Staff News

Paige is filling in again today for Maggie – who is off with her friend, Nick, helping him get ready for Christmas.  She has confirmation about an age-old question from one of our little readers that seems to come up every year at this time.  It’s the perfect thing to hear to spread a some holiday cheer!  Merry Christmas!

Is it a low continuous humming sound?  (Which could be either irritating or soothing depending on how you look at it). OR…

Advent is a phenomenal time to connect with Christ through service! Our 3rd and 8th graders have been busy connecting…

Don’t forget to join us again tomorrow morning for the monthly I&D Committee meeting – second Friday of every month at 8 AM.

We’ll be discussing details and plans for DEI representation at this year’s Open House Fair in January. Join our Flocknote to stay in the know!

https://smosstl.flocknote.com/IDE

With all of the sales going on the past few weeks, Maggie is way behind on her emails – but since shopping is on her mind, she takes the opportunity to remind everyone about the easiest way to buy something nice for the teachers and staff for Christmas this year – and you don’t even need to leave your couch to do it. Trust us – she’s not!

Maggie may have a song in her heart, but that does not mean she is musically inclined. This week, she helps out a school mom with a wicked addition – literally! Pink may go with green, yet Maggie is not envious of this poor woman’s plight – but as always, she jumps to the rescue with a confession of her own, and a suggestion to channel her energy towards a different musical venture – and one that’s easy on the pocket-book. In fact, you might say that you can enjoy this particular entertainment treat for Peanuts!

STREAM?  What does that stand for? Science, Technology,  Religion, Engineering, Art, and Math!  Did you know that all K –…

Happy Advent!  We are busy here at school preparing our hearts and minds for the coming of Christ this Christmas….

Mr. Shorter and the SMOS I&D Committee would like to thank everyone who participated in our Family Game Night.  It was a huge success!  Building relationships is an important aspect of creating a strong community.  We look forward to seeing you at the next one!

We concluded National Vocations Week the previous week – and now we’re preparing for Advent! Check out all of the details in this report.

This week a school parent reaches out to Maggie to ask for a sign about the St. Margaret Holiday Market – or more accurately, to clarify what the deal is with all the signs for the Market – and even more importantly, what exactly is being sold here by the School Library?? But have no fear… once again it’s Maggie to the rescue to provide much-needed insight into this parental confusion – must be a sign of the times!

What if you had a hankering for a s’more?   And what if you just happened to be at recess at St. Margaret of Scotland?  What would YOU do?

Here’s what our SMOS 8th graders decided to whip up!! … A Homemade Outdoor Solar Convection Oven!!

SMOS 5th Grade students have been learning about Stewardship and have been charting acts of Stewardship they have been participating in for the past several weeks.

This week we are celebrating National Vocations Awareness Week! We have had several guests who have agreed to come and…

Don’t forget about the game night sponsored by the I&D Committee coming up next week. All are welcome, and we’d especially like to introduce some of our new families of color and diversity to each other and members of the community!

This week, Maggie helps out an election-weary school parent who is potentially looking for greener pastures across the pond. But before this mom takes the plunge, Maggie has a trick up her kilt to suggest – why not try out the Scottish vibe on her Feast Day! All are welcome to join – and after all, the moors, the merrier!

Family Game Night
Where: St. Margaret of Scotland School (Cafeteria)
When: Friday, November 15th 
Time: 5pm-7pm

We’re approaching the end of October, so take one guess what topic Maggie’s inbox is flooded with this week? But if you thought it was concerning Maggie’s favorite holiday – you’d be wrong! Maggie puts her saintly spin on the details for next week’s prized holiday… and oh yes, she’ll also talk about Halloween!

If you have paper or envelopes with printing on only one side that you are looking to get rid of, please keep the school office in mind.

SMOS 5th Grade students have been learning about Stewardship and have been charting acts of Stewardship they have been participating in for the past several weeks.

“Think about all these people practicing in this space.  As we think about this shared love, I invite you to…

Maggie is sending in a column this week on her way to Scotland to fulfill every actor’s dream (and every audience’s nightmare) – a one-woman show! And while her work as a thespian may not make you cry, she gives it her all to put the “tear” into volunt-teer for this post. But have no fear, she will tear herself away to get back in time for Walk-A-Thon Saturday!

This week, Maggie trades her gossip girl hat for that of the town crier to help out a mother who is almost in tears over the prospect of one more day off of school. But have no fear – Maggie channels this panicked parent off the cliff, and onto the (Walk-A-Thon) path of tranquility with her big announcement regarding a special party for the whole school – if the fundraising goal is met this year!

Please don’t forget to join us for our monthly Inclusion & Diversity Committee Meeting, which is tomorrow morning, Friday, October 11th at 8am.

