St. Benedict Monday Mail: November 1, 2021

Monday Mail November 1, 2021

'Tis Officially the Season!

As we mentioned last week, the Season of Giving is officially underway and we kick off the month with a plea for support of our Annual Fund. Your tax-deductible, unrestricted gift to the Annual Fund is the difference between tuition and the true cost of educating the whole student. It helps keep our amazing teachers here by providing them with the resources they need to best live out their calling. It sustains

the great academic, athletic, and fine arts programs we offer. When you make an unrestricted gift to the SBA Annual Fund, you are providing resources for: Tuition assistance Campus renewal projects Faculty and Professional development Dynamic academic programs Robust athletics, arts and extracurricular programs Transformative campus ministry programs These tax-deductible donations range from $10 to $25,000+ and are recognized between July 1 and June 30 in our “Honor Roll” philanthropy report.

Strong parent and alumni participation makes a statement to our external community when considering their support. Every gift matters and will make a difference in the daily experience of our students.

Only you can decide what is an appropriate gift from your family. We gratefully accept any and all contributions but strive for 100% participation. Every Eagle, Every Day benefits from a successful Annual Fund campaign.

Make a Gift Today

Annual Fund FAQ We sat down with Chris Burke, the Director of Advancement at SBA, to talk through some questions about the Annual Fund - what is it, anyway? Who benefits from it? Take a look at this brief video and then be sure to check our social channels during November as we talk to students about what it means to them to be an Eagle. For additional questions regarding the annual fund, visit the Annual Fund page on our website, or reach out to Chris at burkec@sbaeagles.org.

Sophomore Retreat

We are very excited to share some details with you about the upcoming Sophomore Retreat on Wednesday, November 3from 8:00am – 2:30pm! This year, we have NET Ministries coming to work with our Senior Retreat Leaders who have been taking part in spiritual formation over the last several months. Our hope is that with both teams combined, it will make the experience unifying and blessed for the Sophomore class. The theme for this retreat is: Anchored in Hope (amidst the suffering).

You may drop your child off as early as 7:00am in the library or dining hall, but keep in mind that we will not be starting activities with the sophomores until 8:00am. After arrival, the sophomores will be directed on where to go by the Senior Retreat Leaders and the NET Ministries Team. We will begin the day with Mass in the chapel. This will be an exciting way to start the day with everything that is in store for them!

Dress will be $1 donation for jeans and spirit wear; $5 for sweats – all money collected will go to the Annual Fund in honor of faculty and coaches the sophomores have had.

For lunch, the dining hall will offer burgers, boneless wings, spicy chicken sandwiches and the salad bar. If your child would like to purchase lunch that day, please have them bring money or use the money that is already on their school account.

Recap of details: Items to bring: a pen/pencil, lunch money (if desired), and a positive attitude!

The retreat runs from 8:00am – 2:30pm at SBA You are welcome to join us for Mass in the chapel Dress will be $1 for jeans; $5 for sweats (spirit wear top) towards annual fund The day will conclude at 2:30pm.

Please let Ms. Graziosi and Sister Rita Marie, O.P. know if you have any questions/concerns. Know of our prayers for you and your families!

Guidelines for Remote Students Students are expected to be on time for each class. We will run a C Bell Schedule.

Students should be in uniform at a desk or table in an isolated space. Students cannot Team in together, but must be in their own home.

Microphones and cameras must be on with the camera turned to show the whole face of the student.

If a teacher is absent on Wednesday, students will be instructed not to Team in, but to complete the assignment that is posted and submit it by the end of the class period.

Students are not expected to Team in for their lunch period.

All school rules apply during this day.

Faith at St. Benedict

Monday 11/1 All Saints Day All School Mass celebrated by Bishop Talley (Grandparents and Grandfriends welcome)

Tuesday 11/2 3rd & 4th Period Mass

Wednesday, 11/3 Sophomore Retreat Mass

Thursday, 11/4

Friday, 11/5

1st & 2nd Period Mass

7:15am Mass Lunch Confessions

1st & 2nd Period Mass All Day Adoration

Eucharistic Adoration at the Nest A favorite tradition at SBA is First Friday Eucharistic Adoration. Parents are needed in the Chapel during these hours each month. Please email Father Dexter to offer a time and day you would like be present with the Lord.

SBA Weekly Sports Report Congratulations to Lauren Carter for making the 2021 AVCA (American Volleyball Coaches Association) Best and Brightest 1st Team. This award is for high school senior student-athletes who achieved a 3.7 Unweighted GPA or 4.2 Weighted GPA or above during the high school junior year and must play in 50% of their varsity team’s sets during their senior season.

