony will take place at 9:00 AM and the lower campus will take place at 9:30 AM. All veterans are invited to attend so that we may honor them and thank them. If you are going to attend, please RSVP HERE.
NEW! Hot Lunch Orders for December - Ordering for December’s Hot Lunch will open on Wednesday, November 1st and run through midnight on the 15th on Boonli.com. Please be sure to place your order early in case of technological difficulties. You will receive an email confirmation once your order has been placed….if you do not receive that email, your order has not yet been placed and your child will not receive Hot Lunch for the month. Thank you!
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!
THIS WEEK! 1st Quarter Grades - 1st quarter grades on both campuses will close THIS Friday, October 27. Report cards will be issued next Friday, November 3rd.
THIS WEEK! Parent Alert System – We will be doing a test run of our Parent Alert system for both campuses THIS 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. To ensure you are able to receive our text alerts, please text the keyword “START” to 31706 from your cell phone. 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 are required 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 are providing free math tutoring for upper campus students at the upper campus in the Cafeteria on Mondays and Wednesdays 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!
THIS SUNDAY! Open House for Prospective Families - Spread the word! We’re holding an Open House for prospective families THIS 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.
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!
NEW! Father-Daughter Dance - Dads and their daughter should mark their calendars for the upcoming Father-Daughter Dance on Saturday, November 18 from 6:00 - 8:00 PM in the upper campus gym! This event is open to all families from Prek to grade 8 and tickets are $15 per father-daughter couple. Parents will receive a special email invitation soon!
NEW! Praying for All Souls - Ms. Thompson would like to invite all upper campus students to join together in praying for all souls in Purgatory during an evening event on All Souls’ Day, November 2nd. Students will gather for an evening of camaraderie (and pizza!), learn about Purgatory and the history of All Souls’ Day, and then participate in a candlelit procession to Edgewood Cemetery to pray for all those who are buried there. For more information, please contact Ms. Thompson at [email protected].
DEADLINE NEXT WEEK! 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 NEXT Tuesday, October 31st.
THIS WEEK! 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! Lower Campus School Store - Our lower campus School Store is in need of a parent volunteer coordinator to help with item ordering and stock management, as well as opening the store two times per week from 8:30 - 8:45 AM. The store stocks small school supplies (pens, pencils, notebooks, etc.), school spirit items (hats, keychains, stuffies, etc.), and the occasional holiday “special” item. The store is a student favorite and we’d love to get it up and running within the month! If you are interested in this fun and rewarding volunteer opportunity, please reach out to Marta at [email protected].
NEXT WEEK! 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.
NEW! Wrestling Coach(es) Needed - We are very excited to be bringing a wrestling team back to the upper campus. We have students interested in participating, but we don’t have a coach for the team. Previous wrestling and coaching experience is highly encouraged, but not required. This is a paid, stipend position at the upper campus. The team practice schedule is flexible to accommodate coaches' work schedules. For anyone interested, please contact the upper campus Athletic Director, Ryan Farris at [email protected].
NEW! Upper Campus Winter Sport Signups - As much as we may be afraid to say it, winter is right around the corner. The bouncing of basketballs, pinning of wrestlers, and the cheers from our spirit team are just weeks away at this point. We are beginning the process of signups for our winter teams. Upper Campus teams for the winter season include boys varsity and JV basketball, girls varsity and JV basketball, coed wrestling, and a spirit team. Please note the spirit team is not a competition team, but will be cheering for home athletic events.
To sign your child up for a winter sport, please follow the link HERE to fill out the form. Signups are not a binding contract, but instead allow the coaches and athletic department to have an idea on how many athletes will be coming out for each team.
NEW! Mandatory Upper Campus Basketball Only Meeting - November 1 at 6 PM - There will be a mandatory meeting for all students interested in trying out for the Tri-County basketball teams on Wednesday, November 1, at 6:00 PM in the gym. Topics include tryout processes, team schedules, expectations, team rules, and other important basketball specific information.
Ski Club UPDATE! - 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!
UPDATE! Crotched Mountain will be opening their online purchasing for school Ski Clubs on November 1st. All Ski Club participants (except those with EPIC passes) must purchase their Ski passes through the online system in addition to registering with Saint Chris through the link above. The Crotched Mountain website is HERE.
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 26
LC: Sarah Colon, Sarah Daugherty, Julie Vincent, Liz McClure
UC: Susette Parks, Jamie Viveiros
Friday, October 27
LC: Sarah Clauss, Brenda Milinazzo, Katrina Adell, Amy Milinazzo
UC: Nadra Bell, Kate Aquino
Monday, October 30
LC: Renee Gabree, Stephanie Ellison, Diane London, Corrina Wang
UC: Elizabeth Cyran, Nadra Bell
Tuesday, October 31
LC: John Lynch, Tina Bruno, Haddy Marte, Emily Rodriguez
UC: Emily Uong, Diana Morel
Wednesday, November 1
LC: Greidy Medrano, Erik Smith, Jennifer Villada, Liz Guilmette
UC: Rocio Spencer, Becky Kosterman
NEW! Lower Campus Hot Lunch Sub Needed - We are in need of a Hot Lunch substitute for the lower campus on December 11. If you can help out, please email Marta at [email protected]. Thanks!
NEW! Lower Campus Keys Missing - We are missing our red lanyard with the key to the kitchen! If any of our Hot Lunch or Popcorn volunteers mistakenly took it home, please return it as soon as possible. Thanks!
Popcorn Poppers: Our popcorn poppers for this week are:
LC: Alex Sullivan, Parissa Khayami, Monique Rivera
UC: Tara Canaway, Melissa Szymansky, Daliana Spencer
NEW! Lower Campus Popcorn Machine - Oh no! Our lower campus popcorn machine is apparently reaching its life expectancy and needs to be replaced soon! The price for a new machine and an appropriate sized cart is $1,842. We have one generous family who has donated $500…but are looking for more help with the cost! If you would like to support this effort, you can click HERE to donate online (please note that your donation is for the popcorn machine) or send a check to Marta Nissen’s attention with a note that it is for the popcorn machine. Thanks SO much!
TOMORROW NIGHT! STEM Committee Meeting - The STEM Committee meeting will be THIS 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.
TOMORROW NIGHT! 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 THIS Thursday, October 26th at 7:00 pm in Ms. Thompson’s room at the upper campus!
Lower Campus CYO Basketball - Team selection was last week 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:
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
THIS WEEK! 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 THIS Friday, 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
NEW! Eagle Scout Project – My name is Ian Leonardi from Troop 773. I'm currently working on my Eagle Scout project. I graduated from Saint Chris in 2022. I am gathering books so every baby born at St. Joseph's Hospital in 2024 can go home with a new book. The hospital averages 500 babies born per year, so that will be my collection goal. Studies show that babies who are read to, grow up to have a better vocabulary. Giving each family a book will start them off on the right foot. It will also promote bonding between the parents and the baby. Thank you for your support.
NEW! Boston Marathon Run in Honor of Lindsay Toomey - In November of last year, Saint Chris parent Lindsay Toomey lost her long battle with ovarian cancer. Heather French, a close friend of Lindsay’s and a fellow teacher, is running the 2024 Boston Marathon in honor of Lindsay. All proceeds from Heather’s fundraising for the marathon will go to Dana Farber Cancer Institute. All are invited to support Heather and remember Lindsay through a donation HERE.
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!