Formed in Catholic tradition, the mission of St. Michael High School is to foster the spiritual,

intellectual, and personal development of young people as committed disciples of Christ.

ST. MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL

OCTOBER 2019 NEWSLETTER

17521 Monitor Avenue Baton Rouge, LA 70817 Phone: (225) 753-9782

P.O. Box 86110 Baton Rouge, LA 70879-6110 Fax: (225) 753-0605

SPIRITUAL LIFE

MASS: Please join the St. Michael School Community as we celebrate

our all-school Mass on Wednesday, October 9, at 8:50 AM. We will also

celebrate All Saints Day with an all-school Mass on Friday, November 1,

at 8:50 AM. Students must wear their dress uniform. Parents who would

like to join us are asked to sign in at the front office before going to the

Multipurpose Building.

MARCH FOR LIFE 2020: The deadline to register for March for

Life is Friday, October 4. Interested students must turn in the registration

form and a $100 deposit to the Campus Ministry office. The dates for the

pilgrimage are January 20-25. The total cost is $500 and financial assis-

tance is available. For more information go to

www.youthmarchforlife.org or email Mrs. Froeba at

efroeba@smhsbr.org.

THE PRO VITA DINNER: The need for financial aid for the March

for Life is met primarily through our Pro Vita Benefit Dinner and Silent

Auction, which will be held at the SMHS gym on Thursday, October 17,

at 6:30 PM. Our keynote speakers this year will be Tami and Wayne

Pearl. Their daughter is Evangeline Love. Her name is on House Bill

143. This bill does not allow discrimination against children with Down

Syndrome for organ transplants. For more information about the event

and for reserving tickets please visit www.youthmarchforlife.org. You

may also contact Mrs. Froeba at efroeba@smhsbr.org for more infor-

mation and to donate to the auction.

RETREATS: Because each school retreat is a graduation requirement,

any student who is sick on the day of the retreat must attend another ad-

ministration-approved Diocesan retreat. Please see the Student Handbook

for more information.

The Senior Retreat will take place at Camp Living Waters in Loranger on

Friday, November 8, from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM. Students will meet

at school and be transported to and from the retreat by school bus. The

theme for Senior Retreat is Put On Love. Our seniors will focus on look-

ing at how their faith has carried them this far and what the future

holds. Students are to wear jeans and their class t-shirt. As always, the

school code regarding appropriate dress applies.

FACULTY RETREAT: The St. Michael Faculty Retreat will be held Monday, October 14. There will be NO school for students on this day.

INTELLECTUAL

COFFEE WITH THE FRESHMAN COUNSELOR: Freshman

parents/guardians are invited to attend Coffee with the Counselor on

Thursday, October 10, at 7:30 AM OR 12 noon. Ms. Turner , Fresh-

man Counselor, will have a brief presentation about the college and career

readiness groups that students are attending at lunches, graduation require-

ments, Pre-ACT standardized testing that will be held in the spring semester,

and more. Please keep an eye out for an email with instructions on how to

RSVP during the first week of October.

COLLEGE APPLICATION MONTH: Every Tuesday during the

month of October, the school counselors will be available to assist seniors

with any college application questions or to begin the college application

process. Counselors will be available at all lunch periods in Room 1 to assist

the seniors. Many applications require a fee, so if seniors wish to finalize the

application with the counselors, please make sure your student has a credit or

debit card on hand. The SMHS counselors will be joined by an admissions

rep from SELU on October 8, LSU on October 15, and FranU on Octo-

ber 29, to further assist seniors applying to these colleges. Senior s will

also have a chance to win a door prize from the visiting schools when they

stop by. Please encourage your senior to fill out at least one college applica-

tion during the month of October and to visit the counselors for assistance.

COLLEGE VISITATION DAY: On Wednesday, October 16, seniors

will not have school so that they may visit a college or university of their

choice. Although each college and university establishes its own rules in

regards to arranging an official campus visit, students may begin by contact-

ing the Office of Admissions or Office of Enrollment Services for assistance

in planning their campus tour. Check college or university websites for regis-

tration and news on upcoming events. We encourage each senior to take a

campus tour to gain valuable information to support their college decisions.

