St. Stephen Catholic School
March 30, 2023
Important updates in this week's Tidbits
PTCO Leadership Nominations
PTCO Book Exchange
Volunteer Opportunities
March Madness Raffle
CSTAG Application in FACTS
Rice Bowls
Lenten Fish Fry
Summer Sports Camps
Spirit Night
Personalize Yearbook
Vacation Summer Bible Study Signup
Principal's Points
Good Afternoon St. Stephen Families,
Thank you, Mrs. Gurley, for covering Principal Points last week. I spent a few days in Miami visiting another Catholic elementary school as part of their accreditation process. I always enjoy seeing other schools to get new ideas and be reminded that St. Stephen is truly a school of excellence. Our teachers are doing a great job of helping our students achieve their full academic potential and continue Jesus' mission.
Next week our students will participate in a Triduum Retreat on Thursday. The theme of this year's retreat is A Love So Wonderful. Students will understand that our Father loves us so much that He sent His only Son to die on the cross to save us from our sins. Students will reflect on this gift they received and think about how they show their love in return. We will have a noon dismissal and we will NOT have Extended Day. Please be sure to pick your child(ren) up at noon.
I hope to see many of you at our final fish fry followed by Living Stations of the Cross presented by the 7th graders at 7 pm in the church.
Please also pay special attention to the PTCO notice below. We have a number of opportunities to serve our school by becoming a member of the PTCO.
Peace,
Linda Umoh
IT'S THAT TIME! PTCO LEADERSHIP NOMINATIONS
It’s time to think about the Executive Committee PTCO leadership for next school year 2023-2024. Please consider what you can contribute to St. Stephen’s PTCO. Are you interested in holding a position as a PTCO executive committee officer? Please contact Nicki Gallagher directly. Click HERE for the PTCO Board Positions - Role and Responsibilities
Upcoming Events
March 30 - Dads vs. Students Basketball Game @3:15pm
March 30 - March Madness Spirit Raffle Ends
March 31 - Marvelous Mustang
March 31 - Living Stations of the Cross @7pm
April 2 - Palm Sunday
April 5 - Field Day
April 6 - Holy Thursday
April 6 - Noon Dismissal/ No Afternoon Extended Day Care
April 7 - Good Friday
April 7 -14 - No School/Easter Break
April 9 - Easter Sunday
April 10 - Easter Monday
April 17 - Students Return to School from Easter Break
PTCO Mustang Book Exchange
The Mustang Book Exchange will be held on Friday, 3/31 from 1 to 3:15 in the East Hall. You are welcome to bring into the school office the books you would like to donate and you will receive a credit that can be used the day of the book exchange. Both students and parents are welcome to visit the exchange on 3/31. If your child does not have a credit, they can purchase a donated book for 25 cents.
Any parents/families that still need service hours and would like to volunteer at Field Day, Wednesday, April 5, please contact Coach Green as soon as possible. Parents can earn two volunteer hours per session. Coach Green needs volunteers for both sessions. We need help supervising the classes for the K-4 session. The 8th graders supervise the activity stations for K-4. There aren't many volunteers signed up as of now, and help is especially needed running the activity stations and supervising the classes for the 5th-8th grade session from 1:00-2:30. Coach Green really needs volunteers so if you are interested in volunteering at Field Day 2023 please contact him ASAP.
Thank you.
APRIL 6, 2023 is (12pm) Noon Dismissal, NO EXTENDED AFTERNOON DAY CARE
March Madness Continues
Thank you to all our students who enthusiastically submitted their drawings for March Madness. PreK-3 and 4 as well as K, 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th grades all had participation over 75%. PTCO appreciates the help from parents, teachers and the volunteers(Janice and Jackie). The drawings were displayed in the center hall for all our students to enjoy(see the picture below.
