STM Newsletter for December 18, 2013

Dear Parents:

As we approach December 25^th we eagerly await the miracle of the Birth of Jesus. During these hectic final few days of Advent let us continue to reflect on the “Good News” during this season of waiting. We use this time to express gratitude for the many blessings in our lives, especially our children. They give us hope for a bright future, they bring joy, love, strength and peace into our lives. The challenge for all of us is to make time in a very busy and hectic schedule to spend time with Jesus. How do we carve out time to spend with our Lord during this sacred season of waiting, hoping, and dreaming? Consider joining us here at St. Thomas More Church on Christmas Eve for the Children’s Mass at 6:00pm. Find out what time church services are at your local parish. Take a few minutes to pray with your family. Remind your children often that Jesus loves them and will always watch over them. Take some time to enjoy your family and friend during this holy season.

You’re children were AWESOME! We hope you all enjoyed our Christmas Program last night. You should all be very proud of your children who did such a wonderful job. A special thank you to Katie Anderson, our music teacher and our teachers, Jessica Bryan, Kelly Stamatis and Megan Kennedy for writing and producing such a wonderful program.

Friday, our last day of school before Christmas vacation is a busy day. Please join the student body for a special end of year Mass at 8:30am.

CHRISTMAS VACATION: Christmas vacation begins at 12:15pm for grades K-3 and at 12:30pm for grades 4-8 on Friday, December 20^th. Preschool will be dismissed at 12:00pm. There is no afternoon extended care that day, so plan ahead. Classes resume at 8:10am on Monday, January 6^th, 2013.

        

BRONCO BOBA: On Friday the students will enjoy a special treat – Bronco Boba! Thank you to all who supported this student council fundraiser. Boba’s will be distributed at snack recess this Friday to students who ordered by last Friday’s deadline.

STM TAP: Christmas came early to St. Thomas More School – we are happy to announce that we have once again received a $20,000 grant from the Carl Gellert and Celia Berta Gellert Foundation to be used for tuition assistance. More information will be available on how to apply for the St. Thomas More School Tuition Assistance Program (STM TAP) in the New Year. Thank you once again to the Carl Gellert and Celia Berta Gellert Foundation!

During this busy time of the year, we ask that everyone use patience and consideration during the drop off and pick up of students. For the safety of our children, please use indicators when appropriate, follow directions from the school traffic patrol, avoid U-turns unless absolutely necessary and be aware of pedestrians and other drivers.

As we reflect back on the past year, we are thankful for so many things. We are thankful for our supportive families, our dedicated teachers and staff, our Parents' Club, and the many parents who volunteer hundreds of hours beyond that required. Most of all we are thankful for our children.

Blessings of the Advent and Christmas Seasons to you and your family.

Sincerely,

Marie Fitzpatrick                                                          

Principal                                   

STM Newsletter for December 11, 2013

Dear Parents:

For a long time now, many have lost sight of what Christmas really means. Many people these days think Christmas is just giving and receiving presents. We ask that you take time from your busy schedule to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas, Jesus' birthday, and that you remind your children of this. As you make holiday plans, don't forget to include Advent and Christmas services at your local church. Today we are sending home an advent calendar to help you and your family celebrate this special season in the liturgical year.

Thank you for your presence and support at the Family Mass last Sunday. A special thank you to the second and seventh graders and their teachers Mrs. Heikel and Mr. Kavanagh for putting together such a beautiful and reverent service. It was nice to see all our First Communion and Confirmation candidates as they continue their faith filled journey towards Christ. Thank you also for your generous support of the second collection of $550, which goes to support the school and its programs.

Next Wednesday, December 18th, third through eighth graders will participate in a reconciliation service as we do each year during the Advent Season. That will begin in the Church at 9:30.

A big thank you to Gina Sheridan and Ivette Roca who successfully co-chaired Santa’s Secret Shop this year. The children had a wonderful time shopping for all those on their list. Thank you also to all who volunteered their time to set up and help the children with their Christmas shopping last week.

We hope you all enjoyed the activities of this past weekend. Thanks to the Parents’ Club, and the Alumni Association and all who worked so hard on the Pancake Breakfast and other activities. A big thanks especially to Gina Sheridan, Ivette Roca and Linda Shah who organized this event. The pancake breakfast was enjoyed by all and a special thank you to Robert Maldonado and Benny Sablad and all the other 7^th and 8^th grade dads who showed up to cook/serve breakfast.

