St. Stephen Catholic School
April 9, 2026
Important updates in this week's Tidbits
Re-enrollment Documents
25th Anniversary Parade
Spirit Night
Volunteer Opportunities
Principal's Points
Good afternoon, St. Stephen Families.
Happy Easter Thursday! Yes, we still say Happy Easter. The Octave of Easter in the Catholic Church lasts for eight days, beginning on Easter Sunday and concluding on the following Sunday, known as Divine Mercy Sunday. During this period, all eight days are celebrated as solemnities of the Lord, treating each day as a direct extension of Easter Sunday, and it doesn't stop there. The Easter season continues for 50 days, ending on Pentecost Sunday, so there is plenty of time to continue wearing your Easter bonnets.
I now have all the numbers for fundraising this year, and I would like to share with you the final results (in rounded numbers).
APEX Event - $36,000
Angels Among Us Gala - $63,000
Spirit Raffle - $12,000
For a total of $111,000. In addition, there is also an outstanding amount of approximately $8000 that will be billed to families who did not meet their fundraising obligation. Thank you to everyone who made this possible. My hope is that next year, by bringing an APEX-style event in-house, we will be able to raise over $150,000. Our goal is also to do one PTCO event in the Fall, in addition to the Gala, that will bring in enough so that the Raffle will not be necessary. In the next couple of weeks, I will share where all the funds have been and will be spent.
There is much happening next week with our Spring Book Fair, Field Day, and some final volunteer opportunities for the year, so keep reading Tidbits. Have a fabulous weekend!
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
The Google Calendar has been updated for next year. All school events for 2026-27 have been added.
Upcoming Events
April 9 Marvelous Mustang(March) 8am
April 10 PK/K Trike-a-thonApril 11-12 Holy Card Uniform Weekend
April 13 Holy Card Free Dress
April 13-17 Spring Book Fair
April 16 Field Day
April 21 PTCO General Mtg.
April 24 Jean Day
April 27-May 11 SVDP Food Drive
May 1 NO SCHOOL
May 4-15 Cereal Drive
May 4-8 i-Ready Testing Math
May 4-8 Teacher Appreciation Week
May 8 Middle School Social 6:30 pm
Beginning April 22, 2026, FACTS will begin to require multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all non-student users when logging into your online account to access FACTS SIS.
MFA will not be required for students to log in to FACTS.
FACTS recommends that all users utilize a free authenticator app, such as Authy, Microsoft Authenticator, or Google Authenticator, or receive an authentication email containing a unique code.
Please click HERE to access more information about this change.
MFA will not be required for students to log in to FACTS.
FACTS recommends that all users utilize a free authenticator app, such as Authy, Microsoft Authenticator, or Google Authenticator, or receive an authentication email containing a unique code.
Please click HERE to access more information about this change.
Thank You!
Together, we changed lives this Lent through CRS Rice Bowls. THANK YOU for being a part of this effort and helping us show the love of Christ to our brothers and sisters in need. Our school community raised $774.83 for Catholic Relief Services.
Pringle Cans are Needed
PK3 are in need of cleaned pringle cans. Please bring them to the office if you have some.
PK3 are in need of cleaned pringle cans. Please bring them to the office if you have some.
SCHOLARSHIP INFORMATION
School Year 26-27
Step Up for Students applications for renewal and new students is available.
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!
Once your Awarded please send Gail Leung the Award ID Number to gleung@sscsfl.org.
How to find your Award ID Number?
Go to your Dashboard in EMA and scroll down and the Award ID number will be there. This number is needed to enroll your student in the St. Stephen Catholic School Scholarship enrollment. Thank you!
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.
Joke of the Week!
Why do umbrellas make good friends?
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
Girls Track: The Mustangs had a short week of practice this week. The last events of the season are next week. The field events are on Tuesday, at Christ the King, from 4:00-5:45 pm. The final running and relay meet is next Saturday, April 18, at Tampa Catholic, from 8:00-11:30 am.
Boys Flag Football: The Mustangs had a couple of days of practice this week before their game today against St. Joseph, here at St. Stephen at 4:15 pm. The boys also have games on Monday vs St. Lawrence at St. Lawrence at 4:15 pm, and on Wednesday vs Villa Madonna here at St. Stephen at 4:15 pm. See the athletics webpage for the complete 2026 boys flag football game schedule.
Field Day is next Thursday, April 16. The students will participate in different activity stations including an obstacle course bouncy. K-4th will attend from 9:15-10:45 pm, and 5th-8th will participate from 1:00-2:30 pm. Volunteers are still needed and there are still slots available in Kindergarten, 1st, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8A, and 8B. Please see the Field Day flyer and sign up genius for more info and to register as a volunteer. Thank you.
The St. Stephen Summer Sports Camps dates have been finalized. There is basketball, volleyball, and two weeks of soccer camp available. See the camp info sheets, and registration links in Tidbits to get signed up as soon as possible for another great summer of St. Stephen sports camps.
GO MUSTANGS!
Coach Green
***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!
They’ve always got you covered.
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 .
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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.