Good Manners

Where does PLEASE, THANK YOU, and GOOD MANNERS fit within

Catholic education? The best aspect of teaching these things is not about a litany of rules and what you should do. It’s a message about our interactions with others. Good manners is about showing kindness and

consideration to everyone we meet.

Dr. James Donnelly of Sydney Children’s Hospital recommends that parents frequently talk to their children about how things are going in their lives, especially the things that aren’t going so well, and how they and their friends reacted. The purpose of talking is to work through what might be the best response to any problems: The talking fosters moral development in a better way than just teaching children rules.

You foster a process of the child working out what is the civil thing to do.

You let the child work it out rather than just imposing rules; the more rules you impose, the more rules the adolescent has to rebel against.

In our society we have a great variety of cultural backgrounds and in as

much as we value greatly the person we are, so does each other person

with whom we come into contact. We need to emphasize the idea that it

is good to treat other people the way we would like to be treated.

Aesop once wrote that, No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted. Words and actions of kindness and consideration are never the

reason for argument or discord but they are the exercise of good

manners.

Lord, we are all made in Your image and likeness. Whenever and wherever we want to see Your face, we will see it. Help our

interactions with other people to be based on kindness and

consideration. Amen

Mary, our Patron and Mother of us all… PRAY FOR US! Live Jesus in our hearts… FOREVER!

Oct

15 SMCMS Prayer Service

9:37 a.m. SMCMS

Commons

20 SMCMS Information

Night 6:00 p.m.

21 Diocesan All-School

Mass Resch Center

22 No Prayer Service

SMCMS

29 SMCMS Prayer Service

9:37 a.m. SMCMS

Commons

30 End of 1st Quarter

30 SMCS No School-Staff

Development

Nov

3 7th grade visit day at

SMCHS

3 5th grade visit day at

SMCMS

3 SMCMS Book Club

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

25-29 SMCS Thanksgiving

Break

30 SMCS Classes Resume

October 14, 2015

School News *********************************************

Field Trip All Schools Diocesan Mass

On October 21st we will have a Celebrating Catholic Schools Mass at the Resch Center in Green Bay. All students from the diocese are invited. Students need to bring a bag lunch (preferably items that can all be thrown away). No microwaves or coolers will be available because of space at the Resch Center. Students will be responsible for their lunches. Liturgy dress will be required. SMCMS will offer a bag lunch (peanut butter and jelly sandwich, fruit, chips, water). Please have your child sign up for this bag lunch with his or her STAR teacher no later than Friday morning.

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Dress Code Change for SMCMS

We have made the decision to make a slight modification to the SMCMS dress code. Currently it states (red is new):

Sweaters, fleece, crew neck, V-neck, hooded or cardigan sweaters may be worn over shirts. Any logo other than an SMCMS or SMCS logo must be no larger than 3” square.

All students may wear specified “Zephyrs” hooded sweatshirts or a plain color hooded sweatshirt with a logo no larger than 3” square.

The “specified” Zephyrs hooded sweatshirts is this one (click here to order), and the sweatshirt that 8th graders received at SMCHS at 8th grade visit day is also permitted.

********************************************* MMITM 7th Grade Party

It is not too late to sign up for the 7th Grade class party on Thursday, October 29th, 6-8:30 p.m., SMCHS School Gym. It includes a scavenger hunt, obstacle course, DJ music/dancing, pizza and dessert. Lots of fun, cost $15, all funds go directly to the middle school. If you would like to sign up please put name and money in an envelope and hand in to the SMCMS office. Any questions call Julie Anderson 920-202-2877. *********************************************

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MMITM

Thank you all for making this event a success. Attached to this newsletter is a flyer describing all the event boards still available to sign up for from Meet Me In the Middle. Along with many events we do have a punch card available for out of dress code. The punch card is $25 with 5 punches available. We will keep the sign ups and dress code passes available for the month of October. If you are interested in any of the items please print out the flyer and return with your payment in an envelope to the school office. Please call the school office if you have any questions. ********************************************* SMCMS Book Club

We enjoyed reading the book, Flora & Ulysses, last month and now we are on to a different type of book. We decided to read the genre fantasy/sci-fi for our next month. We chose to read Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger. A brief description from teachingbooks.net- “Sophie Foster, who lives in San Diego with her family, just doesn’t fit in. She’s a lonely twelve year-old prodigy with a photographic memory and a secret ability to read minds. So she’s thrilled to learn of a place where she might belong: a vibrant world of elves who live in Lost Cities like Atlantis.” On the website, http://ramblingsofawannabescribe.blogspot.com/p/keeper-of-lost-cities.html a more in-depth description of the series can be found. We will be meeting on Tuesday,

November 3. This book is a little longer so we are meeting a little later to help finish the book.