PEANUT BUTTER COLLECTION: You may recall us mentioning ‘Peanut Butter Friday’ in last week’s letter. If we reached our goal of 500 jars of peanut butter by this Friday, the student body would enjoy free dress on Friday, December 20^th. We are happy to announce that not only did we reach our goal, but we have exceeded it by over 20 jars. What a great accomplishment. Thank you to all who brought in one jar, or two, to donate to the St. Vincent de Paul Society. For your efforts, we can all enjoy free dress on Friday, December 20^th! We will continue to collect donations through 9am, this coming Friday. St. Vincent de Paul’s truck will be arriving at that time to collect all you have donated.

BRONCO BOBA SALES: The Student Council is raising funds for a special project in the gym by offering ‘Bronco Boba’s’ for sale next Friday, December 20^th. We sent home Boba order slips last week and have included them again in today’s envelope. Boba’s are available only if pre-ordered. Order forms are due this Friday, December 13th. Each Boba is only $3! YUM!

CHRISTMAS PROGRAM: On December 17th, our students will present their Christmas Program and will sing a selection of favorite Christmas Carols. All students will be involved in this production. Students should wear dressy clothes unless notified otherwise by their teacher. No t-shirts or sweats please. The front door of the school will open at 6:15 pm to allow students to enter their classrooms. Students are asked to line up on the sidewalk in an orderly manner until the doors open. Families with preschoolers will enter through the side gate and drop their children in their classroom. All students need to arrive by 6:30 pm at the latest. The yard will be open for parking at 5:30 pm. Again this year, we will present the program in the church. We ask that everyone respects the 5:30pm Mass that evening and remain outside the church until Mass is over. School staff will be stationed at the church doors and will let you know when you may enter. Parents may line up at any of the three entrances. We will begin the program promptly at 7:00 pm. We are asking that everyone attending this fun event considers bringing one or two new, unwrapped toys as part of our toy drive for needy children. We look forward to your attendance for this faith-filled and fun-filled production. Everyone is welcome!

SANDWICHES-FOR-THE-NEEDY: Our last collection for the year is this Friday, December 13^th, when the 3^rd and 4^th graders will take the lead. We encourage ALL families to provide an extra sandwich for this last collection of the year. Some of our older students will once again work with residents from Alma Via on Friday to make at least 50 additional sandwiches to add to this collection. Please remember that in order to facilitate the distribution of sandwiches, we have been asked to provide just one type of sandwich: turkey on sliced white or brown bread.

CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT FEE/TUITION: This fee, as described in the financial policies is in support of the construction and maintenance of the classroom additions and the gymnasium. The fee is set at $350 per family. As a reminder, the Capital Improvement fee must be paid in full by this Friday, December 13^th. Please remember that the December tuition payments are also due by Friday, December 13^th for those of you on the quarterly payment plan.

CYO HALL OF FAME: The CYO Hall of Fame was established to honor the individual accomplishments of extraordinary people who have contributed to the growth and development of so many of our young people through their involvement with CYO sports. This year John Bickle has been chosen as one of the honorees for the 7th Annual Catholic Charities CYO Athletics Hall of Fame dinner. This event will take place on Saturday, February 8, 2014 at the Father O'Reilly Catholic Charities CYO gym at St. Emydius. John’s sixteen years as athletic director here at St. Thomas More as well as his contributions as a coach and a mentor to many others make him a worthy candidate for this honor. We are thrilled to have this opportunity to support the Bickle Family, Monica, John Jr. and Mark, on this special occasion as we induct John into the Hall of Fame. Please consider joining us to recognize and honor John’s legacy at this event. Tickets can be purchased through the CYO website. Individual dinner tickets are $90 each. If you wish to join together with some other families and purchase a table at one of the sponsorship levels this will include a pre-dinner reception, premier seating and a tribute in the printed event program, recognition on-screen and sponsorship acknowledgment in all printed materials.

CIOPPINO 2013: Ask anyone who has been to St. Thomas More School's Annual Cioppino Dinner and Silent Auction and they will tell you it is more than a meal – it is a night to remember! Save the Date: Saturday, February 22^nd, 2014. The evening begins at 5:00 pm with appetizers and a no-host bar. While you're enjoying North Beach's finest focaccia (pizza bread), our kitchen crew's famous meatballs, prawns or one of our other mouth-watering appetizers, you have the chance to bid on some of our wonderful auction prizes, buy a key to our treasure chest, purchase raffle tickets, or a balloon with an instant winning prize number inside. Or simply mingle with friends while you wait for dinner: succulent salad, delectable antipasto, heavenly garlic bread and the best Cioppino to be had anywhere. Don't like seafood? Order a chicken entrée instead. But don't miss this great event. And don't forget to save room for dessert! Complete the evening with dancing. And all this for only $50.00! Babysitting is also available on site! This event is our biggest fundraiser of the year so check out both sides of the enclosed flyer and reserve your tickets now. For more info contact Linda Shah at lp1114@aol.com or Anarose Schelstrate at anarose0707@gmail.com. This event, like all events, is only successful with schoolwide participation. We look forward to seeing you there!