All are invited and encouraged to attend. We hope to see you there!

Hispanic Heritage Month @ SMOS Give Me Some Diversity!  The Diversity Council is getting just what they asked for!  It…

Respect Life Rosary This week we held our annual October All-School Rosary to honor Respect Life Month.  All of the…

One of the positive benefits that diversity offers is the opportunity to promote collaboration. This encourages students and adults to positively…

Last week marked our first atrium session here at SMOS as part of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program. Offered to…

Maggie turns to her trusted assistant, Page, to deliver the latest deets on a favorite upcoming event at St. Margaret’s – and inspired by Maggie’s attempt to prance her way to fitness, Page is ready to get all of you pumped and motivated for the SMOS Walk-A-Thon! Luckily for us, pearls are not required for this outing!

Writing With Play-Doh… Cuneiform!! Did you know our 6th graders time-traveled back to Mesopotamia and developed their own language?!  They…

I continue to be impressed by what our Middle School students learn, discuss, and co-create as part of the Student Diversity Committee, which is one of the electives available again this year to those in grades 6-8. Check out some fun we had last week on the playground mimicking a TikTok viral challenge – it was the students’ idea and they loved filming it!

The Summit:Calling all 6-8th graders!  On Thursday, November 7, the Office of Youth Ministry will be hosting The Summit, an event…

If you’re like Maggie, you might just FALL in love with all of the autumn-y goodness coming up at SMOS in the next couple of weeks! This week, Maggie spills the (coffee) beans on her Favorite Fall Things and presents a list that is sure to please even the most ardent of pumpkin-spice-season detesters among us!

Maggie helps out a confused Papa who is showing his poker face when his daughter insists that he join her for Gaga on the playground during school! Turns out it’s a chance to help out at recess – play soccer, throw a ball, or even learn the latest TikTok craze – and just dance! Luckily for him, Maggie steps in to show him how to get set-up for duty… and avoid a bad romance with the school admin staff!

USDA Truck Visits SMOS What IS that?!  Is that a Bouncy House?! As I bounced over to the Purcell Hall…

Thank you very much for the warm welcome back from maternity leave. It has been so great to be able…

I hope that you will be able to join us tomorrow morning for the first I&D Committee Meeting of this new school year.  Just like last year, we’ll start our meetings right after the morning bell and prayers – in the Teacher’s Lounge at School.  So, drop your kids off and come on into the building for the meeting.  We’ll be finished by 8:45am at the latest.

I invite all of you to attend and learn more about our Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity efforts at St. Margaret’s for 2024-2025.  We’ve got some exciting things in the works!  See you tomorrow!

Maggie is switching gears this week before she jets out the door to hobnob on the red carpet with Chappell Roan. But always thinking of the SMOS community first, she brings us her entry for the parish cookbook with one of her family’s favorites – and with ingredients like this, she might just add, “Good Luck, Babe!”

Middle School Choir 5 Part Harmony?!  Is there such a thing?!  You bet!  And Mrs. Chrostoski, best known as Mrs….

This week it’s a school grandparent who reaches out to Maggie for some insight on the upcoming Mass In The Grass. Maggie gets into the weed(s) on this one to give some SMOS background on the event, and lead Grandpa out of his haze!

7th Grade Science The other day, I was pleasantly working in my office when two lovely 7th graders entered with…

This past week, we were thrilled to kick off our 2024-2025 Student Diversity Council. Students gathered for our first meeting,…

This week Maggie hears from a peppy parent who is looking to add a little spirit into her wear at SMOS events! Maggie helps this parent go from drab to fab with new arrivals from our (local) fashion partner – just in time to show off the latest Fall looks on the soccer sidelines this season!

Welcome back, dragons! We are thrilled to kick off the 2024-2025 school year. I hope everyone had a fantastic and…

Our Coordinator of Religious Education (CRE), Gwen Heithaus, is still out on maternity leave with her beautiful daughter, Miriam, until September 10th….

Welcome to the 2024-2025 Curriculum Corner of our SMOS Newsletter! Here we hope to bring you the exciting news of…

Maggie has been having one heckuva brat Summer! She’s just getting back into the swing of things now – and she’s ready for her close-up, Mr. Demille! Maggie is here this week to tell you how to put the MORE in glaMOUR!

Here’s the list of Middle School Electives for the First Trimester of 2024-2025.

We are pleased to welcome Ms. Betsy Tullis as our new Suzuki Violin Teacher at St. Margaret of Scotland School.

We are pleased to welcome Ms. Molly Skiljan as our new STREAM Teacher at St. Margaret of Scotland School.

