October 30, 2024

 

 

Auction Invite 2024

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

 

 

NEW! Auction Theme! Let’s get the ball rolling…we are excited to announce our theme for this year’s Auction…March Madness: Get in the Game for Saint Chris! Our 21st Auction is sure to be one for the record books with 250 parents, alumni, faculty, and friends gathered in their best NBA Draft Night attire for a night in support of the students of Saint Chris! More details on plans for the evening and how to get involved will be coming soon!

NEW! Auction Committee Meeting - Want to help plan the big event? Our fun-loving Auction Committee will meet next Thursday, November 7, at 7:00 PM at the upper campus. Please join us!

 

TOMORROW! Orange/Black/White Free Dress - Tomorrow, Thursday, 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. REMINDER: Students should not wear costumes to school. As a Catholic school, we also discourage wearing outfits that highlight witches, ghosts, goblins, haunted houses, etc. Thank you! 

 

NEW! 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 this week! 

 

October School Board Meeting Minutes - Minutes from the October School Board meeting have also been posted on the Board page of the website. Please click HERE to review. Note: Minutes from previous meetings from the past year can be found in the right sidebar of the School Board page.

 

NEW! Veterans Day - Reminder! We will have NO school this on Monday, November 11 in observance of Veterans Day.

 

Calendar Raffle Winners -  Looking for a list of daily winners? We have a running post HERE on the school website and a pinned list of winners HERE on Facebook!

 

Student Dismissal Notifications - Please remember that when your child is going to be dismissed during the school day from the lower campus, you must notify your child’s teacher and/or the front desk first thing in the morning. Notification may be done via email to the teacher or [email protected], through a note to the teacher, or by a phone call to the front desk at 603-882-7442, ext. 500. This notification allows the teacher to have the student ready at the correct time without disrupting the class. Thank you for your cooperation!

 

Lower Campus Front Drop-off Reminders - Please help us keep our students safe and our traffic pattern moving smoothly by following all protocols for the morning drop-off in front of the lower campus building! We have had several close calls, with cars and students narrowly being missed by oncoming traffic. Please note:

  • Drop off is on the school side of the street ONLY. Do not pull up to the other side of the street and escort your student/s across the street. Local traffic is often not particularly aware that students are crossing the street and crossing students are easy to miss!
  • Pull up as far as possible towards the end of the school building when you drop off in order to make room for others behind you to also drop their students off. 
  • Do NOT get out of your car in the drop off line for any reason. If your student needs additional time or your assistance in getting out of the car, please park in the upper parish parking lot by the church. You may exit your car there and walk your student down to the back entrance of the school. 
  • Once your child has exited your car, please follow the car in front of you and pull away as soon as you are clear. We have a teacher stationed in the front of the school every day to be sure that students enter the school safely, so it is not necessary to watch children go up the walkway. 
  • Please do not pull out around another car when your child has exited and please check oncoming traffic before you pull away from the school. Local street traffic has the right of way at all times. 

 

Copier Donation? Sadly, we are noticing that our downstairs black and white copier is nearing its end of life in the next few months. This copier was donated several years back by a company who was replacing it with a new one….and we are hoping that another company might find themselves in the same position this year! If your business might have a copier available, please email Mrs. Clarke at [email protected]. Thank you!

 

THIS FRIDAY! Winter Uniform begins November 1 - THIS Friday, 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! Boots and Shoes Reminder - Please remember that no boots, including Uggs, are allowed on regular uniform days. Lower campus students may bring boots to wear outside for recess once the snowy weather has begun, but they must bring a pair of regular shoes to wear inside during the school day. Boots ARE allowed on Free Dress days on both campuses, however! In addition, please note that Ugg clogs/slippers and Crocs are also not allowed on regular school days. 

 

THIS WEEK! Report Cards - 1st quarter grades report cards will be emailed to parents THIS Friday, November 1st. 

 

NEW! Hot Lunch Orders for December - Ordering for December’s Hot Lunch will open on Friday, 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!

