St. Stephen Catholic School
November 2, 2023
Important updates in this week's Tidbits
Father-Daughter Dance
Walk A Thon
Altar Serving Training
Spirit Night
Volunteer Opportunities
Wonderland Gift Shoppe
Pre Angels Gala Silent Auction
30th Annual Men's Club Golf Scramble
Principal's Points
Hello St. Stephen Families!
Thank you to everyone who came out last Thursday to our PTCO meeting. I hope those of you who attended found it to be informative. If you missed the meeting, here are some topics which were discussed:
- The Geotechnical Investigations on the hole in the road have been completed. While they have determined there is no risk of a sinkhole, the tests remain inconclusive. There is a pipe under the hole that is one-third filled with dirt and sediment and it cannot be determined where that is coming from. The final piece they are looking at are original site plans and plans for the building of the Family Life Center. They have presented two proposals for the repair and will be able to suggest the best option after the site plans are reviewed.
- Our academic goal for this year is to work on Math literacy. Last year we began looking at how we can improve our students Math scores. The first part of our improvement plan focused on number sense and fluency. This year we are looking at strategies to help students solve word problems.
- On November 1 and 2, the school we be visited by a team of administrators to complete the onsite review of our school for our reaccreditation. We are confident that we are doing a great job in meeting the Florida Catholic Conference standards and look forward to seeing their findings and recommendations.
- Our first major fundraiser is coming soon at the beginning of November. We plan to use the funds raised from the Walkathon and Raffle to continue placing ClearTouch Flat Panels in all the classrooms. We currently have eight Flat Panels on site and are hoping to purchase eight more.
- Parents asked about our plans for donations received from Supporting Excellence at SSCS. Our hope was we would be able to purchase a class set of iPads, put money towards the Flat Panel purchases, help pay for the unexpected expense of the road repair, purchase a used Golf Cart for Officer John, and add funds to our School Life Fund for building a permanent middle school wing. Today was the due date to complete the form to make a donation and I am very grateful to those families who generously gave toward Supporting Excellence. We have currently raised $7000 in donations and this is a good start but as you can see, we still have far to go to meet our needs. There is no deadline to give toward Supporting Excellence and there will be many other opportunities to help support the school by giving more than the required amount for the two fundraisers and supporting Angels Among Us.
Thank you for your support and for trusting us with your beautiful children. Have a wonderful rest of your week!
Peace,
Linda Umoh
Upcoming Events
November 3 - End of Trimester 1
November 9 - Report Card Day
November 10 - Jean Day
November 10 - PTCO Walk A Thon
November 10 - Parent/Teacher Conferences
November 10 - Noon Dismissal
November 11-12 - Holy Card Uniform Weekend
November 13 - Holy Card Free Dress
November 20-24 - Thanksgiving Holiday/No School
December 3 - First Sunday of Advent
December 4-7 - PTCO Wonderland Gift Shoppe
December 5 - 7th Grade Science Fair
The Walk-a-thon will be on November 10 and take place in the school parking lot. If it is raining on Friday, we will move the event into the FLC. All Family and Friends are welcome to come watch the students walk. The schedule for the grades is below.
8:45AM – 9:30AM PreK3, PreK4, Kindergarten and 1st grade 9:45AM – 10:30AM 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades
10:45AM – 11:30AM 6A & 6B, 7th, and 8th grades
This year every child will have their own fundraising page where parents can add a photo and share on social media with friends and family. Families will receive an email with directions, or anyone can use the link below and search for a child’s name or make a general donation.
In appreciation of the students’ effort to promote the Walkathon:
- Each class that reaches the class goal and has a contribution from every student will get 15 minutes extra recess time on a day assigned by the teacher.
- The class that raises the most money will receive a class treat.
The winners will be announced in Tidbits in November.
All students will wear their Lead Me Lord spirit shirt and PE shorts or PE sweatpants and are encouraged to wear Red, White and Blue (Patriotic) accessories.
Parents are welcome to walk with their students. The school parking lot will be restricted during the event, parents and guests should park in the FLC parking lot and walk to the school. The God Bless America Walkathon Committee is looking for volunteers to help during the event and some work at home. Please find the sign-up link below.
Mustang Families Shared a Fun but Spooky Halloween
Thanks to all our SSCS families and friends, our students and siblings enjoyed Trunk or Treat 2023. Thirty cars lined the school parking lot with open trunks ready to hand out all kinds of sweet treats. Our resident DJ is always fabulous and the music offered the kids a chance to show their moves. Judging the winners was tough but Father Josh was willing to make the big decision. Appreciation to the Knights of Columbus for their generous support and for helping direct traffic. It was nice to have the Church maintenance staff join in the fun this year. All in all, it was a Trunk or Treat to remember!