We are pleased to welcome Ms. Adriyanna Salameh as our new Third Grade Lead Teacher at St. Margaret of Scotland School.

Maggie’s got big plans over the Summer – and they involve TV. Not watching it – being on it! She plans to be the ultimate game show contestant, and since this is the last official newsletter for this school year, she plans to take full advantage of her early exit. So, this is goodbye until August – or as they say in television, that’s a wrap!

This week our 4th grade students went to do service at Tower Grove Park. They did a great job living out the Catholic Social Teaching tenet of caring for God’s creation! 

Don’t forget to join us tomorrow morning for the final I&D Meeting of the School year – in the Teacher’s Lounge.

In today’s CIDE update, Mr. Shorter uses the life of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and a quote attributed to her, to remind us the importance of slowing down and taking the time to learn from those around us.

Each week, we will be highlighting the amazing and wonderful things that are happening in our classrooms and grade levels…

This week, Maggie reaches out to rescue a school Mom with a titanic dilemma – she’s sunk when it comes to handling more in May (and no, it’s not because of all of this rain!) Maggie votes for a little focus on the School Board election, and assures her that she’s not all wet if she just moves onto Summer vacation now, and let’s the rest of it go.

The 7th Grade class has been busy this Spring… Science, History, ELA, and LOTS of Electives have been at the forefront.

The school’s celebration of the SMOS ‘No Place For Hate’ program, sponsored by the Student Diversity Council, has been a great success this week. Themes have included Motivate Monday, Together Tuesday, Welcoming Wednesday, and Thankful Thursday.

In today’s CIDE update, Mr. Shorter uses a quote from Venerable Pierre Toussaint to remind us that in a society that encourages personal gain, we as followers of Christ, have an obligation to help the poor.

Last week many of our SMOS students received the sacrament of Confirmation. Part of their preparation involved writing a letter to Archbishop Rozanski, Fr. John, Mr. Schmidt, or myself.

In this week’s column, Maggie promises not to deny service to a parental techie who wants her to download the deets about Dragon’s Grove 2.0. The answer is as simple as ABC, but explaining this alpha-bet soup to a beta-loving dad proves that Maggie can put the AI in sAInt!

Lots going on in Sixth Grade this week! Sixth graders play cards to practice their math and work on building their own helicopters as part of their studies on the Renaissance and Leonardo da Vinci. And in Science, they’re working on a live broadcast project as part of their unit on weather and climate – plus recording data for a published paper.

Happy May! Traditionally we celebrate Mary throughout the month of May. Have you thought about how you would like to celebrate with your family this year? Read on for some ideas…

Remember that next week, May 6-10, St. Margaret of Scotland will be participating in the “No Place for Hate” program – which was created by the Anti-Defamation League and promotes school culture, anti-bullying, and inclusivity. Mr. Shorter has planned the week with his Student Diversity Council. Themes will include Motivate Monday, Together Tuesday, Welcoming Wednesday, Thankful Thursday, and Field Day Friday.

In today’s CIDE update, Mr. Shorter gives more detail about this important spirit week, and also provides some insight thanks to none other than The Rock, on the motivating factors of adversity.

This week our students talked a lot about how to be good stewards of our Earth. God created such a beautiful gift for us – we are called to love and care for it!

Maggie’s column is usurped today by her trusty admin, Gen (as in St. Genesius, the patron saint of secretaries), who has an axe to grind with our Ms. Maggie (which has nothing to do with the rumors of his beheading!) It appears that Gen was all-but-forgotten yesterday for Administrative Professionals Day – and he wants to make sure that we all didn’t lose our heads and forget to thank Chris Stephens & Jennifer Shearer for everything they do around the school!

Not only did the 5th Graders perform in the Dancing Classrooms competition this week – they also discovered a lot about ecosystems using their class terrariums AND put on their teacher hats to educate their classmates about the Civil War. Phew!

We at St. Margaret have been an active participant in the No Place for Hate program for the past few years. This year we will celebrate the program with a weeklong spirit week. This spirit week will take place May 6th- May 10th. In today’s CIDE update from Coordinator of Inclusion, Diversity, & Equity – Corey Shorter, we learn about No Place For Hate – and get more insight into the “disease of hate” from a quote by India Arie.

The hills are alive with the sounds of… Beyonce?!? In this week’s column, Maggie steps in to sashay a Mom confused about the Family Dance into the right tempo. Maggie’s here with all the deets before you can say so long, farewell!

In today’s CIDE update from Coordinator of Inclusion, Diversity, & Equity – Corey Shorter, we learn about Charles Darwin and the need AND importance of being able to adapt – not only to our surroundings, but to God’s will for us.

