NEW! Thank You! Thank you to all those who extended their sympathies to the faculty, staff, and students on the loss of Mrs. Deb Matson-Champagne. We were blessed by the many gifts of food, cards, and prayers. While we miss Mrs. M-C very, very much, we are strengthened by the thoughts and prayers of those in our Saint Chris community.
NEW! Deb M-C Fund for Servant Learning - In Mrs. M-C’s memory, and through the donation of an anonymous donor, we have established the Deb M-C Fund for Servant Leadership at the Academy. The fund will provide opportunities for students and staff to initiate and carry out acts of service for their peers, the school, the church, and the greater community. Inspired by Deb's compassionate heart, we will continue her example of humble service to others as we cultivate her loving spirit and leadership in our students. Those who would like to honor Deb’s legacy are invited to contribute to the Deb M-C Fund online through the donation page HERE.
NEW! Additional Early Release Day - Please note that in order to accommodate necessary additional professional development for our teachers, we are adding another Early Release Day to this year’s school calendar. On Friday, September 23, upper campus students will be released at 11:30 AM and lower campus students will be released at noon. There will be no After Care that day.
The Scholastic Book Fair is Coming! – The book fair will be held in person this year from September 13th - September 22nd. Students will begin visiting the library on September 9th. There will be two formal library times along with before school and during the day with their teacher's permission. Parents may shop during the Open House on September 21st.
Online Book Fair and eWallet - The online book fair runs from September 13th - September 26th. Take a look at our Scholastic Book Fair website for some book fair shopping ideas. While you are online check out the eWallet. The eWallet gives students a secure, cash-free way to shop the fair. There is no charge to set up an eWallet. You can simply create an account and authorize a spending limit on your credit card. Be sure that your student's name is on the barcode print out and put the eWallet in an envelope marked book fair. For more information visit www.scholastic.com/bf/saintchrisacademy.
THIS WEEKEND! MATCHING PLEDGE CHALLENGE FOR SAINT CHRISTOPHER ACADEMY STUDENTS!! (total matching funds up to $1000) – Former Saint Christopher Academy computer teacher Kathy Litch has pledged to match funds for each Saint Chris student who participates in THIS WEEKEND's Thank You Project’s Water Walk taking place at Greeley Park in Nashua this Saturday, September 10. For example, if a student pays the registration fee of $25, Kathy will match that with an additional $25 donation. If a student pays the registration fee and also raises additional money, Kathy will match the entire amount. Please see the information below provided by the Thank You Project:
Thank You Project’s Water Walk
Saturday, September 10th, 2022, 8:30 AM
Greeley Park, Nashua
The Thank You Project’s mission is to bring a clean and reliable source
of water to communities of Achi and Ututu in rural Nigeria. Members of
these communities are forced to walk over 5 miles every single day to
get unsanitary water. We have begun our fifth water well in Nigeria (at
a cost of $35,000 each) and also are providing one college scholarship
per year ($2,000/ student) to those who cannot afford to go to college
in Nigeria. Go to www.thankkyouoproject.org to see our progress. If
you or a group would like to get involved, please register at www.thankyouproject.org and submit pledges by filling out the registration form. Donations are accepted by using PayPal, Venmo, or by mail (PO Box 23, Nashua, NH 03061).
Saint Chris students and their families are invited to walk together as a team! We will gather before the walk at the upper campus at 8 AM. (Students are also welcome to participate individually with their family.) Please email Lorrice Bedard at [email protected] to let us know if you are participating so that we may arrange for the matching funds.
Many years ago Kathy had the good fortune to work on a project in Tanzania which brought computing capabilities to two different faith-based organizations there, helping to educate orphans in the area. One of her most vivid memories is realizing that not everyone has clean water in their homes – or even access to clean water at all. As a result, Kathy has participated in the Water Walk each year to help raise money for this important cause. Although Kathy is unable to participate this year, she would still like to support the project through the involvement of the students at Saint Christopher Academy.
NEW! Upper Campus Pickleball Club - New Registration Process! – There is a new club on campus! The Pickleball Club held sign ups during lunches throughout the week and we had an overwhelmingly positive response. We ended up having far more students sign up than our capacity allows. In order to determine the club roster, we are going to give slots to the first 12 students who submit payment to Mrs Coker in the main office. Payment should be a hard check for $85 made out to Saint Christopher Academy, with your child’s name in the note section of the check.
