MSM Family Connection Newsletter

This year’s Freshman Class Retreat was a special day dedicated to welcoming our newest Mounties into the Mount St. Mary Academy community and introducing them to the rich history and traditions of our school.

Throughout the day, students participated in meaningful activities with the Alumnae Office, learning about Mount St. Mary’s history, reflecting on the experience of being a Mountie today, and looking ahead to the future of our school community.

We were honored to welcome members of the Sisters of St. Mary of Namur: Sr. Caroline Smith, Sr. Roberta Fulton, Sr. Rosemary Riggie ’71, and Sr. Patricia Brown ’60, a member of the MSM Board of Trustees. The Sisters shared personal stories and reflections about their experiences, giving students an opportunity to ask questions and learn more about what Mount St. Mary Academy means to them.

A special thank-you to our Class of 2030 Faculty Moderator and former principal, Mrs. Dawn Hurley Riggie ’71, for organizing such a meaningful and memorable day. We are grateful for opportunities like this that connect our newest Mounties with the history, traditions, and people who make Mount St. Mary Academy such a special community!

Mount St. Mary Academy’s Annual Meat Raffle is less than one month away! We hope you’ll join us on Friday, November 6, for a fun evening of food, drinks (included with admission!), and plenty of chances to win!

Enjoy 12 rounds of meat raffles hosted by BestMeatRaffles.com, plus basket raffles and a 50/50 drawing. Bring your friends, try your luck, and join us for a fun night in support of our Mount community! We can’t wait to see you there!

Purchase Tickets Here!

📅 Friday, November 6

🚪 Doors Open: 6:15 PM

🎡 First Spin: 7:15 PM

This is a friendly reminder to review your upcoming November 2026 tuition payment. If your student is enrolled in any Advanced Placement courses or participates in Band or Dance Team, the associated fees will be added to your account early next week. These fees are due along with your November tuition payment by November 1.

Please take a moment to review your account online. If you have any questions about these fees or your tuition account, please contact Kathryn DeMartinis at kdemartinis@msmacademy.org.

There are two ways to report a school absence:

1. Send an email to attendance@msmacademy.org including the student’s full name and reason for the absence. Bonus -- this counts as the written note for her file. There is no need to send in a note upon return.
2. Call the school at 716-877-1358 ext. 160 and leave a message. Make sure to include the student’s full name and reason for absence. This is a line dedicated solely to attendance and can be reached at any time. Please send a note with your student upon her return to school.

The school day starts promptly at 7:45 AM in Homeroom. All students are expected to be in Homeroom and ready to go at that time. If a student arrives at school after the 7:45 bell, she should report to the Main Office (now on the ground floor), sign in, and get a pass to class.

• If the student has an appointment (doctor, etc.):

• A parent may call/email ahead of time alerting the attendance office that the student will be late. Please include her full name and reason for late arrival. If it is a medical or legal appointment, please have the professional’s office provide her with an official note (e.g., a doctor's note indicating she was seen in the office on X date and at X time). This will constitute an excused tardy.

• If a student is just running late (overslept, traffic, etc.)

• The parent should provide a note explaining the reason for late arrival. This is an unexcused tardy (i.e. there is no legal/medical reason for the late arrival). We understand that things happen. Students are allowed 5 unexcused tardies before any disciplinary action is implemented.

The school day ends at 2:30 PM. We encourage students to make any appointments after school hours, but we understand that it is not always possible. If a student needs to leave early for a medical/legal appointment, she can bring a note to the Main Office at the start of the school day, or a parent can email a note to the attendance office indicating the student’s name, time leaving, and reason for early dismissal. It will be noted on the daily attendance.

When it is time to leave, the student may come to the Main Office and sign herself out. If a note is secured ahead of time, there is no need for a parent/guardian to come into the school. If this is a last-minute situation, we will ask a parent/guardian to come into the school and sign their child out. The student MUST bring a note from the appointment to excuse the absence from remaining classes.

** Any student who misses part of a school day MUST have an official excuse note to participate in after-school activities. **

We expect that students will attend school regularly with limited absences due to illness. Please avoid planning vacations during scheduled school days. However, if you will be away for any reason, please send a note to the attendance office indicating the student's name and dates of absence.

• Absences for vacations are unexcused. Students should inform their teachers, but cannot expect them to have work ready beforehand. It is the student’s responsibility to arrange with her teachers to make up any missed work.

• If a student has a medical need for an extended absence (e.g., surgery), please also contact her school counselor. In the event of such an absence, counseling and administration will work with teachers to provide work and/or opportunities for help completing assignments.

Attendance is taken during Homeroom and in each class period. If a student is marked absent with no communication from home, the attendance office will contact household contacts to confirm the absence.

