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. 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 next week.
National Catholic Schools Week at St. Thomas More School was a wonderful success. We have accomplished so much here by working together. Thank you for all the positive comments made to the teachers and staff this past week. It is great to be recognized for a job well done.
Thank you to all who made Grandparents and Special Friends Day such a success! The children were so happy to have over 150 special guests join us for this fun event. A HUGE thank you goes out to Jeffrey and Maria Spiegel for their help in preparing over 450 pasta lunches for all to enjoy. Thanks also to the many other parent volunteers who pitched in to make the day run so smoothly.
BOOK FAIR: Last year we raised $7,933.28. This year, we reached our goal and raised the highest amounts in recent years - $8352.66! Thanks to all who purchased books at the fair, especially our grandparents, the school now has OVER $4,500 to buy new books and furnishings for our ever-growing library. Miss Silva, our librarian, has been busy keeping an eye on the types of books we would like to add to our collection. |
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| CIOPPINO 2016: Work continues in preparation for our BIG fundraiser on Saturday, February 20th. Remember, childcare is available for a nominal fee. Please respond as soon as possible as we believe this will be a sell out event again this year. To purchase tickets, please use the flyer you are receiving today, or you can also make an ONLINE RESERVATION NOW!. |
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| DONATIONS NEEDED: Thank you to those who donated items last week that we can use in our baskets at Cioppino. We depend on your donations, so please keep them coming! As a bonus, every school parent who buys a ticket or makes a donation (value $20 or more) for Cioppino will receive a FREE DRESS PASS for their child/ren to be used on Monday, February 22nd. |
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ONE WARM COAT: Thank you to all who donated a warm coat or jacket to our drive. The folks at St. Anthony's and the St. Vincent de Paul Society will be very grateful for your generosity. We continue to welcome your donation. Donating to those in need is a good way to show our love of others during the Lenten season.
SCHOOL UNIFORM PANTS FOR GIRLS: Beginning tomorrow, February 11th through April 15th, girls will be able to wear uniform pants if they wish. Those who decide to purchase uniform pants, may do so through either of the uniform companies that we contract with, Dennis Uniform and Simply Uniforms. Please remember that navy blue knee-high socks need to be worn with the pants. Girls must wear their uniform skirts (not the pants) on field trips or on occasions specified by the school. Please remember that Simply Uniform and Dennis Uniform scrip can be purchased for all your uniform needs.
SHOPAROO: Last year we raised almost $900! All you need to do is take pictures of your grocery receipts with the Shoparoo app for smartphones and tablets. It doesn’t matter where you shop or what you buy - every receipt submitted results in a donation to our school! So, what are you waiting for? Simply download the free app from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store and then select St. Thomas More School as your chosen cause. Since there is no limit to how much money we can raise with Shoparoo, be sure to invite your friends, neighbors, and grandparents to join in – every receipt counts!
A MINIMUM DAY AND A HOLIDAY: Please remember that this coming Friday, February 12th, is a minimum day for optional parent-teacher conferences. Dismissal for the primary grades will be at 12:15pm followed by the fourth through eighth grades at 12:30pm. We remind you also that Monday, February 15th is a holiday in honor of Presidents' Day.
Sincerely,
Marie Fitzpatrick
Principal |
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