The club will run on Monday and Tuesday afternoons from 3:30-5:30 PM at the tennis courts at Greeley Park starting next Monday, September 12, and running through Tuesday, November 1.
Please note, if there are more than 12 students to submit payment in a similar timeframe, priority will be given to those students who are not on a varsity athletic roster (soccer, volleyball, cross country).
Back to School Dates - Please mark your calendars with the following important back-to-school dates:
NEXT WEEK! Tuesday, September 13 - New Parent Orientation, 7:00 PM at the upper campus. This meeting is for all parents on both campuses who are new to the Academy this school year. You will meet key “people to know,” hear about Academy programs, and have the opportunity to ask questions! .
Wednesday, September 21 - Lower Campus Parent Open House, 7:00 PM. All lower campus parents should attend the Parent Open House on Wednesday, September 21 at 7:00 PM. The meeting will begin in the church hall with a series of short presentations outlining the state of the school and the upcoming school year. We will then adjourn into the school so parents may visit their children’s classrooms (be sure to leave a note in your child’s desk…they’ll be looking for it!). We’ll see you there!
Thursday, September 22 - Upper Campus Parent Open House, 7:00 PM. All upper campus parents should attend the Parent Open House on Thursday, September 22 at 7:00 PM. The meeting will begin in the gym with a variety of presentations, and parents will then be welcome to visit faculty in their classrooms.
NEW! Morning Drop-off - Parents are reminded to follow the prescribed drop-off patterns on both campuses at all times, with no exceptions at any time. We have developed these procedures after many years of experience with our neighborhood locations. Please take a moment to review special reminders for your drop-off location below:
PreK to Grade 1 (Back Parking Lot) - Cars should ONLY approach the parking lot by traveling from Manchester St. to Gordon St. to Brookline St. This means you will be coming down the hill on Brookline St. by the outdoor classroom space.
- Do not approach the back parking lot via Hill St. We use Hill St. as an exit only for the back parking lot.
- Do not approach the back parking lot via Cushing Ave onto Brookline St. and crossing in front of the cars exiting from the parking lot.
Grade 2 to 5 (Front of School) - Cushing Ave is a VERY busy street, so we ask your cooperation in keeping our students safe:
- Drop off is along the school side of the street ONLY. Do not park on the opposite side of the street and escort your student across the street.
- Pull your car up as far as possible before allowing your student to exit the car. Only students should get out of the car…parents should stay in the car. If you need to help your student with a project, please pull around to the back of the school and park in the back parking lot.
Grade 6 to 8 - Drop-off for the upper campus is on the school side of Bartlett Ave ONLY. Do not park across the street and allow your student to cross at any time.
- Do not “cut” the drop-of line by entering it via Webster St. All cars must join the drop-off line by turning onto Bartlett Ave from Wellington St. only.
Calendar Raffle Fundraiser – Raffle tickets have started to come in….hooray! We especially appreciate our early sellers! If you would like additional tickets, please send a note to your teacher or email Marta at [email protected]. We have some GREAT prizes this year, including gift cards to fabulous stores and lots of CASH! Every family is asked to sell a minimum of 10 tickets at $10 per ticket. This is the first of our three (and only three!) major fundraisers, so we are really counting on your support! This year, our Academy goal is 4,000 tickets between the two campuses! We can do it!
Tuition Raffle – As in the past, for every 10 raffle tickets your family sells, you will earn one entry into a raffle for a $1,500 Tuition Credit or $1,000 Cash!
NEW! Sales Incentives - We know that everyone…especially our most competitive friends…are waiting for this news! Here’s our student seller incentives for this year:
- Random Surprise Prizes – We’ll be picking random submitted tickets on random days…and the student seller for each of those random tickets wins a free dress pass. There’s no special schedule…it’s a surprise!
- Classroom contests – Our 3 top selling homeroom/advisory on each campus win a special classroom treat for the whole class (1st place - ice cream treats & free dress passes, 2nd place - ice cream treats, 3rd place - cookies). And new this year..the TOP SELLING CLASSROOM/ADVISORY for the whole Academy wins an ice cream sundae party!