Join us on today, Thursday in the FLC for the Dads vs Mustangs Basketball Challenge. The final raffle winner will be selected at the end of the game. Raffle tickets will be sold at the game and the concession stand will be open(cash only). Who do you think will win? Come for the game, fun, and to support the PTCO.
Slam Dunk Winners
March Madness Slam Dunk contest held in the FLC during lunch on Monday proved students in all grade levels could slam dunk. First through 8th grade students enjoyed watching as each class tried to be the class with making the most baskets.
Congratulations to the top 3 winning grades, 2nd,5A and 5B. The top winners plus K, Prek 3 and Prek 4 all have been awarded free dress passes. The free dress pass can only be used this Friday, 3/31.
FACTS (CSTAG/Heart to Heart) Applications
2023-2024 School Year
The FACTS Application for financial assistance from the school and Diocese is open for the 2023-2024 school year. Applications and documents must be received no later than April 30, 2023, for initial consideration. Please log into your FACTS account to complete the application.
Important note: Diocesan aid is limited. Applications received after the initial consideration deadline of April 30, 2023, for the 23-24 school year maybe be subject to a reduced rate.
For information regarding all financial assistance opportunities, please click here.
REMINDER
Rice Bowls
As the students continue their Lenten journey, hopefully they are reminded to practice almsgiving, prayer, and fasting (from things like sweets and electronics). They can practice almsgiving by donating part of their allowance or money earned from chores to the Catholic Relief Services rice bowls they brought home recently. Rice bowls are due back at school by Monday, April 3. Please click here for more information. Thank you for encouraging them to live our faith.
Click the attachment below to know the information about the inside servers.
Mustang Sports
Boys Flag Football: The boys flag football team had their first game of the season yesterday and they beat Corpus Christi, 20-7. John Michael R. returned two interceptions for touchdowns and he also had a rushing touchdown on offense. Adrian R. also had an interception for the defense. The Mustangs are back on the field Monday against Christ the King at Christ the King at 4:00.
Girls Track: The girls track team has been practicing hard to prepare for the meets. The first meet is the Field Events on Tuesday, at Christ the King at 4:00. The girls participating will be competing in the high jump, long jump, discus and shot put. The first running and relay meet is Saturday, April 22, at Tampa Catholic from 8:00-11:30.
The complete St. Stephen boys flag football game and girls track meet schedules are available on the school website under Athletics.
St. Stephen Field Day 2023 is less than a week away on Wednesday, April 5. I'm looking forward to a fun day for all of the students. K-4th will participate in the morning after Mass from 9:30-11:00 and 5th-8th will attend in the afternoon from 1:00-2:30. There will be fun and competitive activity stations for the students. Any parents/families that still need service hours and would like to volunteer at Field Day please contact Coach Green as soon as possible. Parents can earn two volunteer hours per session. Coach Green needs volunteers for both sessions. We need help supervising the classes for the K-4 session. The 8th graders supervise the activity stations for K-4. Coach Green needs volunteers especially for running the activity stations and supervising the classes for the 5th-8th grade session from 1:00-2:30. If you are interested in volunteering at Field Day 2023 please contact him ASAP. Thank you.
The St. Stephen summer sports camps are the weeks of July 10-14 and 17-21. Basketball camp is July 10-14 and volleyball camp is July 17-21. Parent volunteers, Mr. Heaberlin & Mr. Basilicato, will be hosting 2 weeks of soccer camp this summer. Grades 1st-4th for 2023-24 attend the week of July 10-14 and 5th-8th for 2023-24 the week of July 17-21. Please see the camp flyers and registration info in this week's Tidbits about signing up.
Go Mustangs!
Coach Green
All the Eggs Were Found
Erin Black, an 8th grade parent, was the highest bid for the Angels Bunny Party. On Saturday, Erin's family and friends enjoyed the egg hunt and lots of fun treats. The star of the morning was Max, a beautiful friendly white bunny that was loving all the children's attention. It was a fun time for all, including the grown up bunny who made a guest appearance. Thanks to Teresa, Max, Vylam and Shaun for making the bunny party so much fun for the children. And special Thanks to Erin for her years of supporting Angels and the PTCO.