********************************************* Attention Volleyball Players

When the season is finished (7th and 8th grade are still waiting to hear if they made the playoffs) players will need to hand in your uniforms/shorts. These must be washed and placed in a bag with your name on it and given to Mr. D or the office. Thank you for taking care of this ASAP! *********************************************

********************************************* Edmodo Parent sign up instructions

SMCMS uses Edmodo for the teachers/students to communicate, turn in assignments, share documents and videos, ask questions, etc. You can easily sign up for a parent account to track your student’s classes and assignments. You will need to ask your child to show you their Edmodo account to locate their student code (parent code). The code is found on the bottom of the left side panel on your child’s Edmodo home page. Once you have the parent code simply:

1. Visit www.edmodo.com and select the “I’m a parent” button, to the right of the student and teacher sign up

buttons.

2. Fill out the registration form with the unique parent

code, the relationship with the child and a valid email

address.

3. Select the “Sign up” button to complete the process. 4. You should now be able to see any class that your

child has added as a group.

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SMCMS First Dance - It’s a Spook-tacular Event!

The SMCMS Student Council is hosting the first social in our new building on Friday, October 23rd after school from 3:15 to 5:30 p.m. After the 3:12 dismissal, students are invited to come to the Commons and enjoy over 2 hours of great (and sometimes scary?) music provided by A.J. the D.J. While enjoying the dancing and music, ordered food can be picked up at the serving window. Dress code: Students are expected to wear whatever they come to school wearing that day. There will be no “slow dances.” As a surprise, small groups will be invited to sign up during the dance to “take a walk on the dark side.” Parent volunteers are encouraged to help with set-up (2:30-3:30), chaperoning the commons and halls (3:15-5:30), serving food from the kitchen (3:30-5:00), or helping with the “Walk on the Dark Side” (3:45-5:15). Parents are encouraged to come dressed “incognito” in keeping with the “spooky” theme. Please be sure to arrange for prompt pick-up at 5:30. St. Gabriel Brewfest starts at 6:30 and parents need to have time to make it to that event.

Any student who has all school work up-to-date will be allowed to have an out of dress code day at school on Friday, October 23. Students will still be able to attend the social even if they have missing work. The out of dress code day is just an incentive to get caught up.

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PowerSchool

PowerSchool is used to take attendance and view your child’s grades. PowerSchool has an app for your smart phone. In order to download your child's information you must first sign up and log into the PowerSchool website. To have access to the app for the first time you will need the district code. The SMCS code is JJHC. Currently, 30/162 (about 19%) parents use this app on their smart phone. Everyone should have received login information for PowerSchool at the beginning of the school year. Currently, 147/162 (about 91%) have accessed the PowerSchool website to view their child’s grades. We’d love to get this to 100%. Parents can also change their settings to have progress reports emailed to them. Please contact Mike Zuleger if you have any issues/questions. *********************************************

SMCS Open Houses/Information Night

Tuesday, October 20, 2015 Tell your friends!

Elementary Schools 5:00-7:00 p.m. Meet the teachers, tour the classrooms and learn more about our exciting enrichment offerings! Also find out about extended day preschool and before- and after-school care.

Middle School 6:00 p.m. High School 7:00 p.m. Faculty, administrators and students will provide information on SMCS's faith, academics and co-curriculars including robotics, sports and fine arts. Check out our spectacular Jane Bergstrom Fine Arts Education Center, along with our newly opened state-of-the-art middle school. Learn more about our new dual campus and several busing options.

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Scrip Help Needed

SMCS Scrip Program is in need of volunteers to pick up scrip on Wednesdays. If you are interested please contact Shelley Wautlet at 920-727-0279 or swautlet@smcatholicschools.org. Reminder to SMCMS Parents: up to 10 hours may be used for Parent Involvement.

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********************************************* Jumbo Gumbo

The 11th annual Jumbo Gumbo is right around the corner! It will be a great night of fun, food, and friends. Join the festivities on Friday, November 13 from 6:00 to 11:30 p.m. at Waverly Beach. "Dance Thru the Decades" to the musical talents of Vic Ferrari and the SMCHS Jazz Band and Show Choir!

