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January 2023 Principal's Newsletter

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January 2023
Principal's Newsletter

Spiritual
CELEBRATION OF MASS:  An all-school Mass will be held on Wednesday, January 11 at 8:50 AM in the St. Sebastian Multipurpose Gymnasium. 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.

CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK:  We will celebrate Catholic Schools Week the week of January 30. An all-school multicultural mass to celebrate the universality of the Catholic faith handed on in our schools will be held Thursday, February 2 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.                                                
                                                   
Each year for Catholic Schools Week the schools in the Diocese collaborate to bring items for Catholic Charities. Catholic Schools Week will be celebrated the week of January 30 - February 3.  These items help Catholic Charities continue their mission of helping families in need of a new start. St. Michael will participate again this year.  More details will follow. Thank you in advance for helping us to help those in need.

NATIONAL MARCH FOR LIFE:  We will be traveling to Washington, D.C. for the National March for Life with 300 participants from across the Diocese.  We will depart on Monday, January 16 after school and return Saturday, January 21.  You are invited to pray for us during this journey.
 



Intellectual
CLASSES RESUME:  Classes will resume on Wednesday, January 4.  This is the first day of our second semester.   The EBR buses and the St. Michael shuttle bus will run their regular schedules. 

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.

SCHOOL HOLIDAY:  There will be NO school on Monday, January 16, in observance of  Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
 
REQUESTS 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 and any scholarship and financial aid awards from colleges and universities, whether or not the senior will eventually attend that particular school. Please send copies of these documents via email to rcart@smhsbr.org, by fax to 225-753-0605 or in person. The names of the colleges and universities to which the senior has been accepted will be published in the Graduation Program, while a list of the scholarships which were offered to the student will appear in the Baccalaureate Mass & Senior Honors Convocation Program.  The only way we may publish this information is if parents and students share this information with us.  Please provide Mrs. Cart with copies of acceptance and scholarship letters as soon as they are received.
 
SECOND SEMESTER – ACADEMIC PLAN FOR SUCCESS:  The first semester is complete and report cards were posted on PlusPortals.  Please take some time in the first few days of 2023 to discuss with your student his/her academic progress.  If grades are not where they should be, please make a plan to improve during this second half of the school year.  Seeking help from the teacher or the lunchtime Resource Lab or the National Honor Society lunch tutoring sessions are a good place to begin and are available for all students to get the assistance they need.   Please feel free to contact your student’s teachers or grade level counselor to discuss how we can work together to help your child be successful in 2023.

SEVENTH SEMESTER TRANSCRIPTS:  Parents, if your senior applied to a private and/or out-of-state college or university which requires that a 7th semester transcript be submitted, please remind him/her to email or drop off to Mrs. Rachel Cart a signed Permission to Release Records Form in order to mail a transcript. The Permission to Release Form can be found online on our website in the parent portal, on the Senior Counselor Moodle page, or can be picked up from Mrs. Cart’s office.  Seniors who have applied to in-state public institutions do not need to follow this procedure as their 7th semester transcripts are made available to colleges and universities electronically through the Student Transcript System (STS).
 
TOPS APPLICATION:  Parents, in order for your senior to receive a possible TOPS scholarship, please assist your child in completing the FAFSA, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, which is the application for TOPS. Visit https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa to begin. They must also send an official ACT score to the Louisiana Office of Financial Assistance.  The deadline for theses items to be done for TOPS eligibility is July 1.  
Visit https://mylosfa.la.gov/applications/award-system/  for TOPS eligibility criteria.




Personal Development
WINTER FORMAL:  Winter Formal will be Saturday, January 28 and the theme is Mardi Gras Masquerade.  The Dance will be from 8:00-11:00 PM.  All dress codes can be found online in the St. Michael Handbook.  If you are bringing a guest from another school, the guest contract will be due by Tuesday, January 17.

