STM Newsletter for December 9, 2020

View this email in your browser December 9, 2020 Dear STM Community, Today and everyday we are grateful for the love and support that we have received from our parent community. During the past nine months you have shown your appreciation for the work that the teachers and the front office staff have done in so many ways. Thank you for the many kind notes, expressions of gratitude, and helpful suggestions you have shared with us. During difficult times your show of appreciation has been uplifting and has enabled all of us to reach new heights in our efforts to support your children and your family.  Please accept our sincere gratitude. DONATIONS NEEDED  This year we have been forced to cancel or modify many of our major fundraising activities such as The Fall Festival, the STM Golf Tournament and the Pancake Breakfast because of restrictions caused by the pandemic. However, we continue to make improvements to the school facilities and to provide additional resources to enhance student learning. We have three projects that we are hoping to complete in the Springtime if we can raise the funds. They include the following: Aquire and install desktop speakers for classroom laptops to ease communication among in-class and distance learning students. Install a mail slot by the front door.  Install a clear barrier on the second floor outside of the library and science lab. Please consider an end-of-year donation to allow us to proceed with these improvements. Use the following link to donate: https://stthomasmoreschool.aware3.net/form/ji2Rn84pn   LINK: DONATE TO SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT FUND CLASSROOM TECH ADVANCEMENTS One of the reasons our hybrid instruction model has functioned so smoothly is thanks to Princess Costello, a second grade parent, who facilitated a donation from her company, Facebook, of 65", 82" and desktop sized monitors. This generous donation could not have come at a better time! These devices have been instrumental in delivering instruction in our classrooms and have helped our teachers connect and interact with our distance learning students engaged in remote learning from home. The monitors have also been an excellent medium for our students to share their ideas, presentations and projects with their entire class. A big thank you to the O'Shaughnessy Family. Sinead and Michael, parents of Anna in 8th grade, donated and installed a custom made sneeze guard for our front counter. It looks really great and provides not only protection from viruses but also from the biting cold winds that come through the hallways now that all our doors and windows are open to allow for maximum ventilation. CALENDAR Friday, Dec. 11 - Last Day of Holiday Online Shoppe ​Friday, Dec. 18  TK-8 Distance Learning Day Minimum Day - 12:1512:30 dismissal Monday, Dec. 21-Monday, Jan. 4  Christmas Holiday -  school closed Tuesday, Jan. 5  TK-8 classes resume with distance learning Minimum Day - 12:15/12:30 dismissal Wednesday, Jan. 6 TK-8 In-person instruction resumes REQUEST TO RETURN FOR IN-PERSON INSTRUCTION For the safety of all our students and staff we will continue to keep our on-site cohorts of students as stable as possible.This is even more important given the spike in cases in San Francisco County and the most recent stay at home directives from the Governor's office.   If your family is currently in distance learning, the next opportunity to return to in-person learning will be January 6, 2021.  We will not be accepting any additional students back in December. If you wish to have your child return on January 6, please complete Request for Student In-Person Learning form no later than Monday, December 15, 2020, so that we have adequate time to make any necessary adjustments. We will not be checking emails, or updating the roster, once Christmas vacation begins. In an attempt to help your planning for the remainder of the school year we are providing additional dates when students may return to in-school learning.  For these dates listed below, please submit this form at least 5 business days prior to your child's return to campus. Please email our Admissions Assistant, Betty Quinlan, at bquinlan@stmsf.org, if you have further questions. Return for in-person instruction schedule: January 6 January 25 February 16 March 8 April 12 May 4   LINK: Request for Student In-Person Learning Form  STUDENT COUNCIL ACTIVITIES  Our Student Council has been very busy over the past few months and have some great plans for December as well. They are arranging a special Winter Themed Spirit Week for the last week of school. Let's get in the Christmas Spirit! Monday, December 14: Pajama Day Tuesday, December 15: Christmas Colors Day Wednesday, December 16: Flannel Day Thursday, December 17: Christmas Character day Please check out their video to see what they have in store to bring on the excitement of the holidays. Spirit Week Video The residents of Alma Via, the assisted living facility across the street, are in for a treat as the Student Council has organized making Christmas decorations for them to brighten their spirits and their hallways.   The Student Council also prepared posters to remind us to continue to practice safety and wear our masks, just like Santa! Check out this adorable poster by artist Vivian Nguyen. SANTA VISITS STM STUDENTS! Santa has just sent me a text to say that he's popping into our Zoom sessions next Wednesday to say hello to all our students in Preschool through 5th grade! I can't believe he's fitting a visit to us into his busy schedule. 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS AT STM I hope you had an opportunity to check out the presentations for the first three days of Christmas from our students. Thanks to our 7th graders for sharing some new Advent facts with us on Monday. Yesterday, Kindergarten gave us a beautiful rendition of "Away in a Manger" and also a peak into their classroom. Unfortunately, the section of the video recorded with the students on zoom didn't make it to the video today. Oh, the joys and challenges of technology! Today, we hear jingling coming to you from our awesome TK students! Check out our Christmas Calendar to see what other wonderful treats the children have prepared for you.    The last day to submit your December Scrip order is Thursday, December 10 at 8 pm.  And finally, we wish you a very happy Christmas and holiday season. We know that this past year has been very difficult for all of us, and we pray that the coming year brings more certain times for our world. With prayers and good wishes for better days ahead. Magsaya ngayong bakasyon! Feliz Navidad Boas Festas e Feliz Ano Novo 圣诞节快乐 Shèngdàn jié kuàilè Nollaig Shona Duit Веселого Різдва' Veseloho Rizdva  Advent  Christmas Blessings! Marie Fitzpatrick   Copyright © 2020 St. Thomas More School, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email from the office of St. Thomas More School.   Thank you for helping us go green. Our mailing address is: 50 Thomas More Way San Francisco, CA 94132 www.stmsf.org unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences

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