Wednesday, October 30, 2013

STM Newsletter for October 30, 2013

Dear Parents,

When you think of Halloween, what comes to mind? For a lot of people, Halloween has become synonymous with candy, costumes, scary stuff, and pumpkins. But do you know the religious connection to the holiday? The word Halloween itself is a contraction of "Hallowed evening". Hallowed is an old English word for "holy" — as in "Hallowed be Thy Name", in the Lord's Prayer. All Saints Day, celebrated on November 1st, is the day on which Catholics celebrate all the saints, known and unknown. The vigil or eve of this feast, October 31, is Halloween. The purpose of Halloween is to prepare us for All Saints Day by remembering and celebrating those saints. This year, All Saints Day is a holy day of obligation. Celebrating this special feast day by attending Mass is a wonderful way to honor the saints. Please consider joining us at 8:30am on Friday, November 1st for our student body mass honoring saints. Following mass we will present the academic excellence and citizenship awards

We will celebrate Halloween tomorrow, Thursday, October 31st. Just a reminder that costumes worn to school must be age appropriate and bathroom accessible. Make up must be applied at home, shoes must be comfortable for walking, and no weapons of any kind are allowed. The Halloween costume parade will be after lunch recess, beginning about 1:05. Please wait outside the school gates until this time. The students will parade around the homestead for thirty to forty-five minutes. You should have plenty of time to capture your child’s Kodak moment. After the parade, students will return to class to party until they drop. Parents are not permitted in classrooms unless specifically arranged in advance with the classroom teacher. At dismissal we will be thrilled to return your child to you complete with a sugar high!

REPORT CARDS: Report cards will be sent home with your student on Friday, November 1st. Please note that there will be some changes in the report cards for students in grades K-2 because of the adoption of Common Core Mathematics. The current report card for those grades does not address the standards that are now being taught. For this reason, the mathematics section of the report card will be left blank instead; you will receive a Common Core Math Report Card Addendum along with the regular report card. This addendum will more closely correlate with the math standards your child is working on at the moment.

ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE AWARDS: We would like to invite everyone to join us at the awards ceremony on Friday, November 1st immediately following the 8:30am Mass. Academic awards will be presented to students in grades 3 through 8 if he/she maintains outstanding grades in the following subjects: Religion, Mathematics, Reading/Literature, English, Science/Health, and History/Social Studies. The following criteria will be used to determine eligibility.


First Honors
1. Students must earn a 3.75 GPA or above
2. Behavioral Expectation and Learning Skills of 2 or above
 
Second Honors
1. Students must earn a 3.50 GPA or above
2. Behavioral Expectation and Learning Skills of 2 or above
 
In addition to the awards for academic excellence, one student per grade, 3 through 8, will be chosen for a citizenship award. In grades K-2, two students per grade will receive this award. Below are the criteria on which this award will be based.

Citizenship
1. Exemplify exceptional Catholic values
2. Demonstrates overall good citizenship
3. Behavioral Expectation and Learning Skills of 2 or above

PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES: Just a reminder that Monday through Friday next week are all minimum days with 12:15/12:30 dismissal. We will have parent-teacher conferences during that time. Yes, there is extended care each of those days. Students not signed in to extended care will not be allowed to remain in the yard during your conference.

ATTENDANCE: Here are a few reminders about parent responsibility regarding absences, tardiness, and medical appointments. If you know your child is going to be absent in advance please send a note or an email to your child’s teacher. If your child is ill please email the teacher and the school office in the morning to let us know. Do not send ill children to school. The following are some California State Law regulations regarding attendance.
  • If a student is absent or tardy a written excuse from the parent is required at the beginning of the next school day.
  • Medical absence: Students are legally credited for attendance when time is spent in medical and dental appointments. Verification of such appointments is required from the medical or dental office. We request that where possible you schedule medical and dental appointments after school or during vacation time.
  • Tardiness: A student is tardy if he/she arrives after 8:10. That means any students arriving after the bell rings are considered tardy. If he/she arrives after 10:00am, he/she is marked absent half a day. Students picked up before 2:00pm will also be marked absent half a day.
2014-2015 K-8 APPLICATION FORMS: Application forms for K-8 families new to the school applying for the 2014-2015 school year will be available in the office and online beginning Friday, November 1st. We ask your help in encouraging prospective parents to consider St. Thomas More School for their child for the 2014-2015 school year. You, our current families, are our best advertising! Please invite friends and relatives interested in St. Thomas More School to come to one of our school tours for prospective parents. Information about re-registration for students currently attending STM will be available in March.

