St. Stephen Catholic School
February 12, 2026
Important updates in this week's Tidbits
Re-enrollment Documents
Angels Among Us
Spirit Nights
Volunteer Opportunities
Principal's Points
Good Afternoon St. Stephen Families.
Love is in the air and we are getting ready to embark on a Voyage of the Heart Saturday night at our 26th Annual Angels Gala. There may still be a few tickets left, so if you don't have any plans for Valentine's Day yet, please join us. See below for more details and keep us all in your prayers for a successful event. I am grateful to all the volunteers who have been working tirelessly to bring you this amazing event.
Below you will find the key calendar dates for next school year. As soon as our calendar is approved, all the dates will be available on the Google calendar on our website. Next year since Easter is early, we will have Easter break again rather than Spring Break.
Tomorrow, students may wear a Valentine (or red/pink shirt) and jeans. Please refer to the handbook for jean day rules. Next week will be a busy one. We begin our TerraNova testing (more information can be found below), Wednesday is Ash Wednesday and I hope many of you will join us at the 8:30 am Mass, and Friday is the end of the Trimester. Please watch for contact from your child's teacher regarding conferences if needed.
Before Christmas, PTCO reached out to parents to see if anyone was interested in leading our fundraisers so that we can create an APEX-style event led by parent volunteers. We did not receive any responses. It may not have been good timing with the holidays, therefore, I am reaching out one more time before we make a final decision about next year. If we are going to use APEX again, we need to lock in our dates now. Before making that commitment, if there is anyone one or any group of parents who would like to take on the Fall Fundraiser next year and create a similar event that they will run themselves, please let me or Mandy Mills know in the next two weeks. If we do not hear from anyone, we will move forward with our decision to use APEX, another organization, or do something smaller in-house. I am looking forward to hearing from parents with ideas and commitments knowing we would be able to retain more of the funds raised for the school.
Please continue to read Tidbits for more information and have a fantastic rest of your week.
Peace,
Linda Umoh
Re-enrollment Information for the
2026-27 School Year
Key Calendar Dates for 2026-27
August 10 First Day of School Mar. 25-Apr. 2 Easter Break
Nov. 23-27 Thanksgiving Break May 26 Last Day of School
Dec. 21-Jan. 1 Christmas Break
Upcoming Events
February 13 Valentine's Shirt and Jean Day
February 14 Angels Among Us Gala
February 16 NO SCHOOL/President's Day
Feb 17- Mar 6 Terra Nova Testing
February 18 Ash Wednesday
February 20 End of Trimester II
February 22 First Sunday of Lent
February 26 Report Card
February 27 Spirit Raffle Kick Off
Feb 27- Mar 13 Spirit Raffle
February 27 Marvelous Mustang @8am
February 27 NOON Dismissal
March 1 Second Sunday of Lent
March 7-8 Holy Card Uniform Weekend
March 8 Third Sunday of Lent
March 9 Holy Card Free Dress
March 11 6th Grade Science Fair
March 12 7th Grade Science Fair
March 13 Green Shirt and Jeans Day
TerraNOVA Letter
Hello St. Stephen Families,
As you may know, we will begin TerraNova testing after we return from the President’s Day holiday on Tuesday, February 17th. During these four days, our 2nd through 8th grade students will complete the TerraNova InView assessment to measure cognitive abilities. They will also complete the TerraNova Next assessment which will measure achievement abilities in
Mathematics, Reading, Science, and Social Studies.
As you may know, we will begin TerraNova testing after we return from the President’s Day holiday on Tuesday, February 17th. During these four days, our 2nd through 8th grade students will complete the TerraNova InView assessment to measure cognitive abilities. They will also complete the TerraNova Next assessment which will measure achievement abilities in
Mathematics, Reading, Science, and Social Studies.
It is very important for students to be present at school to complete the assessment during these designated testing days. Testing week requires the combined efforts of every faculty and staff member at this school to make sure that students have what they need to do their best. It involves schedules being changed, extra staff being brought in to help proctor assessments,
and the use of almost every room in the school to accommodate the needs of each student.
and the use of almost every room in the school to accommodate the needs of each student.
This is why attendance is extremely important for this week because it is very difficult to continue this type of process past these four days. We realize that illnesses happen, and we don’t expect a student to show up for testing when they are truly sick and unable to give their best effort. This is not what we want. However, if your child is in good health and is able to come to school, it is highly encouraged that they be here. It is also very important that they arrive to school on time. If they arrive late and miss the beginning of the assessment, they will have to remain in the office and wait for the next portion of the assessment to begin. Whichever portion they miss will have to be completed during make-ups the following week.
We appreciate your cooperation during this time.
