|
Greetings,
There are a lot of moving parts to beginning the school year, and communication is the key to our success. Our Director of Marketing and Communications, Katrina Garnes, has set up a detailed process for the school to ensure we are all on the same page. The three greatest tools to stay connected with the whole school will be the official online school calendar, the key dates document, and The Weekly Buzz (newsletter).
Additionally, your child’s teacher will be the next line of communication regarding your student’s day-to-day experience. They will provide you with important updates, assignments, and progress reports. Please make sure to establish a good line of communication with them to stay informed about your child’s education journey.
If your child is enrolled in our after-school program (Stingers Squad and/or clubs), our Auxiliary Programming Director, Maurice Shaffer, will be communicating with you directly on August 12, 2025. They will share information about program activities, schedules, and any updates or changes that may arise throughout the year. Stay connected with them to ensure your child’s smooth transition from school to the after-school program.
If your child is enrolled in our preschool program, our Preschool Director, Courtney Vaughn, will be communicating with you directly to share preschool specific information with you. In our preschool, our primary form of communication is through the Kaymbu app. You will be receiving an email through Kaymbu once your account has been set up.
Please let us know if you have any questions. We are looking forward to a great upcoming school year!
Best regards,
Anne Shamanski
Associate Head of School
| | |
THE PARENT ASSOCIATION WELCOMES YOU
The Parent Association extends a warm welcome to all new and returning families! We’re excited for the year ahead and look forward to connecting with you.
There are many ways to get involved in the St. Benedict's community—starting with our Summer Socials, a great chance to meet other families before the school year begins.
If you have any questions about the PA, feel free to reach out at pa@stbs.org.
You can also join our Facebook group, Families of St. B’s, by clicking here and answering a few quick questions. We can’t wait to see you soon!
| | |
CLASSROOM PLACEMENTS, MEET THE TEACHER, AND
ADMINISTRATION Q&A
Teachers will be emailing welcome letters to students the week of July 28, 2025, and all families will hear from their teachers by August 1, 2025. Please remember, per our school handbook, requests for specific teachers are not accepted. Teacher placement takes into account many variables, including the best academic learning environment for your child as recommended by your child’s previous teachers. It is a very thorough process. We are urging grade levels to coordinate sending their welcome emails as close together as possible; however, because teachers are enjoying summer with their families, please be aware they may be sent on different days.
-
August 7 NEW Family Orientation Zoom 1st-8th Grade
- 6:00 P.M. Required for any new family with a 1st-8th grade student and any Kindergarten family who can not attend Tears and Cheers.
-
Zoom Link HERE or input the Meeting ID: 388 991 9172 and Passcode: annestbs
- August 8 Preschool Orientation (parents only)
- 9:00 A.M. - 10:00 A.M. Preschool 1s and 2s
- 10:30 A.M. - 11:30 A.M. Preschool 3s and PreK
-
August 11 Meet the Teacher (parents and students)
- 9:00 A.M. - 10:00 A.M. K-2nd
- 11:00 A.M. - 12:00 P.M. 3rd-5th
- 1:00 P.M. - 2:00 P.M. 6-8th
- August 12 Preschool Meet & Greet (parents and students)
- 9:00 A.M. - 9:45 A.M. Preschool 1s and 2s
- 10:00 A.M. - 10:45 A.M. Preschool 3s and PreK
- August 13 Tears and Cheers Reception with Parent Orientation
- 8:15 A.M. ALL Kindergarten families
| |  | |
CARPOOL TAGS & MAPS
At Meet the Teacher and Orientation, new families will receive a backpack tag that should be attached to their bag. Car hang tags will also be handed out and should be displayed on your rearview mirror during pickup. These matching tags help ensure that the correct student is picked up safely and efficiently. If you need a replacement for either tag, please email Mollie Shepherd.
Returning families' numbers will remain the same. Additional hang tags may be purchased for $6.00 per pair, and the charge will be applied to your FACTS account. If you would like to purchase additional hang tags, please email Mollie Shepherd by July 18.
