Weekly Update - September 15, 2016
It has been a great week at St. Michael and we have so much to share. In this update you'll find:

A letter from Mrs. Maxwell regarding the discipline policy and a Top 20 Moment at the school

Another VIRTUS training session has been added in October. This training is required for all new volunteers.

Marathon is off to a great start! We'll provide an update on fundraising totals next week.

Our Preschool Program is booming! We spotlight their hard work this week.

We've also included some  fundraising items and upcoming events. Specific details for Curriculum Night for grades 1-4 available here. Grades 5-8 Curriculum Night presentation times are available here.

Are you starting to think about high school? We've got a few items you might be interested in.

Don't forget to review the handbook, print and sign the last page, and return it to your child(ren)'s homeroom teacher. Click here to review the 2016-2017 Handbook.

Finally, the f ull band will meet after school on September 22 . There will be no lessons or beginning band due to the all schools Mass that day off site.
laurieFrom The Principal's Desk

Discussing the themes of the parent survey was a focus for staff during our workshop week.  Time was taken to analyze the results and discuss the recommendations of the School Advisory Council (SAC). While the survey results were overwhelmingly positive, key areas were identified where St. Michael Catholic School can improve. Over the next few weeks I will be sharing the results of our staff's work. 
 
The first topic we discussed was consistent enforcement and communication of the discipline policy.
 
At St. Michael, we strive to live our lives as Christ would want us to, by loving God with our whole hearts and loving our neighbors as ourselves.  We utilize the Top 20 approach and school agreements as positive ways to reinforce behavior.  Yet at times, discipline and corrective action is needed.
 
All staff reviewed the discipline policy and discussed each point. The objective was to make sure we all had the same understanding and enforcement of the policy. Other outcomes of their work included:
  • Students will not be held in from recess as a discipline or to finish school work.
  • Group discipline will not be used; only those involved in a situation will be disciplined.  
Over the first few days of school each teacher reviewed the policy with their class. They developed classroom rules to align with the policy. These rules, along with the Top 20 School Agreements are posted in each classroom.
 
Middle school staff also noticed that the handbook did not communicate the middle school discipline policy; this has been corrected.
 
If a student is sent to the principal's office, the student will fill out a Turn Around Plan (TAP) form.  (See the handbook for more information on TAP) and make a phone call home.  A copy of the TAP form will be sent home for the parent to sign.
 
When student's come to my office for discipline, it becomes an opportunity for all concerned to learn and grow from the situation.  Students are reminded that they can live our Top 20 school agreement and that I believe in them.
 
I hope all parents will join us on Tuesday, October 4 from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. to learn more about Top 20 and how we guide all children to be the best versions of themselves.
top20Top 20 Moment

This week students were given a Top 20 challenge: memorize our school agreements and recite them to their teacher by Friday. I challenge you to do the same. Surprise your son or daughter by reciting our agreements to them at the dinner table.  See if they can explain what these sayings mean to us at school.
 
Our # 1 Job :     We Help Each Other Succeed.
 
We communicate You matter.
 
We Honor the Absent.
 
We See the Problem,
We Fix the Problem.
This Wednesday I approached a group of girls in the hall, I noticed that one was hurt holding her head.  Two others were helping her, so kindly and gently.  They explained to me that their friend had bumped her head into a door and they were helping her get to the nurses office.  I inquired if their teachers knew about the situation.
One young lady responded, "Mrs. Maxwell, there were five of us.  Two of our friends went to let our teacher know while we are helping her to the nurse."
I could not have been more proud of this group of elementary girls.  I thanked them.  They truly were living our school agreement.  They communicated you matter by seeing the problem and taking care of it!
virtusAdditional VIRTUS training session added at St. Michael

In response to the Charter for the Protection of Children and Youth, the Archdiocese of Minneapolis and St. Paul requires training sessions for all adult volunteers having regular and/or unsupervised contact with children and youth. The  program specifically address how the entire parish and  school communities can protect all of God's children from  sexual abuse.
 
A FREE VIRTUS training is being offered at St. Michael  Catholic Church on Tuesday, October 11 from 6:00-9:00 p.m. in Archangels Hall. Please register online at www.virtus.org. Call Tammie at 952-447-2491 if you need assistance.
heroMarathon Updates

Thank you to all families who returned the Share Our School Postcards. 

