The Phoenix Flyer: St. Thomas More School Newsletter
October 30-November 3, 2023
Principal’s Message
New Beginnings
Jeremiah 29:11 “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’
Dear Parents and Families,
Last week I shared with the staff one of my favorite quotes from Ted Lasso (which was originally from Walt Whitman), “Be curious, not judgmental.” I think our students are much better examples of what this looks like in real life than what adults practice. I try to learn from them every day -they are good teachers! The way they care for each other and champion one another is inspiring. We are lucky to have the perfect example of love in the form of Jesus, who is all around us here at STMS. How lucky we are that we can talk about how Jesus can be such a wonderful teacher and role model as he helps shape our students into becoming better humans. We are grateful for our students’ families, who also guide them on this journey of learning and growing in God’s love.
The pictures I’m sharing this week are from our 4th Grade – they had a visit from the Great Pumpkin this week, thanks to our own Mr. Fairbank!
In Christ,
Elizabeth Glaze
Dates to Remember
11/2 Parents Club Meeting, 8:30 in Renggli Room
11/7 Cozy Day (Student Council Spirit Day – sweats and cozy shirts. No pajamas, please)
11/9 Veteran’s Day Assembly, 9am
11/10 No School, Veteran’s Day observed
11/18 School-led Mass, 5pm (Grade 5)
11/18 STM Christmas Festival, 2-9pm
11/19 STM Christmas Festival, 9:30am-1pm
11/22 Thanksgiving Mass, 11am and Noon Dismissal
11/23-24 No School – Thanksgiving Holiday
11/27 End of Trimester 1
Día de Los Muertos Ofrenda
Día de los Muertos altars, or ofrendas, pay tribute to loved ones who have passed. Mrs. Del Rio and the 3rd grade class created two Día de los Muertos ofrenda stands, which included photos of staff, students’ and families’ loved ones they have lost.
Hot Lunch
Hot lunch is back!! Please see the link to the printable monthly Hot Lunch form, or stop by the school office for a hard copy.
Please note: The deadline for all hot lunch payments is Thursday. We are not able to accept payments sent in on Friday morning.
We need volunteers! Please use the Sign Up Genius link below to earn volunteer hours by helping us with our hot lunch.
STMS Spirit Wear
We are excited to launch our very own spirit wear website! Please use the QR code below or click on the link to see the amazing assortment of STMS swag available for purchase. A huge “thank you” to Eric Miller, who put this all together!
Please note: Only clothing available in the Uniform Code Approved section are to be worn at school.
Local Area Events
Day of the Dead Celebration
November 2, 5:00pm at the National Nordic Museum, including a free concert and art workshops for the family. Please see the flyer linked below for more details.
St. Brendan Catholic Church Holiday Craft Fair
November 11, 9:00am -4:00pm. Please see the link to the flyer below for details.
St. Brendan Holiday Craft Fair
St. Thomas More Christmas Festival
Saturday, November 18th, 2:00-9:00pm and Sunday, November 19th, 9:30am-1:pm. Please see the flyer linked below for details.
St. Thomas More Christmas Festival
Trunk or Treat
Here are some pictures from the STMP and STMS Trunk or Treat and Halloween party.
Thanksgiving Food Drive
It’s time for the annual STM Food Drive. Please see the flyer linked below for information on what each grade level is collecting.
Parent Club
Poinsettia and Evergreen Fundraiser
FA LA LA LA LAAAA!!!
Brochures and order forms have gone home to each family! Check your only or oldest student’s backpack!
Please turn in your order form and all money by 3pm on November 9th. Checks can be made out to STM. Cash is accepted too.
The beautiful poinsettias, garlands, and wreaths will arrive on Wednesday, November 29th, just in time for the Advent Season! Pick up this year will be in the Renggli Room.
50% of your sales will count towards your $700 Fundraising Commitment!
Let us know if you have any questions.
Have fun selling and Happy Holidays!
-Nick & Anna Golla (thehbgollas@gmail.com)
Auction News
Auction Procurement Packet
Keep an eye out for that special procurement envelope hiding in your student’s backpack, and let’s get started on gathering items to fulfill your $250 auction commitment!
Work from Home Volunteer Opportunity
Join the Procurement Team and volunteer from the comfort of your home! Read more about this opportunity here
SIGN UP HERE https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D4BAEA923A3FDC25-45401522-auction#/
We need parent volunteers! Please let us know how you would like to support our Gala Auction, our largest fundraiser of the year. Contact the school office at (425)743-4242.
Student Store Info
Have your kids been coming home talking about Student Store?
Student Store is a service the STMS Student Council provides for our students.
Every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday council students roll out a cart to morning recess filled with a variety of snacks. Snacks include chips, Ice beverages, cheese sticks, snack cakes, bottled water, and candy. Snacks are priced from .25 to $1. Students can only spend a maximum of $2 each day.
See the flyer linked below for current items and prices
Patrol
Please see the link to the current Patrol schedule.