We would like to give a special shout out to Emma Drzycimski (SBA Eagles Bowling) on her CA Athlete of the Week nomination!

It is an exciting week in SBA Athletics. SBA Cheerleading took second overall in their regional competition this past weekend, punching their ticket to Nationals! Cross Country heads off to the State race at the end of this week and SBA Football will face Pope John Paul II this Friday in Nashville. We are so proud of all of these Eagles!

Full recaps, stats and photos for all our teams can be found on our new athletics website. Be sure to check it out - recaps and photos are largely courtesy of our talented students!

Lady Eagles Basketball Tryouts Coach Paul Stoddard is back and ready to lead the Lady Eagles basketball team to victory! If you want to get on board, make sure to come to tryouts from 6-8pm both November 1 and 2 in the SBA Gymnasium. Please wear basketball shoes/clothes and bring water.

November 1 6:00-8:00pm November 2 6:00-8:00pm SBA Gymnasium

Boys Basketball Tryouts Coach Josh Weeden is bringing a new and infectious energy to our boys basketball program!

If you are interested in playing the 2021-22 season, make sure to mark your calendars: November 1 3:30-5:30pm SBA Gymnasium

Cheer On Your Fellow Eagles At This Week's Events:

Tuesday, November 2 - SBA Girls vs. Hutchison (All Star), SBA Boys vs. MUS (All Star) Thursday, November 4 - SBA Boys and Girls vs. Briarcrest (All Star)

Thursday, November 4 - TSSAA State Championship Meet - Sanders Ferry (Hendersonville, TN) Friday, November 5 - TSSAA State Championship Meet Sanders Ferry (Hendersonville, TN)

Friday, November 5 - TSSAA Playoffs - SBA vs. Pope John Paul II (Nashville, TN) Time TBD

Athletic Season Passes & Game Tickets If you are planning on attending multiple sporting events this year (and you SHOULD!), consider picking up an Athletic Season Pass. Passes are good for admission for two to all SBA home events, excluding TSSAA postseason events. Don't miss out - a limited number remain! Individual game tickets will also be sold.

Note - Students should use their student IDs to get in at SBA-hosted regular season games. In order to expedite entry into games, anyone attending a game at SBA who needs a ticket, should plan on purchasing via the link below prior to the game:

SBA Athletic Season Pass

Individual Game Tickets

Fan Covid Guidelines We are excited to welcome fans back to the Nest for the start of the 2021-22 home sports season. SBA continues to follow all Shelby County and CDC guidelines to ensure the safety of our students, staff, parents and guests. Masks are required for entry into the building and must be worn at all times. Fans are asked to stay as socially distanced as possible in the stands. Failure to adhere to these policies will result in removal from the building. Thank you for your understanding!

Student News Order Your Butter Braids for the Holidays!

The ever popular sale of butter braids is back! The Junior class is raising funds for Prom through the sale of butter braids and cookie dough. They arrive frozen and ready to bake so they are the perfect items to have stocked away in the freezer as we enter the Christmas season. To order, click on the link below and then scroll down to select the student from whom you wish to order. Because they ship frozen, local orders only, please.

Order

SBA Library News The November Newsletter from the SBA Library is now available.

Be sure to check it out and note some nostalgic movie showings this month!

National Honor Society Tutoring If you need tutoring, the SBA National Honor Society has several different convenient options. Take a look on quicklinks.

VFW Voices of Democracy Program Since 1947, the Voice of Democracy has been the Veterans of Foreign Wars' premier scholarship program. Each year, nearly 57,00 high school students compete for more than $2 million in scholarships and incentives. Students compete by writing and recording an audio essay on an annual patriotic theme. This year's theme is, "America: Where do we go from here?" Please stop by the office for an application with further details.

SBA Health News Notes from Nurse Lynn While last year saw an astonishingly low number of flu cases in the US, increased social activity combined with a less predictable start and end to flu season have doctors worried about the possibility of the "twindemic." Nurse Lynn shares this article to encourage all to get their flu shot!

COVID cases since school started: Students (20) Staff/Faculty (5) No new cases this week!

SBA COVID Policies SBA is following the Shelby County Health Department as well as for all of our COVID-19 guidelines. You can find our most current policy here. Please note that while absences due to quarantine will count as we return to preparing our students for higher learning, students will have the opportunity to remote in and keep up with classroom instruction and assignments. To see the algorithm we follow for returning to school, please click here.

Please note that per Health Department guidelines, only negative PCR test results will be accepted for returning to school.

If your student will be taking any as-needed medications (Tylenol, Advil, ibuprofen, and/or allergy medication) during the school day, please fill out our Prescription Form, and send in with a bottle marked with your student's name. We will not share any medications amongst students. They will only receive medicine from their specially-marked bottle.

