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SMMAS Weekly News March 9-13, 2026

Dear Spartan Families -

This week, we entered the third week of our Lenten journey. I reminded the students of the message that Father Long gave us on Friday: hold onto the purpose of this time, to grow closer to God. By committing to prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, they are making choices to move away from distractions so that they can see, hear, and feel God's presence in their lives. I also reminded them that Lent isn't about being perfect; it is a time for us to try again so that we can be the people that God calls us to be. So, as we continue to journey this Lenten season, I invite all members of our school community, students, parents, teachers, staff, families, and friends, to challenge ourselves this week by doing one extra act of kindness...what can we do to help someone else feel seen, cared for, or included? Let's be the example of living the message of Jesus by opening our hearts and helping each other grow in faith, kindness, and love.

A big thank you goes out to Mrs. Urbina and all the parent volunteers for a fun Father/Daughter Event. It was a bright night filled with sparkly memories!

Congratulations to Ava M! Last week, we received notice that Ava has qualified for the 2026 CYO Golf Championships on April 18th at Heartwell Golf Course in Long Beach. We are excited to see her shine and represent SMMAS with pride.

Go Spartans!

Please continue to spread the word about our school - Open Enrollment for the 2026-2027 school year is underway! Please refer them to our website at www.smmsspartans.org or contact the office at 310-326-9494.

Re-enrollment for current families has begun! Families can log in to their Gradelink account and select the REENROLL Tab on the left side of the screen. You will be prompted to update your student's information, select tuition plans, and tuition payment optons. To finalize your registration, please remit the $75 registration fee to the school office via cash, check, or Zelle Banking App using the QR code. (also available to scan in the SMMAS office).

What’s New for 2026-27:

Pick Your Ideal Payment Schedule
- Option for 10-month tuition payment plan. Ideal for families that can benefit from no school payments during summer activity months.
- Option for 12-month tuition payment plan. Ideal for families that can benefit from smaller monthly tuition payments.
SCRIP is no longer mandatory
- SCRIP gift cards and online shopping will still be available and continue to support our school, but will no longer be one of the required annual fundraisers for school families.
General Fees now include one yearbook per student
- To help our families streamline end-of-school-year activities, general fees now automatically include a yearbook for each student. No need to make a separate order at the end of the school year.

Upcoming School Events

1. Mission Fair

Tomorrow, the 7th and 8th Grade classes will host the 2026 Mission Fair for all the classes. This year, all funds raised from the Mission Fair will be donated to St. Margaret Mary Christian Service. The classes are organizing carnival games and activities for the younger students; there will be over 15 stations to choose from. The event supports our call to be generous and serving individuals.

Important Details:

Tickets are 2 for $1 OR 50 for $20.

Most booths are 1-4 tickets; prizes included.

2. St. Patrick's Day Fun @ SMMAS next Tuesday!

We will celebrate St. Patrick's Day on Tuesday, March 17th. All students are encouraged to wear GREEN or St. Patrick's Day-themed shirts with uniform bottoms. Socks and accessories are good too! Classes will participate in Big Buddy/Little Buddy activities during the day.

3. Sundae Sale - March 19th

Next Thursday, the 5th Grade Class will be hosting a Brownie Sundae Sale during lunch. The sundaes are $3.00 each; each cup will have a brownie square topped with ice cream, and students will be able to choose their toppings (whipped cream, chocolate syrup, sprinkles, and/or cherry on top). Note: Limit 1 sundae per student.

4. Yearbook Orders~ Now Open!

The 2025-26 yearbook is under construction, and the Yearbook Club is hard at work putting all the pieces together to create a lasting memory for all of us. Families have two options: Soft Cover books are $27, and Hard Cover books are $34. The deadline for orders is: April 2, 2026.

NOTE: Yearbooks will be ONLINE ORDERS ONLY. Click Here To Order

To order:

Look up BarksdalePhoto.com
Go to: What are you looking for?
Click: Order your Yearbook
Enter Access Code: 002121YB
Pay by Debit or Credit Card (There isn’t any service fee!)

