STM Newsletter for December 18, 2013

Dear Parents:

As we approach December 25^th we eagerly await the miracle of the Birth of Jesus. During these hectic final few days of Advent let us continue to reflect on the “Good News” during this season of waiting. We use this time to express gratitude for the many blessings in our lives, especially our children. They give us hope for a bright future, they bring joy, love, strength and peace into our lives. The challenge for all of us is to make time in a very busy and hectic schedule to spend time with Jesus. How do we carve out time to spend with our Lord during this sacred season of waiting, hoping, and dreaming? Consider joining us here at St. Thomas More Church on Christmas Eve for the Children’s Mass at 6:00pm. Find out what time church services are at your local parish. Take a few minutes to pray with your family. Remind your children often that Jesus loves them and will always watch over them. Take some time to enjoy your family and friend during this holy season.

You’re children were AWESOME! We hope you all enjoyed our Christmas Program last night. You should all be very proud of your children who did such a wonderful job. A special thank you to Katie Anderson, our music teacher and our teachers, Jessica Bryan, Kelly Stamatis and Megan Kennedy for writing and producing such a wonderful program.

Friday, our last day of school before Christmas vacation is a busy day. Please join the student body for a special end of year Mass at 8:30am.

CHRISTMAS VACATION: Christmas vacation begins at 12:15pm for grades K-3 and at 12:30pm for grades 4-8 on Friday, December 20^th. Preschool will be dismissed at 12:00pm. There is no afternoon extended care that day, so plan ahead. Classes resume at 8:10am on Monday, January 6^th, 2013.

        

BRONCO BOBA: On Friday the students will enjoy a special treat – Bronco Boba! Thank you to all who supported this student council fundraiser. Boba’s will be distributed at snack recess this Friday to students who ordered by last Friday’s deadline.

STM TAP: Christmas came early to St. Thomas More School – we are happy to announce that we have once again received a $20,000 grant from the Carl Gellert and Celia Berta Gellert Foundation to be used for tuition assistance. More information will be available on how to apply for the St. Thomas More School Tuition Assistance Program (STM TAP) in the New Year. Thank you once again to the Carl Gellert and Celia Berta Gellert Foundation!

During this busy time of the year, we ask that everyone use patience and consideration during the drop off and pick up of students. For the safety of our children, please use indicators when appropriate, follow directions from the school traffic patrol, avoid U-turns unless absolutely necessary and be aware of pedestrians and other drivers.

As we reflect back on the past year, we are thankful for so many things. We are thankful for our supportive families, our dedicated teachers and staff, our Parents' Club, and the many parents who volunteer hundreds of hours beyond that required. Most of all we are thankful for our children.

Blessings of the Advent and Christmas Seasons to you and your family.

Sincerely,

Marie Fitzpatrick                                                          

Principal                                   

STM Newsletter for December 11, 2013

Dear Parents:

For a long time now, many have lost sight of what Christmas really means. Many people these days think Christmas is just giving and receiving presents. We ask that you take time from your busy schedule to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas, Jesus' birthday, and that you remind your children of this. As you make holiday plans, don't forget to include Advent and Christmas services at your local church. Today we are sending home an advent calendar to help you and your family celebrate this special season in the liturgical year.

Thank you for your presence and support at the Family Mass last Sunday. A special thank you to the second and seventh graders and their teachers Mrs. Heikel and Mr. Kavanagh for putting together such a beautiful and reverent service. It was nice to see all our First Communion and Confirmation candidates as they continue their faith filled journey towards Christ. Thank you also for your generous support of the second collection of $550, which goes to support the school and its programs.

Next Wednesday, December 18th, third through eighth graders will participate in a reconciliation service as we do each year during the Advent Season. That will begin in the Church at 9:30.

A big thank you to Gina Sheridan and Ivette Roca who successfully co-chaired Santa’s Secret Shop this year. The children had a wonderful time shopping for all those on their list. Thank you also to all who volunteered their time to set up and help the children with their Christmas shopping last week.

We hope you all enjoyed the activities of this past weekend. Thanks to the Parents’ Club, and the Alumni Association and all who worked so hard on the Pancake Breakfast and other activities. A big thanks especially to Gina Sheridan, Ivette Roca and Linda Shah who organized this event. The pancake breakfast was enjoyed by all and a special thank you to Robert Maldonado and Benny Sablad and all the other 7^th and 8^th grade dads who showed up to cook/serve breakfast.

PEANUT BUTTER COLLECTION: You may recall us mentioning ‘Peanut Butter Friday’ in last week’s letter. If we reached our goal of 500 jars of peanut butter by this Friday, the student body would enjoy free dress on Friday, December 20^th. We are happy to announce that not only did we reach our goal, but we have exceeded it by over 20 jars. What a great accomplishment. Thank you to all who brought in one jar, or two, to donate to the St. Vincent de Paul Society. For your efforts, we can all enjoy free dress on Friday, December 20^th! We will continue to collect donations through 9am, this coming Friday. St. Vincent de Paul’s truck will be arriving at that time to collect all you have donated.

