The Cougar Chronicles October 2006 Joanne F. Gannon, Principal James T. Ferdella, Asst. Principal

WELCOME BACK

With the first weeks of another school year upon us, the hectic pace of family life begins anew. With early morning “wake-up” calls, homework in the evening and so many activities on the weekend, it takes time for families to transition into the rhythm of a new year. The first graders love being in the “big school”, and the fifth graders are celebrating their move “upstairs”. The 8th graders are growing in their role as the school leaders while the new students seem to be more and more at home each day with their classmates. The School Board, Parent Association and Family Festival Committee have been hard at work, and our teachers welcome their students each day with such commitment and dedication. What a very special place St. Mary School is, and we are so pleased that your children are here. It is my hope and prayer at the beginning of this school year that all of our students and families will experience the joy of our Catholic faith which we live out each day and seek to pass on to all who enter the doors of our parish and school.

Happy Fall!
Fr. Mike Rose

A NEW SCHOOL YEAR, WELCOME BACK!!

Saint Mary Parents’ Association (SMPA) would like to welcome everyone back to the 2006-2007 School Year, for all new and returning families. We hope that you find your time here at Saint Mary School educational, fun and most of all a very heart warming atmosphere and experience given by our wonderful teachers, staff, Fr. Michael Rose and Fr. Manuel Clavijo.

Many thanks to those of you that could make it to our first General Meeting. Our next meeting will be February 13th, 2007 at 7:00pm. We would love to have 1 person from every family attend!

We are going to need some help this year to make it a success. We’ve had some parents sign up to volunteer for various events but we need more! If you were not able to make it to the meeting but would still like to help please contact April Patch or any one of the Board Members.

Our Ice Cream Social was a huge success (See Page8)! We thank Maureen McCabe and Maura Egan for an awesome event.

Our annual Family Festival (Pages 4 - 6) was held in late September. We thank Phil Lemieux, Bob Terry and all the volunteers for their hard work. A wonderful time was had by all!

We have some great things coming up in October. First we have our Cherrydale Gift Wrap fundraiser (Page 11) starting on Oct. 11th. Family Portraits will be on Oct. 15th, 22nd and 29th. And don’t forget about the Halloween Parade on Oct. 31st! Check your child’s backpack in the coming weeks for more information.

We are looking forward to making this a successful year. And remember ~

….No ONE can do EVERYthing
….EVERYone can do ONE thing!

Emelie Hayden and Susan Lynch

Remember

By Regina Kelly

A dark blanket of sky
is at peace with its stars glittering,
the whole expanse curving
above the land
and above the sea,
where a sparkling surface
of water, edged in foam,
is receding . . . returning . . . receding.

The roaring of waves
rushes forward and slides back
and a silent sandscape lies beneath,
its shadows
ever changing in the light.
And in all of this
is a thought, a feeling,
a hunch, a whisper,
perhaps even a voice,
that lets you know that
the power is not yours,
that your life is in His hands.

Family Festival

5K Road Race Recap

The full field at the beginning of the race. 83 people participated in this wonderful event that ended only 17:19 minutes after it began!	On your mark! Get Set! GO
	First Place Jason Croteau 17:19 Second Place Dave Mingori 17:29 Third Place Nate Morse 18:09

Festival Thanks

THANK-YOU to all who made last weekend’s Family Festival such a great success and such a wonderful time for so many people and families in our community. Thank-you to everyone who came and enjoyed the festival. Thank-You to the many, many volunteers who gave their time working at the game and food booths, ticket sales and children’s attractions. Thank-you to all who supported the Family Festival with their donations and purchase of tickets. A very special word of thanks to the Festival co-chairs and the Planning Committee for their outstanding efforts. They are a remarkably dedicated group of people who worked so well together and were so generous with the time they gave to organizing and running the weekend.