SCRIP: Just a reminder that this Friday, December 13^th at 6am is the last chance to order any gift cards that are needed before the Christmas Break. Orders placed by this deadline will be sent home next Wednesday.

STM WARRIORS NIGHT: Announcing the 2014 STM Warriors Night! Join your classmates on Friday, January 24th at 7:30pm as the Golden State Warriors face the Minnesota Timberwolves! Tickets are $32 and will sell out quickly! Twenty lucky students who plan on attending will get the chance to participate in the High Five Fan Tunnel during the game! To order tickets, fill out the form online at http://tinyurl.com/pqzclqk.

Checks should be made payable to "STM Athletics." See you at the game! CHRISTMAS VACATION: Christmas vacation begins at 12:15pm for grades K-3 and at 12:30pm for grades 4-8 on Friday, December 20th. Preschool will also be dismissed at 12:00pm. There is no afternoon extended care that day, so plan ahead. Staff members will not be available to babysit! Classes resume at 8:10am on Monday, January 6th, 2013. And finally, we need your help! Do you have experience in running a capital campaign? Do you have experience in grant writing? Do you have experience in event planning? Can you donate printing of materials for our upcoming capital campaign? If you can answer YES to any of these questions…WE WANT YOU! Please let the office know if you or anyone you know can be of any assistance. Sincerely, Marie Fitzpatrick                                                                              Principal

STM Newsletter for December 4, 2013

Dear Parents:

One of the most important seasons in our church calendar, the Season of Advent, began this past Sunday. This season is a time for all of us to prepare for the birth of Jesus on Christmas day. Christians prepare for celebrating the birth of Jesus by remembering the longing of the Jews for a Messiah. In Advent, we’re reminded of how much we ourselves also need a Savior, and we look forward to our Savior’s second coming even as we prepare to celebrate his first coming at Christmas. God wanted so much for us to be with him that he became one of us. This is the greatest Christmas present – God’s presence on earth. In the liturgical calendar the season of Christmas begins on Christmas Eve and lasts through the Feast of the Epiphany on January 6^th. Please help your children understand the symbolism of the Advent Wreath and the importance of the true meaning of Christmas. Each Monday in December we will begin our school day with an Advent Prayer Service in the gym. Parents and other family members are welcome to join us at 8:10am.

DECEMBER 8^th: We look forward to seeing you all here this Sunday. We will begin the day with a 10:00am Family Mass where we will present all our Confirmation and First Communion Candidates. Monsignor Labib generously allows the school to receive the proceeds from the second collection when we have Family Masses. Be sure to pick up the special collection envelope for your use at Sunday’s Mass. Following the Mass, the Parents’ Club will present a Pancake Breakfast in Carroll Hall. They will also offer pictures with Santa. Please use the flyer enclosed in your envelope today if you have not already made a reservation for the pancake breakfast.

Next Monday, December 9^th, we celebrate the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. The title of Immaculate Conception recognizes Mary’s privilege of coming into the world free from sin. Through the power of Jesus’ death and resurrection, every human can be freed from sin at Baptism. Through that same power, Mary was always free of sin, even from the very first moment of her life. Please join the student body at Friday’s 8:30am Mass as we prepare to celebrate this special privilege given to Mary.

SANTA’S SECRET SHOP: The Parents’ Club presents their annual Santa’s Secret Shoppe starting tomorrow, Thursday, December 5^th. Over the next two days, all the students will have an opportunity to purchase gifts for parents, friends and relatives. Each student should use the envelope they received earlier this week to help them plan their shopping and to keep their money safe.

PARENTS CLUB MEETING: Please consider joining us for our Parents’ Club meetingtomorrow night in Carroll Hall. The social hour begins at 6:45 and at 7:15 we have our very own Becky Wong, technology coordinator, provide in depth information on the iPad roll out program for 6^th, 7^th and 8^th grades that begins in January.

PEANUT BUTTER FRIDAY: As a reminder, we are collecting peanut butter for the St. Vincent de Paul society. If we reach our goal of 500 jars of peanut butter by next Friday, December 13^th, the student body will enjoy free dress on Friday, December 20^th. Please send a jar (or two!), any kind, any size with your child by Friday, December 13^th. Current count: 350!

