Presentation of Mary Academy Enlightening Hearts and Minds March and April 2015 Newsletter 182 Lowell Road Hudson, NH 03051 www.pmaschool.org Updates on the New Gymnasium and Arts Center Plans are Underway! Plans for our new gym/arts center are well underway. We have been at planning meetings, building meetings, architectural meetings construction meetings, financial meetings, capital campaign meetings, sisters meetings, you name it, we’ve been at a meeting for it. I wonder if Noah had as many meetings when he decided to build the Ark. In a few weeks, (after a few more meetings), we will be ready to present you with the first official architectural drawings of the new gym/ arts center. This is an exciting and awesome time in the history of our academy. During a time when so many schools are facing enrollment declines and financial hardships, PMA is forging ahead into the 21st century with what will be a stateof-the-art gymnasium/arts center. It is only possible because of your commitment to your child’s education, and your countless hours of service and volunteerism, and the fact that YOU spread the GOOD NEWS about PMA. It would not be possible otherwise. We have been dreaming of this gymnasium for years. Finally, we are in the planning stages with the real hopes that by 2017 our children will be performing plays and shows, winning basketball games, and joining hands at prayer assemblies to pause and thank God for all the great things He has done for us. As we enter into this holy season, may we find time in our lives to reflect on how profoundly loved we are by God. May our hearts and lives be ready and open to all that God calls us to be. As I shared with the children on Ash Wednesday, this Lent, we are all going on a “trip” for 40 days and nights –two things God asks of us on the “trip” to be more loving and more forgiving. Wishing you a wonderful Lenten trip. Sr. Maria Rosa, Principal Live Auction Items Get your tickets now! PMA Dinner Auction Sat., March 28, 2015 Nashua Country Club “A Masquerade Ball” On Saturday, March 28, 2015, Presentation of Mary Academy is hosting its 6th Annual Dinner and Auction “A Masquerade Ball.” It is an evening of great food, drinks, and silent and live auctions and dancing at the Nashua Country Club. This is a festive affair that both celebrates and showcases our school community. The evening will start with appetizers and a cocktail hour. We will feature a PMA signature martini, courtesy of Dumont-Sullivan Funeral Homes! For every martini sold, a donation will be made to PMA. Silent auction items will be available for viewing; then the doors to the ballroom will open and you will have access to the club’s famous food stations: the pasta bar, the mashed potato bar as well as two carving stations, so you can eat till your heart’s content. Then the live auction will begin with exciting items for everyone and our special PMA exclusives! We’ll end the evening with a DJ and dancing for everyone to enjoy! Easter Egg Hunt for your class on Easter Monday Ride to School in a Police Car – Donated by the Hudson Police Department Two Pre-season tickets to a Patriots Football Game – Section 330, Row 17, Seats 5 and 6 - Donated by King Family Rosa Seaside Escape –One week Summer Rental in Narragansett, RI. PMA Premier Parking Spot U2 Concert Tickets (4) Wed July 15 Autographed Football—2014-2015 Patriots Team including Brady & Gronkowski – Donated by Pavletich Family Hooky Day with Sister Maria – your child & 1 friend, Jeff Dunham Vegas Experience – hotel, dinner for two, tickets to show & meet & greet w/Jeff after the show. With a $300 gift card to put towards airfare. Use of the PMA Sign for a day Taylor Swift Concert Tickets (4) Friday July 24, 2015. Donated by the Moynihan Family Night on the Town – Dinner for 6 at the Bancroft in Burlington with limo from Grace Limousine. It’s Real, It’s Signed, It’s Inflated! Now INFLATE your BID! Patriot Fans Wanted at the PMA Auction! Please Mark Your Calendars for March and April Friday, March 6: Mother and Son Game Night sponsored by the Parent Group. Moms, bring your sons. Sons, bring your moms for a fun time together playing board games and socializing with other moms and sons. The event begins at 6:30 PM in the school cafeteria. Tickets on sale now. Wednesday, March 11: Progress Reports for Grades 1-3. Mass for students in Grades 1-3. Time-TBA. All family and friends welcome! Auction meeting at 7:00 pm in the conference room. Please use cafeteria entrance to get into the building Students in grades 1-3 will receive Progress