STM Newsletter for May 13, 2015

View this email in your browser Newsletter for Wednesday, May 13, 2015 Dear Parents,   Last Friday evening, Bishop Walsh administered the Sacrament of Confirmation to our seventh grade students. We congratulate them on their further initiation into the Catholic Church. May the gifts of the Holy Spirit continue to work in their lives. Thank you to seventh grade teacher, John Kavanagh for preparing such a prayerful and meaningful ceremony and to our fabulous student choir, led by Shelley White. A special thank you also to the sixth grade families for their help with the confirmation reception. The Bingo night was very successful with over 100 attendees! Thank you to third grade parents, Cathy Evans, Christine Jordan and Mavelyn Lacap for all their hard work in making this a fun event. Congratulations to Megan Kennedy, our 2nd grade teacher, who recently received the Herbst Foundation Award for Teaching Excellence. St. Thomas More School has more teachers honored for excellence in education than any other school serving any age level in the Bay Area. In addition to Megan, our previous winners are Julianne Beach (2012), Judy DeMicheli (2011), Sue Kapovich (2010), Zodine Speigel (2008), Marie Fitzpatrick (2003), and Shelley White (2003). We are truly blessed to have such excellent teachers here at STM. No Homework Night!: Thank you also to those who completed the Catholic Identity Program Effectiveness Parent Survey. As we mentioned last week, we only received 12 responses. We feel that this response does not accurately reflect the view of you, our parents. This survey is a necessary and important part of the process of school accreditation as the results from the survey will be incorporated into our next WASC study. In order to get a better response, we have decided to make tomorrow, Thursday, May 14th, a "no homework night"! Students get the night off and we ask that you complete the survey on this night as YOUR homework. We thank you in advance for your valuable input. Calendar Items May 19th 2015-16 Student Council Speeches and Elections Bake Sale for the Survivors of the Earthquakes in Nepal and India May 21st Knowledge and K'Nachos - see the flyer in your envelope today!   The Student Council presents SPIRIT WEEK! Join the fun and enjoy a week of playful free dress! Friday, May 22nd is a FREE hot dog lunch day for all students, K-8! May 29th Sports Awards, 1pm Gym   May 29th Coaches Appreciation Dinner, 7pm Saturday, May 30th - Taco's and Trivia Night - Sign up online! Adults only, childcare available. HOW DID YOU DO? THE ANSWERS FOR LAST WEEK'S QUESTIONS ARE... What is the only fruit that carries its seeds on the outside? Strawberries The first brand of mascara for women, in 1915, was named after a woman. What was it? Maybelline Who was the eldest of the Marx Brothers? Chico (real name Leonard Marx) What is the name of Moe's pet cat in the cartoon show The Simpsons? Mr Snookums THIS WEEK'S QUESTIONS... What nation produces two thirds of the world's vanilla? What number does "giga" stand for? What continent is cut into two fairly equal halves by the Tropic of Capricorn? How many feet are there in a fathom? Parent Tuition Agreement and Parent Participation Requirements: Thank you to those who returned their Parent Tuition Agreement and the Parent Participation Requirements for the 2015-2016 school year by the May 8th deadline. Please note that your registration IS NOT complete, and your child will NOT be allowed to attend in the fall unless we receive that signed form. Hoop-a-thon: The Athletic Board will conduct their annual Hoop-a-thon for 4th through 8th graders this Friday, May 15th beginning at 12:30pm in the gym. Sign-ups will be accepted until dismissal tomorrow, Thursday, May 14th. Encourage your child to participate in this fun event! We'd love to see you there to cheer on your children! Earthquake Relief Fund: Kindergarten, first and second grades will be leading a bake sale on Tuesday, May 19th. All proceeds will go to Catholic Relief Services to help earthquake survivors in Nepal and India. Treats will be sold during morning and lunch recess for $1.00 each. K-2 students are assigned the following items to be donated but all STM families are encouraged to contribute. Donations and baked goods may be dropped off in the office Tuesday morning. Kindergarten: Cupcakes First Grade: Rice crispy treats Second Grade: Cookies Update on Schedule Change: After much debate and discussion, we will not be making any changes to the schedule for the 15-16 school year. We have decided to keep the 8:10am beginning time with dismissal remaining the same at 2:45pm (K-3) and 3:00pm (4-8). Thank you to all who responded to the survey. And finally, we invite everyone to join us tomorrow at 1pm in Carroll Hall for a Musical Tribute. Mrs. Anderson, our music teacher, had been preparing all classes to perform a variety of patriotic song in this showcase. We hope to see you there! Sincerely, Marie Fitzpatrick Principal          Copyright © 2014 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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STM Newsletter for May 6, 2015

