School News

I hope that you will be able to join us tomorrow morning for the first I&D Committee Meeting of this new school year.  Just like last year, we’ll start our meetings right after the morning bell and prayers – in the Teacher’s Lounge at School.  So, drop your kids off and come on into the building for the meeting.  We’ll be finished by 8:45am at the latest.

I invite all of you to attend and learn more about our Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity efforts at St. Margaret’s for 2024-2025.  We’ve got some exciting things in the works!  See you tomorrow!

Intercultural Community Night
Event Date: Thursday September 19, 6:00-8:00 PM
St. Margaret of Scotland School Parking Lot, 3964 Castleman Ave., Saint Louis, MO 63110

Maggie is switching gears this week before she jets out the door to hobnob on the red carpet with Chappell Roan. But always thinking of the SMOS community first, she brings us her entry for the parish cookbook with one of her family’s favorites – and with ingredients like this, she might just add, “Good Luck, Babe!”

Join us for recess duty and volunteer to give our teachers a break. Even one or two shifts a month makes a BIG impact! Short shifts, lots of fun, and plenty of fresh air!

Attention SMOS Moms and Dads!(especially Moms and Dads new to SMOS this year) Did you know that once a month…

The SMOS Ladies Auxiliary is excited to announce that we are putting together the 125th Anniversary Edition of the St. Margaret of Scotland Cookbook, and we need your help to make it truly special!  We’re looking for your favorite recipes, family stories, and photos to fill its pages with everything from cocktails to casseroles.

See you on the blacktop on Friday, September 13 at 12:15 pm half day dismissal for a SMOS Vintage Spiritwear Sale!

Register now to join the Children’s Choir – open to grades 3-8.

Middle School Choir 5 Part Harmony?!  Is there such a thing?!  You bet!  And Mrs. Chrostoski, best known as Mrs….

As part of Friday announcements, Principal Holley likes to give shout outs to our students who get caught doing acts of kindness around school. We would like to share with you our weekly shout-outs:
• Theo B. & Catherine W. and Martha C. and Mrs. Komos’ Fifth-Grade Class.
• Louise B.
• Crosby and Mrs. Harvatin’s Kindergarten Class
• Mrs. Wells’ 6th Grade Class

St. Margaret of Scotland Families: It was truly awesome seeing our school families so well represented this past weekend at…

Please find attached a letter from Patrick Holley regarding Safe Touch at St. Margaret’s School.

Registration for the Fall 2024 session for the after-school SMOS Chess Club for 2nd – 8th grade is now open!…

This week it’s a school grandparent who reaches out to Maggie for some insight on the upcoming Mass In The Grass. Maggie gets into the weed(s) on this one to give some SMOS background on the event, and lead Grandpa out of his haze!

As part of Friday announcements, Principal Holley likes to give shout outs to our students who get caught doing acts of kindness around school. We would like to share with you our weekly shout-outs:
• Mrs. Clark’s First-Grade Class and Stella D.
• Quil K.
• Lucas M.

7th Grade Science The other day, I was pleasantly working in my office when two lovely 7th graders entered with…

St. Margaret of Scotland Families: I hope to see everyone this Sunday at our Mass in the Grass/Back to School…

Basketball registration for 1st-8th grades has started and runs through the month of September.

Event Date: Tuesday, September 17 @ 7:00pm
School Cafeteria

Event Date: Thursday, September 19, 7:00pm
Art Hill – 35-43 Fine Arts Dr, St. Louis, MO 63110

New SMOS Spiritwear is available for the 2024-2025 school year. The SMOS PTA has partnered with local vendor South City…

This past week, we were thrilled to kick off our 2024-2025 Student Diversity Council. Students gathered for our first meeting,…

St. Margaret of Scotland Families: This week I would like to highlight one of our Parish Ministries, the St. Vincent…

This week Maggie hears from a peppy parent who is looking to add a little spirit into her wear at SMOS events! Maggie helps this parent go from drab to fab with new arrivals from our (local) fashion partner – just in time to show off the latest Fall looks on the soccer sidelines this season!

As part of Friday announcements, Principal Holley likes to give shout outs to our students who get caught doing acts of kindness around school. We would like to share with you our weekly shout-outs:
• First-Grade Students
• Mrs. Harvatin’s Class and Frankie B. & Rose O.
• Charlie M., Miguel K., and Betty S.

