NEW! Welcome! Please join us in welcoming Mr. Mark Betancourt as our new upper campus computer teacher! Mr. Betancourt has an extensive history in IT and technical program management in a variety of business applications from insurance through healthcare. He is excited to share his wealth of knowledge with our students!
NEW! Uniform Update - This week’s Wednesday News email contained a link a letter from Mrs. Clarke and Mrs. Gauvin. You can also view the letter HERE.
Road Work - There is paving work being done on Cushing Ave in front of the school this week. If you need to visit the school, please park in the back parking lot (accessible via Brookline St.) and walk around to the front of the school to ring the bell at the front door.
Employment Opportunities - We are still in need of a 4th grade/Science teacher! Please spread the word! Preferred applicants should be practicing Catholics, hold an appropriate New Hampshire teaching certification (or be eligible for certification through the state or the Diocese), and be ready to embrace our school mission of developing students who are confident,independent, lifelong learners, who lead by example, and who live their lives with integrity and concern for others. Candidates may read more by clicking HERE!
NEW! From FACTS Regarding Credit Cards - Beginning September 1, 2025, the fee for credit card transactions will move to 3.05%. This slight change reflects the rising costs imposed by credit card companies and ensures FACTS can continue to offer convenient payment options while maintaining the quality of our services. As always, alternative payment methods, such as ACH, are available at no additional cost. FACTS looks forward to serving you during the 2025-2026 school year and thanks you for your continued partnership.
Miscellaneous Important Notes
NEW! Calendar Raffle Fundraiser – It’s Fall Calendar Raffle time again! On the first day of school, all oldest and only students on both campuses will bring home envelopes with our popular Fall Calendar Raffle tickets! We have some GREAT prizes again 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 major fundraisers, so we are really counting on your support! This year, our Academy goal is 4,400 tickets between the two campuses! We can do it!
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! Hot Lunch Ordering - The Hot Lunch program will begin on both campuses on September 29. Students will need to bring a lunch from home until that time! Ordering for Hot Lunch is done through Boonli.com. Full instructions for ordering can be found HERE for the lower campus and HERE for the upper campus. Ordering for September 29 through October 31 will take place from September 1st through the 12th. (Normal ordering takes place from the 1st to the 15th the month prior). Parents will also receive an email on September 1st with the detailed ordering instructions. Please be sure to read carefully!
Wednesday News Email - Do you have a grandparent or other important person in your family who you would like to receive the Wednesday News? If so, email Marta Nissen at [email protected] to have them added to the list! Please indicate the individual’s name, email address, and relationship to your family.
UPDATED! After Care Rates - Extended Care (both Morning and Afternoon Care) will begin on the first full day of school on both campuses, August 26. Students are automatically registered for Extended Care…there is no additional registration needed! Due to rising program costs, After Care rates on both campuses will increase 50¢ per half hour this fall. The Family Discount program (100% cost for the first child and 50% of all additional children on either campus) will remain. Parents will continue to be invoiced through their Family Portal on a monthly basis. Please note: All Extended Care balances are due when billed on a monthly basis. If a family is past due on Extended Care payments above $100, they will not be able to utilize the program until that balance is paid. If your lower campus child will be attending After Care on a regular basis, please send a note to the homeroom teacher on the first day of school or let him/her know on Meet the Teacher Day.
Used Uniform Closets - Have your kids outgrown their uniforms? Don’t forget that we have a used uniform closet at each campus! Donations of all outgrown uniform pieces are accepted and parents are also welcome to make an appointment to come in over the summer to look for uniform pieces to fit their growing children. Donations can be sent into the front desk at the lower campus or to Mrs. Coker at the upper campus at any time. Please contact Mrs. Langenfeld at [email protected] for the lower campus or Mrs. Coker at [email protected] for the upper campus to arrange a time to come “shopping” in the closets!
Required Documents for School
Nurse Notes: Our school nurses, Mrs. Sheehan (lower campus) and Mrs. Danielson (upper campus), would like to remind parents of the following:
7th Grade Vaccination Reminder - ALL students who are entering 7th grade MUST have a Tdap done and a physical/immunization record submitted to the upper campus school nurse, Mrs. Danielson, as soon as possible. The Tdap is specific to students of the 7th grade age. It is NOT the Dtap! If a student has a medical or religious exemption to vaccinations, please submit a copy of that paperwork to Mrs. Danielson before school starts in the fall. Thank you!
Medical and Immunization Records - At the start of the school year, we need updated physical and immunization records for every student, grades PreK to 8. These can be provided in paper copy sent into school on the first day or by email to Gloria Sheehan at [email protected] at the lower campus and Laura Danielson at [email protected] at the upper campus. Note: If your student has a medical or religious exemption for immunizations, please also forward that document. All documentation is due by September 1st.
Medications - Students who require prescription medication at school (including epi-pens) must provide an updated doctor’s order for the 2025-2026 school year. Please remember to check the expiration dates on those medications! Please bring documentation and medication to school on the first day of school.