View this email in your browser Newsletter for Wednesday, May 6, 2015 Dear Parents,   As we continue through the Easter season, we look forward to the celebration of the Feast of Pentecost on May 24th. Pentecost is when we celebrate the birthday of the Church and the gift of the Holy Spirit – the sending of the Holy Spirit by our Lord Jesus Christ. Having been with his disciples for forty days after the resurrection, the Lord Jesus Christ ascended into heaven and now sits at the right hand of God the Father. Pentecost closes the Easter Season and from then until the beginning of the Advent Season we will celebrate the church season known as Ordinary Time. Please join us at 5:30pm in the church this Friday, May 8th as our seventh graders receive the gift of the Holy Spirit at Confirmation. Bishop Walsh, who is the retired Bishop from Santa Rosa, will be stepping in to administer the sacrament to our 7th graders. Bishop McElroy was originally scheduled to officiate, however, he was recently installed as the Bishop of San Diego. Please continue to keep the 7th graders in your prayers. It is a little less noisy in the homes of fifth and sixth graders as well as here at school. The fifth and sixth graders' are away on their Outdoor Education Program. They will be back on Friday, near dismissal time, tired, dirty but full of stories of the fun and education they experienced. From the Parents' Club: Have you completed your volunteers hours? The Parents' Club are requesting volunteers for Bingo this Saturday night and for the Snack Bar - Championship games from May 17-21. Also, tomorrow is the first Thursday of the month and is, therefore, the date for the next Parents' Club meeting, 7:00pm, in the STM Library. Come and share your thoughts as we reflect on the year. Seeking nominations - No Homework Night!: Thank you also to those who completed the Catholic Identity Program Effectiveness Parent Survey. Unfortunately, we only received 12 responses. We feel that this response does not accurately reflect the view of you, our parents. This survey is a necessary and important part of the process of school accreditation as the results from the survey will be incorporated into our next WASC study. In order to get a better response, we have decided to make next Thursday, May 14th, a "no homework night"! Students get the night off and we ask that you complete the survey on this night as YOUR homework. We thank you in advance for your valuable input. Calendar Items May 8th Confirmation 5:30pm May 18th-22nd Spirit Week! Pretzel and Churro Sale - $2 each! FRIDAY MAY 8TH at 2:30 (dismissal) by the gym kitchen First come, first served - when they are gone, they are gone! Saturday, May 9th - Hawaiian BINGO Night Bring the whole family! Saturday, May 30th - Taco's and Trivia Night - Sign up online! Adults only, childcare available. HOW DID YOU DO? THE ANSWERS FOR LAST WEEK'S QUESTIONS ARE... Which chart-topping 1974 single equated falling in love with Napoleon's famed defeat, and who sang it? Waterloo by ABBA The first World Cup for Soccer was held in which country in 1930? Uruguay In Roman mythology, who was Cupid's heartthrob mother? Venus THIS WEEK'S QUESTIONS... What is the only fruit that carries its seeds on the outside? The first brand of mascara for women, in 1915, was named after a woman. What was it? Who was the eldest of the Marx Brothers? What is the name of Moe's pet cat in the cartoon show The Simpsons? Hoop-A-Thon: Congratulations to 1st Grader, Nathan Hunyh, who made 21 baskets in a minute to lead all shooters in grades K-3. Nathan will receive $50 gift card. Tally sheets and pledge forms for Grades K-3 will be sent home in next Wednesday's envelope. Grades 4-8 will have their chance to shoot the lights out on the May 15th Hoop-A-Thon at 12:30pm. Remember that the participation fee and pledge forms for that group must be turned in no later than May 14th. The STM student who brings in the most pledges will also receive a $50 gift card. Progress Reports: Progress Reports are going home today. All students, fourth 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 the lower grades with behavior and/or academic concerns have already been contacted by their child's teacher. Please sign and return the progress report by Wednesday, May 13th, so that we know you have received the notice. If you wish to keep a copy of the report, you may make a copy of it before you return it or contact your child's teacher directly.   Parent Tuition Agreement and Parent Participation Requirements: Please remember to complete both sides of your Parent Tuition Agreement and the Parent Participation Requirements for the 2015-2016 school year and return them to us by the deadline, Friday, May 8th. Scrip Requirement: Funds from our Scrip requirement are used to directly fund our PE and Music programs. We budget this income to cover most of the costs of these valuable programs. We are grateful to all of the families who have completed this requirement for the 2014-2015 school year. As of May 1st, any scrip purchases will be credited to the next school year, 2015-2016. All families are being notified today as to whether or not they have fulfilled this requirement. All balances will owed will be billed to your FACTS account. And finally, we are happy to announce that Father Marvin Felipe has been assigned as the new pastor of St. Thomas More Church, effective July 1st. We look forward to welcoming him when we return to school in August. We are also delighted to have Father Bernard Poggi continue his service at St. Thomas More Church. Sincerely, Marie Fitzpatrick Principal          Copyright © 2014 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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STM Newsletter for April 29, 2015

