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| Welcoming Pope Francis - Students standing with the flag of Vatican City. |
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Dear Parents,
As Pope Francis continues his apostolic journey in the United States this week, we remind you of his commitment of faith and service and ask that you open your hearts and take some time to pledge to Pray, Serve or Act. It is at this time we would like to introduce you to our theme for the year: ‘We are the Hands of God’. Throughout the year, students in all grades will learn more about ways they can be the hands of God through service, kindness, and love. |
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INTERNATIONAL FOOD FESTIVAL: We can't wait to see you this weekend for the International Food Festival. If you have not already signed up to volunteer, please click here to select an assignment.
RAFFLE TICKETS: Tickets are only $5 each (or 11 for $50) and the GRAND PRIZE is $1,000! Get your tickets in BY TOMORROW for your chance to win one of the cash prizes! Additional tickets will only be available at the festival. |
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ITBS TESTING: The annual ITBS testing continues this week. Results of this testing will be shared with you at the November parent conferences.
PROGRESS REPORTS: Progress Reports are going home today. All students, third 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. Students in grades K-2 with behavior and/or academic concerns have already been contacted by their child’s teacher.
FUNDRAISING CATALOGS: We have over 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. Please return those orders by tomorrow, September 24th. |
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SCHOOL TOURS/APPLICATION FORMS: We ask your help in encouraging prospective parents to consider St. Thomas More School for their child for the 2016-2017 school year. You, our current families, are our best advertising! Please invite friends and relatives interested in St. Thomas More School to come to one of our school tours for prospective parents. Click here to reserve a place on one of the tours listed below:
- Tuesday, October 20th at 9:00am
- Tuesday, November 10th at 9:00am
- Thursday, December 3rd at 1:00pm
K-8 new student application forms for the 2016-2017 school year will be available in the front office and for download online beginning next Thursday, October 1st, 2015. This year, we will also be offering an online application process. More information about that will be in next week's letter. Families with siblings of current students, as well as families of preschool students, can use the flyer included in today’s envelope to request an application. Students currently attending Utopia Preschool and/or with siblings currently attending St. Thomas More School will be given preference in the kindergarten class of 2016-2017 if the application is submitted in a timely manner.
2016-2017 PRESCHOOL APPLICATIONS: Utopia, our preschool, has begun accepting applications for the 2016-2017 school year. Please note that preschool spots fill up very fast. If you have a child who is of preschool age (3 years old by September 1st) and you would like them to attend Utopia next Fall, we strongly suggest you arrange a tour with Utopia’s director, Michelle Ovando, and submit an application as soon as possible.
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| USF COUNSELLING: As you know, again this year, we are working with the USF Center for Child and Family Development to offer a school-based Family Counseling Program. This service is designed to meet the counseling needs of individual students and families as well as the consultation needs of teachers and school staff. The goal of the program is to support our students’ social, emotional and academic needs and thereby afford them increased opportunity for success at school. This year we welcome our counselor, Mr. Bob Puckett. He will be on campus Mondays and Tuesdays. This is a free service. If you would like your child to visit with our counselors, you may contact him directly at bpuckett@stmsf.org, or request it through your child’s teacher. Please check out Mr. Puckett's introduction letter here. |
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STREAM ELECTIVES: Our fall STREAM (STEM + Religion & Arts) elective classes for our sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students begin on October 14th. Next week, students in 6th, 7th and 8th will have the opportunity to rank the classes in order of their interest. We believe that in response to Pope Francis’ call to build a society "which is truly tolerant and inclusive” and “protects rights and religious liberty” this is a fantastic opportunity to add this component to our STREAM program. STREAM schools seek to integrate Catholic identity into every aspect of the curriculum. They manifest this intent through projects based in social justice as well as in-depth experiential instruction in the teachings of the Church. We look forward to all the wonderful learning and discovery opportunities this will provide our students.
See you on the weekend!
Sincerely,
Marie Fitzpatrick
Principal |
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