| | | | Dear Friends, Now that the midterm election season has come to an end, we remember and pray for all those who worked to keep the democratic process alive and well in our country. The following prayer by Cardinal Adam Maida, Archbishop of Detroit, reminds us of all for which we should be thankful.
God of all nations, Father of the human family, we give you thanks for the freedom we exercise and the many blessings of democracy we enjoy in these United States of America. We ask for your protection and guidance for all who devote themselves to the common good, working for justice and peace at home and around the world. We lift up all our duly elected leaders and public servants, those who will serve us as president, as legislators and judges, those in the military and law enforcement. Heal us from our differences and unite us, O Lord, with a common purpose, dedication, and commitment to achieve liberty and justice in the years ahead for all people, and especially those who are most vulnerable in our midst. Amen. | | CALENDAR ITEMS Monday, November 4 - Friday, Nov. 15 - Q2 STAR testing Thursday, November 7
Grades 7-8 field trip to Sacred Heart's Fall Play: The Crucible
Parents' Club Meeting 7 pm in the Library Friday, November 8 - Sandwiches for the Needy led by Grade 2 Monday, November 11 - Veterans' Day Holiday - School closed Thursday, November 14 - Grades 5-8 to Mercy High School Play: Shakespeare Then & Now Sunday, November 17 - Family Mass
Please join us this Sunday, November 17 for our next Family Mass. Thank you in advance to our fifth grade families for taking the lead in this Mass beginning at 10:00am. See you there! Thursday, November 21- Parent Meeting, Footbridge over Brotherhood Way proposed removal Thanksgiving Week - Minimum Days - Monday, November 25 and Tuesday, November 26 are 12:15/12:30 dismissals. Extended Care will be available.
- School Holidays - School is closed from Thursday, November 27 through Friday, November 28. School will resume on Monday, December 2 for a regular schedule day 2:45/3:00 pm dismissal.
| | | FOOTBRIDGE REMOVAL/PARENT MEETING In September, we shared with you our concerns over the proposed removal of the footbridge across Brotherhood Way. This is part of a much bigger development called Parkmerced Vision that aims to revitalize Parkmerced over the next 20+ years. This project has received approval from the city and construction near Thomas More Way is slated to begin in Spring 2020 with a redesign of the intersection with Brotherhood Way. This redesign involves the removal of the footbridge. A recent article in the Bay City Beacon states that over the past five years 60% of crashes have occurred at intersections. The footbridge across Brotherhood Way ensures the safety of our children. Brotherhood Way is extremely wide and traffic constantly races up Brotherhood Way to get on the 280 freeway.
It is important that you are aware of what is planned and that we work together to ensure that the safety of our children and families is always in the forefront of the minds of the developers. A parent meeting with the owners of Parkmerced is scheduled for Thursday, November 21, at 6:30pm at St. Thomas More School. This will be your opportunity to learn about this project and its potential impact on our community. Your attendance is critical to show that we are united in our approach to safety issues. We have also invited the parents from our neighboring schools on Brotherhood Way, Brandeis and KZV, to attend. Supervisor Norman Yee will be in attendance, but he has not come out in opposition to removing the bridge. I think it is important to bring this to his attention before our meeting. Attached is a letter that I have prepared to send to his office. Please consider writing to Supervisor Yee with your thoughts on this issue. Here's his email: Norman.Yee@sfgov.org. | | | SCHOOL TOURS Please share this link to sign up for a tour with family and friends considering TK/Kindergarten for the next school year. Below are the next tour dates. APPLICATION FORMS New student application forms Transitional Kindergarten, Kindergarten and grades 1st-8th for the 2020-2021 school year are available from the front office and may also be completed online. 2020-2021 PRESCHOOL APPLICATIONS Utopia, our preschool, has begun accepting applications for the 2019-2020 school year. 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, please arrange a tour with Utopia's Director, Rachelle Frantz, rfrantz@stmsf.org. | | | 8th GRADE RECOMMENDATIONS This is the time of the year when 8th graders are busily writing their high school essays and completing their applications. Because of changing demographics, many families attend church in parishes other than where their school is located. Please remember that students will need to have their clergy recommendations signed by the pastor in the parish where they attend Mass and other church services. This will ensure that recommendations are written by a pastor who knows your child and who is familiar with your family's involvement in your local church. Please note that all recommendation forms will go directly to Miss Kane. She will then distribute them to the appropriate staff members. | |  | | Receive 5% off by reserving your yearbook online by November 30. | | Walking in a Winter Wonderland Pancake Breakfast with Santa Sunday, December 8, 2019 from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm. | | Sincerely,
Marie Fitzpatrick
Principal
| |
"Believe you can and you're half way there"
- Theodore Roosevelt | | | | | | | | |