Have you been to one of our class Masses lately??? On the third weekend of each month, a different grade level is celebrated at the 10:00am on Sunday mornings. Join our kindergarteners at 10:00 Mass this Sunday! Looking for another incentive to go to Mass this weekend? Two of our 7th graders will be receiving sacraments at that Mass. One of our 7th graders will be baptized, and he will be joined by another 7th grader in receiving First Communion. Please pray for these two students and for all who will be receiving sacraments in the weeks to come!

Lots of exciting stuff going on in 4th Grade the past couple of weeks! The work in the classrooms have been focused heavily on everything earth-related. And yesterday, a group of students were the subject of an coming story by KMOV Channel 4.

Maggie is back this week with tough love for a SMOS parent whose ability to control her inbox has been eclipsed by Spring Break and a certain solar event.

In today’s CIDE update from Coordinator of Inclusion, Diversity, & Equity – Corey Shorter, we find a quote from NASA Astronaut, Christa McAuliffe, which teaches us to remove the limitations from your dreams, accomplish your goals, and SOAR!

No Families in Faith tonight.  Parent Prayer tomorrow at 7:55am in the Hesed Outdoor Classroom! This week many of our…

Exciting news from third-grade math! 

Our third graders have embarked on a colorful, hands-on journey into the world of fractions with Skittles, making learning both engaging and memorable!

This week, Maggie consoles a school parent who’s caught up in the lack of a Spring Break grind – by commiserating about her lackluster vacation plans too – all while reminiscing about her younger days… and a Spring Break “Grind” of another sort.

No parent prayer tomorrow because on Friday morning, the 6th grade class will present a Living Stations of the Cross on the School Parking Lot. The “actors” will pose and hold still as the teacher of the class coming through reads a reflection/reading. Classes come individually throughout the morning/day.  This will be open to all school parents, as well as any other parishioners who wish to join us to walk through – from 8:15-10:15am.

Currently, the 2nd Grade classes are working on the science unit: Cycles in Nature in Reading. Students are learning about many of the natural cycles that make life on Earth possible. This week, they are learning about the life cycle of flowering plants and trees. 

In today’s CIDE update from Coordinator of Inclusion, Diversity, & Equity – Corey Shorter, we check in on the life of Amelia Earhart — and through her words we learn the importance of taking flight with the opportunities you are given; and if you are not given them, creating your own opportunities from the ground up.

Maggie to the rescue again this week to bail out a mother who, let’s just say, didn’t exactly tell the truth about where she was this Tuesday night. Now she needs Maggie to fill her in on all of the hot scoop from the PTA meeting this week, so her teenage daughter doesn’t find out that she was fibbing and went out for wine with her mom-friends at Sasha’s instead of heading to the School.

This past week in First Grade, the students were hard at work on their animal research projects, as well as creating shapes using smaller shapes.

Through the strength shown by this week’s Featured Leader, Jaqueline Kennedy, we are taught to not let oneself to be overcome by sadness. It’s an important lesson in today’s CIDE update from Coordinator of Inclusion, Diversity, & Equity – Corey Shorter.

Tonight’s gathering of Families in Faith has been POSTPONED until April 11. There will be NO event tonight. Taking place in our school cafeteria, these informal get-togethers are geared toward families looking to build community here in our parish and school. All are welcome! We will gather at 7:00pm and childcare is provided. Please RSVP using the link below, so that we know how many children will need care! The link has been updated to show the new, correct date.  Click the link below for the rest of this week’s CRE Update with Gwen Heithaus.

Please join us tomorrow (Friday) morning for Parent Prayer in the Hesed Outdoor Classroom! All are welcome.  Also, in this week in the CRE Update with Gwen Heithaus, news about the 6th Grade Retreat and learning about black saints for Black History month (lots of pics inside!).

In today’s CIDE update from Coordinator of Inclusion, Diversity, & Equity – Corey Shorter, we learn about the first African-American, Native American, female pilot in the United States and through her story learn the importance of making a plan and sticking to it.

This week our kindergarten was working hard.  From working on dictation of CVC words, to learning about African American Saints, to breaking about numbers, and St. Patrick’s Day – it was a busy few days!

This week, Maggie jumps in to help repair the generational divide between a daughter and her mother – over what SMOS activities are appropriate for the granny-set! Of course, being a grandma herself gives Maggie a leg up, as she tries to explain that the answer may just lie in a recess-ive family gene!

It’s always FAIR weather when Maggie comes to the aid of a school parent with a daunting question, and this week is no exception. In this week’s column, Maggie clarifies why a student is looking to extort fifty bucks from his cash-strapped parents for the library.

In this week in the CRE Update with Gwen Heithaus, one great way to pray with your kids this Lent is to take them through the Stations of the Cross. Gwen provides several resources available online to use at home.

