December 2022
Principal's Newsletter
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CELEBRATION OF MASS: In celebration of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, an all-school Mass will be held on Thursday, December 8 at 8:50 AM in the St. Sebastian Multipurpose Building. Parents are invited and may check in at the school office prior to the Mass start time. Students must wear their dress uniforms all day on Mass days.
HOLIDAY SERVICE PROJECTS:
The Beta Club will collect items for the Bishop Ott Shelters for its 2022 Christmas Service Project. There are two Bishop Ott Shelters, one shelter for men and one shelter for women and children. A list of needed items is available on each Beta Club member's Moodle Beta Club “Class” page. The deadline for bringing items to school is Friday, December 16.
The Theology Department will sponsor a donation drive for the families of Bishop Verot High School in Fort Myers, FL who are still recovering from Hurricane Ian. We will be collecting cash donations in the front office and by credit card online during the week of December 5 - 12. Check your email for more information.
SERVICE HOURS DEADLINE: Monday, December 5 is the first deadline for Service Hours. Half of the total required hours are due for each student. If a student misses the December 5 deadline, his/her second quarter Religion grade drops one point per day late, up to one letter grade. If students still have not completed this service hour requirement, they will not be allowed to take their midterm exams in any of their classes. See the SMHS Student/Parent Handbook for details.
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SMHS HOLIDAY OFFICE HOURS: The school office will be open from 7:30 AM—12 noon Monday, December 19—Thursday, December 22 and Tuesday, December 27—Thursday, December 29.
STUDENTS RETURN: Students return to school on Wednesday, January 4.
HOLIDAY HELP DESK: The St. Michael Technology Help Desk will be on call during the Christmas Holidays. Email helpdesk@smhsbr.org to ask for assistance.
MID-TERM EXAMS: Readiness for exams begins with daily preparation for class. A reminder that midterm exams count as 20% of the semester grade. During exam time, it is essential that students get enough sleep and have healthy eating habits so that they can do their very best on exams.
MID-TERM EXAM SCHEDULE:
Tuesday, December 13 1st period exam 7:14-9:10 AM
2nd period exam 9:25-11:25 AM
Wednesday, December 14 8th period exam 7:14-9:10 AM
4th period exam 9:25-11:25 AM
Thursday, December 15 7thperiod exam 7:14-9:10 AM
5th period exam 9:25-11:25 AM
Friday, December 16 3rd period exam 7:14-9:10 AM
6th period exam 9:25-11:25 AM
Students are dismissed after their first exam if the second exam of the day is their lunch period. Seniors who have study hall do not report for an exam during their study hall period.
The dismissal bell will ring each testing day at 11:25 AM. Teachers will be available in their classrooms from 11:30 AM—12:30 PM each day to help any student prepare for the next day’s exam. Students will be dismissed for the Christmas holidays at 11:25 AM on Friday, December 16.
The EBR buses and the SMHS shuttle bus will run all mornings and all dismissals. Students return to school Wednesday, January 4. The EBR buses and the SMHS shuttle bus will run on January 4.
It is the policy of SMHS that all tuition and fees must be current prior to mid-term exams. Parent(s) will be notified if a student is to remain home on exam days if accounts are not current. Delinquent payments made prior to exams must be paid by cash, cashier’s check or money order to be deemed received by SMHS so the student will be allowed to take exams. If you have any questions, contact Mrs. Susan Thibodeaux, bookkeeper, at 753-9782 Ext. 25 or sthibodeaux@smhsbr.org.
GRADES: First semester grades will be posted on PlusPortals by December 28.
COURSE CHANGES: Course change requests at the semester will only be considered for extenuating circumstances. Otherwise, students are expected to honor their commitments to their current classes. Students requesting a course change must first meet with their school counselor to discuss their options. If the counselor believes the request has merit and is possible, students will be instructed to have their parents submit a letter requesting the change with rationale to Mrs. Julie Lechich, Assistant Principal of Academics. All course change requests must be submitted by Wednesday, January 4.
COFFEE WITH JUNIOR COUNSELOR: Junior parents/guardians are invited to attend Coffee with the Counselor on Thursday, January 26 at 7:30 AM at school OR at 12:00 pm via Zoom. Mrs. Alexandra Giardina, Junior Counselor, will present on topics such as: Graduation requirements, scheduling for senior year, TOPS, and ACT standardized testing that will be held on March 28 on campus and more. Please RSVP through her upcoming e-mail with more information.
PLACEMENT EXAM: The school will administer the Placement Exam for admission to St. Michael High School for current eighth grade applicants from 8:00—11:00 AM on Saturday, December 3. The Warrior Club will be selling promotional items in front of the school (between the main building and the multipurpose building) from 10:00 AM to 12 noon. All are welcome.
REQUEST FOR COLLEGE ACCEPTANCE LETTERS: In order to assist in college preparation and planning, it is critical that seniors and their parents provide Mrs. Rachel Cart with copies of all letters of acceptance from colleges and universities whether or not the senior will eventually attend that particular school. It is extremely important that seniors provide Mrs. Cart with copies of their scholarship letters as well, even if they choose not to accept the scholarship or attend the school offering the award. Students have traditionally been honored for scholarships received at the Senior Honors Convocation held in May. The only way we can publish this information is if parents or students inform us. Please provide copies of acceptance and scholarship letters (or forward acceptance emails) to Mrs. Cart as they are received. rcart@smhsbr.org
FILING THE FAFSA: The FAFSA portal opened October 1. This is the free application for federal student aid that can qualify your student for loans, grants and work study, and it is the application for the TOPS scholarship, if your student qualifies. Your previous year’s income tax return is needed to fill out the form, which must be filed by July 1, 2023:
If you wish to only fill out the application for the TOPS scholarship in the spring, you may do so on the Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance website:
https://mylosfa.la.gov/applications/award-system/
LIBRARY NEWS: Students who earn a 2.5+ GPA or higher for the first semester qualify to receive a free membership to the New Orleans Aquarium, Audubon Zoo, and Museum of Art courtesy of the Taylor Scholar Foundation, so study hard for semester exams. These free cards will allow unlimited access for the student and two guests until August of 2024. This award will be given out in April. See Mrs. Amy Donaldson in the library for more information. adonaldson@smhsbr.org
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SELF-CARE WITH THE COUNSELORS: The Counseling Department and the Warrior Wellness Club will be hosting Self-Care Week, the week of December 5-9. We will have wellness activities throughout the week, including a Cozy/Crazy Sock Day on Wednesday, December 7 and a self-pay Hot Chocolate/Coffee Truck on Friday, December 9.
