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MARCH NEWSLETTER 2018

St. Mary Catholic School

Challenging the Mind—Living the Faith

www.stmarycatholicschool.org

Dear Parents:

Happy March! We find ourselves in the midst of the season of Lent. Each year, we focus on prayer, fasting, and almsgiving to grow in our relationship with God. Recently, I listened to a homily explaining the importance of not only giving up things that we like as sacrifices but also giving up things that distract us from truly fostering a personal relationship with God. As parents, we understand that we are the role models of our children. We set the example. Keeping that in mind, March 19 is St. Joseph’s feast day and I received a prayer from the Carmelite Nuns of Port Tobacco that may be prayed as a family. It is just a simple way of showing our children that praying together is a strength of a close family. St. Joseph, strengthen in our family every bond of love which unites us. St. Joseph, protect our family from every danger from without and from every threat to peace, unity, and harmony within. St. Joseph, teach us to be understanding and forgiving towards one another. St. Joseph, teach us to be kind and loving towards one another; help us to be understanding and forgiving towards one another. St. Joseph, may contentment with our lot and joy in each other abound in our house as we faithfully seek to serve and love God. St. Joseph, pray for us. Amen. As a school community, we will come together for Stations of the Cross each Friday at 2:00 P.M. Our students in grades three through eight will have the opportunity to participate in the sacrament of Reconciliation. Families are encouraged to participate in Operation Rice Bowl. We, as a school community, will work together to prepare our hearts for Christ’s Resurrection on Easter Sunday.

As always, I ask for your prayers to the Holy Spirit to give me the guidance and wisdom to serve as principal of Saint Mary Catholic School.

May God bless you! Patricia A. McDermott

MISSION STATEMENT

Saint Mary Catholic School empowers children in their faith journey and promotes academic excellence and life-long service inspired by the Gospel of Jesus

Christ in a nurturing community.

UPCOMING EVENTS

March 2 First Friday Mass

March 9 Trimester II ends Noon Dismissal

March 12 School Closed

Teacher Retreat Day March 14

Class Pictures March 15

Individual Pictures March 19

Intermediate Spelling Bee March 26-28

Fifth Grade Outdoor School March 29

Noon Dismissal-begin Easter Break March 30-April 8

Easter Break April 9

School Resumes

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CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK

PANCAKE BREAKFAST

Our annual SMCS Pancake Breakfast is always a heartwarming event. The

volunteers, under the leadership of Kelly and Kelly Byrne, enjoy themselves

tremendously as they prepare pancakes and omelets for an endless stream of

hungry guests. About 286 people were served this year. Many thanks are

extended to our sponsors: IHop, Western SIzzlin, Sam’s Club, Martin’s, 28 South,

Weis Markets, Rescue 2 Training, the Romsburg family, the Tedeschi family, the

Staley family, the Johnson family, the Corsi family, the Webster family, the

Zanetti family, and the Shahid family.

SPEAKERS AT WEEKEND MASSES

SMCS appreciates the support of our area Pastors in helping us spread the news

about Catholic education. Our students were able to talk about St. Mary Catholic

School during the weekend Masses. These students did a great job representing

SMCS and encouraging others to consider Catholic education. Thank you to the

following students for speaking during the weekend Masses:

St. Ann Parish

Speakers: Noah Karn, Jillian Sommerville, and Erica Weaver

St. James Parish

Speaker: Shannon Quinones

St. Joseph Parish

Speakers: Logan Flanagan and Annabella Kenny

St. Mary Parish

Speakers: Collin Ambush, Ty Ambush, Abigail Cushwa, Sabrina Harman, and

Dominic McCormick

St. Michael Parish

Speaker: Susan Concordia

PARISH NEWS

SACRAMENTAL NEWS

Eighth graders who are members of St. Mary Parish will continue with their Confirmation Immediate Preparation classes on Tuesdays, through March 6, from 6:30 to 8:30 P.M. Sign-in is at 6:15 and classes start promptly at 6:30. Confirmation is scheduled for Thursday, May 24.