2014-2015 PRESCHOOL APPLICATION FORMS: Our preschool class for next year is filling up fast. If you have a younger child who you would like to have attend Utopia, please make an appointment to visit with Michelle Ovando, our preschool director. Preference will be given to our current families only if applications are completed on time.

NOVEMBER CALENDAR: In your Envelope today you are receiving the Hot Lunch Menu and Calendar of Events for the month of November. With all the minimum days for conferences, etc., it will be a helpful reminder throughout the month. Please take note that Tuesday November 26th will be a minimum day and yes, extended care will be available that evening until 6pm.

UPCOMING FIELD TRIPS: Permission slips for the below mentioned field trip are in your envelopes today. Please pay attention to the due date to return the form and payment.
  • 1st grade students will attend a production of Jack and the Beanstalk on Friday, November 8th.
  • On November 15th, the 6th graders will enjoy various exhibits at The Exploratorium.
  • On Monday, November 11th, the 7th graders will begin their Confirmation preparation by volunteering their time at the SF Food Bank.
SCRIP: Start your Christmas shopping now! Order your scrip by 6am on Friday and receive it the following Wednesday. Also now available are Buffalo Wild Wings gift cards. They are currently giving 8% back to the school. Use them at our upcoming Outdoor Ed fundraiser on Monday, November 18th! Don’t forget that every family has to generate a minimum of $100 profit through the scrip program.

BREAST CANCER AWARENESS WEEK: Thank you to everyone for making last week such as success. The Student Council did a phenomenal job organizing activities, bake sales, and our breast cancer awareness walk. They are happy to announce that they raised over $2,200 to be donated on Miss Beach’s behalf to the Triple Negative Breast Cancer Foundation. If you still wish to contribute to this worthy cause we will accept donations up to Friday of this week.

STEM ELECTIVES: We are half way through our STEM classes, and the 6th, 7th and 8th graders are enthusiastically engaging in some wonderful learning experiences. Today we had some wonderful smells coming from the kitchen. Students in the Chemistry of Cooking class made a variety of homemade pizzas from breakfast pizzas to dessert pizzas. Our stop-motion animation class were lucky to have a  special guest speaker. They skyped with Academy Award winner, Gene Dietch, all the way in Prague. Gene has won 24 awards for his animations over the past 50+ years. What a wonderful way to kick off our first STEM year.

1:1 IPAD: In preparation for the roll out of our 1:1 iPad program, 6th, 7th and 8th grade students are all receiving a lease contract/reservation form today. 6th graders have until Tuesday, November 26th to complete and turn in their contract and lease payment. 7th and 8th graders are receiving iPad rental reservation forms. If your 7th/8th grade student does not currently have an iPad, please use this form to reserve one through the school. Please note that quantities are limited and is on a first come first served basis.

And finally, congratulations to Melody Oakley, winner of the Fall Festival iPad mini Raffle. Winners of the 2 tickets to Cioppino were the Mihelich family (8th grade) and Padraic Hegarty (Kindergarten). The $50 Chevron gas card went to Jack Reynolds (5th grade), the $25 Game Stop card was also won by Padraic Hegarty (Kindergarten), and the winner of the $15 iTunes gift card was Benny Sablad (7th grade). Prizes will be available in the office tomorrow afternoon. Thank you to all who supported the raffle and the Fall Festival.

Happy Halloween! Happy All Saints Day!

Marie Fitzpatrick
Principal

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

STM Newsletter for October 23, 2013



Dear Parents,

Our students continue to spread the word about breast cancer awareness. Thank you for supporting them in their endeavors, donating items for the bake sales and funds to buy lots of treats. Don’t forget to drop in to write the names of family and friends on our Memory Wall. If you are unable to drop by, send us an email and we will have our student council members write up the names for you.

FREE ‘PINK’ DRESS: Tomorrow, the 3rd through 8th grade students will participate in a Breast Cancer Awareness Rally and solidarity walk. Students in kindergarten through 2nd grade will hold posters and cheer us on as we leave for our walk. We encourage all parents and family members to participate as time allows. Originally, we offered free ‘pink’ dress to those who contributed $3. While we are still encouraging students to donate $3 as all funds raised will be donated to the Triple Negative Breast Cancer Foundation, please know that all students may wear free ‘pink’ dress tomorrow. A special thank you to Linda and Pankaj Shah who have generously provided a $1,000 donation that will allow all students ‘free pink dress’ tomorrow.

