Wednesday, February 19, 2014

STM Newsletter for February 12, 2014

Dear Parents:
 
As we move closer to the feast day of St. Valentine, we ask that you remember those less fortunate around you by showing a little love. The parable of the Good Samaritan from the Gospel of Luke is a great example of this. The parable tells of a traveller who is beaten and robbed along the side of the road. First a priest and then a Levite come by, but both avoid the man. Finally, a Samaritan comes by. The Samaritan helps the injured man. We mentioned last week that the St. Martin de Porres House of Hospitality are currently in need of some specific items for their mostly male clients. The items they are requesting are blankets, men's socks, travel sized toothpaste, toothbrushes, shaving cream, and razors. We will be collecting these items as part of our L♥ve Thy Neighbor Campaign through the month of February. Please send them with your child or drop them off in the bins at the front office.
 
Sandwiches-for-the-Needy: Our next collection for the Martin de Porres House is this Friday, February 14th, when the 5th and 6thgraders will take the lead. We encourage ALL families to provide an extra sandwich. Some of our older students will prepare 50 additional sandwiches with the residents at Alma Via to add to this collection.
 
Cioppino 2014!: Saturday, February 22nd is fast approaching! We are just ten days away from our best Cioppino dinner ever. More than half the families in the school will be there. We have been told that Cioppino is sold out and that any reservation not paid for by this Friday's deadline will not be held as there is a waiting list.
 
Silent Auction: In today’s envelope you are receiving information about the Cioppino silent auction items. Please review the items and send in your bids! Thank you for dropping off your donations to the school office. We are still accepting donations for our silent auction and for balloon prizes.
 
Mother-Son Dance: Watch out for our next exciting family event scheduled during March. Saturday, March 22nd, is a special night for mom’s and their sons at the annual Mother-Son Dance. Check out the flyer you are receiving in today’s envelope.
      
A Minimum Day and a Holiday!: Please remember that this coming Friday, February 14th, is a minimum day for optional parent-teacher conferences. Dismissal for the primary grades will be at 12:15 followed by the fourth through eighth grades at 12:30 as usual. We remind you also that Monday, February 17th is a holiday in honor of Presidents' Day.
 
USF Digital Media and Learning: Congratulations go out to our students who were selected for this program: 8th graders, Nathan Candle and Brandon Santos and 7th graders, Michelle Auyeung, Izadora De Oliveira, Zoe Taylor and Shivaya Urcuyo. In addition to their schoolwork here at STM, they will begin additional classes at USF tomorrow!
 
Neighborhood Concerns: Please be aware of your surroundings when picking up and dropping off your students. We have had some issues recently with attempted break-ins to vehicles parked nearby as well as reports of strangers in the vicinity of STM. The police have been alerted and we remind you not to leave personal belongings in plain sight in your vehicle.
                                   
Sincerely,
Marie Fitzpatrick                 
Principal

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

STM Newsletter for February 5, 2014

Dear Parents:

Our 2nd grade students, along with their parents, will be celebrating the sacrament of Reconciliation at 10:00am tomorrow. Their journey as young Catholics will continue when they receive the sacrament of First Communion at 2:00pm on Saturday, May 3rd. Preparing to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation (also known as penance) for the first time is an exciting event in a child’s life.

It is a time for focus on God’s mercy, how we forgive among our family, friends, and community, and how we celebrate forgiveness. According to Sandra DeGidio, O.S.M., the Parable of the Prodigal Son is perhaps the most strikingly powerful illustration of the human process of reconciliation.  Many of us find it difficult to believe the story. The father welcomes the son back instantly—doesn't even wait for him to get to the house. This is not the way we Catholics have viewed the Sacrament of Reconciliation in the past. Most of us tend to view this sacrament with the attitude of the older son in the story: Forgiveness comes only after you recite your list of sins and agree to suffer a bit for them. But God really is like the merciful parent in this parable: not out to catch us in our sin but intent on reaching out and hanging on to us in spite of our sin. Reconciliation is not just a matter of getting rid of sin. The important point is what God does in, with and through us. God is love.

The seventh graders will be receiving Confirmation on Friday, May 2nd, and over the next few months they will perform a number of service hours and attend an all day retreat to prepare them for this important and special occasion. Please keep both classes in your prayers during this important time as they continue on their spiritual journey over the next few months.

National Catholic Schools Week at St. Thomas More School was a wonderful success. We have accomplished so much here by working together. Thank you for all the positive comments made to the teachers and staff this past week. It is great to be recognized for a job well done.

Thank you to Becky Wong, John Kavanagh and Heidi Haas who organized a great Grandparents and Special Friends Day and to everyone who made it such a success! The children were so happy to have over 200 special guests join us for this fun event. A HUGE thank you goes out to Jeffrey and Maria Spiegel and our awesome 8th grade cooks for their help in preparing over 500 pasta lunches for all to enjoy. Thanks also to the many other parent volunteers who pitched in to make the day run so smooth.