Thank You Alex!
The Beam Family won the pre Angels silent auction with the highest bid for Office Helper for the Day. Alex from 4th grade enjoyed assisting Ms. Karen with various tasks including, sorting books and bagging ice. After a morning of office work, Alex and his friend enjoyed their favorite food, pizza. Angels appreciate the continued support of the Beam Family and thank Alex for his help!
The Beam Family won the pre Angels silent auction with the highest bid for Office Helper for the Day. Alex from 4th grade enjoyed assisting Ms. Karen with various tasks including, sorting books and bagging ice. After a morning of office work, Alex and his friend enjoyed their favorite food, pizza. Angels appreciate the continued support of the Beam Family and thank Alex for his help!
SSCS families:
It’s time to personalize your yearbook!
Remember, each student will receive a yearbook.
You DO NOT need to purchase a yearbook through Treering unless you would like an additional copy. See the directions below.
Registration Now Open!
St. Stephen Catholic Church
Vacation Bible School -
Date: June 12-16, 2023
Vacation Bible School -
Date: June 12-16, 2023
Time: 9:30 – 12:30 pm
·Location: Family Life Center
Summer Camp
Nature's Classroom Institute.
Summer is right around the corner, and Nature's Classroom is excited to announce that they are officially launching an NCI Summer Camp for ages 10-14.
Campers will splash, explore, and learn through hands-on experiences for a full week, June 12th- June 16th, 2023, at their Brooksville site. Details, prices, etc., can be found at: https://www.discovernci.org/florida-summer-camp
For questions, reach out to:
Britta Wood
Education Director-Florida
Nature’s Classroom Institute
682.804.2483
PTCO Now Offers Scrip
Help PTCO earn cash back from gift card purchases.
A simple and easy way to purchase gift cards!
How does it work?
Use the Raise Right App to buy an electronic or physical gift card for hundreds of stores! The school receives a percentage of the gift card purchase! Click here for more information about the program.
Many of your favorite stores and restaurants are included – Target, Walmart, Publix, Outback, Panera, and more!
Going shopping? Buy an electronic gift card for the approximate amount and use it at the check-out line! Click here for more information about ecards.
To get started today, review the RaiseRight Enrollment using the link here and if you have questions, please contact ngallagher@sscsf.org
Thank you for your continued support of SSCS! We hope you find this to be an easy way to make a difference for our school.
Please watch the video here to see how easy it is to purchase scrip from Raise Right.
Easy way to support the PTCO and get your Holiday Gift Cards.
Alumni Updates
Attention: Current School families who have children that are SSCS Alumni
Please help us follow the success of our former students. Kindly share with us updates on how your SSCS graduate is doing in school, in their profession or in pursuing their dreams. We want to be able to congratulate our alumni when they achieve amazing
things and wish them well when they venture into something new and exciting.
A few lines providing name, year graduated from SSCS and update should be sent to ngallagher@sscsfl.org
Please join us for Bingo Nights!
COVID 19 Decision Tree
Safe Environment Training and Fingerprints
Everyone needs updated safe environment training and fingerprints in order to volunteer in the school or to chaperone a field trip. Safe environment and fingerprints are good for 5 years. Attached here are the instructions on how to get your safe environment certificate and to have your fingerprints done. If you have any questions please contact Karen Biase at kbiase@sscsfl.org or call the front office at ext. 1100. Click the link for information here regarding fingerprints. Click for the live link here. For the safe environment click here for the live link .
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Mission Statement
St. Stephen Catholic School is devoted to inspiring students to achieve their full academic potential while demonstrating a desire to continue Jesus' mission by applying Catholic morals, beliefs, values, and practices in their everyday lives. We are committed to motivating students to sustain a lifelong love of learning.