FALL FESTIVAL: A BIG thank you to our 2013 co-chairs of the Fall Festival; Ivon van Mechelen, Michaela Munda and Anarose Schelstrate. What a fabulous time everyone had this past Saturday. The sun was shining, the food was delicious, and the children just had a tremendous day. Thank you also to the many volunteers for their countless hours in making this event such a great success. Thanks also for the many donations that were dropped off over the past few weeks. The raffle for the iPad and other items will continue through October 30th. We have included raffle tickets in your envelope today in case you didn’t get a chance to purchase them.

FUNDRAISING CATALOG: The items have arrived and all orders are being sent home with students today. A BIG thank you to Jason Malig (dad of Zhari, 5th grade, Siah, 1st grade, and Nyree, kindergarten) and Cecilia Sainez (mom of Benjamin Davila, 1st grade) for helping distribute the orders. Please check your order thoroughly and notify us immediately if you are missing anything. Call the office and check with Melody if you have questions. She has a complete list of those items.

PARENT CONFERENCES: This Friday, October 25th marks the end of the first quarter of the school year. Report cards will be sent home next Friday, November 1st. Also, next Friday, November 1st, immediately following the 8:30am mass, please consider joining us for the Academic Awards ceremony. ITBS (Iowa Test of Basic Skills) scores (second through eighth graders) will all be available to you at your parent-teacher conference. We are sending home scheduled appointments today. If you do not receive an appointment, please check with the office to ensure your accounts are up to date.

RESOURCE PROGRAM: Our new resource program is up and running. We are very excited and Steve Johnson and Tara Geoghegan join our teaching staff. They are both extremely qualified educational therapists with private practices outside of school hours. They are on campus several mornings a week and have begun working with students at all grade levels. Part of the process we are using will involve the screening of students to evaluate their various learning challenges and to identify strategies to improve their academic performance. Mr. Johnson and Mrs. G, as they are known to the students, will work in the classroom to assist the teachers and may also pull out groups of students to work on specific areas of need. If you have any questions about work that the resource specialists are doing with your child, please contact the classroom teacher. If we feel that your child would benefit from a more complete in-depth educational evaluation than we can offer through the school, the resource teachers will contact you to discuss this option.

OFF TO THE RACES: Off to the Races is coming to STM on Saturday, November 2nd! Reservation Flyers, Raffle Tickets, Ad Space, and Name a Horse/Jockey/Owner are in today’s envelope. This has always been an exciting evening with lots of fun activities, including two bingo games, “adult” refreshments, tasty food and lively entertainment. Wear your favorite racing hat for a chance to win fabulous prizes. All this for only $20! Don’t forget that childcare is also available. Send in your reservations now!

2014-2015 APPLICATION FORMS FOR NEW STUDENTS: K-8 application forms for the 2014-2015 school year will be available in the front office and online beginning November 1st, 2013. Siblings of current students as well as Utopia preschool students who requested an application will be receiving it today. As a reminder, students currently attending Utopia Preschool and/or with siblings currently attending St. Thomas More School will be given preference if the application form is submitted in a timely manner.

PIZZA AND HOT DOG SALES: Order forms are being sent home today for November, December and January sales. This is your ONLY opportunity to order. You must order for all sales if you wish to participate in these special lunches. Pay attention to the due date, Friday, November 1st, and return the form and payment in a sealed envelope. DO NOT combine payments for other activities or children.

TRIVIA AND SCAVENGER HUNT: Attention Trivia and Scavenger Hunt aficionados! St. Thomas More Broncos will be participating in Serra High School's 29th Annual Trivia Contest and Scavenger Hunt. Please help us out and participate by checking the science blog today after 4:30 pm. We will be sending our team captains, Nate Candler and Tony D’Aura, to Serra High School to pick up the trivia questions and scavenger hunt challenges. Once the question packet has been officially distributed, the questions and challenges will be posted on the science blog. If you can answer ANY of the questions, please email the answer to: science@stmsf.org. We will gather all the answers and write them on the official answer sheet to be delivered on Tuesday, October 29th at 3:30 pm. Ask friends, family, neighbors get anyone and everyone you can involved! The more correct answers we can get the better! Go Broncos!