Updated Contact Information - Summer is a prime time for change of addresses and other contact information…and we want to keep you up-to-date on all communications from Saint Chris! If your address, email, or phone number will be different this fall, please contact Database Administrator Donna Beatrice at [email protected]. Thank you!
PARENT VOLUNTEERS
Volunteering at Saint Chris - Are you planning on volunteering at Saint Chris this coming school year? If you have not yet completed the Safe Environment Training, get a jump on things by completing it over the summer! All volunteers are required to complete the training prior to ANY volunteer opportunities, including Hot Lunch, field trips, class projects and activities, etc. Training must be renewed every three years. To complete the training, please see the Diocesan information HERE. Questions about the process at the lower campus can be directed to Jackie Langenfeld at [email protected] and questions about the upper campus can be sent to Sue Coker at [email protected].
Hot Lunch Volunteering - Speaking of volunteering at Saint Chris….This is an early call for Hot Lunch volunteers! As our largest volunteer program, we need lots of help to make the Hot Lunch program happen at both campuses! 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 approximately 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!). Staff members from our caterer, Celebrations, also help serve lunches on both campuses on Monday through Thursday. Volunteer hours are approximately from 11:15 AM to 1:15 PM at the lower campus. At the upper campus, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday volunteer hours are 10:15 AM to 11:45 AM. Due to a modified class schedule, Tuesday volunteer hours at the upper campus will be 10:45 AM to 12:00 PM.
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!
Hot Lunch Substitutes - If you can’t commit to a full schedule of Hot Lunch volunteering, consider signing up to be an occasional Hot Lunch substitute! You can pick the day of week that you are available (or all five days!) and we’ll put you on our sub list for that day. If a scheduled volunteer is unable to make a scheduled shift due to illness, he or she will call subs on the appropriate list. To sign up as a lower campus Hot Lunch sub, click HERE. To sign up as an upper campus sub, please click HERE. Thank you!
SUMMER WORK AND SUPPLIES
Summer Reading and Work - While we certainly hope our students are enjoying every minute of their summer vacation 😎, we also hope they are working on their summer reading and work too! For your convenience, the links to summer reading and work assignments are available in an article highlighted in the “News and Notes” section of the school website HERE throughout the summer months.
Upper Campus Math Summer Solutions Book - All upper campus students (rising 6th, 7th, and 8th grade) received a Summer Solutions math workbook, along with instructions for completing required summer math work. Each student’s workbook will be matched to his or her anticipated math class for the fall. The Summer Solutions book, with completed work, should be brought to school on the first day of school.
Back to School Supply Lists -
Lower Campus - The Back to School Supply Lists can be found HERE. This list also contains summer reading and work assignments.
Upper Campus - Because each student’s schedule is unique, there is NO supply list for the upper campus. Students will receive a list from each teacher on the first day of school.
Cleaning Supplies for Upper Campus - Although upper campus students will receive their individual class supply lists at the start of school, all upper campus students are asked to bring a box of tissues, a roll of paper towels, and a container of Clorox wipes to school on the first day. Thank you!
CALENDAR INFORMATION
Google Calendar - Looking for the most up-to-date calendar of school days off, early release dates, and activities? Look no further than our online school Google calendar HERE! The entries on the Google calendar are also available on the school website calendar HERE. We will make every effort to keep these calendars up-to-date with the many happenings at Saint Chris throughout the year!
Looking for athletic events and activities? Those can be found on the Athletics Google calendar HERE.
School Vacations/Holidays for 2025-2026 - For planning purposes, these are the major vacations, holidays, and early release dates for the next school year.
- Labor Day Weekend - No School - August 29 and September 1
- Columbus Day - No School - October 13
- Diocesan Teachers Workshop - No School - October 20
- Veterans Day - No School - November 11
- Thanksgiving - No School - November 26-28
- Christmas - No School - December 22 - January 2
- MLK Day - No School - January 19
- Teacher Workshop - No School - February 4 (Note: Grade 5 will have Step-up Day in the morning)
- February Vacation - No School - February 23-27
- Easter - No School - April 3 & 6
- April Vacation - No School - April 27 - May 1
- Memorial Day - No School - May 25
Early Release Dates: On these days, the upper campus is released at 11:30 am. Lower campus grades 1 to 5 are released at noon. PreK and Kindergarten will be released shortly before noon…teachers will inform parents prior to the first early release. Early Release dates include:
- September 19 - Teacher PD
- November 6 - Parent/Teacher Conferences
- November 21 - Teacher PD
- December 19 - Teacher PD
- March 20 - Teacher PD
- April 2 - Holy Thursday
- April 24 - Teacher PD
- May 15 - Teacher PD
- June 10 - Last Day of School
Days with NO After Care - We will have a number of NO After Care days this year, so please note these on your calendar:
- All Early Release Days
- December 4 (Christmas Tree Lighting)
- January 8 (Staff Christmas Party)
- May 19 (STEM Night)
- May 22 (BBQ)
- June 3 (Baccalaureate)
- June 8 (Convocation)
Back to School 2025 Events/Dates - Please mark your calendar with these important back-to-school dates:
PreK, Kindergarten and 1st grade Playground Days…PreK Next Week! - Who wants to play? We will hold special Playground Days for PreK, Kdg, and 1st grade students in August to help students and parents get to know each other before the start of school! PreK students are invited to the playground on Monday, August 4 from 9:00 - 10:00 AM. Kindergarten students are invited to play on Monday, August 11 from 9:00 - 10:00 AM. And 1st grade students will enjoy the playground on Monday, August 18 from 9:00 - 11:00 AM. If we need to cancel for rain, we will reschedule later in the same week. Come on down! This is a great time for the kids...and parents....to make important connections with friends before the school year begins!