 

Lower Campus Parent-Teacher Conferences - Parent-teacher conferences at the lower campus are scheduled for Thursday, November 21 from 12:45 - 8:00 PM. Conference sign-up's were done in most classrooms on Parent Information Night in September. If not, you will hear from your teacher shortly. At least one parent/guardian must meet with each child's homeroom teacher at the lower campus at this time.

 

Upper Campus Parent-Teacher Conferences - Upper campus parent-teacher conferences will take place on Thursday, November 21, from 12:20 - 7:40 PM, in the upper campus gym. All meetings will be 10 minutes in length and MUST be pre-scheduled using the Sign-Up Genius HERE (click the tabs across the top to view each teacher’s conference schedule as well as a waitlist for teachers whose conferences are full.)  Parents are encouraged to review their student's schedule and prioritize meeting with teachers whose class is challenging a student most. Parents are not required to attend or to speak with all of a student's teachers. 

 

NEW! Current Student Re-enrollment for 2025-2026 - Re-enrollment for current students opens Friday, November 1st and runs through January 15!  The parent marked as the primary in each student’s account will receive  an email on Friday with instructions on completing the re-enrollment process for 2025-2026. The re-enrollment packet is accessible through your Family Portal.  Because we have high demand and waiting lists for several grade levels, any student who has not been re-enrolled by January 15 will forfeit his or her seat for the following year. There will be a registration fee of $200 due as part of the online re-enrollment. Please contact Lorrice Bedard at [email protected] if neither parent received the re-enrollment email or if you have questions.

 

Applications for 2025-2026 - Do you know a family who would like to join the Saint Chris community next year? Applications for new students for the 2025-2026 school year are now OPEN. New families should start the process HERE

 

NOW OPEN! Planning on PreK, Kindergarten or 1st Grade for Your Little One at Home Next Year? - Applications for new students for the 2025-2026 school year are now OPEN! If you have a child at home who will be joining us for the first time next fall, we highly recommend that you apply immediately so that we may reserve his or her space.  With PreK and kindergarten enrollment currently at capacity and high interest from new families in both grades, as well as 1st grade, we encourage you to submit your application right away. Veteran families can complete a new student application through their Family Portal.  While siblings of current families do have priority, we can only honor that if we know you are interested!  Please reach out to Lorrice Bedard, Enrollment Coordinator, at [email protected] with any questions.

 

NEW! November  Early Release - Please be sure to mark your calendar for the Early Release on Thursday, November 21st. Upper campus students will be released at 11:30 AM and lower campus students will be released at 12:00 PM. There will be NO After Care on either campus as teachers will be conducting Parent-Teacher Conferences. Note: PreK students are released at 11:40 AM and Kindergarten students are released at 11:50 AM.

 

NEW! Thanksgiving Vacation - In observance of the Thanksgiving holiday, we will have NO SCHOOL from Wednesday, November 27th through Friday, November 29!

 

NEW! SCRIP for Christmas! – Did you know that you can purchase gift cards to most popular retailers and restaurants quickly and easily online through the Shop with Scrip Program…AND benefit Saint Chris at the same time? Click HERE, select “Join a Program,” and create an account using our school code 751C7D6L13155. Gift cards are available from a long list of retailers and restaurants and all gift cards will be shipped directly to the school. You’ll usually receive your gift cards in under a week, and the school receives anywhere from 1.25% to 14% of your gift card purchase! Christmas is a perfect time to give the program a try, with gift card options like Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks, Target, and Barnes and Noble!  SCRIP also has an app for your phone that makes ordering and managing gift cards soooo easy! Check out RaiseRight by ShopWithScrip!

 

 

 

UPCOMING EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES 

 

NEW! Spirit Store Open Again! Back by popular demand…our Wildcat Spirit Store will be open again for orders from November 1st through the 15th! In addition to the items offered previously, we’ve added smaller sizes for our spirit shirts to fit our littlest PreK and Kdg friends! This will be the last ordering period before Christmas, so now is a great time to get those gifts! Visit Maverick’s Stitch and Screen HERE starting Friday, November 1 to order!