Reports in their white shuttle envelopes today. Parents with children in grades 4-8, please follow your child’s daily progress on-line by logging into ENGRADE-PRO. We encourage you to contact your child’s teacher/s, if you would like to discuss his/her progress at PMA. Thursday, March 12: Grade One Science Fair: Please be sure to drop by the first grade classrooms located on the second floor to view all of their magnificent Science Projects! They are out of this WORLD. Parents welcome from 6:00-7:00pm. Friday, March 13: Students vs. Staff Basketball Game at Rivier University at 6:00 PM. You don’t want to miss this show … free admission and great family fun. Come and cheer our PMA staffers as they beat the students! Wednesday, March 18 and Thursday, March 19: Grandparents Appreciation Breakfast: Don’t forget to remind your grandparents to mark their calendars! PMA will be serving breakfast to all of our wonderful grandparents, and you get to give your grandparents a private tour of your school. March 18, 2015 Students whose last names begin with the letters A-N 7:00 AM until 8:00 AM March 19, 2015 Students whose last names begin with the letters O-Z 7:00 AM until 8:00 AM Come and meet other PMA grandparents while enjoying breakfast with your grandchild/ren! The breakfast is sponsored by the PMA Faculty and Staff! March 16-20: CAT Test Preparation Week for students in grades 2-8! Parents, PLEASE plan ahead. Do not schedule appointments and vacation time during the week of March 23-27. Tuesday, March 17 -St. Patrick’s Day: $2 dress down day! Dress in green or come on in as a Leprechaun! It’s all good ...we are celebrating St. Patty’s Day while raising money for our new GYM/ARTS CENTER. The results can provide valuable insights into areas of a student’s strengths and needs. It is our goal to use the test results to: 1. support, improve, or develop new instructional strategies; 2. assist in the evaluation and development of curriculum; 3. assist in identifying strengths and weaknesses and to monitor longitudinal growth for individuals, groups and the school. Individual test results will be sent to parents in June. March 30-April 1: CAT Test make-up days for students who were absent during testing week. Friday, March 27 Auction Dress Down Day: As a way to get the entire Friday, March 20: school community to participate in the Pre-Kinder and Kindergarten Report Cards Auction Fundraising event, we are asking sent home today. that every student donate $5 towards our auction. The money will be used to March 20: Annual Sweet Treat Bingo purchase items for the auction. Students Tickets must be pre-purchased for this who donate $5 will get a dress down day event; limited seating available. You do not on Friday, March 27. want to miss this fun-family event sponsored by the Parent Group. Saturday, March 28:The PMA Sixth March 23 through March 27: Spring Standardized Assessment Students in grades 2 through 8 will be assessed with the Terra Nova test, and, in addition, grades 4 and 7 with the InView tests, all part of the California Testing program. The tests will be administered at various time slots (usually in the morning) during the week of March 23 through March 27. Parents, please refrain from scheduling appointments or vacations for your child during this time. Rescheduling missed tests is very difficult for the child and teacher. The Terra Nova Assessment provides us with a useful profile of instructional strengths and weaknesses as well as traditional comparisons with national norms. The results from the InView section will help determine whether students are working up to their scholastic potential. Test results will be used in conjunction with other factors about the students to meet individual and school instructional needs. Annual Dinner Auction: PMA “Masquerade Ball” You don’t want to miss this wonderful event - an elegant, fun night out with friends while supporting our wonderful school! For tickets, please call the main office! Wednesday, April 1: Warm weather uniform begins. Staff Meeting in the Library 3:00pm. Parent Group Meeting at 7:00 PM in the Conference Room located on the second floor. All welcome! Wednesday, April 1, and Thursday, April 2: Easter Egg Sale for all students in grades PreK-8 during lunch time. More information to come home in your white shuttle. Holy Thursday, April 2: Prayer Service in the Chapel at 1:00pm followed by the Penny Challenge Great Reveal! Friday, April 3: Good Friday—No School. EASTER SUNDAY: April 5 We pray that the Risen Christ bless your hearts and homes