HALLOWEEN PARADE: We will celebrate Halloween next Thursday, October 31st. Just a reminder that when purchasing costumes for wearing to school on Halloween, please consider the following: age appropriateness, bathroom accessibility, make up must be applied at home, shoes must be comfortable for walking, and no weapons of any kind allowed. The Halloween costume parade will be after lunch recess, about 1:15. The students will parade around the homestead for thirty to forty-five minutes. You should have plenty of time to capture your child’s Kodak moment. After the parade, students will return to class to party until they drop. Parents are not permitted in classrooms unless specifically arranged in advance with the classroom teacher. At dismissal we will be thrilled to return your child to you complete with a sugar high!

CYO ATHLETICS HALL OF FAME: The 7th Annual Catholic Charities CYO Athletics Hall of Fame dinner will honor the individual accomplishments of John Bickle as well as two other extraordinary Athletic Directors. Please consider joining them on Saturday, February 8, 2014 at the Father O'Reilly Catholic Charities CYO gym to recognize John as former coach and Athletic Director for the past 16 years at St. Thomas More (and countless years in other youth programs). If you know of any family or friends that want to be a sponsor (and have their name listed on the invitations and programs) please use this link to order online. The school will also reserve some tables so if you wish to purchase individual tickets you may make a check payable to STM.

SHOPAROO: We made the Final Four and have been guaranteed an additional $200 payout (on top of the $100 we already earned). We are now battling for the most Roo Points against St Clare School in Florida. If we win this round (which ends tonight) we will get another $300, and a chance to compete for the $1,000 crown. Keep snapping those receipts!

RECYCLED CANS: As we mentioned in last weeks letter, we are looking for a volunteer to pick up our used cans and take them to a recycle center. If you have a truck and are available to help us with this, please let the office know.

Sincerely,
Marie Fitzpatrick
Principal

Thursday, October 17, 2013

STM Newsletter for October 16, 2013

Dear Parents,

A community of faith can provide support when we are in need of help. They can envelop us in caring and love. With this in mind, we ask you to join with us next week as we pray together in community for those who are ill and especially those who are affected by breast cancer. Since October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, our Student Council has initiated several ways to bring this issue to our attention. We ask you all to join us in prayer during this month. Together our prayers can be powerful.

BREAST CANCER AWARENESS WEEK: Beginning Monday, October 21st, we are kicking off Breast Cancer Awareness Week. The Student Council have decided, in Miss Beach’s honor, to raise funds for the Triple Negative Breast Cancer Foundation in the following ways.
  • Daily bake sales
  • Breast Cancer Pin sales
  • Dress in Pink Day - $3 (or more) donation
  • Popsicle sale Thursday
Please consider joining us on Monday at 1:00pm in the gym when the 5th Grade class will present a living rosary and a special prayer for those affected by breast cancer.

Throughout the week, a Memory Wall will be available where names of those who have been affected by breast cancer can be written. You are welcome to drop in any time during the school day to add a name to this wall. Please join us each morning when the Student Council will say a special prayer during Morning Assembly for those who have been listed on the wall. The Memory Wall will be displayed throughout the entire week and then presented during mass on Friday as part of the offertory procession.

On Thursday, the 3rd through 8th grade students will participate in a Breast Cancer Awareness Rally and solidarity walk.  Those students are receiving permission slips in the envelopes today.  Students in kindergarten through 2nd grade will hold posters and cheer us on as we leave for our walk.  We encourage all parents and family members to participate as time allows. Also on Thursday, students will have the opportunity to wear pink clothing or appropriate accessories that support breast cancer awareness for a $3 (or more) donation.

PICTURE RE-TAKES: Just a reminder that picture retakes are this Friday for all students who have retuned their complete photo packet as requested. We have prepared a list of students who requested a retake. Forgot to send your packet back? Contact Melody immediately so that your child can be added to this list.

NIGHT AT THE RACES: The “horse races” are coming to STM on Saturday, November 2nd! Reservation flyers, Ad space and Name a Horse/Jockey/Owner flyers are in today’s envelope. This has always been an exciting evening with lots of fun activities, including two bingo games, “adult” refreshments and lively entertainment. All this for only $20! Don’t forget that childcare is also available for a nominal fee. Send in your reservations now! All proceeds go towards STM’s technology program.

