THANK YOU!
Thank you to all the parents from both campuses who attended our Parent Information Nights last week! We love having the opportunity to share the state of the school with you and to welcome you into the classrooms!
NEW! Book Fair Thanks - Thank you to the record setting number of volunteers who helped make the Book Fair a success: Lisa Blanchard, Grace Bunke, Kristen Callahan-Smith, Sarah Daugherty, Eric Gellar, Shannon Gellar, Jen Liba, Andrea Libman, Melanie Marcu, Shalyn McFadden, Michelle Menefee, Rose O'Neil, Melissa Richardson, Alison Salafia, Lauren Saltalamacchia, Kirsten Snyder, Krista Spadano, Emily Uong, Juan Vaquerano, Julie Vincent, Jamie Vivieros, and Donna Walton. These wonderful volunteers helped transform the library to a retail store, helped the students with their wish lists and purchases, counted lots of coins, and were happy to help every time they came in. They went above and beyond in so many ways to help this Book Fair be so successful.
Thanks to our awesome school community we had an amazingly successful Book Fair! The Book Fair was buzzing with anticipation, smiles and joy as the students browsed the merchandise each day. During the Parent Information night, the turn out was amazing, and parents were very patient as we helped decode wish lists to find all of the books, diaries, pens, erasers and more! Thank you for the many gift certificates and books that were donated to the teachers! We appreciate everyone's support during our 17th annual Scholastic Book Fair.
NEW! Even MORE Thanks! - We also want to extend our thanks to all those who voted for us in the Best of the 603 contest this summer. We are happy to announce that we have earned first place honors as the best middle school in New Hampshire! We also earned second place honors in the elementary and private school categories! Yay Wildcats!
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
NEW! School Financial Report - An important part of our Parent Information Nights last week was the financial update given by School Board Finance Chair Tom Nardone. For those who were unable to attend the meeting, we have posted the information on the school website HERE. Please feel free to send any questions to the School Board by using the contact form HERE.
iReady Testing - iReady testing has begun on both campuses and will run through September 27. Lower campus students will test in their homerooms, while upper campus students will test in their computer classes. Please be sure that your student is well-rested and has had breakfast every day so they can do their best!
Enrollment Update - We are off to a strong start to the school year! Our enrollment has held steady, with 471 students enrolled across both campuses. This is the same number of students as last year. Enrollment for NEW students for the 2025-2026 school year (yikes!) will open on October 1st. Re-enrollment for current students will open on November 1st. More details to follow!
Letter from Superintendent Dave Thibault - Please take a moment to read the Back-to-School letter to all Catholic school families from Superintendent Dave Thibault HERE.
Calendar Information
THIS WEEK! Early Release - Here’s a reminder that THIS Friday, September 20th 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.
NEXT WEEK! No After Care - Please remember that there will be NO After Care on either campus on Friday, September 27 as our faculty and staff will be attending a social event in Boston!
Miscellaneous Important Details
UPDATED! Calendar Raffle Fundraiser – Wowza….we are almost halfway there! Our current total is 1,997 tickets sold…45% of our 4,400 ticket goal!
NEW! We are picking FIVE Surprise Prize Free Dress winners EVERY DAY this week from all tickets that have been turned in! Winners receive a Free Dress pass that can be used any day except a mass day. The more tickets a student has in the raffle drum, the bigger the chance for a Surprise Prize!
Sales Incentives - 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 on each campus wins an ice cream party!
- Second place 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!
NEW! O’Connor Studios School Portrait Day - School Portrait Day for both the upper and lower campuses is on Wednesday, October 2. (Retake Day will be on Wednesday, November 20.) Please see the copy of today’s important email to parents regarding Portrait Day HERE.
THIS WEEK! Lower Campus School Store Grand Opening! Our lower campus school store is back in business! The store will be open every Tuesday for grades PrK to 2nd from 8:30 - 8:45 and every Thursday for grades 3-5 from 8:30-8:45. The store sells a variety of school supply items like pencils/pens/erasers, along with school spirit items, rosaries, and more! Please send your little shoppers in with cash for the store as no checks or charges will be accepted. Thank you to volunteers Danielle Schuh, Grace Bunke, and Jay Cook for their dedication to the store!
