St. Stephen Catholic School
November 16, 2023
Important updates in this week's Tidbits
Spirit Night
St. Nicholas Breakfast
Volunteer Opportunities
Wonderland Gift Shoppe
Pre Angels Gala Silent Auction
Principal's Points
Hello St. Stephen Families!
As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, I am filled with gratitude for the blessings that surround us here at St. Stephen. It is a time to reflect on the abundance of goodness in our lives and to express our appreciation for the people who make our community so special.
I am thankful for so many things. I am thankful for our students who bring joy to our school each day with their love for learning and desire to know Jesus.
I am thankful for our teachers and staff. Their dedication to fostering a nurturing and academically enriching environment is the foundation of our school’s success.
I am thankful to our parents and guardians for entrusting us with the education and spiritual development of their children. Your partnership on this journey is invaluable, and we appreciate your ongoing support. I am especially thankful for your support with our Walkathon fundraiser. We raised almost $22,000 which will be used to pay for the three Flat Panel Interactive Boards we just purchased. These are going into middle school and the media center. Thank you to our PTCO for all their hard work, in particular Mandy and Amy.
I am thankful for our priests and everyone in the parish that help guide our students and support our mission.
I am also thankful that a solution was found for our hole in the road. We followed the recommendations of the Geotechnical Engineering company to secure the ground and drainage pipe. Further work may be needed in the future but it can be planned for over the summer.
As a Catholic school community, we are called to reflect on the blessings in our lives and to share our abundance with others. Whether through acts of kindness, charitable giving, or simply taking the time to be present with loved ones, let us embody the spirit of thanksgiving in all that we do.
On a personal note, I am thankful for my doctor, family, and friends who have guided me toward a decision I have tried to avoid. Right after Thanksgiving, I will be having a double knee replacement (at least that is the plan). I will be here the rest of this week and I should be at school on Monday, Nov. 27. After that, I will not be back at school until Christmas. My hope is to be back in the office on Jan. 8. Please keep me in your prayers that my recovery goes quickly so I can get back to where my heart is, here at school with all your beautiful children. While I am out, I leave the school in Mrs. Gurley's capable hands, and I plan to be working remotely as soon as possible.
May this holiday be a time of joy, reflection, and togetherness for you and your family. Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving filled with love. As a special thank you to all the students, TOMORROW, FRIDAY, NOV. 17 WILL BE A JEAN DAY. STUDENTS MAY WEAR JEAN PANTS/SHORTS OR PE SHORTS AND A FALL SHIRT, SPIRIT WEAR, OR PE SHIRT. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
Peace,
Linda Umoh
Congratulations to Mabel in 6th grade and Bree in 5th grade for their winning designs submitted for the Christmas Card Contest. Both designs were used in creating the card.
Upcoming Events
November 17 - Jeans and Fall or Spirit Shirt Day
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
December 8 - Immaculate Conception of the Blessed
December 8 - Advent Retreat
December 9-10 - Holy Card Uniform Weekend
December 10 - Second Sunday of Advent
December 11 - Holy Card Free Dress
December 12 - 6th Grade Science Fair
December 15 - Christmas Concert
December 15 - PTCO Christmas Event
December 17 - Third Sunday of Advent
God Bless America!
Our amazing students enjoyed a warm but beautiful day as they walked laps in support of the 2023 Walk A Thon. Families joined in the fun as we honored our veterans and recognized the blessings we enjoy everyday in America. Thank you to school families and friends for their donations and to volunteers for helping our students have a special morning. Much appreciation to the PTCO executive board and especially Mandy and Amy for their time organizing the event and the terrific decorations. As always, we thank our DJ, Mr. Medina for always being available to help make our events memorable.
Egg Cartons Needed
The Art Department is in need of plastic 18-Count Egg Cartons. If you have any please drop them off at the Office.
December, 2023
Knights of
Columbus
St. Nicholas Breakfast
The Knights of Columbus Council 14048 of St. Stephen Parish will be sponsoring a deliciuos breakfast in the Family Life Center Sunday, Decembr 10 after the 7:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. Masses.
Breakfast will include scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes, French toast, fruit, and beverages.
AND.... We expect a visit from St. Nicholas himself!
Come join us for this special annual faith community event.
The Knights of Columbus are in need of volunteers to help set up and serve for this event. If you are interested, please contact the Parish Office or Ted Russell (813-727-4071 or tedruss147@aol.com).
Volunteers Needed- Can Work From Home
If you would like to contact local businesses to set up Spirit Events, please contact ngallagher@sscsfl.org. Volunteer hours will be given for your time.
Mustang Sports
MUSTANG SPORTS:
Girls Basketball: The girls varsity basketball team lost to Villa Madonna, 27-25, and they were led in scoring by Anelisse S. with 19 points. The JV has won their last two games to improve their record to 4 wins and 0 losses. The Mustangs beat St. Joseph, 29-6, and were led in scoring by Christina F. with 11 points and Ronette L. with 10 points. They also beat Villa Madonna, 17-13, with Christina F. leading the Mustangs with 8 points. The teams are back on the court today against Christ the King here at St. Stephen in the FLC. The varsity plays at 4:00 pm and the JV at 5:00 pm.
Boys Track: The boys track season is off to a great start. The Mustangs had their first events last week and the varsity finished 6th overall and the JV finished 1st. This is the first time since St. Stephen joined the Catholic sports league 12 years ago that the JV or varsity has won the overall meet. All of the Mustang runners and participants did a great job. Here are the results from the St. Stephen team members who finished in the top 8 of their event and earned points for the team.
JV Track Team
John R.-2nd 100 (14.68), 2nd High Jump (4'2"), and T-5th Long Jump (11'3")
Robert V.-2nd Mile (6:16), 3rd 800 (2:54), and 3rd High Jump (4'2")
Nathan T.-5th 200 (33.40), and 6th Discus (54'10")
Kellan B.-3rd Discus (57'2")
Owen D.-7th 100 (15.78)
Justyn L.-6th 400 (1:19)
Matthew B.-7th 800 (3:09)
Brody C.-3rd Mile (6:27)
The boys have the second meet and it's events the week when we return from Thanksgiving break. The field events are Thursday, November 30, at Christ the King from 4:00-5:30 pm, and the running and relay events are Saturday, December 2, at Jesuit from 1:30-5:00 pm.
Have a blessed and Happy Thanksgiving.
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.
St. Stephen Basket
Bidding Starts at $100
Surprise Your Mustang with a Message Sign on "Own the Avenue"
Great for Birthdays, Congratulations, Job Well Done, Thank you, Proud of You
Easy to do.... use link below or call the school office with 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.
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 .
Check out our
Mustang News morning show!
You can join our Mustang News team each morning at 7:50 as we stream live on YouTube to begin the day with prayers, the pledge of allegiance, and news. Subscribe to our channel here.
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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.