A great many thanks go out to those of you who participated in the Family Festival 22-24 September 2006 . This is the view of the kitchen and chefs at Gerardo’s Italian Kitchen! Great job everyone! Dinner was DELICIOUS!	It wouldn’t be a family event without story time and that’s exactly what took place under the small tent with a rendering of “The Wolf who cried Boy!”
Master of ceremonies “Mr. Magic”, Magic World Entertainment, kept the “Good Times rolling all weekend long.” The tunes he spun crossed many generations and left more than one foot tapping to the beat. He also delighted an ever growing crowd under the small tent with a spectacular magic show! Thank you “Mr. Magic!”	The Duffy family joined many other parishioners Saturday afternoon, despite the threat of rain, at the Family Festival.
The Schwab family took no prisoners Saturday afternoon at the Hoop Game. Smiling face dice and fuzzy hats were prized by all who dared to play!	Not rain, nor mom could keep these children from dashing toward the inflatable’s Saturday afternoon!
Students from the Judy Herman School of Dance provided great entertainment under the Big tent Saturday afternoon. Jaclyn Jankowski of Saint Mary’s Parish was one of those dancers who performed a modern dance number to “Black Velvet!” Patrick Betsch and his son were among the many viewing the raffle baskets at the Family Festival!	The Kelly kids had to make the toughest of choices with their raffle tickets. Would it be the “Disney basket” or the “Ice Cream Basket?” Although the decision was difficult, waiting to see if they won was torture!
The Cub Scouts of Saint Mary’s, Pack 158 were out in force with their parents this weekend selling the most delicious Sausage and Pepper Sandwiches. Their Cub Masters John Travers and Mr. Georgian dedicated most their weekend to raising money for scouting adventures.	Rain or shine, the food at Family Festival is always a hit!
Parent Volunteers could be seen at every food stand, game booth and inflatable toy! Here stand Mr. Srnka and Mr. Ragsdale assisting with the Cub Scout Sausage sandwiches.	The silent auction items were a huge hit as were the raffle baskets. The items were so beautifully put together.
Mr. Carney and his two children, Paige and Syndey, disembark after a memorable journey on the mini train!	The wonderful women of Saint Mary’s Parish who were so dedicated to deliver “Dinner with a Smile” at Gerardo’s Italian Kitchen. Many thanks go to: (1st Row) Carmelina Commito, Emelie Hayden, Tracy Padula (2nd Row) Susan Lynch, and (3rd Row) Chantal Lyon and Debbie Leonard!

Life Lessons

Jesus said, "...all that you ask for in prayer, believe that you will receive it, and it shall be yours." 
Mark 11:24)

This beautiful note was written to the staff with hopes we would pass it on to our families. Take a moment to pause and pray.

Dear St. Mary's Staff,

During my recent hospitalization for asthma at UMass, I learned some life lessons that I would like to share with you.  A nurse was called to my bedside at 2:00 in the morning to start another IV line so that I could receive my medication intravenously.  The nurse tried unsuccessfully more than 8 times to gain access to my veins, and I admit that I was aggravated by her inability to get the job done. I was in pain and exhausted, and I just wanted to get the medication in and go to sleep.  The nurse eventually apologized for having so much trouble putting in my IV, and made a comment that her mind was elsewhere because it was her son's 18th birthday.  I asked her if she was worried about what he was up to at 2:00am, to which she responded, "No, I know exactly where he is.  I buried him last Spring.  He died of leukemia at 17 years old."

Needless to say, that moment propelled our interaction into a far deeper dimension.  I held her hand and cried as she recounted the horrors of her son's diagnosis at age 14 when he was a freshman in high school.  She had expected to spend his teenage years worrying about keeping him on course through girls, partying, learning to drive, etc.  Instead, she spent those years worrying about his white blood cells, his drastic weight loss, 2 rounds of chemotherapy, and a failed bone marrow transplant.  Her son died 3 months before he would have graduated from high school last Spring.  My nurse and I prayed together for the soul of her son and her personal suffering, and they are forever in my heart and prayers.

My intimate conversation with my night nurse left me with 2 life's lessons that I'll never forget: 

1. As we encounter people casually throughout the course of our lives, we never know the personal pain they may enduring at that moment.  I will remind myself to view people from the compassionate perspective rather than become irritated by their failure to perfectly execute their duties.  I realized that it was a blessing that my nurse couldn't find my veins that night.  She helped me transcend my own selfish needs, and opened my heart instead.
2. The second life lesson I learned is one that I know will resurface countless times in the future of raising my son.  We all appreciate the blessing of healthy children, but that blessing extends to the trying times of being a parent, as well.  It is a PRIVILEGE to be able to worry about our children's safety, social, moral and academic development.  It is a GIFT FROM GOD to be aggravated, stressed-out, and frustrated in our roles as parents.  These are the BLESSINGS, not  the curses, of raising children.  I am forever changed to value ALL the highs and lows on this journey of parenthood.  Life is fleeting and fragile, and the randomness of loss leaves me stronger in my relationship with God for consolation.

I pray for us all that we cherish each moment in raising our children, even the dark moments when they seem to be intentionally thwarting all of our high hopes and dreams for them.  A safe and happy school year to all of you, your families, and your students.

Best Regards, 
LouAnn Geer  

(Parent of graduate Roddy Geer, '04)

From The Office of The Principal

A GOOD START!

It was almost contagious to watch the students come back to school in September. Their energy was kinetic almost to the point of excitement. The children found their way to their classroom committing the smallest random acts of kindness and that alone was encouraging that we were all headed off to a very good start.

