Dear Parents,
Tomorrow
is the Feast of the Ascension of the Lord. According to Scripture, Christ was
crucified then resurrected on the third day. Following his resurrection, Christ
remained with his disciples and continued his ministry for forty days. Following these forty
days, he ascended into heaven. The feast of the Ascension’s meaning provides a
sense of hope that the glorious and triumphant return of Christ is near. It is
a reminder of the Kingdom of God within our hearts, and of the ever-present
Spirit of God, watching over and protecting us as we spread the light of Jesus'
truth throughout the world.
We trust everyone enjoyed the special
three-day-weekend as we return to the full and exciting next few weeks at STM.
Only 16 days to go!
Spirit Week!: Yesterday, we kicked off Spirit
Week with our pajama day. We had a great time this
afternoon being active and sporty with a Rhythm and Moves Field Day.
Thanks to our PE teacher, Mike Shimabukuro, for organizing such fun activities.
Moving along, Spirit week continues tomorrow as the students enjoy Wacky,
Crazy Thursday. Students are allowed free dress and are allowed to show
their wacky, crazy side. Absolutely no make-up or hair coloring allowed. To
round out the week, on Friday, students may dress as their favorite super hero.
In the afternoon, the student body will enjoy a talent show
highlighting our own students as contestants. The show will begin at 1:00pm in
Carroll Hall and all are invited to come and enjoy the show.
Afternoon
Extended Care: Beginning this coming Monday, May 21st,
parents who use the after school Extended Care program will need to
either pre-pay or pay-by-the-day. Prepayments may be made in the
office or when you pick up your child from extended care. The cost is $4.00 per
hour or fraction-thereof. Any unused balance from a pre-payment will be applied
to next years’ billing.
Field Trips: Today the 8th graders
are receiving a permission slip for their end-of-year graduation picnic at Six
Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo. Please pay close attention to the
due date! Thank you to all the parents who have volunteered their time to
chaperone on field trips throughout the year. We are so lucky to live in a city
which has so many culturally and enriching activities to offer.
Dance Festival: Next
Thursday, May 24th, we will celebrate an evening of our own Dancing with the Stars. Your children
will be the stars of our annual Dance Festival. The front
doors of the school will open at 6:15pm to allow students to enter their
classrooms. Students should arrive no later than 6:30pm. Parking will be
available in the schoolyard beginning at 5:45pm. The doors of the gym will open
at 6:15pm. Today you are receiving a list of the suggested clothing your child
should wear. As many of you know, our dance program, under the direction of
Sondra Dwyer, is an enriching and enjoyable experience for all students. We
look forward to seeing you all at this most popular event of the year.
Jamba Juice: On Wednesday, May 30th, as a special treat,
we will be offering
yummy, classic, all fruit Jamba Juice smoothies for purchase. If your child
wishes to enjoy a smoothie on this day, please complete the order form you are
receiving in your envelope today. Smoothies will be available in two different
flavors and sizes. YUM!
Summer Plans: The Stop
Motion Animation Tech Camp for Kids is in danger of canceling. You are
receiving an updated flyer in today’s envelope. One difference you might note
is that it will only run for two weeks, not three as previously offered. The deadline to register has been
extended to June 1st. Sign up as soon as possible in order for this
camp to continue.
From
the Athletic Board: Check out the knock-out flyer in today’s envelope. This fun
contest is open to all 3rd through 8th graders. Also, the
next dad & grad pick up game is this Sunday, May 20th from 6pm
to 8pm.
Preschool Applications: Our four-year-old
preschool program for the 2012-2013 school year is now full. We do however
still have a few openings for three-year-olds. Preference will be given to
school families if applications are received in a timely manner.
Finally, we are delighted
to announce that we will have very little changes in staff for the new school year. We will have some wonderful new faculty members joining
us next year and some juggling, from last year to this, of the roles some
faculty will play. Leaving us and moving back to her hometown of Portland,
Oregon is Lillie Stevens, our current 5th grade teacher. We wish her
well as she pursues new challenges in her career and takes advantage of new
opportunities. Taking the reins in fifth grade and making her way up to the
second floor is our own Kelly Stamatis. We welcome Jessica Bryan as our new
third grade teacher.
Congratulations go out to
one of our kindergarten teachers, Megan Kennedy and her husband Tim, who are
expecting their first child in September! We are happy to have Yvonne Benedict, a long time classroom teacher
here at STM, join Heidi Haas in the classroom until Megan returns from
maternity leave in late fall.
We will also be including
a couple of new positions for the 2012-2013 school year. We are happy to have
Alison Hayden on board as our Resource and Learning
Specialist. Another position that will help kick off the second phase of our
Capital Campaign is the Development Director. We look forward to all that
Nicole Owens (mother of Blake, 5th grade) can offer as she fills
this position. Plans are well underway for another great year.
Sincerely,
Marie Fitzpatrick
Principal