 

NEW! December Activities - We have a busy month of Christmas events coming up in December, so be sure to mark your calendar now! More details to follow on every event, but here’s the dates:

  • Tuesday, December 3:  PreK to grade 2 Christmas Concert at 9:30 AM in the church hall
  • Friday, December 6: Christmas Tree Lighting at 6:00 PM at the lower campus (No After Care that day)
  • Wednesday, December 11: Christmas Concert for grades 3 to 8 at 7:00 PM in the gym.
  • Friday, December 13: Upper campus Snowflake Dance
  • Wednesday, December 18: Upper campus Lessons and Carols at 9:45 AM in the gym.
  • Wednesday, December 18: Lower campus Prayer Service at 1:45 PM in the church.
  • Thursday, December 19: Christmas Free Dress and lower campus Christmas Crafternoon
  • Friday, December 20: PJ/Polar Express Day on both campuses
  • December 21 - January 5: Christmas Vacation!

 

Upper Campus (Tri-County) Basketball Signups We are starting the process of signups for our upper campus basketball teams. The upper campus offers four basketball teams each winter including varsity and JV teams for both boys and girls. For those interested in trying out for the team (grades 6-8), please click here to sign up for upper campus basketball

 

Upper Campus (Tri-County) Basketball Informational Meetings Basketball season is right around the corner here at Saint Chris! We will be offering one more mandatory informational meeting that will be basketball specific. This meeting will cover schedules for both practices and games, travel information, playing time, expectations, and more. This meeting should not be any more than 30 minutes. The meeting will be held on Wednesday, November 6 at 6 PM in the gym.

 

Veterans Day Commemorations - Both the upper and lower campuses are looking forward to their annual Veterans Day Commemorations on Friday, November 8. The upper campus ceremony will take place at 9:45 AM and the lower campus will take place at 1:45 PM. We would especially like to honor and thank all veterans who are members of our Saint Chris community as part of these programs. Veterans who can attend are asked to please RSVP HERE by Monday, November 4.

 

Father Daughter 2024

Father-Daughter Dance - Dads (or grandads, uncles, and other father figures) and their daughters are cordially invited to attend the Father-Daughter Dance on Saturday, November 16 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 family. Please RSVP by Tuesday, November 12 HERE!

Since it is a dress-up evening, our students should keep in mind these guidelines: Dress, skirt and blouse, dress pants and top, or full jumpsuit (no strapless dresses or tops.) may be worn.  If the straps on the dress or top are less than 2 inches wide, a sweater or shrug should be worn over it. Skirts and dresses should be no more than 3 inches above the kneecap and should not be tight-fitting. Shoes or sandals must be worn.  No flip flops.

 

Desserts and Volunteers Needed - Help us make the Father-Daughter Dance a night to remember! We are in need of desserts and packaged snacks, as well as a set-up and clean-up crew. Please see the SignUp Genius HERE!

 

THIS WEEKEND! Write at the Museum - Calling all budding writers! The Nashua Historical Society will be hosting an upcoming event on Saturday, Nov. 2 called Writing at the Museum. Students (and adults!) are invited to work on their current writing project surrounded by history at the Nashua Historical Society!. Whether staying for the day or stopping in for a paragraph, enjoy the historic ambiance with your current writing project. Mrs. Lester will be at the event from noon to 3PM and invite students of all ages to join her! For more information, click HERE!

 

Upcoming School Masses - All parents are invited to attend our school masses! Parents must enter through the front door of each campus facility, sign in, and receive a nametag to attend. All upper campus masses are at 9:45 AM and lower campus masses will be at 1:45 PM unless otherwise noted. The schedule for the next month is:

  • November 1 - All Saints Day Mass - 9:45 AM on BOTH campuses
  • November 7 - Lower campus
  • November 13 - Upper campus
  • November 18 - Lower campus
  • December 5 - Upper campus
  • December 9 - Lower campus
  • December 18 - Upper campus Lessons and Carols @ 9:45
  • December 18 - Lower campus prayer service @ 1:45

 

Student Programs and Activities

 

 

THIS WEEKEND! 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].

 

Christmas Card Contest for 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 outside the offices at upper campus to make sure you meet all size requirements. All entries due by Oct. 31st.

 

Lower Campus Library News -  Mrs. Noon has lots of great information to share!

