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

NOVEMBER 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: St. Michael will celebrate an all-school All Saints Day Mass on Friday, November 1, at 8:50 AM in the Multipurpose Building. Bish-op Duca will be celebrating mass with us. Students must wear their dress uniform. Parents and grandparents are welcome. Please sign in at the front office.

BORN 2 RUN: St. Michael will once again have a team of runners sup-

porting the Woman’s New Life Center’s Born to Run fundraiser on Satur-

day, November 16. The W arriors for L ife Club organizes students to

come out and support the important ministry of this crisis pregnancy cen-

ter. Please register online by November 8.

MARCH FOR LIFE MEETING: There will be a mandatory meet-ing for all attending the March for Life Pilgrimage on Monday, December 2, at the Catholic Life Center. This is for all students and their parents. The meeting will begin at 6:30 PM. For more information contact Mrs. Froeba at efroeba@smhsbr.org.

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.

SERVICE HOURS DEADLINE: Friday, December 6, is the first deadline for Service Hours. Half of the total required hours are due for each student. If a student misses the December 6 deadline, his/her second quarter Religion grade drops one point per day late, up to one letter grade. If students still have not completed this service hour requirement, they will not be allowed to take their midterm exams in any of their classes. See the Student Handbook for details.

INTELLECTUAL

COFFEE WITH THE SOPHOMORE COUNSELOR: Sopho-

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

Wednesday, November 20, at 7:30 AM OR 12 noon. Mrs. Narretta,

sophomore counselor, will give a brief presentation about TOPS/college

and career readiness, graduation requirements, Pre-ACT standardized

testing that will be held in the spring semester and more. Please keep an

eye out for an email in November with instructions on how to RSVP.

COLLEGE APPLICATIONS: Applications are now being accepted

for the next fall semester at many colleges and universities. Some schools

have priority deadlines for scholarship consideration as early as November

1. It is important that your son or daughter complete admissions applica-

tions during this time. Please encourage your senior to complete admis-

sions applications and to see his/her senior counselor for assistance.

FILING THE FAFSA: Senior parents, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) filing season began 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 .

IMPORTANT DATES FOR “NEW” STUDENTS:

November 22 -Online Application Deadline for Incoming Freshmen

December 7 -Placement Exam for Incoming Freshmen

December 7 -Deadline for Parish Verification Forms

January 8 or 9 -Interviews for Incoming Freshmen/Parents

February 19 -Acceptance Letters Mailed to Incoming Freshmen

JUNIORS: Jostens will meet with Juniors during their lunch hour on Tues-

day, November 5, to hand out class r ing packets. Parents, please review

the packet with your student as there are certain specifications for purchasing

a St. Michael ring. Jostens will return on Tuesday, November 12, for a fami-

ly ring order evening from 2:30 to 6:00 PM in the Commons. Jostens will

have sample rings to view. A $75 deposit is required when placing your

order. If you have any questions, please contact Jostens at 928-5502, or Ms.

Berthelot at 753-9782, ext. 29.

LSU APPLICATION REMINDER: APPLY NOW! Students inter-ested in attending LSU should apply now and by the priority scholarship consideration deadline of December 15. The LSU Application for Undergrad-uate Admission also serves as the automatic application for all entering fresh-men scholarships. To apply, go to the LSU Undergraduate Admissions web-site. Students’ official high school transcripts, official ACT or SAT scores, and all other required information must be received by LSU prior to the De-cember 15 deadline for full scholarship consideration.

MID-TERM EXAMS: All students will be taking semester exams De-cember 17, 18, 19, and 20. Students will be finished with exams at 11:30 AM on Friday, December 20. Teachers will be available for tutoring for an hour after dismissal Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Since we have early dismissal each day, no lunch vendors will be on campus on exam days. There will also be no after school care on exam days. Readiness for exams begins with daily preparation for class. A reminder that midterm exams count as 20% of the semester grade. All tuition accounts must be current in order for students to take their exams.