FILING THE FAFSA: Senior parents, the Free Application for Federal

Student Aid (FAFSA) filing season begins October 1. Please file your

FAFSA early; it is possible some financial aid awards letters could arrive

earlier in the year, giving your student enough time to make decisions on

where to attend college. Waiting too late means risking the loss of financial

aid based on a first-come, first-serve basis. Remember, the FAFSA is FREE

so please be wary of websites asking you to pay a fee. Also, the FAFSA is the

only application for TOPS. Visit www.fafsa.gov to get started.

LSU APPLICATION REMINDER: APPLY EARLY! Applications are now being accepted for the next fall semester at LSU. Although the prior-ity date for full consideration for all LSU scholarship programs open to enter-ing freshmen is December 15, seniors who are on target for meeting LSU admissions requirements should APPLY EARLY. The LSU Application for Undergraduate Admission and Scholarships also serves as the automatic ap-plication for all entering freshmen scholarships. To apply, go to the LSU Undergraduate Admissions website at www.lsu.edu/admissions. Students’ official high school transcripts, official ACT or SAT scores, and all other required information must be received by LSU prior to the December 15 deadline.

The SMHS Warrior Club offers sports specific items through BSN online shops. Currently, stores are open for Wrestling and Soccer. We will open stores for Swim and Basketball, boys and girls, in the upcoming weeks. Look for emails for when those stores will open. Please visit the Warrior Club trailer at all home football games and the website for Warrior Wear and Gear, www.smhswarriorclub.com. Please see flyer at end of this newsletter for Warrior Club mem-bership information.

PERMISSION FOR COLLEGE VISITS: In addition to our Col-lege Visitation Day (October 16), seniors will be granted one additional college visit with administrative approval. When a student is planning a college visit or tour day and must miss a school day, his/her parent(s)/guardian(s) must forward a written request to Mr. Sanchez, Dean of Stu-dents, prior to the actual date of the visit. The student should return to school the day following his/her absence with a letter of verification of attendance which will be provided by the college or university upon re-quest. Mr. Sanchez will consider the requested information prior to and following the event in order to decide whether or not an educational ex-cused absence will be granted. Please refer to the SMHS Student/Parent Handbook for more details regarding educational absences.

PSAT/NMSQT—STANDARDIZED TESTING DAY: On Wednesday, October 16, all freshmen, sophomores, and juniors will report to school at the regular time.

Seniors will have a college visit day.

All juniors and those sophomores and freshmen who registered will be taking the PSAT/NMSQT standardized test. All sopho- mores and freshmen who are not taking the test will attend presentations from ICare as well as presentations on college/ career readiness. Students WILL NOT need their computers.

No lunch vendors will be on campus that day. Students should bring a brown bag lunch.

All freshmen, sophomores, and juniors will be dismissed at 12:00 noon. EBR buses and the SMHS shuttle bus will run at noon.

There will be no after-school program on October 16. All freshmen, sophomores, and juniors who do not ride a bus home must be picked up at noon.

REPORT CARDS/PlusPortals: The first nine weeks ends on

Wednesday, October 9. Repor t cards will be posted on PlusPor tals by

Thursday, October 10. If you have any questions or concerns about

your child’s performance, please contact your child’s teacher.

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

BOYS BASKETBALL TRYOUTS: Freshman Boys Basketball Try-outs will be held Saturday, October 26, from 10:00 AM – 12:00 noon, and Sunday, October 27, from 4:30 – 6:00 PM.

DISTINGUISED GRADUATE NOMINATIONS: Distinguished

Graduate Nominations are due October 11. If you know of a great candi-

date, please nominate them by filling out the form online:

https://www.smhsbr.org/alumni/distinguished-graduatenomination/.

EARLY DISMISSAL FOR STUDENTS: St. Michael students will be dismissed at 12:00 noon on Wednesday, October 23, for preparation for our Open House beginning at 4:30 that evening. There will be NO lunch vendors and NO after school program on 12:00 dismissal days. EBR buses and the SMHS shuttle bus will run at noon.

NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS/DIOCESAN IN-SERVICE: There will be no school for students on Friday, October 11, so teacher s may attend a Diocesan in-service. St. Michael will serve as a host site for this in-service day. The St. Michael administrative offices will be open on Friday.

PICTURE RETAKES: School picture retakes will be Wednesday,

October 9.

SENIOR NIGHT: Seniors on the SMHS Lady Warrior Volleyball Team will be honored on Senior Night, Wednesday, October 30, vs St. John at the SMHS gym, with JV at 5:00 PM and Varsity at 6:00 PM in the SMHS gym. Parents of seniors are encouraged to attend.

The SMHS Warrior Football Team will host Senior Night, Thursday, No-vember 7, vs Belaire at Olympia Stadium. Senior football, spor ts medi-cine, cheer, flag, dance, and band members will be recognized along with their parents. All parents are encouraged to attend and be a part of Senior Night.

TRANSPORTATION: EBR bus transportation WILL NOT run on Tues-

day, October 15. The SMHS shuttle bus will run its regular route.

RED RIBBON WEEK: During the week of October 28-November 1, the SADD club will be sponsor ing Red Ribbon W eek on campus. This week will feature activities to raise students’ aware-ness on issues of impaired & distracted driving and alcohol & drug abuse. In addition to school-wide daily announcements and prayers encouraging good decision making, below is a list of activities that will take place that week:

Monday, 10/28: Red for Red Ribbon Week Drug/Alcohol stats posted around school on Red paper. Say No to Drugs stickers passed out to students.

Tuesday, 10/29: Stay Alive-Don’t Text & Drive Students will pledge to make good decisions behind the wheel by signing a banner during lunch period that says Stay Alive: Don’t Text & Drive. Partici-pants will be given a thumb ring as a reminder not to text and drive.

Wednesday, 10/30: We CAN Stay Drug-Free Students are asked to bring in canned items to donate to the foodbank. The Safety Collation, including Louisiana State Police and MADD, are visiting SMHS dur-ing all lunch shifts for impaired driving demonstrations and alcohol/drug prevention education.

Thursday, 10/31: Say Boo to Drugs and Alcohol Students will wear school appropriate Halloween costumes and will Trick or Treat with the Counselors. Students will visit the counselors during lunch periods to receive a sweet treat.

Friday, 11/1: Vaping…a Toxic Mix In science classes, teachers will

facilitate a brief discussion for students to better understand the conse-

quences of vaping and the dangerous chemicals in vape products. An

anti-vaping banner and statistics will be hung around campus.

HOMECOMING: Dates for Homecoming Activities

Warriors Got Game!

Sept. 30 Bring your A game-wear your favorite Warrior wear

Classroom Door Decorating in class

Oct. 1 Twister Tuesday-wear your class color

Freshmen—yellow; Sophomores—red; Juniors—blue; Seniors—green

Door Decorating Contest—Judging

Oct. 2 Wii Wednesday-dress as your favorite Wii game character

NO VIOLENT VIDEO GAMES can be represented

Homecoming King and Queen Elections

Block Party—back lawn of SMHS 5:30 PM

Sponsored by SMHS Home & School-ALL ARE INVITED

Free food, live music, and games for all ages

Pep Rally Follows

Oct. 3 Theme Thursday-dress in character for your grade’s game

Freshmen—Candyland; Sophomores—Operation; Juniors—Clue

Seniors—The Game of Life

Oct. 4 Homecoming shirt/jeans/tennis shoes

Homecoming Game Vs. Archbishop Hannon @ Olympia 7:00 PM

Oct. 5 Homecoming Dance—SMHS Gym 8:00-11:00 PM

PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE:

Your help is needed. The St. Michael High School Advisory Board is made up of volunteers, some elected and some appointed, who meet five times a year. The purpose of the Advisory Board is to advise and support the administration of St. Michael High School as it seeks to carry out its mission of forming its students spiritually, intellectually, and personally. If you would like to serve on the SMHS Advisory Board or on one of its committees, please fill out the form at the end of this newsletter and return it to the school office. Please consider volunteering today.