Looking for a quick and easy volunteer opportunity for you and your family?  The SMOS St. Vincent de Paul Society…

Event Date: Friday, September 6, 11:00am-8:00pm
Wild Olive Provisions

Event Date: Thursday, August 29, 6:00-8:00pm
SMOS School Parking Lot

Welcome back, dragons! We are thrilled to kick off the 2024-2025 school year. I hope everyone had a fantastic and…

Our Coordinator of Religious Education (CRE), Gwen Heithaus, is still out on maternity leave with her beautiful daughter, Miriam, until September 10th….

Welcome to the 2024-2025 Curriculum Corner of our SMOS Newsletter! Here we hope to bring you the exciting news of…

We are pleased to announce auditions for the SMOS Speech Team for the 2024-2025 school year. Students in grades 5 through 8 are eligible to participate in the Bellarmine Speech League tournaments.

We are in need of a new parent volunteer to take on one of our after-school extracurricular activities – the SMOS Math Club!  

We want to be good neighbors along Castleman Ave.  And so we are requesting that you avoid parking on Castleman Ave., especially during the evening hours after 6PM, and utilize the parking lot and the other surrounding streets if necessary, so that the neighbors on our block can find parking near their homes when they return home at the end of the day.  Thank you in advance for your cooperation.  The neighborhood appreciates it!

One of the first things I did with our new assistant principal, Mrs. Villmer, was to discern a theme for the school year.  The theme is something that we continually come back to in faculty meetings, student meetings, and weekly liturgy.  Our theme for this year is from the song “A Rightful Place” by Steve Angrisano.  Specifically we chose the line – “Let us build Your Kingdom in truth and grace, so that all might know they have a rightful place.”

Maggie has been having one heckuva brat Summer! She’s just getting back into the swing of things now – and she’s ready for her close-up, Mr. Demille! Maggie is here this week to tell you how to put the MORE in glaMOUR!

As part of Friday announcements, Principal Holley likes to give shout outs to our students who get caught doing acts of kindness around school. We would like to share with you our weekly shout-outs.

Here’s the list of Middle School Electives for the First Trimester of 2024-2025.

We all know how important snacks are, so the PTA is once again organizing a sign-up system for families to…

We are pleased to welcome Ms. Betsy Tullis as our new Suzuki Violin Teacher at St. Margaret of Scotland School.

We are pleased to welcome Ms. Molly Skiljan as our new STREAM Teacher at St. Margaret of Scotland School.

Here’s the information for the Back To School Nights scheduled for the 2024-2025 school year. These meetings are for the parents (not students) to learn more about their child(ren)’s respective classes and the expectations and goals for the new year.

IMPORTANT REMINDER:  All students must bring a lunch to school tomorrow, Friday, 8/16 since there is no hot lunch scheduled and Pizza Lunch does not begin until next week. PIZZA LUNCH ORDERS ARE DUE 8/18! Click the link to purchase.

This morning, all teachers and students began our school year celebrating Mass on the Feast of the Assumption of the…

Dear School Families: Welcome to the 2024-25 School Year! I hope that all of you had a great summer! Welcome…

St. Margaret of Scotland Families: We truly had a wonderful first day of school, and I pray that all of…

Looking for how you can donate your time at School? Click here for the signup for all volunteer opportunities at SMOS for the 2024-2025 school year.

We are pleased to welcome Ms. Adriyanna Salameh as our new Third Grade Lead Teacher at St. Margaret of Scotland School.

Smile! It’s been five years since SMOS put together a parish photo directory, and it’s time to pose for a…

Event Date: Sunday, September 8, 10:00am – Mass In The Grass, 11:00am – Parish & School Picnic
Tower Grove Park – Stone Shelter
4490 Northwest Dr., Saint Louis, MO 63110

Parent & Parishioner volunteers are needed for the 2024-2025 school year to act as crossing guards at all of the…

Looking for all of your Packet Day paperwork for the 2024-2025 school year? Click through to find more details and payment options and information – each item is listed separately for easy access.

Please find attached a letter from Patrick Holley regarding the new receptionist at St. Margaret’s School.

Here is your guide to all of the up-to-date details about communications protocols for St. Margaret’s School for the 2024-2025 school year. 

