Martyrdom We live in a part of the world where Christianity rarely makes the news unless it is to be criticized or mocked in some way. Western culture has become more secular as each decade has passed, and the word “martyrdom” is never mentioned. However, the fact is that of the 70 million Christians who have died for Christ and the beliefs He taught, 45.5 million did so in the last century. Robert

Royal. The Catholic Martyrs of the Twentieth Century.

This amazing statistic prompted Pope John Paul II to establish in 1994 a special Jubilee Year Commission on New Martyrs to establish a record of names before they were lost with the passing of time. In a special letter the Pope wrote, “At the end of the Second Millennium, the Church has once again become a Church of martyrs. This witness must not be forgotten.” The first recorded martyr was St. Stephen who was stoned to death in about 34 A.D. About this time, another 2,000 Christians also suffered martyrdom. John Foxe.

Christian Martyrs of the World. All the Apostles, except John, were martyred in the countries to which they had gone after the first Pentecost. Recent martyrs include Lipial Marande and Tapan Kumar Roy, who received death threats because they continued to show the Jesus film in Bangladesh. Two weeks later on July 27, 2005 they were hacked to death with machetes. Campus Crusade for Christ Press. 05:08:2005.

Seventy-three-year-old Sister Dorothy Stang had long been trying to protect peasant farmers near the town of Anapu in Western Brazil from exploitation by logging firms. One day, while walking to a meeting of poor farmers, she was intercepted by two armed men who shot her dead. There are many areas in the world where there is no religious freedom and where people are at risk and sometimes give their lives for their faith. Their actions might prompt us to pause and think about what we don’t do with our freedom and the faith that has been handed down to us to carry forward. “God, our Father, we ask Your blessing on those who follow Jesus closely, often at great risk and sometimes at great sacrifice. Give us strength and courage to deal with the small matters in our daily lives and to apply Your teaching of love, care and forgiveness to them. Amen.”

Mary, our Patron and Mother of us all… PRAY FOR US!

Live Jesus in our hearts… FOREVER!

Nov

5 SMCMS Liturgy in FAEC

9:37 a.m.

12 SMCMS Prayer Service

9:37 a.m. SMCMS

Commons

19 SMCMS Liturgy in FAEC

9:37 a.m.

24 6th Grade Retreat

24 7-12 grade band in the

Appleton Christmas

parade 7:00 p.m.

25-29 SMCS Thanksgiving

Break

30 SMCS Classes Resume

Dec

1 SMCMS/SMCHS Choir

Concert in FAEC

6:30 p.m.

3 SMCMS Prayer Service

9:37 a.m. SMCMS

Commons

8 SMCMS Liturgy in FAEC

9:37 a.m.

11 SMCS No School-Staff

Development

13 SMCMS/SMCHS Band

Concert in FAEC

7:00 p.m.

17 SMCMS Prayer Service

9:37 a.m. SMCMS

Commons

23 SMCS Christmas Break

Begins

November 4, 2015

Campus minister/Counselor News ********************************************* STAR

As we move into a new month, it is certainly appropriate to focus on Gratitude during November. Scientists are finding that an attitude of gratitude is a powerful contributor to a happy life. Some even believe that it may be the single most effective way to increase happiness. So, dare to live on the brighter side of life – Take Note, Give Thanks! Our prayer service last week (lead by seventh grade) focused on that theme for us. How do we change from our negative habits to that of feeling more regular gratitude? Here is a starter list from Jeffrey J. Froh, an assistant professor of psychology at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y:

1. Keep a gratitude journal to document daily what

you feel grateful for.

2. Get a gratitude buddy and talk about what you are grateful for with your buddy. Your buddy can help you make sure you acknowledge where your joy comes from (the difference between bragging and feeling grateful).

3. Pay a gratitude visit to someone who has helped you in the past or write them a letter.

4. Pause mindfully during the day to when something happens that you feel grateful about; make a mental note.

5. Watch your language even when talking to yourself – be mindful of when you are focusing on the negative.

6. Savor the good times with family and friends. Photos, drawings, written accounts and verbally acknowledging and appreciating people and events keeps you focused on the things you feel grateful for.

****************************************** Sixth Grade Retreat On Tuesday, November 24, all sixth graders will be on retreat. We will bus over to St. Thomas on Washington Street in Menasha that day. The retreat theme is “Building Community.” Students will explore the difference between a secular community and a Christian one and then work to identify and implement the ways we can build a sixth grade, St. Mary Catholic School, Christian community with one another. We will discuss how this idea applies to them and work through some activities designed to build the communities of which they are a part -- both at home and in school. Please keep the sixth graders in prayer that day.