A HUGE thank you once again this year to Joan Cuddihy, Judy Silva, and their competent committee of booksellers for the great job they did all last week with this year’s Book Fair. Thanks to all of you who bought books to enrich your children’s lives and to donate to the classroom libraries. While we don’t yet have a complete accounting of the proceeds of the sale, we do know that approximately 10% more books were purchased this year than at previous Book Fairs.

Spelling Bee: Another thrilling Spelling Bee, complete with a nail-biting ending was enjoyed by all on the last day of Catholic Schools Week!  Defending his title was this year's winner, 8th grader Tony D'Aura, and runner-up, 5th grader Jordan Mak.  Congratulations also to third place winner, 6th grader Dylan Limjoco.  Other school participants included: 8th graders Melina Diaz and Tianna Ramos, 7th graders Shivaya Urcuyo, Dylan Rojo-Cagadoc, and Michelle Auyeung, 6th graders Justin Santos and Chloe Sladewski, 5th graders Clark Kelly and Lorenzo Mutuc, and 4th graders Christian Bustos, Isabella Brenes, and Nicoli Panelo.  Conratulations to all our participants!  You are ALL winners!

LVE THY NEIGHBOR CAMPAIGN: Our twice-monthly sandwich collection serves the needs of clients at St. Martin de Porres House of Hospitality. They are currently in need of some specific items for their mostly male clients. The items they are requesting are blankets, men's socks, travel sized toothpaste, toothbrushes, shaving cream, and razors. We will be collecting these items through the month of February. Please send them with your child or drop them off in the bins at the front office. Your acts of kindness do not go unnoticed.

PARENT HOURS: As we mentioned last week, the Parents' Club is currently doing an audit of the hours that still need to be done by some families and will be opening up further volunteer opportunities in the near future. Note that yard duty service does not substitute for parent club hours. Please consider attending our next PC meeting tomorrow night at 7:00pm in Carroll Hall to provide your input with regards to scheduling of hours in the future.

Cioppino 2014 and FREE DRESS: Work continues in preparation for our BIG fundraiser on Saturday, February 22nd. Thank you for the many donations that have come through the school office for our Cioppino baskets and auction items – keep them coming! Ticket sales have really picked up for the event. Reservation forms are included in your envelopes again today – tell your friends! This event is a lot of fun. Remember, childcare is available for $25 and includes a pizza dinner and snacks. Please respond as soon as possible so that we can begin work on our seating plan. Remember, as an added bonus every school parent who buys a ticket for Cioppino will receive a FREE DRESS PASS for their child/ren to be used on Monday, February 24th.

School Holiday: This Friday, February 7th is a school holiday for the students. Teachers and administrators from all the Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese will be attending an all day professional development in-service at Archbishop Riordan High School.

SPELL-A-THON: Please remember that all monies pledged are due back by Thursday, February 13th. We are very happy with the way this fundraiser went and look forward to having another Spell-a-thon next year.

Field Trips: Taking a field trip on Tuesday, February 18th, are the fourth graders. They will be traveling to the San Francisco Transfer Station to observe how recycled material is collected and organized. Permission slips for this trip are going home today.

Scrip: Just a reminder that all families are required to generate a minimum of $100 profit by participating in the electronic scrip programs authorized by the school. Scrip purchased between May 1st, 2013 and April 30th, 2014 will be credited to this requirement. Families who do not wish to participate in the scrip program will have the option of buying out at $150. This Valentine’s Day, we remind you to think Scrip when you’re shopping for flowers, candy, and the perfect date night for your sweetheart.

Candy Grams: The Student Council has extended the deadline to order Candy Grams to tomorrow, Thursday, February 6th. The Student Council will send home the candy grams your have ordered for you to complete on Friday. Please send back the completed candy grams to the office by dismissal on Wednesday, February 12th. The Student Council will then attach candy to the cards and deliver them on Valentine’s Day.

Afternoon Extended Care: Do you need a 2013 payment summary from Afternoon Extended Care for your flexible spending account or your 2013 tax return? Please contact John Kavanagh at JKav@stmsf.org and he will provide it.

Thank you to two very generous STM parents for their time and support of our tech program! Mr. Limjoco, father of Ethan (5), Dylan (6) and Ian (K) recently donated 6 Cisco wireless access points to our school. Mr. Colom, father of Carlos (8) and Noah (1) has worked diligently on installing and upgrading our network devices in the last month. These network upgrades are significant and important to the successful integration of technology in all of our classrooms and our 1:1 iPad program. Both parents' contribution have ensured that our internet access has been extremely fast and reliable.

