St. Stephen Catholic School
August 22, 2024
Important updates in this week's Tidbits
Back to School Night
Spirit Store
Afterschool Programs
St. Vincent de Paul Ladies Tea
Angel Among Us Save the Date
Principal's Points
Good Afternoon St. Stephen Families!
This year, we are excited about our school-wide theme: “Be Kind.” In our ever-evolving world, kindness is more important than ever. It creates a positive environment where students feel valued, supported, and motivated to do their best. This theme is not just a slogan but a guiding principle for everything we do this year. Last year, our theme was Lead Me Lord, and we believe we are being led to spread our kindness among ourselves and our community.
To learn more about our theme, why we chose it and how it will connect to our curriculum, please read this letter. The letter refers to two PowerPoint presentations which you will find here:
Both of these PowerPoints were used during our pre-planning week with teachers as we discussed our goals for the year.
Together, we can make this year memorable, filled with compassion and understanding. We look forward to working with you to create a nurturing environment where every child feels safe and valued. Thank you for your support and partnership in making kindness a cornerstone of our school community.
I look forward to seeing everyone tonight at Back-to-School Night.
Peace,
Linda Umoh
Awesome things are happening at St. Stephen! Eighth grader, Lilian, shares her talent by playing her cello with our new music teacher, Mr. Daignault.
Upcoming Events
August 22 - Back to School Night 5:45 pm
August 26-27 - Fall IXL Testing (MATH)
August 30 - Jean Day
September 2 - NO SCHOOL/LABOR DAY
September 3-4 - Fall i-Ready Testing (READING)
September 6 - NOON Dismissal
September 7-8 - Holy Card Uniform Weekend
September 9 - Holy Card Free Dress
September 17 - PTCO General Meeting 6pm
September 20 - Marvelous Mustang at 8am
BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT
THURSDAY, AUGUST 22 AT 5:45 PM IN THE FAMILY LIFE CENTER
All parents are invited to join us for Back to School Night on Thursday, August 22. We will kick off the night at 5:45 in the FLC with a presentation from our School Counselor, Mrs. Kate Neal. Mrs. Neal will discuss strategies for empowering your children, as well as how to best work with St. Stephen's teachers and administrators to support their education. This will be followed by classroom presentations from the teachers. Doors to the FLC will open at 5:30. Please remember this event is for parents only.
SCHOLARSHIP INFORMATION
If you have not done so please approve/confirm the first quarter payment by logging into your EMA account. Parents/Guardians should have received an email to approve/confirm first quarter scholarship funds. This needs to be completed so we receive the scholarship funds for your student.
Joke of the week
What’s a firefly’s favorite dance?
See below for the answer.
Spirit Wear Shop Opens
The link below will take you to the SSCS Spirit Wear Store.
The store will be open 8/5 at 8AM through 9/8 at Midnight. All proceeds will help the PTCO fund activities for the students during the school year. The Spirit Wear purchased through this link is for weekend wear and only allowed to be worn in school on specific school days. The clothing purchased through this link is not part of our school uniform but can be worn to school on days considered Free Dress Pass Days and Jean Days. The weekly school newsletter sent out on Thursday and the school calendar will note when there is a Jean Day or a Free Dress Pass Day. The school handbook also provides info regarding uniforms and Spirit Wear. Delivery will be approximately one month after the close of the store. The info you need regarding purchasing Spirit Wear should be included in the link. If you have any questions, please reach out to ngallagher@sscsfl.org.
Link to Spirit Wear Click HERE
Mustang Sports
MUSTANG SPORTS:
Coed soccer and girls JV and varsity volleyball tryouts were this week and the teams have been selected. There are a couple weeks of practices before games and matches start the week of September 9.
All student athletes must complete and turn in to the office the Diocesan and school required sports forms to be eligible to play in the games/matches. Student athletes can practice and try out without the forms being turned in. This paperwork has to be renewed each year and it's valid for the entire school. The FHSAA sports physical form on the school website MUST be the version completed in full and signed by a Doctor to be valid. The FHSAA sports physical form and the Diocesan consent form are available on the school website under Athletics>Forms. There is a $75 sports fee per sport. There will be a parent meeting at the beginning of each sports season to discuss all of the team requirements and procedures.
Student-athletes have their eligibility checked every Monday morning during the season. Student-athletes must maintain a 70 or above for grades or ATL and Conduct to be eligible to practice and/or play in games for that week of eligibility. Please see the parent-student handbook for the complete eligibility policy.
St Stephen participates in the Hillsborough Catholic Youth Sports League (HCYSL) with nine other Catholic schools from the county. Girls sports are JV & varsity volleyball, JV & varsity basketball, varsity flag football, and JV & varsity track. Boys sports are coed soccer, JV & varsity track, JV & varsity basketball, and varsity flag football. The time frame for each sport is listed under the Athletics tab for that sport on the school website.
The complete 2024 girls volleyball and coed soccer schedules will be posted on the Athletics webpage soon.
GO MUSTANGS
Coach Green
Coach Green
ANSWER to the Joke of the Week:
The glitterbug.
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.