with all that you need to experience the depth of His personal love for you this Easter and always! Wednesday, April 8 : Mass for students in grades 4-8 at 10:00am. and for students in grades K-3 at 1:00pm. Sunday, April 8: PMA Grand Piano Recital at 2:00pm in the Alumni Hall. Come support our PIANO STUDENTS! Wednesday, April 15 Report Cards: Students in grades 1-8 will receive their report cards in their white shuttle envelopes on April 15. Again, we encourage you to contact your child’s teacher/s if you would like to discuss his/ her progress at Presentation of Mary Academy. Friday, April 17: PMA WALKATHON MARK YOUR CALENDARS: It’s time once again to plan for the annual PMA Walk-a-Thon! We strongly encourage every child to join together with faculty, staff, and friends for this “invigorating” fundraising event. Our students have a great time walking with classmates, enjoying fresh air and exercise, all within the safety of our school grounds. Wednesday, April 22: Earth Day: Do Your Part to Protect the Planet: Earth Day is an ideal time to become more earth-friendly and take action to make our planet a cleaner and safer place to live. As an individual, you can start with something as simple as picking up trash on the ground--or turning off the water while you brush your teeth or shave. Together we can make a BIG difference. Administrative Assistant Day: Don’t forget to thank Mrs. Flint, Mrs. Nolet and Mrs. DesRuisseaux for the wonderful things they do to make our school run efficiently and safely. Isn’t it a wonder how they do it always with a smile and a spirit of true hospitality! Send them a card! It will make their day! Friday, April 24: $2.00 Dress Down Day for the GYM. Arbor Day! April 27- May 1: No School - Spring Vacation! IMPORTANT REMINDERS After-School Parents’ Tardiness: The after-school program closes at 6:00PM. Please BE ON TIME! Our after-school personnel are contracted until 6:00PM. Picking up your child one minute late creates undue stress on their personal schedules and commitments to their own families. In the event of an EMERGENCY, PLEASE BE SURE TO CONTACT THE AFTER-SCHOOL DIRECTOR AT 889-6054 X207 to inform her that you will be late. A late fee of $1 per minute will be charged to your account. INCLEMENT WEATHER SCHOOL CANCELLATIONS AND DELAYED OPENINGS: In the event we experience inclement weather, and it is necessary to either delay the opening of school or cancel the school day, the information will be posted on WMUR - NH channel 9, WMUR website under school closings, and WZID - FM 95.7. Please remember to look and listen for the Presentation of Mary Academy announcement. PMA is listed separately from the Hudson school system. You can also call the school holiday/closing line at (603) 889-6054 ext. 456. School opening delays will be implemented when deemed appropriate. In the event that there is a delay, the Before-School Program will automatically be cancelled that morning. The After-school program will still be offered in the afternoon. The following is the expected arrival times for students for a 90 minute delayed opening: Delay Gr. 6-8 Gr. 3-5 Gr. 1-2 Pre-K & K 9:00AM 9:10AM 9:20AM 9:40AM SECOND GRADE FIRST COMMUNION Sacramental preparation of children is both the right and responsibility of parents/guardians. Please be sure to contact your parish priest to make certain that your child is registered in the Parish’s sacramental preparation program which differs slightly from parish to parish. Parish catechists also provide support through a series of classes for children and parents. Please do not wait until May to register your child for the sacrament of Reconciliation and Holy Eucharist. AFTER-SCHOOL PICK-UP & CAR LINE REMINDERS Any student left at PMA after the 2:45 designated end of car line time will be sent to the afterschool program. Parents who arrive late to pick up their child/ ren will need to sign their child out with after-school program personnel and will be charged the appropriate fee. When picking up students from programs that are conducted after school, we ask that parents do not park in the circle to wait for their dismissal. The circle is reserved for the after-school program only after 2:45pm. Parents can either wait in the parking lot and walk over to get their child or park in a line going down the driveway and proceed into the circle only when the children come out for pickup. We ask that parents do not leave their vehicles unattended at any time when they are located in the line of flow for car line. If for any reason you need to leave your