Congratulations to our student council officers who were inducted after our St. Michael the Archangel Feast Day Mass on September 27. We were joined by alumni, parents, and grandparents who helped make the celebration even more special. The mass was celebrated by our chaplain Father Ryan Hallford. Students were grateful to Home & School who served cake during all the lunches.

The first quarter grading period ends on Wednesday, October 9, and grades will be posted by the end of the next day. Official grades that are on the transcript come from the semester average. There are still plenty of opportunities to bring up unsatisfactory grades. We have a second nine weeks and midterm exams that will be calculated with the first nine weeks grades to get a semester average. Our dedicated teachers are here to help all of our students. Please encourage your student to see their teacher for help if he/she is struggling. If you have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to contact your child’s teachers.

On Wednesday, October 16, all juniors, some sophomores and freshmen will be taking the PSAT. The students who are taking the test should be sure to get a good night’s sleep and have a healthy breakfast before taking on the challenge of the test. The remaining freshmen and sophomores will be attending healthy choices presentations on campus.

We look forward to helping 6th, 7th, and 8th graders in our community find out what being a Warrior is all about at our annual Open House. Our Open House on Wednesday, October 23, gives us an opportunity to let perspective students and their parents know about the wonderful things that are happening here. Please encourage any junior high student that you know to attend our Open House from 4:30 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. so that they can see the outstanding opportunities that await them at St. Michael. As parents of our students, we rely on your assistance in spreading the good news that is St. Michael High School.

Thank you for all that you do to support our mission of forming young people as committed disciples of Christ. We count on your con-tinued prayers.

God Bless,

Ellen B. Lee, Principal

The St. Michael annual Open House will be held Wednesday, October

23. Students in grades 6 - 8 and their parents are invited to visit our campus

and learn more about St. Michael High School. Tours will begin at 4:30

PM, with the last tour at 7:00 PM. We strongly encourage all SMHS stu-

dents to participate in volunteering their service to the school for this im-

portant event. Parents, please help us to spread the word among families in

the community who have prospective middle school age students.

HELP SUPPLY THE SMHS IDEA LAB:

The IDEA Lab will be opening soon on campus. This is a STEM/Makerspace lab for students to use in their classes and during their lunch periods. You can help us with needed supplies by sending any of the following to the office marked ATTN: Abby Tate. For more information contact Abby Tate at atate@smhsbr.org. Needed Supplies: batteries (any size), tape (Duct, electrical, scotch, masking, painters), wire, string, packing peanuts, Styrofoam, bread clips, coffee filters, Solo cups (any size), binder clips, aluminum foil, paper towel/toilet paper cardboard tubes, twist ties, plastic straws.

Thank you!

SMHS OPEN HOUSE:

Dear Warrior Family,

St. Michael High School’s Annual Giving Campaign, the Warrior Fund for Excellence, will begin in early Octo-ber. The generous support and dedicated commitment of parents, grandparents, alumni, and friends allows St. Michael to continue to strengthen its financial future.

Tuition payments and related fees cover approximately 80% of the school’s annual budget. The remainder of the budget is covered through our fundraising efforts, the largest of these being the Warrior Fund for Excel-lence. The annual budget at St. Michael High School helps sustain and maintain excellence in our academic and instructional programs, extracurricular and athletic programs, and the building and plant operations at the school.

The Warrior Fund for Excellence is vital to the development and growth of each of these programs. This year you have the opportunity to give to one of three pre-designated areas including academics, scholarships, and ath-letics. You may also request that we forward the funds to the greatest area of need at St. Michael High School.

Last year, the school successfully raised over $45,000 for the Warrior Fund for Excellence. These funds helped offset the difference in the cost of tuition making it possible for students to continue receiving the highest quality of Catholic education at an affordable rate.

The financial goal this year is to raise $60,000 from all donors. Make your gift today at www.smhsbr.org/giving and help us reach our goal!