In today’s CIDE update from Coordinator of Inclusion, Diversity, & Equity – Corey Shorter, we are reminded about the importance of perseverance, with a quote from Nelson Mandela, who lived his life battling the seemingly impossible every day.

This week’s Curriculum Corner will focus on our preschool classes.  While they may be the youngest in the school, they are certainly focused on some big learning in the classroom.

Each week, we will be highlighting the amazing and wonderful things that are happening in our classrooms and grade levels at St. Margaret of Scotland School. We are very proud of the work our teachers do with our students and are amazed by what happens at SMOS. Our goal is to share more about the hidden gem that is St. Margaret’s.

Each week, we will be highlighting the amazing and wonderful things that are happening in our classrooms and grade levels at St. Margaret of Scotland School. We are very proud of the work our teachers do with our students and are amazed by what happens at SMOS. Our goal is to share more about the hidden gem that is St. Margaret’s.

In this week in the CRE Update with Gwen Heithaus, it’s everything Ash Wednesday, as we celebrate as a school and parish community. It was so wonderful to see all of the children at Mass – even our preschoolers! See all of the pics inside!

There’s something fishy going on in Maggie’s column this week – and it’s not the question about who the Feastie Boys really are, but the details about what makes the SMOS Fish Fry so good? Hint, hint – it may not take a lot of cooks in the kitchen, but it is necessary to have 4 Hands!

In today’s CIDE update from Coordinator of Inclusion, Diversity, & Equity – Corey Shorter, we have a lesson from our Featured Leader for this week, Malcolm X, who teaches us the importance of standing up for something that you believe strongly about – and that not doing so will cause us to settle in life.

In this week’s column, Maggie hears from a parent who’s stuck in holiday hell – trying to juggle the indulgences of Valentine’s Day and the restrictions of Ash Wednesday. But as Maggie reminds her, not all is lost – and that there may just be a way to have her King Cake and eat it too!

Hoping to see all of you at the Inclusion & Diversity Committee meeting tomorrow morning at 8AM at School. We’ll be discussing all things Black History Month. In today’s CIDE update from Coordinator of Inclusion, Diversity, & Equity – Corey Shorter, we learn about Frederick Douglass and are reminded that sometimes we often think if we don’t have the right amount of people in our corner or we don’t have the tools or resources needed to be successful, but all that we really need is God.

In this week in the CRE Update with Gwen Heithaus, we wrap-up Catholic Schools Week with a look at our Spirit Day festivities and pray together for the Feast of St. Josephine Bakhita. Plus, be sure to VOTE FOR SMOS in the TinySaints CSW contest – it’s a chance to win Tiny Saints of Margaret for the entire school! The school with the most votes wins!!

Today, it’s not a parent, but none other than Ms. Jen Shearer with a request for Maggie – she is getting buried alive by your kids, or rather, by your kids’ stuff! She needs help to dig out of the Lost & Found pile before Mr. Holley files a missing person’s report, and considers her a goner. Have no fear – Ms. Shearer is still on the job, but any unclaimed items that are not “found” by February 20 will soon be “lost” to SVdP. Once again, it’s Maggie to the rescue!

News about the history of Black History Month, plus our positive quote of the week is from Langston Hughes who reminds us that dreams are very important – they help provide our purpose. All this and much more in today’s CIDE update from Coordinator of Inclusion, Diversity, & Equity – Corey Shorter.

Happy Catholic Schools Week! We have had a blast celebrating our Catholic identity here at SMOS this week, and there is more fun still to come! Check out some of the highlights from this week in the CRE Update with Gwen Heithaus.

If your oldest child is even less responsible than the US Postal Service is these days when it comes to delivering paperwork, you might not be alone. This week, Maggie helps out a mom who has the registration blues – with just the right note to help fix her document drama.

Once again, please feel free to join us tomorrow for our Parent Prayer in the Hesed Outdoor Classroom at 7:50am to start the day with a little bit of Jesus. Also in this week’s CRE Update with Gwen Heithaus, we are reminded of the importance of bringing our children to Mass this weekend (especially) and every Sunday.

As his birthday month approaches, we are reminded by Abraham Lincoln that you can choose how to live your life, making it one of purpose or not – that and much more all in this week’s CIDE update from Coordinator of Inclusion, Diversity, & Equity (CIDE) Corey Shorter.

After a night out with her friends, Maggie is at a loss for words – not because she doesn’t have anything to say – but because she hasn’t a clue where her phone is!?! She’ll be back with answers to your pressing questions next week, but in the meantime, she reminisces this week about her favorite time of year – Catholic Schools Week (what else?)!

