The Phoenix Flyer: St. Thomas More School Newsletter
March 13-17, 2023
Principal’s Message
Building Community – One Body, Many Parts
1 Corinthians 12:12 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.
Dear Parents and Families,
Last week we enjoyed watching our students in Grades 3-8 compete in the annual STMS Speech Tournament – don’t miss the gallery of winners in this newsletter). The students were so impressive! It is no wonder why our students leave STMS with valuable communication skills that will help them later in life. We start preparing our students early – our PreK 4 class recited nursery rhymes for the judges during recess.
It was wonderful to see so many of you at the Gala Auction on Saturday. The energy and excitement were palpable! Thank you for all of your support for our STMS community.
শান্তি śānti (“Peace” in Bengali),
Elizabeth Glaze
Dates to Remember
3/17 St. Patrick’s Day – Wear a green shirt and uniform bottoms
3/20 Class Pictures (PK4 – Grade 8)
3/21 Class Picture (PK3)
3/27 Noon Dismissal
3/29 State of the School (Annual Parent Meeting – info to come), 6:30
Parking Lot Reminder
The safety of our students, as well as our wider school community, is of utmost importance. Lately there have been several incidents in the parking lot that have caused concern. Please remember the following procedures during pickup:
- Parents of students in grades PreK-2 should park in the timed parking lot for pick up. Once parked, you may only move your car once all the students have cleared the area (approximately 3:15).
- Parents of students in grades 3-8 will process through the snake line, leaving the left side of the line free for advancing cars.
- Once your car has entered the area with green cones, your student may make their way to the car. Once your student is safely inside your car, you may carefully pull out of the line and advance to the school exit.
- Cars may NOT go back out the entrance (or enter through the exit)
- After you collect your student(s), please keep them close to you – children should not be playing in the parking lot or the big toy until after 3:15, when most of the cars have been cleared.
Stewardship
The 8th grade class visited Aegis Living this week as part of their stewardship project. You can see by the expressions on the faces of students and residents alike that this was a rewarding experience.
Class Pictures
Class pictures will be taken on Monday, March 20 (PK4-8) and March 21 (PK3). The deadline to order pictures is March 24th. Here is the link to the order form:
St Thomas More Class Photo Link
Please note, 8th grade parents will be receiving a separate order link via email from the school office.
Speech Tournament
Yearbook Sales
Pre-order your child’s yearbook now. Only $30 for 68 pages of precious memories! To ensure your child gets one, yearbooks MUST be pre-ordered by Friday, April 7th. Get your order in TODAY! Print the attached flyer and send to school with the exact cash payment or checks payable to STMS. 8th graders will be receiving a free yearbook and do not need to submit an order form.
Lent Activities
St. Thomas More School/ Parish – Stations of the Cross
March 17, 2:15pm | March 24, 1:00pm |
March 31, 2:15pm | April 7, 12:00pm |
St. Thomas More Parish – Evenings of Reflection
During Lent, St. Thomas More Parish will be hosting several special evenings of reflection:
Wednesday, March 15 at 7pm – Lenten Parish Reconciliation Service
Wednesday, March 22 at 7pm – Men’s Night of Lenten Reflection
Please see the Lent Reflect and Renew Flyer
Knights of Columbus Fish Fry
Please join the Knights of Columbus for their annual Fish Fry’s on the following Fridays during Lent from 6PM to 7PM in the parish hall:
Friday, March 31st
Our delicious cod is cooked fresh each of these Fridays with our “secret” recipe that will delight your taste buds. Meals include fries, coleslaw and dessert for one inexpensive price.
You can also place an ORDER TO GO by calling Jim in advance at (425) 248-3157.
Come out for a truly great meal and share in the Lenten Fellowship Event!
Family Auction
Hello STMS families,
We hope you all had fun at the Gala last weekend, but the fun and your generosity doesn’t stop there! The Family Auction is coming up soon! Saturday, April 29th from 12:00pm-4:00pm. It is one of the most anticipated events of the school year for the entire family to enjoy. FREE ENTRY!
-Food (burgers, fries, pizza, popcorn, The Snack Bar, Mustache Bubble Tea)
-Games with prizes!
-Dunk Tank
-Petting Zoo
-Silent and Live Auction
-Silent Raffle
We are excited to see you there!
We need your help! Please click on the sign-up genius to volunteer.
A big THANK YOU to the Jarman and Muchene Family for donating all 10 pizzas!!
Sincerely,
The Family Auction Team
(Barajas, Hardi, Golla)
Spring Gala Auction
Our Step into Spring Auction Gala Fundraiser was an evening to remember! Our school and parish communities celebrated and supported our students in a big way. We are grateful to our school families, teachers and staff that joined us at the gala – your presence was felt. Thank you to everyone that Volunteered, Donated, and/or Attended our Step into Spring Gala Auction, we are grateful for the countless hours that all our parent volunteers spent helping put together all the auction pieces, everything came together beautifully the night of the gala!