PROGRESS REPORTS: Progress Reports are going home today. Again this quarter, all students, fourth grade and up, are receiving such a report. These progress reports show a snapshot of the student’s current academic standing with optional comments from their teachers. The grading scale is available here. As a system default, art, PE, music and tech will show P/100% for students who fully participate. Grades 6-8 progress reports will show N/A on Electives for this quarter. A grade will however show on the second quarter report cards. Students in the lower grades with behavior and/or academic concerns may receive a progress report if the teacher has concerns in these areas. Please sign and return the progress report by Friday, December 13^th, so that we know you have received the notice. If you wish to keep a copy of the report, you may make a copy of it before you return it to us.

FROM THE SCIENCE LAB: Today our 7^th graders, in conjunction with the Academy of Sciences, participated in an online discussion with Dr. David Blackburn about the evolution and distribution of frog species in Africa. During this 30-minute program, students had the chance to ask questions to an Academy scientist. Dr. Blackburn talked with students about the origin and spread of chytrid fungus, a major threat to frog species worldwide. This great opportunity allowed students to learn more about the questions researchers are trying to answer, the places they explore, and the organisms they collect. Students were very excited to have this opportunity.

CHRISTMAS PROGRAM: On December 17th, our students will present their Christmas Program and will sing a selection of favorite Christmas Carols. All students will be involved in this production. Students should wear dressy clothes unless notified otherwise by their teacher. No t-shirts or sweats please. The front door of the school will open at 6:15 pm to allow students to enter their classrooms. Students are asked to line up on the sidewalk in an orderly manner until the doors open. Families with preschoolers will enter through the side gate and drop their children in their classroom. All students need to arrive by 6:30 pm at the latest. The yard will be open for parking at 5:30 pm. Again this year, we will present the program in the church. We ask that everyone respects the 5:30pm Mass that evening and remain outside the church until Mass is over. School staff will be stationed at the church doors and will let you know when you may enter. Parents may line up at any of the three entrances. We will begin the program promptly at 7:00 pm. We are asking that everyone attending this fun event considers bringing one or two new, unwrapped toys as part of our toy drive for needy children. We look forward to your attendance for this faith-filled and fun-filled production. Everyone is welcome! 

CIOPPINO 2013: Ask anyone who has been to St. Thomas More School's Annual Cioppino Dinner and Silent Auction and they will tell you it is more than a meal – it is a night to remember! Save the Date: Saturday, February 22^nd, 2014. The evening begins at 5:00 pm with appetizers and a no-host bar. While you're enjoying North Beach's finest focaccia (pizza bread), our kitchen crew's famous meatballs, prawns or one of our other mouth-watering appetizers, you have the chance to bid on some of our wonderful auction prizes, buy a key to our treasure chest, purchase raffle tickets, or a balloon with an instant winning prize number inside. Or simply mingle with friends while you wait for dinner: succulent salad, delectable antipasto, heavenly garlic bread and the best Cioppino to be had anywhere. Don't like seafood? Order a chicken entrée instead. But don't miss this great event. And don't forget to save room for dessert! Complete the evening with dancing. And all this for only $50.00! Babysitting is also available on site! This event is our biggest fundraiser of the year so check out both sides of the enclosed flyer and reserve your tickets now. For more info contact Linda Shah at lp1114@aol.com or Anarose Schelstrate at anarose0707@gmail.com. This event, like all events, is only successful with schoolwide participation. We look forward to seeing you there!

CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT FEE/TUITION: This fee, as described in the financial policies is in support of the construction and maintenance of the classroom additions and the gymnasium. The fee is set at $350 per family. As a reminder, the Capital Improvement fee must be paid in full by Friday, December 13^th. A reminder that the December payment is now due for those of you on the monthly tuition payment plan. Also, the quarterly payments are due no later than December 15^th.

STM WARRIORS NIGHT: Announcing the 2014 STM Warriors Night! Join your classmates on Friday, January 24th at 7:30pm as the Golden State Warriors face the Minnesota Timberwolves! Tickets are $32 and will sell out quickly! Twenty lucky students who plan on attending will get the chance to participate in the High Five Fan Tunnelduring the game! To order tickets, fill out the form online at http://tinyurl.com/pqzclqk. Checks should be made payable to "STM Athletics." See you at the game!

RAFFLE FUNDRAISER: Our participation in the Asian Heritage Street Celebration Raffle Fundraiser raised $256. We also received a certificate of honor from the San Francisco Board of Supervisors for our participation. Thank you to all who supported our Asian Heritage Street Celebration Raffle Fundraiser last year.