Win $1,000, Packer vs. Bears tickets, or an awesome tailgate package! Jumbo Gumbo raises funds for all five SMCS campuses. Admission tickets are available at all SMCS campus and parish offices. Get additional information here! Pick up your tickets today.

This week, information about Jumbo Gumbo will be sent home with SMCS students. Please note that this year, parents do not need an actual ticket to attend the event. When you pay your admittance fee of $50 per person (in advance) to the school office, your name(s) will be put on an admittance list that will be kept at the entrance desk at Jumbo Gumbo. No need to keep track of tickets or run back home because you forgot them. Simply pay your fee in advance and show up on Friday, November 13! Community members can purchase tickets at a school or parish office for $50 per person, and will be available at the door for $60.

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Boys/Girls Basketball Concession Co-Chairs Needed

The Booster Club is in need of some parents who can help assist with the concession stand here at the middle school. Duties would include helping set up before games (great for a 6th grade parent of a basketball player), helping those who have not worked in the concession stand, help close the concession stand or make sure that the last workers understand the closing duties (great for an 8th grade parent who usually have the last game), and to coordinate with the other co-chairs to make sure that everything is completed. This sounds like a lot of work, but it really is not too much and the best part is this will count towards your time owed to the booster club and parent volunteer hours here at SMCMS. Please contact Mr. D if you have any questions.

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Reminder to Fall Sports Parents

Reminder from the Booster Club about the requirement to work five shifts per sport. Many of you are looking forward to helping out over the winter for some of those great high school basketball games, not to mention our amazing SMCMS basketball games, but we do have many openings for this fall’s volleyball shifts. A few parents have stepped up and assisted for longer than one shift and missed their child’s game. This is new to the cross country and football parents. Just a reminder that you can work at the high school and during events that are not sport specific (a volleyball parent can help at the cross country meet and vice versa). We could never pull off athletics here at SMCMS without our parents, and we appreciate everything that you do.

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Brewfest 2015

Would you like to sample hand-crafted beers (more than 70 selections!) from eighteen different breweries, as well as wines and Sprecher sodas? And taste delicious appetizers from several area restaurants? All while enjoying live music and perusing exciting basket raffles? Then Brewfest is the event for you!

Brewfest, St. Gabriel Elementary’s only fundraiser, will be held on Friday, October 23 from 6:30-10:00 p.m. at the Riverwalk Hotel in downtown Neenah. Tickets are $35 in advance, $40 at the door, and only $15 for your designated driver. Tickets can be purchased at the school office or Cellars Wine and Spirits in Neenah, or online. Brewfest is open to the public and is an adults-only event. You must be 21 years or older to attend.

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Junior Optimists

The Junior Optimists are meeting next Wednesday in the SMCMS Commons to complete a “Pumpkin Painting” project. Depending on donations, we will paint between 20 and 50 pumpkins to donate to Parkside Care Center in Little Chute. Members are reminded to bring a smock or old shirt to wear. Members: Look for an emailed agenda. Not a member yet? Come and join the fun and enjoy apples and caramel.

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MMITM Show me the money event

If you are interested in signing up for the Show-me-the-Money event, please send an envelope with money and your child’s name to the SMCMS school office. All the funds from this event go directly to the middle school.

Robert W. Baird’s Camp “Show-me-the-Money” Finance and Fun Bus Trip- $50/child Your middle school child (includes 5th graders this year who will be attending 6th

grade next year) can attend the summer camp of a lifetime at Camp “Show-me-the-Money!” Thirty (30) young, future entrepreneurs will board a bus in June or July 2016 bound for the Federal Reserve’s Money Museum in Chicago for a day filled with fun and, well…money! Your child will get a priceless tour where he/she can view old currency, see how the Fed “shreds” unfit currency, and even get their picture next to $1 million in real money! These middle school financial wizards will get a tour of the Chicago Board of Exchange (CBOE) and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) to learn about commodities trading and enjoy a trip to Navy Pier for lunch and a ride on “the Wheel.” Also included is a private tour of Robert W. Baird headquarters and special Q&A opportunity with the President and CEO of Robert W. Baird in downtown Milwaukee. Plus, it includes a free T-shirt and fun games on the bus! Finance

Tour the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME)

Tour the Chicago Board of Options Exchange (CBOE)

Tour and visit Robert W. Baird headquarters in Milwaukee and talk with CEO and President of Robert W. Baird

Fun

Eat and Enjoy the Rides at Navy Pier

Play a Trading Game at the CME

Explore the Federal Reserve’s Money Museum

Sponsored by David Purcell and George Brownell, The Purcell-Brownell Group, Robert W. Baird.

