The Trojan Times
St. Maria Goretti Catholic School January 13, 2019
Mission Statement
Principal's Message
Happy New Year! We are so excited to have welcomed our students and families back last week after Christmas break. January has already proven to be very busy as we prepare for all of the events coming up this month and next: the annual SMG Spaghetti Dinner; Catholic Schools Week; Open House for current and prospective families; the annual Dinner, Dance, and Auction; and 2019-2020 Registration beginning in February. Please be sure to read through the Trojan Times and other communications to keep up with all that is happening at SMG!
Have a wonderful week ahead!
St. Maria Goretti, Pray for Us!
Blessings,
Laura Behee, M.Ed.
Principal
January Virtue: Gratitude
Gratitude is the virtue for the month of January. Gratitude means seeing everything as a gift and being thankful.
There are many saints who exemplified the virtue of gratitude. Three who we are going to be learning about this month are:
- St. Francis of Assisi: Feast Day - October 4th - St. Francis was born into a wealthy family but gave up everything he had to follow God. St. Francis was so thankful to God for all that He had created that he wrote songs about the sun and the moon, the plants and the animals, and all of creation. He taught others to see everything as God's gifts.
- St. Julie Billiart: Feast Day - May 13th - St. Julie promised her life to God when she was 14 and spent the rest of her life serving and teaching the poor. She started the Sisters of Notre Dame--the Sisters of Our Lady whose purpose was to teach young girls. St. Julie was known for always smiling, even though she was bedridden for 22 years until cured by a miracle.
- St. Josemaria Escriva: Feast Day - June 26th - St. Josemaria Escriva wanted to make his life a pleasing gift to God. With this in mind, he entered the seminary, was ordained a priest, and served in various ways--as a pastor, a confessor, and a teacher, ministering to the poor, sick, and abandoned. Josemaria founded Opus Dei, a movement to help ordinary lay people pursue holiness in the midst of their work. St. Josemaria felt a deep gratitude to God for the gift of his family, especially the formation in living a Christian life provided by the example of his parents.
For more information on the Virtues in Practice Program, visit:
https://www.nashvilledominican.org/apostolate/evangelization-and-catechesis/virtues-in-practice/
Home and School General Meeting
Topics will include:
- Catholic Schools Week
- Dinner Dance
- Christmas Store report
- Spring Dine-Out Nights
- SMG on-line Spirit Wear Store
We hope to see you all there!
Annual Fund
We are almost half-way there! So far, we have collected $45,339.50 through our 2018-2019 Annual Fund, which kicked off in September with North Texas Giving Day! With 100% participation, we hope to raise $100,000 to support the tuition assistance program, academic programs and enhancements, upgrades to classroom technology, professional development for our teachers, and campus security and facility improvements. Any amount is appreciated and donations can be made on our school website at http://smgschool.org. A huge THANK YOU to everyone who has already participated!
Catholic Schools Week 2019
Catholic Schools Week at SMG 2019:
- Sunday, January 27th: Open House 10AM-2PM
- Monday, January 28th: Volunteer Appreciation Day
- Tuesday, January 29th: Parent Appreciation Day
- Wednesday, January 30th: Faculty/Staff Appreciation Day
- Thursday, January 31st: Community Day
- Friday, February 1st: Student Appreciation Day-World Read Aloud Day; the SMG 28-Day Read Aloud Challenge kick off; Faculty/Staff vs. Students Volleyball Game
Look for more details about the week's events in next week's Trojan Times, classroom newsletters, and seperate email communications.
SMG Annual Spaghetti Dinner
Mangia, mangia! The SMG Annual Spaghetti Dinner is fast approaching and will be another fun opportunity for faith, community, and of course, eating!
When: Sunday, January 27th
TIme: 10AM-2PM
Where: The Holy Family Life Center (Gym)
Tickets:
- Pre-purchased (available now at the school front desk): $7-Adults; $6-Seniors; $4-Children under 10 years old
- At the door: $8-Adults; $7-Seniors; $5-Children under 10 years old
World Read Aloud Day and the SMG 28-Day Read Aloud Challenge
On Friday, February 1st, we will be celebrating World Read-Aloud Day 2019! What is World Read-Aloud Day? Every year on World Read-Aloud Day, children, teens, and adults across the U.S. and in more than 100 countries worldwide celebrate the power of words by reading aloud and sharing stories to promote literacy. At SMG, students will be celebrating by "dropping everything and reading" and listening to stories being read aloud.
