The Weekly Witness

Parents, for more details on these announcements, upcoming events, or general volunteer opportunities, please visit the official SMMS MAC Website.

Our annual fall fundraiser, The Big Give, kicks off September 16!

This year, we’re doing things a little differently—students will compete together as a grade level rather than by individual classrooms.

There are five ways to climb to the top, giving our Mavericks plenty of chances to win!

• Giving Period: September 16–27
• The Big Give: September 23 at 6 p.m. – September 24 at 6 p.m.
• Grade-Level Competition: Grades can win through participation, number of donations, dollars raised, and more.
• Prizes: Pizza, paletas, donuts, free dress days, extended recess, homework passes, a classroom banner, teacher Gala tickets, and more!
• Everyone Can Win: Grades that reach 100% participation earn Free Dress Mondays in October + one service hour per student!

Mark your calendars and start spreading the word! Share The Big Give with friends and family and help your grade climb to the top while supporting St. Mary Magdalen!!

Help make this year's Parish Festival a success! We are looking for volunteers to assist with inflatable skills games during the afternoon festivities. Volunteer shifts are 2 hours each.

This is a great opportunity for teens, family members, or friends to help families earn volunteer hours for the fall semester while supporting our parish community.

Volunteer Responsibilities:

• Collect game tickets
• Assist participants
• Award prizes to winners
• 
  

Questions? Contact smdelaro@gmail.com.

Cheddar Up Link

We hope to see all of our Maverick families there!

Our 8th-grade class is raising funds to help cover the costs of their retreat, graduation activities, and other special events during their final year at SMMS.

One fun way to support them is by purchasing a Crazy 8 Free Dress Pass. Your donation confirmation serves as your student's pass. Please remember that all students must continue to follow the school's free dress guidelines.

Cheddar Up Link

Thank you for helping create memorable experiences for our graduating Mavericks!

LINK: https://my.cheddarup.com/c/25-26-8th-grade-fundraising-copy/items

Let's show our appreciation for our amazing teachers by helping fulfill items on their classroom wish lists.

SMMS MAC Teacher Wish Lists

Every contribution, big or small, helps support our classrooms and students.

LINK: https://sites.google.com/stmmsa.org/mac/home/teacher-wishlists?authuser=0

We look forward to celebrating the special grandparents in our Maverick community!

Details regarding this year's Grandparents Celebration, including important dates and participation information, can be found on the MAC website.

Visit the MAC Website for Details

LINK: https://sites.google.com/stmmsa.org/mac/home?authuser=2

Submit your favorite family photos by Wednesday, Sept. 30th through the SMMS MAC Website submission form. Photos should feature students wearing one of the following:

• SMMS uniform
• Spirit shirt
• CYO uniform
• SMMS athletics apparel

Students whose photos are submitted and featured will receive a Free Dress Day on Tuesday, October 6th.

Featured photos will be showcased on the MAC website beginning Friday, Oct. 2nd.

Submit Your Sept Adventures Photos

Don't miss this opportunity to celebrate our Maverick spirit and community!

Mavs, we will continue to celebrate the life and legacy of Jase Flores this month of pediatric cancer awareness, culminating with Gold Out Day on September 25.

About Jase Flores

For those of you new to the SMMS Community, Jase Flores was a bright and beautiful Maverick student. In late February 2020, Jase, then a 1st Grader, succumbed to a cancerous brain tumor. This tragedy brought deep grief to our school, but Jase's legacy and the witness of his parents, Gilbert and Stephanie, as well as his twin brother, Jude, have made us more united, resilient, and loving.

We hope that this September, Jase's legacy will be celebrated in true Maverick fashion, making our school and community better.

About Pediatric Cancer

47

CHILDREN DIAGNOSED EVERYDAY

Each day, 47 children are diagnosed with cancer in the United States, which means 15,590 children in the U.S. are diagnosed each year.

95%

FAMILIES AFFECTED FINANCIALLY

The average cost for childhood cancer is an astounding $833,000 and over 95% of families say their child’s cancer caused a financial burden on their family.

