Remember Saint Michael the Archangel Catholic School is closed Wednesday, November 25– Thursday, November 26 -and Friday, November 27 as we celebrate the Thanksgiving holidays. A Thanksgiving Prayer Hands clasped around the table Heads bowed silently in prayer Grateful moments We've been allowed to share Joyful for the laughter Mindful of the tears Every precious second Treasured through the years. How fortunate our hearts have been How thankful now are we For every single blessing Bestowed to us from thee! The entire staff of Saint Michael the Archangel Catholic School wishes you and your family a joyous Thanksgiving holiday! God's joy, Mr. “D”.

SMA Update!!! • Pacing note: first trimester marks close 12/4/20! • Thank you to everyone who purchased pies. Over 300 sold. Record year!!!! ! • Happy Saint Nicholas Day on the 6th! • First Friday Mass on the 4th. K- 4 Student & Staff only. • Reminder: Due to COVID guidelines no one may enter the building after school hours to retrieve books. TY! • Second Trimester begins on Monday, 12/7/20. • The SMA Christmas Wish and Special Intention Trees will open soon! • May need to move Picture re-take day 9:00 to 12/11/20 • Feast of the Immaculate Conception. We are open! • SMA Red and Green casual dress day on the 18th. This Season of Advent Take Time to Meditate on the Birth of Our Savior What is Advent? Derived from the Latin word meaning “coming” or “arrival” Advent begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas. It’s the season when we look back to Christ’s first coming, as a baby born in Bethlehem, and look forward to His second coming when He will return to renew and redeem every part of fallen creation. Take time this busy holiday season to meditate - either on your own or as a family - on the promises of God! God’s joy! Mr. "D".

SMA Students’ Thanksgiving Quotes!!!! Great job! God bless, Mr. "D'. Give Thanks with a grateful heart. By: Alex Finby Live long, Live happy, live smiling By: Matthew DeStefano If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you. It will be enough. By: Autumn Johnson If you can enjoy eating then I know you can enjoy Thanksgiving. By: Lance Mehn Give Thanks to the Lord for He is good, His love endures forever. By: CJ Urban We can always find something to be thankful for, no matter what may be the burden of our wants, or the special subject of our petitions. By: Austin Wilson Thanksgiving is an important time and people travel thousands of miles for this one meal every year. May God be with you during these times. By: Liam Schickling He who thanks but with the lips thanks, but in part , the true Thanksgiving comes from the heart. By: Isabel Stratton It is not happy people who are thankful it is thankful people who are happy. By: Jaydia Giffins God gives us life and we thank Him. By: Jameson Long Give thanks to the Lord, For he is good, His love endures forever” By: Tessa Jerome I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify Him with Thanksgiving By: Calleigh Joyce Be Thankful for what you have, There is always something to be thankful for. By: Sam Drake Enter His gates with Thanksgiving, His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name; good indeed is the Lord. By: Erin Byrne I will give thanks to you Lord, with my whole heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds. By: Sebastian Molina

2020 SMA Walkathon Student & Class Winners!!!! 2020 SMA Walkathon Winners!!! Congrats!!! TY! God bless, Mr. "D". 1st Brooklyn Demi $910. 2nd Savannah Martell $741. 3rd Oliver Leaper $485. 4th Francesca Simeone $340. 5th Knox Leaper $235. 6th Noah Miller $225. 7. Lorenzo De Jesus $210. 8. Aidan McClarin $170. 9. Kira Langdon $155. 10. Kellan Langdon $155. 2020 SMA Walkathon Winners!!! Congrats!!! 1st Brooklyn Demi $910. 2nd Savannah Martell $741. 3rd Oliver Leaper $485. 4th Francesca Simeone $340. 5th Knox Leaper $235. 6th Noah Miller $225. 7. Lorenzo De Jesus $210. 8. Aidan McClarin $170. 9. Kira Langdon $155. 10. Kellan Langdon $155. Top Donation Class SMA Halloween Walkathon..... Kindergarten!!!!!

