St. Stephen Catholic School
November 6, 2025
Important updates in this week's Tidbits
Apex Fundraiser Obstacle Course
Christmas Card Contest
Spirit Nights
SVDP Food Drive
Volunteer Opportunities
Angels Among Us
Principal's Points
Good Afternoon St. Stephen Families.
Whew! What a great two weeks. Students have Leveled Up their Leadership Skills and had lots of fun along the way with silly string, buckets of ice, pies, and more. Thank you all for your continued support. But wait, it's not over yet. While Mighty Matt will not be here all of next week, PTCO will continue the excitement with more challenges and prizes. Coming next week will be t-shirt decorating, lunch with admin, maybe some slime, and the big finale.... The Obstacle Course and Super Soaking the Principal! Currently, Kindergarten is in the lead, but there is still time for that to change. Please keep the pledges coming. We are currently at almost 60% of our goal. One more week to reach 100%!
Thank you to the families who came out to Talking Pint last night. It was great fun and I loved seeing all the faculty and staff that came out to support the event. The students had a good time playing games with their friends and it was also a great opportunity for parents to connect. I hope to see more participate at our next Talking Pint family night. Congratulations to both PK 4 and Kindergarten for having the most participation.
Please remember there is no school on Friday and this weekend is uniform weekend. Wear your uniform for free dress on Monday. Watch your email on Friday for a link to your child's report card for grades 1-8. PK and Kindergarten will get their first report card after Trimester II.
Tomorrow is the final day to donate to SVDP. Donations are needed to help feed our community. Continue to read Tidbits to learn more about the Christmas Card contest, Christmas gifts, our first New Family Zoom Chat, upcoming spirit nights, and lots of volunteer opportunities.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Peace,
Linda Umoh
Upcoming Events
November 3-10 - SVDP Food Drive
November 7 - NO SCHOOL
November 7 - Report Card Day
November 8-9 - Holy Card Uniform Weekend
November 10 - Holy Card Free Dress
November 11 - Veterans Day
November 14 - Spirit Shirt and Jeans Day
November 14 - Level Up Apex Fundraiser @8am
November 14 -NOON DISMISSAL
November 20 - Class Pictures
November 24-28 - Thanksgiving Holiday Break
December 1 - Classes Resume
December 4 - Principal's Coffee
December 1-5 - Wonderland Shop
December 5 - Middle School Social @6:30pm
December 12 - Marvelous Mustang @8am
December 12 - Christmas Concert @6:30pm
Are you new to St. Stephen this year and? Do you have questions about our school? PTCO is here to help. Please join us for a Zoom Chat on Nov. 13. If you are not new this year and still have questions, you are welcome to join us too.
The 2025 SSCS Christmas Card Contest is Here!
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 Monday, Nov. 10. Drawings sent in after that date/time will not be considered.
SVDP Can Food Drive November 3 - 10
Please help those in need in our community by donating one or two cans of food. The St Vincent de Paul Pantry located on our parish campus services many families each week. Your donations make a difference and are another way to teach our children kindness.
Donations will be collected in each classroom.
Mustang Christmas Gifts
For a very limited time, Mustang Christmas gifts are available to help Santa surprise every good SSCS boy and girl. Please use the link below to order before 11/11 in order to get delivery before Christmas. Proceeds benefit the PTCO.
Joke of the Week!
What do you call a turkey who tells jokes?
See answer way below.
The FACTS Grant and Aid application setup for the 2026-2027 school year is complete. Applications and documents received after May 1, 2026 are considered late for initial consideration.
All Diocesan High Schools utilize the FACTS Grant & Aid Application in the determination of in-house tuition assistance and the Catholic School Tuition Aid Grant (CSTAG). Additionally, all elementary/middle school families are required to submit their financial documents via the FACTS Grant & Aid Application, unless your school is a "community eligible" school.
Note: Pricing for the 2026-2027 FACTS Grant & Aid Application Fee will remain the same at $38.00.
Resource for Families:
Diocesan aid is limited. Applications received after the initial consideration deadline of May 1, 2026 for the 2026-2027 school year will be subject to a reduced rate, provided that funds are still available. Appeals are to be made directly to the school.
Angels Gala Cruise for Cause Video
Click the link HERE to see the video.
Class Craft from 8B is Amazing!
Thanks to Classroom Mom Lori for creating a thoughtful heart and hand keepsake of our 8B students. This beautifully framed photo will be available for bidding in January during the pre gala silent auction.
We appreciate all the efforts of parents, teachers and students for their contribution to the success of our 2026 Angels Among Us Gala and Fundraiser.
An Angels First
Class Craft Bidding open to All The Families prior to the Gala
Excitement Begins 1/15
Class Crafts are always a highlight of the Angels Gala Fundraiser. In the past, bidding on the crafts was only available to gala guests at the gala. This year, class crafts will be available for viewing on 1/15 in the school and online bidding will begin. The bidding will continue through the weekend and close on Wednesday, 1/21 at 8 AM. Additional pre gala “experiences” will also be offered for bidding. More details will be available the week prior to the bidding. Raffle tickets for a chance to win a seat reservation will be sold during this bidding frenzy.
Special Thank You to Class Room Moms and all who contributed with their time and generous donations.
Special Thank You to Class Room Moms and all who contributed with their time and generous donations.
Please review your Altar Server Guide, link below.
Altar Server Guide Link
Mustang Sports
Girls Basketball: This was the last week of just practice before regular season games get started next week. The JV has a scrimmage game today against Nativity at Nativity. The Mustangs first game is Monday against Villa Madonna at Villa Madonna. The varsity plays at 4:00 pm and the JV at 5:00 pm.
Boys Track: The first running and relay meet is Saturday, at Tampa Catholic, from 8:00-11:30 am. Mustangs will compete in individual and relay races. The first field event meet is Tuesday at Christ the King, from 4:00-5:45 pm. Boys will compete in the high jump, long jump, discus, and varsity shot put.
Please see the Athletics webpage for the complete 2025 girls basketball game schedule and the boys track meet schedule.
Volunteer coaches are needed for the girls varsity flag football season that starts in January. If you are interested or need more info please contact Coach Green at ggreen@sscsfl.org
GO MUSTANGS!
Coach Green
Gulf Coast Catholic is a print and digital evangelizing magazine and news website of the Diocese of St. Petersburg. Click here to learn more and to subscribe.
PK-3 needs cleaned, empty
16 oz Jif Peanut Butter jars.
Kiddos Lunches
Homeroom Moms
Homeroom moms now have dedicated email addresses. Add them to your contact list and check your junk mailboxes to be sure you do not miss any important classroom information!
Emails for HomeRoom Moms
Answer to the Joke!
A comedi-hen.
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.