5. CEF - TAP Cycle 3 Applications are now available

The Catholic Education Foundation awards tuition assistance to qualifying families; families must complete an official application and send in copies of income and expense statements to support the application. Please note: applications must be completed for each student. For more information, please contact the office at (310)-326-9494 or [email protected].

6. Yearbook Club Request~Time to Upload Photos!

The Yearbook Club kindly requests that families upload pictures to help build our 25-26 school yearbook! The process is simple, easy, and quick!

Click here, and you will be directed to a link for Creator Studio Pro.
Enter your email address and submit.
Select the photos on your phone that you would like to contribute.
Choose the correct folder to match the event pictures you are uploading. For example, classroom activities can be stored in the Teacher’s folder, but there are also folders for Jogathon, Halloween, Catholic Schools Week, art, sports, and more.
Upload in batches or all at once!

Please reach out to the office or the Yearbook Moderator (Saundra Alaniz) at [email protected] if you have any questions or need assistance. **Deadline for submission is March 20th

7. St. Patrick's Day Dinner - March 14th

The Women's Society will be serving a festive meal of corned beef, cabbage, and potatoes this Saturday night. All meals include bread and dessert; there is also options for the kids (cheese pizza, chips, drink). Social Hour begins at 5:00pm, with dinner served at 6:00pm; there will be singing, entertainment, and raffles too! Presale tickets are available at the Church office for $17 per adult, $15 per senior (65+) and $12 per child (12 and under). Note: Tickets will be available at the door for $3 more.

8. Fish Fry Fridays return March 20!

The Holy Name Society will be serving Baja Fish Tacos in Father Hegarty Hall March 20th and March 27th. For $10, you can have 3 fish tacos and it includes coffee and dessert. Payment accepted at the door.

9. SAVE THE DATE: May 2nd Casino Night Fundraiser @ Hegarty Hall

Mark your calendars! Plans are underway for a wonderful community event in May. Here are some key details:

Theme: Western
Tickets: $35 or $60 for 2 tickets
5:30 pm - 9:00 pm. **Daycare will be available for $10 per SMMAS family (pizza + snacks)
Tickets include: BBQ plate, drink ticket, and poker chips to play
Holy Name to host the playing tables
Also: DJ, sitting areas, a bar, raffle baskets, balloon/gift card game

This is one of our mandatory fundraisers and we will need the support of all our families to make this a successful event.Stay tuned for more details! More information will be released in the coming weeks.

10. Catholic Veterans Ministry Scholarship Opportunity

St. Margaret Mary Alacoque School families are invited to apply for one of three $1,500 scholarships, made possible through the generosity of the Catholic Veterans Ministry. To be eligible to apply, applicants must be students at SMMAS, in grades K-8, and be the child or dependent of a U.S. military veteran who is a parent, legal guardian or grandparent with legal responsibility for the student. If you would like to apply for this scholarship or would like more information, please contact Mrs. Raad via email for more information. The application deadline is April 10, 2026.

Check out the Spartan Family Space for event details and ticket order forms.

11. Calendar Updates

Due to overlapping schedules between the Church and school, we have changed a couple of dates. These are now updated on our calendar.

March 23 - Spartan Alliance Meeting #7. (**Please join us to learn more about Casino Night 2026)
March 27 - Trimester 2 Academic Awards will now be held after Mass on this day.

12. REMINDERS: School Policies and Procedures

End of Day Pick Up Reminders - We kindly ask all parents to wait for their students in the parent pick up area at the end of the day. To maintain the safety and security of all students, we are asking parents to leave the benches/tables for the After School Program and Sports Programs. We appreciate your cooperation with this safety measure.
Absent Work Requests - please call or email the office to request homework and report an absence. The office will relay the message to the teacher. If work is requested, it will be made available for 3:00 pm, and parents can pick it up in the office.

Important Dates:
Please remember to check the school website calendar to stay up to date and subscribe.

This Week:

March 9 - Trimester 3 Begins

March 12 - Mission Fair 2026

March 12 - Report Cards sent home

March 13 - No School (Faculty/Staff/Students)