Phase 1 SMA Internet Upgrade very successful so far! Thank you for your Walkathon donations for this project. Hoping for Phase 2 in the spring. $7000.00 TY! God bless, Mr. "D'.

SMA Pennywalk raised new record $848.62!!! Money will go to needy families for Thanksgiving. TY! God bless, Mr. "D".

SMA Middles States Update!!! MSA- CESS Committee Recommends Full Accreditation!!!! Greetings!!! Our faculty and staff along with Father DiIorio and our business manager Mrs. Brown assembled yesterday in a special meeting to receive the preliminary report from the Middle States Team Chair, Mr. Bill Stevens. I am extremely happy to announce that Mr. Stevens reported that the Middle States Team recommends Saint Michael the Archangel Catholic School receive full accreditation!!! This is a tremendous accomplishment for our school and validates all the progress we have made over the years. Our partnership with you our wonderful parents/guardians has paid many dividends for our children. Mr. Stevens also commended on our great SMA family atmosphere, one of the best he has witnessed in over forty years of observations and our very strong academic program. He also commented on our fabulous team of dedicated teachers and staff which he noticed “knows everyone by name”. He discussed his interviews and casual conversations with parents who stated they are very happy and said they “feel valued here”. One parent told him “St Mike’s is like heaven on earth.” He also praised the sound financial work of the rectory: Father DiIorio and Mrs. Brown. A full official written report from MS CESS will be coming soon. Congrats to all!!! I especially want to thank our two internal coordinators Mrs. “O” and Mrs. Viola for directing the “Excellence By Design” self-study and Mrs. Anderson for her technical digital assistance. As a thank you for everyone’s hard work Father DiIorio has declared a Pastor’s holiday for Monday, December 21 and our Most Reverend Nelson J. Pérez, D.D. Archbishop of Philadelphia is giving us a day off as a thank you for our hard work reopening the Catholic School in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia (See attached letter) so we are choosing Tuesday, December 22. The Christmas holidays will begin at the 3:00 on December 18. This will give us two weeks off and everyone a well-deserved rest to enjoy and celebrate Jesus’s birth and this Christmas season. Thank you so much! It is my pleasure serving as your principal of such a fine school and parish! God’s light, Mr. “D". WHAT IS MIDDLE STATES? MIDDLE STATES Middle States Association Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools, a worldwide leader in accreditation and continuous school improvement. Middle States accreditation is a multifaceted evaluation process that schools and school systems voluntarily use to demonstrate they are meeting a defined set of research-based performance standards. The 12 Middle States Standards for Accreditation are: mission; governance and leadership; school improvement planning; finances; facilities; school organization and staff; health and safety; educational program; assessment and evidence of student learning; student services; student life and activities, and information resources. The accreditation process begins with a self-study that is conducted by the school or school system and requires input from school leaders, teachers, parents and students. Following the self-study, a team of volunteer educators from Middle States member schools conducts a peer review visit. “The Middle States accreditation process supports schools in developing a strategic plan for the future that is built upon continuous school improvement,” said Lisa Marie McCauley, Ed.D., president of the Middle States Association Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools. “Middle States accredited schools should be commended for their commitment to collaboration, growth and advancing student achievement.” About Middle States Association Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools (MSA-CESS) Based in Philadelphia, the Middle States Association is the worldwide leader in accreditation and school improvement. For over 130 years, Middle States has been helping school leaders establish and reach their goals, develop strategic plans, promote staff development and advance student achievement. With more than 2,500 accredited schools and school systems in 39 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands and in over 110 countries, MSA-CESS is proud of its continuing legacy and its ongoing innovations to meet the challenges of improving education in the 21st century. For more information visit www.msa-cess.org.