MID-TERM EXAM SCHEDULE:

Tuesday, December 17 1st period exam 7:14-9:10 AM

8th period exam 9:25-11:25 AM

Wednesday, December 18 2nd period exam 7:14-9:10 AM

4th period exam 9:25-11:25 AM

Thursday, December 19 3rd period exam 7:14-9:10 AM 6th period exam 9:25-11:25 AM

Friday, December 20 7th period exam 7:14-9:10 AM 5th period exam 9:25-11:25 AM

The SMHS shuttle bus will run all mornings and all dismissals. EBR buses will run Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday. There will be NO EBR bus service on Friday

Students return to school Monday, January 6. The SMHS shuttle bus will run on January 6. There will be NO EBR bus service on January 6.

PERMISSION FOR COLLEGE VISITS: Seniors will be granted one 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.

PLACEMENT EXAM: The school will administer the Placement Exam for admission to St. Michael High School for current 8th grade applicants from 8:00-11:00 AM on Saturday, December 7. If you know of any 8th graders who would like to apply, please have them call the front office.

REQUEST FOR COLLEGE ACCEPTANCE LETTERS: In order to assist in college preparation and planning, it is critical that seniors and their parents provide Ms. Montgomery with copies of all letters of acceptance from colleges and universities whether or not the senior will eventually attend that particular school. It is extremely important that seniors provide Ms. Montgomery with copies of their scholarship letters as well even if they choose not to accept the scholarship or attend the school offering the award. Students have traditionally been honored for scholarships received at the Senior Honors Convocation held in May. The only way we can publish this information is if parents or students inform us. Please provide copies of acceptance and scholarship letters (or forward acceptance emails) to Ms. Montgomery as they are received. cmontomery@smshbr.org

SENDING ACT SCORES: Colleges and univer sities must receive an official ACT score from ACT when processing applications. When regis-tering for the ACT, a student may request that his/her score report be sent to a college or university. If requesting during the registration process, the first four (4) score reports are FREE and automatically sent once scores are processed. Additional score reports may be requested online for a fee at www.actstudent.org through the student’s account.

SENDING TRANSCRIPTS: Since St. Michael participates in the Louisiana Student Transcript System (STS), all transcripts will be sent electronically to the Louisiana Department of Education. Louisiana public colleges and universities, will obtain applicants’ transcripts electronically through STS. Private colleges or out-of-state schools will need a tran-script sent from St. Michael. A Document Request Form will need to be signed by the student in order to mail a transcript. If you have any ques-tions regarding this information, please contact Ms. Montgomery, Senior Counselor & College Advisor. For Dual Enrollment and/or AP credit students, the college transcript and/or AP credit will need to be requested from the accrediting institution. cmontgomery@smhsbr.org

STUDENT CONCERNS: Please contact the grade level counselor to

let her know of any special factors affecting your child so that the counse-

lor may confidentially communicate specific needs to each of your child’s

teachers. Student concerns may include, but are not limited to the follow-

ing: death, divorce, illness, medication, disabilities, etc. Please contact

Mrs. Dutreix, Individual Student Needs Coordinator, if you would like to

seek classroom accommodations for a student who has a documented

disability (i.e. ADHD, dyslexia, auditory problem, physical disability,

etc.). As situations arise, please keep us aware so that we may better meet

your child’s needs.

Freshman Counselor-Ms. Turner aturner@smhsbr.org

Sophomore Counselor-Mrs. Narretta cnarretta@smhsbr.org

Junior Counselor-Mrs. Dutreix ldutreix@smhsbr.org

Senior Counselor-Ms. Montgomery cmontgomery@smhsbr.org

THANKSGIVING HOLIDAYS: Thanksgiving holidays will begin Monday, November 25, through Friday, November 29. The SMHS office will be open Monday through Wednesday from 7:30 AM—12:00 noon. Clas-ses resume Monday, December 2.