We are asking families to arrive on Fridays no earlier than 2:05 P.M. This helps the school increase instructional time and honor our promise to the community by keeping cars from stacking up on Cooper Lake Road.
5-8th grade can ONLY enter or exit the campus from/to Cooper Lake/Weaver Street. Per Cobb County Zoning, we cannot use Weaver Street to/from Daniel Street.
For your reference, these are the carpool maps for Main Campus (preschool through 3rd grade), The Hive (4th grade), and South Campus (grades 5th-8th).
When arriving on campus, you must use your PikMyKid app to announce. This ensures that the proper adult is picking up your student. A guide to using PikMyKid and the delegation process for our carpool app is attached here. If you have any questions using PikMyKid, please email Mollie Shepherd.

| | |
  NEW STUDENT YARD SIGN T-SHIRT PICK-UP | |
New Families: St. B’s wants you to get excited about joining our amazing community! Feel free to pick up your student's yard sign, t-shirt, and tote bags (preschool only) from our administrative office on our Main Campus between 9:00 A.M. - 2:30 P.M. Monday through Thursday throughout the summer.
Final Official transcripts for incoming 1st graders through 8th graders are due to the Office of Admissions by July 31, 2025.

| | | |
CALENDAR AND DAILY SCHEDULE
Our first day of classes is on Wednesday, August 13th, 2025, and will follow our normal school schedule. A more detailed calendar will be sent mid-August.
School hours are as follows:
- Preschool 1s, 2s, 3s and Pre-Kindergarten: 8:45 A.M. - 12:45 P.M. (morning carpool begins at 8:25 A.M. and ends at 8:45 A.M.; afternoon carpool begins at 12:45 P.M. and ends at 1:00 P.M.)
- Kindergarten: 8:10 A.M. - 2:20 P.M. (morning carpool begins at 7:45 A.M. and ends at 8:10 A.M.; afternoon carpool begins after 2:20 P.M. dismissal and ends at 2:35 P.M.)
- 1st-4th Grades: 8:10 A.M. - 3:10 P.M. (morning carpool begins at 7:45 A.M. and ends at 8:10 A.M.; afternoon carpool begins after the 3:10 P.M. dismissal and ends at 3:30 P.M.)
-
5th-8th Grades: 8:00 A.M. - 3:20 P.M. (morning carpool begins at 7:35 A.M. and ends at 8:00 A.M.; afternoon carpool begins after 3:10 P.M. dismissal and ends at 3:30 P.M.) Please note the later dismissal time for grades 5-8.
All students in grades K-8 will dismiss on Fridays at 2:20 P.M. throughout the school year. Carpool will begin after the 2:20 P.M. dismissal for all students in Kindergarten through 8th grade. This carpool will end at 2:40 P.M.
Early Pick-Ups
Early pick-up is arranged by an email to your child’s teacher and pickup@stbs.org. Children will not be released after 2:45 P.M. Monday-Thursday and 1:50 P.M. on Friday. Please arrange early pick-up before these times to allow faculty and staff to end lessons and prepare for carpool.
| | K–8 UNIFORM & PRESCHOOL TOTE BAG GUIDELINES | |
Kindergarten - 8th Grade Only Uniforms are required for all Kindergarten through 8th grade students. These can be purchased at Lands’ End. The document explaining the uniform requirements can be found here.
If ordering from Lands’ End, you may click here for all of your ordering needs. Requirements are listed on the Lands’ End site, but a summary of all requirements is attached. Lands’ End offers a number of optional pieces. You will find many of these on the Lands End site marked as such. The biggest questions we receive are outerwear and shoes.