LIGHT OF CHRIST MEDAL

Father Cibelli presented the Light of Christ Medal to Peyton Gullickson during our Catholic School Week Mass. As a scout, Peyton worked with his parents to complete an activity book. The purpose of the program is to help the scout develop a personal relationship with Jesus. Peyton worked for three months to complete the book and review it with his Pastor, Msgr. Jaskot.

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SMGHS HOT CHOCOLATE & COOKIES

SMCS students enjoyed a special treat from St.

Maria Goretti High School students. It was

especially nice, since the SMGHS students were

SMCS alumni. A great way for SMCS & SMGHS

to celebrate Catholic Schools Week together.

CAREER DAY SPEAKERS

Students from Pre-K to eighth grade learned about a variety of possible career

paths and gained a better understanding of how their current studies relate to

real-life opportunities. SMCS appreciates the creativity in which the speakers

shared their careers with our students.

Jonathan McGreevy: Construction Foreman Mike Tedeschi: Self-employed Inventor Todd Hochstrasser: Program Manager/Cancer Research Jack Latimer: Business Owner/Historic Preservation Gary Castle: Tractor Supply Operations Manager Derrick Kinna: Digging & Rigging Crane Operator James Stidham: Military Communications Shylo Martinez: Theatrics & Dance (Shenandoah University) Gary Holmes: Educational Administration Rick Stumpf: Electrician Peter Pentony: Attorney Leslie Kocevar: Mary Kay Sales Director Sgt. Bradley Lowe: Natural Resources Police

DIGNITARIES LUNCHEON

SMCS invited many local dignitaries who support Catholic education at SMCS to have lunch with the students. Fr. Ernest Cibelli (St. Mary Church Pastor), Rev. Lawrence Adamczyk (St. Mary Church), Fr. George Limmer (St. Mary Church Pastor Emeritus), Msgr. Bruce Jarboe (St. Ann Church Pastor), Mr. James Sellinger (AOB Chancellor of Education), Dr. Camille Brown (AOB Associate Superintendent), Mrs. Donna Bridickas (AOB Associate Superintendent), Ms. Lauren Robinson (AOB Marketing Director), Mr. Christopher Cosentino (SMGHS President), Mrs. Bridget Bartholomew (SMGHS Principal), Mrs. Holly Katrina (SMGHS Admissions Director), Mrs. Jennifer Carbaugh (SMGHS Advancement Director), Mrs. JoAnn Hevey (SMGHS Finance Director), Mrs. Rhonda O’Malley (SMCS School Board/St. Mary Parish Council President), Mr. Frankie Corsi (St. Mary Church Lay Corporator), Mr. Steve Hummel (St. Mary Finance Chair), Captain Paul Kifer (HPD), Fire Chief Steve Lohr (Hagerstown), Sheriff Douglas

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Mullendore (Washington County), Ms. Julia Albiwicz (Senator Van Hollen’s office); Mr. Paul Corderman (MD State Delegate), Mr. Robin Summerfield (Senator Cardin’s office), Mrs. Michelle Shaper (SCRIP Chair/St. Mary Finance Committee), Mr. Michael Morrell (St. Mary Church Business Manager—Retired), Ms. Lois MacCumbee (SMCS Teacher—Retired), Mrs. Wanda Gertsner (SMCS Teacher—Retired), Mrs. Marie Rumbarger (SMCS Teacher—Retired), Mrs. Ann Marshall (SMCS Teacher—Retired), Mrs. Pam Miller (SMCS Teacher—Retired), Mr. Louis Concordia (SMCS Basketball Coach), and Mrs. Marilyn Hembrock (American Legion).

BOOK FAIR

Who doesn’t enjoy a good book? Our students certainly enjoyed the vast

selection of books available at our 2018 Scholastic Book Fair. The long lines for

purchases on Grandparent’s Day and all the smiles on our students’ faces made

for a banner day for sales. We truly appreciate the time and efforts of Mrs.

Jenny Beck in coordinating this event.

VOLUNTEER RECEPTION & PARENT VISITATION

An appreciation reception for volunteers was hosted by the teachers on Tuesday,

January 30. The faculty and staff value the important role our parent and

grandparent volunteers play in the success of SMCS. Thank you, Mrs. Stumpf, for

coordinating this event. Also, many thanks are extended to the kindergarten, first

grade, fourth grade Spanish class, and seventh grade students for providing the

entertainment.