******************************************

********************************************* Thanksgiving Food Drive

We will run our annual Thanksgiving Food Drive for two weeks before Thanksgiving. Non-perishable items that are brought to school will be taken with the sixth graders to St. Thomas for their Double Portions food program – a program that feeds area families three days a week and offers a food pantry for their use on other days. St. Thomas allows us the free use of their building in November for our 6th grade fall retreat. Bringing them our collected food is a great way to show our appreciation for their generosity of that space. We will also collect personal hygiene items like shampoo and toothpaste. The prayer service on November 13 will kick off this annual event for our school.

****************************************** Great Informational Sites

You may be familiar with websites that give information about television programs and movies. Below are two very good ones that are helpful when trying to decide if a movie is appropriate for your child to watch, and whether it fits your family values. The first one is from the United States Council of Catholic Bishops and the second is from Focus on the Family. Hopefully you will find them helpful. http://usccb.org/ (Click on Media, then on Movie Reviews) http://www.pluggedin.com/ (Includes movie, TV, book and music reviews, etc.)

******************************************

School News ********************************************* Report cards & MAP Scores

Report cards and MAP scores were sent home with your child today in a sealed envelope. If you have any questions regarding either of these documents, contact Mr. Zuleger.

********************************************* MMITM

Last day to purchase dress code passes from MMITM will be November 20. Passes are $25 for 5 out of dress code days. All dress code passes that were previously purchased are ready for pick up. Please stop by or send your students to the school office to pick up their pass.

It is not too late to sign up for the adult volleyball party on November 21. The cost for this party is $20.

********************************************* FALL SPORTS JERSEY RETURN

If your child played a sport this past fall and you still have his or her uniform, please turn it in. Make sure that it is returned in a bag with your child’s name on it. If uniforms are not turned in by November 13, you will be sent a bill for the price of the uniform. Please make every effort to get this done as quickly as possible.

********************************************* Winter Sports Volunteer Sign-ups

All of the winter sports volunteer sign-ups are now online and ready for you to choose from. Please remember the Booster Club is asking you to sign up for 5 volunteer spots for each sport that your child plays (max 20). The sign-ups can be found on this link. We are also still looking for a couple more people to help us out as concession chairs. If you are a chair, you don’t need to worry about signing up for spots as your time requirement will be met. Any questions please contact Mr. D.

*********************************************

********************************************* SMCMS Band Christmas Concert Date Change

The Fine Arts Department and administration has made a change to the date of the SMCMS Band Christmas concert. We have decided to combine the SMCMS Band Christmas concert with SMCHS. Our SMCMS concert will not be held on December 15. It will now be held on Sunday, December 13 at 7:00 p.m.

********************************************* Appleton Christmas parade

The Fine Arts Department and Mrs. Barnhill are excited to announce that the 7/8 grade SMCMS band will be joining the 9-12 grade SMCHS concert band and marching in the Appleton Christmas parade on Tuesday, November 24 at 7:00 p.m. Information was emailed home to the band members this past Monday about expectations, uniforms, arrival time, etc. We are thrilled to showcase our students to our surrounding community! Last year’s parade drew a crowd of about 80,000 spectators in addition to the estimated 100,000 people who watched the television broadcast on WFRV Channel 5. ********************************************* Pastry with the Principals

Join leadership from all of our schools on Wednesday, November 11 from 7:50 - 9:00 a.m. at Shellattés (330 N. Commercial Street, Neenah). Fill up on some special pastries and have the opportunity to ask questions of our SMCS principals. Hear directly from our school leaders about what to expect as your child progresses through our St. Mary Catholic Schools.

Pastries will be provided. Identify yourself at the counter as a guest of our principals and receive 20% off your coffee!

*********************************************

*********************************************

Girl Scouts

Is your daughter looking for a group to try new things, explore known enjoyments, do crafts or travel to new places? If you answered yes to any of the above listed things, Girl Scouts is for her! During the middle school years, there are new adventures for her to try. What better way than to have a group of girls with whom to try new things and obtain leadership skills along the way. If you are interested in seeing what Girl Scouts can offer her, please contact Trisha Schneider 969-9387 or Alyssa Dudkowski (Kerwin) 969-1944. We are planning to have a meeting on Friday, November 6 after school. Please let us know if you and/or your daughter are interested in attending.