HALLOWEEN: Please consider joining us for our annual K-8 Halloween parade, which begins at 1:15 in the schoolyard on Thursday, October 31st. Preschool students will hold their parade at an earlier time to facilitate their nap schedule. When purchasing costumes for wearing to school on Thursday, October 31st, please consider the following:
  • Age appropriate
  • Bathroom accessible
  • Make up must be applied at home
  • Shoes must be comfortable for walking
  • No weapons of any kind
SCHOOL TOURS/APPLICATION FORMS: Just a reminder to please invite friends and relatives interested in St. Thomas More School to come to one of our school tours for prospective parents. Click here to reserve a place on one of the tours listed below:
  • Tuesday, November 5th at 9:00am 
  • Wednesday, November 20th at 11:00am 
  • Tuesday, December 10th at 9:00am 
  • Tuesday, January 28th at 9:00am
K-8 application forms for the 2014-2015 school year will be available in the front office and online beginning November 1st, 2013. Siblings of current students as well as preschool students who requested an application will be receiving it in next week’s envelope. As is our usual policy, students currently attending Utopia Preschool and/or with siblings currently attending St. Thomas More School will be given preference in the kindergarten class of 2014-2015 if the application form is received in a timely manner.

Don't forget - The Parent-Teacher Conference forms are due back by tomorrow!! Please make sure these forms are filled out completely. Several of these forms have been returned to parents as all three options were not selected.

And finally, congratulations to our 5th grade teacher, Kelly Stamatis, who is sporting a beautiful new engagement ring. Our best wishes go to her and her fiancĂ©, John.

Sincerely,
Marie Fitzpatrick
Principal

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

STM Newsletter for October 9, 2013


Dear Parents: 
    
Did you know that believing in God is actually good for your health and well-being? It’s true. Recent studies show that there are benefits to being a believer. A solid religious faith strengthens family ties, helps to build closer couple relationships, even helps to forge stronger community connections. In good times our faith reminds us that we were created in God’s image for the purpose of love; in tough times our faith is a foundation that grounds our very reason for being. Being a believer is good for more than just our souls. (Joseph White, Ph.D. “Does Jesus want us to be happy?” Take Out, Family Faith on the Go. April 2010. Page. 7)

Thank you to all who joined us for our Family Mass this past Sunday. The 4th graders, along with their teacher, Miss Conley, prepared a lovely service. Thank you also to our wonderful choir and their director, Shelley White, for gracing us with their beautiful voices. Our next Family Mass will be on November 10th when the 5th graders will take the lead.

STEM: Today we began our STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) electives for the 6th, 7th and 8th graders. These classes will nurture students' interests and love of learning through a project based learning approach that emphasizes our school learning expectations (THINK) as well as inspire innovation and creativity.  These classes take place on Wednesdays through November 13th with a showcase on November 20th.  STEM students will share their work and projects with STM students and families in the showcase that shows the rigorous work and training resulting from student collaboration, problem solving, effective communication, and the use of critical thinking skills. Ask your junior high student how their first STEM class was!

SANDWICHES-FOR-THE-NEEDY: This Friday, October 11th, is our next collection of sandwiches-for-the-needy. All are welcome to participate and the third and eighth graders are charged with taking the lead that day. Some of our upper grade students will 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.

PERSONAL ITEMS COLLECTION: Please remember that we will continue to collect personal items for the Little Sisters of the Poor and the residents of St. Anne’s Home in San Francisco through this Friday, October 11th. Thank you to those who have already brought in donations; please keep them coming.

SCHOOL PHOTOS: Those of you who ordered school pictures are receiving them in your envelope today. If you wish for your child to re-take his/her picture on our re-take day, scheduled for October 18th, please return the entire photo package to the classroom teacher by Wednesday, October 16th.

STUDENT ID CARDS: Student ID cards have arrived. They may be purchased, starting tomorrow. Please put $2 in an envelope, write your child’s name and grade and send to your child’s teacher. They are not available through the office.

CONFERENCES: Parent conferences are set for the week of November 4th-8th. In order to plan conferences at a convenient time for you, we are making both afternoon and evening appointments available. Please follow ALL of the listed directions on the conference request form you are receiving in your envelope today. If this form is not filled in as directed, it will be returned to you! Please remember that your accounts, both tuition and extended care, must be in good standing in order for you to receive a conference and your child’s report card.