Thank you,
TerraNova Testing Team
Limited Seats Available
Reserve Online
NEED VOLUNTEER HOURS???
Volunteer Sign Up for the Angels Gala
Voyage of the Hearts Angels Among Us Gala 2026
Ending Hunger with CRS Rice Bowl
This Lent, our community will participate in CRS Rice Bowl- connecting our prayers, fasting and almsgiving to encounter God through our global family. We’ll pray for and learn from families in Ghana, Guatemala and Timor-Leste who are rising above the challenges of hunger and malnutrition. Your child(ren) will bring home a rice bowl next Wednesday, February 18 which they will use to collect alms for needy families until March 30.
Thank you for encouraging your child to live their faith.
SCHOLARSHIP INFORMATION
School Year 26-27
Mark you calendars for Feb. 1. Step Up for Students applications for renewal and new students will be available on Sunday, February 1.
There are important changes to the documents required for all families applying for a 2026-27 scholarship.
- Proof of Residency must now include TWO different document types and be provided by either the primary or secondary guardian.
For a complete list of documents families may need when applying for their student(s), click here.
EVERYONE MUST REAPPLY!
Spanish/English Dictionaries Needed
Mrs. Cordoba is asking if you have any gentle used Spanish/ English dictionary at home that is not being used if you could donate it for our Spanish class, we will really appreciate it.
Cleaned Prescription Bottles Needed
PK3 Needs cleaned prescription bottles. Please bring them to the office if you have some.
Joke of the Week!
What did the paper clip say to the magnet on Valentine's Day?
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.
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.
Mustang Sports
Boys Basketball: The varsity lost to local rival Nativity, 43-22, and were led in scoring by Robert V. with 7 points. The varsity also lost to Christ the King, 52-13, and the Mustangs were led in scoring by Kellan B. with 7 points. The varsity beat Incarnation, 52-17, to bring their overall record to 2 wins and 4 losses. John R. had 18 points, and Albert C. 10 points to lead the Mustangs.. The JV lost to Nativity, 26-10, and they were led in scoring by Wyatt G. with 6 points. The JV also lost to Christ the King, 35-18, and were led in scoring by Wyatt G., and Liam D., with 5 points each. The JV lost their third game in a row, when they were beaten by St. Thomas Aquinas, 24-8. The Mustangs were led in scoring by Wyatt G. with 4 points. The Mustangs are back on the court today against Villa Madonna at Villa Madonna. The varsity plays at 4:00 pm and the JV at 5:00 pm. The boys basketball teams wrap up the regular season next Thursday with a home game against Corpus Christi here in the FLC. The varsity plays at 4:15 pm and the JV at 5:15 pm. The boys basketball playoffs start on Tuesday, February 24. The opponents and game sites are still to be determined.
Girls varsity and JV track is the next girls sport and will start Monday, February 23. The season runs until April 18. There are two running and relay meets and two field event meets. The dates for the meets are as follows.
Running and Relay Meets-Saturdays, March 28 and April 18 at Tampa Catholic from 8:00-11:30 am.
Field Event Meets-Tuesdays, March 24 and April 14 at Christ the King from 4:00-5:45 pm.
Practice is usually Monday-Thursday from 3:00-4:30 pm. Girls in 5th-6th can participate on JV and girls in 7th-8th participate on varsity. Parent volunteer, Jenn Daoud, will be coaching the team again this season. Practice starts Monday, February 23, from 3:00-4:30 pm. Practice the first week will be Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday, from 3:00-4:30 pm, February 23-27.
Girls interested in participating should sign up with Coach Green by Friday, February 20.
Field Day is Thursday, April 16. There will be two sessions, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Parent volunteer opportunities will be available. More info coming soon.
Girls interested in participating should sign up with Coach Green by Friday, February 20.
Field Day is Thursday, April 16. There will be two sessions, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Parent volunteer opportunities will be available. More info coming soon.
GO MUSTANGS!
Coach Green
1st Annual Friends of the Poor Walk
Society of St Vincent De Paul East Hillsborough County District
March 28, 2026
10 AM – 2 PM
Event will include Friends of the Poor Walk around the athletic field, games, raffles, food vendors and fun for everyone to enjoy!
Click the link below for registration, sponsorship/donations, and more information.
***Restrictions apply. The offer is valid on all new student enrollments at ALL Dance Quest locations when using Promo Code 2026DEAL. The $35 Registration Fee and $75 Performance Costume Deposit are due at the time of registration. The DQIStore.com Promotional code will be emailed after the promotion period has ended. The promotion code may not be exchanged for cash. Withdrawal from class may result in forfeiture of the promotion.***
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!
I find you very attractive!
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!
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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.