SMCMS’s Spook-tacular Social Friday, October 23, 2015

3:15 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.

Students are expected to be picked up by 5:30 If your child is not picked up by 5:40 P.M., he/she will be waiting for

parents in the school office. After that time, please come to the office to

pick up your child.

SMCMS Commons

Admission …$5.00 + Food Order $

Music by “A.J.” the DJ Order Little Caesars pizza, crazy bread, glazer donuts and bottled beverage

below. Fill out and return the registration slip no later than Wednesday, October 21. $10 late fee and No food can be ordered for registrations turned in after October 21.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………

SMCMS’s Spook-tacular Social Due October 21, 2015

Name______________________________ Grade____

Admission - $5.00 ($10 after October 21)

FOOD ORDER (No food can be ordered after October 21)

Little Caesars pizza, crazy bread, glazer donuts, & Beverage $1.00/slice of pizza: (Indicate number of each).

___ Cheese ___Sausage ___Pepperoni

___ Crazy Bread & Sauce - $3.00

___ Bottled beverages - $1.00 each (Water or choice of one pop)

___ Glazer donuts from Kwik Trip- 2 for $1

Total due: $5.00 Admission + $___ pizza + $___Crazy bread

+ $___ 2 Glazer donuts for $1 + $___ drink for $1 = $_____

(Make checks payable to S.M.C.S.)

Parent Volunteers Needed! Indicate below which time you can help. Come at the time you check off, unless you hear from Mr. K. You will be asked to supervise in the kitchen, halls, and commons.

___ 2:30- 3:30 pm: Set up in kitchen/Commons/ Pick up pizzas and donuts

___ 3:15- 4:15 pm ___ 4:15- 5:30 pm ___3:15 - 5:30 pm

Parent Name(s) _____________________________________ Phone____________

Board Event Cost Description Date/Time

6th Grade Party $15.00

Canon ball into summer with an

end of the school year pool party @

Northshore CC. Host:

DeWitt/Hansen

June 3, 2016

7th Grade Party $15.00

Scavenger hunt, obstacle course, s'mores & more at the SMCS High School. Host: Anderson, Chakar, Ladish, Staehler & Volkman Families

October 29, 2015, 6-8:30pm

8th Grade Party $15.00

Learn Thriller Dance moves in costumes supplied by the host in the FAEC black box @ SMCHS. Host: McCurdy and Ullrich Families

February 26, 2016 3:30-5:30pm

Adult Volleyball at the Bar $20.00

A friendly and non-competitive evening of pass-set-spikem, with snacks and beer/soda provided @ Game Day Sports Bar in Darboy. Host: Breen, LesCamelas

November. 21, 2015 7 - 9pm

Cribbage Tournament $20.00

Sharpen your cribbage skills and compete for prizes. Beverages and pizza provided @ Under the Dome. Host: Ellenbergers

January 16, 2016, 6-9 pm

Red Solo Cup Party $25.00Enjoy a fun filled night of games with heavy appetizers and adult beverages @ TBD. Host: Hayes, Long & Voster

April 15, 2016, 7pm -??

Rock N Roll Pour House Style $30.00

Enjoy a live band with pizza and beverages provided @ Greene’s Pour House. Host: C. Bergstrom, Dimmer, Dewitt, Cole, & Hogerty

November 7, 2015 7:30-???

Rooster Dreams $50.00

Create your own work of art, beautiful enough for framing, under th guided skill of a paroefssional, snacks and beverages provided @ Rooster Dreams.

March 3, 2016, 6-9pm

Show me the money $50.00

Tour the Chicago Board of Exchange , the Chicago Mercantile Exchange & the Federal Reserve’s Money Museum, followed by lunch & fun @ Navy Pier.

June or July of 2016 

Stars & Strikes $30.00

A trip to the planetarium followed by bowling. See a star show at Barlow, weather-permitting. Middle school kids and older. Host: Dudkowski & Phil

December 10, 2015 (no school the next day).

Tequila Tasting with Appetizers $50.00

Learn the amazing differences between tequilas, while feasting on tasty South of the Border appetizers @ Zacateca’s! Host: Hansen & Sajbel

January 8, 2016, 6:30pm - ??

Out of Dress Code $25.00 Punch Card of 5 2015-16 School Year

Teacher Wish List$10/$25/$50

Many items- Board in the office