BRONCO BOBA SALES: The Student Council is raising funds for a special project in the gym by offering ‘Bronco Boba’s’ for sale next Friday, December 20^th. We sent home Boba order slips last week and have included them again in today’s envelope. Boba’s are available only if pre-ordered. Order forms are due this Friday, December 13th. Each Boba is only $3! YUM!

CHRISTMAS PROGRAM: On December 17th, our students will present their Christmas Program and will sing a selection of favorite Christmas Carols. All students will be involved in this production. Students should wear dressy clothes unless notified otherwise by their teacher. No t-shirts or sweats please. The front door of the school will open at 6:15 pm to allow students to enter their classrooms. Students are asked to line up on the sidewalk in an orderly manner until the doors open. Families with preschoolers will enter through the side gate and drop their children in their classroom. All students need to arrive by 6:30 pm at the latest. The yard will be open for parking at 5:30 pm. Again this year, we will present the program in the church. We ask that everyone respects the 5:30pm Mass that evening and remain outside the church until Mass is over. School staff will be stationed at the church doors and will let you know when you may enter. Parents may line up at any of the three entrances. We will begin the program promptly at 7:00 pm. We are asking that everyone attending this fun event considers bringing one or two new, unwrapped toys as part of our toy drive for needy children. We look forward to your attendance for this faith-filled and fun-filled production. Everyone is welcome!

SANDWICHES-FOR-THE-NEEDY: Our last collection for the year is this Friday, December 13^th, when the 3^rd and 4^th graders will take the lead. We encourage ALL families to provide an extra sandwich for this last collection of the year. Some of our older students will once again work with residents from Alma Via on Friday to make at least 50 additional sandwiches to add to this collection. Please remember that in order to facilitate the distribution of sandwiches, we have been asked to provide just one type of sandwich: turkey on sliced white or brown bread.

CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT FEE/TUITION: This fee, as described in the financial policies is in support of the construction and maintenance of the classroom additions and the gymnasium. The fee is set at $350 per family. As a reminder, the Capital Improvement fee must be paid in full by this Friday, December 13^th. Please remember that the December tuition payments are also due by Friday, December 13^th for those of you on the quarterly payment plan.

CYO HALL OF FAME: The CYO Hall of Fame was established to honor the individual accomplishments of extraordinary people who have contributed to the growth and development of so many of our young people through their involvement with CYO sports. 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. John’s sixteen years as athletic director here at St. Thomas More as well as his contributions as a coach and a mentor to many others make him a worthy candidate for this honor. We are thrilled to have this opportunity to support the Bickle Family, Monica, John Jr. and Mark, on this special occasion as we induct John into the Hall of Fame. 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.

CIOPPINO 2013: Ask anyone who has been to St. Thomas More School's Annual Cioppino Dinner and Silent Auction and they will tell you it is more than a meal – it is a night to remember! Save the Date: Saturday, February 22^nd, 2014. The evening begins at 5:00 pm with appetizers and a no-host bar. While you're enjoying North Beach's finest focaccia (pizza bread), our kitchen crew's famous meatballs, prawns or one of our other mouth-watering appetizers, you have the chance to bid on some of our wonderful auction prizes, buy a key to our treasure chest, purchase raffle tickets, or a balloon with an instant winning prize number inside. Or simply mingle with friends while you wait for dinner: succulent salad, delectable antipasto, heavenly garlic bread and the best Cioppino to be had anywhere. Don't like seafood? Order a chicken entrée instead. But don't miss this great event. And don't forget to save room for dessert! Complete the evening with dancing. And all this for only $50.00! Babysitting is also available on site! This event is our biggest fundraiser of the year so check out both sides of the enclosed flyer and reserve your tickets now. For more info contact Linda Shah at lp1114@aol.com or Anarose Schelstrate at anarose0707@gmail.com. This event, like all events, is only successful with schoolwide participation. We look forward to seeing you there!

SCRIP: Just a reminder that this Friday, December 13^th at 6am is the last chance to order any gift cards that are needed before the Christmas Break. Orders placed by this deadline will be sent home next Wednesday.

STM WARRIORS NIGHT: Announcing the 2014 STM Warriors Night! Join your classmates on Friday, January 24th at 7:30pm as the Golden State Warriors face the Minnesota Timberwolves! Tickets are $32 and will sell out quickly! Twenty lucky students who plan on attending will get the chance to participate in the High Five Fan Tunnel during the game! To order tickets, fill out the form online at http://tinyurl.com/pqzclqk.