This is a description of Middle States Association . TY! God bless, Mr. "D'. The Middle States Association WHO WE ARE The Middle States Association is a worldwide leader in accreditation and school improvement. For over 125 years, Middle States has been helping school leaders establish and reach their goals, develop strategic plans, promote staff development and advance student achievement. • 11,000 More than 11,000 volunteers from our accredited schools serve as peer reviewers on accreditation teams. • 112 We have accredited members across the United States and around the world in 112 countries. • 2,600 We are proud to accredit 2,600 schools, systems, and learning services providers. • 97% 97% of accredited schools believe that Middle States accreditation improves or maintains their school’s performance. What Is Accreditation? Accreditation is a self-evaluation process that schools and school systems voluntarily use to demonstrate they are meeting a defined set of research-based performance standards. The standards examine schools in a holistic way, supplementing student-testing data to provide a more complete measure of a school’s performance and chart a strategic and realistic course for continuous school improvement. Why should your school be accredited by Middle States? 1. Helps you and your colleagues successfully establish and reach goals, develop a strategic plan, promote staff development and more. 2. Gives staff a sense of pride in their work and provides opportunities for professional development. 3. Builds coalitions of parents, teachers and administrators and unites diverse groups in the effort to provide the best outcomes possible for your students. 4. Gives your school an advantage with parents who want their children to attend a school with high standards where student achievement is paramount. 5. Without accreditation, graduates of your schools may not be able to attend certain colleges or qualify for federal grants or loans that make college possible for many students. How does the accreditation process work? The process begins with a self-study conducted by the school and requires input from a coalition of school leaders, teachers, parents and students. Following the self-study, a team of volunteer educators from Middle States-accredited schools conducts an on-site peer review to observe school operations and interview various stakeholders. The team then makes its recommendation to Middle States, where it undergoes a multi-level review by some of the best educators in the field before being approved. The MSA Standards for Accreditation When it comes to evaluating schools and school systems, the Middle States Association looks at the whole school- not just test scores. We realize that improving outcomes requires a comprehensive approach. When we assess whether a school should be accredited we look at how the school performs in 12 key areas that make up our Standards for Accreditation: Mission Governance and Leadership School Improvement Planning Finances Facilities School Organization and Staff Health and Safety Educational Program Assessment and Evidence of Student Learning Student Services Student Life and Activities Information Resources

God Bless Our Veterans Prayer for our Brave Men and Women Almighty God, You are our Creator and Sustainer. You are our Light and our Fortress. You are our Wisdom and our Strength. Lord, you moved upon us to establish this great nation. You stirred men and women to hope and to dream for a land of freedom. We praise you for this great nation. Lord, you have inspired many of our best and brightest to volunteer to proudly stand and defend our beloved country. You have given us brave and loyal men and women who have steadfastly served in their chosen branch of our military. We gather today to remember our military personnel. We acknowledge that their service enables us to walk as free men and women in this great land. Lord, today we seek to honor your sons and daughters who have served or who are serving our country. We are reminded that because of their service we can live in safety. We ask that you abundantly bless those who have previously served. May their service time be rewarded in every way. May they gain earthly and heavenly blessings from their unselfish love of country. Lord, we stop now and remember those who are currently serving. We ask that you provide them with your protection, your strength, and your peace. We ask that you would abundantly provide for all their needs. We ask that you would enable them to overcome every personal and professional obstacle. We ask that you would protect their families from hurt and harm. May each of our veterans feel honored not just today but every day. Father, we also give special recognition to our wounded warriors. We ask that they would be given the best treatments available and that you would add your blessings to all the efforts given to them to help them. We ask that you, Lord, would show them miracles as they seek to gain health, stability, and wholeness. We pray these things in Jesus' name, Amen

Great News!!! Happy Numbers Program and First In Math K and Pre K Added Today!!! By acquiring extra monies (some grants) we will now be offering Happy Numbers online program and First In Math to our PreK and kindergarten!!! This strengthens an already strong academic math program. TY! God bless, Mr. "D".

See "Useful Links".