 
WARRIOR  ATHLETIC ACCOMPLISHMENTS FALL 2022 
  • LADY WARRIOR VOLLEYBALL:  The Volleyball Team finished the season in the Quarter-Finals of the State Tournament
  • WARRIOR CROSS COUNTRY:   The Girls Cross Country Team finished in 5th place at State; the Boys Cross Country Team finished in 4th place at State
  • WARRIOR FOOTBALL:  The Football Team made it to the 1st round of Playoffs 
  • WARRIOR BOWL:   Congratulations to the St. George and the Our Lady of Mercy Football Teams for winning the 2022 Warrior Bowl hosted by the St. Michael Football Team
  • 12 Fall Sports students earned All-Academic Honors
  • 4 Volleyball players earned All-District Honors
  • 13 Football players earned All-District Honors
Tickets are ON SALE NOW for Moonlight and Jazz 2023, presented by the St. Michael High School Warrior Band. Do not miss your opportunity to enjoy a night of music, dancing, and wonderful food prepared by Chef John Folse. Click the link below to secure your tickets or send an email to smhswarriorband@gmail.com for more information.

 

LOOKING FOR OUTSTANDING PEOPLE


The Mother Seton Award is presented annually to honor one individual from the Home and School community who emulates the qualities and service of Mother Elizabeth Ann Seton, for whom the award is named.

The guidelines for this nomination are as follows:
 
Be a current  member of the Home and School Association
              (SMHS parents/guardians are members);

Be a parent, grandparent or guardian;

Be recognized as a volunteer, not an employee of the school.

Qualifications of the individual must include:

  • At least three years of involvement within the local Home and School organization;

  • Dependable, hard working, self-sacrificing, attuned to the needs of the children and the school;

  • Enthusiastic, generous, supportive of the educators and the administration;

  • Concerned and ready to go the extra mile for Catholic education;

  • A model of living Gospel values.

To nominate a Candidate please complete this link by January 24:   https://forms.gle/ecetdvRWuGYQnQQn8

 

A NOTE FROM THE PRINCIPAL:

Happy New Year!  As we turn the page on the calendar and begin 2023, the Warrior faculty, staff and administration renew our commitment to fulfill our mission of developing and forming the whole student – spiritually, intellectually, and personally.  We also renew our partnership with our parents to assist our students in growing into the persons that they are called by God to be.

As the first half of the year is complete, we work with all students and parents to have a successful second semester.  Please take the time with your child to review his/her first semester grades.  Let’s work together to plan for success moving forward.  Contact your student’s teachers or counselor if you have any questions or concerns.

During the month of January, St. Michael High School will lead a pilgrimage of students and adults from all over the Diocese to the National March for Life in Washington, D.C.  Please join me in praying for the safety of all those on the trip and for a conversion of hearts so that the March may someday be unnecessary.

So many of our school community have been recognized recently.  Senior Haley Corroa’s drawing of a group of heavenly angels watching over the Nativity was chosen by the Catholic Schools Office of the Diocese of Baton Rouge to be their official Christmas card.  Senior Allyson Zylicz’s artwork, depicting a shepherd gazing at the North Star, was chosen to the be the cover of the St. Michael High School Christmas card.  Congratulations to both talented young ladies. 

Congratulations to senior Anh-Tu Nguyen, who is the St. Michael Student of the Year and will represent his school at the Diocesan Student of the Year competition.  Congratulations to Mrs. Dena Rispone Balart, Warrior Class of ‘93, who has been named the Distinguished Graduate for St. Michael High School.  Congratulations to social studies teacher, Joshua Zeringue, who was chosen to be the Distinguished Educator for the Diocese of Baton Rouge.  Both Mrs. Balart and Mr. Zeringue will be honored during Catholic Schools Week.

At the end of this month, St. Michael High School will join Catholic schools across the world in celebrating Catholic Schools Week.  The sacrifices that our families make to send their child to a Catholic school is a value-added investment that pays off beyond the years the student spends in high school.  Students gain a strong academic foundation for future studies and for life.  They develop their personal qualities and characteristics to help with success in their adult lives.  Most important of all, our students are challenged to recognize the beauty and the truth of our Catholic faith.  We are grateful to our parents for your dedication and commitment to a St. Michael High School education for your child.

In Christ,
Ellen B. Lee, Principal
 



Advancement News &
Important Events


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.
WARRIOR CLUB NEWS:
The Warrior Club would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year! May the new year bring peace, love and good health to all of our St. Michael families. Although school has been out, our athletes have continued to train and compete like Warriors! We are proud of your dedication to your sport and for representing our great school!

St. Michael the Archangel, Defend Us in Battle
Open House 2023