Checks should be made payable to "STM Athletics." See you at the game! CHRISTMAS VACATION: Christmas vacation begins at 12:15pm for grades K-3 and at 12:30pm for grades 4-8 on Friday, December 20th. Preschool will also be dismissed at 12:00pm. There is no afternoon extended care that day, so plan ahead. Staff members will not be available to babysit! Classes resume at 8:10am on Monday, January 6th, 2013. And finally, we need your help! Do you have experience in running a capital campaign? Do you have experience in grant writing? Do you have experience in event planning? Can you donate printing of materials for our upcoming capital campaign? If you can answer YES to any of these questions…WE WANT YOU! Please let the office know if you or anyone you know can be of any assistance. Sincerely, Marie Fitzpatrick                                                                              Principal

STM Newsletter for December 4, 2013

Dear Parents:

One of the most important seasons in our church calendar, the Season of Advent, began this past Sunday. This season is a time for all of us to prepare for the birth of Jesus on Christmas day. Christians prepare for celebrating the birth of Jesus by remembering the longing of the Jews for a Messiah. In Advent, we’re reminded of how much we ourselves also need a Savior, and we look forward to our Savior’s second coming even as we prepare to celebrate his first coming at Christmas. God wanted so much for us to be with him that he became one of us. This is the greatest Christmas present – God’s presence on earth. In the liturgical calendar the season of Christmas begins on Christmas Eve and lasts through the Feast of the Epiphany on January 6^th. Please help your children understand the symbolism of the Advent Wreath and the importance of the true meaning of Christmas. Each Monday in December we will begin our school day with an Advent Prayer Service in the gym. Parents and other family members are welcome to join us at 8:10am.

DECEMBER 8^th: We look forward to seeing you all here this Sunday. We will begin the day with a 10:00am Family Mass where we will present all our Confirmation and First Communion Candidates. Monsignor Labib generously allows the school to receive the proceeds from the second collection when we have Family Masses. Be sure to pick up the special collection envelope for your use at Sunday’s Mass. Following the Mass, the Parents’ Club will present a Pancake Breakfast in Carroll Hall. They will also offer pictures with Santa. Please use the flyer enclosed in your envelope today if you have not already made a reservation for the pancake breakfast.

Next Monday, December 9^th, we celebrate the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. The title of Immaculate Conception recognizes Mary’s privilege of coming into the world free from sin. Through the power of Jesus’ death and resurrection, every human can be freed from sin at Baptism. Through that same power, Mary was always free of sin, even from the very first moment of her life. Please join the student body at Friday’s 8:30am Mass as we prepare to celebrate this special privilege given to Mary.

SANTA’S SECRET SHOP: The Parents’ Club presents their annual Santa’s Secret Shoppe starting tomorrow, Thursday, December 5^th. Over the next two days, all the students will have an opportunity to purchase gifts for parents, friends and relatives. Each student should use the envelope they received earlier this week to help them plan their shopping and to keep their money safe.

PARENTS CLUB MEETING: Please consider joining us for our Parents’ Club meetingtomorrow night in Carroll Hall. The social hour begins at 6:45 and at 7:15 we have our very own Becky Wong, technology coordinator, provide in depth information on the iPad roll out program for 6^th, 7^th and 8^th grades that begins in January.

PEANUT BUTTER FRIDAY: As a reminder, we are collecting peanut butter for the St. Vincent de Paul society. If we reach our goal of 500 jars of peanut butter by next Friday, December 13^th, the student body will enjoy free dress on Friday, December 20^th. Please send a jar (or two!), any kind, any size with your child by Friday, December 13^th. Current count: 350!

PROGRESS REPORTS: Progress Reports are going home today. Again this quarter, all students, fourth grade and up, are receiving such a report. These progress reports show a snapshot of the student’s current academic standing with optional comments from their teachers. The grading scale is available here. As a system default, art, PE, music and tech will show P/100% for students who fully participate. Grades 6-8 progress reports will show N/A on Electives for this quarter. A grade will however show on the second quarter report cards. Students in the lower grades with behavior and/or academic concerns may receive a progress report if the teacher has concerns in these areas. Please sign and return the progress report by Friday, December 13^th, so that we know you have received the notice. If you wish to keep a copy of the report, you may make a copy of it before you return it to us.

FROM THE SCIENCE LAB: Today our 7^th graders, in conjunction with the Academy of Sciences, participated in an online discussion with Dr. David Blackburn about the evolution and distribution of frog species in Africa. During this 30-minute program, students had the chance to ask questions to an Academy scientist. Dr. Blackburn talked with students about the origin and spread of chytrid fungus, a major threat to frog species worldwide. This great opportunity allowed students to learn more about the questions researchers are trying to answer, the places they explore, and the organisms they collect. Students were very excited to have this opportunity.