This year we head back into the classrooms and we recommit to ourselves and to our students to provide the best we possibly can. Our Accreditation Committee, along with the School Advisory Board, is looking for your input, as well. Please join us for an evening of brainstorming in the areas of integrating technology and media resources into the curriculum, advancement for the school, and appreciating diversity in our school. What do you think we do well in these three areas and how could we improve our efforts.

Please join us on Tuesday, October 24 from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. This wealth of information will be forwarded to the appropriate standards committee addressing this topic and used within our accreditation report. Representation from all grades, new families and veteran families would be helpful.

The first few weeks of school allow us all to work the kinks out of our schedules and provides us with time to re-fresh our minds about the uniform policy. It is important, as the weather gets chilly, to make certain that all students wear a uniform gym sweatshirt to school on gym day, each week! If you have questions or concerns about the uniform policy please reference pages 18-21 in the Saint Mary School Parent/Student Handbook!

This first edition of the “Cougar Chronicles” is an attempt to harness a data source for our communicating needs. Future editions will support written essays and poetry, photographs and artwork from the students in our school. It should be an exciting tool for the students as well as the parents. This edition contains delightful photographs from events occurring over that last four weeks. There are great contributions from the Ice Cream Social and the Family Festival as well as a comprehensive two-month school calendar on the back page. Make certain to take a look!

Mrs. Gannon

Parent/Student Handbook 2006

The updated Parent/Student Handbook was sent home Wednesday, September 13, 2006, and is also available online - click here. Please read the handbook with your children. Both you and your children need to sign and send back the School Agreement form and the Computer Agreement form in the back of the handbook as soon as possible.

Annual Statement

In compliance with Federal Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) regulations, we are required to inform parents and employees associated with Saint Mary School of our school’s Asbestos Inspection Reports and Management Plan. These Inspection Reports and Management Plan, as required by AHERA, are on file at the school office and are available for review during the school’s normal business hours.

Please make your request to review these files through the office of the principal

Respectfully,
Mrs. Gannon

Ice Cream Social

It’s amazing how a little Ice Cream and a few scoops of toppings can turn complete strangers into friends. Friday, 15 September 2006 the Parish Hall was turned into an Ice Cream parlor with live entertainment. The children played, the parents socialized and the teachers of Saint Mary School served up the delicious dishes of Ice Cream.

	Mrs. Johnson and Sister RoseMarie wore huge smiles as they helped their past, present and future students with Ice Cream and all the tasty toppings!
The Johnson children helped to welcome a new school mates little brother to the Saint Mary family.	As the evening moved on Dan from Magic World Entertainment, Shrewsbury, Massachusetts dazzled the children and parents alike with magic and illusions from his act.
Mrs. McCabe, Mrs. Storer and Mrs. Egan, parents of Saint Mary’s School students, welcomed the parents and students alike to this delicious event.

Parents' Association Info

Saint Mary’s Holly Fair Is Fast Approaching

Mark Your Calendars!

Calling all volunteers and crafters. Saint Mary’s Holly Fair will make its return On Saturday, December 2nd and Sunday December 3rd at our church hall. For our fair to be a success we will need many volunteers to help.

Fresh wreaths, Cemetery baskets, Boxwood Trees, Fresh green centerpieces with globes, Door swags and beautiful Poinsettias will be available for sale. Most items will be available for a pre paid advanced sale, watch for the flyers to come home soon.

There will be crafters their to sell their wares and a bake table with sweets fit for Santa. And don’t forget to have a snack at Chris Cringles Kitchen. Admission is free and you can try your chance at the crafters raffle.

For additional information please contact Wendy Lyon, 508-852-7779.

A Taste of Heaven Cookbook Coming to your Table Soon! Please contact Susan Lynch at 508-845-8564 with questions or email her at smpa@townisp.com to reserve your copy!

Cherrydale Farms Fundraising

Who: Cherrydale Gifts and Accessories

What: Wrapping Paper, Candy, Cookies, Candles and more!

When: Wednesday, 11 October 2006 to Friday, 27 October 2006

Where: Place Catalogues Orders through school or Order on-line at www.cherrydale.com

Contact: Julie Belbin, 508-842-6929

The Cougar Chronicles

Editor: Jennifer Srnka - 508-842-3324 - Srnka@townisp.com

The Cougar Chronicles is a monthly, volunteer-produced publication of Saint Mary School, produced in cooperation with and funded by the Saint Mary Parents’ Association (SMPA). Our goal is to provide current information which is useful to parents whose children attend Saint Mary School. Unless indicated otherwise, opinions and statements in any article within this newsletter are solely those of the author.