This week, we learn an important lesson from the King of Swat himself, Babe Ruth, who reminds us that the most courageous thing we can do is “try” – that and much more all in this week’s CIDE update from Coordinator of Inclusion, Diversity, & Equity (CIDE) Corey Shorter.

We have our next Faith in Families program – “Addressing Tough Questions” – this evening at 7:00pm in the School Cafeteria. All are welcome! And also, please feel free to join us once again tomorrow for our Parent Prayer in the Hesed Outdoor Classroom at 7:50am to start the day with a little bit of Jesus. And read on for more info in this week’s CRE Update with Gwen Heithaus.

This week, Maggie grabs her shovel and digs into the details of the School’s snow day plans, to help an artic-addled mom dig out from the avalanche of weather forecasts brought forth by her doppler-addicted husband.

Was one of your New Year’s Resolutions to grow in faith this year? Join us tomorrow for our first Parent Prayer of 2024! All are welcome to come to the Hesed Outdoor Classroom at 7:50am to start the day with a little bit of Jesus. And read on for more ideas of resolutions to make in this week’s CRE Update with Gwen Heithaus.

Join us at the next Inclusion & Diversity Committee meeting on Friday, January 12th at 8am at the school. In this week’s CIDE update from Coordinator of Inclusion, Diversity, & Equity (CIDE) Corey Shorter, we reflect on a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King about being of service to others as our true purpose in life.

We are still in the Christmas season as Ms. Heithaus explains in this week’s CRE update, and next up is Epiphany. Here at SMOS, we will celebrate with an Epiphany Prayer Service on Monday, January 8 at 2:15pm. All are invited to come and celebrate as our 3rd graders lead us in prayer and reflection!

In this week’s CIDE update from Coordinator of Inclusion, Diversity, & Equity (CIDE) Corey Shorter, we are reminded (by the late Rosalynn Carter) that we will fall short of perfection in some areas of our lives and that’s just fine – Once we accept the fact of not being perfect, then we will gain confidence with doing the best we can.

This week, Maggie is asked to help out a Mom who is desperately seeking sitters during this holiday season! As she explains, trusting the walking dead to watch your kids isn’t the best idea – but Maggie comes to the rescue with the details about the SMOS Babysitters Directory.

This week we celebrated the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe (12/12), and Ms. Heithaus has some really fun facts about the story of Our Lady and St. Juan Diego in this week’s CRE update!

In this week’s CIDE update from Coordinator of Inclusion, Diversity, & Equity (CIDE) Corey Shorter, we are reminded (by the late Rosalynn Carter) that we will fall short of perfection in some areas of our lives and that’s just fine – Once we accept the fact of not being perfect, then we will gain confidence with doing the best we can.

Happy Hanukkah to all of our Jewish friends and family!!

As was mentioned in the last Dear Maggie column, school-parent Jenny Hill has been going into all of the classrooms this week to teach the kids about the Festival of Lights!

Jenny is so grateful for the opportunity to have conversations with the students about her faith and about her family’s traditions in celebrating Hanukkah.  She wanted to share her experiences with all of you.

Do you know someone (maybe it’s you?) who would be interested to join our incredible SMOS team?  We are looking…

This week, Maggie brings in a guest columnist to help her answer a question from a parent who has a dreidel dilemma in his household. Who better than the OG Bubbeh, St. Anne (grandma of Jesus) to help light this menorah!

Our ability to dream is beyond powerful and will one day dictate the greatness of our future. Dreams are visions given from God and with the right discipline and commitment they will become our reality- that’s what we learn in the quote from Eleanor Roosevelt in today’s CIDE update from Coordinator of Inclusion, Diversity, & Equity (CIDE) Corey Shorter.

Tomorrow (Dec. 8) is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception – it is a Holy Day of Obligation for all Catholics, and the students will celebrate Mass at 8:15am (all are welcome to join!).
Also, Mrs. Heithaus has news (and photos!) about the 1st Graders visit to Ronald McDonald House – all in this week’s Coordinator of Religious Education (CRE) update.

This week, Maggie helps out a parent who is trying to figure out where all of the religious hype her daughter brings home is coming from. It’s a mystery wrapped up in a retreat – a real who-done-it for Maggie to put on her best Jessica Fletcher sweater and get to the bottom of. But have no fear, she’ll get this mom CLUED in!

Happiness is a commodity to produce and consume – that’s the lesson from Helen Keller in today’s CIDE update from Coordinator of Inclusion, Diversity, & Equity (CIDE) Corey Shorter. Also, details about International Day of Persons with Disabilities, as well as Hannukkah.