THANKSGIVING HELP DESK HOURS: The St. Michael Technol-ogy Help Desk will be open during the Thanksgiving holidays on Monday, November 25, from 8:30 AM—12:00 noon.

UPCOMING COLLEGE OPEN HOUSE & FALL PREVIEW DATES: Many colleges and universities offer Open Houses or Campus Events geared towards incoming freshmen. These events are encouraged as they can help solidify a student’s college choice. Please view the college or universities websites for more information and to register for these events.

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

BAND: Congratulations to St. Michael junior, Steven Reed, for earning a spot in the Louisiana Music Educators All-State Orchestra. To earn a spot in All-State, students must go through a rigorous audition process. Steven will be performing at the LMEA State Conference during the Thanksgiving break.

BLOOD DRIVE: Our annual Blood Drive will be Friday, November 15.

Students who are participating will need a permission slip signed by a parent.

All who participate will receive two A service hours and a blood drive t-shirt.

BUS SERVICE: On Monday, January 6, there will be NO EBR Bus ser-vice. The SMHS shuttle bus will run its r egular route.

CHEER CLINIC: The St. Michael Cheer leaders will host a Cheer Clinic for ages Pre-K through 8th grade on Saturday, Novem-ber 2, in the SMHS gym. Registration star ts at 8:45 AM and the Clinic is from 9:00—noon, with a Showcase at noon. For more infor-mation contact Ms. Tocco at etocco@smhsbr.org.

CHRISTMAS BAND CONCERT: The annual St. Michael Band Christ-mas Concert will be held in the SMHS Multipurpose Building on Sunday, December 8, at 2:00 PM.

COOKIES WITH SANTA: The Alumni Office invites you and your children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews to join us for Christmas fun on Sunday, December 8, from 1:00—2:00 PM in the cafeteria. Cookies and juice will be served and Santa will be there for pictures! Please RSVP to kpage@smhsbr.org.

HOLLY VOLLEYBALL: Students, come out and show your Christ-mas spirit on Friday, December 13, from 2:45-6:30 PM at our 8th Annual Holly Volleyball event brought to you by the Student Council. Please sign up your team by November 20. Each team needs a team captain and no more than ten members to a team. To sign up, download a form on your Moodle page. If interested in purchasing a Holly Volleyball t-shirt, they will be on sale online starting November 11.

HUNGER WALK: The Hunger Walk will take place Sunday, November 10. All students have received a waiver, which has been placed on their Moo-dle page. All students must bring a waiver to the walk. Students will receive 2 B hours for participation. For more information, please go to the following link: https://www.gbrhungerwalk.org/

NO SHAVE/SWEATPANTS: Students may purchase the No Shave and/or Sweatpants passes in their first hour homeroom class starting Mon-day, December 2.

NO-SHAVE NOVEMBER & SWEATPANTS WEEK

December 2—6

$10—Shave Pass for the Week

$10—Sweatpants Pass for the Week

SAFETY: Parents are asked to speak with their students about driving safely in the neighborhoods around school. Many of the streets in our nearby subdivisions have a speed limit of 25 mph. We have received word that police will be setting up radar around the school and the neigh-borhood. Please talk to your student drivers about the importance of safe driving practices. We want our students and our neighbors to be safe.

SENIOR NIGHT: The SMHS Warrior Football Team will host Senior

Night, Thursday, November 7, vs Belaire at Olympia Stadium. Senior

football, sports medicine, 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.

SENIORS: Balfour will meet with Seniors on Thursday, November 14,

to handout senior graduation packets during their lunch hour. Please re-

view the packet with your senior as Balfour will return to school on

Thursday, November 21, dur ing all lunch hours to take order s. Re-

member to bring your order form with $100 deposit. Please note every

student must order a cap and gown; it is the only mandatory item.

If you have questions please call Ms. Berthelot at 753-9782, Ext. 29. OR

Balfour at (225) 756-1881.