The St. Mary

faculty and staff

would like to

thank the parents

who took time

out of their busy

schedules to visit

the classrooms

and share lunch

in the cafeteria.

MANY HANDS MAKE LIGHT WORK VOLUNTEER PROGRAM

We are c losing in on the end of our second tr imester of the school year. There are so many activities and events that are only made possible through our wonderful volunteers.As

of February 26 , 4,121.09 hours have

been logged. We appreciate all the t ime and effort all of you are giving to support the mission of our school. Thank you!

Our Top Volunteers per Hours Logged are:

Bella Barron

Cassandra Kinna

April Nitzell

Crystal Stother

Jenny & Kevin Beck

Candice Romsburg

Stacey Stine

James & Stacey Renken

Leslie Kocevar

Remember to log into HelpCounter to track your hours. Trimester II started on December 1 and ends on March 9. Questions can be emailed to volunteer@stmarycatholicschool.org.

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GRANDPARENT’S DAY

Grandparent’s Day is truly one of the highlights of Catholic Schools Week. It is an opportunity for grandparents to visit their grandchildren’s classrooms and then be treated to a delicious lunch! It is also the day our students enjoy their student appreciation luncheon. Hopefully, our students and their grandparents feel how much they are loved! Many thanks are extended to Leslie Kocevar for coordinating this cherished event.

TALENT SHOW

Each year we are

blessed to have our

students share a

variety of their

talents with the

student body in the

Talent Show. Our

star performers for

2018 included:

Francesco Capobianco-Electric Guitar Ella Britton-Piano Francesco Capobianco & Ella Britton-Magic Act Brynn Lietuvnikas, Annabella Kenny, & Mackenzie O’Berry-(BAM) Singing Rayan Shahid-Piano Madelyn Renken-Ballet Abigayl Swett-Irish Dancing Neekie Rahimian-Piano Ethan Knipple-Singing Fifth Grade-Song & dance Nicholas Smallwood-Singing Sabrina Harman-Modern Dance Lauren Stine-Piano Gabbie McCafferty, Ashley Kenny, Abby Cushwa, Susan Concordia-Singing Eighth Grade-Dance Faculty & Staff-Singing

Many thanks are extended to Matthew Stine, Logan Flanagan, Phillip Aguila,

Brianna Ellis, and Noah Karn for attending the rehearsals and assisting with the

production. Of course, Mrs. Forsythe should be commended for all her efforts in

bringing us such a special show each year.

EIGHTH GRADE RECOGNITION

Eighth grade is such a special year for our students at SMCS. During the talent

show, the St. Mary Catholic School Graduating Class of 2018 was recognized.

FEBRUARY GOOD SAMS

I want to congratulate our Good S.A.M.s for February:

Kindergarten – Matthew Finn

First – Charlie Haren

Second – Kayden Castle

Third – Ava Stumpf

Fourth –Francesco Capobianco

Fifth –Lauren Stine

Sixth – Kaitlyn Hochstrasser

Seventh – Isabella Muto

Eighth –Logan Flanagan

Thanks for your Service, Attitude, and Manners!

PHASE II RAFFLE TICKET WINNERS

Thank you is extended to Mrs. Jackie Swarner for coordinating this fundraiser and to Sister Aloysius for faithfully picking the winning ticket each week.

Congratulations to the following January winners:

($50) Week 1: Jackie Carney

($50) Week 2: The O’Connors

($50) Week 3: Tina Kumar

($100) Week 4: Paula Miller

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Thanks to the HSA, our eighth graders received their CLASS T-Shirts on this day.

Eighth graders will be wearing their special T-Shirts on Wednesdays as recognition

of their years of hard work as St. Mary Catholic School students. The Class of

2018 includes Ty Ambush, Da’Monique Brown, Louis Concordia, Susan Concordia,

Abigail Cushwa, Daniel Duncan, Logan Flanagan, Lleyton Foster, Lydia Giannaris,

Noah Hall, Zoe Hochstrasser, Ashley Kenny, Saif Khan, Maxwell Larkin, Gabrielle

McCafferty, Finn Mc Greevy, Krystal Nogales, Shannon Quinones, Anna Rohan,

Rachel Rohan, Laurel Rothstein, Rayan Shahid, Ashton Shanholtz, Joseph Shultz,

Matthew Stine, Georgiana Tedeschi, Hannah Webster, and Zachary Zanetti.

