St. Stephen Catholic School
October 31, 2024
Important updates in this week's Tidbits
Christmas Card Contest
Mustang Walk A Thon
Volunteer Opportunities
Angel Among Us Silent Auction
Afterschool Programs
31st SSMC Golf Scramble
Angel Among Us Save the Date
Home Game Schedule
Homeroom Mom Emails
Principal's Points
Good Afternoon St. Stephen Families!
Happy All Hallow’s Eve! Today is the Vigil of All Saints’ Day, when Catholics remember all the saints, known and unknown, who have gone to heaven. Then on November 2, we remember and pray for the souls in Purgatory. While Halloween has become one of the most important holidays of the year. It is important to remember the Catholic meaning and purpose of all holy days. Especially those, like Halloween and Christmas, which have been adopted and adapted by the culture around us. Dressing up on Halloween can be done in a Catholic spirit by avoiding those things that are contrary to our faith. These three days, Oct. 31-Nov. 2, remind us of our final destiny and how we should live our lives. Today, we offered our prayers and a decade of the rosary for Mrs. Mary Liddy who was recently called to be with our Lord. Mrs. Liddy was the first principal of St. Stephen and the person responsible for establishing the culture of our school. A culture that stresses the importance of faith, academics, and family. Please remember Mrs. Liddy and her family in your prayers.
Please join us for Mass tomorrow as we celebrate All Saints Day, a holy day of obligation. We will begin Mass with a procession of saints as we remember those who have gone before us and thank them for their role in guiding souls to heaven. May we learn how to walk wisely from their examples of faith, dedication, worship, and love.
Let us continue to place our trust in God, remembering that "He is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble" (Psalm 46:1).
Peace,
Linda Umoh
Upcoming Events
October 31 - Halloween Shirt and Jean Day
November 1 - All Saints Day
November 4-11 - SVDP Food Drive
November 8 - Christmas Card Contest Entry Deadline
November 9-10 - Holy Card Uniform Weekend
November 11 - Holy Card Free Dress
November 12 - End of Trimester 1
November 14 - Report Card Day
November 15 - Be Kind Spirit Shirt and Jean Day
November 15 - Walkathon
November 15 - Noon Dismissal
November 15 - Parent/Teacher Conferences
November 15 - Middle School Social
November 20 - Class and Group Pictures
November 25-29 - Thanksgiving Break
Joke of the week
Why did the ghost go to the mall?
See below for the answer.
The 2024 SSCS Christmas Card Contest is Here!
Calling all student artists:
All students are invited to participate in the annual SSCS Christmas Card Contest. Card designs should reflect the seasons of Advent or Christmas and the birth of our Lord. Students should use a plain white 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper. The winning design will be printed on Christmas cards sent out by the school to individuals and schools throughout the Diocese. The student will also receive a set of 25 cards with their design to send to family and friends. All submissions should be students' original artwork and should include the student’s name and grade written on the back in pencil. Designs must be submitted to the front office by Friday, November 8. Drawings sent in after that date/time will not be considered.
First Grade Thanks the Military
The students of first grade will be creating goodie bags filled with Halloween candy to send to military members overseas as a thank you for their service. They will be sending treats to soldiers in Germany and airmen in Kuwait as a class service project.
You can help by donating candy that your children did not like or candy that you had left over after Halloween. All kinds of candy excluding chocolate will be collected and the first graders will assemble treat bags with personal notes to the soldiers and airmen. If you have extra Halloween candy, please have your child bring it to school by 11/8.
This service project is an amazing way for our students to be kind and show appreciation to those who are far away from home protecting us and our country. Our first graders thank you for helping them with their project.
Hello Mustang Families!
We’ve got some exciting news from the PTCO and Mustang Walkathon Chairs, and we can’t wait to share it with you! This year’s fundraiser is all about teamwork, school spirit, and making a BIG impact for our students. This year, fundraising money will go towards projects in the works and others we are considering. Read Principal's Points for more details.
So, how are we going to hit our goal? With a little friendly competition, of course!