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 1:45 PM on both campuses unless otherwise noted. The schedule for the next month is:
October 9 - All school mass at upper campus at 9:45 AM
NEW! All School Mass - We are happy to be planning our first-ever all school mass to be held at the upper campus on October 9th at 9:45 AM! Lower campus students will walk to the upper campus and join upper campus students for mass in the gym. Since October is the month of Mary, 5th grade students will lead our walk through the neighborhood with our beautiful Marian processional signs. Classes will walk and sit with their buddies. Parents are welcome to attend the mass and should meet at the upper campus. Permission slips are required for all students and will be sent home today. If a parent chooses not to have a student participate, that student will need to stay home until we arrive back at the lower campus after mass at approximately 11:00 AM.
October 24 - Upper campus (Rain date for all school mass)
Transportation
UPDATED! Lower Campus Back Parking Lot Drop-off Reminders - Please remember that the back parking lot is for PreK and Kindergarten students (and those arriving with PreK and Kindergarten students) only. All grade 1 to 5 students should be dropped off on the school side of Cushing Ave. Also, PreK and Kindergarten parents should always exit straight down Hill Ave. Please do not turn right or left onto Brookline Street as you exit the parking lot, even if a staff member is not present to direct traffic. We appreciate your attentiveness to the school procedures at all times which helps us keep traffic moving efficiently and safely.
Lower Campus Drop-Off “Extra Time” - If a lower campus student needs a little extra time to exit a car in the morning to finish breakfast, bring in a project, or just adjust to Monday morning, please park in the upper parish parking lot next to the church. You may then walk him or her to the top of the stairs and watch them walk down the side of the parking lot and into the school. This allows us to keep our lines moving in both the front and back!
UC Traffic Flow - Just a reminder that during drop-off and pick-up time, all cars should come DOWN Bartlett Ave from Wellington St. Please do not pull up to the school on the opposite side of the street!
Student Programs and Activities
NEW! Lower Campus CYO Basketball - Calling all basketball players in grades 3 - 6 to represent Saint Christopher Academy in the CYO Manchester League. The season will run November to March with one weekday practice (days TBD) and games on Saturdays in the Manchester area. Click HERE for more information and to fill out a form to indicate your interest. Contact Mrs. Tracy Beauregard with questions ([email protected]).
NEW! Upcoming UC Campus Ministry Event - Campus Ministry at the upper campus will be visiting and playing board games with the elderly at Aynsley Place (80 Lake Street) next week from 3:00 - 4:00 pm on Wednesday, September 25th. All UC students are welcome! Remember to coordinate your transportation.
Lower Campus Animation Club - We are excited to resume the Animation Club at the lower campus this year, thanks again to parent volunteer Mallory Gray! This club is open to students in grades 3 to 5 and starts on Friday, October 11th. It will meet monthly, on the second Friday of each month, from 7:30 AM - 8:30 AM in Ms. Goltsov’s classroom. The cost per student is $20.
Students will learn the fundamentals of animation using Procreate on our iPads. Through practical lessons and guidance, students will explore the world of animation, bringing their drawings to life in an engaging and educational setting. The Animation Club encourages both artistic expression and technical skills to unlock your child’s creative potential!
This program is limited to 14 students. If interested, please click HERE to sign up. Students should enter through the Before Care entrance and check in with the teacher on duty before proceeding to Ms. Goltsov’s room for the club.
UPDATED! Chess, Checkers & Cribbage Club! We are happy to announce that our Chess, Checkers & Cribbage Club is back at both campuses, thanks to parent volunteer Tom Nardone! This program offers a safe, low stress environment for students to learn and enjoy the games, while engaging in a social activity that is fun for all. Students play with classmates and learn at their own pace. There is no charge for this club, however parents are asked to sign interested students up using the SignUp Genius HERE. This will allow us to share schedules and other communications as the year progresses.