STUDENT SAFETY/EXTENDED CARE: Students checking in to the afterschool extended care program must do so at dismissal or directly after their afterschool activity (sport practice, detention, homework club, etc.). Once a student leaves the campus, they are no longer covered under the school’s insurance. For the safety of your child, if at anytime you believe you may be running late for pick-up, just call the school office and ask to have your child placed into extended care. Basketball practices have begun so just a reminder that coaches may sign children out from Extended Care but only if they have been authorized by the parents in advance to do so.  If you want your child’s coach to be authorized to sign him or her out of Extended Care, and have not already specified so on your Extended Care Authorization Form, then please send Mr. Kavanagh an e-mail at JKav@stmsf.org requesting to amend your form to include specified basketball coaches.

Just a reminder that Christmas vacation starts at 12:15/12:30pm on Friday, December 20th. There is no extended care that day, so plan ahead.

As some of you know, Russell Brown, father of Patrick, class of 2013, passed away suddenly on Tuesday, November 26th. A memorial service will be held at Duggan’s Serra Mortuary tomorrow, December 5, at 11am. Some staff member and upper grade students will represent the school at this service. All are welcome to attend. Please continue to keep Patrick and his family in your thoughts and prayers.

And finally, thank you to all who supported this year’s hoop-a-thon. Your donations and pledges raised over $5,400 for those affected by Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines.

Sincerely,
Marie Fitzpatrick
Principal

STM Newsletter for November 20, 2013

Dear Parents:

As Thanksgiving approaches we have much for which we are thankful. It is a time of year when we think of others less fortunate. Your generous response to our peanut butter collection is a wonderful sign of your thoughtfulness and a great example for your children of giving to the local community. As a reminder, we are collecting peanut butter for the St. Vincent de Paul society. If we reach our goal of 500 jars of peanut butter by Friday, December 13^th, the student body will enjoy free dress on Friday, December 20^th. Keep these donations coming. We are well on our way to our goal as we have already collected over 180 jars!

Next week’s schedule leaves us with only two short days of school. Monday, November 25^th, being the 4^th Monday of the month, is a minimum day. A hot dog lunch will be available for purchase by those attending extended care that day. Please remember that next Tuesday, November 26^th we begin our Thanksgiving break with minimum day dismissal, 12:15/12:30. Extended Care will be available. School will resume on Monday, December 2^nd.

We won’t be here to do a Wednesday newsletter next week, however, we will send home the relevant flyers we receive for distribution on Tuesday.

SCHOOL TOURS: Today we were happy to meet with eight families for another school tour. We are very grateful to our 8^th grade student ambassadors for doing such a stellar job by sharing information about our wonderful school with prospective families. Our next tour is scheduled for December 10^th. Please use this link to reserve a space. A reminder that kindergarten applications are available in the office or can be downloaded from our website. Please share this information with your family and friends. Don’t forget that Utopia families and siblings or current students interested in kindergarten for the 2014-2015 school year must complete an application form if you have not already done so.

STEM SHOWCASE: Thank you to all who attended our STEM showcase this morning. Students were thrilled to share their work and projects with their fellow STM students and parents in a showcase that represented their hard work over the past six weeks. Check out the school’s website for some examples of their wonderful work.

SANDWICHES-FOR-THE-NEEDY: This Friday, November 22^nd, is our next collection of sandwiches-for-the-needy. All are welcome to participate and the eighth graders and kindergarteners are charged with taking the lead that day. In order to facilitate the distribution of sandwiches, we have been asked to provide just one type of sandwich: turkey on sliced white or brown bread. We thank you in advance for what we hope will be another huge collection for those at the Martin de Porres House of Hospitality.

HOOP-A-THON: The Athletic Board’s Hoop-a-thon for the kindergarten through third graders was very successful. The 4^th through 8^th grade hoop-a-thon will be this Friday, November 22^nd. Sign-ups are still being accepted. Encourage your child to participate in this fun event! We’d love to see you there to cheer on your children! As a reminder, all proceeds from this event will be donated to the Philippine Red Cross.

SEE’S CANDIES: Sue Sullivan has volunteered to head up the See’s Candies Fall Fundraiser once again and reminds you that the deadline for ordering is Monday, November 25^th. If you are interested in ordering, please return the form you previously received.

BUFFALO WILD WINGS NIGHT: Our first major Outdoor Ed fundraiser of the year was very successful raising $417. It was great to have so many families join us this past Monday night. We look forward to another ‘fun’draiser in the spring.

DECEMBER 8^th: Please mark December 8^th on your calendar as an exciting day here at STM. We will begin the day with the presentation of our First Communion and Confirmation candidates at our 10:00am Family Mass, followed by a Pancake Breakfast presented by the 7^th and 8^th grade dads, children’s activities and a visit with Santa in Carroll Hall, all presented by the Parents’ Club. A BIG thank you to the 20+ seventh and eighth grade dads who have volunteered to help in preparing the pancake breakfast.