Each class has been assigned a Sunday throughout the year to celebrate Mass together with their families at 10 AM. Sign-up for position to support the liturgy on those days.

The PTA will be sponsoring different colored t-shirts for each grade level to use throughout the year. Click here for the online form to provide sizing for your child(ren) for the 2024-2025 school year.

Click here for the online form to purchase milk for your child(ren) for the 2024-2025 school year.

Click here for the online form to order pizza for your child(ren) for the 2024-2025 school year.

Mark your calendars – we will be holding the first annual (??) Mass In The Grass, a chance to celebrate…

Please see the flyer below for the Catholic High School Fairs and Presentation Nights that are starting in August. Also…

Please find attached a letter from Patrick Holley regarding the results from the Parent Survey for the 2023-2024 school year, which was conducted by the School Board.

Please find attached this Back To School update from Principal Holley which is chock-full of info for families at St. Margaret of Scotland School.

Event Date: Sunday, August 11
Mass & Backpack Blessing, 10:00am, St. Margaret of Scotland Church
Open House/Packet Day, 11:00am-1:00pm, St. Margaret of Scotland School

Event Date: Sunday, August 11, 12:00-2:00pm
St. Margaret of Scotland School Parking Lot

Please find attached a letter from Principal Holley regarding Jennifer Shearer leaving St. Margaret of Scotland School. She will be missed!

Twelve SMOS students who completed 4th, 5th, or 6th grade represented school at the MCDA 4-5-6 Honor Choir in Springfield,…

Join us as we invite our new school families to welcome them to the SMOS community at this special Mass. Reception to follow in the Church Hall.

We hope that all of our school families are still enjoying their Summer vacation.  Though it is still early in…

Blessings and congratulations to the Heithaus family who share this joyful announcement.  Gwen Heithaus, the Coordinator of Religious Education at…

The school office has updated Dress Code information for next year – please see the PDF document below as well…

Please find attached this Summer update from Principal Holley regarding staffing at St. Margaret of Scotland School.

For all SMOS families with children who do not currently attend St. Margaret of Scotland School – Please help us track the religious education of our parish children not enrolled in St. Margaret’s School (including SMOS school families who might have younger children) by completing our annual survey for the upcoming 2024-2025 school year.

Calling all creators and craftspeople! SMOS is opening our own Level I Catechesis of the Good Shepherd atrium and we…

Event Dates: Monday-Friday, August 5-9, 9:00am-12:00pm
St. Margaret of Scotland Church Hall

School may be out of session, but here’s where you can find all of the details for Summer 2024 – including school supply lists, School Tool Box flyer, immunization requirements, Summer office hours, and info about Back To School Sunday!

SMOS Families will have an exciting new option for ordering uniforms for the 2024-2025 school year! It will offer greater…

Congratulations to our newly elected School Board Members!

· Kate Mahoney
· Jeremy Nolle
· Michelle Stevens

The 2024 SMOS Yearbook is out – an in living color (as they used to say)! Thanks to Valerie Hahn (who will be handing over the reins this year) and her spectacular team of Michael Pera, Rebecca Rivas, and Julia Merideth.

And congratulations to the cover art winners:
• Front Cover Winners – Zoey Rezac and Catherine Wimbley, 4th Grade
• Back Cover (top left to lower right) – Frances Faul, 4th Grade; Meredith Lederle, 7th Grade; Ella Oatis, 5th Grade; Luci Miller and Penelope Gray, 6th Grade

Sixty six members of the SMOS track team participated at the CYC Championships held at DeSmet High School on Saturday,…

Maggie’s got big plans over the Summer – and they involve TV. Not watching it – being on it! She plans to be the ultimate game show contestant, and since this is the last official newsletter for this school year, she plans to take full advantage of her early exit. So, this is goodbye until August – or as they say in television, that’s a wrap!

This spring our Respect Life Committee sponsored an essay contest for the 8th grade students at SMOS. Students were prompted…

This week our 4th grade students went to do service at Tower Grove Park. They did a great job living out the Catholic Social Teaching tenet of caring for God’s creation! 

Don’t forget to join us tomorrow morning for the final I&D Meeting of the School year – in the Teacher’s Lounge.

In today’s CIDE update, Mr. Shorter uses the life of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and a quote attributed to her, to remind us the importance of slowing down and taking the time to learn from those around us.

