STM Newsletter for March 27, 2013

Dear Parents:

Last Sunday, which was Palm Sunday, marked the beginning of Holy Week. Our remembrance of the events surrounding the death and resurrection of Jesus makes Holy Week the most sacred time of the year for Catholics. Remember to balance the sacred part of Holy Week with all the other Easter preparations you may be making. Over the next few days, as we draw closer to Easter Sunday, let us remember the days leading up to the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

• ñ  Today, also known as Spy Wednesday, recalls the decision of Judas Iscariot who betrays Jesus for 30 pieces of silver.
• Holy Thursday is the day when we remember Jesus and his disciples gathering together for the Last Supper. During this meal, Jesus instituted the very first Eucharist. The Mass of the Last Supper, celebrated tomorrow, reminds us of Jesus washing the feet of his disciples to impress upon them the call to serve others.
• Good Friday services commemorate the crucifixion, death and burial of Jesus. This is the one day of the year Mass is not celebrated. Instead, Good Friday services are held from noon until 3:00pm. This is also a day of fasting and abstinence to commemorate the pain and suffering of Jesus.
• Easter Vigil (Holy Saturday) Liturgy consists of several parts, including the lighting of the Paschal candle, the Liturgy of the Word, and the Sacraments of Initiation for those electing to become members of the Catholic Church.
• Easter Sunday is a joyful celebration of Jesus' resurrection from the dead. He also joined his disciples for a meal and told them to carry on his works. 

 

Please check out our website for a schedule of Easter Week activities for St. Thomas More Church.

Lenten prayer service/Academic Excellence Awards: We would like to invite everyone to join us for a Lenten prayer service presented by the 7^th graders tomorrow, Thursday, March 28^th, at 11:00am in the church. Immediately following the prayer service, we will present Citizenship and Academic Excellence Awards. See you there!

Develop Africa: Thank you to everyone who contributed to the 7^th graders Lenten Service Project. Congratulations to the 3^rd Grade – winners of the Develop Africa, school supplies donation drive. They get a free-dress day tomorrow, Thursday March 28^th! As of Monday afternoon, the 3^rd grade class donated a total of 182 school supply items.  Their generosity will benefit so many children in developing nations in Africa that will enjoy doing their schoolwork with all these new supplies! Congratulations also to our second and third place winners – 1^st grade was very close to winning and donated 158 items.  In third place, the 5^th grade donated 81 items. Overall we collected nearly 700 school supplies and nearly $650 to help with shipping costs and/or the purchase of extra supplies. Thank you again to all who donated to such a great cause!

Report Cards: Report cards are going home today. If you did not receive one, please check with the office to make sure your accounts, tuition, fees, and extended care, are up to date.

Re-registration: Re-registration fees of $325 per child were due in the office today. If you want your child’s seat held for the 2013-2014 school year, please ensure that the office receives that fee by dismissal tomorrow.

Extended Care: Please remember that tomorrow, Thursday March 28^th, is the beginning of Easter break and a minimum day. Dismissal for Preschool is at noon, grades K-3 at 12:15 and 4-8 at 12:30. Afternoon Extended Care is available tomorrow until 6:00pm but will NOT be providing a hot dog lunch.  Please plan ahead and provide your child with a lunch tomorrow.

School Uniform: Now that the weather has started to improve and we are enjoying some beautiful spring weather, we have decided that the last day for girls to wear uniform pants will be tomorrow, March 28^th. After we return from Easter vacation, girls will no longer be allowed to wear pants to school.

Updates on Uniform Changes: Based on the responses from the uniform survey, we will not be making any major changes in the uniform this year. While many families were in favor of introducing a P.E. uniform, we have decided to put this off for a few years because the extra cost involved would cause undue hardship for some of our families. Thank you to all who offered ideas for our new logo. We have decided on a new logo seen at the top of this letter. Students in all grades will wear this logo on their sweaters as a patch beginning this fall.

Save the Date: Please save the evening of Thursday, April 18^th at 6:30pm for a mandatory parent meeting for all families of kindergarteners through 7th grade. Students will not be allowed to attend this meeting. We will offer free babysitting by reservation only for those unable to make other arrangements. Please click here to make a reservation. More details about the meeting will be provided after Easter break.