- Top Sellers - The three top sellers on each campus win a Target gift card! (1st place - $25, 2nd place - $20, 3rd place - $15)
- Random School-Wide Turn-In Days - Keep an eye on your email…we may just throw out a few random days when any student who turns in a ticket gets a free dress!
Updated! Chess, Checkers, and Cribbage Club - Still Looking for Coordinators! One of our students most favorite activities here at Saint Chris is the Chess, Checker, and Cribbage Club! On both campuses, the club meets weekly and offers a safe, low stress environment for children to learn and enjoy the games, while engaging in a social activity that is fun for all. We provide the games, but each campus is in need of a parent volunteer or two (or more!) to run this easy program. We are still looking for parent volunteers to get these programs up and running! Times and day of the week can be determined by parent volunteer availability. If interested, please contact Marta at [email protected]!
NEW! OTICON Backpack - Prek and Kdg parents....did you leave your Oticon backpack at the Playground Play Dates this summer! We have it! Please email Marta at [email protected] to claim it!
Lower Campus Fiddle Squad -- Unique to Saint Chris, the Fiddle Squad is a great opportunity for Saint Chris students to learn the beautiful tradition of playing the fiddle. Lower campus students in grades 3-5 may participate in either Beginner or Advanced Fiddle Squad. Beginner Fiddle Squad will meet Mondays and Wednesdays at 7:45 AM and Advanced Fiddle Squad will meet Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7:45 AM. For more information and to register, please see the sign-up sheet HERE. Mrs. Bailey will be in the lobby on Monday, September 12 to fit students for the proper sized fiddle.
FIRST Lego League - We are looking for parent volunteers to coach our FIRST Lego League (FLL) team! This fun after school opportunity is open to students in grades 5 through 8 and runs from the beginning of school through the fall. The group would meet in a dedicated space at the upper campus. FLL “guides youth through STEM learning and exploration at an early age. From Discover, to Explore, and then to Challenge, students will understand the basics of STEM and apply their skills in an exciting competition while building habits of learning, confidence, and teamwork skills along the way.” If you are interested, please contact Mrs. Clarke at [email protected] as soon as possible.
Saint Chris Car Magnets - Show your Saint Chris pride with a Saint Chris magnet on your car! These magnets are free upon request to Marta Nissen at [email protected].
Look Us Up on Social Media – Don’t forget that we have very active social media accounts on Facebook and Instagram! Each account usually has different material, so be sure to follow both! You can find us at https://www.facebook.com/SaintChrisAcademy and https://www.instagram.com/saintchrisacademy/
AmazonSmile – Are you an Amazon shopper? If so, be sure you use AmazonSmile and designate St. Chris to receive .5% of eligible purchases!
Hot Lunch Volunteers Needed! As our largest volunteer program, we need over 100 people each year to make the Hot Lunch program a success at both campuses! At this time, we do not have enough volunteers to run the Hot Lunch program daily on either campus, so please consider helping out! Everyone is welcome to volunteer…we’ve had parents, alumni parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles. Hot Lunch is a great way to get to know other parents, to see what’s going on at the Academy, and to see your children and their friends. Volunteers serve lunch one day a month on the day of the week of your choice (although those who want to help out several days a month are always welcome!). Volunteer hours at the lower campus are approximately from 11:15 AM to 1:15 PM and 10:10 AM to 12:30 PM at the upper campus.
To volunteer at the lower campus, use the Sign-Up Genius HERE. To volunteer at the upper campus click HERE. Be sure to click through the tabs at the top of each Sign-Up Genius to view the teams and dates available for each day of the week!
UPDATED! Hot Lunch Ordering - Ordering for Hot Lunch is now open through midnight on September 15 at Boonli.com. We can not accept ANY orders after midnight on the 15th, so please be place your order in plenty of time to avoid any technical issues. Full instructions for ordering can be found HERE for the lower campus and HERE for the upper campus. Please be sure to read all instructions carefully!
UPDATED! REVISED Upper Campus School Drop-off Hours - At the start of the school year, we returned to our pre-COVID morning drop-off schedule at the upper campus. Over the past few days, however, we have determined that we need to tweak that schedule a bit to make it easier for parents and students to successfully drop-off on time and start the day stress-free. Therefore, starting on Monday, September 12, we will adopt the amended drop-off schedule below. Please note the changes in red.
