The Seelos Star
Back to School 2021
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Dear Parents and Friends,
Everyone at Blessed Francis Seelos Academy is excited to welcome all of our new families and our returning families to the 2021-2022 school year! I hope everyone was able to rest, relax, and recharge over the summer and are ready for a great school year. Our commitment to our families is to offer an excellent educational and social program rooted in Catholic teachings.
We faced many challenges last year and our school community came together to keep in-person instruction all year long with minimal disruption. The patience, flexibility, and adherence to required protocols from all members of our school family allowed us to do this and be successful. This success is a testament to the faith, love, and commitment to each other and to Catholic education that is present in our school families and our extended school community. We know that in-person education is the most effective and that is our goal for this year. We will need to remain patient and flexible to keep students safe and still be able to offer a quality in-person educational program that will benefit all students.
I thank you for your continued commitment to our school and our mission of Catholic education. I look forward to seeing you all on the first day of school and throughout the year.
God Bless,
Mr. Reese
Principal
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WELCOME NEW FAMILIES
We would like to welcome the many new families to our school community! We are thrilled to have over 350 students enrolled in our PreK to 8th grade program. As our school community grows, so does our continued commitment to academic excellence and to serving our community at large.
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WELCOME TO NEW FACULTY
Please welcome four new members to our K-8 faculty, Mrs. Nicole Benner (kindergarten), Miss Natalie Grice (PreK-4), Ms. Lauren Tucci (music), and Miss Anna Vallejo (fifth grade). We are also excited to welcome Mrs. Emily Gasse from the ECC to the K-8 campus as a first grade teacher.
We are honored to have these exceptional teachers and individuals join our community.
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#FirstDayatBFSA
We are so excited to welcome our students, new and returning to a new school year at Seelos Academy. Help us share our excitement by tagging posting your photo on social media using #FirstDayatBFSA!
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MRS. GURNEY RECEIVES GOLDEN APPLE AWARD
The Diocese of Pittsburgh announced the catholic school educators who are recipients of the Golden Apple Awards for 2021 and we are pleased to announce that Mrs. Mallory Gurney was named as a Golden Apple winner! The annual program recognizes educators for their outstanding devotion to catholic schools and the students they teach. The prestigious award is based on nominations from school principals, parents, students, and fellow teachers, and symbolize an educator's professional excellence, leadership, commitment to Catholic values, and devotion to teaching in Catholic schools. We are very blessed to have Mrs Gurney at Seelos Academy. She joins the growing list of Golden Apple Award winners at our school. Mrs. Maxwell, Mr, Reese, and Mrs Smolter are past award recipients.
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NEW AND IMPROVED WEBSITE COMING SOON!
Beginning October 1, seelos academy,org will have a new look! It will feature a parent portal and a consolidated school calendar, along with a much easier navigation. More details to follow!
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Back to School: What you Need to Know |
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BUS TRANSPORTATION
Your school district will send you bus information in mid-August. If you haven't received information regarding the bus schedule you should call your district bus transportation provider for further details.
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DROP-OFF/PICK-UP PROCEDURES
For the safety of our students, please adhere to the pick-up/drop-off procedures at each campus. These procedures can be found on the school webpage under Parent Resources/Document Library.
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MORNING CARE AND EXTENDED DAY
Morning Care and Extended Day is offered at the K-8 campus for children in K-8. Morning Care begins at 7 AM and Extended Day runs after school until 6 PM. Instructions for Morning Care and Extended Day drop-off and pick-up are found in the links above or under the Parent Resources/Document Library section of the school webpage.
These services can be utilized on an as-needed basis, however students planning to use extended day need to be pre-enrolled and pay the yearly enrollment fee. Please click on the link below for the Enrollment Form.
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UNIFORMS
Every day uniforms are required for children in K-8. A copy of the uniform policy is found under the Parent Resource/Document Library section of the school webpage.
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GYM DAYS & GYM UNIFORMS
Gym uniforms are required for all students in grades K-8. This year, all K-8 students will be required to wear their gym uniform to school. On days in which regular uniform shorts are permitted, students may wear their gym shorts to school if it is their gym day. In the winter months, students will be permitted to wear their gym shorts under their sweatpants and remove the sweatpants before gym class. Gym uniforms can be ordered from our uniform providers, Lands End or Schoolbelles.
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FACE COVERINGS
Students, staff, and visitors will be required to wear masks/face coverings at all times while indoors on campus and on the school bus. Face Covering means a covering of the nose and mouth that is secured to the head with ties, straps, or loops over the ears. Neck Gaiter face coverings (those that wrap around the neck and can be pulled up to cover the face) are not permitted.
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SCHOOL SUPPLIES
The school supply list for grades K-8 can be found on the school webpage under Parent Resources/Document Library.
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WATER BOTTLES
Students on both campuses will not be permitted to use the water fountains this year. Each morning, please send a filled water bottle (disposable or reusable) with your child to school. They will be permitted water breaks throughout the day. Note that the water bottles may only be filled with water. Please do not send water bottles larger than 32 oz. If using a reusable bottle, the students will be required to bring their water bottle home each day for cleaning.
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LUNCH
Hot lunch service will return with the students going through the lunch line rather than all lunches being pre-packed. We will have four options including our main entrée, which changes daily, along with chicken nuggets, buttered pasta and an entrée salad available every day. Please note that on Wednesday, Sept. 8, and Friday, Sept. 10, all children MUST PACK due to preparations for the annual Harvest Home dinner that take place in the cafeteria on those days.
For more information, please visit the Lunch Program page on the school website.
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MASS DAYS
Mass days for the K-8 campus have not yet been determined. Information will come from the office when it is available.
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VOLUNTEERING
Volunteering is a key aspect of our community, and is a great way to meet other parents!
