Happy Sunday SMS Families,
Hopefully everybody who was sick last week is feeling better. It sounded like the illnesses going around were pretty nasty. Special thanks to Mr. Frebis who went above and beyond last week, bleaching surfaces, adding a layer of disinfection in our buildings.
I would also like to thank everyone who was part of the overwhelming response to needing volunteers to fill in for those out ill on Friday night. We had another great crew, especially the cleanup crew. I know I speak for the volunteers who are there from open to close, when I say seeing all that help at the end of the night is a huge relief after a long day at the Fish Fry. I would also like to give a huge shoutout to so many of our alumni who gave up their Friday night to come help. I think it shows a lot of character for a teenager to give up a Friday night to volunteer at their alma mater, and I am proud of them!
I am not going to share numbers until the end of the month, but we are on pace for a record breaking SMS Fish Fry. Let's keep it going this week! This week, all of the funds from the bake sale will go to the 7th and 8th grade trip to Washington DC. Of course 7th and 8th grade families need to provide baked goods, but if anyone else would like to help, it would be appreciated! If you have not signed up to help this week, or would just like to pick up an extra shift, you can do so here.
This is a friendly reminder, that if you have not completed your registration for the 26-27 school year, it needs to be completed asap. We are getting a large amount of new applications for next year, and I need to start making some decisions as we plan for next year. Also, if you have not turned in your EdChoice paperwork, we need to get that going as well. If you are a new family that has been accepted, and turned your EdChoice paperwork in, you should now be able to complete your income verification online now. (Remember, income verification only should be completed if you are new to the EdChoice program, are adding a new child to the portal, or your income was less last year, and thus would be eligible for a greater scholarship amount). Of course, if you have any questions, call me and I will walk you through it the best I can!
There is no school this Friday, March 13, as a scheduled teacher work day.
This week, Mr. Pedigo's Latin students will be taking the National Latin Exam. 8th graders have the ability to earn a high school foreign language credit. Good luck Latin students!
I am asking once again for your help. Parents, please do not send students to school with drinks like: energy drinks, coffee, pop, McDonalds drinks, etc. They are distracting, and have been known to make a mess, among other reasons. Students should have a water bottle. Thank you for your help with this matter.
Finally, I am sure some of you are tired of me talking about the St. Michael Scholarship Granting Organization opportunity we have, and I hate talking about funding all the time, but it is an important part of my job. After several discussions at the Gala and Fish Fries with parents, grandparents, and parishioners, I have been encouraged to share more with you. Many of you know that we work tirelessly to keep the financial burden off of our families as much as possible, by taking advantage of any public funds that are available, and working together in our fundraisers, while being as cost efficient in our expenses as possible. The SGO tax credit is a game changing opportunity for our school. So far this year, we have raised over $28,000 through this tax credit opportunity. Most of the donors have been parishioners and grandparents, which is amazing, but it could be even better! To look at it another way, this fundraiser has raised about $200 for each of our students, Anyone who pays state taxes is eligible to get up to $750 deducted from those taxes. Which means you can get it right back. Married couples can deduct up to $1500! This literally costs you nothing to do. I made my contribution with my credit card, and got the receipt via email. The next day I turned it in with my W2s to my tax preparer and received every dime of my $750 donation before I received my credit card statement! It cost me nothing, and I was able to send that $750 to help with tuition for our students. If you have not filed your taxes, it is not too late. Again, sorry to keep bothering you with this, I just want to make sure I am doing my part explaining it to you (as I have been trying to do since November) because this is free tuition dollars for our children, that is out there to be had. Thanks to all who have participated so far, and thanks to all who plan to. If you have any questions, I can walk you through it. I promise, this is not too good to be true, It's real. Thank you!