HOT LUNCH: As a reminder, the price of hot lunch is now $5. This change is necessary to cover our costs as food prices have increased for our vendor. We welcome your feedback with regards to new menu items.

FROM THE PARENTS’ CLUB: Please note the last day to add/edit sign-ups for Fall Festival will be THIS FRIDAY, 10/11/2013 5pm PST. The sign-up will remain up and available for viewing. It will even continue to be editable HOWEVER, any changes made after 5pm on Friday will NOT be valid. After 5pm, our PC volunteer coordinator will generate a report from Sign-up Genius of all Fall Festival volunteers. This report will serve as our final & master list to be used and relied up by booth chairs. This list will also be how PC reconciles & credits your family for volunteer hours. So if you need to make any changes we ask you to please do so before Friday 10/11, 5pm.

But if something comes up and you need to make a change after 5pm on Friday, no worries, simply email us at parentsclub@stmsf.org to let us know. We appreciate your support and we apologize for any inconvenience.

NIGHT AT THE RACES: The “horse races” are coming to STM on Saturday, November 2nd! Reservation flyers are in today’s envelope. This has always been an exciting evening with lots of fun activities, including two bingo games, “adult” refreshments and lively entertainment. All this for only $20! Don’t forget that childcare is also available for a nominal fee. Send in your reservations now! Ad space and Name a Horse/Jockey/Owner flyers will be in your envelope next week. All proceeds go towards STM’s technology program.

DONATIONS: We are asking for donations of new and clean recycled paper. We find many uses for paper that is used on one side only. We appreciate your generosity. Keep those used ink cartridges and old cell phones coming! We recycle them through Cartridges for Kids and over the last few months this program has earned us over $200!

FUNDRAISING CATALOG: Thank you to everyone who purchased items from our annual fundraising catalog. Congratulations to the 79 students who sold 15 or more items. They will receive a free dress pass to be used this coming Friday, October 11th. These students will also be entered into a drawing for a special prize on Friday. If you believe that your child should have received a free dress pass because of additional items sold online by family member or friends, please notify the office immediately so that we can prepare a pass for your child.  Let us know the name of the person that made the online purchases in your child’s name. We expect delivery of these items about the third week of October. We will notify you in advance in order that you can pick up frozen items the day they are delivered.

SHOPAROO: A big thank you to all who have joined Shoparoo recently. This month Shoparoo giving away over $3,000 in rewards, and STM is one of 16 schools competing for the $1,000 Shoparoo Fall Classic crown! STM went head-to-head with Laura Donovan PTO in New Jersey in round one, earning $100, and have made it through to the next round. This week we will be up against Uno Carlos Fuentes Charter School in Chicago, which has never made the leader board. Keep snapping those receipts!

Sincerely,
Marie Fitzpatrick
Principal

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

STM Newsletter for October 2, 2013


Dear Parents,

The month of October each year is dedicated to the Holy Rosary because the liturgical feast of Our Lady of the Rosary is celebrated annually on October the 7th. Praying the rosary is a way to help us get in touch with God and to develop a relationship with him. In prayer we not only talk with God, but God communicates with us. As we continue to pray, our relationship with God grows, and we are transformed more into the people we are meant to be.

Each Wednesday throughout the month of October at morning assembly, the student body will say a decade of the rosary. Please join us on Wednesday mornings as we announce the Mystery and say an Our Father followed by ten Hail Mary’s. We will end the decade by saying the Glory Be to the Father. Consider saying a decade of the Rosary as a family during this month as a sign of dedication to Mary our Mother.

PARENTS’ CLUB MEETING & SOCIAL MEDIA SAFETY PRESENTATIONTomorrow evening, in Carroll Hall, the Parents’ Club will have their first-Thursday-of-the-month meeting. This year, the format of the meetings will be slightly different. October’s meeting will be as follow: 6:45-7:15pm – Social time: come and meet other parents and have a snack. 7:15-8:00 – Social Media Safety presentation by our very own Ms. Stamatis. The meeting will close with some event updates. We’d love to see you there!

