NEW! Thank You! Thank you to the Wen family for dropping off Hayward’s ice cream yesterday for the summer staff! Such a special treat!
Faculty Updates
NEW! Welcome! Please join us in welcoming Claire Bryson to our lower campus faculty this fall as 1st grade teacher! An elementary education graduate of Wake Forest University, Mrs. Bryson has experience as a second grade teacher, as a tutor, and most recently as the Director of Children’s and Family Ministry at St. John Neumann Parish in Merrimack. She is also an alumni parent, as her son Patrick graduated in 2023!
Another Welcome! We also welcome Mrs. Carrie Soucy to her new role as a part-time receptionist at the lower campus this year! Mrs. Soucy served as an upper campus Theology teacher two years ago. For the past year, Mrs. Soucy was an active substitute at the lower campus and also helped her husband, Mr. Mike Soucy, with Extended Care. We are excited to have Mrs. Soucy as a permanent member of our staff again!.
NEW! Goodbye - We are sad to announce that Mrs. Kozi Eledu-Allen, upper campus math teacher, will not be returning this fall due to family obligations. Mrs. Eledu-Allen was an integral part of our upper campus Math department and will be missed by her colleagues and students. We wish her well!
UPDATED! Employment Opportunities - We are still in need of a teacher in both the upper campus math and science departments, as well as substitutes for both campuses! Please spread the word! Preferred applicants should be practicing Catholics, hold an appropriate New Hampshire teaching certification (or NH certifiable), and be ready to embrace our school mission of developing students who lead by example and live their lives with integrity and in service to God and others. Candidates may read more by clicking HERE!
Calendar Information
UPDATED! 2024-2025 School Academic Calendar - Our school calendar is available on the website HERE! Please note - we have added February 5, 2025 as a no school date to enable our 5th grade to attend StepUp Day and teachers to attend professional development. In addition, May 9, 2025 is now an early release day.
NEW! Days with NO After Care - We will have a number of NO After Care days this year, so please note these on your calendar:
- All Early Release Days (September 20, October 25, November 21, January 29, April 17, and May 9)
- September 27 (Staff Outing)
- December 6 (Christmas Tree Lighting)
- January 9 (Staff Christmas Party)
- May 20 (STEM Night)
- May 23 (BBQ)
- June 4 (Baccalaureate)
- June 9 (Convocation)
UPDATED! Important Back to School Dates: Please mark your calendars with the following important back-to-school dates!
Mondays, August 5, 12, and 19– Prekindergarten and kindergarten playground play dates from 9:00 - 10:00 AM.
Monday, August 26 – Lower campus Meet the Teacher from 9:00 - 11:00 AM. Class lists will be posted in the school that day.
Monday, August 26 - First day of school for 6th grade only at the upper campus. Students should be in full uniform. This is an early dismissal day, with students released at 11:30 AM. There will be no After Care that day.
Tuesday, August 27 - First day of school for all other students on both campuses. Students should be in full school uniform that day.
Friday, August 30 and Monday, September 2 - No School…Labor Day Weekend
Wednesday, September 4 - New Parent Orientation, 6:30 PM at the upper campus
Tuesday, September 10 - Upper Campus Parent Open House, 6:30 PM
Thursday, September 12 - Lower Campus Parent Open House, 6:30 PM
Summer Office Hours - We’ll be here if you need us this summer! The school offices on both campuses are open from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM, Monday through Thursday! You can also call or email any of the school admin team on either campus and we’ll get back to you as promptly as possible!
Required Documents for School
Updated Contact Information - Summer is a prime time for change of addresses and other contact information…and we want to keep you up-to-date on all communications from Saint Chris! If your address, email, or phone number will be different this fall, please contact Database Administrator Donna Beatrice at [email protected]. Thank you!
NEW! Medical and Immunization Updates - At the start of the school year, we need updated physical and immunization records for every student, grades PreK to 8. These can be provided in paper copy sent into school on the first day 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. All documentation is due by September 1st.
Summer Work & Supplies
2024-2025 Lower Campus School Supply List – The school supply list for the lower campus for the 2024-2025 school year is available HERE!
New Upper Campus Supplies - Please note that there is NO supply list for the upper campus. The individualized scheduling used to accommodate class leveling for Math and English make it difficult to create one standard list of supplies for all students. Each teacher will provide students with a supply list on the first day of school.
NEW! Summer Work - Summer assignments for both campuses can be found HERE. (Note: lower campus assignments appear at the end of each grade’s supply list). Please be sure that your student is working on summer assignments on a regular basis throughout the summer! The goal of summer work is to help students continue their mastery of concepts, skills, and knowledge gained over the school year. Lower campus students are especially encouraged to work on Lexia and IXL over the summer in addition to their summer reading assignments. All upper campus students have work in their math workbooks to complete in addition to the work posted. Let’s start the year strong!
Miscellaneous Important Details
NEW! After Care Rates - Extended Care (both Morning and Afternoon Care) will begin on the first full day of school on both campuses, August 27. Students are automatically registered for Extended Care…there is no additional registration needed. Due to rising program costs, After Care rates on both campuses will increase to $5 per half hour this fall. However, we have modified the family policy to include a discount for any family that has two or more students attending After Care on either campus. The youngest student on either campus will be charged full price, while all older children will be charged the 50% discounted rate. Parents will continue to be 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.