Parent Prayer is BACK tomorrow after the holiday hiatus (and every Friday) at 7:50am – all are welcome to join in a few moments of prayer. Also, Mrs. Heithaus has news (and photos!) about the 3rd Graders visits to Isaiah 58 this month – all in this week’s Coordinator of Religious Education (CRE) update.

Maggie helps out a parent who has committed the ultimate sin – they threw away their child’s artwork! Nothing like back in her day though, when it was off with your head! As she ponders her own visage in the art world, she has some advice on how to redirect that artistic passion into more constructive means to help the school.

Last Friday, 14 students had the opportunity to attend The Summit, an Archdiocesan event for Middle Schoolers; plus Mrs. Heithaus explains about her day with a caterpillar named Frank Diggy – all in this week’s Coordinator of Religious Education (CRE) update.

Believing that you can, removes the chains of doubt, fear, and unbelief. Scripture tells us that God didn’t give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and self- discipline. BELIEVE! More on this from the positive quote of the week as well as other November details in today’s CIDE update from Coordinator of Inclusion, Diversity, & Equity (CIDE) Corey Shorter.

Maggie is on the march – literally! No, she was not kidnapped… just relocated from the Rectory to the new Dragon’s Grove 2.0, where she now sits under the newly situated garden dome. Stop by for a visit anytime – she’d love to catch up!

This week the students celebrated National Vocations Awareness Week by welcoming several visitors to our school to talk about how God calls each of us to our own vocation, plus parent prayer tomorrow, collecting spices for Thanksgiving, and the prayer chalice program begins – all in this week’s update from Coordinator of Religious Education (CRE) Gwen (Cataldo) Heithaus.

Details about the SMOS PTA Inclusion & Diversity Committee Meeting on Friday morning, 11/10 at 8am – join us for “Coffee With Corey” after dropping your children off tomorrow! Plus, the positive quote for this week from Martin Luther King and more details in today’s CIDE update from Coordinator of Inclusion, Diversity, & Equity (CIDE) Corey Shorter.

Dear Parents – 

Just an FYI – I will be out of school for medical leave (everything is FINE!) for somewhere between 4-6 weeks.   I will be checking email, but I just ask for patience if it may take a little longer to get a reply from me. Please know I already CANNOT wait to be back around you and your children once more.  Thanks so much!

Christine Stephens

What does Maggie do to honor the Day of the Dead? Well, Alexa may not know, but Maggie does! This week, she shares her personal celebration of Día de los Muertos, and of course, it involves alcohol and hanging out with her two besties. If only we could now answer the question of whether Alexa is a ghost or just an annoying know-it-all.

In this week’s CIDE update, Coordinator of Inclusion, Diversity, & Equity (CIDE) Corey Shorter highlights key October and November events, shares a quote on imagination by Albert Einstein, and reminds us that we’ve all been given a very special gift from God.

Contributions were made to Isaiah 58, 8th graders created prayer cards for a shooting vigil, first graders made Halloween decorations for the Ronald McDonald House, and a prayer chalice program has begun – all in this week’s update from Coordinator of Religious Education (CRE) Gwen (Cataldo) Heithaus.

St. Margaret of Scotland School’s contract with St. Louis Counseling ensures daily counselling. With Kara Nacke’s departure, they’re seeking a new 3-day counselor. Kaycee Maurer continues part-time.

This week, Maggie is helping to cure everyone’s sweet-tooth on the details for Halloween plans at School this year – no tricks, just treats!

This week we highlight featured leader Manny Pacquiao and are reminded about the importance of keeping positive people around us for support and to keep on the right path. Click the link for this week’s update from the Coordinator of Inclusion, Diversity, & Equity (CIDE) Corey Shorter.

The first Faith In Families is tonight in the School Cafeteria at 7:00 PM. Also, news about Parent Prayer on Friday mornings, including next week’s service for the conflict in Israel, and well as details about “prayer chalices” in this week’s update from Coordinator of Religious Education (CRE) Gwen (Cataldo) Heithaus.

These faculty members joined us at or just after the start of the school year. Please join us in welcoming them to the SMOS community!

This week, Maggie is getting lyrical about her very NOT secret closet, as she threads the needle about how to find Maggie’s Closet and what all of the hub-bub is about… bub!

News about the first Families in Faith program starting up, as well as details and pics from the 3rd Grade retreat – all in this week’s update from Coordinator of Religious Education (CRE) Gwen (Cataldo) Heithaus.

More events for the month of October, plus featured leader Wilma Mankiller and a poem. Also, we are reminded that true success is accompanied by some failures – in this week’s update from the Coordinator of Inclusion, Diversity, & Equity (CIDE) Corey Shorter.

These one-hour-long social events will include a short talk, followed by discussion opportunities, practical tips and activities to take home… and a lot of socializing.