This year, our 3rd through 8th graders and staff will be going head-to-head—not by grade, but by team colors! Thanks to our middle school houses (St. Therese, St. Michael, St. Jude, and St. Francis), all students will be assigned to a color team to rally behind. It’s time to show off your team spirit and compete for the GOLD with the most donations, participation, and, of course, enthusiasm!
And don’t worry—our little Mustangs aren’t missing out. Pre-K through 2nd grade will represent the Angels Team, proudly sporting white, silver, and gold.
This Friday, we’re kicking off the fun with a student Pep Rally where the team assignments will be revealed! Middle schoolers will welcome 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders into their house colors: St. Therese - Pink, St. Michael - Blue, St. Francis - Orange, and St. Jude - Green. Even our teachers and staff will be joining in on the fun, so get ready to see who’s repping which team!
It’s all building up to the big event: Our Annual Mustang Walkathon on November 15th! Get your gear ready, accessorize in your team colors, and help raise those donations!
Don’t forget to post pictures and share your donation link with family and friends and ask them to choose your student’s team on the website. Remember, there's a fundraising requirement of $250 per family, and this is the perfect way to knock that out while having fun and supporting the school!
We can’t wait to see which team will take home the win! Who are YOU cheering for?
Let’s go, Mustangs!
The Walkathon Committee 2024
The Walkathon Committee 2024
You can click on the QR code to get to the Men's Club website.
Collections of stuffed animals in good condition and previously loved by your child will be donated to the San Juan Diego Mission in Dover
AO will be accepting donated gently loved stuffed animals in the breezeway (between the school building and Angel’s Wing) from November 4th -November 22nd. Parents and students will work together to get the stuffed animals ready for their new home with ribbons and trinkets to have them ready for delivery by the Epiphany (January 6th ). More information to follow.
Gift Ideas for Christmas
Spirit Wear Online Store
The SSCS online store is open for your Holiday shopping. Check out the Mustang Christmas items for surprise gifts for your special SSCS student. The store will be open through 11/17 only and BEFORE CHRISTMAS DELIVERY IS GUARANTEED. All proceeds benefit our PTCO and help fund activities for our students.
Please contact ngallagher@sscsfl.org with any questions.
Mustang Sports
MUSTANG SPORTS:
Girls Volleyball: The varsity volleyball team lost an exciting and tough championship match in three games to Christ the King, 21-25, 30-28, and 10-15, to finish the season in 2nd place. The Mustangs should be very proud of their accomplishments and success this season. Thank you to volunteer, Victor Pistone, for coaching the team.
Coed Soccer: The Mustangs finished up the regular season by finishing the second half of their game against Mother Teresa that was postponed due to lightning earlier in the season. They lost to Mother Teresa, 3-0, to finish the season with a record of 6 wins and 2 losses and the third seed for the playoffs. The Mustangs lost in the quarterfinals to St. Joseph, 3-0 to end their season. Thank you to parent volunteer coach, Sean Heaberlin, for all of your hard work and guidance. The soccer team finished with their best regular season record and playoff seed, since they've started playing in the Catholic sports league.
Boys Track: Boys JV and varsity track practice started this week. Parent volunteer, Jenn Daoud, will be coaching the team again this season. She has coached the boys and girls team the past few years. The team will have a couple of weeks before the first events of the season. The first field event meet is Thursday, November 14, at Christ the King from 4:00-5:30 pm. Boys will participate in the discus, varsity shot put, long jump and high jump. The first running and relay meet is Saturday, November 16, at Tampa Catholic, from 8:00-11:30 am.
Girls Varsity Basketball: Girls varsity basketball tryouts are Wednesday, November 6, from 3:00-5:30 pm. Girls in 7th-8th grade interested in trying out should sign up with Coach Green by Tuesday. The girls basketball season runs from next week through mid-January. It is a 3-4 day a week commitment. There will be no girls JV basketball team this season, as enough girls didn't sign up.
GO MUSTANGS
Coach Green
Homeroom Mom Emails
ANSWER to the Joke of the Week:
He needed new boo jeans!
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.