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October 14
- Wreath sales begin. See below.
October 15
- Dinner and Comedy Night. See below.
October 17 - Pie Fundraiser begins. See below.
October 20 - Cookie dough delivery to the school. Please pick up by the end of the day.
October 24 - Poinsettia Fundraiser begins. See below.
October 28 - Pie orders are due.
October 28 - Harvest Dance. See below.
November 4 - Poinsettia orders are due.
November 7 - New quarter begins.
November 8 - Early release day. Students are dismissed at 11:30 am. Buses are available. No extended day.
November 11 - Veteran's Day. No school.
November 14 - Pie delivery to the school. Please pick up by the end of the day.
November 16 - Parent/Teacher conferences. More info to come.
November 17 - Parent/Teacher conferences. More info to come.
November 19 - Christmas Fair. See below.
November 20 - Picture re-take day. More info to come.
November 21- Poinsettia delivered to the school. Please pick up by the end of the day.
November 23 - Workshop Day. No school.
November 24 - HAPPY THANKSGIVING. No school.
November 25 - Vacation Day. No school.
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Six weeks into the school year and our numbers continue to grow. As I mentioned two weeks ago, this is only possible because of the amazing faculty and staff at our school. Last weekend while the students were enjoying a 4-day weekend, the staff was at St. Dom's for an in-service day for all Catholic Schools in Maine. We started the day with a Mass celebrated by the Bishop and then the superintendent shared his vision of the future of Catholic Schools in Maine, New England and the country, and we are bucking the odds. I have shared with the teachers and I believe they in turn have shared this information with the students, but we are embarking on two new activities which should allow all of our students to grow in Faith. Our new programs involve our students working together as prayer partners, and doing consistent community service by working with the Augusta Food Bank. I am still working on defining exactly what we will be doing, but it most likely will involve packing and unpacking food, not handing out food. Students who will be involved will receive information letters from the school, as well as permission slips to walk to the Food Bank. This is all part of our goal to share the Good News of Jesus through our works with each other and with our neighbors.
Our sports teams are wrapping up some very successful seasons. I still have a hope that every student will be active each season in an extracurricular activity. Playing team sports is a great way for our students to stay active, and learn camaraderie, teamwork and sportsmanship. As we are a relatively small school, our success is more than just wins and losses, it is also about participation and growth. I will continue to remind everyone how important it is that we all show sportsmanship, and our Christian spirit at all events. Recently there was a game where a parent on another team acted out of line, and some of the parents from the other team who heard what was said, apologized on behalf of the school, and acknowledged how well we handled the situation by not responding or reacting.
As I write this we are just a few days away from our second annual Dinner & Comedy Night. I hope all of you have the opportunity to attend this fun night out for the parents. The money raised from these fundraisers support our ability to offer extracurricular activities, field trips, and enrichment programs for the classrooms. Throughout the United States, the average cost to educate a student is $12,296.00. In Maine the average cost is $12,707.00. At St. Michael School, our cost is about $7,200.00, and the difference between tuition and this cost is made up for by the Parish and the Parents Association. So every time you help out by purchasing wrapping paper, cookie dough, or attending Comedy Night, the Christmas Fair, or the Auction, you are helping our students and our school.
We have begun using our new Chromebooks, and one thing we didn't plan for was the need for insurance that parents could purchase for the devices their children are using. A computer assignment was added to all junior high students' Ascend accounts indicating this with a link to purchase the insurance for $25 per device per year. There is also a link on our school website as well as a link on our facebook page. It is important to note that this is a zero deductible plan with a deadline of November 13th. I encourage all junior high parents to look into this. These devices are exclusively for school/academic use only.
One of the things I repeat to myself on a daily basis from Desiderata is "avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit." I much prefer the constructive discussions I have with those involved with our school.
In closing I ask you to please attend the Dinner & Comedy Night. It is a night out and a great chance to support the school and the Parents Association. I continue to feel blessed that your children are here at St. Michael School, and that you entrust us with them. It cannot go without saying how lucky and thankful we are to have parents who are so supportive of what we are doing.
I ask for God's blessings for all of us.
Kevin Cullen
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Fifth Grades' Native American Projects
Last week, the fifth grade wrapped up their study of early North American Native Americans by building and displaying homes that they would have lived in. Each student was assigned a tribe and replicated their tribe's home. They also had to research information about how they lived, worked, and played. Grades 1 through 8 visited the class to view the houses while the fifth graders shared their information. It was a fun and educational time for all! Great job fifth grade!!
Mrs. Shaw
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Today, October 14th, the students of St. Michael School celebrated the annual Day of Caring. Day of Caring is a day of service where hundreds of volunteers from local businesses and schools spend the day participating in projects including painting, trail cleaning, gardening and much more. Some students cleaned our own school and church property while other students cleaned in our community. Some classrooms worked on projects for our veterans this afternoon as well...truly a way to show compassion and that we care. Students and staff enjoyed a cook-out lunch. It was a very rewarding and wonderful day!
