The Buzz

Greetings SBPS Parents and Friends:

I hope everyone has been able to make a smooth transition back to the school/work routine this week. It’s been a joy to have students and teachers back in the school building again. I’ve been observing in classrooms this week and am so impressed with how well the students are focusing and engaging in their work. We are certainly off to a great start in 2026.

I hope families with students grades 1-8 received their Epiphany Home Blessing Kits on Tuesday, Jan 6th. We had a wonderful Mass to welcome everyone back. Students also received these kits with directions to bless the threshold of their homes. I had several parents email me or share with me at arrival or dismissal that they were so happy to get these kits and do the blessing with their children. Some parents remember doing it with their own parents or grandparents. I hope this becomes an annual tradition at SBPS and that this tradition brings many of the Lord’s blessings to your own homes.

Have you seen the gym lobby yet? One of the things accomplished over the break is the start of the renovation of the gym lobby. You’ll see that it has been updated to reflect the enthusiasm and love for this special space and our athletic programs. There will be a few more items coming over the next several weeks, but it certainly looks like a new lobby and I can’t wait for you to see it. The proceeds used to renovate the gym lobby were raised at the 2025 Athletic Fundraiser. We have the 2026 Athletic Fundraiser coming up in a few short weeks, on Saturday, January 24 in the evening. This is an adult only event in the gym where we have good drinks, good conversation and lively music. By then, you’ll all need a break from the winter doldrums. So secure your sitter now and make plans to join us. This important fundraiser has helped us do athletic program and gym upgrades in the past. Our gym concession stand was also renovated a few years ago because of proceeds from the event. I’d like to thank the Athletic Board for their work on the fundraiser as well as planning and implementing the gym lobby renovations. Your work is greatly appreciated. As we start up all the January Basketball games, we will be able to welcome our families and guests with Bengal pride!

Speaking of Bengal Pride, we are celebrating some athletic championships with our annual Banner Raising Celebrations in the gym on Friday, Jan 9th. There will be banner raisings at 6 and 7PM in the gym. At 6PM we are raising Cross Country, Track & Field and 7th Grade Girls Basketball (2025) Championship Banners. At 7PM, we are raising the 7th Grade Boys Volleyball (2025) and 8th Grade Girls Basketball (2025). It’s a pride and joy to have so many winning teams and athletes. Bengal excellence shows in many different ways. Come out on Friday to cheer on our Bengals and celebrate!

Next week, our students in grades K-8 will begin their iReady Winter Diagnostics. This is a time to check in with one way of measuring student learning progress. We look forward to sharing the information in advance of upcoming parent-teacher conferences in February.

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

• Sarah Hall Theatre Club and Chess Club Sign up

• Bengal Bash Athletic Fundraiser - Save the Date and Buy Tickets today

• Gym Volunteers Needed - sign up below

Please find listed below important dates:

• January 9, 2026 - Athletic Championship Banner Raising Celebrations tonight at 6PM & 7PM in Gym

• January 12, 2026 - Winter Clubs begin (club forms due Friday 1/9)

  January 12, 2026 - iReady Math Diagnostics  Grades 1-8 begins 

  January 16, 2026 - 4th Grade Peace Prayer Service

  January 19, 2026 - No School – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday  

  January 20, 2026 - iReady Reading Diagnostics  Grades 1-8 begins 

  January 23, 2026 - PK-8 Open House 8:15AM to 10AM 

  January 24, 2026 - Athletic Fundraiser at 7PM

  January 25-30, 2026 - Catholic Schools Week (full schedule coming)

  January 25, 2026 - Catholic Schools Week Family Mass 10AM 

• January 25, 2026 - Preschool and Kindergarten Open Gym at 11AM (after 10AM Mass) in Ackerman Center

  January 27, 2026 - Catholic Schools Week Mass 8:30AM K-8  

May God bless us all in the coming year,

Ms. Rachel Gemo, Head of School

Ms. Gemo’s Prayer Corner

Please pray for Kim McMillan’s mother, Adrienne Pudlo, passed away Christmas morning. Please join us in praying for the repose of the soul of Adrienne Pudlo, for Kim McMillan, and her family. Grant eternal rest unto her, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon her. May her soul, and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen. 

The Work of Christmas Begins

When the carols have been stilled,
When the star-topped tree is taken down,
When family and friends are gone home,
When we are back to our schedules
The work of Christmas begins:
   To welcome the refugee,
   To heal a broken planet,
   To feed the hungry,
   To build bridges of trust, not walls of fear,
   To share our gifts,
   To seek justice and peace for all people,
   To bring Christ’s light to the world.

- by Michael Dougherty, a variation on Howard Thurman’s ‘When the Song of the Angels is Stilled’