From the Athletic Board: The Athletic Board oversees the athletic program at STM and reports to Principal Marie Fitzpatrick. The Board currently has five members: 7^th grade parents, John Bickle and Mike Mihelich, and STM faculty members, Kelly Stamatis, Theresa Halloran and John Kavanagh. The Board is seeking to add 2-3 more members sometime before the end of the school year.  Although some roles are defined, such as Athletic Director and Treasurer, each Board member wears many hats and prospective members of the Board should anticipate providing general assistance to the Board in its responsibilities.  If you are interested in applying to be a part of the Athletic Board, click here for more details.

Dance Festival!: Save the date! This year, our Dance Festival will be held on Thursday night, May 23^rd. This is the most popular event of the year and is always very well attended. Our new dance teacher, Sue Rissotto, has been working very hard all year long to ensure that each student has a role in this spectacular production. All students, preschool through eighth grade, are expected to participate in this event.

Finally, our school calendar for 2013-2014 has been approved by the Archdiocese, and we want to let you know that we will begin the new school year on Monday, August 26^th, 2013. Hopefully this will help those of you who are planning your vacations now. An official 2013-2014 school calendar will be sent home shortly. The new school year for Utopia, our preschool, will begin on August 19^th.

Enjoy the break!

Sincerely,

Marie Fitzpatrick                                            

Principal        

STM Newsletter for March 20, 2013

Dear Parents:
     
This Sunday, the Sunday before Easter, is known as Palm Sunday. It is the beginning of Holy Week. It celebrates Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey. Great crowds of people thronged the streets waving palm branches to welcome Him. The people shouted "Hosanna" and laid their cloaks and palm branches from the nearby trees in His path. As we mentioned last week, as part of our preparation for the Resurrection of Jesus on Easter Sunday, students in grades 3-8 will receive the sacrament of Reconciliation on Monday, March 25^th.

The 7^th graders will present a lenten prayer service on Thursday, March 28^th at 11:00am in the church. Following the prayer service, we will present the 3^rd quarter Academic Awards. Please join us if you can.

As a reminder, Thursday, March 28^th is a minimum day for all Preschool-8^th graders and the beginning of Easter Vacation. Preschool will dismiss at 12 noon, K-3 at 12:15pm and 4-8 at 12:30pm. There will still be extended care until 6pm that day for K-8 students. Street parking will be limited because of the early dismissal schedule. The school yard will be open between 11am-noon to facilitate the pick up of Preschool students.

Develop Africa: The 7th graders continue to accept donations for their Lenten Service Project. Please help the 7^th graders honor their commitment to help children, like themselves. So far, $350 and over 350 various school supplies have been donated. Donations should be given to the classroom teacher and will be collected until Monday, March 25^th. As an added bonus, the class who donates the most school supplies will have free dress on Thursday, March 28^th. If you would like to send a monetary donation to help purchase more supplies, please put it in an envelope marked ‘DEVELOP AFRICA’.

Report Cards: This Friday marks the end of the third quarter. Report cards will be going home next Wednesday, March 27^th. Please check with the office to make sure your accounts, both tuition and extended care, are up to date so that you may receive your child’s report card.

Re-registration: The deadline to complete re-registration online has passed. If you still have not re-registered, please do so by the end of this week if you wish us to save a spot for your child. We have had several families looking for available spots for next year, and we would like to let them know as soon as possible if there is room for them. Also don’t forget, the re-registration fee of $325 per child is due no later than Wednesday, March 27^th.

Save the Date: Please save the evening of Thursday, April 18^th at 6:30pm for a mandatory parent meeting for all families of kindergarteners through 7th grade. Students will not be allowed to attend this meeting. We will offer free babysitting for those unable to make other arrangements. More details will be provided as we get closer to the date.

See's Candies: A reminder that the deadline for ordering is tomorrow, Thursday, March 21^st. Candy orders will be available on March 27^th just in time for Easter. Complete and return the form you previously received. Extra forms are available from the office.

Books to Bravo: The SF Opera Guild will be here again on Monday, for their ongoing preparation of the sixth grade’s Books to Bravo project. The premier production of the opera they have created will be performed in Carroll Hall at 1:10 on Monday, April 29^th. Mark your calendars!

Field Trips: More field trips are under way! Our 7^th graders continue to prepare for the Sacrament of Confirmation by attending an all day retreat at Point Bonita on Friday, April 12^th. Students in third grade will be receiving a permission slip for an upcoming field trip to the Academy of Sciences on April 16^th. Also visiting the Academy of Sciences on April 17^th, are the preschoolers. Look for that permission slip. Please pay attention to the due dates on all those forms. Late permission slips will NOT be accepted.