TOY DRIVE: As a reminder, please consider donating new, unwrapped toy(s) for kids aged infant to 12 years old. Let’s continue to “show a little kindness” to the less fortunate kids especially this time of the year. We will be collecting the toys until December 18^th.

CHRISTMAS PROGRAM: Please save Tuesday night, December 17^th, for our school's presentation of our Christmas Program. We will begin at 7:00pm in the Church and all students, preschool through 8^th grade will have a part in this program.

COLD WEATHER: During these cold and wintery days, please be sure to send your child to school with a warm coat or jacket. While we understand that it may be raining upon drop-off and pick-up, we strongly suggest your child does not bring an umbrella to school. Often the strong winds and heavy rain make the umbrellas difficult to use, especially for the younger children.

As we come to the day when we recognize all for which we should be thankful, we are especially mindful of you. You continue to support so many of our efforts by your presence and participation. These efforts have continued for years. Thank you, thank you, thank you and enjoy a great holiday with family and friends!

Sincerely,

Marie Fitzpatrick                        

Principal                                   

STM Newsletter for November 13, 2013

Dear Parents:

Our prayer and thoughts go out to those affected by Typhoon Haiyan. This recent tragedy in the Philippines reminds us all of our responsibility to reach out to those in need. The Athletic Board have decided that all funds raised in the upcoming hoop-a-thons will be donated to the Philippine Red Cross to be used for the severe needs of the Filipino people. Please consider sponsoring a child in the hoop-a-thon. If you wish to contribute to this collection, we will be accepting donations through November 22^nd. Please make checks payable to St. Thomas More School and write ‘Philippine Red Cross’ in the memo area. Please continue to keep the people of the Philippines in your prayers.

Thank you for your presence and support at the Family Mass last Sunday. A special thank you to the fifth graders and their teacher Ms. Stamatis for putting together such a beautiful and reverent service. It was nice to see so many of you there. Thank you for your generous support of the second collection of $371.35, which goes to support the school and its programs.

As we continue to prepare for Thanksgiving, please consider joining us this coming Monday, November 18^th, for a Thanksgiving prayer service presented by first grade in the gym at 1:00pm.

Also on Monday, November 18^th, More Than Me (MTM), an organization that helps girls get off the street and into school in Liberia, West Africa, will visit with the 6^th-8^th graders. MTM work with community leaders to identify the girls who are at the highest risk of being sexually exploited to ensure that education and opportunity, not exploitation and poverty, defines their lives. Their Program Coordinator, Macintosh Johnson, is coming to the US for the first time ever this month! He will be traveling around the US speaking at schools, community organizations, and businesses talking about his life and More Than Me. Macintosh was a former child soldier during Liberia's long civil war. He'll be telling his personal story about how he escaped that life and made a commitment to helping children from the slum be able to make choices about their future. We are excited that one of the schools he will be visiting is St. Thomas More. He will meet with our 6-8 graders at 1:30. Please take time to preview his story and consider joining us in Carroll Hall for the presentation.

FOOD BANK FIELD TRIP: As part of their service commitment for confirmation next Spring, the 7th Grade worked three hours at the San Francisco Food Bank on Monday.  The students undertook two projects. In the first project, the students sorted through, and boxed up, 15,000 pounds of pears for distribution to needy Bay Area families. Then, the students started packaging one-pound bags of bulk rice. They finished 1,350 bags in just over 45 minutes.  The volunteer coordinator at the Food Bank complimented our students as being both well behaved and also very productive.  In fact, he said our students did about twice the amount of work compared to their most recent student volunteers.

PEANUT BUTTER COLLECTION: As a reminder, we are collecting peanut butter for the St. Vincent de Paul society. If we reach our goal of 500 jars of peanut butter by Friday, December 13^th, the student body will enjoy free dress on Friday, December 20^th. Please send a jar (or two!), any kind, any size with your child by Friday, December 13^th.

HOOP-A-THON: The Athletic Board will conduct their annual Hoop-a-thon for kindergarten through third graders this Friday, November 15^th. The 4^th through 8^th grader hoop-a-thon will be on the following Friday, November 22^nd. Sign-ups are still being accepted. Encourage your child to participate in this fun event! We’d love to see you there to cheer on your children!

BUFFALO WILD WINGS NIGHT: Save the date! Monday, November 18th is the St. Thomas More School night at Buffalo Wild Wings in Serramonte. This fun event is a fundraiser to support the fifth and sixth grade Outdoor Education program. The school will receive a percentage of all the money spent that night at Buffalo Wild Wings. Check out the flyer in today's envelope – you'll need to give it to your server when you dine. P.S. No homework will be assigned that evening!

