Parents' Association 2011/2012 Events and Projects

New Family Mixer

Date: August 16th
Time: 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Location: Gathering Space
Chair: Arlena Boyle (arlena.boyle@gmail.com)

Please join us as we welcome new families to Saint Mary School. We'll get together in the Gathering Space for light summer refreshments. Please bring your children as it is an opportunity to meet classmates, fellow parents and staff.

RSVP to Arlena Boyle (arlena.boyle@gmail.com)

Welcome Back Coffee

Date: August 30th
Time: 8:00 am - 10:00 am
Location: Gathering Space

Drop your children off for school and join fellow parents for coffee, bagels and conversation! Take this opportunity to meet new parents, reconnect with friends after a long summer, and sign up to volunteer for SMPA events. We look forward to seeing you!

Welcome Back Ice Cream Social

Date: September 7th - 6:30pm-7:30pm
Chairs: Mary Beth Connors (connorsm3@townisp.com) & Arlena Boyle (arlena.boyle@gmail.com)

This event is an opportunity to reconnect with parents, teachers and students after a long summer break, as well as sign up to volunteer for upcoming SMPA events. Enjoy ice cream sundaes with all the toppings while catching up with friends. A great chance for new families to get to know their school community!

Grandparents Day - Mass and Breakfast

Date: October 14th
Time: 8:30 am
Chairs: Arlena Boyle (arlena.boyle@gmail.com) & Bev Randazzo

This is an event that honors Grandparents and their important role in our lives. We celebrate this day together within our church and school community and invite the guests of honor to spend a morning with the children. The event starts with a mass celebration, followed by a breakfast buffet and special activities such as photos with grandparents, meeting teachers, and seeing our school. Special loved ones may be invited to celebrate with children whose grandparents cannot participate. Invitations are sent to the guests of honor.

Magazine Drive

Date: November 2 thru 17
Chair: Tricia Kelly (jkelly5879@aol.com)

Save your renewal forms as they come in the mail and simply renew through the SMS Magazine Drive! Also, both new and renewal subscriptions can be processed directly through QSP.com; either way, the steps are the same:

Pig Race:

After the magazine drive is over, we have a little celebration - the "Pig Race". The Pig Race occurs on December 5, this year. Each grade is given a wind-up pig which they race on the stage in the Hall, in front of the whole school. The winning class is treated to an ice cream party.

Family Portraits

Date: November 5/6
Chair: Julie Vona (vona@townisp.com)
Who: Photographer Francis Kavanagh

• Sitting Fee is $25 and includes a free 8x10 portrait
• Packages and CD are available for your convenience
• Great for Christmas Cards and Gifts!

For available appointments please contact: Julie at vona@townisp.com

Senior Luncheon

Date: November 18
Chairs: Chris Baril (cbaril@townisp.com) & Patricia Trippi (trishtrippi@townisp.com)

Service event. Parish seniors are invited to attend a “thanksgiving” style luncheon with entertainment provided by St. Mary School students

Elves Workshop

Date: December 2
Chairs: Stacey Hughes (sjphughes@yahoo.com) & Mary Beth Connors (connorsm3@townisp.com)

St. Mary School kicks off the Christmas season with this magical shopping event for our students. The cafeteria is transformed into a festive holiday marketplace filled with Christmas music, decorations, and a great selection of inexpensive gifts. Our eager volunteer elves are lined up and ready to wrap and tag each gift. This highly anticipated and fun event gets everyone in the Christmas Spirit!

Holly Fair

Date: December 3 & 4
Chairs: Amanda Brown (brown092901@yahoo.com) & April Bernier (aprilbernier@verizon.net)

Crafters

If you would like to sell your craft goods at our fair, please fill out an application and return it, with the fee, to Amanda Brown C/O Lynch, PO Box 534, Shrewsbury, MA 01545 by October 31.

Click here for a crafter application.

For more information, contact Amanda at 508-842-8311 or stmaryhollyfair@yahoo.com

Pasta Festival

Date: January 28
Chair: Micheline Freij (micheline_mende@hotmail.com)

Pasta dinner, which serves as the kick-off event for Catholic Schools week, served in the Parish Hall. Open to one and all!

Catholic School Week Teacher Luncheon

Date: February 3
Chair: Micheline Freij (micheline_mende@hotmail.com)

A luncheon, sponsored by the Parents' Association, for the wonderful teachers at St. Mary School.

St. Mary’s Winter Ball

Date: February 4
Chair: Stephanie Muzzy (s.muzzy@pobox.com)

Scholastic Book Fair

Date: February 8 thru 12
Chairs: Angela Welch (angelawelch@townisp.com) & Susan Lynch (smlx2@townisp.com)

The Scholastic Book Fair is coming to St. Mary’s February 8th – February 12th. On Wednesday, February 8th the Fair will be open until 5:00 pm, Thursday, February 9th from 7:00-9:00pm, and on the weekend of February 11th & 12th the Fair will be open during CCD drop off and pick up and after all the Masses.

Do you need a last minute Valentine’s Day gift, or just a good read during these long cold winter evenings? The St. Mary’s Scholastic Book Fair has the solution.

