Monday Mail November 22, 2021 - Holiday Edition!
Happy Thanksgiving! Hopefully, we will all have an opportunity to pause this week and be grateful for the many blessings God has bestowed on us. At SBA, we really can't tell you enough how thankful we are that you chose to partner with us in the education of your child. We wish you a joyful Thanksgiving and will be back in session (both office and classes) on Monday, November 29.
A Message from Superintendent Antoine Dear Parents and Students, Thanksgiving is just around the corner. Next week I will return home to celebrate the holiday with my family. At our dinner table on Thanksgiving we always give thanks for our blessing. Next Thursday, I will be sure to mention all of you in my Prayer of Thanksgiving. The love, support, generosity and patience you have all shown me in these last five months has been short of spectacular. From our esteemed bishop to the Catholic Center staff, pastors, principals, parents, grandparents, coaches, students and stakeholders, every one of you has been beyond gracious and helpful when I have needed it. And for this, I am most thankful. In return, it has been my goal to not only be an active participant in our diocesan, parish and school activities and events, but to also fulfill Bishop Talley's words of bringing together our schools into one "system." And early indications are that we are becoming stronger together. I am especially proud of the work of our Catholic Schools office in conjunction with the Communications Department in marketing our schools through recent videos. These videos continue to improve and showcase each of our 15 schools. After our last video I commented that I don't know why every child in our diocese is not enrolled in one of these fabulous schools. That is my goal and together we can make this happen. In closing, I want to congratulate each of our schools for their handling of the ongoing pandemic. Cases in all of our schools have been incredibly low throughout this school year and continue to be so as we approach the holidays. Again, this is due to our families and schools working together to ensure a safe and efficient learning environment. I want to clarify that our Catholic schools in Shelby County are allowed to be mask-optional at this time, but that each diocesan/parochial school under the leadership and guidance of their pastor and principal have the ability to adjust masking policies as needed. I have complete faith and trust in them to do what is best for our students and staff and they have proved that throughout this school year. Have a Happy Thanksgiving and thanks again to each of you. Let's not forget that we are all blessed by Our Father.
Mr. Pierre N. Antoine Superintendent of Catholic Schools
The Official SBA Christmas Shopping Guide The Christmas shopping season officially tips off on Friday. But really, after all that turkey who wants to get up early, brave the cold and crowds and jockey for deals? With SBA's shopping guide, you can sleep in, slice up some leftover pie for breakfast and fill everyone's stockings with goodies this December!
Gift cards have universal appeal - appropriate for everyone from picky in-laws to your mail delivery person. The Eagle Bucks Gift Card program allows you to order a gift card at face value and SBA will receive a small percentage of the sales. You get to support St. Benedict simply by doing the shopping you were going to do anyway! And with options ranging from restaurants to home goods and apparel, and online stores to brick and mortars, there is a gift card for everyone on your list. We won't even tell if that is you! (Side note, Honey Baked Ham is on the list if you plan to serve one up anyway this holiday season.) To order, or if you have questions, please reach out to Kathy Hurt (hurtk@sbaeagles.org).
Gift Card Order Form
New SBA Gear To Stuff In Those Stockings!
From cozy sweatpants to a new Christmas tee and the softest tie dye sweatshirt you can imagine, the SBA Spirit Shop will be rolling out new merchandise and even yard signs throughout December. The Spirit Shop will be open during lunches on Thursdays (10:30am-1:10pm), or if you want to buy on the sly, contact the office and we will happily play "elf!" For items not stocked in the Spirit Shop, or if you want to support Eagles basketball, they have opened their Fan Cloth Shop to all of SBA. Orders will be accepted through November 24 and will ship directly to the buyer. Please note: Fan Cloth Orders are not guaranteed for delivery by Christmas!
Because Holidays = More Eating!
Did you know that grocery stores are actually pretty good places to shop for gifts? Who doesn't love a popcorn tin?! Even if you are just there for the groceries, there is a way to support St. Benedict while shopping for your holiday meals as well as everyday essentials. Both Kroger and Superlo utilize store cards where you can elect to give a percentage back to a community organization every time you shop. For Kroger: Go to the Kroger Community Rewards link and enter our school ID: CA021. Your card has to be re-linked every year. For Superlo: Go to the Superlo Community Rewards link, select St. Benedict at Auburndale High School from the “Select a Charity” drop down and save the preference by clicking on the Update button.
SBA Weekly Sports Report A big congratulations goes out to Eagles Bowling! This past Saturday, the TSSAA held their regional tournament to determine which individual bowlers would go to state. Only 12 bowlers make it (6 boys, 6 girls) and SBA took 7 of those 12 spots! Tori Moore (1st overall), Zoe Crider, Emma Dryzcimski, Adam Fillion, Josh Parker, Jaylon Hawkins and Geno Siano will be vying for the Individual Bowling State title this January. Good luck!
Cheer On Your Fellow Eagles At This Week's Events:
Friday, November 26 - SBA Boys vs. Olive Branch (MUS) 2:00pm Saturday, November 27 - SBA Boys vs. Jackson Academy (MUS) 2:00pm
Wednesday, November 24 - JV Tournament (Collierville High School)
Athletic Season Passes & Game Tickets If you are planning on attending multiple sporting events this year (and you SHOULD!), consider picking up an Athletic Season Pass. Passes are good for admission for two to all SBA home events, excluding TSSAA postseason events. Don't miss out - a limited number remain! Individual game tickets will also be sold. Note - Students should use their student IDs to get in at SBA-hosted regular season games. In order to expedite entry into games, anyone attending a game at SBA who needs a ticket, should plan on purchasing via the link below prior to the game:
SBA Athletic Season Pass
Individual Game Tickets
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God Bless & Go Eagles!