TEACHER APPRECIATION LUNCHEON

The faculty and staff truly appreciates the efforts of our H.S.A. Executive Board in

helping throughout the week with all the Catholic Schools Week events. A special

thank you is extended to Bella Barron, April Nitzell, and Crystal Strother for the

lovely luncheon provided to the staff at the end of the week.

TEACHER OF THE YEAR

During Catholic Schools Week, each school in the Archdiocese of Baltimore recognized a Teacher of the Year. The teacher selected has excellent instructional abilities, is dedicated to professional growth, and is committed to the mission of the school. Ms. Mary Poffenberger was selected as the Teacher of the Year for SMCS. Ms. Poffenberger is a graduate of SMCS and is in her 31st year of teaching in the Archdiocese of Baltimore,

teaching 2 years at St. John’s in Frederick and 28 years in a classroom at St. Mary. As a Maryland educator, she holds an Advanced Professional Certificate and is certified in Elementary Education 1-6 and Middle School. Ms. Poffenberger creates a learning environment where students are actively involved in their learning and effectively incorporates 21st Century Learning Skills that prepare students to meet future challenges. She accepts special assignments that help make SMCS a special school, such as analyzing student test data, creating the annual SMCS Memory Book, serving as a Title I Intervention Teacher in our after- school tutoring program, and she also was a Writer on the AOB ELA Curriculum committee. Ms. Poffenberger also serves as witness to the Catholic faith in her parish as a member of the St. Ann’s contemporary choir, by participating in Parish outreach, and in planning and assisting the First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion preparation retreats. We appreciate her dedication to St. Mary Catholic School.

NATIONAL JUNIOR

HONOR SOCIETY

Executive Board members are: Daniel Duncan – President Noah Hall – Vice-President Maxwell Larkin – Secretary Rayan Shahid – Treasurer Zachary Zanetti – Parliamentarian

Invitations to apply to the SMCS George A. Limmer Chapter of the National Junior Honor Society will be extended in mid-March to current sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students who have a cumulative grade point average of 3.7 or above for their middle school semesters. Once T2 report cards have been distributed, student G.P.A. records are reviewed to determine eligibility status. All eligible students will be notified personally; students do not need to ask for application packets. Once application packets have been passed out to eligible students, they will have approximately three weeks to complete and return their applications to Mrs. Gross if they plan to apply. The faculty council will extend membership to the NJHS based on each applicant’s scholarship, leadership, citizenship, character, and service. The induction ceremony will be held on Wednesday, April 25, at 6:30 P.M. Current officers will assist in the induction ceremony.

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FAITH

LENTEN REMINDER

Meat will not be served on any Friday during Lent.

STATIONS OF THE CROSS

Students in grades three through eight attend Stations of the Cross on Fridays

during Lent at 2:00 P.M. Thank you, Father Cibelli and Father Larry, for giving our

students the opportunity to attend Stations of the Cross during school.

TRIMESTER NEWS

ACADEMICS

The second trimester of the 2017-2018 school year ends on Friday, March 9.

Progress Reports will be distributed on March 15. Parent Access will be closed

until March 8 through March 13 per AOB policy.

A GENTLE REMINDER

The Trimester II progress reports are scheduled to be distributed on March 15.

Please make sure that all your financial obligations (tuition through February,

Phase II fundraiser, after-school care through January, fees, cafeteria expenses,

etc.) are paid in full. Otherwise, progress reports will be held until all financial

obligations are met. Please refer to pages 50-51 of the handbook. Notifications

will be sent home during the week of March 5 if you are still in arrears with

anything at that time.

SMCS VOLUNTEER COMMITMENT

The SMCS faculty and staff want to thank all our parents and grandparents who

have been contributing their time through volunteering. The extra help is really

making a difference at HSA events and during our school days. We appreciate all

your support! Please remember to log your hours in HELPCOUNTER

(http://helpcounter.org/main/index.php). A minimum of twenty hours should be

logged in by midnight on March 8. Invoices for unfulfilled hours will be sent in

March.