Congratulations to Madeline Heil, Colin Glynn, Peyton Peppler, Patrick McRaith, Gretchen Heil, Joseph Sher, Aidan Klinkhammer, Katie Nollete, Evan Laughridge, Abbey Heil, Meghan Binkowski, Raina Tremain, Ryan Pavek, Connor Benedict, Maria LoPresto, JT Casey, Grace Meyer, Grace Haugh, Lucy Azinger, and Danika Terrell they were the winners of the postcard drawing and took home a sweet treat.

Weekly Breakfast Winners:  The three classrooms who have raised the most money this week win a brekfast treat on Monday. They will be announced Friday morning on BNN.

Online Donations: The online donation page is live! Donations can be made by here

Volunteers: All parents are invited to be part of our service project between the hours of 10:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. on Friday, October 7. Please watch for additional details.

Family Fun Night:  Make sure Family Fun Night is on your calendar! Join us Friday, October 7 from 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. for Human Foosball, Bingo, and El Jefe Food Truck.

Parent's can be heroes too: The parish Nurse Ministry is sponsoring a blood drive on Tuesday, October 4 from 1:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. in Archangels Hall. You can donate blood and be a hero, too! Sign-up online by clicking here.
preschoolSpotlight on Preschool

Things have been busy in the Preschool Program!  Over the summer, the program received a make-over due to a generous
grant from the Catholic Schools Center of Excellence. The classrooms are filled with new
furniture, materials, and freshly painted walls!

Due to high demand  in our three-day option, we were able to open another section and welcomed Mrs. Yaklin to our team.  We were excited to launch  Creative Curriculum and  can't wait to begin using PreciouStatus to communicate with our class parents. 

The early drop-off option has also been well received! Students can begin their day as early as 7:30 a.m. Mrs. Rausch and Mrs. Hobart work with the students until the core class time begins.

The preschool  students have been busy learning classroom routines, meeting new friends and  exploring classroom materials. The kids are giving the preschool program two thumbs up!
volunteer volunteer2Volunteer at St. Mike's

Volunteers are essential to the success of St. Michael Catholic School. We welcome parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, alumni, and friends to volunteer. Please review the many opportunities to help find one that best meets your skills and interests .

The current active sign-ups are:

fundraisingFundraising at St. Mike's

Box tops: We are looking for a new Box Top Coordinator. Please contact the school office at 952-447-2124  if you are interested.

Metro Dining Cards are here!  Click here for more details.

Uncle Ben's Beginners: Cook with your child and win $15,000 for yourself and $30,000 for the school. Click here for details.

Bright Future Promotion from Cheese Heads: How would you spend $10,000 at St. Mike's? Tell Frigo Cheese Heads in 50 to 200 words. Click here for the details.
highschoolCatholic High School News

Chesterton AcademyChesterton Academy is a joyfully Catholic, affordable high school.  In consultation with the Archdiocese of Saint Paul   and Minneapolis, the school is exploring the possibility of opening a campus for grades 9 and 10 at St. John the Baptist, Jordan, in fall of 2017.  Join us for an Open House Thursday, September 29 at 6:30 p.m. to learn more!  The evening will   include a campus tour, presentation by the Superintendent, and a chance for Q&A.

Youth Fire Fan Night at Holy Family Catholic High School:  Families are invited to join the Holy Family Catholic High School community for Youth Fire Fan Night at Fire Football on Friday, September 23. Join us for a complimentary picnic of burgers, brats and hot dogs between 6-7 p.m. with kids' games and activities, giveaways, entertainment by the HF pep band and dance club followed by an exciting football game. Print your family's free admission ticket to the game at 
calendarUpcoming Events

September 20 6:00 p.m. Curriculum Night (Grades 1-4)
September 22
All Schools Mass at CHS Field (Grades 4-8)
September 22 6:00 p.m. Curriculum Night (Grades 5 & 6)
September 22 6:30 p.m. Curriculum Night (Grades 7 & 8)
September 26-30
NWEA Testing (Full schedule will be sent next week)
September 29 8:00 a.m. School Mass - St. Michael Feast Day
September 30
School Pictures
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You can view the entire school calendar here.

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