As part of Friday announcements, Principal Holley likes to give shout outs to our students who get caught doing acts of kindness around school. We would like to share with you our weekly shout-outs.

St. Margaret of Scotland Families: We are hitting the home stretch for the 2023/2024 school year.  Many people have been…

Each week, we will be highlighting the amazing and wonderful things that are happening in our classrooms and grade levels…

Event Date: Friday, May 24, 4:00-8:00pm
Tower Grove Park Sons of Rest Pavilion – 3619 Southeast Dr., Saint Louis, MO 63110

Friday, May 17 will be a Dress Down Day – the final one of the year – to support One Classroom.  Every student who brings in $1 to donate, can wear appropriate street clothes in place of their uniforms.

This week, Maggie reaches out to rescue a school Mom with a titanic dilemma – she’s sunk when it comes to handling more in May (and no, it’s not because of all of this rain!) Maggie votes for a little focus on the School Board election, and assures her that she’s not all wet if she just moves onto Summer vacation now, and let’s the rest of it go.

The 7th Grade class has been busy this Spring… Science, History, ELA, and LOTS of Electives have been at the forefront.

As part of Friday announcements, Principal Holley likes to give shout outs to our students who get caught doing acts of kindness around school. We would like to share with you our weekly shout-outs.

The school’s celebration of the SMOS ‘No Place For Hate’ program, sponsored by the Student Diversity Council, has been a great success this week. Themes have included Motivate Monday, Together Tuesday, Welcoming Wednesday, and Thankful Thursday.

In today’s CIDE update, Mr. Shorter uses a quote from Venerable Pierre Toussaint to remind us that in a society that encourages personal gain, we as followers of Christ, have an obligation to help the poor.

Last week many of our SMOS students received the sacrament of Confirmation. Part of their preparation involved writing a letter to Archbishop Rozanski, Fr. John, Mr. Schmidt, or myself.

St. Margaret of Scotland Families: I cannot tell you how excited and humbled I was to see the result of…

Members of the Middle School Choir earned a “Superior” rating at the Music in the Parks Festival over the weekend….

Are you ready for your little Dragon to become the next Itzhak Perlman or Hillary Hahn?  If your children are…

Registration for CYC Volleyball (3rd-8th), CYC Soccer (2nd-8th) and Judge Dowd Soccer (PK-1st) will open on May 8th, with late fees starting on May 23rd. Registration closes on June 1st.

Aftercare is hiring for the 2024-2025 school year. Hours are 3-6pm and they are willing to work with your schedules. Employees must be 16-years old.

Please join us at School on Monday, May 13th to see some of the best and brightest tinkers and thinkers that SMOS has to offer. All are welcome!

Congratulations to the members of the SMOS Math Club who participated at the Math League state meet on May 4th at Columbia, MOl!  

The School Board is holding their annual election, in which the St. Margaret’s community will choose three people that will…

In this week’s column, Maggie promises not to deny service to a parental techie who wants her to download the deets about Dragon’s Grove 2.0. The answer is as simple as ABC, but explaining this alpha-bet soup to a beta-loving dad proves that Maggie can put the AI in sAInt!

Please join us in the Church Hall for our annual Spring Middle School Choir/Violin concert. Featuring St. Margaret’s School 6th-8th Grade students. All are welcome!

Every parent received an email from Mr. Holley with a request to complete the End-of-Year Parent Survey.  The School Board takes your feedback very seriously, and will use it in their planning for the upcoming school year.   They request each family to complete one survey for every child at SMOS.  The survey will be open until Friday, May 17, but don’t delay, just take it today!  

Teacher Appreciation Week for 2024 runs from May 6th-10th.  The PTA has a full week of celebrations planned for our amazing staff members, but we could use your help!

Congratulations to the School families and parents who won this year’s Dragon Raffle!

Lots going on in Sixth Grade this week! Sixth graders play cards to practice their math and work on building their own helicopters as part of their studies on the Renaissance and Leonardo da Vinci. And in Science, they’re working on a live broadcast project as part of their unit on weather and climate – plus recording data for a published paper.

