In this message:

• Join us for the MACS Parent Listening/ Q&A Session Tonight!
• Calendar of Events & Principal Newsletters
• Hiring Mission-Driven Individuals
• Interested in Becoming Catholic? Join the Christian Initiation Program for the Whole Family
• Explore Your Child’s School! Join Us for Student and Faculty-Led Tours
• Your Story Matters—Be Part of the Mack Messenger Magazine
• Become a Volunteer for Harvest Hoedown and All Saints Day Party
• Auditions for Les Misérables School Edition
• Support Our McDonell Seniors!
• Mission Day: Support The Agnes Table
• Football Mania – Week Six Winners Announced
• Scrip Office Update

Community Events:

• Saint Francesca Resource Center – Winter Clothing Giveaway

Dear MACS Families,

MACS parents and families are invited to this evening's Parent Q&A / Listening Session hosted by the MACS Education Commission and Parent Ambassadors beginning at 6:00 p.m. in the McDonell Central Catholic High School Auditorium.

This event is open to all MACS families. Our goal is to hold sessions like this twice a year to encourage respectful, constructive dialogue between parents and school leadership.

Now Hiring Mission-Driven Individuals

We're seeking mission-driven individuals for the following positions to join our dedicated team!

• Substitute Teachers
• Part-Time Maintenance Worker
• High School Students for Aftercare at St. Charles
• Head Coach for Boys Wrestling, High School & Middle School
• Head Coach for Girls Wrestling, High School & Middle School
• Head Coach for Boys & Girls Basketball, Grades 5–8 (hiring at each grade level)

👉 Visit our website to learn more and submit your application.

Interested in Becoming Catholic? Join the Christian Initiation Program for the Whole Family!

Families across MACS are invited to join Christian Initiation—a faith journey for children and parents seeking to become Catholic and receive the Sacraments, growing together in faith and community.

For St. Charles & Holy Ghost Families: Is your child interested in becoming Catholic or receiving Baptism, or First Holy Communion? Join our Christian Initiation program—a “Pilgrimage of Faith” that helps children and parents grow in relationship with Jesus and the Church through prayer, Sacraments, teaching, and community.

📅 Sundays at 9:15 a.m. (after 8 a.m. Mass)

📍 Goldsmith Religious Ed. Center (GREC), 22 S Prairie St., Chippewa Falls

📞 Contact John Shakal at jshakal@ourladyofthefalls.org or 715-861-1303

For Notre Dame & McDonell Families: Children and parents interested in becoming Catholic are invited to take part in Christian Initiation—a journey of faith and community for those seeking Baptism, First Holy Communion, or Confirmation. Open to students in grades 1–12 and families across all Chippewa Falls parishes.

📅 Sundays at 9:15 a.m. (after 8 a.m. Mass)

📍 Goldsmith Religious Ed. Center (GREC), 22 S Prairie St., Chippewa Falls

📞 Contact John Shakal at jshakal@ourladyofthefalls.org or 715-861-1303

MACS students who are not yet Catholic are encouraged to join this process to prepare for Reconciliation, Confirmation, and First Holy Communion with their peers.

Explore Your Child’s School! Join Us for Student and Faculty-Led Tours

Visit one (or more!) of our four schools to see firsthand how our students and faculty are living out our mission each day. We’re excited to welcome you into our classrooms and showcase the wonderful things happening across MACS.

Tap the link below to complete our short form and schedule your visit today!

Your Story Matters!—Be Part of the Mack Messenger Magazine

The MACS Advancement Department is preparing the next Mack Messenger (coming out in November), and we are looking for alumni and MACS friends updates for the Class Notes section!

Share life updates — from the womb to the tomb and everything in between.

We welcome alumni news about:

• Anniversaries & birthdays
• Retirements & birth announcements
• Remembering loved ones
• Class reunions
• New jobs or promotions
• Moving to a new area
• Marriage announcements
• Educational milestones

Your stories keep the Mack Messenger alive—we can’t do it without you!

• Deadline: Please submit by Tuesday, October 21 by filling out this short form.
• Updates and stories can also be emailed anytime to mackmessenger@macs.k12.wi.us.

Become a Volunteer for Harvest Hoedown and All Saints Day Party

Help the Home and School Association celebrate the Saints and all things fall at St. Charles and Holy Ghost! 🍂

We’re looking for volunteers to make these events a success—please visit the links below to sign up for the St. Charles Harvest Hoedown (Oct. 27) and the Holy Ghost All Saints Day Party (Oct. 30).

🎭 Auditions for Les Misérables School Edition

Notre Dame and McDonell students are invited to audition for this year’s musical, Les Misérables: School Edition!

📅 Auditions: October 21 & 22 | 4:00–5:45 PM

📅 Callbacks: October 23 | 4:00–6:00 PM

📍 Location: MACS Auditorium



Don’t miss your chance to be part of this powerful production—join us and bring this classic story to life on stage!

🎄 Support Our McDonell Seniors!

It’s that time of year again—our seniors are selling Christmas wreaths, poinsettias, and roses to help offset the cost of their senior trip!

If you’d like to place an order, please reach out to a McDonell Senior, call the school office and ask for Mrs. Hughes or Mrs. Smiskey at 715-723-9126, or email Monica Laux at m.laux@macs.k12.wi.us for more information.



🕯️ Order Deadlines:

• Wreaths: October 29
• Poinsettias: November 14
• Roses: Available in November/December

Mission Day – Friday, November 14

This year, MACS will support The Agnes Table, a local organization providing meals and pantry items for those in need for Mission Day. Students are encouraged to bring a non-perishable food item or monetary donation to help stock the pantry.

As a thank-you, students may wear Packers gear or fall colors (no leggings or pajamas, please). Middle and High School students will collect donations throughout the week of November 10–14.

Football Mania – Week Six Winners Announced

• Jerry Kuehl $25
• Heidi Sexton $25 random winner
• Ben Murray $25 random winner
• Chris Larson $25 random winner

🕒 Scrip Announcements & Office Hours

We are no longer carrying physical Red Lobster and Panera gift cards — But, you can still get e-cards through RaiseRight!

Additionally, look for us during basketball season! We will be at Thursday night games [based on volunteer availability] — Come put your Scrip order in! We will have a limited supply of select vendors on hand as well.

Scrip Office Hours:

• Monday: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
• Tuesday: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM & 2:45 – 4:00 PM
• Wednesday: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM & 12:30 – 3:30 PM
• Thursday: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
• Friday: 9:30 – 11:30 AM & 2:00 – 4:00 PM

ℹ️ Times are subject to change. Please check the website for the most up-to-date hours. There will be no afternoon scrip sales on October 31st.

Community Events

Saint Francesca Resource Center – Winter Clothing Giveaway

Help spread the warmth this season! The Saint Francesca Resource Center is hosting its 2025 Winter Clothing Giveaway on Friday, October 17, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Notre Dame GREC Center (entrance on 22 South Prairie Street, Chippewa Falls—watch for signs).

Families across MACS are encouraged to help support this community event by spreading the word or donating winter items to those in need.

Our Mission: Centered on Jesus Christ and His Church, we partner with families to nurture young people’s spiritual, intellectual, physical, and moral formation through a PreK-12 Catholic liberal arts education and vibrant student life of discipleship, athletics, and the arts.

McDonell Area Catholic Schools | 715.723.0538

McDonellAreaCatholicSchools.org