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Dear Parents,
Last Friday, we prayed a beautiful prayer written by some 8th graders to honor Martin Luther King. The prayer will be hung in the cafeteria with our other diversity and human dignity prayers. Throughout February, we will read prayers by the 7th and 8th graders. We will continue to share them with you on Wednesday's ENews.
In my parish bulletin this weekend, I noticed a Docuseries offered by Our Lady of Divine Providence Family on Race and Racism in Cincinnati. If you're interested, read more here.
God is good, all the time!
Enjoy the evening, and count the blessings God has given you.
Jen Reker-Murphy
Principal
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Thursday, January 18
It's not too late to join the fun!
Bring a Buddy to SMS - 4th-6th Graders.
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Monday, January 22
Saint Families meet - Schedule D
Wednesday, January 24
Team Building Day for Grade 4
- 4th grade - Pack a lunch and come out of uniform
Sunday, January 28-
Friday, February 3
Catholic Schools Week
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FRIENDS & FAMILY FOR LUNCH!
Tuesday, January 30
Friends and family are invited to enjoy lunch with their students.
We will be on the normal lunch schedule:
- Kindergarten: 11:15-11:40
- Grades 6-8: 11:45-12:10
- Grades 3-5: 12:15-12:40
- Grades 1-2: 12:45-1:10
Enjoy an Italian Feast by Chef Brandi in the Cougar Cafe. We ask that all guests eating a cafeteria lunch RSVP below to help us prepare accordingly. You can pay cash for your meal or charge to your student's lunch account.
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Open House/Catholic Schools Week Book Fair!
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Stop by the Library during Open House to shop at the Book Fair
- Also, all students can visit the Book Fair during their regularly scheduled Libray time throughout the week.
- Ways to shop:
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In-person in the school library with Cash, credit card, or digital gift cards purchased online from Literati
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Or online at Literati. The sale link is live NOW! Online orders will be delivered after the book fair concludes. A more extensive selection of books is available online.
Volunteers are needed to help during the week in the library with the Book Fair. Thank you!
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Please sign up here to lend a helping hand (volunteers must be SafeParish trained.)
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The 2023-24 Annual Fund supports the school operating budget (compensates our dedicated faculty and helps to keep the lights on!), and will continue the work of replacing the classroom windows and supporting the social/emotional/spiritual needs of our students.
A very gracious Thank You to our school families, faculty, grandparents, past parents, alums, and friends who remember the St. Mary School Annual Fund in their charitable giving. Thank You to the following school families for their 2023-2024 Annual Fund donation this past week: Keegan, Pharr, Raybourne
We will periodically recognize school family gifts to date. The AF runs July 1, 2023-June 30, 2024. You can learn more here. You can also monitor our AF progress from the icon below!
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EDCHOICE EXPANSION SCHOLARSHIP | |
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ALERT...PLEASE READ
IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM THE STATE OF OHIO
"Thank you for your patience with us during this time. We are almost completely caught up with all Income Verification submissions, and all applications are completely caught up."
Per communication from the State dated 01/04/2024.
Thank you, and congratulations to those families whose Scholarships have been Awarded and who have returned your signed Acceptance Form(s.) You have 24/7 access to your scholarship account, where you can confirm your Accepted status or monitor the monthly tuition payments that the State sends to St. Mary. Info on how to set up a Parent Portal is HERE or on our website.
For families still waiting on an Award (or we are waiting on an Acceptance Form)...please read below...
St. Mary currently has 35 applications that are UNDER REVIEW. If your Scholarship has still not been Awarded, please log in to your Income Verification portal to determine the following:
- What is the current status of the INCOME VERIFICATION application you submitted? (St. Mary does not have access to this information.)
- Click on the Green H in the upper left corner and see the status change history. Is the State waiting on additional income verification information from you?
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If you see the income status is "Submitted," you have not yet been pulled from the queue.
- The state processes in order of income verification application submission date. We were told that the State is currently pulling from mid-December and will be up to date by the end of the week.
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If you submitted your Income Verification before December 15 and are still in a Submitted Status (not a Resubmitted Status), please email us at edchoice@stmaryhp.org with your details.
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We are told that applications still Under Review on January 26, 2024, will be marked as "Not Eligible" on February 1 and will need to go through the reconsideration process.
St. Mary currently has 35 Scholarships that have been AWARDED, and we still need your signed Acceptance Form(s.)
- Some of these scholarships were just recently awarded;
- others have been several weeks or longer than a month, and we have emailed asking for your signed Acceptance Form(s.)
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Please return your signed Acceptance Form(s) today!
- We need the signed Acceptance Form to accept the Scholarship on your behalf to begin the process of crediting your FACTS Tuition account, which triggers any refund due.