9 months

DIPG MEDIAN SURVIVAL TIME

Brain tumors remain the most common cause of cancer-related death in children, and DIPG is the leading cause of death from pediatric brain tumors. The median survival time is 9 months from diagnosis.

Other Facts

Know the glow; a white glow in a child's eye could be a sign of cancer

Retinoblastoma is a cancer of the eye and is the most common ocular cancer in children

Neil Armstrong's daughter was only 2 1/2 when she passed away 01/28/62 with DIPG. DIPG is a tumor that forms in the brain stem or the base of the brain that sits about the neck. A child diagnosed with DIPG today faces the same prognosis a child diagnosed in 1962.

Brain tumors are most common in children between the ages of 5 -10 years old.

Most common symptoms: problems with balance & walking, double vision, drooping eyelids, uncontrolled eye movements, blurred vision, difficulty chewing & swallowing, nausea and vomiting, morning headache or headache that improves after vomiting, facial weakness or drooping, usually on one side of the face.

How You Can Help

Wear Gold On Friday, 9/25!

Wednesday, September 30, 7:00 pm, Jubilee Hall

Mandatory Parent Meeting For Those Students Needing Baptism/1st Communion

Commitment for the 26-27 school year for Mini Mavs (PreK and Kinder) and Winter Pep (1st-4th)/Cheer (5th-8th) is Sunday, August 30 2026 at 6 p.m. Please register here: https://2024-2025-cheer-registration.cheddarup.com. Once you have registered, you will receive follow up communication from Maverick Cheer with information to pay athletic fees, how to order uniforms, and practice schedules. If you have additional questions, please email maverickcheerleading@stmmsa.org.

SMMS is a Catholic, dual language, co-educational school of empowerment. Students engage in a dynamic academic experience preparing them for college and heaven. SMMS cultivates a growth mindset, biliteracy and strong virtue inspired by the Gospel and Church Tradition. SMMS offers opportunities to grow in excellence through myriad faith experiences, including mass multiple times per week, weekly adoration, daily Religion classes and hourly prayer, Christian service programs, as well as diverse extracurricular programs, including Athletics, Clubs, and academic excellence programs. SMMS embraces and supports students with highly diverse abilities and needs through our Counseling and Academic Intervention programs. The student learning experience is infused with the latest in outdoor learning as well as educational technology, including a 1:1 Chromebook program, Imagine Español, Accelerated Reader, MYON and SuccessMaker academic software. SMMS prepares and supports Pre-K3 through 8th grade students to excel in high school and college through the Graduate Support Program.

St. Mary Magdalen Dual Language Catholic School aims to form lifelong disciples of Jesus Christ, who is its foundation and center. Our education, therefore, works in concert with the Church’s mission of salvation and evangelization to offer robust opportunities to experience personal encounter with Jesus Christ. Ours is a counter-cultural education that prioritizes absolute truth and community, imbuing students with the physical, moral, intellectual and spiritual gifts necessary to build the Kingdom of God. These gifts are strengthened through abundant and myriad experiences of prayer, Sacred Scripture and liturgical and sacramental tradition. Our school prioritizes partnership with parents and families. We recognize and support parents as the primary educators, who have the responsibility to raise their children in a loving, moral and faithful manner. As educators, we seek to extend and deepen this upbringing through our witness and sharing of encounters with Christ. These relationships are rooted in and guided by Trinitarian love, whereby the students learn to trust in Jesus Christ through personal and communal prayer experiences, of which the most important is the mass, the source and summit of our faith. At St. Mary Magdalen Dual Language Catholic School, we develop each student in virtue, educating students to recognize and celebrate their own Dignity as children of God, as well as others. This education in virtue is part of a cultural heritage that cultivates a Christian worldview. In transmitting this heritage, we strive to ensure that our students can think critically and grow in human and divine wisdom, going on to lead lives rooted in virtue and commitment to building the Kingdom of God.