HOME & SCHOOL ASSOCIATION

HSA EXECUTIVE BOARD

President: Mrs. Bella Barron Vice President: Mr. Jack Dill

Corresponding Secretary: Mr. Jay Zuspan Recording Secretary: Ms. Aggie Cantave

VIRTUS

The Archdiocese of Baltimore and Saint Mary Catholic School are committed to providing a safe environment for children. Our procedures for volunteering in schools require that a volunteer who will have substantial contact with children must complete screening and training procedures that are outlined on the www.archbalt.org website. The current and effective version of the Archdiocese of Baltimore’s Child and Youth Protection Policies and Procedures, including the Statement of Policy for the Protection of Children &Youth and the Code of Conduct for Church Personnel of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, which incorporates any revisions to the Archdiocese of Baltimore’s Child and Youth Protection Policies and Procedures that may be made from time to time, is available on the Child and Youth Protection page of the Archdiocese of Baltimore’s website and on the Archdiocese of Baltimore’s online compliance management system, VIRTUS. Please register as a St. Mary Catholic School Volunteer at http://www.virtusonline.org/. All new volunteers should complete the process as soon as possible. Please contact Jan McCarter, our screening coordinator, at jmccarter@saintmarysonline.org, or (301)739-0390, ext. 129, with any questions or concerns. Virtus training IS NOT complete until all parts of the process are fulfilled including the background check. Just completing the online training itself DOES NOT fulfill the requirements for volunteering.

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Bookkeeper: Mrs. Crystal Strother Treasurer: Mrs. April Nitzell

FAMILY BINGO

Family BINGO was truly a special event! Over forty

families attended for a night of BINGO fun and

SMCS fellowship! Father Cibelli and Craig O’Connor

kept the evening moving with their talent of calling

the numbers. Bella Barron, April Nitzell, and Rachel

O’Connor organized the event with the help of

Aggie Cantave, Cassie Kinna, Colleen Augustine,

Kelly Byrne, and Karen and Norm Scott.

SCRIP

Last year St. Mary families saved over $12,000 in tuition by

participating in the SCRIP Program. SCRIP dates this month

are March 5, 19, and 26.

HEALTHY SNACK SALE

Mrs. Lowe is organizing a healthy snack sale for Wednesday,

March 21. All proceeds will benefit our physical education

program.

MIDDLE SCHOOL SOCIAL

The next Middle School Social is from 3:00 to 4:30 on April 13.

HERSHEY PARK FUNDRAISER

Are you planning an outing to Hershey Park this year? This

fundraiser is an opportunity for you to purchase tickets at a

reduced rate and support the SMCS HSA. Tickets purchased are

valid April 29-September 25, 2018. A flyer went home last month.

STUDENT COUNCIL NEWS

STUDENT COUNCIL OFFICERS

President: Matthew Stine Vice President: Spencer Pentony

Secretary: Finn McGreevy Treasurer: Logan Flanagan

REGISTRATION FOR NEW STUDENTS

Registration for new students is now open. If you know of any families who might be interested in learning more about St. Mary Catholic School, please encourage them to call and set up an appointment “to check us out.” Prospective students are encouraged to spend a day shadowing. Families can inquire online at www.stmarycatholicschool.org.

OPEN HOUSE—SUNDAY, APRIL 22

SMCS is having an Open House on Sunday, April 22, from 2:00 to 5:00 P.M. Please invite anyone you know who has an interest in learning more about our 2017 National Blue Ribbon School.

SPRING FORWARD—DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME

Daylight Savings Time (United States) begins Sunday, March 11, 2017, at 2:00 A.M. Remember to set your clocks ahead one hour.

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MARCH TAG DAY

An out-of-uniform day will be held on, March 16, with all proceeds to benefit

Children’s Village. The theme of the day is green for St. Patrick’s Day!