Pizza/Hotdog: Check your envelopes for the April/May pizza sale slip and the hotdog sale slip. Please read them and follow the directions on the forms. The due date for those to be returned is next Wednesday, March 27^th. Remember, this is the only opportunity you have to order these special lunch and late orders will not be accepted.

Paper Donations: One way we save money is by using recycled paper, paper printed only on one side. So many of you are kind enough to collect it at your place of business and bring it to us on a regular basis. Your generous donation of new and recycled paper is very much appreciated. Please keep these donations coming!

Coaches Appreciation Dinner: The Athletic Board is holding their Coaches Appreciation Dinner on Friday, April 12^th. This delectable dinner, prepared by Chef Stamatis (dad of our own 5^th grade teacher, Kelly Stamatis) will be the highlight of the evening to thank-you for all of your efforts during this last school year. Please remember to RSVP here if you are planning to attend. Spouses and significant others are also invited.

Pi Day: We have the results of the Pi Day Memorization Contest. In 5th Grade, Samantha Panelo memorized 83 digits and just edged out Isabella Triunfo and Patty Palomares who both had 82 digits. In 6th Grade, Anthony Martinez also won with 83 digits. In 8th Grade, Sydney Gamboa won with an even 100 digits. Lastly, in 7th Grade, Andre Corrales kept going and going and finally stopped at 143 digits. The winners of the contest will all receive a Pi tee shirt, and perhaps more importantly, the winners all got a whole pie last Friday afternoon that they shared with friends. Congratulations to all our Pi day competitors!

Viva Opera: The Museo ItaloAmericano visited the 1^st through 8^th grade students today for their presentation of Viva Opera. They taught the students about the history of opera and introduced them to composers such as Mozart, Verdi, and Puccini. Students also learned about the different voices in opera; alto, tenor, soprano and bass. What an enriching environment your children enjoy!

Shoparoo: This week we received a $300 check from Shoparoo for coming in 2^nd in their February contest. Now we have our eye on the $500 grand prize for their March Madness contest. We’ve made it through to round two and go up against Sam V. Curtis Elementary in Rialto, California, this week. Check out Shoparoo’s blog here for the updated results. Keep snapping those receipts!

Scrip Requirement: As a reminder, all families are required to generate at least $100 profit by participating in the electronic scrip programs authorized by the school. Scrip purchases through April 30th will continue to be credited to your account. At the end of this period, families who have not reached the $100 profit will receive a statement with their balance still owed. Families who have not participated in the scrip program and did not buyout by the February deadline will incur the late buyout fee of $150.

Parking: We all need to share the valuable and limited parking spaces around the school and church. We ask that you be respectful and courteous to our neighbors at the Golf Club, St. Thomas More Church and Alma Via when parking. Pay attention, and show respect to the traffic patrol during drop off and pick up to ensure the safety of all our children.

Yesterday our new Pope, Francis, was officially installed. Archbishop Cordileone has granted us a school holiday in celebration of the election and installation of Pope Francis. We have chosen to take Friday, May 24^th, making Memorial Day weekend a four-day weekend. Please continue to keep Pope Francis in your prayers.

Finally, congratulations to our 8^th graders who are heading off to high school next year. Students have been lucky enough to be accepted into several schools to which they applied. Keeping in mind that this class only has 26 students, the following are the schools to which students were accepted: Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory (8), St. Ignatius Preparatory (8), Mercy San Francisco (4), Mercy Burlingame (6), Archbishop Riordan High School (5), Junipero Serra High School (2), Immaculate Conception Academy (1), and several other local public schools. We are all so proud of our soon-to-be graduates!

Sincerely,
Marie Fitzpatrick                   

Principal

STM Newsletter for March 13, 2013

Dear Parents:
 
Habemus Papam! The conclave has chosen Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, from Argentina, to be the new leader of the Catholic Church. The new pope, 76, is to be called Francis, the 266th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church. Please keep him in your prayers as he takes on this important role in the church.
Viva il Papa!
 
As part of our preparation for the Resurrection of Jesus on Easter
Sunday, students in grades 3-8 will receive the sacrament of Reconciliation on Monday, March 25^th. Please prepare your children to receive this sacrament by helping them to decide how to make good choices in their lives and how to ask God's forgiveness for decisions they may have made that did not show love for God or one another.
 
Stations of the Cross: Thank you to all who joined us today for 4^th grades presentation of the last four stations. To prepare us for Good Friday and Easter, the 7^th graders will present a prayer service on Thursday, March 28^th at 11:00am in the church. Following the prayer service, we will present the 3^rdquarter Academic Awards. Please join us if you can.
 
