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January 2024 Principal's Newsletter

January 2024
Principal's Newsletter

Spiritual
CELEBRATION OF MASS:  An all-school Mass will be held on Wednesday, January 10 at 8:50 AM in the St. Sebastian Multipurpose Building. Parents are invited and must check in at the school office prior to the Mass start time. Students must wear their dress uniforms on Mass days.

CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK:  We will celebrate Catholic Schools Week the week of January 28. An all-school multicultural mass to celebrate the universality of the Catholic faith in our schools will be held Friday, February 2 at 8:50 AM in the St. Sebastian Multipurpose Building. Parents are invited and must check in at the school office prior to the Mass start time.  Students must wear their dress uniforms on Mass days.                                                                                                
Each year for Catholic Schools Week the schools in the Diocese collaborate to bring items for Catholic Charities.  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 over 300 participants from across the Diocese.  We will depart on Monday, January 15 and return on Saturday, January 20.  You are invited to pray for us during this journey.

SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION FOR STUDENTS:  All students and faculty will have the opportunity to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) during a school wide day of prayer in Theology Classes on Tuesday, January 30. Please pray for our students and priests.
 



Intellectual
CLASSES RESUME:  Classes will resume on Wednesday, January 3.  This is the first day of our second semester.   On Wednesday and Thursday, January 3 and 4 there will be no EBR Buses.  The EBR Buses will resume on Friday, January 5.  The SMHS Shuttle Bus will run its regular route on all days.

SCHOOL HOLIDAY:  There will be NO school on Monday, January 15, 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 2024 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, the lunchtime Math Lab, or the National Honor Society lunch tutoring sessions is a good place to begin.   These resources 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 2024.

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 may be found online on our website in the parent portal, on the Senior Counselor Moodle page, or may 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).
 
FILING THE FAFSA:  The FAFSA portal is set to be open by December 31, 2023.  Mrs. Rachel Cart has met with your student to set up his/her FSA ID, which is required for students to log into the portal.  At least one parent also needs an FSA ID.  Your student can assist you with getting yours.  You must have an FSA ID before you sit down to complete the FAFSA.  (Your FSA ID must be created in advance since it must be approved by the Social Security Admin. and it takes a couple of days to receive an email confirmation back from the Social Security Admin.)  This is the new way and the only way to log into the FAFSA, which 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.  It is recommended that you submit your application by February 1, 2024.
https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa




Personal Development
WINTER FORMAL:  Mark your calendar for Saturday, January 27 from 8:00-11:00 PM for Winter Formal.   The theme is Winter Wonderland.  There has been a dress code change for dress length: dress length must be no shorter than 4 inches above the top of the knee.  All parents and students have been emailed information on this change, including steps on how to measure dress length.
 
GRANDPARENTS DAY: Grandparents Day will be Sunday, January 7.   Invitations were mailed to all grandparents.  The event will take place from 3:00-5:00 PM. Please RSVP at:  https://forms.gle/34MDwWsjJvA2b7UZ7



 
WARRIOR  ATHLETIC ACCOMPLISHMENTS
FALL 2023 
  • 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 4th place at State
  • WARRIOR FOOTBALL:  The Football team won it’s first Playoff Game in school history, and advanced to the Quarterfinals of the State Playoffs
  • WARRIOR BOWL:   Congratulations to the St. Aloysius Lions and the SJV/STA Crusaders Middle School Football Teams for winning the 2023 Warrior Bowl hosted by the St. Michael Football Team
  • 8 Fall Sports students earned All-Academic Honors
  • 7 Volleyball players earned All-District Honors
  • 4 Volleyball players earned All-Metro Honors
  • 17 Football players earned All-District Honors

A NOTE FROM THE PRINCIPAL:

Happy New Year!  Here at St. Michael as we ring in 2024, we recommit ourselves to meeting students where they are, while challenging them to grow in their faith, their intellect, and their God-given gifts and talents.  We are working to have 2024 as another year of growth and achievement for our students, our faculty and staff, and the entire St. Michael community. 
 
Our first semester is complete.  Please take time with your students to review their first semester achievements and grades.  If there is room for improvement, let’s work together to plan for success in the Spring semester.  I encourage you to contact your student’s teachers or counselor if you have any questions or concerns. 
 
Congratulations to Blaise Fox who has been chosen as the St. Michael Student of the Year.  Blaise will represent St. Michael in the competition for Diocesan Student of the Year.  Blaise’s academic and personal achievements, his service record, and his leadership in our school community makes him an outstanding representative of our school.  Congratulations to our Campus Minister, Mrs. Emily Froeba, who was chosen as the St. Michael High School Distinguished Educator of the Year.  Mrs. Froeba’s focus at St. Michael has always been bringing young men and young women closer to Jesus.  We are grateful for her service to our students, our school, and the entire Diocese.  Our Distinguished Graduate for this school year is Mr. Brad BonGiovanni, Class of 1995.  Brad will be honored at the Diocesan Distinguished Graduates Dinner during Catholic Schools Week.
 
At the end of January, St. Michael High School will join with Catholic schools across the world to celebrate Catholic Schools Week.  How fortunate we are that families recognize the importance of a high school education where the beauty and the truth of the Catholic faith is discussed and cultivated in our students!  We are grateful to our parents for the sacrifices they make to send their children to a Catholic school where young men and your women learn to Seek the Truth, Live the Faith, and Serve Like Christ.
 
As we begin this new calendar year together, I ask you to pray for our students and our families.  May we all recognize the blessings of Christ in our lives. 
 
In Christ,
 
Ellen B. Lee, Principal
 



Advancement News &
Important Events
We invite you to join us in advancing our mission by considering a personal and meaningful gift to the Fund for St. Michael.  Your tax-deductible donation will allow us to invest in teacher pay, provide qualified families with tuition assistance, strengthen faith formation, and support our extracurricular activities and programs. In essence, your gift to this Fund improves the overall student experience.  Click to learn more about our Fund and how you can make a gift donation today:
The Fund for St. Michael - St. Michael the Archangel High School (smhsbr.org)
Save the date for our 2024 Taste of Warrior Tailgate! On March 2, 2024 Warrior supporters will fill our Multipurpose Building to sample an array of delicious foods from local restaurants while enjoying an evening of live music, a silent auction, and other fun activities. Click the link for more information on how you can get involved and become a sponsor of one of our upcoming events.
Sponsorship Opportunities - St. Michael the Archangel High School (smhsbr.org)
Thank you Warrior Nation! Because of your generosity, St. Michael had the most donors in the entire Diocese and was awarded an extra $1,000 towards our Commons area modernization project. We appreciate you and all you do to help make St. Michael a school for excellence.
LEGACY BRICK CAMPAIGN-Leave your legacy at St. Michael High School. Click the link to purchase your personalized brick for our Legacy Walkway on campus. https://forms.diamondmindinc.com/smhsbr/bricks23


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
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