Anything worn in the building to layer (sweatshirt, sweater, fleece, etc.) must be logo’ed. Anything worn just to the playground (like a raincoat or winter coat) does not require a logo - children can wear anything. Shoes are tricky because they are often not solid colors, but we ask athletic shoes to be worn daily, and if a dress shoe is worn for Chapel (optional), children should always be able to run and play safely. Boots (winter or rain) as well as other wedged or open-toe shoes are not permitted. PE Uniform - All students in 4th-8th grade should wear the PE uniform on days that PE is scheduled. Sweatshirts are part of the PE uniform and should only be worn inside during PE days
Preschool Only
Preschool students are required to carry a St. Benedict’s tote bag and should bring it on the first day of class. Monogramming the student’s name on the bag is optional and, if desired, should be handled by the parent. A community partner, Marshmallow Dream, offers personalizations. Check out their flyer here.
| | |
Weekly chapel services are the center of our common life. We gather as a community to celebrate, sing, and pray. We come together to share our stories, and we are reminded week after week of how God works in us as individuals and as a community. Chapel services are in the Episcopal tradition, but are accessible to people of all faiths. For the 2025-2026 school year, the days for Chapel will be:
- Tuesday 8:20 A.M.: Grades 1-3
- Wednesday 8:20 A.M.: Grades 4-5
- Wednesday 9:15 A.M.: Preschool 3s, Preschool 4s, and Kindergarten
- Thursday 8:20 A.M.: Grades 6-8
A typical Chapel is about 20 minutes long. PS/K is about 10 minutes in length.
Typically, Eucharist (or Holy Communion) takes place the first chapel of every month for our students in 1st through 8th grade. These services are longer and last for about 45 minutes.
There is no chapel during the first week of school. Parents and visitors are invited to join us, however, for parents of PS/K students, we ask that you only attend when your child is celebrating a birthday or serving as a chapel helper. The younger children tend to be harder to separate at the end of the service. Thank you for your support.
We will continue our safety protocol to have each family member register to Chapel prior to arriving. The sign-up is accessible on the school calendar on the website or in each weekly buzz. Please be ready to provide your ID upon arrival.
Blessing of the Backpacks will be hosted on Sunday, August 10, 2025, at 8:00 A.M. & 10:00 A.M. This event takes place at St. Benedict’s Episcopal Church during service.
| | |
Digital literacy is an incredibly important skill and we are a 1:1 school for technology. IPad Minis are required for all 1st through 4th Grade students. Families will purchase their own as the school does not provide the device. An iPad mini is easier for younger children to handle and also allows for less drops and damage than the larger iPad. The device should be brought to school in a case that will keep them well protected, such as an Otterbox or Gumdrop case, preferably with a kickstand.
Please make sure that the device meets the following minimum requirements:
The iPad Mini must be a 5th generation or newer and must be able to run on the latest IOS, which at this time is IOS18, and must be able to be updated through the life of its use by the student. The newest IOS 26 will be out in the fall, and the purchased iPad Mini should be able to be updated to IOS26.
See link below for generations that are compatible with the IOS18: https://support.apple.com/guide/ipad/ipad-models-compatible-with-ipados-18-ipad213a25b2/ipados.
4th graders will transition to computers during the school year, but they will be utilizing a class set of Chromebooks, so there is nothing to purchase. Students in grades 5-8 will receive their Chromebook once school starts. The Chromebook is included in tuition and fees for students in grades 5-8. Students must keep their Chromebook in the assigned black case.
| | STINGERS ATHLETICS: THIS YEAR'S SPORTS | |
We are so excited for another great year for our Stinger Athletes. Please see below for all of our sports that we will offer this year. If you have any questions, please contact our Athletic Department at stbsathletics@stbs.org.
Fall (August-October):
- Boys and Girls Cross Country (5th-8th)
- Open until August 1st
- Girls Volleyball (5th-8th)
- Open Until August 1st
Winter (November-February):
- Boys and Girls Basketball (6th-8th)
-
Please fill out the interest form here if your athlete would like to participate.
- Boys and Girls Basketball (5th SBA)
-
Please fill out the interest form here if your athlete would like to participate.
- Boys Tennis (6th-8th)
-
Please fill out the interest form here if your athlete would like to participate.
