Skating Party is Tonight!

The Back to School Skating Party is tonight, Friday, September 5 at 5:30pm in the parking lot. Celebrate the start of the year, have fun with classmates, and connect with other parents at this annual event. Families are invited to enjoy an evening of roller skates, roller blades, and kick scooters. For the safety of all, traditional bikes, electric bikes, electric scooters, and hoverboards are not permitted on the parking lot grounds during the event. Helmets are strongly encouraged. Please bring cash for hot dogs, snacks, and ice cream.

Volunteer at SB

Volunteerism is an integral part of our school culture, and we ask every parent to get involved and serve our school community. Whether you can share a few hours here and there or a larger time commitment, we are confident that you'll discover volunteering at St. Barnabas is a deeply rewarding experience. We have recently created a page on our website that will serve as a central landing place for volunteer opportunities. We will also share opportunities, as they become available, in School News. Explore the range of offerings listed below and find a place to share your time or talent. Learn more about volunteering at SB.

Thank you to all who completed the FSA Interest Form! The first FSA meeting of the year will be on Thursday, September 25 at 7pm in the Main Hall. More details coming next week!

Service Day Registration Due Monday

The required Service Day registration is due for all students on Monday. As a reminder, all students in Preschool - Grade 3 will remain at school for the October 3 service projects. Grades 4 - 8 travel off campus to a service project of their choice. Opportunities for grades 4 - 8 are filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Only one site, Burst Into Books, remains open for grades 4 - 5 registrants, and only Share Your Soles remains open for grades 6 - 8. Complete the required registration.

Savvas/HMH Testing

This week, students in Kindergarten - Grade 8 took the i-Ready Diagnostic. Those students who did not finish will have sufficient time next week to complete the assessment. Results will be shared with parents in the coming weeks. Next week, students will also take the Savvas/HMH exams. These assessments are based on the English and math curricula and provide an important academic benchmark.

Picture Day

Picture Day for Preschool - Grade 7 is next Friday, September 12. Students should wear dressy attire (collared shirt, sweater, simple dress, etc). Families are encouraged to pre-order for timely delivery. Order at ordervgil.com. If ordering before picture day, use School Event Code 20051501. A new code will be issued after pictures are taken for families to place late orders. Please note that late orders will be processed after the first round of pictures is delivered to the school. Learn more about Pictures Day here. 

Room Parent Sign-Up

We are looking for volunteers to serve as Room Parents (revamp of the former Class Liaison). This is a great opportunity to support the teachers and connect with classmates' parents. The time commitment is minimal, and can be done largely from home. If interested, please complete the form by Monday, September 8. School administrators will review all responses and appoint leaders in mid-September. Complete the Room Parent interest form.

Incident Report

As we shared at the beginning of the year, we have implemented a new reporting system for those who suspect or witness an act of bullying within the school community. All reports will be sent directly to the school administration, and follow-up will take place within 24 hours (Monday - Friday). Additional details on bullying and threatening behavior, including action steps to take if suspected bullying has occurred, can be found on page 11 of our school handbook. St. Barnabas School Incident Report.

Social-Emotional Learning Parent Seminar

Wednesday, September 10 at 7pm, parents and guardians of all ages, but especially Grades 4 - 8, are invited to a Social-Emotional Learning Seminar led by Julie Schultz, owner and counselor at Align, along with school counselor Ms. Jeanne Miller and Ms. Grace Sadowski. The evening will focus on techniques that foster empathy, effective communication, and build connection in the home and school.

Diverse Learners High School Panel

Parents and guardians of 6th, 7th, and 8th-grade students with Student Support Plans/IEPs are invited to attend a High School Panel discussion hosted by St. Barnabas on Wednesday, September 24 at 7pm in the Church Hall

Representatives from area Catholic high schools will share details about learning support services at their schools. This is a community-wide event. Families from all area grammar schools are welcome to this info session. Students are welcome, but not required to attend this parent/guardian event. Learn more and help spread the word about this informational evening.

Annual Mums Sale

Pre-order beautiful 9" potted mums for only $11! The annual mum sales will be held on Saturday, September 27 (the morning of Fall Fest). Mums may be picked up 9am-12pm at St. Barnabas Convent Lawn. Pre-ordering is highly encouraged as this event often sells out. There will be a variety of colors to choose from, and you may select your colors on a first come, first serve basis at pick-up. Learn more, and pre-order online.

Big Bucks News

Help us reach our 2,000-ticket goal by sharing the Give Central purchase link. Please text it, email it, or share it via social media!  

Congrats to Early Bird Winners: Last night, at Back to School Night, five lucky winners took home $1,000 each at the Early Bird Raffle. All ticket stubs go back into the pool for another chance to win the Grand Prize on September 27. Congrats to: Sarah Johnson No. 0394, Lorraine Symonanis No. 1019, Bill Reichard No. 0923, Mary Meade No. 1501, and Fran Doherty No. 1118.

Support Staff: The Ticket Captains are coordinating a collection to purchase Big Bucks tickets for the teachers and staff. We are so appreciative of this initiative, and it's easy to contribute via cash, check, Venmo, or online Membership Toolkit. Learn more about the staff collection.

Fall Fest

The annual Parish Fall Fest is Saturday, September 27. The evening begins with a 4pm mass, then continues with a parish-wide, all-ages gathering in the parking lot. The $50,000 Grand Prize drawing will take place at the end of the night, please join us!

St. Phoebe Mass - This Sunday, at 10am, the parish will hold a special mass honoring St. Phoebe, the patron saint of women leaders and women in the church. Let us gather to honor St. Phoebe and the gifts of all women. Learn more.

Parish Children’s Choir Begins Monday - The Parish Children’s Choir is open to St. Barnabas School students and Religious Ed students in Grades 3 - 8. Under the direction of Mr. Sandro Tsomaia and Ms. Carolina Campos, the Children’s Choir sings at some of the weekend and special masses. Weekly rehearsals are on Mondays from 3pm - 4pm in the Church. There is no registration fee; however, students must be registered. Register for The Parish Children's Choir.

Thank you to all who came to our Back to School Night. Thank you parents for supporting your children, thank you teachers for dedicating your time to making sure our parents feel connected to the classroom, and thank you to the School Advisory Board for welcoming the parents into the gym for bonding and merriment.