CHRISTMAS PROGRAM: On December 17th, our students will present their Christmas Program and will sing a selection of favorite Christmas Carols. All students will be involved in this production. Students should wear dressy clothes unless notified otherwise by their teacher. No t-shirts or sweats please. The front door of the school will open at 6:15 pm to allow students to enter their classrooms. Students are asked to line up on the sidewalk in an orderly manner until the doors open. Families with preschoolers will enter through the side gate and drop their children in their classroom. All students need to arrive by 6:30 pm at the latest. The yard will be open for parking at 5:30 pm. Again this year, we will present the program in the church. We ask that everyone respects the 5:30pm Mass that evening and remain outside the church until Mass is over. School staff will be stationed at the church doors and will let you know when you may enter. Parents may line up at any of the three entrances. We will begin the program promptly at 7:00 pm. We are asking that everyone attending this fun event considers bringing one or two new, unwrapped toys as part of our toy drive for needy children. We look forward to your attendance for this faith-filled and fun-filled production. Everyone is welcome! 

CIOPPINO 2013: Ask anyone who has been to St. Thomas More School's Annual Cioppino Dinner and Silent Auction and they will tell you it is more than a meal – it is a night to remember! Save the Date: Saturday, February 22^nd, 2014. The evening begins at 5:00 pm with appetizers and a no-host bar. While you're enjoying North Beach's finest focaccia (pizza bread), our kitchen crew's famous meatballs, prawns or one of our other mouth-watering appetizers, you have the chance to bid on some of our wonderful auction prizes, buy a key to our treasure chest, purchase raffle tickets, or a balloon with an instant winning prize number inside. Or simply mingle with friends while you wait for dinner: succulent salad, delectable antipasto, heavenly garlic bread and the best Cioppino to be had anywhere. Don't like seafood? Order a chicken entrée instead. But don't miss this great event. And don't forget to save room for dessert! Complete the evening with dancing. And all this for only $50.00! Babysitting is also available on site! This event is our biggest fundraiser of the year so check out both sides of the enclosed flyer and reserve your tickets now. For more info contact Linda Shah at lp1114@aol.com or Anarose Schelstrate at anarose0707@gmail.com. This event, like all events, is only successful with schoolwide participation. We look forward to seeing you there!

CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT FEE/TUITION: This fee, as described in the financial policies is in support of the construction and maintenance of the classroom additions and the gymnasium. The fee is set at $350 per family. As a reminder, the Capital Improvement fee must be paid in full by Friday, December 13^th. A reminder that the December payment is now due for those of you on the monthly tuition payment plan. Also, the quarterly payments are due no later than December 15^th.

STM WARRIORS NIGHT: Announcing the 2014 STM Warriors Night! Join your classmates on Friday, January 24th at 7:30pm as the Golden State Warriors face the Minnesota Timberwolves! Tickets are $32 and will sell out quickly! Twenty lucky students who plan on attending will get the chance to participate in the High Five Fan Tunnelduring the game! To order tickets, fill out the form online at http://tinyurl.com/pqzclqk. Checks should be made payable to "STM Athletics." See you at the game!

RAFFLE FUNDRAISER: Our participation in the Asian Heritage Street Celebration Raffle Fundraiser raised $256. We also received a certificate of honor from the San Francisco Board of Supervisors for our participation. Thank you to all who supported our Asian Heritage Street Celebration Raffle Fundraiser last year.

STUDENT SAFETY/EXTENDED CARE: Students checking in to the afterschool extended care program must do so at dismissal or directly after their afterschool activity (sport practice, detention, homework club, etc.). Once a student leaves the campus, they are no longer covered under the school’s insurance. For the safety of your child, if at anytime you believe you may be running late for pick-up, just call the school office and ask to have your child placed into extended care. Basketball practices have begun so just a reminder that coaches may sign children out from Extended Care but only if they have been authorized by the parents in advance to do so.  If you want your child’s coach to be authorized to sign him or her out of Extended Care, and have not already specified so on your Extended Care Authorization Form, then please send Mr. Kavanagh an e-mail at JKav@stmsf.org requesting to amend your form to include specified basketball coaches.

Just a reminder that Christmas vacation starts at 12:15/12:30pm on Friday, December 20th. There is no extended care that day, so plan ahead.

As some of you know, Russell Brown, father of Patrick, class of 2013, passed away suddenly on Tuesday, November 26th. A memorial service will be held at Duggan’s Serra Mortuary tomorrow, December 5, at 11am. Some staff member and upper grade students will represent the school at this service. All are welcome to attend. Please continue to keep Patrick and his family in your thoughts and prayers.

And finally, thank you to all who supported this year’s hoop-a-thon. Your donations and pledges raised over $5,400 for those affected by Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines.

Sincerely,
Marie Fitzpatrick
Principal