vehicle to come into the school, please park your car in a parking space. We have noticed a number of vehicles being left in car line unattended, and it disturbs the flow of car line. Parents should not wait outside the locker room entrance to pick up their child. All students are sent to the car line pickup area, and parents should drive into the circle to pick up their child. Please remember when driving up the school driveway that it is a school zone, and speeds should be kept to a maximum of 20mph. If you have any questions about car line and pick up procedures, please call Mrs. Flint in the school office (603) 889-6054 ext. 200. LOST AND FOUND BOX Parents, please check the lost and found box located in the school cafeteria for missing items belonging to your child! Unclaimed items will be sent to Goodwill stores on the LAST FRIDAY OF THE MONTH! Events and Information PMA Alumni Reunion October 18, 2015 from 10:30 AM to 4:00 PM This year we will be celebrating years ending in 5 and 0! 1990 Graduates (25 years) 1965 Graduates (50 years) The reunion is for all Alums who attended and/or graduated from PMA or OLMA in Gorham, NH. All years are invited to attend the yearly reunions. The PMA Parent Group had the honor of hosting John Halligan who spoke to students in grades 5-8 on February 11, 2015. John and Kelly Halligan lost their thirteen-year-old son, Ryan, to suicide on October 7, 2003. At the time of his death, Ryan was a middle school student in Vermont. It was revealed in much A great big “Thank You” to the PMA greater detail after Ryan’s death that he had been ridiculed and Parent Group for making Catholic humiliated by peers at school and online. All students in grades 58 joined together and listened quietly as John shared his son's Schools Week a memorable event! An extra special ‘thank you’ to all the moms who heartbreaking story. He emphasized the importance of treating others kindly at school and more importantly, online. Mr. helped to prepare special activities for staff Halligan shared with the students how his son was treated and and students, especially Angela Moynihan, the impact that bullying and cyberbullying can have on a who coordinated so many of the meals and person's life. The presentation ended with a question and answer treats for staff and students. session between Mr. Halligan and the students. For more You made us feel extra super-duper special! information on bullying, cyberbullying and adolescent The students claim that this was the BEST depression, go to www.ryanpatrickhalligan.org. CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK EVER. PLAN AHEAD FOR YOUR SUMMER CAMPS AT PMA We are in the process of planning four weeks of summer camp at PMA for students of all age groups. The camps will run from June 15-19 to accommodate families who have a hard time finding child care the week after school finishes. July Summer camps will run for three weeks beginning July 13 and end on July 31 for five days a week from 9:00 AM until 3:00 PM. Registration information and details about the various camps being offered was sent home in February. We will offer a variety of programs and camps including sports clinics, swimming, arts and crafts, cheerleading, drama and theatre, wilderness adventures, robotics, etc. Congratulation to Grace Lehto (grade 8) and Nazirah Gerow (grade 4.) The girls won the Knights of Columbus Christmas Poster Contest. We are very proud of our two WINNERS! The Fifth Annual PMA Great Penny Challenge is ON! This year, the PMA staff and students will work extra hard to save coins for the Annual Great Penny Challenge. All the money raised through the Penny Challenge will be donated to help Christians in the Middle East who are being evicted from their homeland due to their faith, especially Catholic Christians. We have a direct connection with these persecuted Christians as two of our families have families in the Middle East directly affected by this horrific crisis. The money raised through our Penny Challenge will be sent to a Catholic Mission church responsible for aiding the persecuted and homeless Catholics in the Middle East. The challenge began on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Thursday, April 2, with a prayer service. Parents, save your coins and join our Penny Challenge. Thank you! Door Contest Winners! Second Graders in Mrs. dePenasse! Pre-K students receive ashes from their teachers on Ash Wednesday Congratulations! Akhilesh Makam and Alexander Ross Akhlesh in the 7th grade is our school Geography Bee Champion! He will