Happy May! Traditionally we celebrate Mary throughout the month of May. Have you thought about how you would like to celebrate with your family this year? Read on for some ideas…

Remember that next week, May 6-10, St. Margaret of Scotland will be participating in the “No Place for Hate” program – which was created by the Anti-Defamation League and promotes school culture, anti-bullying, and inclusivity. Mr. Shorter has planned the week with his Student Diversity Council. Themes will include Motivate Monday, Together Tuesday, Welcoming Wednesday, Thankful Thursday, and Field Day Friday.

In today’s CIDE update, Mr. Shorter gives more detail about this important spirit week, and also provides some insight thanks to none other than The Rock, on the motivating factors of adversity.

As part of Friday announcements, Principal Holley likes to give shout outs to our students who get caught doing acts of kindness around school. We would like to share with you our weekly shout-outs.

I can’t believe that it is already May. Not that we are counting down, but after today we only have sixteen days of school left.  

Field Day will be held on Friday, May 10th, 2024.  PreK- 3rd will participate in morning. 4th-8th will participate on the afternoon!

The SMOS Chess Club, in association with the St. Louis Chess Club, will be running after-school sessions as an extra-curricular program for the 2024 Fall season open to 2nd-8th Graders.

This week our students talked a lot about how to be good stewards of our Earth. God created such a beautiful gift for us – we are called to love and care for it!

As part of Friday announcements, Principal Holley likes to give shout outs to our students who get caught doing acts of kindness around school. We would like to share with you our weekly shout-outs.

Maggie’s column is usurped today by her trusty admin, Gen (as in St. Genesius, the patron saint of secretaries), who has an axe to grind with our Ms. Maggie (which has nothing to do with the rumors of his beheading!) It appears that Gen was all-but-forgotten yesterday for Administrative Professionals Day – and he wants to make sure that we all didn’t lose our heads and forget to thank Chris Stephens & Jennifer Shearer for everything they do around the school!

Our students had several opportunities to show off their talents and gifts this past week.

Not only did the 5th Graders perform in the Dancing Classrooms competition this week – they also discovered a lot about ecosystems using their class terrariums AND put on their teacher hats to educate their classmates about the Civil War. Phew!

Event Date: Friday, May 3, 3:00pm
School Parking Lot

We at St. Margaret have been an active participant in the No Place for Hate program for the past few years. This year we will celebrate the program with a weeklong spirit week. This spirit week will take place May 6th- May 10th. In today’s CIDE update from Coordinator of Inclusion, Diversity, & Equity – Corey Shorter, we learn about No Place For Hate – and get more insight into the “disease of hate” from a quote by India Arie.

Congratulations to the members of the SMOS Speech Team members who qualified for the final Bellarmine Speech League tournament! It was an honor for them to attend, and they performed with excellence on April 20, 2024!

This past weekend, the SMOS Track team competed in the CYC Track Meet at Cardinal Ritter High School.  Over 2500…

Event Date: Sunday, April 28, 5:30pm
Church Hall

Event Date: Friday, April 26, 6:30-9:30pm
SMOS School Gym

The hills are alive with the sounds of… Beyonce?!? In this week’s column, Maggie steps in to sashay a Mom confused about the Family Dance into the right tempo. Maggie’s here with all the deets before you can say so long, farewell!

In today’s CIDE update from Coordinator of Inclusion, Diversity, & Equity – Corey Shorter, we learn about Charles Darwin and the need AND importance of being able to adapt – not only to our surroundings, but to God’s will for us.

Have you been to one of our class Masses lately??? On the third weekend of each month, a different grade level is celebrated at the 10:00am on Sunday mornings. Join our kindergarteners at 10:00 Mass this Sunday! Looking for another incentive to go to Mass this weekend? Two of our 7th graders will be receiving sacraments at that Mass. One of our 7th graders will be baptized, and he will be joined by another 7th grader in receiving First Communion. Please pray for these two students and for all who will be receiving sacraments in the weeks to come!

As part of Friday announcements, Principal Holley likes to give shout outs to our students who get caught doing acts of kindness around school. We would like to share with you our weekly shout-outs.

The next couple of weeks are going to be very important to the Sacramental lives of our students at St. Margaret of Scotland.

Lots of exciting stuff going on in 4th Grade the past couple of weeks! The work in the classrooms have been focused heavily on everything earth-related. And yesterday, a group of students were the subject of an coming story by KMOV Channel 4.

Event Date: Saturday, May 4, 9:00am
St. Margaret of Scotland School, 3964 Castleman Ave., Saint Louis, MO 63110

Maggie is back this week with tough love for a SMOS parent whose ability to control her inbox has been eclipsed by Spring Break and a certain solar event.