Birthday Books - It's Birthday Book time for lower campus! If your student's birthday falls between September - December they received a birthday book flyer this week. Students whose birthdays are after January will receive their flyer in January. It is a great way to commemorate your child's birthday, and the book they choose will be shared with others for many years to come! Books typically cost between $14-$21 and are typically library bound. If you have more than one student, please consider ordering books for all of them at once even if they haven't received their flyer yet. Feel free to have your student order a book anytime. You can find more information HERE. If you have any questions please email Mrs. Noon at [email protected].

 

Destiny Online Catalog - Students in Grades 2-5 have all been assigned a password and username to fully utilize the online catalog. Students' usernames and passwords do not change from year to year. Once they are assigned a username and password it will stay with them through 5th grade. This week, students will receive a label with their username and password which will be adhered to the inside of their planner for your convenience. Upon logging in, students can look up the books they have checked out, they can put books on hold, and browse the online catalog from the comfort of their home! You may access our online catalog 24/7. Please visit Mrs. Noon's class page to access the online catalog as well as under the Student Life tab on the lower campus home page. Please feel free to email Mrs. Noon at [email protected] if you are having trouble logging in.

 

Self Check-In and Self Check-Out - Independent check-in and check-out in the library for students in Grades 1-5 has begun. Students are now checking in and checking out their own library books. Students love being part of the library process, and it also fosters their independence in the library.

 

Happy Reading!

 

Ski Club - Registration for this year’s Ski Club is now underway! The Saint Chris Ski Club is a fun opportunity to learn how to ski or snowboard through Crotched Mountain. It is a 6 week program beginning Friday, January 10th. Students depart school about 2:45 pm to arrive at the mountain for a 4:00 pm lesson. Lessons run an hour long after which students are welcome to enjoy dinner in the lodge and ski the rest of the evening. Buses depart, heading back to school, at 8:00 pm sharp. For more information, please email Mrs. Beauregard at [email protected].

 

$408 is the cost for lift tickets, lessons, and rentals for all 6 weeks. There are also a la cart options for lift, rentals and lessons so you can get only what you need. There will be a separate charge for the bus which will be posted once we get a final head count. NOTE: Only students in grades 3-8 are permitted to ride the bus. Our younger students are welcome to join Ski Club but must be accompanied by a parent and will need to have transportation to and from the mountain. 

 

IMPORTANT: All students must be registered for Ski Club using the form HERE by December 1st!

  

Lower Campus CYO Basketball - Team practices are starting but there's still time to sign up for 3rd/4th grade coed, 5th/6th grade boys and 5th/6th grade girls teams. Contact Mrs. Beauregard ([email protected])  if your child is interested in playing. 

 

Chess, Checkers & Cribbage Club! The Chess, Checkers, and Cribbage Clubs on both campuses are off to a great start! New members are ALWAYS welcome. To view the schedule for upcoming meetings, please click HERE

 

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

 

NEXT WEEK! 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 16, a Mother-Son Event in mid-winter, Family Bingo this spring, and monthly Teacher Appreciation treats on both campuses. It’s not too late to get involved! The Parent Group’s next meeting will be Monday, November 4th at 7:00 PM the upper campus. Please join us!

 

NEW! Hot Lunch Volunteer Schedule - Thank you to our fabulous Hot Lunch volunteers! The schedule for the next week is:

Thursday, October 31

LC:  Athena Chisholm, Stephanie Ellison

UC: Nadra Bell, Lori Gordon

Friday, November 1

LC: Liz McClure, Julie Vincent, Sarah Daugherty

UC: Aaron Missner, Jennifer Squillace

Monday, November 4

LC: Melanie Marcu, Beth Kreick

UC: Diane London, Paul Schibbelhute

Tuesday, November 5

LC: Dorene Krauss, Leslie Bellows

UC: Nadra Bell, Jen Liba

Wednesday, November 6

LC: Colleen Rice, James Rappaport

UC: Sandra Delosa, Robert Delosa

 

NEW! Popcorn - Thank you to this week’s popcorn poppers:

Lower Campus: Laura Gehringer, Diane Perault, Jhoanny Marte

Upper Campus: Amy Algeo, Darcie Guarino

 

St. CHRISTOPHER PARISH NEWS

 

NEW! From Fr. David - A Catholic Doubleheader!