Volunteers will need to obtain certain clearances. This process is easy, but, will take some lead time for certain steps, so prepare now for future volunteer opportunities. A link to the Diocesan Volunteer Clearance Requirements can be found under the Parent Resource/Document Library section of the BFSA website.
All volunteers will need to wear a mask while indoors on either campus.
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COMMUNICATION
Expect to receive two emails a week from the school secretary, Patty Anfang. These emails will contain information about upcoming school activities. Generally, these emails are sent on Tuesdays and Fridays. Additional emails may occur throughout the week at the discretion of the principal.
The school newsletter is emailed to each school family at least four times a year (summer, fall, winter, and spring). If you would like to help with the newsletter, or have information to contribute, please contact Cathy Peoples, Marketing, at marketing@seelosacademy.org.
Our PTG distributes a monthly newsletter of their upcoming events and activities in which families can become involved.
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SOCIAL MEDIA
Visit Seelos Academy on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube!
There is also a private Facebook group for current school families. Search “Blessed Francis Seelos Academy Private Parents Group” or access it from the school Facebook Page. This site is a good resource for parents to ask questions of other parents and to share information about the happenings of the school. We do ask that you limit communication on the site to school related events and school related subjects only.
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DINE TO DONATE WITH MOE'S
Moe's Taco Kits are now available to order for pick up on Wednesday, September 1st. Pick up will be at school from 4:30-5:30. Seelos Academy receives 25% of the total cost of each kit.
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SAINT ALEXIS FESTIVAL & HARVEST HOME DINNER: TWO GREAT TRADITIONS. ONE BIG WEEKEND!
On September 12, 2021 we will continue the long-standing tradition of the 132nd Harvest Home Dinner! This tradition has endured two World Wars and two international pandemics! This year's Harvest Home Dinner is combined with the Saint Alexis Festival (Sept 9-11th) to form our first-ever, dual-campus celebration!
Join us at Saint Alexis Festival for rides, games, entertainment and the opportunity to be together. Then, join us again on Sunday for a fresh, homemade dinner including side dishes made from local farm produce. Order online at harvesthomedinner.com or by calling 412-585-6127.
These special traditions would not occur without our school and church community of volunteers working to make it happen. You can be part of the tradition and fun in a variety of ways: volunteer your time, make a donation and/or attend the events! Volunteers may sign-up at
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SAVE THE DATE FOR DESIGNER BAG BINGO
One of our most popular fundraisers, Designer Bag Bingo, will be held October 22. Save the date, this event sells out fast!
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WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT
Each year, the Diocese of Pittsburgh requires each Catholic school to meet an assigned fundraising goal. Seelos Academy works to reach this six-figure goal through many fundraising efforts including gift cards, Designer Bag Bingo, and our fundraising partners. We are also very fortunate to have support from Saint Aidan Parish for three other large fundraisers, the Saint Alexis Festival, Saint Alphonsus Harvest Home Dinner and The Saint Alphonsus Fish Fry.
The ability to hold n-person fundraisers throughout the year is uncertain. Now, more than ever, we need the support of our friends and families with donations to our school. There are three options for donations:
Thank you, in advanced for helping during this challenging time.
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HOW CAN I AFFORD CATHOLIC EDUCATION?
Click the button below for information on reducing your tuition bill through financial aid, grants, and tax credits.
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GIFT CARD PROGRAM
Families earn tuition credit by purchasing gift cards through the school. The program generates additional revenues used for the operational costs of Seelos Academy. Order online at bfsafundraising.com, at either campus office, or Sign up for ShopwithScrip and make gift card purchases from your phone on demand. For more information, contact giftcards@seelosacademy.org.
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AMAZON SMILE!
Blessed Francis Seelos Academy receives cash back from Amazon Smile! Simply log in to your Amazon account and type "Amazon Smile" into the Amazon search engine. Select Blessed Francis Seelos Academy as your designated charity that will receive 0.5% of each of your eligible Amazon purchases.
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BOX TOPS
Clipping and submitting Box Tops, or scanning your receipt using the Box Top app is an easy way to help earn money for Seelos Academy. This fundraiser has netted thousands of dollars over the years.
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CHICK-FIL-A & MOE'S
Save your Chick-Fil-A receipts from the Wexford and Cranberry locations MOE'S receipts from any location and return to school. Through credit earned for reimbursed receipts we are able to provide food items for the school community, including our annual 8th grade picnic and teacher luncheons.
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MABEL'S LABELS
Mabel’s Labels are a great way to ensure your items don’t end up in the lost & found or mixed up! These personalized, dishwasher and laundry-safe labels are great for everything from shoes, clothing tags, water bottles, and backpacks.
Visit campaigns.mabelslabels.com and select Blessed Francis Seelos Academy. Orders ship direct to your home. Seelos Academy receives 20% cash back on each order.
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MARKET DAY
Market Day is a direct order program with food products delivered directly to your door. Market Day will return 10% of funds spent back to our school. Of this 10%, 5% will be able to be directed to your tuition accounts. The other 5% will go to our school's overall fundraising goal. Instructions for registering can be found here.
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GARBAGE BAGS
Did you know that Seelos Academy sells garbage bags and receives a percentage of the profit? The bags are Made in the USA by Frontier bag (also known as the Yellow Bag People). Currently we stock the 15 gallon white bags. There are 65 bags per roll for $10 per roll. Stop by the K-8 office and pick yours up today!
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LEARNING ENRICHMENT FUND
The Seelos Academy Learning Enrichment Fund provides financial support to the faculty and school for professional development, classroom materials, and school-wide programming. If you would like to donate to the fund or sponsor the annual golf outing, the fundraiser for the Fund, please contact the office. You can also contact the office if you would like to be part of the Learning Enrichment Committee or volunteer at the golf outing.
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