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THE ROSE GALA
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We are 75% to a sell-out! That means if you are on the fence about going, you were waiting until after the holidays, or you just didn't get to that section of your to-do list, the time to buy tickets is NOW! We want you there! Tell your friends.
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The money raised at the event will go toward improving security at the St. Mary School campus. This could include, at the discretion of the administration based on the amount raised, window replacement in the ground floor classrooms, a double door vestibule in the front entry, added security equipment, and a safety resource officer (particularly at drop-off and dismissal).
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We still need silent auction items! Some of the fabulous things we have received so far include dream vacation getaways, rare bourbon, gift baskets of all kinds, gift certificates, sporting event tickets, and more! If you have a connection or just an eye for putting together a cute-themed basket, we'd love to have your help! No item is too big or too small. Any questions, text Kate (513-207-3702).
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We still need sponsors! Want extra perks? Want your name in lights? Want to just show your support in a big way? We have a sponsorship level for you! The title sponsor is still available!
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Do you have leftover booze or wine from the holidays?? This Friday, January 19, we will be collecting Bourbon and Wine for our Bourbon and Wine games that will be at the event. Bring your unopened bottles (labeled with your name) to drop off or pick up, and we will grab them right from the line at the rectory driveway. Simply pull in, unwind your window and we'll grab it. The idea of the game is that patrons pay to pull a wrapped bottle, and the fun is that some pulls will be average and some will be spectacular, so all brands/values are welcomed and encouraged!!
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Finally, there has been a lot of talk about what to wear! We love this, and the answer is whatever makes you feel festive! We are encouraging "blue ribbon" inspired for those who want, but also know some folks are playing up the "rose" theme in red. Short dresses, long dresses, suits, tuxes, whatever is going to feel right for you!
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BOX TOPS!
FREE MONEY FOR SMS!
Attention SMS Families: We are asking every family to download the Box Tops for Education app so we can benefit from their awesome reward program.
- When you buy products labeled with the Box Tops logo and scan your receipt, our school earns money on every purchase you make. Other schools in the area are already seeing these rewards, so let's download the app and start earning money for our school!
It's so simple: Download the app, fill out the form, and select St. Mary School as your school, then scan your receipts when you are done shopping. That's it! You can even scan digital receipts if you do delivery or pickup.
- Ask grandparents to participate as well!
- It's no problem if you don't know if you even bought anything that has the Box Tops logo. Scanning the receipt will figure all of that out for you.
Thank you all for helping! Proceeds will go toward the purchase of new playground toys.
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Congratulations to the Fourth Grade Boys Basketball team, who won the Cardinal Pacelli tournament last weekend. | |
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Parenting Reflection
We are Family - Lord, we give thanks for the many joys and blessings you bestow on our families diversified in size, shape, form, configuration, or circumstance. We pray for aid to Be the Light within our family. May we be moved to also carry our Light to those in need. We sometimes experience pain. We turn to our Lord with our hurts, disappointments, and frustrations. Prayer helps us to forgive family members, including ourselves and others, who have caused pain. We believe that in our household of faith and holiness, our Domestic Church is created. For within our homes, we experience the Lord's presence, forgiveness, and love. A family is holy not because it is perfect, but because God's grace is at work in it, helping it set out anew every day on the way to love." --USCCB
Submitted by St. Mary Parishioner,
Stephanie Jenemann
Former Director of the Marriage
and Family Life Office
for the Diocese of Columbus
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We graciously thank these sponsors that help us care for and nourish our sweet Regina Rose! | |
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COMMUNICATION
Inclement Weather
CALENDAR & Enews on the website
SCHOOL APP
YEARBOOK PHOTOS
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INCLEMENT WEATHER
PROCEDURES
If inclement weather warrants a school delay or closure, we will notify you via:
- An email to your inbox
- An app notification (download the FREE St. Mary School Cincinnati app in the Apple Store or Google Play)...be sure to allow push notifications for the app.
- A post on the News section of stmaryhp.org
- A post on our School's Facebook Page
Calendar & ENews
The School Google Calendar and School Newsletter Archive can be found in your FACTS portal and is now available on the school website on a password-protected page. The School Calendar & Newsletter page can be accessed under the About SMS Tab or from the Quick Link Calendar & ENews icon on the front page. The password is ReginaRose.
SCHOOL APP
Our school app is free in the App Store or Google Play. Search St. Mary School, Cincinnati, OH. We occasionally will communicate with a Push Notification through the school app. Push Notifications can be found inside the app from the 4-square menu link.
YEARBOOK PHOTOS
If you have any pictures during this school year that you would like to submit for consideration in the Yearbook, please use the link below. Please look through your pictures and send only the very best ones. When uploading them, please use the tags provided by the website. (ex. Confirmation, Gr 1 sports, etc.) This will help ensure the pictures are placed on the correct page
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