Annual Fund Chair Families

Class of 2023 – William & Faye Duncan

Class of 2022 – Lowell & Denise ’90 Hebert

Class 2021 – Dr. Jason & Amy Allemond

Class of 2020 – Hudson & Marga Tabor

Honorary Chair Family – The Tabor Family

Get your gift in before November 1 and receive a special thank you gift from the Advancement Office as a token of our appreciation!

WARRIOR GOLF CLASSIC Monday, November 11, 2019

At Greystone Country Club

Format: 3 Man Scramble

Team: $525 - Alumni Team: $375

8:30 AM Registration

9:00 AM Golf Balls from Heaven Drop

9:30 AM Shotgun start

Dinner & Awards following Tournament

For more information or to purchase your team, please visit:

https://www.smhsbr.org/giving/warrior-golf-classic/

SMHS AUCTION

Saturday, March 7, 2020

Committee Members & General Volunteers Needed:

The next committee meeting will be held on Wednesday, October 2, at 12:30 PM on campus. If you would like to serve on the committee or would like information on how you can get involved, please contact Advancement Director Josh Galasso (225) 755-3618 or JGalasso@smhsbr.org.

Advancement News & Important Events

Dear Warrior Parents,

Thank you for making the decision to send your student to St. Michael. This statement of support means you recognize the value of providing your child with a quality, Catholic education.

As a parent, your financial support is vital to the continued growth and development of St. Michael High School. We encourage you to explore the opportunities and events that we offer to help keep our school commu-nity thriving. Please look forward to receiving a personal invitation to participate in the following:

Warrior Fund for Excellence – This is our annual giving campaign that will be launched in early Octo-

ber. The funds from this drive are used to sustain and maintain excellence in our academic and instruc-

tional programs, extracurricular and athletic programs, and day to day building & operations.

Continuing the Warrior Legacy Capital Campaign – The Capital Campaign is the

building fund for St. Michael High School. This year we completed construction on the Multipurpose

Building. However, our fundraising efforts continue as we pay back the funds that have been borrowed

for the recent construction. You will be personally invited to join us in making a financial pledge of sup-

port to this campaign. Your cooperation and support in this endeavor is vital to our continued success as

we continue moving forward. The next phase of our campaign is to address the back of the campus by

developing a track facility and football field. If you would like to give now, please visit

www.smhsbr.org/giving.

Warrior Golf Classic – November 11, 2019, at Greystone Country Club. This event is the primary

fundraiser for our athletic teams, extracurricular clubs, and activities at the school.

SMHS Auction—A Night in Italy – March 7, 2020, at St. Michael High School. The proceeds from

this event provide funding for academic programs and enhancements on our campus.

Corporate Partnership Program – This program offers businesses the opportunity to advertise and

partner with our school through a variety of outlets.

We challenge you to help make St. Michael a better school every day through making a financial commitment

in support of our school. If you would like to make a gift, please visit www.smhsbr.org/giving or contact the

Advancement Office. For additional information on giving opportunities at St. Michael High School, contact

Advancement Director Josh Galasso via email at jgalasso@smhsbr.org or phone at 225-755-3618.

Yours in Christ,

Ellen B. Lee Josh Galasso

ST. MICHAEL HIGH SCHOOL ADVISORY BOARD – NOMINATIONS COMMITTEE

Prospective Candidate Information

Advisory Board or Committee Member

Name: _______________________________________ Phone No. ___________________

Address: _________________________________________________________________

Occupation: _______________________________________________________________

Spouse’s name:______________________________ Church Parish:_________________

Children’s names and grades:

_________________________________________ ____________________

_________________________________________ ____________________

_________________________________________ ____________________

_________________________________________ ____________________

Experience of Service (School, Parish, Community):

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

Reasons for wanting to serve:

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS MAY BE ATTACHED.

I give permission for reprint of the above personal information by St. Michael High School.

________________________________________________ Date: _____________________

Signature of Prospective Candidate

This candidate is nominated by ________________________________________________

You may nominate yourself.

I may be reached for further information at: ______________________________________

________________________________________________Date:______________________

Signature of person nominating this candidate

Return via USPS to Melissa Guarisco, SMHS, 17521 Monitor Ave, Baton Rouge LA 70817

Or via email to MGuarisco@SMHSBR.org