Dear Parents:
With the new school year well underway, and students learning more about Jesus an how to be good Catholics it is a reminder to all of us to ensure that we are also creating a Catholic spirit in our homes. Parents are the primary educators of their children. They must set a good example in every word they speak and in every act they perform in their children's sight. In particular, parents should remember that it is not enough to say, "Don't do this; don't do that." You must guide by example.
Make it a point to encourage them to show their lovev in deeds. Don't "do everything" for the child. Start when he/she is young and wants to help you, and train him/her to keep on. In this way your child will learn good habits of generous helping and serving. A child so trained, easily learns habits of prayer, of self-sacrifice, of virtue. The idea of doing things for the love God and others becomes part of the nature of the child.
Students continue with the IOWA Test of Basic Skills for the remainder of this week. We ask that students arrive at school on time, well rested, healthy and properly fed. All that will contribute to students’ well-above-average test scores.
Thank you to all who returned their catalog orders by today’s deadline. We have 75% of your orders back, but we are still waiting for the stragglers. We need all the orders forms returned before we can place the school order. The sooner we place that order, the sooner you will have the items back!
This Friday, September 21st, is a holiday for all students, Preschool through 8th grade. The faculty will engage in an all day in-service on that day to prepare for our WASC accreditation and visit in February.
This coming Monday, September 24th, is the first fourth-Monday-of-the–month for this school year. When school is in session, the Archdiocese declares minimum days for all Catholic schools in San Francisco on fourth Mondays. Please plan ahead for the day’s dismissal at 12:15(K-3) and 12:30(4-8). However, if you forget, don’t worry, your child will be placed in extended care until you arrive. As a treat, all students signed in to Extended Care on Monday will be able to purchase a hot dog lunch for $3.00.
Also next Monday, Olive the Storyteller will be here to tell tales to the kindergarten through third graders. Come and enjoy them, too. The first session begins at 8:30 followed by a second session beginning at 9:20 in Carroll Hall.
Today is Talk-Like-a-Pirate Day. In good pirate fashion we will celebrate this day next week on Wednesday, September 26th. We did not want the students to be distracted during testing. Students must wear their full uniform on this day, however, they may accessorize it with a pirate hat/bandana/eye patch (no weapons please). The student council will be selling tattoos, pins, and stickers for 50¢ each on this day also. Arrgg Mateys!
FOOD FESTIVAL: St. Thomas More Church is holding it's 5th Annual International Food Festival next Saturday and Sunday, September 29th and 30th in the schoolyard. Thank you to Doba Villatore- kindergarten parent and Shelley White- teacher and 4th grade parent for volunteering to help at the St. Thomas More Parents' Club booth during this fun event. We need a few more volunteers; it would only be for an hour or two and will be lots of fun! Please contact Monica Martinez at Monisf77@hotmail.com or 650-291-1878 if you can donate a bit of your time to help raise funds for our school. We also need lots of 2-liter sodas (name brands please, to make it more enticing to play). Please leave soda donations at the school office. Thank you for your support of our children!! The Food Festival will also include a Poker tournament on Saturday night, September 29th. The buy-in is $50. Linda Shah has tickets for sale and can be contacted by email, lp1114@aol.com, if you are interested. Blackjack tables are also be available for those who don't play poker. Great prizes!
SANDWICHES-FOR-THE-NEEDY: Please don’t forget that next Friday, September 28th, is our next collection ofsandwiches-for-the-needy. All are welcome to participate and the seventh and second graders are charged with taking the lead that day. This year, Students in the upper grades will join with residents at Alma Via Last to make sandwiches in addition to those sent from home. We are thankful to Monsignor Labib and St. Thomas More Church who have offered to help cover the costs for the sandwich supplies used by our students. Last week, over 400 sandwiches were collected! Let’s try again next week for the same great collection. What a wonderful example of neighbors working together for a good cause.
PERSONAL ITEMS COLLECTION: Please remember that we will continue to collect personal items for the Blue Star Moms organization to provide to our troops stationed overseas through October 4th. Thank you to those who have already brought in donations; please keep them coming.
YARD DUTY: Thank you to all who have volunteered for yard duty. To sign up, please visit www.stmsf.org, click on the Parents’ Club link and then click ‘SIGN UP NOW.’ When you arrive to do yard duty, please sign in at the office. Next to the sign in sheet in the office you will find yellow tags the say Parent Yard Supervisor. Please use these tags while on duty to identify you as one of the official yard supervisors. Return tags to the front office before you leave. If you are doing yard duty before school, please remember that we need one volunteer supervisor to stay close to the gate to ensure that any of the younger students do not leave the yard and if we have a second volunteer, we ask that you stand in the general area by the fountain.
AFTERNOON EXTENDED CARE: Just a reminder that afternoon extended care runs from dismissal, no matter what time that is, each day until 6:00 p.m. The only exceptions are the day before Christmas break, December 19th, and the last day of the school year, June 12th. We really try to discourage any one from leaving their child(ren) past 6:00 p.m., however, we do understand that emergencies happen and there is a special $1.00 per minute charge for care after 6:00 p.m. Please call the extended care program at 415-337-1003 if you are going to be later than 6:00 p.m. for any reason.
FROM THE ATHLETIC BOARD: Our next Dads’ and Grads’ Pick-Up Game will be this Sunday, September 23th, from 6 pm-8 pm at the St. Thomas More Gym. Hope to see you then!
RESOURCES: Check out the Community Based Organization Resource List on our website. It features local resources for tutoring, counseling/social services, health services and enrichment/art programs.
A reminder to us all to be a little more careful when driving. Our condolences go out to Monsignor Labib whose small dog, Colton, was struck on Brotherhood Way this week. Please keep Monsignor in your thoughts and prayers.
Sincerely,
Marie Fitzpatrick
Principal