*********************************************

Early Registration

St. Mary Catholic Schools is excited to offer an early registration incentive for the 2016-17 school year. Early registration will take place between October 20 and November 24, 2015. There will be no extensions for this incentive. Students entering kindergarten, 6th or 9th grade will receive a reduction in tuition of:

o $150 – Kindergarten o $200 – 6th Grade o $250 – 9th Grade

A $50 per student registration fee ($150 family max) must be paid by November 24 in order to take advantage of the early registration incentive. Registration fees will increase to $100 for all students registering after January 29, 2016 ($300 family max). To take advantage of early registration incentives, register online today at http://smcatholicschools.org/admissions/registration/ Make sure to follow the directions carefully, as they are different for new families and returning families. Returning families must log in through their current account. Please note that you may also register your children who do not qualify for the incentive when you take advantage of this special early registration offer. ********************************************* Reminder Zephyr players this weekend

Don’t forget that this weekend is St. Mary Catholic High School Zephyr Players’ performance of Lucky Stiff! It is a very entertaining show, but please note that it is rated PG. *********************************************

*********************************************

More Gumbo Fun

A NEW PRIZE: “Gumbo Grilling and Goodies”—a gift card from The Meat Block (Need not be present to win!) "Gumbo Grilling and Goodies" raffle tickets can be purchased or picked up to sell in SMCS school offices starting Monday, November 2. All tickets and money must be returned to school offices by Wednesday, November 11. Raffle winner will be drawn at 8:30 p.m. at Jumbo Gumbo. Bonus - For each pre-sold admission ticket, you will get one raffle ticket entered into the raffle. If you already

purchased your Jumbo Gumbo admission ticket

through your school or online, you will automatically be

entered into the raffle! Families who buy or sell $100 worth of "Gumbo Grilling and Goodies" raffle tickets will be credited the $100 SMCS fundraising fee.

********************************************* Scrip

Order your Waverly Beach Scrip online before 9am on Monday, November 9th to use at Jumbo Gumbo! As a special Jumbo Gumbo incentive, Waverly Beach is donating 10% of all ballroom bar sales during Jumbo Gumbo to SMCS. Tuition credits for you and money for your schools - doesn't get better than that! Waverly Beach Scrip is available in $25 gift cards with a whopping 10% rebate!

Scrip Holiday Schedule – Plan ahead!

NOVEMBER Monday, November 16th is the last day to order Scrip prior to Thanksgiving. Orders will be delivered Thursday, November 19th. No Scrip orders the week of November 23rd. The next order date is Monday, November 30th for delivery on Thursday, December 3rd.

DECEMBER December 14th is the last day to order Scrip prior to Christmas and New Year’s. Orders will be delivered Thursday, December 17th. No Scrip orders the week of December 21st or December 28th. Next order date is Monday, January 4th for delivery on Thursday, January 7th. *********************************************

*********************************************

Virtus Training

Tuesday, November 10th 6:15-9:45 p.m. St. Patrick’s/Geenen Hall 324 Nicolet Blvd. Menasha Facilitated by Nancy Stevenson and Cheryl Stinski

********************************************* SMCS Updates Read the SMCS Email News Updates for information about the following: Jumbo Gumbo (Friday, November 13) Calendar Updates Eucharistic Adoration (Friday, November 6) Robotics Open House (Wednesday, November 4) VIRTUS Training (Tuesday, November 10) ON TRACK: Saving for College (Tuesday, November 10) SMCS Open Positions Improv Workshops: Grades 3-8 (Sunday, November 15) Lands' End Sale Baby Wants Candy Improv Show (Saturday & Sunday, November 14-15) Shadow Days @ MS & HS (November 9, 10, 16 and 18) A New Jumbo Gumbo Raffle Jumbo Gumbo & Scrip Upcoming Parish Events SMCHS Fall Musical (Friday-Sunday, November 6-8) ********************************************* Student Improv Workshops

There's still time to sign up for the exciting improv workshops for students in grades 3-8 during the weekend of November 14 and 15. The class for grades 8-12 is sold out! We have now opened the first improv class on Sunday, November 15 to 3rd grade students, and the later class to 8th graders. Sign up for grades 3-5; class is 1:00-2:00 p.m. Sign up for grades 6-8; class is 2:00-3:30 p.m.

*********************************************

********************************************* Shadow Days at Middle & High School

St. Mary Catholic Middle School & High School are offering several shadow days for interested fifth and eighth grade students, respectively. A shadow day is the perfect opportunity for a student to gain knowledge and insight into the school atmosphere of our grades 6-8 and 9-12 schools. Sign up for high school shadowing or middle school shadowing online. Choose between the mornings of Monday, November 9; Tuesday, November 10; Monday, November 16 or Wednesday, November 18.

If these dates do not work, contact Shannon DeShambo (MS) or Jennifer Miller (HS) to make other arrangements. We can accommodate up to 12 students per day at each school.