I am honored to be a part of our school’s auction fundraiser and I appreciate the opportunity to serve our community. Thank you to everyone for supporting our Step into Spring Auction Gala Fundraiser!
Grateful,
Jessica Lang, STMS Auction Chair 2023
REMINDERS:
- If you inadvertently took home your Bid Paddle, please return it to the school office asap. These are meant to be reused for the next auction gala.
- If you won any of the Live Auction, Silent Auction, or Virtual Auction Items – these will be available for pick up Monday, March 20 in the school office. If you won any sports tickets, please email me at jessica@nvllaw.com to coordinate a ticket transfer.
- We have NINE (9) Small daffodil pots left for adoption. Located in the school office and can be purchased for ($5 each) Cash or check only. Please adopt a daffodil or two and enjoy the spring blooms. Sales from this goes directly to our auction fundraiser.
State of the School
STMS State of the School
3/29/23, 6:30 in Dalton Hall
Dear Families,
On March 29 we will have our annual mandatory parent meeting. In addition to receiving information on next year’s tuition, we will review how the budget for next year was determined and the parents and community representatives who were involved in the process. We will also discuss our progress this year thus far, and the goals for St. Thomas More School for 23-24 and beyond. You will receive your enrollment packet at this meeting.
As a special incentive, we are offering the following to each family who is present:
- Double volunteer hours for time in attendance
- A pizza party for the class with the highest attendance
We look forward to seeing everyone there.
Family Survey
As we head into the last quarter of the school year, we want to reach out to families with a survey to determine how things are going for you and your child(ren). Please take a few minutes to provide some valuable feedback.
Pi Day Challenge
The middle school participated in the Pi Day challenge. Pi Day is always March 14th (3.14). Mr. Rehberger challenges students to memorize all 75 digits of Pi. Winners completing the challenge get a certificate on this Pi Wall of Fame.
Everyone gets to enjoy a Moon Pie at the end to celebrate Pi Day.
Parent Club
A huge shout out to Jessica Lang, Gail Nunn, and the entire Auction Team and amazing volunteers for their tremendous work for our Gala Auction! Thank you for a fun and successful event! This wouldn’t have been possible without the dedication of our school parents, teachers, staff, and our parent volunteers!!
We are looking forward to our Family Auction on April 29th!!
Please join us at our next Parents Club Meeting on April 6th in the Rengli Room after drop off.
Have a great week!
Francesca & Suzi
Scrip
SCRIP NEWS!
There’s a QR code for the RaiseRight App! Download the app and sign up to earn Rebate Bonuses towards your fundraising contributions when you buy and use scrip E-Gift cards!
[Insert attached QR code]
You may invite friends and family to help you earn faster.. just let us know so you can get credit.
IN PERSON GIFT CARD SALE TIMES:
Wednesday 8-9am — Friday 2:45-3:30pm — Every other Sunday 9:30-10:30am (March 19th)
Email us at stmpsscrip@gmail.com for questions!
WSCC Catholic Schools Quarterly Newsletter
Below please find the links to the WSCC’s Catholic Schools Quarterly Newsletter for Winter Quarter 2023 in English and Spanish.
English https://www.wacatholics.org/_ui/img/global/Schools-Quarterly-Newsletter-02.07.2023.pdf
Spanish https://www.wacatholics.org/_ui/img/global/Noticias-de-la-WSCC-para-Escuelas-Cat%C3%B3licas.pdf
Specialist Spotlight
Our specialists work hard to provide a variety of interesting and engaging activities for all of our students. We would like to share some of the highlights of their work, as well as a little bit more about each of them.
Tim Feeney graduated from Central Washington University with a B.A. in Education. Tim has coached many softball and basketball teams. He has been a basketball official for over twenty years and has refereed at six Washington High School State Tournaments. Mr. Feeney ran Washington Prep Basketball, which runs high school girls basketball leagues, for ten years. Tim is married to Kim, who works at Boeing and they live in Orondo. They have two daughters, Megan and Erin and 3 grandchildren, Remi, Tristan, and Lola (just born February 24). Mr. Feeney enjoys reading, jogging, traveling, camping, boating, and using his SeaDoo and going to the gym.
Hot Lunch
All pizza lunches will include choice of drink (water, soda, juice) and a treat.
Hot dog lunches will include choice of drink (water, soda, juice) bag of chips and treat.
Cost is $5 per lunch extra slice or hot dog is additional $1. Please see the link below for the order form.