Spring (Mid January-April):
- Boys and Girls Track & Field (6th-8th)
- Boys and Girls Flag Football (6th-8th)
- Boys and Girls Tennis (5th-8th)
| | |
Please complete the following health forms in the event that your child has health conditions we need to help manage:
- Authorization to Dispense Medication (use for all over-the-counter and prescription medications)
- Food Allergy Action Plan
- Asthma Action Plan
- Seizure Action Plan
These forms should be completed for our school nurses to provide care for any student with any of these needs. If you have completed one in the past, we must have it updated for this school year.
You must also submit to the school a copy of each student’s Immunization Form 3231 (Preschool 1s-8th) and Hearing/Vision Form 2200 (K-8th)
All students must submit updated forms for the new school year even if no changes have been made. Please contact your pediatrician’s office to request the required immunization form. We ask that you scan and email the forms directly to forms@stbs.org or you may bring them to the school’s front office or mail them to us at 2160 Cooper Lake Road, Smyrna, GA 30080.
| | | YAY LUNCH!: FRESH, LOCAL MEALS FOR YOUR CHILD | | |
We’re excited to continue our partnership with YAY Lunch as our lunch service. They’re hard at work curating a customized menu just for us, featuring nourishing meals made fresh daily by local chefs.
Register or update your account today to be the first to know when your Lunch Calendar is ready to explore! With exciting announcements, delicious options and big promos around the corner, you won’t want to miss a thing. Please note this is for students in Preschool 3s and above.
| | |
STINGERS SQUAD AUXILIARY PROGRAMMING

Our Stingers Squad Auxiliary Programs consist of Before and After Care, Afterschool Enrichment Clubs, Stingers Unplugged, and Summer Camps. This year, Stingers Squad has provided a calendar of Stingers Squad events for the school year. Please click here to view the calendar, which will be updated along with the main school calendar, as family event dates are finalized.
Extended Care & Enrichment Clubs
Registration for extended care and enrichment clubs for the fall semester will open at 9:00 A.M. on July 14, 2025, and close on August 6, 2025. Before care will be offered for all ages beginning at 7:15 A.M., and aftercare will be offered until 6:00 P.M. Stingers Squad is very proud to provide high-quality extended care programming. Attached you will find a document detailing what you and your child can expect during aftercare this year - we recommend you take a look, even if your child has attended aftercare previously.
For students in Preschool 3s through 8th grade, Stingers Squad is excited to continue to offer a variety of fun after school enrichment Clubs. Click here to see the enrichment clubs brochure and calendar for Fall 2025.
Extended care and enrichment club registration is combined into one process each semester. It is extremely important that you meet the deadlines below in order to utilize our extended care and club programs for Fall semester.
Registration for extended care and enrichment clubs for the fall semester will open on July 14, 2025, and close on August 6, 2025. We cannot guarantee extended care availability for registrations completed after this date. Late enrichment club registrations will be accepted until August 15, 2025. Please click here to register for extended care and/or clubs.
For more information, including pricing for extended care, visit www.stbs.org/stingers-squad or email: stingerssquad@stbs.org.
| | ST. B'S FAMILY REFERRAL PROGRAM | | |
Current and new St. Benedict’s families enrolled for the 2025–2026 school year can earn a 10% tuition discount on one student by referring a newly enrolled family. To qualify, the referred family must apply and enroll between Tuesday, April 1, 2025, and Monday, August 5, 2025.
Guidelines:
- The referring family’s name must be listed on the new family’s application. If more than one family is listed, the discount will be divided among them.
- Referrals without a listed name cannot be honored.
- The new family must apply and enroll between April 1, 2025 and August 5, 2025. Enrollment means submitting a signed contract and tuition deposit for the 2025–2026 school year.
- The referral discount applies to tuition only (not fees) and is limited to one student per family.
- Both families must be enrolled for the 2025–2026 school year to qualify.
- Tuition discounts are non-transferable to other families.
| | |
 
ST. BENEDICT'S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL | stbs.org
| |
   
| | | |
