Most Blessed Sacrament Catholic School
Educating the Mind, Body, and Soul
Pelican Express
August 11-18, 2016

School Hours:  7:25 am - 2:45 pm with a ssembly beginning at
7:45 am and c arpool ending at 3:10 pm  

A Message From Cheri Gioe

My Best Side!  These words greet you as you enter the MBS school office.  Last week, on our first day of school, I had the opportunity to meet with all of our students.  While meeting, I asked them, “What does it mean when we say, “My Best Side”?”  The students shared the following answers:  “MBS”, “being kind”, “listening to our teachers”, “living like Jesus did”, “following the rules”, “doing my best”, and they are all right.  When we do all of these things, we show others our best side. 

At the end of that day, I joined our aftercare staff for pizza and a staff meeting.  I was pleased to learn that seven of our aftercare staff are former students of MBS School.  They told me that they are very excited to be giving back to the school they love and I truly believe they are. 

A true testament of how our students feel about MBS occurred as I was leaving that meeting.  One of the young, college-aged men, stopped me as I was walking to the car.  He asked me if I was excited about being the new principal, but what really struck me was his next statement.  He said, “Ma'am, please do a good job for my school.  When I have children, I want them to come here.”  Believe me, his comment gave me chills.  What an impact MBS has had on his life and the life of so many other students like him.  An impact so great can only come from the those around him who have given their best side.

What is your best side and how can you share it with MBS?  
Important Calendar Dates

August 15 - School Liturgy - 8:45am

August 15 - Open House Grades 6-8 - St. Ursula Hall - 6pm

August 15 - 17 - Kindergarten Staggered Entry 

August 16 - Open House Grades K-5 - St. Ursula Hall - 6pm

August 18 - All Kindergarten Students Attend

August 24 - School Pictures

August 24 - Substitute Orientation - St. Ursula Hall - 10am

August 25 - School Liturgy - 8:10am

August 29 - September 2 - ASPIRE Testing

August 31 - September 2 - Mother Teresa Celebration  
Open House - August 15-16

Spend an evening at MBS for our annual Open Houses.  Evening highlights are:
  • Volunteer opportunities
  • Home and School raffles to include 3 months of free tuition, 1st and 2nd in line carpool spots, and a gift certificate for Young Rembrandt's after school art program
  • A Cyber Security presentation by Geoff Smarada
  • A state of MBS address delivered by our new principal, Cheri Gioe
  • Classroom Visits

As in the past, Open House will be divided into 2 nights:  

Monday, August 15 - 6pm - 8pm  - Parents of Students in Grades 6th-8th
Tuesday, August 16 - 6pm - 8pm - Parents of Students in Kindergarten - 5th Grade
     Flamingo Night -Aug. 19
  • Volleyball Game - 8th Graders against the Faculty
  • $2 to enter
  • Tailgating begins at 5:30pm - bring your own tent and chairs and your own beverage 
  • Men's Club will be selling jambalaya for $5/plate and  concessions will be sold
  • Games begin at 6:30pm
  • Click here for more information
Prayer for Peace - August 20
 
Father Phil has set an evening prayer date to pray for our Local Community.  We all have a part we can play in the reunification and healing needed in our community.  The  Prayer for Peace  is set for  Saturday, August 20, 2017 at 7:00 pm in the MBS Church.  There will be community prayer, music and Adoration.  Please consider joining other ministries of the Parish for this time for healing and hope for this great community of Baton Rouge.
Substitute Teacher Orientation - August 24

Anyone interested in substitute teaching must complete a substitute teacher orientation.  The first sub orientation is scheduled for Wednesday, August, 24 from 10am - 11am.  Please RSVP by emailing Mrs. Gioe at [email protected].  Sub hours can also be used for volunteer hours in lieu of payment.
Daily Snacks

Due to the early start time and the MBS cafeteria schedule, all grade levels will be allowed a snack time this year.  Please find a list of approved snacks here. Snacks must be free of loose nuts of any kind and peanut butter.  Non-spill, spill-proof water bottles will be permitted this year.  Water bottles must be labeled with your child's name and homeroom. Inappropriate use of water bottles will result in the loss of the privilage of bringing a water bottle to school. The school is not responsible for lost water bottles.  In the event water bottles become an issue in the classroom, we will revoke the policy.    
Plus Portals and Emergency and Health Information 

Please log in to Parents Plus Portals and verify that your emergency and health information is correct and up-to-date. If your emergency information has changed please make the necessary changes.  Edits can be done at any time. Please also ensure that your emergency card has been completed and turned into the school office by the end of the first week of school.

Plus Portals also provides access to students' grades and assignments.

For information regarding Plus Portals features and use, please visit the interactive tutorial here. 

One Call Now

One Call Now allows parents to enter additional phone or cell numbers and email addresses.

Go to the MBS web page at www.mbsbr.org, go to the Parents tab, and select One Call Now from the drop down list.  Click on One Call Now and follow the directions on entering additional contact information.

Volunteer Opportunities and Time and Talent Cards 

According to the MBS Parent/Student Handbook, all school families must contribute 30 volunteer hours to MBS school and/or church parish as part of their commitment to our faith community.  Hours will be checked prior to re-registration.  Families who have not completed 30 hours of service may be assessed the out of parish tuition rate.  If you need assistance in finding acceptable volunteer hours, please contact the school office.

Volunteer Opportunities:  
  • Grounds Crew:  The MBS Grounds Crew is in need of volunteers.  Volunteers form teams that work once a month on the school grounds.  Please prayerfully consider this important ministry.  If interested, email Mrs. Gioe at [email protected]. 

  • Wires and Cords and Cables...Oh My:   Over the summer we updated a substantial amount of hardware around campus.  As a result, we have an abundance of wires, cords and cables that need to be sorted and organized.  If you have even a little technical experience, we need YOU! This is a project that can be completed at home. If you can help,  please email Mrs. Denton at [email protected]. Thanks in advance for your willingness to help!  
Child Protection Updates

Important Notice from the Office of Child Protection MBS School/Parish…

All volunteers are now required by the Diocese of Baton Rouge to update their training and code of ethics for child protection. Many of our volunteers have already completed this during the last school year. If you have any questions concerning your current status with Child Protection, please contact Beverly Peterson at  225-753-5526  or email [email protected] .  Thank you!
Young Rembrandts Drawing Class - After School Program

New to MBS this year is Young Rembrandts. Young Rembrandts is an after school art program for students in grades K-5.  For more information click  here .
Choir and Band

The Most Blessed Sacrament Concert Band will begin at the end of August. If your child is interested in joining and is in grades 5th-8th, please contact Mrs. Schiebe  for more information. Experience is not necessary. Please note that band is not part of the school schedule or tuition and requires an after school commitment on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:50-3:45 p.m.

The Most Blessed Sacrament Concert Choir will begin at the end of August. If your child is interested in joining and is in grades 4th-8th, please contact Mrs. Schiebe for more information. Experience is not necessary. Please note that choir is not part of the school schedule and requires an after school commitment on Mondays and Wednesdays from 2:50- 4:00 p.m.