If you volunteer to help with our Hot Lunch fundraisers, please use the Sign Up Genius below:
STMS Hot Lunch Fundraiser – Volunteers Needed
Hot Lunch Schedule through March
Mar 17 Grilled Cheese | Mar 24 Pizza | Mar 31 Pizza |
April 7 Half Day (Spring Break) | April 14 Spring Break | April 21 Hamburger |
April 28 Pizza | May 5 Hot Dog | May 12 Pizza |
May 19 No Hot Lunch | May 26 Hamburger | June 2 Pizza |
School Mass & Assembly Schedule
This year each grade level will lead the 3rd Sunday Mass (or Saturday vigil Mass), which coincides with Coffee & Donuts (with the exceptions of December, April, and June). Please see the table below for Mass times and participating grade level . All participants and attendees in school uniform will get a free dress pass. Please note we have made revisions to the scheduled Masses.
Mar 19, 10:30** | 3rd Grade |
April | Spring Break |
May 21, 10:30 | 5th and 1st Grades |
*The February date has been changed from 2/19 to 2/26 to not conflict with President’s Day weekend.
**The March time has been changed from 8:30 to 10:30
Volunteers
Parents who wish to volunteer will need to be current on their Virtus Training, Protecting God’s Children and complete the School Volunteer Agreement attesting to their vaccination status. Parents wishing to volunteer inside the school building will need to be fully vaccinated.
Here are some upcoming training dates that are nearby (register on Virtus):
3/15 St. Mary Magdalen, Everett, 6pm
3/26 Our Lady of the Lourdes, Seattle, 11:45am (Vietnamese)
4/19 St. Joseph, Seattle, 6:30pm
Trainings are good for 3 years. If you need to renew your status, you can do so online at Virtusonline.org.
CYO
4th Thru 8th Grade Track and Field
(3rd Graders may run if we do not have enough 4th graders)
Prelim Meet 5/6, Relay Meet 5/13, Qualifying Meet 5/20, Championship Meet 6/3
Meet Location: Highline Stadium (400 S 156th St. Burien)
8th Grade Pentathlon 5/21
Meet Location: West Seattle Stadium (4432 35th Ave. SW Seattle)
Registration Deadline: 3/31 Coach: Jerome Angeles, need assistant coaches
Practice: Tues & Thurs 5-7 PM Practice Location: Meadowdale Middle or Alderwood Middle
Register at: https://www.teamsideline.com/seattlecyo
***We still need assistant coaches for Track and Field. If you would like to volunteer, please contact Karen Pena at kjpena77@gmail.com
School Commission – Committee Members Needed
The School Commission is looking for parents interested in joining the committees designated to work on school priorities. If you are interested in joining any of the committees, please email Vickie Jarman, vljarman@hotmail.com or Maria Houser, “Maria Houser” maykahlo34@yahoo.com.
- Safety/ Facilities & Maintenance: Review facilities for safety concerns; help make recommendations on needed services and materials.
- Technology: Review tech needs and make recommendations.
- Fundraising: Review fundraising efforts for viability and make recommendations for future fundraising activities.
- Grants: Research grants that meet needs of school. Write grant proposals.
- Strategic Planning: Assist with long-range school planning based on accreditation goals.
Guidelines for COVID, Flu and RSV
Please continue to keep your child at home if they are ill. We will continue to follow the advice and recommendations of the Snohomish Health District as we navigate the cold and flu season. If students have active symptoms from any respiratory infections and/or have a fever, they should not come to school.
Please see the letter published from the Snohomish Health District from November 18, 2022.
St. Thomas More School is following the COVID guidelines published by the Washington State Department of Health and the Snohomish Health District. As of the end of October, STMS had 7 reported cases of COVID-19 positive test results to date.
The Snohomish Health District has recently revised their guidelines. The link to the guidelines can be found below:
If your child exhibits COVID-19 symptoms at school, they will be asked to wear a mask, and we will call home. We have COVID-19 testing available and may require proof of a negative test prior to their return to school. The options for testing are:
- Testing is conducted at home by the parent, and a copy of the negative test is sent to the school.
- Testing is conducted by the parent at STMS with our testing supplies.
- Testing is conducted by one of the office staff at STMS.
If your child tests positive, the quarantine period is 5-10 days. If after 5 days, your child is symptom free he/she may return to school (wearing a mask) as long as you provide proof of a negative test result. Negative tests should be emailed to the STMS office staff. Siblings of a child who test positive, or if a child is exposed to someone else in the home who tests positive, may return to school as long as there are no COVID-19 symptoms with proof of a negative and remain masked.
Patrol
Anyone looking for volunteer hours? We can always use your help in patrol!! You will receive 1 hour for every AM or PM day. Please contact me (Robert Trias) for which days you are available and either mornings (AM) or afternoons (PM) or both. You contact myself @ (206)353-2000 or TRIAS0175@yahoo.com , I will also be doing patrol every Monday (PM), so you can talk to me at school.
Thank you!!!
Coffee & Donuts
Please see the links below to sign up. We need more people to sign up for the 8:30 Mass.
Website
We are continuing to revise and improve the website. You can now access the calendar under the Parents tab for to see upcoming events. There is also updated Auction information. We will continue to keep you informed of updates and improvements throughout the year.