This week, Maggie’s puts on her Buzzfeed pants and dishes out some sound advice for a parent who is feeling stressed from all of the Fall activities – too many events, too little time, and not enough Pumpkin Spiced Lattes to go around!

Lots of dates to remember this week in October. We are reminded that sometimes we can become so blinded by revenge that we don’t take into consideration the adverse effects of our poor decision making – in this week’s update from the Coordinator of Inclusion, Diversity, & Equity (CIDE) Corey Shorter.

News about Respect Life Month activities, including the annual baby bottle collection for Our Lady’s Inn – all in this week’s update from Coordinator of Religious Education (CRE) Gwen (Cataldo) Heithaus.

News about the new Faith In Families program which starts up this month, as well as fun pics of students creating angels to celebrate the feast of Guardian Angels – all in this week’s update from Coordinator of Religious Education (CRE) Gwen (Cataldo) Heithaus.

Lots of events heading into October. We are reminded that our differences shouldn’t be considered a disadvantage, but that bringing different perspectives “to the table” is what makes our communities unique – in this week’s update from the Coordinator of Inclusion, Diversity, & Equity (CIDE) Corey Shorter.

This week, Maggie’s all about the links – but it’s not the school website that has her excited, it’s the annual golf tournament! Check out the advice she has for one SMOS Dad who is worried his game may not be up to par enough to participate.

In this week’s column, Maggie helps out a Mom who’s gone missing in action with school events – and gets her back on track with the Sunday Class Mass schedule – yes, it is a thing, and yes, there is a signup!

We are reminded to give ourselves the credit we deserve and also, see the flyer for the new Student Diversity Committee – in this week’s update from the Coordinator of Inclusion, Diversity, & Equity (CIDE) Corey Shorter.

7th & 8th Grade students participated in National Migrant Week activities in this week’s update from Coordinator of Religious Education (CRE) Gwen (Cataldo) Heithaus.

In this week’s column, Maggie gives the FACTS on the fast, direct way to email your questions to her at maggie@stmargaretstl.org. You’ve got mail!

Fun details and pics from scavenger hunts in Church in this week’s update from Coordinator of Religious Education (CRE) Gwen (Cataldo) Heithaus.

We are reminded that personal achievements are good but if we’re not giving back to our community, then our efforts and achievements would be in vain – in this week’s update from the Coordinator of Inclusion, Diversity, & Equity (CIDE) Corey Shorter.

In this week’s column, Maggie takes a question from a reader who’s looking to get into the “Act” when it comes to checking out some new choir music!

Details about how your family can join in with the school children’s celebration of all things Mary in this week’s update from Coordinator of Religious Education (CRE) Gwen (Cataldo) Heithaus.

A number of dates and celebrations are highlighted in this week’s update from the Coordinator of Inclusion, Diversity, & Equity (CIDE) Corey Shorter.

This week, Maggie has a question from a Nellie superfan – Nellie Hoppman that is – who wonders what social groups Maggie participates in, similar to the SMOS Moms & Dads groups?

Each year, the PTA provides stipends to each of the lead and specials teachers, so that they can buy something…

¡Hola! Bienvenido a las clases de español en St. Margaret of Scotland.  Spanish class has returned to the school day!

Join the new Mrs. Heithaus for Friday morning prayer starting on 9/89 – details in this week’s update from Coordinator of Religious Education (CRE) Gwen Cataldo Heithaus.

Updates for the end of August with the Coordinator of Inclusion, Diversity, & Equity (CIDE) Corey Shorter.

We are excited to report that our new Middle School Electives program is off to a great start!  

This week, Maggie is helping decide the pressing debate of “Team Monday” or “Team Friday” for a laundry weary parent. So what’s it going to be Maggie – which team are you on?!?

First school Mass and the 8th Grade St. Margaret play are in this week’s update from Coordinator of Religious Education (CRE) Gwen Cataldo.

Updates for August with the Coordinator of Inclusion, Diversity, & Equity (CIDE) Corey Shorter.

This week, Maggie has a very pressing question from a certain “Perplexed Principal” who needs her to spill the tea one of her favorite topics – herself! So, exactly who is Ms. Maggie??

Learn about the our returning Coordinator of Religious Education (CRE) Gwen Cataldo.

Learn about the new Coordinator of Inclusion, Diversity, & Equity (CIDE) Corey Shorter.

Mrs. Chrostoski and Ms. Betsey are so excited for another year of music, learning and joy!  Please see the attached schedules…

This week, Maggie tackles the age-old SMOS gift-giving conundrum… what do I get my kid’s teacher for Christmas that they really will want, rather than jsut add to their “World’s Greatest Teacher” mug collection?