The Buzz

Greetings SBPS Parents and Friends:

On Ash Wednesday, we began the 2026 Lenten Season together as a family of faith. This Lent, our students will be growing closer to Christ by reflecting on the pillars of Lent: prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Students will be completing their Lenten Ladders, each day answering a prompt or question and writing their answers on a rung of their ladder. We invite parents to have conversations with their children as you grow as a family through the Lenten season. St. Benedict Parish offers several ways to gather as a family of faith during Lent. Please check out the information posted below.

Your feedback is very important to us and each year, we invite parents, teachers and students the opportunity to provide feedback to us in the annual 3C’s Survey. Please take some time to complete the survey. You will also receive an invitation in your email from Greg Richmond, our superintendent. In order for us to receive a feedback report from parents, we need at least 20% of parents to complete the survey. Please consider completing it.

St. Benedict Parish is also conducting a survey - Disciple Makers Index Survey. This survey is also important to inform Father Ryan about the needs and direction of the parish. Please support Father Ryan’s leadership and share your insights. Your participation in this survey is essential. Please see the link below or look out for an email with the link.

I’ve had several parents asking about school year dates next year. You can find the important dates below. We have not yet decided on first and second trimester conference dates. We will add them soon. I hope that the dates provided will allow families to plan as needed.

Be sure to see updates regarding the 2026 Gala - A Night in the Emerald City. There are great opportunities to support this year’s event. Please be sure to secure your ticket today.

Finally, I would like to share that Strep has been going around for some time this winter. We are finding that students will test negative on the rapid test, but then when the culture comes back, the student is actually positive. We are asking parents to please wait to send your child back to school until after you have the results from the CULTURE and not the rapid. Sending them back to school while contagious with Strep Throat is only spreading the illness further. If your doctor or health professional thinks your child might have Strep, and you are testing your child, please wait until the culture results come back. Please do not rely on the rapid test - especially if it comes back negative. With your help, we hope to keep this illness under control. We appreciate your help.

There’s a lot more important information below. Be sure to check out the following:

• Tentative 2026-27 School Year Dates

• 3C’s Parent Survey - please take by March 20th

• Middle School Winter Chill

• Parish Survey - Disciple Makers Survey

• Gala 2026 Update - A Night in the Emerald City

Please find listed below important dates:

• February 19, 2026 - Annual 3C’s Survey now open (parents to also receive email from Office of Catholic Schools tomorrow)

• February 20, 2026 - Fish Fry #1

• February 25, 2026 - 8th Grade Graduation Portrait Retakes

• February 27, 2026 - Middle School Winter Chill in GYM - 5:30 to 7PM

• February 28, 2026 - 7PM DAMIEN: A One-Man Play by Aldyth Morris, starring Wayne Messmer

• March 2, 2026 - Re-enrollment for the 2026-27 School Year Begins

• March 4, 2026 - HSA Spirit Shop Open 2-6PM

• March 6, 2026 - 8th Grade US Constitution Day - Out of Uniform Red, White and Blue!

• March 6, 2026 - Fish Fry #2

• March 7, 2026 - First Communion Workshops

• March 7, 2026 - HSA Sweetheart Dances

• March 12, 2026 - Last Day of Winter Bengal Cubs (enroll for Spring session!)

• March 13, 2026 - Talent Show for grades 1-5

• March 13, 2026 - Trimester 2 Ends

• March 13, 2026 - Last Day for Priority Gala Tickets - prices increase on March 14 - you don’t want to miss it!

• March 16-20, 2026 - Spring Break - no school

• March 23, 2026 - NO SCHOOL - Professional Development Day (teachers report)

• March 24, 2026 - School Resumes

• March 27. 2026 - 8th Grade Living Stations of the Cross

• March 27, 2026 - Fish Fry #3

May God bless us all!

Ms. Rachel Gemo, Head of School

Ms. Gemo’s Prayer Corner

Morning Prayer for Lent

Heavenly Father,

I offer you the day ahead of me: all of my hopes, fears, conversations, struggles, and blessings.

Help me to make myself 100% available to you. Give me the grace to say yes to you in the big things and in the small things of the day. Open my eyes to see the needs of the people around me, the people I will come across in my family, in my work, and in every small interaction. And give me the wisdom to seek you and your dream for my life in every small moment of this day. Amen.

Evening Prayer for Lent

Heavenly Father,

The evening has come and the day is done. Let your peace wash over me and the people I love. Wipe away my troubles. Cleanse me of worry and doubt. Give deep and peaceful rest to my heart, mind, and soul, so I may rise in the morning ready to love you and all those who cross my path. Amen.