If your student needs to carry an Epi Pen/Auvi Q injector or inhaler, please fill out the appropriate form and submit to Nurse Lynn.

Prescription Drug Form

Epi Pen Contract

Inhaler Contract

Mark Your Calendar Meet Me In St. Louis - SBA Theatre Fall Play The SBA Theatre Department presents MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS! This beautiful, classic musical runs November 11th through the 14th in the SBA Theater. Tickets are $15 to the public and $10 for students (reserved seating). A limited number of general admission SBA student section tickets will be sold at all three lunches for $5.

Free Car Wash - Sponsored by Boys Basketball November 13, 2021 Want to meet Coach Weeden and the boys basketball team ahead of the 2021-22 season? Or maybe you just want to get your car washed! Either way, come out from 9:00am to 2:00pm on Saturday, November 13 in the SBA Parking Lot. Washes are free, but donations to offset the cost of the basketball prgoram will be accepted.

St. Michael's Church Speaker Series - Judaism & Christianity: Commonalities St. Mike's has invited the SBA community to their speaker series on November 15 at 7pm. Rabbi Micah Greenstein from Temple Israel will be sharing how we may have more in common with our Jewish brothers and sisters than we thought! To register, click on

the button below.

Register

Project Graduation Trivia Night - Rescheduled for February 15, 2022!

Trivia Night has been postponed to February 15, 2022. This gives you plenty of time to rewatch Baby Boom and Ferris Bueller so you are ready for our 80's Night Theme! Get your table together and reserve your spot. RSVP to Amy Iovinelli - amyiov6@gmail.com.

All proceeds go towards hosting Project Graduation for our seniors.

Save the Date! - SBA Gala & Auction Mark your calendars for April 30th for "Many Eagles, One Mission," SBA's gala and silent auction. This will be an evening you don't was to miss.

Did You Know?

The Daily Eagle Our students receive a newsletter every Monday though Friday called, aptly, "The Daily Eagle." There is a good bit of overlap with the Monday Mail content, but also more time-sensitive announcements, daily menu offerings, schedule changes, etc. If you would like to read The Daily Eagle, you can find that day's version by scrolling down on the "News from the Nest" page on our website and clicking on "The Daily Eagle."

Drivers Ed Through Pitner Driving School - Now Enrolling Drivers Ed will be offered through Pitner Driving School weekdays from 3:00pm-6:00pm on February 7-22 (except for school holidays) for classroom instruction. Driving instruction will be

February 23 through March 12 (specific times/dates will be arranged with each student.) Overall, the program consists of 30 hours of classroom instruction and 6 hours of driving instruction.

Tuition is $595 per student and must be paid in full to reserve a spot. Please pick up a form from the office to enroll.

Did you know that a certificate of attendance is required for a student to get a Driver’s Permit? You may pick up a form in the front office during office hours. Please have the student's Social Security Number to complete the form.

SBA Business Directory If you are interested in being featured as a spotlight member of the SBA Business Directory, you can join here. We will feature a member every month.

We would like to thank the DaRosa Family and Dunkin Donuts for their generous coffee and donut donation for our Final Friday Coffee and Conversation series!

Attendance While we certainly hope that the steps we are taking to reduce the spread of any communicable illnesses will lower overall absences this year, we know they will happen. Whenever a student must be absent from school, a parent or guardian should call the school office (901.260.2893) or email us at attendance@sbaeagles.org before 9:00am to notify us of the reason. Upon the student's return to school, he or she must bring a doctor's note, if applicable, and a written statement signed by the parent stating the reason for the absence. This must be brought to the office before the student's first period class.

The Eagle Cafe The Eagle Cafe is back and better than ever this year. Your old favorites like the legendary cookies and meatloaf with sides haven't gone anywhere. But this year the Eagle Cafe will also feature new items, like fusion cuisine (think Korean tacos) and iced coffees from the new Java Nest. There are multiple ways to pay (declining balance cards and meal plans). Find out more about your dining options and view our current menu here.

2021-2022 Academic Calendar We are working on a new interactive calendar feature for our website. In the meantime, this School Calendar has been updated with new dates, including retreats and exam days. All dates are subject to change. Please watch for schedule announcements on social media and through Monday Mail.

Quicklinks We talk a lot about Quicklinks on the website, but we realize that they can be hard to find! Quicklinks live on the homepage. You can access them by clicking on the small gray box (pictured circled in yellow) on the scrolling banner on the homepage. We put timesensitive and current information there, as well as things like the current year's school calendar or forms you need easy access to.

Of course, anytime you have questions on where to find something, feel free to call the office or contact us at communications@sbaeagles.org.

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God Bless & Go Eagles!