Scrip
The St Thomas More Christmas Festival is coming up and we need your help!
We will be selling scrip at this time. Please see the sign up genius below. It’s been broken up into shifts, but if you want to bust out a good chunk of your Volunteer Hours, sign up for multiple shifts, or all day!
The event will be on Saturday, November 18th from 2pm-9pm and Sunday, November 19th from 9:30am-1pm.
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D4AA5AB2AA1F5C70-45754032-christmas#/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here is where and when you can buy Scrip:
✨️In the timed parking lot-Wednesdays 8am-9am and Fridays 2:45pm-3:15pm
✨️In the Breezeway-Sundays (every other; 10/1, 10/15,etc.) 9:30am-10:30am
✨️Anytime, via the Raise Right app.
Questions, Comments, Concerns? Contact Your Scrip Admin Team:
-Gemma Ardiente (ordering & inventory) gemma_ardiente@comcast.net
– Rachel Rogers (bookkeeping) rrodgers517@gmail.com
-Therese Sarr (volunteer selling coordinator) sarrtherese206@gmail.com
-Nick Golla (communications) nngolla@gmail.com
CYO
CYO Basketball
St Thomas More has 4th, 5th, and 7th/8th grade boys basketball teams this year! If your child is in one of those grades you can still sign them up. Thank you to our coaches who have volunteered their time and talent! League games are from Nov. 18-Jan 28th. Practice times will be determined soon.
Register at:
https://www.teamsideline.com/sites/seattlecyo/current-programs
Contact Laurel Pehanich or Mr. G if you have any questions (or want to help volunteer)!
Coffee & Donuts
Do you need volunteer hours that can be done outside of the regular work week? Come Set up, Serve, and Clean up on Sundays for Coffee and Donuts after both the 8:30am and 10:30am Masses. It’s easy and fun and a great time for fellowship and fun with our community.
Bring kids with you. Have them dress up in Full Dress and help greet and serve. They can earn a Free Dress Pass!
Click the link below. Please print and fill out and return to the office.
Extended Care Donations Needed
Some of our games and activities in Extended Care are missing items, in poor condition and rather outdated. Some of the items that need replacing include:
Games – (e.g.) Monopoly, Life
DVD’s (G rated only, please)
Crafts (any)
For your donation, you can receive 1 volunteer hour (per donation, not per item). Check back in this space for an updated list of items we still need as we begin to receive donations.
Volunteers
Current Volunteer Opportunities
Check back in this space for current volunteer opportunities.
Requirements for Parent Volunteers
Parents who wish to volunteer will need to be current on their Virtus Training, Protecting God’s Children and complete the Volunteer Handbook acknowledgement form.
Online sessions are also available in English and Spanish. Visit Virtusonline.org and click on the Current Registration tab. Trainings are good for 3 years. If you need to renew your status, you can do so online at Virtusonline.org.
For information on how to create your profile and register for a class, please click on the link below and look for the Registration Guide under Adult Employee Information and Resources, or contact Heather Anderson at heather.anderson@stms.org or (425) 743-4242.
Archdiocese of Seattle – Safe Environment
We want to help all of our families meet their volunteer hours and become more engaged with our amazing STMS community. Please complete the survey below so we can better understand your talents and interests in volunteering.
Volunteer Talents, Interests and Needs
Guidelines for COVID, Flu and RSV
St. Thomas More School is following the COVID guidelines published by the Washington State Department
of Health and the Snohomish Health District*.
The Snohomish Health District has recently revised their guidelines. The link to the guidelines can be found below:
NEW
Snohomish County Health Department COVID Guidelines – PDF with Barcode
WA State Department of Health Guidelines
NEW
CDC recently made an announcement sharing the news below (see links).
Every U.S. household can receive four free COVID-19 rapid tests delivered to their home through USPS beginning Monday, September 25, 2023.
COVID.gov – Free at-home COVID-19 tests
Important Updates to STMS Guidelines
- If your child tests positive, the quarantine period is 5-10 days. If after 5 days, your child is symptom free and has not had a fever within the last 24 hours, he/she may return to school and will need to remain masked through day 10.
- Day 0 is the first day of the onset of symptoms, or if asymptomatic, the first day of the positive test.
- If your child was previously asymptomatic before testing positive, but starts to exhibit symptoms after testing, day 0 is the first day of symptoms (the 5-day count starts over).
- 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 and remain masked through day 10 of exposure of anyone in the household testing positive for COVID.
- If your child exhibits symptoms of illness at school, they will be asked to wear a mask, and we will call home. We have COVID-19 testing available at school – please email or call the office if you would like your child tested.
If students have active symptoms from any respiratory infections and/or have a fever, they should not come to school.
*If you have any questions regarding STMS guidelines, please contact the school office at (425) 743-4242. Please note that although STMS guidelines are based on the Washington State Department of Health and the Snohomish County Health District, we reserve the right to add extra precautions.