Trivia and Learning

Dear Families,

Last week a few of the teachers and staff got together and played a game of Saints trivia. You might say the difficulty was set to expert, as nobody did particularly well (except Maggie Lewis), including Father Schumaker, with his advanced education in theology and church history. Some of the questions concerned the Patron Saint of Rabies, how many Saint Ritas there have been, and how many Saints Pope Francis has canonized.

Despite the difficulty, everyone seemed to have fun. The post-game conversation turned to our upcoming trivia night-how we needed to organize a team, reminiscing about past challenges and wondering if it would indeed be possible to ever upset the Linns. Trivia is fun. Knowing things is cool.

But does knowing trivia mean that you’re smart? I know a lot about medieval empires, sports teams from the 90s, and remember lyrics to mediocre pop songs. I don’t know how to operate on someone, sketch something of beauty, keep my working space neat and organized, or fix even routine issues with my car. Am I smarter than my mechanic because I know about Genghis Khan? That is the fun part about intelligence that should really be appreciated - we are all made in the image of God, and His gifts can pop up in so many fascinating and diverse ways.       

There is an inherent benefit to knowing things, in that the more context one has to a situation, the greater is one’s ability to understand it. This idea is one of the foundational principles behind our new literacy curriculum. By design, it seeks to identify and then teach many core concepts - the things that everyone should know. In action, I had the pleasure of seeing Mrs. Adams teach her second graders last week about the Persians and the Greeks and the Battle of Marathon. Why are second graders learning about this? Well, one it’s an incredible story, and two, beginning to develop this background of the Persians and the Greeks will echo throughout someone’s lifelong journey of learning. For example, the books of Daniel and Esther, suddenly are more accessible with this background knowledge, as is the phrase “Neither Jew nor Greek” (Galatians 3:28), and that is just a start. How much more accessible is the current situation in Iran, or the arrival of migrants in Europe, if one understands the genesis of this conflict of East vs. West? One of the goals of education should be to give the individual the ability to start teaching themselves, and that is what a good foundation in core knowledge will do. 

It also might make you really good at trivia.  

So come join us for Trivia Night, this upcoming Saturday November 16. And don’t forget to push your children each night with the question, “what did you learn today?” I would bet it was something good.

God Bless,

Siggy Spelter

Principal

School Office Notes

Picture Retake Day -

Monday, November 11th

A Lifetouch photographer will be here the morning of Monday, November 11th. Any student who didn't get a picture taken in September, or any who would like a retake, will be able to wear dress clothes and get their picture taken on this date. If doing a retake, please bring your photo package info to return. For those taking a first photo, you may pre-order your photo package by visiting mylifetouch.com Our picture ID for this date is: EVTP7833X.

Thanks-for-Giving

We will once again be collecting monetary donations for those in need in our Parish. Please see here for copy of the flier with more information about this annual collection. Students should bring their donations to their homeroom teachers between November 11th - 18th. Thank you!

Attendance - Tardiness

As we wrap up the first trimester and prepare report cards, some of you may see a number of tardy notations for your child. Here is a reminder of the policy as stated in the Parent-Student Handbook:

Tardiness disrupts the classroom routine and environment. All pupils are required to be in the classroom when the bell rings at 7:45 a.m. Any pupil arriving after the 7:45 bell will be marked tardy unexcused. Tardy students must check into the office prior to going to class. Excessive tardiness will not be tolerated. After excessive tardies, a letter from the principal will be sent to the parent or guardian.

As we begin the second trimester, we are paying closer attention to this policy, as there has been an increase in tardiness lately. We appreciate your help with teaching your child to understand the importance of getting to school and into their classroom on time.

Re-enrollment for 2025-26

The re-enrollment process for current SMV school families is happening now. Those who plan to return and make the non-refundable registration fee payment will be assured of their student(s) class placement for the 2025-26 school year.

We ask that each current SMV school family fills out this form indicating whether you will be returning to SMV.



Registration for new students from Parish member families will begin on December 10th. Any new family interested in our school should contact the School Office or 262-782-7057.