Used Uniform Closets - Have your kids outgrown their uniforms? Don’t forget that we have a used uniform closet at each campus! Donations of all outgrown uniform pieces are accepted and parents are also welcome to make an appointment to come in over the summer to look for uniform pieces to fit their growing children. Donations can be sent into the front desk at the lower campus or to Mrs. Coker at the upper campus at any time. Please contact Mrs. Langengeld at [email protected] for the lower campus or Mrs. Coker at [email protected] for the upper campus to arrange a time to come “shopping” in the closets!
Student Programs and Activities
NEW! Upper Campus Spirit Shirts - Upper campus parents received an email last week detailing an fun new initiative for our upper campus students….class spirit shirts! Each grade has been assigned a color for their upper campus career and shirts will be imprinted with the appropriate "Class of...." on the back. Each student will receive one complimentary t-shirt to be worn through to the end of 8th grade, with replacement shirts available at parent cost. To have all shirts delivered at the beginning of the school year, we need all orders by THIS Friday, July 19. Orders can be placed HERE. To avoid confusion, please have only ONE parent place the order. If you have more than one upper campus student in your family, please complete a separate form for EACH student. Thanks!
NEW! Yearbook Supplement - A link to the digital Yearbook supplement was emailed to parents last week, but can still be accessed HERE. This supplement covers spring sports, events, and activities, including graduation and convocation!
NEW! Lower Campus Altar Servers -- Fr. David would like to invite any Catholic student in grades 4 and 5 who has completed his or her Confirmation to sign up as a school altar server for the lower campus. Members of any Catholic parish are welcome to participate. Students must be able to sit still on the altar, remember and carry out instructions while standing in front of the whole school, and, most importantly, understand the sacred responsibility of serving at God's altar. There will be training during the school day. Questions? Contact Marta Nissen at [email protected]. Spaces are limited. Please use the Sign-Up Genius HERE. Note: Upper campus altar servers will sign up in Theology class once school has begun.
NEW! FIRST Lego League - We are excited to be offering FIRST Lego League to students in grade 4-8 this fall! As long as we have enough coaches to help out, we anticipate fielding TWO teams. The first team will meet on Mondays and Wednesdays from 6:00 to 8:30 PM and the second team will meet on Tuesdays and Thursday from 6:00 to 8:30 PM. Both will meet in the FLL room at the upper campus. The FLL season will start as soon as school opens and runs through December. Cost will be $130 per student and will include a team shirt. If your child would like to participate in FLL, please use the SignUP Genius HERE to register him or her. On the recommendation of FLL, we are limiting each team to 8 students.
We are also in need of coaches for both teams. FLL recommends at least 3 adults per team. Coaches work with the students to understand the challenges, organize the team, and complete the projects. No previous FLL experience is necessary!
NEW! Upper Campus Fall Sports Meetings - Athletic Director Ryan Farris will hold two informational meetings for upper campus students interested in competing in fall sports and their families. The meetings will be in the upper campus gym on Wednesday, August 14 and Tuesday, August 20. Both meetings will begin at 6:30 PM, and attendance is only required for one meeting, not both. Information regarding practice schedules, tryouts, and games will all be discussed. We highly recommend both parents and athletes attending the meeting.
Lower Campus Cross Country Sign Ups - Calling all runners! Sign ups are now open for students who will be in 2nd - 5th grade this fall by clicking HERE. Please fill out one form for each child in your family. Click HERE for more details along with the practice and meet schedule. For questions, please contact Coach Beauregard ([email protected]).
Parent Volunteers
Volunteering at Saint Chris - Are you planning on volunteering at Saint Chris this coming school year? Get a jump on things by completing the Safe Environment Training now! All volunteers are required to complete the training prior to ANY volunteer opportunities, including Hot Lunch, field trips, class projects and activities, etc. To complete the training, please see the Diocesan information HERE. Questions about the process at the lower campus can be directed to Jackie Langenfeld at [email protected] and questions about the upper campus can be sent to Sue Coker at [email protected].
NEW! Hot Lunch Volunteering - Speaking of volunteering at Saint Chris….This is an early call for Hot Lunch volunteers! As our largest volunteer program, we need lots of people to make the Hot Lunch program happen 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 approximately 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 are approximately from 11:15 AM to 1:15 PM at the lower campus 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!
NEW! Popcorn Coordinator - We are in need of a volunteer to coordinate our popcorn program this fall on both campuses! Duties include scheduling volunteers, keeping track of supplies, and training new volunteers. Popcorn is served on Friday mornings, but much of the work can be done on other days or from home. If you can help out, please reach out to Marta Nissen at [email protected]. Thanks!
St. Chris Vacation Bible School - It’s not too late to register! Students entering grades kindergarten through 5 are invited to attend St. Christopher Parish’s Vacation Bible School on July 29 to August 2!
COMMUNITY NEWS
Happy Hearts Day Care - Happy Hearts Day Care, located at 12 Cushing Ave, will have three openings in the fall, for before and after care. The hours are 6:30 to 8:30 AM and 3:00 to 5:30 PM. We accommodate on snow days, two hour delays, 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 Linda at 603-321-9320.