Sincerely,
Marie Fitzpatrick       
Principal          

Saturday, February 1, 2014

STM Newsletter for January 29, 2014

Dear Parents:
 
The Family Mass, Book Fair, the school-wide open house and the general spirit of goodwill were a fitting beginning to National Catholic Schools Week at St. Thomas More School. We have accomplished so much here by working together. A special thank you to our kindergarten teachers, Heidi Haas and Megan Kennedy, for preparing a beautiful Family Mass with the kindergartners and their families. We are so proud of our wonderful kindergarten students. This is a good time to reflect on the benefit of being part of a Catholic school. The strong school community, grounded in a shared faith and the support and high expectations of parents, teachers and the larger community, offers your children a foundation for facing the rapidly changing world around them. By sharing this belief in God’s goodness and living out their faith every day, your children are blessed with a clear advantage. Faith provides an anchor that will serve your children well into the future.
 
You are welcome to visit the Book Fair any morning this week before school begins or right after dismissal. Just go straight to the library where Joan Cuddihy and her crew of booksellers will be there to assist you. Check out the wish lists the teachers have prepared of books they would like to have in their classroom libraries. Consider donating a book to your child’s classroom. Can’t make it to our Book Fair? Check out our Online Book Fair. Click here to purchase books. All orders will ship directly to school for free when the Online Fair has ended.
 
Tomorrow is Grandparents and Special Friends Day! Thank you to the 200+ special guests who have RSVP’d for this fun event. The children are really looking forward to welcoming them to our school. Your children are so lucky to have such special people in their lives.  Carroll Hall will be open at 11:00am for our early arriving guests.  Grandparents Day activities will begin at 11:30 a.m.  The day's activities will conclude with a prayer service led by third grade at 1:30pm in the Gym.
 
REPORT CARDS/HONOR AWARDS: Report cards will be sent home with your child on Friday, January 31st. Make sure your accounts are in order so that your child may receive their report card. We would like to invite everyone to join us at the honor awards ceremony on Friday, January 31st immediately following the 8:30am mass.
 
SPELL-A-THON: Today you will be receiving your child’s corrected spell-a-thon test and pledge sheet. Just a reminder that all monies are due back by Thursday, February 13th.
 
SPELLING BEE/ACADEMIC AWARDS: We invite everyone to join us for our annual Spelling Bee on Friday beginning at 1:10pm in Carroll Hall.

CYO HALL OF FAME: As previously mentioned, 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. 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.

SCHOOL HOLIDAY: Be prepared! Friday, February 7th is a school holiday for the students. Teachers and administrators from all the Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese will be attending an all day in-service at St. Mary’s Cathedral.
 
CIOPPINO 2014: Work continues in preparation for our BIG fundraiser on Saturday, February 22nd. We have only had a handful of families send donations into the office. We cannot do this without your help. Most of the items we use in our baskets come to us by your kind donations – please keep them coming! To purchase tickets, please use the flyer you have previously received. Consider getting together with other parents from your child’s class to purchase a table. This event is a lot of fun. Remember, childcare is available for a nominal fee. Please respond as soon as possible as we believe this will be a sell out event again this year. As an added bonus, every school parent who buys a ticket for Cioppino will receive a FREE DRESS PASS for their child/ren to be used on Monday, February 24th.
 
HIGH SCHOOL RECOMMENDATIONS: Our Junior High teachers and I have been busily writing recommendations and preparing transcripts for the high schools to which our 8th graders have applied. These have all been safely delivered into the hands of the high school admission offices. Our soon to be graduates will be notified of their acceptances by mid-March. Good luck to all.
 
PARENT HOURS: Last week we wrote about the 10 parent hours that are a requirement for this school year. Many of you expressed frustration with the difficulty in signing up for activities because all the slots had been taken. The Parents' Club is currently doing an audit of the hours that still need to be done by some families and will be opening up further volunteer opportunities in the near future. Note that yard duty service does not substitute for parent club hours. Please consider attending our next PC meeting on Feb. 6th to provide your input with regards to scheduling of hours in the future.
 
PEN: Parents Education Network (PEN) is a coalition of parents collaborating with educators, students and the community to empower and bring academic and life success to students with learning and attention differences. They are a grassroots organization with national impact, founded in 2003 by a group of parents whose children have learning and attention differences, and who individually struggled to find the information, services, and expertise to help their children succeed academically. Here is a link to their website which provides many valuable tools that you may find useful as well as information about their speaker series. http://parentseducationnetwork.org/
 
RE-REGISTRATION: Re-registration for current students will be online again this year. More information on how to re-register will be available mid-March.
 
SAVE THE DATE: Please save the evening of Tuesday, March 11th at 6:30pm for a mandatory parent meeting for all families of preschool through 7th grade. Students will not be allowed to attend this meeting. While we strongly encourage you to find a babysitter, we will offer limited free babysitting for those unable to make other arrangements. We will provide more details as we get closer to the date.
 
Today you are receiving the February calendar of events and hot lunch menu. Keep these handy as February proves to be a busy month.
 
Marie Fitzpatrick             
Principal