7^th grade Lenten Project: As you know, this year the 7th graders are dedicating their Lenten Service Project to Develop Africa. Please help the 7^thgraders honor their commitment to help children, like themselves. So far, $250 and over 300 various school supplies have been donated. Donations should be given to the classroom teacher and will be collected until Monday, March 25^th. If you would like to send a monetary donation to help purchase more supplies, please put it in an envelope marked ‘DEVELOP AFRICA’.
 
K-7 Re-registration: Don’t forget that the online re-registration for the 2013-2014 school year is due by this Friday, March 15^th. Re-registration fees of $325 per child, are due in the office no later than Wednesday, March 27^th.
 
Preschool Re-registration: This year we are asking all returning preschool families to complete their re-registration ONLINE by Friday, April 12^th. To complete the re-registration, from the STM Homepage, click the appropriate Utopia Preschool Re-registration link and you will be directed to an online form. Complete all the information on the form and submit. The
re-registration fee for preschool is $325 and is due by Friday, April 19^th.
 
Save the Date: Please save the evening of Thursday, April 18^th at 6:30pm for a mandatory parent meeting for all families of kindergarteners through 7th grade. Students will not be allowed to attend this meeting. We will offer free babysitting for those unable to make other arrangements. We will provide more details as we get closer to the date.
 
Pi Day Is Coming: Pi or “π” is the mathematical symbol for the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter. It is also an irrational number that never ends. The first ten digits of Pi are 3.141592653…, but it is usually approximated as 3.14. Tomorrow, March 14th (a.k.a. 3/14 or Pi Day), STM will hold a Pi Memorization Contest for the 5th-8th Grades. The winner merely needs to memorize and write down in order as many digits of Pi as possible. Winners in each grade will get a prize and pie. To get started on Pi Day, visit the website PiDay.org, where you can learn about all things Pi, including the first million digits of Pi!
 
8^th grade High School Acceptances: Friday is a big day for the eighth graders. They will be receiving notification of their acceptances in the various Catholic high schools to which they have applied. They are a wonderful, talented and mature group of students. We know they will do amazingly well!
 
Books to Bravo: The SF Opera Guild will be here again on Monday, for their ongoing preparation of the sixth grade’s Books to Bravo project. The premier production of the opera they have created will be performed in Carroll Hall at 1:10 on Monday, April 29^th. Mark your calendars!
 
Erin Go Bragh!: St. Patrick is one of the three patron saints of Ireland. If you know who the other two are, please come and let me know and you will get a treat that my little lucky leprechaun, Seamus, has left for you. We celebrate St. Patrick’s feast day every year on March 17th. On Monday, March 18th, we will hold our annual celebration of this great saint who is credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland. As is our custom, we will mark the day with acelebration of dance and song with an Irish slant. Please join us at 1:10 in the schoolyard if the weather permits, otherwise in the gymnasium. Students may also wear St. Patrick's Day accessories on Monday to add a little color to their uniforms. The Student Council will hold a St. Patrick’s Day bake sale on Friday, March 15th at recess.
 
Shoparoo: This month Shoparoo is giving away over $2,000 in their March Fundraising Tournament (Think March Madness). They have selected the 16 schools with the highest total Roo Points to participate in a playoff bracket (And yes, St. Thomas More is the number one seed!). This week, we go up against 16^thseeded Hillel Yeshiva School in New Jersey. Click here to see the rest of the bracket. The tournament runs as follows: Sweet 16: March 11 - March 17 $50 per winner, Elite 8: March 18 - March 24 $100 per winner, Final Four: March 25 - March 31 $200 per winner, and Championship: April 1 - April 7 $500 Grand Prize. The objective is very simple: score more Roo Points than our competitor school does. At the end of the week, the winning school will advance to the next round and be one step closer to the grand prize.
 
Easter Egg Hunt: Please check your envelopes today for the Easter Egg Hunt reservation and donation form. We are also looking for helpers for the event. Please contact Kathy Sanford at (650) 738-0646 if you can help.
 
USF vs. Northern Kentucky: Tomorrow night, Thursday, March 14^th, the USF Men’s basketball team takes on Northern Kentucky at 7pm. To celebrate the end of yet another successful season youth 12 and under are admitted free and general admission is only $10. This is a great (and affordable) family night out. Don’t forget to stop by the concession stands run by STM parents, Jeff and Maria Spiegel. Go Dons!
 
Please check out and thoughtfully respond to all the information you are receiving in today’s Envelope.
 
Sincerely,
Marie Fitzpatrick
Principal