 

The end of the month brings a liturgical treasure trove as we celebrate the Solemnity of All Saints (A Holy Day of Obligation for the Faithful) on November 1 and the Feast of All Souls on November 2. Although this time of year often brings a fascination with evil and darkness in our culture, the Church calls us to joyfully focus our hearts on the hope of eternal glory and our true home in heaven. I hope you will celebrate these magnificent feast days with us!

 

 

Solemnity of All Saints ~ Friday, November 1

The faithful are obligated to attend Mass on this day unless for a grave reason

Masses at 7:30 AM and 7:00 PM

 

As challenging as it can be to walk the path of perfection that God calls us to, we don't make the journey alone. The saints are people just like us who struggled with their own weaknesses and sins, yet their love for Jesus and His abundant grace propelled them forward in holiness. All Saints Day reminds us that we are called to become saints, and the prayers of this day implore the assistance of all the saints in heaven. What special friends we have who send us timely help from on high!

BONUS FEATURE - We have an extensive collection of First Class Relics of Saints and we will display them at this Mass for your personal devotion. 

 

 

Feast of All Souls ~ Saturday, November 2

Mass at 8:00 AM

 

This feast day calls us to fervently pray for the souls in purgatory who await entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven. This is a corporal work of mercy and a powerful way to love those who have gone before us. At our parish, in a special way we will remember the souls of those who have passed in our parish during the last twelve months. We will light a candle for each person during the Mass and we invite their families to take home the candle after Mass as a prayerful memorial. May these prayers fill our hearts with the hope of one day being reunited with all the faithful departed in heaven.

 

NEW! Join St. Christopher Parish for a Eucharistic Holy Hour and Rosary - To pray for a flourishing of Peace, Justice, the Common Good, and the Protection of All Human Life throughout our community, state, and nation. Join us in prayer on Monday, November 4th from 7:00-8:00 PM. "With God All Things Are Possible"

 

St. Christopher’s Moms & MinisMeet with other moms for hot coffee, light treats and conversation in the church hall. Our minis get to play while we chat and grow in faith and fellowship! We meet every 1st and 3rd Wednesday at 9 - 10:30 AM during the school year, with play dates throughout the summer. For additional information call or text Alex Sullivan at 603-479-4554. 

 

CATHOLIC PARISH NEWS

 

Our Lady of Mercy Confirmation and First Communion Meeting - Our Lady of Mercy will hold a parent meeting for Confirmation & First Communion prep on Thursday, November 7 at 6:30pm in the church. Students should be in third grade and in their second (or more) year of Faith Formation through the parish or Catholic school. Contact Katie Corsetti at [email protected] with any questions.

 

COMMUNITY NEWS

 

Care-E-Oke!  Get ready for an unforgettable night of fun and local talent at Care-E-Oke, hosted at the beautiful and state of the art Nashua Center for the Arts! Support the United Way of Greater Nashua and 22 other amazing local nonprofits by joining us for Care-E-Oke on Friday, November 15th from 7-10pm. Enjoy incredible performances by hometown stars, from soulful solos to high-energy group numbers, all in a family-friendly atmosphere. This is the perfect chance to support your community and have a blast without breaking the bank. Whether you're there to cheer for your favorite singers or just enjoy an impressive show, Care-E-Oke promises a night of fun you won't want to miss! Tickets can be purchased here: https://tinyurl.com/Care-E-Oke24Tickets. The purchase of a ticket gets the purchaser a discount for service at Best Ford Nashua and entry into a raffle for a fully electric Segway Scooter!  

 

NH Knights of Columbus 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 6-12 grade students in NH. The NH Knights of Columbus will make up to six cash awards of $100. Applicants do not have to be a member of the Knights or a Catholic.

The theme for this year’s contest is: “What does the Catechism say about our cooperation with evil (para # 2271,1868,1869) and how does this correct Catholics who have given scandal by supporting abortion and infanticide?”

 

Essays should be no longer than 500 words, typed, and submitted as a PDF or Word document. It should be emailed to [email protected] by midnight on Sunday, Dec. 15.

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.