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Cookie Dough Order REMINDER
All cookie dough orders will be available for pick up on
Thursday, October 20th. Please be sure to pick up all of your orders after school that day. Thanks to your support, we hosted a successful fundraiser. Also, thank you to Veronica Johnson for chairing this magazine drive and cookie dough fundraiser. Your time and effort are greatly appreciated.
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Wreath Sales
It's that time of year again. It's time to order your fresh Christmas decorations... wreaths and kissing balls! Pre-order sales are going on now. Flyers will be going home today so be sure to check your student's backpack. Orders will be available for pick up at the school the day of the Christmas fair on Saturday, November 19th. We will be ordering a limited number of extra wreaths to sell the day of the fair so be sure to order yours early to guarantee availability. The wreaths come in three different sizes, 12", 16" and 24", plain or decorated. For more information, call or text Denise Beland at (207) 458-0729 or e-mail at [email protected].
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"Dad's Dynamite Pies" Fundraiser
Pie sales will be starting next week. "Dad's Dymanite Pies" are handmade pies from Maine. These pies are convenient and so delicious for holiday celebrations. Pies come frozen, are available in 10 different flavors, and range in price from $15 to $22. For every pie you sell, you will receive $5 toward your family obligation. The pies will be delivered to the school and MUST be picked up on Monday, November 14th between 2:30 and 5:30 pm. For more information, call Denise Levesque at (207) 623-3491 or e-mail at [email protected].
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Poinsettia Fundraiser 
Longfellow's Greenhouses is the largest grower of poinsettias in the state of Maine. They have been producing quality poinsettias for florists and garden centers since 1977. In 1993, Longfellow's Greenhouses started working with schools and other non-profit organizations with their fundraising programs. The poinsettias are in 6 1/2 " foiled pots and come in your choice of red, white and pink and sell for $13.00. F
or every poinsettia you sell, you will receive $5 toward your family obligation. The poinsettias will be ready for pick up at the school on Monday, November 21st, between 2:30 and 5:30 pm. The Longfellow's Greenhouses staff recommends that you pick up your poinsettias on that day. For more information, call Denise Levesque at (207) 623-3491 or e-mail at [email protected].
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 The Christmas Fair Is Coming!!!
It's time to start thinking about the Christmas Fair. This years theme is "Candlelit Christmas" so the decorations will be everything gold, white and shimmery. Many hands are needed to pull off an event like this, one of the biggest fundraisers of the year! If you want to help, please attend the
next Christmas fair meeting at the school on Wednesday, October 19th, at 5:30 pm.
Each year classrooms are assigned a different theme for providing items and creating a basket to be raffled off. The Christmas fair committee has asked that the homeroom parents find a volunteer or two from their classroom to be in charge of collecting donations, shopping for items, and putting the basket together for their classroom. Be creative with these "baskets"! The value of these baskets should not exceed $300. The baskets are not a classroom competition and always look so beautiful. Each basket should have a printed list of what is included in the basket. Please know that parent donations (whether it is an item or money) is a donation and will not count toward your family financial obligation. Raffle ticket sales for the baskets will be going on sale soon. The winners will be drawn the day of the fair but you need not be present to win. If you have trouble finding volunteers to work on your classroom basket, please feel free to contact the Christmas fair chair, Stephanie Hunter, at [email protected] or [email protected]. Below is the list of themes for each grade's baskets:
Pre-K and Kindergarten -
Money Tree
Grade 1 -
Arts & Crafts
Grade 2 -
Family Fun
Grade 3 -
Gift Cards
Grade 4 -
Sports
Grade 5 -
Holidays
Grade 6 -
Winter Warmth
Grade 7 -
Reading
Grade 8 -
Relaxation
We are also in need of new Secret Santa items to be donated. Secret Santa is a secret area for children to do some shopping for those on their Christmas list. There will be boxes in the lobby soon where you can drop off donated items for Secret Santa or donated Christmas decorations, gift wrap, or bows. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact Stephanie.
Together great things really CAN happen!
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September Box Tops Winner
For the month of September, the winning class was Mrs. Pickrell's Kindergarten classroom. Congratulations Kindergarten!! Don't forget to submit your box tops labeled with your child's classroom. For more information, visit
www.boxtops.com.
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October Stocking Stuffer Winners
October - $100.00 each
Sean MaGuire...sold by Dylan MaGuire
Veronica Johnson...sold by Natalie Irwin
CONGRATULATIONS!!
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Spread the word! Hannaford Helps Schools has kicked off for 2016! Earn $3 for our school for every 4 qualifying items you buy ...from breakfast and lunch items to snacks, household supplies and more. For more information, click
here.
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