MIDDLE SCHOOL DANCE

The last dance of the year will be held on Friday, April 20. Theme and attire guidelines are forthcoming

OTHER NEWSWORTHY ITEMS

HAGERSTOWN COMMUNITY COLLEGE

SMCS is excited to continue its partnership with Hagerstown Community College

(HCC) in enhancing our students’ learning in the areas of science, technology,

engineering, and mathematics. HCC has arranged a special day just for SMCS

middle school students. Sixth, seventh, and eighth graders are to spend the day

at Hagerstown Community College (HCC) on March 6. Students are not to report

to school, but instead, parents are to drop their middle school students at the

Kepler Building between 8:45 and 9:00 A.M. and pick their children up at 1:30

P.M. at the Kepler Building. Students are to bring a bag lunch and drink. This

special day helps enhance our science, technology, and mathematics programs.

SMCS NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM

For the fourth year in a row, the art work of SMCS students will be showcased at

the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts. Mrs. Renken and her students

have created beautiful pieces of art that will be on display during a special

reception on March 6, from 5:30 to 7:30 P.M. Be prepared to be amazed at the

artistic talent of our students!

RACE 4 TECHNOLOGY

Our second annual Race 4 Technology is scheduled for May 10. All monies raised

will be used to support our technology initiatives at SMCS. More information is

forthcoming. Be on the lookout for the upcoming t-shirt art design contest.

SPRING PICTURES

Lifetouch will be at SMCS on Wednesday, March 14, for class pictures, so

students are to wear their regular school uniforms. A special picture of the entire

student body will be taken also. On Thursday, March 16, Lifetouch will take

individual pictures; students may come out of uniform following the guidelines in

the Handbook.

POSITIVE BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTIONS AND SUPPORTS

SMCS students have been earning keys throughout the month of February. We are truly blessed to have students who care about each other, who strive to excel in their academics, and who greet each school day with a smile.

As of February 26, the Key Count for students by grade level is as follows:

Pre-Kindergarten: 68 keys

Kindergarten: 175 keys

First Grade: 272 keys

Second Grade: 107 keys

Third Grade: 180 keys

Fourth Grade: 41 keys

Fifth Grade: 179 keys

Sixth Grade: 135 keys

Seventh Grade: 68 keys

Eighth Grade: 129 keys

A total of 1,354 has been earned by SMCS students!

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INTERMEDIATE SPELLING BEE

On March 19 at 8:30 A.M., students from the third, fourth, and fifth grades will participate in the St. Mary Catholic School Intermediate Spelling Bee. Students in these grades took a written test to compete for a spot in the Bee. Congratulations to the following students who are our spelling bee contestants: Third Grade Eric Cabezas, Riley Horn, Bella Maciulla, Kaitlyn O’Berry, Louisa Poffenberger, Hailie Pryor, Madeline Stonebraker, and Lucy Zuspan Fourth Grade Francesco Copobianco, Sabrina Harman, Roman Harchick, Olivia Kocevar, Johan Michael, Josephine Muto, Willa Pentony, and Nicholas Smallwood Fifth Grade Brooks Carpenter, Owen Liu, Leah McCafferty, Neekie Rahimian, Madelynn Renken, Raniya Shahid, Lauren Stine, and Sebastian Wilkinson

SMCS MEMORY BOOKS

Ms. Mary Poffenberger has been capturing special moments with her camera in order to document the 2017-2018 school year in the SMCS Memory Book. Online ordering is available through March 2.

1. Visit www.online-pay.memorybook.com/parent;

2. Enter your pay code 86153 and click next; and 3. Buy a yearbook for $20.00.

STUDENT COUNCIL NEWS

PERPETUAL ADORATION CHAPEL

NEW ADORERS are needed for the Perpetual Adoration Chapel located at St. Maria Goretti High School. "The time you spend with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament...will help bring about an everlasting peace on earth.” (Mother Teresa of Calcutta) Call Mr. or Mrs. Ott for more information at 301-739-4167.

HEALTH NEWS

If you have any health-related questions, please contact Ms. Paula Radley at (301)733-1184, ext. 104, or by email, pradley@stmarycatholicschool.org. Please keep the school informed of any updates to your child’s immunization record.

IN YOUR PRAYERS

Please continue to pray for people in the world who need our prayers.