ST. JUDE WALK/RUN RACE TO END CHILDHOOD CAN-

CER: On September 28, the St. Michael community raised $1,670 for St.

Jude and had over 50 team members, which included faculty, students, par-

ents and SMHS supporters. The event was a great success not only for St.

Jude but also for SMHS in the sense that our Warrior family was able to get

out into the community and help support those in need by Serving Like

Christ.

SUPER 6 GIRLS MIDDLE SCHOOL BASKETBALL TOUR-

NEMENT: The St. Michael Lady Warriors Basketball Team will host

the Annual Super 6 Tournament for 7th and 8th grade girls’ basketball

teams from St. Michael feeder schools, to be held November 1, 2, & 3, at

SMHS.

TOY DRIVE: The Student Council will be hosting a Toy Drive for Christmas. We will begin our drive on Monday, December 2, through Fri-day, December 6. All donations will go to the Live 2 Serve organiza-tion. Only new items are accepted. Please do not wrap the toys.

TUITION AND FEE PAYMENTS: All accounts must be current

by Friday, December 6, in order for students to take Mid-Term Exams.

This includes First Bank and Trust tuition loans, bus fees, and other fees

owed to the school.

UGLY SWEATER CONTEST: All students may wear their ugly Christmas sweaters on Friday, December 6. We will have a contest dur-ing all lunches.

USED UNIFORM SALE: The SMHS Home & School Assoc. will have a used uniform sale on Saturday, December 7, from 11:00 AM—12:30 PM in the Commons. Unlike the summer sale, this event will feature only the current stock of used uniforms already on hand. Please come by and outfit your growing student.

SMHS WARRIOR CLUB:

Girls and Boys Basketball sports specific stores through BSN will open soon. Look for an email from the coaches for details.

For the latest Warrior Wear and Gear, check out our website: www.smhswarriorclub.com

Don’t forget you can watch live games through the NFHS network. Sign up today for a subscription and be sure to catch a live game from the SMHS gym. Go to www.nfhsnetwork.com and search for St Michael the Archangel High School.

The Warrior Club is looking for new members. Membership benefits ALL athletic and spirit programs at St. Michael.

Email us for information - warriorclub@smhsbr.org

PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE

On November 1st, All Saints’ Day, we are reminded that we are called to lives of holy service. As we approach Thanksgiving, the St. Michael High School Faculty, Staff and Administration are Warriors with grateful hearts.

We Pray with Gratitude for …

Our Bishop Michael Duca for his leadership and his dedication to Catholic education in the Diocese of Baton Rouge.

The Catholic Schools Office and Superintendent Dr. Melanie Palmisano for their commitment to SMHS and to Catholic education throughout our Dio-cese

Father Ryan Hallford and Father Paul Gros for serving as chaplains to the St. Michael High School community.

The SMHS Advisory Board for its diligence, time and effort on behalf of our great school.

Our students who remain open to their own faith formation as committed disciples of Christ.

Our families who sacrifice to provide their son or daughter with a strong Catholic education rooted in Gospel values.

The record number of prospective students and parents who visited our campus during Shadow Days and during Open House to see what the Warrior experience is all about.

All those who worked to make our 2019 Open House a success.

The many students who took the time to let visitors know just how much they love and value the opportunities they have here at St. Michael.

The parents who volunteered to decorate, to provide food, to meet and greet our visitors, and to sell spirit items.

The faculty and staff who worked tirelessly to ready the campus and the various display areas.

The Open House Committee for their months of planning.

Parent Ambassadors, alumni, and other volunteers who helped to make our night a success.

The Maintenance Team for making sure that our campus was clean and in good repair.

The opening of our multipurpose building which adds a beautiful façade and a much-needed practical space for our growing campus.

All the generous donors who help to provide the necessary financial support for St. Michael High School to thrive.

Our St. Michael parents who partner with the school to form our young men and young women as committed disciples of Christ.

Our faculty & staff and for their willingness to grow professionally and spiritually so that we might continue to move forward as the leader in Catholic education in our Diocese.