Service Projects
Our students in 4th and 5th grade make rosary beads for patients at Tampa General Hospital. This service project is a hands-on approach to helping the sick reach out to Our Lord.
Capital Tacos Spirit Night Thursday, November 9, 2023 from 5-8 pm.
Mustang Sports
MUSTANG SPORTS:
Girls Basketball: The girls basketball teams have a few more practices before games start next week. The Mustangs first game of the season is Tuesday against Mother Teresa at Mother Teresa. The varsity plays at 4:15 pm and the JV at 5:15 pm. They also play on Wednesday against local rival Nativity here at St. Stephen in the FLC. The varsity plays at 4:00 pm and JV at 5:00 pm. See the Athletics webpage for the complete girls basketball game schedule.
Boys Track: The boys track team has been working hard, and they have one more week of practice before their meets and events get started. The field events are Thursday, November 9, at Christ the King from 3:45-5:30 pm. The Mustangs will be competing in the high jump, long jump, discus, and the varsity shot put. The first running and relay meet is on Saturday, November 11, at Tampa Catholic from 8:00-11:30 am. See the Athletics webpage for the complete boys track meet event schedule.
GO MUSTANGS!
Coach Green
SUPPORT THE PTCO AND PURCHASE YOUR HOLIDAY GIFT CARDS With SCRIPP
If you use gift cards to make your Holiday Shopping easier, please use the attached form and return it with your check or cash to the school office on or before Monday, November 27. The cards will be available for your pickup no later than 12/12. We will notify you as soon as they arrive. You can pick the cards up in the office or we can send them home with your student.
Contact nqallaqher@sscsfl.orqwith any questions.
Own The Avenue is a year-round fundraiser for the PTCO and gives you a great way to give your child a shout out for the school community to see! Birthdays, achievements, any positive vibes and kudos are welcome, and they certainly make your student feel special!!
The sign is located on the corner of our school parking lot and will be viewed and celebrated for the entire week. A PTCO member will be responsible for putting up the sign and after the week is done, the sign will be sent home with your student for yours to keep or to reuse for a future week!
In a nutshell here’s how it works:
If you have an existing sign, the cost is $30 for the week. If we need to order a new sign, the cost is $50 for the week. Please make payments through the school’s front office. To sign up, please use the following link and more details will follow. Please note, new signs take up to 2 weeks to process and receive from our vendor. If you have additional questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to Nicole Rodriguez at nicrodriguez0722@gmail.com. Thank you in advance for your support!
IMPORTANT: Please note, this is a yearly fundraiser that is on a first come, first served basis (via SignUpGenius). For example, if you purchase a sign this year for a specific week 9-17-23 thru 9-23-23, that same week is not guaranteed to you for future years. It is required that you sign up each school year if you
wish to participate.
POSTER CONTEST
The Knights of Columbus are offering all students from K through 8th grades an opportunity to enter their annual Christmas Poster contest. Please see the fact sheet and entry form below. All entries (student name on back) must be submitted to the school office no later than 12/15.
Carl Alerta with the Knights visited with our students to talk about the Poster Contest.
We Love Spirit Events!
PTCO thanks all school families for supporting our Spirit Days and Nights. The revenue we receive from the business who partnered with us helps PTCO provide fun activities and events during the year. Please continue to support our Spirit Events and always mention you are a SSCS family. We are happy to share the good news that Carlos Carrion was the lucky winner of 12 free Duck Donuts. Carlos supported our Spirit Event, entered the raffle drawing and won! Tidbits will continue to post Spirit Events each week. If you would like to volunteer to contact businesses and set up Spirit Events, please contact ngallagher@sscsfl.org
Angel 2024 Preview
Angels Among Us volunteers are planning many surprises for the Angel guests at our 2024 Gala on 2/10. Plan on joining us for an evening of laughter and fun. It may make last year’s gala seem boring!
We are currently soliciting donations for both our live and silent auctions.Invitations will be sent to parents, parishioners and friends in December. Seat reservations, sponsorships, advertising opportunities etc. are accepted now and through mid-January.
Please click on this link to read and share important information about our gala with family, friends and business acquaintances.
Your generosity ensures Angels will continue as an amazing community event that provides unparalleled support each year for our school.
Angel Class Baskets
Classroom Moms and Dads have been reaching out to parents requesting donations for themed basket items for Angels Among Us. It is a 24 year tradition that each class donates a basket for the silent auction. The dollar amount of each item donated is solely at the discretion of the donor. The class baskets are marked with the grade so guests are able to appreciate the many beautiful baskets donated from school parents. The bidding wars are fun and often get very competitive.
Please contact me at ngallagher@sscsfl.org or your room parent if you have any questions.
Remember to Save The Date, February 10 to join school families and friends of our community at the FCL for dinner, dancing and an open bar all evening. There are a few surprises planned and the silent and LIVE auctions are always amazing.
Time To Clean Your Closets
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.