SMA Newsletter

SMA Newsletter • August 24, 2023

Mission Statement

St. Martin of Tours Academy fosters confidence, curiosity, and independence through a climate of cooperation and trust by preserving dignity throughout the learning process, accentuating all children’s God-given gifts in a Catholic environment.

Dear SMA Community,

Welcome back! It was a wonderful first day of school for students, faculty and staff. We hope you were able to grab a cup of coffee from Hot Bev's Coffee Truck and socialize! (Check out the Schoolspeak calendar for future Coffee Truck days.) The Student Council led the assembly and welcomed Fr. Chris Bongato, who is new to the parish. Fr. Chris will be leading our Morning Fun Run this year beginning September 7! Check out the flyer below. Students/families choosing to join should enter at the Spartan Care gate and walk down to the track to meet Fr. Chris. At 7:45 am, students will be released to their classrooms (older students will assist younger students).

We are thrilled to hear all the kind feedback about our new classrooms. Second and 3rd grades have new ceilings, a coat of fresh paint and new carpet. Seventh and 8th grades have brand new exterior walls and windows. Eighth grade has a fresh coat of paint and new carpet. We also knocked down the little dividing wall in 8th grade to open up the room and allow for full visibility. We are truly grateful for restricted donations earmarked for facilities improvement.

You may have noticed the unusual line up of desks in the parking lot. They are free for the taking. We hope to have these removed and/or taken to the dump soon. Any help would be greatly appreciated. These desks "weathered" the COVID years and were part of our outdoor classrooms. Most are rusty and were sanitized daily which sadly ruined the desk tops. There is also a teacher desk that needs a new home.

Family envelopes went home today. Enclosed is the September lunch menu that includes Pizza Friday. It is due MONDAY 8/28 (no late forms accepted by the company) and yellow car signs, used for pick-up. Please hold this card to the passenger side of your car window so that your child can be called to the pick-up line. This helps limit wait time. Wednesday we broke a record of dismissing students in under 10 minutes! The parking lot was cleared out by 12:10 pm!! You might have been experiencing back up on El Cajon Blvd. You can avoid waiting on the boulevard by using the left hand lane to bypass standing traffic and turn into our west gate.

Next Tuesday is our Back to School night (adults only)......

5 - 6 PM - Grades 1-4 Back to School Night

6 - 7 PM - Grades 5-8 Back to School Night

Join us tomorrow to enjoy Mahalo Shave Ice in the parking lot at noon. This is a nice end to our first hot days of school.

Blessings,

Jennifer Miller

Principal

Mahalo Shave Ice- Friday!

Join us after school in the parking lot at noon for a shave ice treat. Mahalo Shave Ice will donate 15% of proceeds to our athletic department.

Important Lunch Information

Menus are enclosed in the family envelope today (one per child). This menu also includes pizza on Fridays (our SMA tradition).

Please return the menu with your child's name on it, days marked for lunch and attached check, cash or add your credit card number for payment. Menus will be collected in the office and submitted to SD Catering. Deadline is Monday, 8/28. Firm. No late orders will be accepted.

Yellow Family Last Name Pick-Up Cards

Today, every family will receive a yellow family 8x11 identification card to display when you reach the pick-up area. Please hold the card up on the passenger side so the staff can call for your child(ren). This will help to keep the line moving. Remind family members who share pick up responsibilities to also use the sign.