We are also using this day to kick-off our St. Maria Goretti Catholic School 28-Day Read-Aloud Challenge! We are challenging students to read aloud for at least 10 minutes each day during the month of February. Students can read to anyone: a sibling, a parent, a grandma, a stuffed animal…..the point is to READ!! All students who complete the challenge will be eligible to win prizes during our Monday Morning Assembly on March 4th.
More information about World Read Aloud Day and how to participate in the 28-Day Read-Aloud Challenge will be communicated as the date draws nearer.
Read Aloud Resources:
TED Talk: "Why We Should All Be Reading Aloud to Children" by Rebecca Bellingham
Read Aloud Revival #49: "Why We Should All Be Reading Aloud to Children"
"The Hidden Benefits of Reading Aloud — Even for Older Kids" by Connie Matthiessen with Jim Trelease
Dinner, Dance, and Auction 2019
Auction Item Sneak Peak!!
There are so many totally awesome auction items for the 2019 Dinner Dance, but this one we just had to give you a sneak peak on...
Camp Thurman - the DFW area's destination for summer camp and a tradition dating back to 1969, has very generously donated an ENTIRE WEEK of Summer Camp to the St. Maria Goretti Dinner Dance this year!
Just ask any kid - This place is amazing and their generosity is equally as outstanding!
Not familiar with Camp Thurman? Here's their website to find out more: http://www.campthurman.org/
Looking for ways to get involved with Dinner Dance? There are still so many ways you can help.
We need volunteers to set up and decorate the HFLC on Friday , February 1, 12:00pm – 9:00pm. We need volunteers to help during the event on Saturday, February 2, 4:30pm – 11:30pm. Go to the Sign-Up Genius on the school website to volunteer!
In lieu of class baskets, we are requesting donations for $20 gift cards for the Dinner Dance and Auction. Each gift card donated earns you one volunteer hour toward Kountry Karnival hours. The gift cards can be turned into Stephanie Malloy, she has the volunteer hour form to be filed out. We greatly appreciate you generosity.
Finally, if you haven't purchased your Dinner Dance tickets, now is definitely the time! Tickets are on sale at http://bidpal.net/smgdd2019
Geography Bee!
We are so proud of the ten SMG students from the 4th-8th Grade who qualified and participated in the 2019 National Geographic Geography Bee last Friday. A special congratulations to our top three winners: 1st Place-Callan Coffey, 5th Grade; 2nd Place-Jocelyn Geller, 6th Grade; and 3rd Place-Isabella Logan, 8th Grade. As the First Place winner, Callan will now take a test that will determine his eligibility to participate in the State Championship later this spring!! Way to Go, Callan and continued luck as you move through the competition!!
Alumni News
We hope to see many alumni at the Annual Spaghetti Dinner on Sunday, January 27th! Alumni who update their contact information at the Alumni Table at the Spaghetti Dinner will enjoy a free meal at the event! See Spaghetti Dinner information above for details.
Once a Trojan--Always a Trojan!
Need Prayers?
Meet Our Priests!
St. Maria Goretti Parish Website: https://www.smgparish.org
Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth
Calendar Notes
Monday, January 14th:
- Monday Morning Assembly (students) - 7:55AM in the Cafetorium
- Home & School General Meeting - 7PM in the Cafetorium
Monday, January 21st: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day--No School, No SMEED
Sunday, January 27th: Catholic Schools Week begins - see details for each day above
- SMG Catholic School Open House 10AM-2PM
- Annual SMG Spaghetti Dinner 10AM-2PM in the Gym (HFLC); also featuring PreK-4 Musical Performance @ 12:30PM
Friday, February 1st: Early Dismissal @ 12PM; No Lunch Service;
Saturday, February 2nd: Dinner, Dance, and Auction 6:30-11:30PM in the HFLC (Gym)