********************************************* Day of the Dead (celebrated Nov 2 in Mexico)

7th Grade Spanish Class

PASTRY WITH THE PRINCIPALS

Fill up on a warm cup of coffee and pastry, and have the opportunity to ask questions of our

SMCS principals. Hear directly from our school leaders about what to expect as your child

progresses through our St. Mary Catholic Schools.

Wednesday, November 11 7:50 am – 9:00 a.m.

Shellattés 330 N. Commercial Street, Neenah

Pastries will be provided. Identify yourself at the counter as a guest of our principals and receive 20% off of your beverage! SMCHS Principal Pat Batey

SMCMS Principal Mike Zuleger

St. Gabriel Principal Jeanine Leege

St. Margaret Mary Principal Eleanor Healy

St. Mary Principal Jill Ahles

St. Mary Catholic Schools Fine Artsand

McCurdy Theatre Artspresents

Showtix4u.com 920-722-7796The Jane Bergstrom Fine Arts Education Center

1050 Zephyr Drive, Neenah, WI

Saturday, November 14 at 1:00 p.m.Improv Workshop - $10 Audience Tickets

Saturday, November 14 at 7:00 p.m.PERFORMANCE - $15 Tickets

Sunday, November 15 at 5:00 p.m.PERFORMANCE - $15 Tickets

TIFF

St. Mary Catholic High School

Zephyr Players

Presents

UCKY LS

Tickets on sale in September

at showtix4u.com

An offbeat, hilarious

murder mystery farce

complete with mistaken

identities, six million bucks

in diamonds, and a

corpse in a wheelchair!

[

]

I am purchasing: Admissions: #_______ x $50 = $___________

Raffle tickets: #_______ x $10 = $___________

TOTAL enclosed: $___________

Please turn in your payment and this order form to your school. If you are purchasing raffle tickets, they will be sent home with your child. If you are purchasing admission, your names will be put on a list at the door. Please list additional names if purchasing admission for members outside of your household. Thank you!

Parent Name/Tuition Account to Credit:________________________________________________

ORDER FORM: Jumbo Gumbo tickets

You can buy or sell Jumbo Gumbo tickets to earn credit to-ward your fundraising fee (families with K—Grade 12 students). Your purchase will offset your fundraising fee by the amount of your Jumbo Gumbo sales up to the amount of your fundraising fee.

Admission: $50 each through Nov. 12th ($60 at the door)

Raffle tickets: $10 each (only 3500 being sold)

ON TRACK!SMCS FREE EDUCATIONAL SERIES

he ON TRACK series of evening seminars is hosted at the Jane Bergstrom Fine Arts Education Center at St. Mary Catholic High School during the school year and is ofered in partnership with community resources and ield experts. All workshops in the series give participants practical insight and tools to help them live a more secure, healthy and happy life.

SESSION 1

NOVEMBER 10, 2015: PLANNING FOR COLLEGE – 529 ACCOUNTS

WHAT: Preparing for Your Child’s Future -- Learn about ways you can begin today to save for your child’s college tuition.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND: Parents with elementary through high school-aged children

PRESENTER: Jeannette Haen, 529 Product Specialist, Robert W. Baird & Co.

TIME: All sessions begin at 6:30 p.m.

COST: Compliments of St. Mary Catholic Schools (at-will donations accepted)

WHERE: he Miron Forensic heaterJane Bergstrom Fine Arts Education Center1050 Zephyr Drive, Neenah, WI

Presented in partnership with Robert W. Baird & Co.; Van De Hey, Van De Hey & Associates; Town of Menasha Police Department

To attend any of these seminars, interested participants should email Michelle Dejno at mdejno@smcatholicschools.org to reserve a spot. Walk-ins welcome.

NEXT SESSIONS:February 9, 2016: Estate Planning – Recent Changes in MedicaidPresenters: Clifton D. Kreuscher, Attorney Anthony C. Richter, Income and Estate Planner associated with Van De Hey, Van De Hey & Associates

April 5, 2016: 21st-Century Parenting – Social MediaPresenter: Community Liasion Oicer Jason Weber, Town of Menasha Police Department

Wednesday, November 4

6:30-8:00 p.m.

Robotics Open HouseSt. Mary Catholic Schools is well known and respected as a leader of VEX Robotics in the Fox Valley. Meet our mentors, tour our newly expanded facilities and learn more about what sets us apart!

St. Mary Catholic Schools Technology Center

1050 Zephyr Drive, Neenah

Park in rear of high school-

Technolgy Center is located near Zephyr Fields

ST. MARY CATHOLIC SCHOOLS

www.smcatholicschools.org