CONGRATULATIONS KINDERGARTEN ~ For the 4th year in a row Mrs. Jewell's Kindergarten class has lead the way for the McDonald's "Reading is a Magic Trip" Reading Program!

This year students in grades K through 4th participated in the McDonald's Restaurant's Reading Program.  Starting in September and continuing through April, students received monthly reading logs to record the titles of the books or the number of minutes they read.  Monthly goals were determined by their teacher and upon completing the reading log he or she received a coupon for a free McDonald's Happy Meal.  Teachers kept track of the reading logs turned in each month because the classroom that completed the most reading logs for the school year would earn a McDonald's ice cream and cake party in their classroom.

All of our students worked very hard and the top three classes combined for a total of 203 completed reading logs!  Kindergarten was the winning class with 112, 1st grade - 84, and 2nd grade - 78.  We are very proud of all of our students but this "crown" is one Mrs. Jewell is very proud to earn for four years straight!!  Kindergarten will enjoy their cake and ice cream party on Monday, May 20th.

Thank you parents for encouraging your child to read and for participating in the "Reading is a Magic Trip"  adventure here at SMCS!!

It is hard to believe May is here and another school year is almost over.  This month is always a busy one with various school activities and programs, Mother's Day, graduations and the excitement that summer is almost here!  My oldest will graduate from Hayden Catholic High School on May 19th and attend Pittsburg State University in the fall.  It doesn't seem that long ago that he was walking the halls of SMCS.  The older they get, the faster the years go by!  I am very thankful for the education he received here at SMCS that prepared him for Hayden and for the education at Hayden that will prepare him for PSU.  We are truly blessed with the opportunity for all our children to attend Catholic schools.

Important library dates:  May 7 & 8 will be the last week students check out books from the library.  All books will then be due on May 14 & 15.

I will be running overdue notices and sending those home with students May 14 & 15.  We talk about all the fun places lost library books like to hide: under the bed, in and under couches, under and behind dressers, within your book collections at home, and in their desks at school.  All overdue notices will list the title of the book and the replacement fee if the book is lost.

Students will also be receiving information about the Summerfest Reading Program offered by the Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library - "Dig into Reading" is the summer theme.  SMCS was the Summer Reading Champion in 2006 and 2007.  We would like our students to earn this award again so please visit summerfest.tscpl.org for more information and to sign up for the summer reading program.  Students are encouraged to visit the TSCPL or the Adventure Mobile throughout the summer to continue their reading skills.  We would not want all that hard work from August to May to be forgotten so bridge the gap for June and July by reading a little every day!!

National Library Week is observed the second week in April and is an annual celebration of the contribution of our nation's libraries and librarians and to promote library use and support. The theme this year is "Communities matter @ your library."

Many school libraries also celebrate the month of April as School Library Month.  At St. Matthew we use School Library Month and National Library Week to continue to motivate students to read and encourage them as the end of the school year draws near, to utilize the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library and bookmobile and participate in the wonderful summer reading program offered by TSCPL in June and July.  More information regarding the summer reading program will be coming home in May.

Students are currently enjoying the following books:

2nd - Calendar Club, The Case of the April Fool's Frogs by Nancy Star

3rd  - The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick (Caldecot Award Winner)

4th - The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs by Betty Birney (past William Allen White Nominee)

5th - Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper (current William Allen White Nominee)

6th  &  7th - Zora and Me by Victoria Bond & T. R. Simon (current William Allen White Nominee)

8th - Who Was Abraham Lincoln? by Janet Pascal

Kindergarten, 1st and the ELC are enjoying books about Easter and the various letters and themes in their classrooms. 

Classes will visit the library once a week as follows:  Grades 1, 3, 5 & 6 on Tuesdays and on Wednesdays, Preschool, PreK, and grades K, 2, 4, 7 & 8.