CHRISTMAS BAND AND CHOIR CONCERT: The annual St. Michael Band and Choir Christmas Concert will be held in the SMHS Multipurpose Building on Sunday, December 4 at 2:00 PM.
CHRISTMAS SWEATER DAY: St. Michael High School will celebrate the Christmas season on Monday, December 5 with students wearing ugly Christmas sweaters and Christmas accessories with uniform pants or skirts. Seniors may wear appropriate jeans.
HOLLY VOLLEYBALL: The fun begins on Friday, December 9. Friends and family are invited to take part in all the festivities, which begin right after school. The entrance fee for students and parents is $2 and for alumni is $1. Each person who enters will receive a raffle ticket. We will draw for the raffle around 6:00 PM.
USED UNIFORM SALE: The SMHS Home & School Association will have a used uniform sale on Saturday, December 3 from 11:00 AM-12:30 PM in the Commons. Unlike the summer sale, this event will feature only the current stock of used uniforms already on hand. Please come by and outfit your growing student. Check, cash and credit cards are accepted for payment.
WINTER FORMAL DANCE: Mark your calendar for Saturday, January 28 for the Winter Formal Dance from 8:00-11:00 PM. More information to follow.
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NOTE FROM THE PRINCIPAL:
During this season of Advent, we are challenged to slow down the hectic pace of our lives. We are called to focus on preparing ourselves by prayerfully remembering the birth of our Lord and Savior and the majesty of the Incarnation. Getting ready for Christmas begins in our hearts and minds as we wait with great anticipation to receive the greatest gift, the Christ Child. Along with the decorations and presents and parties, Advent is a time to remind ourselves to take the time to embrace each day with a renewed sense of holiness and wonder.
The faculty and staff of St. Michael High School wish you and your family all the blessings of this holy season. We pray for the new year to be filled with joy and peace and hope. We pray that the Light of Christ fills the hearts of all of us throughout Advent, Christmas, and all the days of the coming year.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Ellen B. Lee
Principal
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Advancement News &
Important Events
WARRIOR GOLF CLASSIC:
The 33nd annual Warrior Golf Classic was held November 7
at Greystone Country Club.
This event raises funds to support Warrior athletic teams, clubs and extracurricular programs. Thank you to all of our teams, sponsors, volunteers and players for being an integral part of the success of our Warrior Family. Thanks to your generosity, the event successfully raised over $61,000.
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Thank you to our fabulous sponsors:
Acadian House & EBS
Action Industries, Sigma, Barberito, Geaux Roof, Tramonte’s, Assurance Financial, GMFS, Coca Cola, Community Coffee, Ruffinos, ISS, Matt and Tiffany Didier, Stabiler Foundation, K & M Automotive, Coleman Roofing, Walk Ons
Save the Date: 34th Annual Warrior Golf Classic November 6th, 2023
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#iGive Catholic
For our 2022 Warrior Campaign $10,815 was raised for upgrading the bleachers in our school gymnasium.
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ST. MICHAEL HOME AND SCHOOL ASSOCIATION
Parents can follow St. Michael Home and School Association on Facebook.
Our Facebook group is where you can find the latest opportunities to volunteer and information needed to keep up to date.
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WARRIOR CLUB NEWS:
As always, we want to thank our Warrior Club Volunteers. We cannot operate without you! We had a great group of Warrior parents helping at Open House and we had another successful sales event.
The Warrior Club Store will be open for a few upcoming events. The details are as follows:
Saturday, December 3 Incoming Freshman Testing – Sales at St. Michael, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Please consider volunteering: WC22/23: Warrior Club Merchandise Sale (signupgenius.com)
Thursday, December 8 St. Jean Vianney School Christmas Market – Sales from 4:00 to 8:00 PM. $10 to enter and you will enjoy shopping from 40 local boutiques and artists. Warrior Club will reveal new merchandise and offer a 10% discount on all Warrior Club Store Purchases at the event!
Friday, December 9 Holly Volleyball – Sales at the Warrior Club Store, 2:30 PM – 6:00 PM
Please consider volunteering: WC22/23: Holly Volleyball Warrior Club Merchandise Sale (signupgenius.com)
This will be the last time we open the store before Christmas. Students, parents, grandparents, and all Warrior fans are welcome to shop in person. Of course, you can continue to shop online any time at www.smhswarriorclub.com.
Our Fall Sports have come to an end, and we congratulate all athletes on your accomplishments. Let’s continue to support our athletic programs by attending our Winter Sporting Events. Go Warriors!
St. Michael the Archangel, Defend Us in Battle
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The St. Michael High School Advisory Board is looking for new members and committee members. If you are interested in volunteering for this Board, please complete and submit the Nomination form at:
https://www.smhsbr.org/quick-links/advisory-board-nomination-form.cfm
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