Friday, August 15 -
New to the Upper Campus Meet-Up - We’re excited to welcome all incoming 6th graders and new 7th and 8th grade students to our New to the Upper Campus Meet-Up on Friday, August 15 from 9:00–11:00 AM! This special event is designed to help students feel comfortable and confident as they join our upper campus community. Students will have the chance to practice opening lockers, take a guided tour of the building, meet some of our faculty and staff, and get to know new classmates through fun games and activities. Everyone will also receive their “class color” shirt and enjoy a sweet treat to celebrate the start of a great new chapter.We can’t wait to meet you! Miss Nott and Mrs. Lowry
Monday, August 25–
- First day of school for 6th grade students ONLY. This will be a half day for 6th grade students. More details will be sent to 6th grade parents later in the summer.
- Lower campus Meet the Teacher from 9:00 - 11:00 AM. Class lists will be posted in the school lobby that day.
Tuesday, August 26 - First day of school for ALL students on both campuses. (2nd day of school for grade 6.) Students should be in full school uniform.
Friday, August 29 and Monday, September 1 - No School…Labor Day Weekend
Summer Office Hours - We’ll be here if you need us this summer! The school offices on both campuses will be open from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM, Monday through Thursday! You can also call or email any of the school admin team on either campus and we’ll get back to you as promptly as possible!
STUDENT PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES
UPDATED! Lower Campus Cross Country - Lower Campus Cross Country is open to all students entering 2nd through 5th grade this fall. Click HERE to register. There is a full season schedule as well as an invite to the BAND page at the top of the registration form. Registration will close Thursday August 28th so make sure to sign your runner up today!
NEW! Upper Campus Fall Sports Sign-Ups - The Upper Campus offers the following fall sports to their students - Girls Soccer, Boys Soccer, Girls Volleyball and Boys and Girls Cross Country Running. Click HERE to sign up. All tryouts and practices begin on Tuesday August 26th. Game/meet/match schedules can be found HERE.
NEW! Upper Campus Fall Sports Information Night - Parents and students are invited to attend one of the following information nights - Wednesday, August 13 or Monday, August 18. This will give families an opportunity to find out details about all fall sports and ask questions. Both sessions will be held in the gym at the Upper Campus starting at 6:30 PM.
Lower Campus Altar Servers…Boys Needed! While our girls’ altar server list is full with a waiting list, we are still in need of boy altar servers! If your son has received Confirmation and will be in 4th or 5th grade this year, please talk over the idea of joining the altar server group! Members of any Catholic parish are welcome to participate. Students must be able to sit still on the altar, follow the Mass proceedings, remember and carry out instructions while standing in front of the whole school, and, most importantly, understand the sacred responsibility of serving at God's altar. There will be training during the school day. Questions? Contact Marta Nissen at [email protected]. Please use the Sign-Up Genius HERE. Note: Lower campus lectors (5th grade only) will sign up once the school year starts. Upper campus altar servers and lectors will sign up in Theology class once school has begun.
ST. CHRIS PARISH NEWS
NEW! Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary - August 15 is the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary…a Holy Day of Obligation in the Catholic church! Fr. David invites all school families to join him at Mass at either 7:30 AM or 7:00 PM. In addition, a rosary will be recited in the church beginning at 6:30 PM.
NEW! St. Christopher Parish Sacrament Preparation Begins Soon
NEW! Saint Christophers' Community BBQ - All families are invited to attend the 3rd Annual St. Christopher Parish Community BBQ on September 7 from 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM (following the 10:00 AM mass). Come share food, fellowship and some fun at Saint Christopher’s Catholic Church! In addition to delicious food (Hamburgers! Hotdogs! Egg Rolls!), cornhole, and a sack race or two, we have added sand art and a 50/50 raffle this year! All are invited to join the fun by RSVPing HERE. To make this event the best possible one ever, we need volunteers to support the different aspects of this community celebration. A link to the volunteer page is included at the bottom of the RSVP form!
Catholic Community News
Diocesan Children’s Choral Program - Students aged 9 through 12th grade are invited to participate in the newly re-established Diocesan Children’s Choral Program at the Cathedral of Saint Joseph in Manchester. Please see the flyer below for more information.
COMMUNITY NEWS