6:30 AM to 7:30 AM – Morning Cafe (extra charge) Cafe ends 15 minutes earlier.
- Students should enter through the Cafeteria entrance from the parking lot.
- Students may bring breakfast, work on homework, or just socialize.
- Morning Cafe is $3.50 per half hour segment, billed monthly.
- Note: On delayed opening days, Morning Cafe opens at 8:30 AM.
7:30 to 7:55 AM – Regular Morning Drop-off (no charge) Morning Drop-off starts 15 minutes earlier. The late bell rings 5 minutes earlier.
- Students should enter through the Cafeteria entrance from the parking lot.
- From 7:30 to 7:45, students will wait in the cafeteria.
- At 7:45, students will report to their Advisory class.
- Note: On delayed opening days, morning drop-off is from 9:30 to 9:55 AM
7:55 to 8:13 AM – Advisory Advisory is extended by 5 minutes.
- Students who arrive after 7:55 AM must enter through the front doors of the school by the gym, and will be marked tardy.
- Students will be sent directly to their Advisory class.
Upper Campus Fall and Winter Art Club - Our new upper campus Art teacher, Ms. Krassowski, is ready to hit the ground running with the Fall and Winter Art Club for upper campus students! Sessions include Typography and Printmaking in the Fall and Illustration and Storyboarding for Books and Film in the Winter! For more information, click HERE. You can contact Ms. Krassowski at [email protected].
Happy Hearts Day Care - Happy Hearts Daycare, located across the street from the lower campus at 12 Cushing Ave has a few openings for extended care. The hours are 6:30 to 8:30 and 3:00 to 5:30. They accommodate students on snow days, two hour delay, early release, no school days (except for the major holidays) and even if there is a power outage :) They also provide care on the Christmas, February and April vacation weeks. If interested, please call...603-321-9320.
THIS WEEKEND! St. Chris Parish Community BBQ - All parishioners, students, and friends are invited to attend our First Annual St. Christopher Parish Community BBQ. This is your opportunity to meet up with our community and share a free event with food, fellowship and some fun here at Saint Christopher’s Catholic Church. Volunteers are also welcome and needed! Please register to attend and help us out by going to https://tinyurl.com/StChrisBBQRSVP
Cub Scout Lego Race Car Derby - Saint Christopher Parish Cub Scout Pack 253 is once again setting up our 50-foot racing track to host a Lego Race Car Derby in the Parish Hall on Saturday September 17th from 9am-12pm. Young people of the Parish and the young at heart are welcome to attend, build a Lego car, and race it on the track. Specialty lego chassis for the event can be borrowed free of charge or purchased for $10 if you prefer to take your lego racer home with you. There will also be information available at the event on how to join our Parish sponsored Cub Scout program, which is open to boys and girls in the 1st-5th grades and strives to teach young people to live a lifestyle that prioritizes duty to God, others, and Self (in that order). If you have any questions or want to donate some of your unused lego to help support the event, text: 603-864-9187 or email: [email protected].
NEW! Nashua Nighthawk Basketball Registration - Registration is open for the 2022-2023 Nashua Nighthawks travel basketball season for grades 3-8, see the attached link. The Nashua Nighthawks travel league provides boys and girls with an opportunity to participate in an inter-town, competitive basketball league. The practices and games do not conflict with middle school sports activities. For boys, you must reside in the city of Nashua. For girls, you must attend school in Nashua. Visit HERE for more information.
NEW! STEM Contest - Is your grade K to 12 student interested in a STEM occupation when he or she grows up! The Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education is holding a contest for students interested in STEM professions with lots of great prizes! Check it out HERE!
NEW! Multicultural Fair - On September 17, the Nashua Mayor’s Office and the Nashua Multicultural Festival Planning Committee will hold a FREE multicultural festival at Greeley Park., It will feature multicultural food, art, dance and more! Free samples of foods from a variety of countries will be provided (first come, first served). The Multicultural Festival is part of Nashua's celebration of Welcoming Week, an annual series of events where communities bring together immigrants, refugees, and native-born residents to raise awareness of the benefits of welcoming everyone