Event Date: Friday, April 19 – Sunday, April 21, 2024
St. Margaret of Scotland Church Hall – 3864 Flad Ave., Saint Louis, 63110

Congratulations to the SMOS Speech Team for their work in preparing and performing in the Bellarmine Speech League Tournament on March 23, 2024!  The team performed with excellence and we are pleased to share their results and gratitude for the support of our SMOS community.

Congratulations to the members of the SMOS Math Club who participated at the MathLeague Regional Meet on April 6th at Parkway…

To all in the St. Margaret of Scotland Community – Your generosity toward St. Joseph Housing Initiative during the Lenten…

In today’s CIDE update from Coordinator of Inclusion, Diversity, & Equity – Corey Shorter, we find a quote from NASA Astronaut, Christa McAuliffe, which teaches us to remove the limitations from your dreams, accomplish your goals, and SOAR!

No Families in Faith tonight.  Parent Prayer tomorrow at 7:55am in the Hesed Outdoor Classroom! This week many of our…

Exciting news from third-grade math! 

Our third graders have embarked on a colorful, hands-on journey into the world of fractions with Skittles, making learning both engaging and memorable!

I hope all of you had an awesome Easter and Spring Break.  We are entering into ‘end of the year’ mode as we only have six weeks left in the school year.  We have had a great week back in school.

Event Date: Wednesday, April 24, 11:00am-10:00pm
Mission Taco – Soulard

The Girl Scouts are sponsoring a Dress Down Day to coincide with their April Showers collection event on Friday, April…

We have some updates regarding messages sent from the School via FACTS. Starting April 8, messages sent via Parent Alert (the text message system) will have a new short code (the numbers the text comes from).

Event Date: Monday, April 15 @ 7:00pm
Starting in the School Gym – St. Margaret of Scotland Catholic School, 3964 Castleman Ave., Saint Louis, MO, 63110

The Scouts of Troop 110 are raising money for their 12-day backpacking expedition to Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico…

MARK YOUR CALENDAR!

St. Margaret of Scotland Church
August 5-9, 2024
9am – 12pm Noon

Please note that the playground and part of the blacktop will be closed over Spring Break for repairs and some…

This week, Maggie consoles a school parent who’s caught up in the lack of a Spring Break grind – by commiserating about her lackluster vacation plans too – all while reminiscing about her younger days… and a Spring Break “Grind” of another sort.

As part of Friday announcements, Principal Holley likes to give shout outs to our students who get caught doing acts of kindness around school. We would like to share with you our weekly shout-outs.

No parent prayer tomorrow because on Friday morning, the 6th grade class will present a Living Stations of the Cross on the School Parking Lot. The “actors” will pose and hold still as the teacher of the class coming through reads a reflection/reading. Classes come individually throughout the morning/day.  This will be open to all school parents, as well as any other parishioners who wish to join us to walk through – from 8:15-10:15am.

Currently, the 2nd Grade classes are working on the science unit: Cycles in Nature in Reading. Students are learning about many of the natural cycles that make life on Earth possible. This week, they are learning about the life cycle of flowering plants and trees. 

The SMOS PTA invites you and your family to the Annual Family Dance on Friday, April 26th from 6:30-9:30 in the SMOS Gym! Stay tuned for an announcement about this year’s theme and for information on how to register! This event is FREE this year!

Ticket sales open on Monday, April 8.

Call for nominees to run for School Board!  It’s time to nominate three candidates for the School Board to replace outgoing members.  Board members support School Administration by advising the Pastor and Principal on policy, budget, and planning.  The three-year term begins in June 2024.

Raffle tickets are going home today with your family’s oldest child.  The Dragon Raffle is a mandatory fundraiser for each School family – the only one required every year.  You will receive $100 worth of tickets with which you can…

I hope everyone has a calm relaxing and refreshing Spring Break. I can unequivocally say that it will be a welcome break.

Pick up will be at Masses on 4/6 and 4/7. They will also be accepting cash donations and via the…

In today’s CIDE update from Coordinator of Inclusion, Diversity, & Equity – Corey Shorter, we check in on the life of Amelia Earhart — and through her words we learn the importance of taking flight with the opportunities you are given; and if you are not given them, creating your own opportunities from the ground up.