compete in the STATE GEOGRAPHY CONTEST! In second place we have fourth grader Alexander Ross. PMA GRIFFINS SCORE BIG Several Presentation of Mary basketball players recently participated in various CYO All-Star games on Saturday, February 14th. Representing the Griffins in three different games were Sadie LaMothe, Iruka Obinelo, P. J. Soucy, Aiden Szewczyk, Nick Cardenas, Greg Fallon and Allan McPhee. P. J. Soucy was named the MVP of the Nashua White squad in a close battle during the Boys Mites All-Star Game. In addition to the All-Star games themselves, the state free throw competition took place in conjunction with the weekend. PMA's Bailey Carroll was crowned State Free Throw Champion competing against 5th and 6th grade girls from the Nashua and Manchester area. It was a very successful weekend for PMA! We remember with grateful hearts our friend and classmate Zach who passed away on March 8, 2010. PMA Spelling Bee Winner Jardine Allen, Grade 6, Competing in Regional Spelling Bee in Concord! Sister Maria congratulates Jardine Allen, sixth grader, for winning the school spelling bee. Jardine went head to head with a seventh grader, and after several rounds, won the school’s spelling bee competition. Jardine will be competing in the State Spelling Bee to take place in Concord, NH. From Zach’s Website “Zachary Tompkins was healthy, young, athletic and vibrant. On March 8, 2010, Zachary passed unexpectedly in his sleep. Yet, the gripping story of Zachary Tompkins doesn’t end with his passing; in fact it’s just beginning. You see, in addition to being a scholar and a respected member of the Bears’ community, Zachary Tompkins dreamed as if he’d live forever. Not only did he envision greatness, but Zach eternalized it. Shortly before his passing, Zach crafted a piece of art in his own hand on which he wrote: Hudson-Litchfield ZACH’s Stadium Home of the Bears. Exhilarated, Zachary shared his dream with me that someday, he wanted to own a stadium for his team, The Bears. A dream that supercharged Zach, and only a week later, tragedy struck. Zach’s words spoke volumes; he wanted to make a difference and never lose sight of his dream, further characterizing his legacy as a true champion, on and off the field. It’s time to listen to his words and give meaning to the next chapter of Zach Tompkins’ story.” Please follow Zach’s story by visiting www.zachary tompkins.org . IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL CALENDAR As we have done in past years, and after carefully examining the school calendar, we have looked at a creative and educational solution to address the number of “snow” days we have to make up at the end of the school year. We have agreed that it would be educationally beneficial to the students that we add a half- hour of instruction to each school day beginning April 6 and ending June 12. This allows us to accumulate the additional instructional hours that we lost through the snow days. This schedule adjustment allows us to remain faithful to our school calendar with the last day of school remaining June 12. Beginning April 6 and Ending June 12 Present Pick-Up Time New Pick-up Gr. 6,7,8: 2:30 pm Gr. 3,4: 2:20 pm Gr. 5: 2:25 pm Gr. 2: 2:15 pm Gr. 1 2:10 pm Kindergarten: 1:55 pm Pre-K: 1:50 pm PMA WALKATHON TO SUPPORT CANOPY/ OVERHANG FOR CAR LINE WAITING AREA! Our Walk-a-Thon fund-raising challenge this year is a unique one, and one that should be near and dear to the hearts of every PMA parent and child. We want to raise $50,000! The goal? A new industrial-strength canopy/ roof overhang for the carline drop-off and pick-up location to be constructed for use at the back of the school. This is a much needed and costly structure for the protection of our children and staff during inclement weather of rain, snow and/or freezing temperatures. You have no doubt witnessed the need for this structure first-hand! 3:00 PM 2:50 PM 2:55 PM 2:45 PM 2:40 PM 2:25 PM 2:20 PM A Legacy of Excellence Beyond Academics Presentation of Mary Academy’s Capital Campaign for a New Gymnasium and Art Center 2015-2017 We count on your prayers as we begin the planning stages to launch off our Capital Campaign. It is all for the Children! CALLING IN AN ABSENCE OR TARDINESS If for any reason your child will not be attending school or will have a tardy arrival, please call the school attendance line by 8:30am. The number is (603) 889-6054 ext. 456. Please leave the child’s name along with his/her class code and the reason for the absence or late arrival.
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