MSM Family Connection Newsletter

Tuesday, 10/6 is PSAT/NMSQT Testing Day for the 10th & 11th grades, Freshmen Retreat for the 9th grade. These experiences are mandatory for all students. Regular bus transportation is in place, with afternoon pick up at usual time. The kitchen will serve breakfast (7:00-7:40 am) and then lunch for those who would like it after the PSAT until 11:30 am.

Seniors are provided with a day off to use a college visit day.

Please contact Mrs. Kelli Shepard (kshepard@msmacademy.org) with any questions about the PSAT and Mrs. Dawn Riggie (driggie@msmacademy.org) with any questions about the Freshmen Retreat.

Sophomores and juniors will take the PSAT/NMSQT on Tuesday, October 6. Please review the following reminders to help students and families prepare for testing day:

• Testing Time: The test includes two sections (Reading/Writing, and Math), with a 10-minute break in between. Total testing time is 2 hours and 14 minutes.
• Arrival: Students should arrive at school no later than 7:45 a.m.
• What to Bring: Students should bring a calculator, pen/pencil, a FULLY CHARGED DEVICE, and a water bottle/snack (optional).
• After Testing: Students may leave school once testing is complete or wait in the cafe for their ride. Breakfast will be provided, along with a limited lunch selection at the times noted above.
• Dress: Students may dress down for the day.
• Attendance: Please remember that this is a mandatory school day!

We wish our sophomores and juniors the best as they prepare for testing day!

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

A big thank-you to our MSM community for making the Serve Club’s Peanut Butter and Jelly Drive a success! Last week, our students collected an incredible 78 jars of peanut butter (68 creamy/smooth and 10 crunchy) and 56 jars of jelly and jam (32 grape, 17 strawberry, and 7 assorted varieties).

All donations will be delivered to the Food Pantry at St. Francis Parish in North Tonawanda to help support those in need in our community.

Thank you to everyone who donated and helped make this drive such a success!

SJCI Campus Ministry is excited to invite our MSM community to join an educational travel experience to central Italy with WorldStrides! This trip offers the opportunity to explore Italy while earning transferable college credit through George Mason University. Parents, alumni, board members, teachers, and other interested community members are all welcome to participate.

Interested in finding out more? Join an interest meeting on Monday, October 5, at 6:00 p.m. to learn more about this exciting opportunity, ask questions, and discover what the trip has to offer.

For more information, visit educationaltravel.com/Cole-6934. If you have any questions, please contact Abbey Cole, Campus Minister at SJCI, at acole@sjci.com.

Get ready for a fun-filled evening at Mount St. Mary Academy’s Annual Meat Raffle! Join us for delicious food, drinks, plenty of laughs, and lots of chances to win!

📅 Friday, November 6
🚪 Doors Open: 6:15 PM

🎡 First Spin: 7:15 PM

The evening will feature 12 rounds of meat, hosted by BestMeatRaffles.com, along with basket raffles and a 50/50! Best of all, your participation helps support Mount St. Mary Academy. Gather your friends, bring your luck, and join us for a fun night in support of MSM!

Purchase Tickets Here!

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? Biology & AP Biology

• Where did you go to college, and what did you study? SUNY University at Buffalo earning a Masters in Biochemistry/Biomedical Sciences & Niagara University earning a Masters in Education.
• A fun or interesting fact about me: I am a pretty avid hiker and have hiked 18 of the Adirondack Mountains and the entire Northern Presidential Range in New Hampshire.
• One of my heroes/heroines is: Rosalind Franklin - she took the photo that helped uncover the structure of DNA and did not get the credit she deserved at the time.
• My favorite thing to do in Buffalo is: Watch the Bills play! I also really love festival season in the summer. I go to a lot of the festivals regularly including Greek fest, Allentown Art festival, and the Egyptian festival.
• My favorite hobby or way to spend my free time is: I love to read, particularly a lot of fiction. My most recent book is the Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo.
• A piece of advice I would give to our students is: Truly successful people are aware they don't know everything. They are successful because they know where to go to find information and what questions to ask.
• My favorite part about the MSM community is: I have just started but everyone has been so welcoming. I feel supported and feel empowered to be the best version of myself as a teacher here.

It’s time to show your MSM pride on your front lawn! If you’d like a lawn sign to promote our upcoming MSM Open House, have your Mountie stop by the Admissions/Enrollment Office to pick one up. Already have a navy blue sign from previous years? They’re reusable!

Want to add a little extra fun? Take a photo of your MSM lawn sign with your Mountie proudly posing alongside it and send it our way. Your photo will be entered into a raffle for a $25 Starbucks gift card!

Thank you for helping us spread the good news about MSM!

• Oct 2 - Dress Down Day (Social Media Club)
• Oct. 3 - Open House (Day 1)
• Oct. 5 - Open House (Day 2)
• Oct. 5 - No School (Open House Day)
• Oct. 6 - Freshman Retreat
• Oct. 6 - PSAT/NMSQT Testing Day
• 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

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!

Have you recently moved, changed your phone number, or gotten a new email address?

Help us keep our records up to date and make sure you don’t miss important school information! Please take a moment to complete the Update Contact Information Form with any changes to your family’s contact information.

Family Connection Newsletter September 25, 2026

Family Connection Newsletter September 18, 2026

Family Connection Newsletter September 11, 2026

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