BLESSING OF THE ANIMALSFriday is the Feast of St. Francis. In honor of his feast day and his love of animals we will have the annual blessing of the animals. Please join us Friday morning in the schoolyard at 8:10am. You are welcome to bring your pets, pictures of your pet, or anything else that represents your pet that you wish to have blessed.

CIOPPINO 2014: The Cioppino/Silent Auction committee will meet next Monday, October 7th at 7:00pm in the library. Please come and share your thoughts and ideas.

FALL FESTIVAL/HALLOWEEN CARNIVAL: The next big event is the Fall Festival/Halloween Carnival. That fun and popular event is set for Saturday, October 19th. Everyone will be there! The Parents’ Club will continue to keep you up-to-date with preparations. Your class reps will be contacting you regarding donations and activities that each grade will be responsible for. To sign up to volunteer for the festival, please click on the link on the STM homepage. If you have any questions, please contact your class reps or the Parents’ Club at parentsclub@stthomasmoreschool.org.

FIELD TRIPS: In today’s Envelope the kindergarten students are receiving permission slips for their upcoming field trip to the Lemos Farm Pumpkin Patch on October 15th. Please return the permission slip along with the fee by the due date. Also receiving a permission slip are select 6th, 7th and 8th graders participating in the Introduction to Architecture STEM class. They will enjoy an Architectural tour of San Francisco on October 16th. From now on, the Archdiocese requires that all adult volunteers, 18 and older, also sign a waiver and release form when chaperoning and/or participating on field trips.

HOT LUNCH PROGRAM AND PRICES: Check out some of the new additions to the Hot Lunch Menu. The teriyaki chicken and rice has been extremely popular and we look forward to another large order tomorrow. New entrees coming soon include orange chicken with rice and a chicken pesto sandwich. Beginning Monday, October 7th, the price of hot lunch will increase to $5. This change is necessary to cover our costs as food prices have increased for our vendor. School Pizza and Hot Dog sales will remain the same price this year.

TUITION: Families who pay tuition on a monthly basis are reminded that the October payment is due to the school office now. Thank you to those who have already made a payment.

EXTENDED CARE BILLING: The first monthly bills are going home in the weekly envelope today covering services provided from the school's start in late August through the end of September. (Monthly bills will usually be in the first weekly envelope after month's end.) There are a couple of major changes this year to payment method and procedures: (1) Only checks and cash will be accepted for payment. Credit/debit cards may no longer be used; and (2) Payments will be made at a designated drop box inside the front door of the school.  Please use an envelope with your payment that either includes the bill or at least indicates the family account (student name and grade) that the payment should be applied to. If your child has attended Afternoon Extended Care this year and you do not receive a bill, please contact John Kavanagh at jkav@stmsf.org.

NIGHT AT THE RACES: The “horse races” are coming to STM onSaturday, November 2nd! This has always been an exciting evening with lots of fun activities (this year includes 2 bingo games), “adult” refreshments and lively entertainment. All this for only $20! Save the date!

1:1 IPAD PROGRAM: As we mentioned at Back to School night, we will be rolling out our 1:1 iPad program to our 6th, 7th and 8th graders beginning January 6th, 2014. In order to help you and your student plan ahead for this exciting program, we are providing you with a few reminders. Please check out the information on our 1:1 iPad program on our school website. In order to facilitate this program, our school has a limited number (30) of iPad 2s for rent to seventh and eighth grade students who do not wish to purchase their own iPads. An iPad reservation form will go home in the Wednesday envelope on October 30th. No reservations will be accepted before this date. If you are interested in reserving an iPad for your child, please return the form along with a check for $75 payable to St. Thomas More School. This fee will cover the rental of an iPad 2 from January to June 2014. These iPad rentals will be on a first come, first served basis.

Finally, this week we were delighted to receive an unexpected $10,000 grant from The Outrageous Foundation. This is the third year in a row that they have chosen STM as one of the schools to receive this grant. The Outrageous Foundation has a strong commitment to Catholic education in the San Francisco Bay Area and has received recommendations regarding our wonderful school from a friend. Their foundation does not accept grant applications, but awards their funds based on referrals from others. Last year we were the recipients of a $10,000 grant from this foundation and the previous year, we received $5,000. These funds will be put aside for tuition assistance to help our most needy families. We are very grateful to Mr. and Mrs. Bob McGrath of The Outrageous Foundation for their continuing support of St. Thomas More School!

Sincerely,
Marie Fitzpatrick
Principal