Both the Parish and the School are supporting the St. Joseph Housing Initiative as part of a Lenten Service Project…

Event Date: Thursday, March 21, 11:00am-11:00pm
3 Little Monkeys

Maggie to the rescue again this week to bail out a mother who, let’s just say, didn’t exactly tell the truth about where she was this Tuesday night. Now she needs Maggie to fill her in on all of the hot scoop from the PTA meeting this week, so her teenage daughter doesn’t find out that she was fibbing and went out for wine with her mom-friends at Sasha’s instead of heading to the School.

Lots of stuff going on around school this past week – we had a great week! Living History Museum, upcoming Feast of St. Joseph plans, and forthcoming news about staffing for next year all in today’s message.

This past week in First Grade, the students were hard at work on their animal research projects, as well as creating shapes using smaller shapes.

As part of Friday announcements, Principal Holley likes to give shout outs to our students who get caught doing acts of kindness around school. We would like to share with you our weekly shout-outs.

Through the strength shown by this week’s Featured Leader, Jaqueline Kennedy, we are taught to not let oneself to be overcome by sadness. It’s an important lesson in today’s CIDE update from Coordinator of Inclusion, Diversity, & Equity – Corey Shorter.

Tonight’s gathering of Families in Faith has been POSTPONED until April 11. There will be NO event tonight. Taking place in our school cafeteria, these informal get-togethers are geared toward families looking to build community here in our parish and school. All are welcome! We will gather at 7:00pm and childcare is provided. Please RSVP using the link below, so that we know how many children will need care! The link has been updated to show the new, correct date.  Click the link below for the rest of this week’s CRE Update with Gwen Heithaus.

A permission form will be coming home this afternoon with your oldest/only child regarding the solar eclipse – and permission to view it with special glasses provided by the PTA – on Monday, April 8 (which is the first day back at school after Spring Break).

Event Date: Tuesday, March 19, 6:00pm
St. Margaret of Scotland School Gym – 3964 Castleman Ave., Saint Louis, 63110

Fourth Grade Girl Scout Troop 2184 is having a diaper drive as a Lenten service project, benefitting families in need at the St. Vincent de Paul Pantry at St. Pius.

Event Date: Tuesday-Thursday, March 5-7
Parents’ & Grandparents’ Day, Thursday, March 7, 3:00-6:30pm
St. Margaret of Scotland School Gym – 3964 Castleman Ave., Saint Louis, 63110

Please join us tomorrow (Friday) morning for Parent Prayer in the Hesed Outdoor Classroom! All are welcome.  Also, in this week in the CRE Update with Gwen Heithaus, news about the 6th Grade Retreat and learning about black saints for Black History month (lots of pics inside!).

As part of Friday announcements, Principal Holley likes to give shout outs to our students who get caught doing acts of kindness around school. We would like to share with you our weekly shout-outs.

In today’s CIDE update from Coordinator of Inclusion, Diversity, & Equity – Corey Shorter, we learn about the first African-American, Native American, female pilot in the United States and through her story learn the importance of making a plan and sticking to it.

This past Friday our faculty spent their afternoon participating in professional learning. We continued our work in creating Units based on standards using Understanding by Design.  

This week our kindergarten was working hard.  From working on dictation of CVC words, to learning about African American Saints, to breaking about numbers, and St. Patrick’s Day – it was a busy few days!

This week, Maggie jumps in to help repair the generational divide between a daughter and her mother – over what SMOS activities are appropriate for the granny-set! Of course, being a grandma herself gives Maggie a leg up, as she tries to explain that the answer may just lie in a recess-ive family gene!

The St. Margaret of Scotland Middle School Violin Students and Choir Members will be performing at the Music in the Parks Festival this April. Fifty percent of the proceeds from this sale will go to the choir to help defray their participation costs.

It’s always FAIR weather when Maggie comes to the aid of a school parent with a daunting question, and this week is no exception. In this week’s column, Maggie clarifies why a student is looking to extort fifty bucks from his cash-strapped parents for the library.

As part of Friday announcements, Principal Holley likes to give shout outs to our students who get caught doing acts of kindness around school. We would like to share with you our weekly shout-outs.

In this week in the CRE Update with Gwen Heithaus, one great way to pray with your kids this Lent is to take them through the Stations of the Cross. Gwen provides several resources available online to use at home.