The outstanding SMHS school community, which continues to grow in support of the school mission of educating our young people spiritually, intellectu-ally, and personally.

Please remember our school, our families and our staff in your prayers during this month of November and throughout the school year.

On Thanksgiving Day, we pray with grateful hearts for the many blessings that God has bestowed on each one of us.

On behalf of the administration, faculty & staff of SMHS - Happy Thanksgiving!

Yours in Christ,

Ellen B. Lee Principal

SMHS Open House 2019

St. Michael’s Open House was held on Wednesday, October 23, for students in 6th, 7th & 8th grade and

parents. Bishop Duca, Bishop Muench, St. Michael faculty, staff, students, parents, and alumni were on

hand to welcome our guests to St. Michael. The visiting students and families were greeted by the

sounds of the Warrior Band as well as our cheerleaders and flag team. Groups toured our campus, view-

ing classrooms and hearing from teachers and students about the different courses offered at the

school. Our coaches and club moderators also informed our guests of the many extracurricular activities

we have at St. Michael. It was a great night that showcased all of the things that make our school spe-

cial. If you know of someone who missed our Open House but may be interested in St. Michael, please

have them contact the school office at 753-9782 to set up a tour. Applications are due on November 22

and testing will take place at St. Michael on December 7.

Advancement News & Important Events

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 Volun-

teers Needed:

If you would like to serve on the committee or

would like information on how you can get in-

volved, please contact Advancement Director

Josh Galasso (225) 755-3618 or JGalas-

so@smhsbr.org.

St. Michael is excited to announce that it will be participating in the fifth annual #iGiveCatholic Giving Day on December 3. #iGiveCatholic is a one-day online giving event for the faithful across the nation and the world to come together and raise as many charitable dollars as possible for Catholic parishes, schools, and ministries on the annually celebrated #GivingTuesday fundraising initiative.

Donations for the #iGiveCatholic Giving Day will be accepted on December 3 from 12:00 AM to 11:59 PM (midnight to midnight); however, you will have an opportunity to make your gifts in advance beginning Novem-ber 18 at 12:00 AM. Donations made to St. Michael will be used to install updated secur ity cameras around campus and other campus improvements.

#iGiveCatholic

Dear Warrior Families,

We are honored to serve as the chair family for the 2019-2020 Warrior Fund for Excellence. St. Mi-

chael High School is a very special place for our family. Our oldest child has attended St. Michael

for the last 3 years. We are so grateful that our son chose St. Michael for his high school. We have

watched him grow in ways that we could have never imagined with the support of the school faculty

and students.

Our oldest son, William, is currently a senior at St. Michael. When William started high school, he

was the kid that arrived at 7 and left at 2:30 every day. At St. Michael, he has found his home and is

now a member of the bowling team, the Robotics club, and Peer Ministry. We have watched William

grow not only in academics and in extracurricular activities, but he has grown strongly in his faith.

We are looking forward to our 3 younger children attending St. Michael in the future!

The Warrior Fund for Excellence is vital to the development of each of these programs at the school.

This year you have the opportunity to give to one of three pre-designated areas including academics,

scholarships, and athletics. You can also select to give to the greatest area of need at the school.

This campaign seeks to raise $60,000 from all donors so that we can continue to provide young men

and women a quality Catholic educational experience in a co-education environment.

We ask that you prayerfully consider joining our family and give to this important annual campaign.

Every gift is appreciated and no gift is too small. Some suggested giving levels are $25, $50, $100,

$250, $750 (which will cover the cost of the gap for one student), or $8,500 (which will fund a full

scholarship for one student).

Thank you in advance for your generosity in paying forward the many blessings we all enjoy at St.

Michael High School.

The Tabor Family

Campaign Chair Family Warrior Fund for Excellence

MAKE YOUR DONATION TODAYhttps://forms.diamondmindinc.com/smhsbr/annualfund2018?token=1514964879