*We need a few parent volunteers at each campus to assist Mr. Nardone. While some knowledge of chess, checkers or cribbage is helpful, it isn’t necessary! Please contact Carol Fiore at [email protected] if you can help!
Lower Campus: The club will meet on Monday mornings at 7:30 AM. Students should enter through the Before Care entrance and check in with the teacher on duty before proceeding to Mrs. Hickey’s class for the club. The first chess/checkers-focused meeting will be Monday, September 23rd.
Some students are particularly excited to learn the game of cribbage in addition to chess. Parent volunteer and pre-k aide Amanda Morrell has volunteered to teach this fun math-oriented game at the lower campus. Therefore, we will be alternating chess and checkers with cribbage. The first cribbage-focused meeting will be Monday, September 30.
Upper Campus: We are thrilled to also offer chess and checkers at the upper campus! The club will meet on Monday morning every other week at 7:00 AM in the music room. Students should enter school through the cafeteria doors. The first meeting will be Monday, September 30.
Kid Trivia Night - Does your child have random information taking up space in his or her head? Students in grades 5-8 are invited to come show us what they know at SCA's very first Kid's Trivia Night of the year on October 4 from 6:30-8:00 pm in the lower campus church hall. The cost is FREE. Students bring their own snacks and water…Miss Nott and Mrs. Lowry will provide the questions and prizes!
UPDATED! Music Groups and Activities - LC Chorus sign ups are now closed. Performance Choir is excited to welcome its new members and can still accept a few newcomers! If interested please email Mr. Quigley. All other group sign ups are still open. We will be lowering the cost of LC Band to encourage more students to enroll! See the email sent out on 9/16 from Mr. Quigley for more details.
UC Drama Club will begin 9/25; please register before then! There will be a parent info night on Thursday 9/19 at 5:30pm in the UC music room for all parents of Upper Campus drama students (LC will have its own info night later in the year). Please feel free to come even if your child is not yet registered.
Upper Campus Faithful Fridays - Come adore Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament before school begins on Fridays from 7:00 - 7:30 AM at the Upper Campus Chapel! Parents, teachers and students are welcome to join our Campus Minister, Miss Abbey Thompson, and Mrs. Lester for Faithful Fridays. Stop by and join us as you are able for a moment of prayer. This is a great opportunity to spend quiet time with Jesus as you begin your day and end your week!
Parent Volunteers
NEW! Auction Committee Meeting - It’s time to start planning for the event of the year! Our 21st Annual Saint Christopher Academy Auction will take place on Saturday, March 22 at the Event Center in Nashua. Those who attended last year can attest…this is an amazing evening in support of the school and its students… full of live and silent auctions, raffles, delicious dinner, and more! The Auction Committee has a GREAT time putting the event together and we’d love to have any and all parents join us! The first meeting of the Auction Committee will be Wednesday, October 2nd at 7:00 PM at the upper campus. Please email Auction Chair Jamie Gregoire at [email protected] more information…or just come to the meeting!
Ski Club Volunteers - Winter will be here before we know it…and that means it will be time for Ski Club! Our Ski Club is open to all students and takes place for six weeks starting in January at Crotched Mountain. Grades PreK to 2 must be transported to the mountain and accompanied by parents while there. Grades 3 to 8 have the option to ride a bus between school and Crotched. This year, we are in need of several volunteers to make this program a success for the over 100 students who participate! If you are interested, please contact Mrs. Clarke at [email protected]!
UPDATED! Hot Lunch Volunteering - We are still in need of more Hot Lunch volunteers! We need a minimum of two volunteers daily at each campus. At this time, we do not have enough volunteers to serve lunch on several days, including TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, and THURSDAY at the upper campus. The lower campus is short on TUESDAY and WEDNESDAY. If we do not find volunteers for those dates, we will need to cancel Hot Lunch for those specific days. 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! Cheer Coach - Goooooo Saint Chris! Our cheer squads raise the spirit at our CYO basketball games throughout the winter season. We are looking to have TWO squads this year, one for grades 3-5 and one for grades 6-8. Coaches would begin meeting with students once or twice a week in October and continue through the season until approximately late-February. For more information, please contact Mrs. Clarke at [email protected].