If you have any questions about attendance, please contact:

• Katie Cipollone, School Life Associate at kcipollone@msmacademy.org

• Canaan Clark, Dean of Students, at cclark@msmacademy.org

• Jennifer Pitz-Jones, Assistant Principal, at jpitzjones@msmacademy.org

Dear Students and Families,

Through our partnership with The Education Collaborative of WNY (EdCo), we’re excited to share a meaningful opportunity for students to participate in a three-day educational trip to Montgomery, Alabama, in March 2027 to visit the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI) Legacy Sites.

During the trip, students will visit EJI’s museum, memorial, and historic sites, gaining a deeper understanding of the history of racial injustice and the ongoing work of civil rights and justice in our country. These experiences provide students with an opportunity to engage with history in a way that extends far beyond the classroom.

Why Participate?

Students who have participated in similar trips have described them as deeply meaningful and memorable experiences. In addition to learning about important moments in our nation’s history, students have the opportunity to connect with one another, reflect on what they learn, and grow as leaders and engaged citizens.

Interested in Learning More?

If you and your student are interested in this opportunity, please review the attached flyer and register for the October 13 Information Session:

📅 Tuesday, October 13
🕖 7:00 PM
💻 Via Zoom

Register for the Information Session

Learn more about the EJI Legacy Sites: EJI Legacy Sites

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to Ms. Cefaratti (rcefaratti@msmacademy.org).

We’re excited to introduce you to the wonderful people who make MSM such a special place! Throughout the year, we’ll be highlighting members of our faculty and staff and sharing a few fun facts to help our families get to know the people who teach, support, and inspire our students each day. We hope you enjoy getting to know our MSM family a little better!

• What classes are you teaching, or what is your position at MSM this year? Intro to ASL & ASL 1 (American Sign Language)

• Where did you go to college, and what did you study? Niagara University, where I majored in Communications and Media Studies and minored in ASL & Deaf Studies and Film Studies.
• A fun or interesting fact about me: I was the ASL interpreter for the American and Canadian National Anthems, and the halftime show for the Buffalo Bills home opener at the new Highmark Stadium! 😄
• One of my heroes/heroines is: My mom!
• My favorite thing to do in Buffalo is: Attending Bills games & tailgates!
• My favorite hobby or way to spend my free time is: I love playing with my dogs, working out, and reading!
• A piece of advice I would give to our students is: Take the wins, the losses, the successes, and the failures as opportunities to learn and grow. Don't let anyone or anything dim your passion and determination. Hard work can and will pay off!
• My favorite part about the MSM community is: My favorite part about being a part of the MSM community is how supportive students, faculty, and staff have been in regard to this ASL program. They are just as eager for these classes to grow as I am, and that has meant so much!

• Oct. 9 - Dress Down Day & Bake Sale Day (Student Council)
• Oct. 12 - No School (Indigenous Peoples Day)
• Oct. 16 - Junior Retreat
• Oct. 16 - Dress Down Day (Bluelight Newspaper)
• Oct. 23 - Dress Down Day (Mathletes)
• Oct. 26 - WNY College Consortium
• Oct. 26 - Spirit Wear Day
• Nov. 2 - All School Mass (All Souls Day)
• Nov. 3 - No School for Students (Professional Day for Faculty)
• Nov. 4 - Blood Drive
• Nov. 6 - Dress Down & Bake Sale (Book Club)
• Nov. 6 - MSM Meat Raffle

Click here to view the full MSM Academic Calendar of Events

Counselor Connections is a monthly resource from our Wellness Department designed to keep the Mount St. Mary community informed and connected. The newsletter will be published and sent directly to your inbox on the second Tuesday of each month. You’ll also find a link to each issue here in the Family Connection Newsletter.

Please click the link below to read this month’s Counselor Connections.

Visit the official Mount St. Mary Academy Thunder athletics website to stay up to date on upcoming games, events, and more! You can also explore the team store and show your support for our Mounties as they compete and showcase their talents throughout the season.

Official Thunder Athletics Website:
Mount St. Mary Academy Thunder Athletics

Check out the athletics calendar, team schedules, and merchandise all in one place. Go Thunder!

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Mount St. Mary Academy, founded by the Sisters of St. Mary of Namur, is a Catholic, private, college preparatory school for young women. Within a nurturing and academically challenging and inclusive environment, the Academy strives to develop the whole person’s gifts and potential. Guided by our Catholic tradition, and rooted in Gospel values, we empower scholars to be leaders dedicated to lifelong learning, moral integrity, social justice, and service to and inclusion of others.

We Believe in You!

Email: information@msmacademy.org
Website: https://www.msmacademy.org
Location: 3756 Delaware Avenue, Buffalo, NY, USA
Phone: 716-877-1358
Facebook: https://facebook.com/msmacademy

Instagram: @msmacademy