St. Stephen Catholic School
January 30, 2025
Important updates in this week's Tidbits
Volunteer Opportunities
Catholic Schools Week Agenda
Penny Wars
Scholarship Renewal Begins February 1st
Smencils Sales
Altar Server Training
Youth Choir Sign-up
Angels 25th Gala Information & Volunteer Sign-Up
Afterschool Programs
Homeroom Mom Emails
Principal's Points
Good Afternoon St. Stephen Families!
Happy Catholic Schools Week! It has been a great week of celebrating our families, clergy, students, teachers, and everyone who supports Catholic education. Thank you to everyone who played a part in making this week special, especially those who came out today to share their vocations with our students. All the presentations were fantastic, but I do believe the robot dog was the star of the show. Yesterday we had some fun with a drone. Thank you John for capturing our students showing off their patriotic pride as we shouted USA! The best is yet to come when the teachers take on the 8th graders tomorrow is a game of Dodge Ball.
I am being brief today as there is so much to read in the rest of Tidbits. Please take the time to scroll through and read about upcoming events. Have a Blessed Day!
Peace,
Linda Umoh
Upcoming Events
January 26-31 - Catholic Schools Week
January 27-31 - Penny Wars
January 27-February 3 - SVDP Food Drive
January 31 - Jean Day
January 31 - Marvelous Mustang 8am
January 31 - Noon Dismissal
February 3-11 - Smencil Sales
February 6 - 7th Grade Science Fair
February 7 - 6th Grade Science Fair
February 8-9 - Holy Card Uniform Weekend
February 10 - Holy Card Free Dress
February 14 - Valentine Shirt and Jean Day
February 15 - Angels Among Us Gala
February 17 - NO SCHOOL
Joke of the week
What kind of math do snowy owls like?
See answer below.
CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK 2025
January 25 - 31
Catholic Schools Week began in 1974 and continues to be a week each year devoted to celebrating the gift of Catholic education for our children. This year's theme, “Catholic Schools: United in Faith and Community,” highlights our focus on faith development and dedication to community service. At St. Stephen, teachers and administrators work side by side with students to make a difference and develop qualities that lead to success. We have planned various events to show how we celebrate this special week. Teachers will provide more information about Spirit Week dress.
Saturday/Sunday, January 25-26 - Celebrate your Parish
- Please enjoy the PowerPoint presentation showcasing our school
- Thank our priests for all they do.
Monday, January 27 - Celebrate our Community/Families
- Students will show appreciation to their families for sending them to a Catholic School
- Matching Monday - Students will choose a theme to dress up as a class.
Tuesday, January 28- Celebrate our Faculty and Staff
- PTCO recognition of faculty and staff with lunch provided.
- 8th graders will teach a class during the last period of the day.
- Tacky Tuesday - Students wear clothes and accessories like hats, backwards shirts, different color socks, etc. No dyed hair or face painting will be permitted.
Wednesday, January 29 - Celebrate our Nation
- Students will dress in our nation’s colors with shirts that are either all red, all white, or all blue with jeans or PE shorts.
Thursday, January 30 - Celebrate Vocations
- Speakers to talk about their career or religious vocation
- Students will dress as their heroes.
Friday, January 31 - Celebrate our Students
- Dodgeball game and Buddy Day.
- Students wear Spirit shirts and jeans or PE shorts.
Penny Wars
Save your nickels and dimes, pennies and paper, the annual NJHS penny war is back during Catholic Schools Week (January 27-31). Students will compete by class to bring in pennies and dollars to add to their class score and silver to subtract from the score of other classes. The class with the highest score at the end of the week will receive a reward and a year's worth of bragging rights. Bring your game face, your spare change, and may the best class win!
Help Our Kids Help Others
The St. Vincent de Paul Ministry needs our help to care for those in need in our community. Angels Outreach will be collecting canned food donations from each class January 27 through February 3. Please allow your student(s) to select one or two cans of food to donate.
“ Go to the poor: you will find God”
St. Vincent de Paul
SCHOLARSHIP INFORMATION
School Year 25-26
Step Up for Students applications for renewal and new students will be available on Saturday, February 1. EVERYONE MUST REAPPLY!
Here is some helpful information to be aware of, including a new step that families will need to complete this year:
- Application checklist: For a list of documents that may be needed when a family applies, please click here.
- Priority deadline: To ensure renewing students receive priority for the Private School Scholarship and the Unique Abilities Scholarship, families must submit their application by Wednesday, April 30. After this date, all students will be processed as "new students" due to legislative changes for this year.
- New step for families: Once a student is found eligible, the family will be asked to "Accept" or "Decline" the scholarship. Once accepted, the student's status will be updated to "Awarded." Please monitor your email for future updates about enrollment.
- Once you receive your AWARD ID Number, please send the number(s) to Gail Leung at gleung@sscsfl.org.
- Step Up is here to help: In addition to our regular hours, our team(Step Up) will be available to assist families this weekend from 9 am to 5 pm ET.
Make sure to keep an eye on your email and Step Ups social media for updates. If you haven't followed Step Up, please do so now so you can have the latest news.
Volunteer Opportunity
February Mass count is coming up, a sign-up genius link is below. This is an opportunity to earn school volunteer hours.
Angels Class Craft
Third Grade Class Craft is a soft white blanket with thoughts about "kindness". The students expressed their personal ideas about how to be kind in a very sweet and unique way.
Angels Class Craft
The Class Craft for 7A is a super way to always remember your friends from Middle School. The smiles and happy faces are worth a thousand words.
Angels Seat Reservations Available Now - Gala Information
Thank you to parents who have purchased seat reservations for the Gala. Your support of Angels is most appreciated. There is still time to go to the school website and reserve seats or select a sponsorship. We are excited that our 25th gala will be a sensational party full of surprises.
This year, we are pleased our dinner will include fish paella. Once your seats have been reserved, please notify ngallagher@sscsfl.org if you or your guests are not able to eat fish, and our caterer will gladly serve you or your guest(s) Pasta Primavera. Feel free to call the school office with any questions regarding the gala, donations, sponsorships or child care.
For Seat Reservations for the 2/15 gala, please go to the school website or use link below
Link for Reservations
Angels 25th Gala
Need Babysitting for Angels?
Many parents have asked Angels to help with watching their children while they attend the Gala on 2/15. We recently began offering the service with a nominal charge and it was very well received. We are happy to announce sitting will be available again this year. It will be available to all SSCS students while parents attend the Gala. The children will be watched in our school building.
The nominal charge of $25 for the first child and $10 for each additional child is to compensate the school employees who have agreed to attend to the children. The child can be brought to the school office between 5:15 pm and 5:45 pm. Registration and the fun begins at 5:30 pm. Please feel free to bring water, snacks, a pillow, blanket etc.
Notify ngallagher@sscsfl.org if you plan on using the service.
Please come and enjoy the dinner, open bar, auction opportunities, music and dancing knowing your child is close by.
Mustang Sports
MUSTANG SPORTS:
The girls flag football and boys basketball teams have a couple weeks of practice before games start the week of February 10-14. The girls flag football team has their first game Wednesday, February 12, against St. Joseph here at St. Stephen at 4:00pm. The boys basketball teams open their season on Wednesday, February 12, with an away game against Mother Teresa at Mother Teresa. The varsity plays at 4:15 pm and the JV at 5:15 pm.
The complete girls flag football and boys basketball game schedules are posted on the school webpage under the Athletics.
GO MUSTANGS
Coach Green
Homeroom Mom Emails
ANSWER to the Joke of the Week:
Owlgebra
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
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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.