ST. CHRIS PARISH NEWS
St. Christopher Parish Sacrament Preparation Begins Soon
GRADE 2 Students - RECONCILIATION
RECONCILIATION class for this Fall 2024 begins September 29. Baptized students in Grade 2 and up who are seeking reconciliation should register for this class. Students and a parent attend 7 to 8 Sunday evening classes to prepare for this wonderful healing sacrament. We will learn about God’s love for all of us, His forgiveness when we go astray, the Ten Commandments and more. Online registration and payment can be found on the parish website under the Faith Formation tab. Students must also be registered for either our Family Faith program or enrolled at a Catholic school for their ongoing faith formation. Visit stchrisparishnh.org for registration information. Questions? Email: [email protected]
GRADE 3 Students- CONFIRMATION/EUCHARIST
Students in grade 3 who received their Reconciliation last Fall may register for this CONFIRMATION class. This class meets on 7 to 8 Sunday mornings. Families attend the 10 AM Mass and then proceed downstairs for class from 11:15 AM-12:15 PM. Students and a parent participate together as students learn and prepare to receive both Confirmation and Eucharist in Spring 2025. Students registering for this class also register for First Eucharist, which runs from January to May 2025. Students must also be registered for either our Family Faith program or enrolled at a Catholic school. Sacrament prep registration can be done conveniently online from our website stchrisparishnh.org Questions? Email [email protected]
Catholic Community News
NEW! St. John Nuemann Parish Faith Formation News:
First Reconciliation will begin Thursday, October 3 at 6:30pm for a parent meeting to get materials and get started.
Confirmation & First Communion will begin on Thursday, November 7 at 6:30pm for a parent meeting to get materials and get started (our celebration date is TBD but we expect spring).
Immaculate Conception Parish Faith Formation News:
Students in Grade 3(or above) who received Baptism and Reconciliation are eligible to receive Confirmation/First Eucharist in the Spring of 2025, if they are registered through us by Wednesday, October 2 HERE.
Parish of the Resurrection Faith Formation News:
Family Mass at Resurrection is on the first Sunday of the month at 10:30. We also have a Teen & Young Adult evening Mass on the fourth Sunday of the month at 5:00. The next dates for these are:
- Teen/YA Mass 9/29 at 5:00
- Family Mass 10/6 at 10:30
Youth Group at Resurrection is for grades 6 and up, meeting on the fourth Sunday of each month at 3:00 in our parish gym. Parishioners, family, and friends in middle and/or high school are all welcome! Our first meeting this year is on 9/29.
Our sacramental prep program begins in November. We offer a flexible curriculum in which families gather regularly alongside the completion of independent work at home.
St. Aloysious of Gonzaga Parish Faith Formation News:
Registration for Faith Formation at St. Aloysious is open till mid-September, including sacramental preparation for all grades. St. Aloysious also provides EDGE and Lifeteen programs for middle and high school youths. Elementary school children meet twice a month on Tuesdays or Wednesdays for sacramental preparation, and youth ministry sessions are held on Fridays (middle school youth) and Sundays (high school youth) from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. Please see the flyer HERE for more information.
NEW! St. Aloysius of Gonzaga Latin Night - St. Aloysius of Gonzaga Parish invites you to join us at our Latin Night on September 28th from 5 PM to 8 PM in the church parking lot (48 West Hollis Street, Nashua). This vibrant event celebrates the rich variety of the many Latin American nations represented in the parish via food and music.
COMMUNITY NEWS
NEW! Happy Hearts Day Care - Happy Hearts Day Care, located across the street from the lower campus at 12 Cushing Ave, has one opening 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.
NEXT WEEK! YouthWell NH "Beyond the Screen" Events: The first event of YouthWell NH's "Beyond the Screen" series for parents takes place next Thursday, September 26 at Nashua North High School at 6:30 PM. This session will focus on elementary students and the mental health effect of screens, social media, and smart phones. All are welcome to attend this important presentation and discussion about critical influences on youth mental health!