If you can’t make the Fair or you want to continue shopping from an expanded selection you can visit the Fair online – www.scholastic.com/schoolbookfairs. If you have any questions or are interested in volunteering please call or email Angela Welch, 508-845-9091/angelawelch@townisp.com or Susan Lynch (smlx2@townisp.com)

Mother/Son Event

Date: Sunday, March 25th
Chairs: Patricia Trippi (trishtrippi@townisp.com) & Beth Berg (bethberg@verizon.net)

The Mother/ Son Event is a fun, social activity for the boys of St. Mary School, in grades K-8, to share with their moms. Past events have included Worcester Sharks and Worcester Tornadoes games.

Father/Daughter Dance

Date: April 27
Chairs: Carmelina Commito (farmhouse@townisp.com) & Christine Mahoney (chrismahoney@townisp.com)

One of St. Mary's most anticipated events of the school year!   The Father/Daughter Dance is a semi-formal gathering which is held each Spring in the Parish Hall.  The event is open to St. Mary's students in Grades K-8 and held from 6:30 – 9:30 p.m. in the Parish Hall.   The event features a themed evening, food, entertainment, prizes and LOTS of fun! Grab your dancing shoes and don't miss it!

Girls Night Out

Date: May 11
Chair: Lynne Grden (ldgrden@yahoo.com)

A night of entertainment, fashion, refreshment, and most importantly shopping for the "Girls" of St. Mary's.

Walk-a-Thon

Date: May 16, 2012
Chairs: Jen Zerwas (zerwasj@msn.com) & Beth Farrell (bethafarrell@yahoo.com)

Students sign up for sponsors and then walk.

Golf Tournament

Date: June 1, 2012
Chairs: Are needed!!

St. Mary School Scholarship Golf Tournament
Friday, June 1, 2012
Cyprian Keyes Golf Club, Boylston, MA

Men's Tournament 18 Hole Championship Course: Registration: 10:00 am -- Shotgun start: 12:30 pm

Dinner and Awards Ceremony – 6:00 pm
Proceeds to benefit St. Mary School Scholarship and Development Fund

Click here for information and the registration form

School Directory

Chair: Christine Mahoney (chrismahoney@townisp.com)

A listing of school families is included in the annual School Directory which is published in September. Families' names, address, phone numbers and email addresses are provided as well as class lists, Faculty names, Saint Mary's Parent's Association Board Members and Saint Mary School Advisory Board Members. Directory forms are sent home in June for the initial updates, then final update forms are sent home in September for changes which may occur over the summer.

Scrip Cards and ScripNow! Program

Chair: Michelle Hopping (mhopping75@yahoo.com)

A fundraising program selling Scrip! Scrip means “substitute money” – in other words, scrip is gift certificates from national and local retailers. They’re the same gift certificates that you buy at the store. Many popular retailers participate in our scrip program including Stop & Shop, Shaw’s, The Gap, Lands End, Mobil Gas, Dunkin Donuts and many, many others. These participating retailers agree to sell gift certificates to our organization at a discount. Member families buy the certificates for full face value, they redeem them for full face value, and our school keeps the difference as revenue. Visit www.shopwithscrip.com to learn more and to enroll. St. Mary School enrollment code is: 896CB1D316978. Orders are placed on the 5th and 20th of every months, and delivered to our families with in 4-6 days.

It's Here...Introducing ScripNow! ScripNow!™ is ShopWithScrip.com's newest and quickest way to purchase and use scrip. You can order, pay for, and print eCards for various retailers and use them within minutes.

• Click here to read how to get started in our scrip program, called Scrip Cards - also find out about ScripNow!
• Click here to go to the Shop With Scrip website, to order your Scrip Cards online, and to buy your ScriptNow! eCards.
• Click here to get your Scrip Cards holiday order-form
• Click here to see the list of companies particpating in the program

Note: You'll need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view any of the documents listed above. Click here to get it.

Sunday Coffee

Date: most Sundays, throughout the year
Chair: Christine Russo (christine@russo.com)
h: 508-845-6923
c: 508-579-9003

Sunday Coffee is a responsibility of every family in the school. We serve coffee, pastries and juice after the 7:30am and 9:00am masses, most Sundays. Every school family will be assigned to run Sunday Coffee (along with another family) one weekend of the year. If the assigned date is not convenient, it is the responsibility of the assigned family to swap with another family and contact Christine, at one of the two numbers listed above, with all changes.

You will receive instructions at least a week prior to your scheduled assignment. The Parents' Association will bill any family unable to fulfill this obligation or find a replacement a fee of $150.00.

Click here for the setup and take-down instructions for Sunday Coffee.

Gift of Reading

Chair: Susan Lynch (smlx2@townisp.com)

The Gift of Reading Program allows you to buy a book for the school’s library ~ in your own name, in your child’s name, in honor of a teacher or a loved one. By buying a book, you help maintain a current and varied selection of reading material for our children. Click here for more information.

Uniform Swap

Date: Early June and Late August
Chair: Chris Baril (cbaril@townisp.com)

The uniform swap is open to everyone in the school and is available at no cost. We accept any "gently used" current uniforms. If anyone finds themselves in need of any uniform item throughout the school year, they can e-mail me at cbaril@townisp.com. I will look to see if what you need is available. Donations are accepted year round.

We will have a swap during August, before school starts and again in June, before and after the general meeting.

Baking Committee

Chair: Patty Kalashian (patk18@yahoo.com)

Whenever cookies or other baked goods are needed for a school event, the Baking Committee comes to the rescue!