View this email in your browser Newsletter for Wednesday, April 29, 2015 Dear Parents,   Our seventh graders will receive their Confirmation on May 8th at 5:30pm in the church. When children receive confirmation, the third sacrament of initiation, they are showing that they are responsible, prepared individuals who are ready to become full-fledged members of the Catholic faith. They renew the vows their sponsors made for them when they were baptized. The bishop anoints the confirmandi with chrism accompanied by the words "Be sealed with the Gift of the Holy Spirit". This reaffirms the graces of the Holy Spirit conferred on the child at baptism. We offer our congratulations to all the candidates who will be receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation next Friday. Please keep the seventh graders in your prayers as they prepare for this special day. Parent Tuition Agreement and Parent Participation Requirements: Last week, returning kindergarten through seventh grade families received the Parent Tuition Agreement and the Parent Participation Requirements for the 2015-2016 school year. Please complete both sides of the form and return them to us by the deadline, Friday, May 8th. Online Surveys: Thank you to all who took the time to complete the surveys in last week's letter. Of the 33 people who responded to the survey concerning extending the day, 69% agreed with the idea. There were a few responses that suggested the addition of 10 minutes happen at dismissal. We would now like your input on that option. Please click here to complete this survey. At this time, we also ask that you take a moment to complete the Catholic Identity Program Effectiveness Parent Survey. This survey is a necessary and important part of the process of school accreditation. The results from the survey are electronically collated and the results will be incorporated into our next WASC study. If you have not already done so, please also consider completing the middle school iPad Program survey. We thank you in advance for your valuable input. Calendar Items May 3rd May Crowning Mass presented by 1st and 2nd grade, 10:00am May 5th-8th 5th and 6th grade attend Outdoor Education CYO Camp May 8th Confirmation 5:30pm May 18th-22nd Spirit Week! Saturday, May 9th - Hawaiian BINGO Night Bring the whole family! Saturday, May 30th - Taco's and Trivia Night - Adults only, childcare available. JOIN US FOR TRIVIA QUESTIONS LIKE... Which chart-topping 1974 single equated falling in love with Napoleon's famed defeat, and who sang it? The first World Cup for Soccer was held in which country in 1930? In Roman mythology, who was Cupid's heartthrob mother? PLEY: Pley is a rent-play-return subscription service which enables kids, parents, and fans to test out Lego sets without committing to buying sometimes expensive collections. As a school fundraiser, STM is one of a handful of schools who are benefiting from the rent-play-return subscription service as the school will receive $10 for every subscription. Pley subscriptions are available at three levels: $15, $25, and $39 per month, depending on the size of Lego set desired. Pley offers free shipping both ways and doesn't charge for up to 15 lost pieces. If you sign up for a no-risk, free trial you can try one Lego set for free. Then you can choose from over hundreds of Lego sets and add them to your queue. After you're finished with the set, return them to get your next set in the queue -- like with Netflix. Each returned Lego set is sorted and weighed and the bricks are cleaned with a sanitizer that is both eco-friendly and child-safe, so the sets are ready for the next user. Pley has shipped more than 75,000 Lego sets from its San Jose warehouse; more than 15,000 families have purchased Pley subscriptions; and more than 15 million bricks have been washed and dried in Pley's eco-cleaning solution. If you have further questions, please direct them to Mrs. White at swhite@smsf.org. Tomorrow, Thursday, Ms. Nina Russo, Assistant Superintendent makes her annual visit to our school. We look forward to showing her the wonderful work your children do each and every day. A big thank you to our Parents' Club co-presidents, Jessica and Raquel and their helpers who prepared a wonderful lunch for teachers and staff on Monday. It is definitely nice to be appreciated. Finally, last Saturday night, five STM 7th graders received cash awards ranging from $100-$150 at the Annual YMI Essay Banquet at St. Peter & Paul Church in San Francisco. Congratulations to Abbie Atkin, Sebastian Bernardo, Adam Kolokotrones, Dylan Limjoco and Isabella Triunfo. Sincerely, Marie Fitzpatrick Principal          Copyright © 2014 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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