STEM SHOWCASE: Today was the last day of the Fall STEM electives. Next Wednesday, November 20^th, STEM students will share their work and projects with STM students and families in a showcase that represent the rigorous work and training resulting from student collaboration, problem solving, effective communication, and critical thinking skills. Please drop by the gym between 9:00am-10:30am next Wednesday to see all they have accomplished.

SCRIP: Start your Christmas shopping now! Order your scrip by 6am on Friday November 15^th and receive it next Wednesday, November 20^th, the last day to receive gift cards before Thanksgiving break. For your convenience, an order will be placed the day after Thanksgiving – remember the 6am deadline!

TOY DRIVE: This year we are participating in the San Francisco Fire Fighters Toy Program. Please consider donating new, unwrapped toy(s) for kids aged infant to 12 years old. Let’s continue to “show a little kindness” to the less fortunate kids especially this time of the year. We will be collecting the toys until December 18^th.

DECEMBER 8^th: Please mark December 8^th on your calendar as an exciting day here at STM. We will begin the day with the presentation of our First Communion and Confirmation candidates at our 10:00am Family Mass, followed by a Pancake Breakfast presented by the 7^th and 8^th grade dads, children’s activities and a visit with Santa in Carroll Hall, all presented by the Parents’ Club.

CHRISTMAS PROGRAM: Please save Tuesday night, December 17^th, for our school's presentation of our Christmas Program. We will begin at 7:00pm in the Church and all students, preschool through 8^th grade will have a part in this program.

8^TH GRADE RECOMMENDATIONS: This is the time of the year when 8^th graders are busily writing their high school essays and completing their applications. Because of changing demographics many families attend church in Parishes other than where their school is located. Please remember that students will need to have their clergy recommendations signed by the pastor in the parish where they attend Mass and other church services. This will ensure that recommendations are written by a pastor who knows your child and who is familiar with your family's involvement in your local church. Please note that all recommendation forms will go directly to Mrs. Girlich. She will then distribute them to the appropriate staff members.

And finally, a BIG thank you to Joseph Lama (dad of Joey and Magdelena), Michael Santos (dad of Matt), and Jerry Sladewski (dad of Chloe, Malia and Bianca) for all their help with parking and traffic yesterday.

Sincerely,

Marie Fitzpatrick                        

Principal

STM Newsletter for November 6, 2013

Dear Parents:
 
Last Friday we began the month of November with the Feast of All Saints (November 1^st) and All Souls (November 2^nd). Thank you to all who joined us at the Friday morning mass to celebrate these important days in the church’s calendar. November is traditionally dedicated to those who have died and “have gone to their rest believing in Jesus Christ” (Eucharistic Prayer II). The month of November also draws to an end the liturgical calendar of the church. Throughout the month, scripture readings at mass reminds us of the last days, culminating with the Feast of Christ the King, November 24^th, the closing of the Year of Faith and the National Holiday of Thanksgiving day, November 28^th.
 
This Sunday, November 10^th, at 10:00am, the fifth graders will prepare our next Family Mass. Please consider joining with the St. Thomas More School Community to gather together in worship. Collection envelopes will be available at mass. Thank you in advance for your contributions to the second collection, which benefits the school. Save the date – December 8^th is our next Family Mass. We look forward to your attendance on this special day as we present the confirmation and first communion candidates.
 
We hope your parent-teacher conferences are going well. The teachers always look forward to meeting with you and sharing the good news about your child’s progress. Once again, our school showed very healthy IOWA test results with the majority of students scoring at or above the 75^th percentile. Please remember to sign and return your child’s report card. Just a reminder that every day this week is a minimum day, with dismissal at 12:15pm for grades K-3 and 12:30pm for grades 4-8.
 
SCHOOL TOURS: We held our first school tour yesterday and were happy to have 8 families join us. Thank you to our 8^th grade student ambassadors, Mark Bickle, Kai Schelstrate, Ricky Duarte, and Gian Ocampo who shared a wealth of information with those families. We have another three tours scheduled for November 20^th, December 10^th and January 28^th.  If you know anyone interested in learning more about our school, please encourage them to use this link to reserve a space on one of our tours. Applications for students new to the school for the 2014-15 school year are now available from the office or can be downloaded from our website. Please share this information with your family and friends. Students currently enrolled in grades K-7 need not reapply. You will be receiving re-registration information in the spring.
 
