Dear Parents:
Lent is a time when we prepare as a faith community to meet the risen Christ at Easter. It is a time for us to turn away from what keeps us from living the Gospel, and to remind ourselves that we are called to lives rooted in justice. To be just in the biblical sense is to be in a right relationship with God. Over the 40 days of Lent, we pray for a change of heart towards greater love of God and each other as we share our food, our wealth and our time with others in need. May the Holy Spirit give us the strength to act justly, the courage to love tenderly and the faith to walk humbly with our God, as we prepare for the resurrection of Jesus at Easter time.
Today is Ash Wednesday, the first day of the Lenten Season and students had an opportunity to attend Mass and receive ashes. During Lent we are reminded to show our love for others. One way that students can do this is through personal acts of kindness and sacrifice. Last week, the students had a visit from the Missionary Childhood Association, whose motto is Children Helping Children. During the presentation the students heard about the great needs of the world’s poorest children. During this Lenten season, we invite your children to pray and offer financial help so that the “children in the Missions today may know Christ and experience His love and care”. We hope to have individual coin collection folders available shortly. Let's all make a special effort this season to show a little kindness and to continue to make a difference in the world.
Family Mass: Please join us this Sunday, March 9th for our next Family Mass. Thank you to our sixth grade families for taking the lead in this Mass beginning at 10:00am. See you there!
Stations of the Cross: Please join us as 4th grade present the first four Stations of the Cross next Wednesday, March 12th at 1:10pm in the church. They will continue to present the remainder of the stations during the Lenten season on Wednesday, March 19th and 26th and on April 9th.
Sandwiches-for-the-needy: During the Lenten season, lets all try and make a real effort in providing sandwiches for those in need. Again this Friday we will be providing sandwiches for the Martin de Porres House of Hospitality. Thank you in advance to the kindergarten and 1st grade classes who will take the lead. We are extending our collection of blankets, men's socks, travel sized toothpaste, toothbrushes, shaving cream, and razors donations for the Martin de Porres House of Hospitality until the end of this week. If you have not contributed to the L♥ve Thy Neighbor Campaign yet, please send in your donations now.
Mandatory Parent Meeting: We look forward to seeing you on Tuesday, March 11th at 6:30pm for a mandatory parent meeting for all families of preschool through 7th grade. This is a mandatory meeting for all parents. At least one parent from each family is required to attend. While it would be ideal if children could stay at home, we understand this is not always possible. Childcare for younger children enrolled at STM will be available in Carroll Hall at no cost. Please click here to make a reservation for childcare. We will begin the meeting in the gym promptly at 6:30pm. Please arrive early enough to sign in with your child/ren’s teacher/s so that you may receive a raffle ticket. One lucky attending family will win free re-registration for one child. Be on time! The raffle will take place at 6:30pm sharp. At this meeting we will share some information about our finances, introduce FACTS, the new tuition management system for the 2014-2015 school year, as well as launch phase two of our Capital Campaign.
Parents’ Club: We understand that the completion of parent participation hours continues to be of concern to many families. The Parent’s Club meets again tomorrow night. Hopefully we can give you an update regarding hours in next week’s letter.
Mother-Son Dance: Have you sent in your reservation form for the Mother/Son Dance yet? Reservations are due by March 14th if you and your son wish to join in this fun activity. Check out the reservation flyer and raffle tickets you are receiving today.
Book Fair: This year, our Book Fair raised one of the highest amounts in recent years - almost $8,000! Thanks to all who purchased books at the fair, especially our grandparents, the school now has almost $4,000 to buy new books for our ever-growing library. Miss Pinnick, our librarian, has been busy keeping an eye on the types of books we would like to add to our collection. Each teacher has been asked to suggest some favorites that will become part of our permanent collection.
Spell-a-thon: So far only two classes have turned in all their pledges for the spell-a-thon. In order for us to determine the top fundraiser in each grade and which class will be awarded the pizza party, all pledges must be turned in by this Friday, March 7th. We will announce the winners in next week’s newsletter.
Tuition Assistance
STM TAP: Families who applied for STM TAP and returned the blue application form in a timely manner will be receiving the status of their award today. We have very limited funds available for those who still have not submitted their completed application.
TADS: To apply for the Archdiocesan Scholarship Program for the 2014-2015 school year, parents can go to the TADS website, Once on their homepage click the link “Apply for Financial Aid” on the right side of the page, which is under the “Parents & Families” heading. Once you complete and submit the online form your application will be processed by TADS. The deadline for completing the application for elementary school assistance is April 15, 2014. Award letters will be sent out in May. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to give the school office a call.
The BASIC Fund: The BASIC Fund has not yet sent renewal forms. When we receive the renewal forms, they will be sent home to families currently receiving The BASIC Fund.
Talent Show: Do you have talent? Last year’s talent show was so successful that we are doing it again this year! Students wishing to participate should attend the informational meeting on Thursday, March 13th in the 4th grade classroom at lunch recess.
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!
Erin Go Bragh!: We neglected to put our St. Patrick’s Day celebration on the March calendar last week. As Monday, March 17th is a school holiday, we will be celebrating our ‘Irishness’ on Friday, March 14th. As is our custom, we will mark the day with a celebration of dance and song with an Irish slant. Please join us at 1:10 in the gymnasium. Students may also wear St. Patrick's Day accessories that day to add a little color to their uniforms. Watch out for leprechauns!
Parking/Traffic: Our parking for drop-off and pick-up presents some challenges. A few parents have expressed concerns about morning drop-off procedures. To ensure that traffic flows smoothly we ask that you drive up the street as far as possible before dropping off students. If there is no space to pull in, please drive up nearer the church before allowing students to exit your vehicle.
Over 90% of our parents drop off their children each morning and continue on their way. Some choose to park and stay and join us for morning assembly. By law, all parents of preschoolers are required to come to the classroom to sign in their child. Preschool parents have been assigned parking passes to help with this. We are asking preschool parents to use this pass only if there are no other parking options. If you do need to use the parking pass, please limit your stay to no more than ten minutes.
Please remember also to be respectful and courteous to our neighbors at the Golf Club, St. Thomas More Church and Alma Via. We all need to share the valuable and limited parking spaces. Pay attention to the traffic patrol during drop off and pick up to ensure the safety of all our children. Practice patience.
Don't forget to get up early and set your clocks ahead at 2:00am on Sunday, March 9th, or even better, set them ahead on Saturday night. And while you are at it, change the batteries in your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors.
Finally, our kindergarten teacher, Megan Kennedy, and her husband Tim welcomed their second child, Nora Jane Kennedy, born on Sunday, March 2nd. Congratulations to the proud parents and big sister, Abigail!
Sincerely,
Marie Fitzpatrick
Principal