Send a shout-out to your favorite Dragons or promote your business to the 200+ SMOS families! The SMOS PTA supports the School yearbook and allows us to give one to every student and faculty member each year, free of charge. Selling ads for the publication is the only fundraiser the Yearbook Committee runs to help defer these costs.

We have had a great first full week of Lent at St. Margaret of Scotland.  We are partnering with the Parish and focusing all of our services on the St. Joseph Housing Initiative. Plus, join us for Stations of the Cross on 3/1 – and Report Cards for 2nd Trimester will be out soon.

In today’s CIDE update from Coordinator of Inclusion, Diversity, & Equity – Corey Shorter, we are reminded about the importance of perseverance, with a quote from Nelson Mandela, who lived his life battling the seemingly impossible every day.

It’s Scholastic Book Fair time! Classes will participate during school hours Tuesday, March 5 through Thursday, March 7. There will also be a special Family Event Thursday, March 7 at 3:00-6:30 P.M. where parents and grandparents are welcome to join their student to shop! Every purchase benefits our school. Start exploring together on our school’s Book Fair homepage!

https://bookfairs.scholastic.com/bf/stmargaretofscotlandschool2

This week’s Curriculum Corner will focus on our preschool classes.  While they may be the youngest in the school, they are certainly focused on some big learning in the classroom.

Each week, we will be highlighting the amazing and wonderful things that are happening in our classrooms and grade levels at St. Margaret of Scotland School. We are very proud of the work our teachers do with our students and are amazed by what happens at SMOS. Our goal is to share more about the hidden gem that is St. Margaret’s.

Please find attached a letter from Principal Holley regarding the new Assistant Principal for St. Margaret of Scotland School.

Each week, we will be highlighting the amazing and wonderful things that are happening in our classrooms and grade levels at St. Margaret of Scotland School. We are very proud of the work our teachers do with our students and are amazed by what happens at SMOS. Our goal is to share more about the hidden gem that is St. Margaret’s.

St. Margaret’s 2nd grade Brownie Troop 740 will be selling cookies after the 8am and 10am Mass on Sunday, February 18….

Event Date: Monday, February 26, 4:00-8:00pm (“The Sandlot” starts at 6:00pm)
Bailey’s Range

On February 10th, the SMOS Speech Team competed in the second Bellarmine Speech League Tournament of the year. Congratulations to the team for their excellent preparation and performance! We are delighted to share their results and gratitude for the support of our SMOS community.

It is part of my job as a principal to participate in both formal and informal observations of teachers over the school year. To bring these experiences to you, I would like to introduce a new article in the newsletter.  We are calling this Curriculum Corner.

In this week in the CRE Update with Gwen Heithaus, it’s everything Ash Wednesday, as we celebrate as a school and parish community. It was so wonderful to see all of the children at Mass – even our preschoolers! See all of the pics inside!

There’s something fishy going on in Maggie’s column this week – and it’s not the question about who the Feastie Boys really are, but the details about what makes the SMOS Fish Fry so good? Hint, hint – it may not take a lot of cooks in the kitchen, but it is necessary to have 4 Hands!

As part of Friday announcements, Principal Holley likes to give shout outs to our students who get caught doing acts of kindness around school. We would like to share with you our weekly shout-outs.

We had 80+ kids participate from over 13 area schools in the MCTM MathLeague Competition hosted by St. Margaret of Scotland on February 3, 2024.  10 SMOS students have advanced to the regional level competition at Parkway West High School on April 6th.

In today’s CIDE update from Coordinator of Inclusion, Diversity, & Equity – Corey Shorter, we have a lesson from our Featured Leader for this week, Malcolm X, who teaches us the importance of standing up for something that you believe strongly about – and that not doing so will cause us to settle in life.

Event Date: Friday, February 23, 6:30-8:00pm
School (Faith Hall)

Event Date: Friday, February 23, 5:00–8:00pm
St. Margaret of Scotland School Cafeteria – 3964 Castleman Ave., Saint Louis, MO, 63110

As part of our ongoing Inclusion & Diversity efforts, St. Margaret of Scotland has initiated a collaboration with Starkloff Disability…

Our Sign-Up Genius has been updated, and there are new dates available to volunteer as a crossing guard, to help…