PARENTS CLUB MEETING: Please consider joining us for our Parents’ Club meeting tomorrow night in Carroll Hall. The social hour begins at6:45 and at 7:15 we have guest speakers coming in to talk about our school scrip programs. Come and learn how to prepare for the upcoming holidays and learn more about how to fulfill you scrip requirement. Just a reminder that ALL families need to raise a minimum of $100 profit through the scrip program. Parents will be on hand to help you sign up for the scrip program if you have not already done so. The guest speaker at our December Parent Club meeting will be Becky Wong, our technology coordinator. Becky will provide much more in depth information on the iPad roll out program for 6^th, 7^th and 8^th grades that begins in January.
 
SANDWICHES-FOR-THE-NEEDY: This Friday, November 8^th, is our next collection of sandwiches-for-the-needy. All are welcome to participate and the sixth and seventh grade students are charged with taking the lead that day. Some of our upper grade students will again work with Alma Via residents this week to make sandwiches. Don’t have time to make a sandwich for our collection…we are accepting donations to help defray the expenses for when we make sandwiches here at school. We thank you in advance for what we hope will be another huge collection for those at the Martin de Porres House of Hospitality.
 
A BIG THANK YOU: Last week we delivered the many cases of toiletry items that have been donated over the past month to St. Anne’s Home. They were so grateful to receive such a blessing and thank everyone who generously donated items. A thank you letter to the students of STM from Sister Agnes lsp. on behalf of the residents and sisters at St. Anne’s Home is on display in the office. A special thank you to the 8^th grade class and their teacher, Natalia Girlich, for spearheading this fantastic collection.
 
PEANUT BUTTER COLLECTION: As we move towards the holiday season, we want our students to continue to ‘show a little kindness’ by participating in our annual collection of peanut butter. Our collection this year, led again by the first graders, will benefit the St. Vincent de Paul Society. The St. Vincent de Paul Society has requested peanut butter, as it is a much-needed nutritious staple for them throughout the holiday season. Last years collection was so successful, that the students brought in about 400 jars in just 4 weeks. This year, our collection, which starts on Friday, November 8^th, will run over five weeks so our goal as a school is to collect 500 jars. If we reach our goal of 500 jars of peanut butter by December 13^th, the student body will enjoy free dress on Friday, December 20^th. Please send a jar (or two!), any kind, any size with your child by Friday, December 13^th.
 
PANORAMIC PICTURE: For the sixth year running, we are offering a 10”x30” panoramic student body picture for purchase. Lifetouch, our school picture company, will come this Friday, November 8^th to take this picture of all students, preschool through 8^th grade, and faculty in our gym at 11am. If you are interested in purchasing one, please return the order form you received last week with your child no later than this Friday, picture day. Panoramic photos are pre-pay only and additional items cannot be ordered later. The original pictures from the last five years are on display here in the school office. Drop by and check them out!
 
NIGHT AT THE RACES: Thank you to all who joined us for Night the Races last Saturday night. It was great to see so many new faces. Thank you also to everyone who volunteered their time to help make the night such a success. We are happy to report that this event raised over $5,000 for our technology program! It added to the excitement and fun of the whole evening that all raffle prizewinners were present. Congratulations to the Kindle Fire HD grand prizewinner, our own Theresa Halloran!
 
HOOP-A-THON: The Athletic Board will conduct their annual Hoop-a-thon for kindergarten through third graders on Friday, November 15^th. The 4^th through 8^th grader hoop-a-thon will be on the following Friday, November 22^nd. Sign-ups are still being accepted. Encourage your child to participate in this fun event! We’d love to see you there to cheer on your children!
 
YARD DUTY: Thank you for all who continue to sign up for yard duty. Our teachers really appreciate your help in the mornings and during snack and lunch recess. Just a couple of reminders:

• Please arrive at least 5 minutes before your scheduled yard duty time so that you may check-in. Late arrivals will not be credited.
• Cell phone use is prohibited while on yard duty.
• Drinks of any kind are not permitted in the schoolyard while serving yard duty.
• Injured children should be sent to the office with another child. Unless in the most serious cases, we need you to remain in the yard as a parent supervisor.

UPCOMING FIELD TRIPS: Permission slips for the below mentioned field trips are in your envelopes today. Please pay attention to the due date to return the form and payment.

• The 4^th grade Students will visit the Botanical Gardens on Tuesday, November 19^th.
• Students from 7^th grade will enjoy a production of The Barber of Seville at The War Memorial Opera House on Thursday, November 21^st.
• Also on November 21^st, the 5^th graders will visit The Garden for the Environment.

Don’t forget! Buffalo Wild Wings gift cards are available onshopwithscrip.com! They are currently giving 8% back to the school. Use them at our upcoming Outdoor Ed fundraiser on Monday, November 18^th!
 
Sincerely,
Marie Fitzpatrick
Principal