The Phoenix Flyer: St. Thomas More School Newsletter
February 19-23, 2024
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,
Do you know that we have a bunch of Fantastic Phoenix on our campus? This award is presented to students who are “caught” doing something great. Some of the many reasons include being helpful to others, offering kind words, making an extra effort at a difficult assignment or task, or a special accomplishment. Students who receive a Fantastic Phoenix award are recognized at morning announcements, and their names go into a drawing for a free dress pass. See the section below of our February Fantastic Phoenix winners.
In Christ,
Elizabeth Glaze
Dates to Remember
2/23 Stations of the Cross (time TBD)
2/25 School Led Mass, 8:30 (Grade 4)
3/1 Primary Speech Presentations, K-2, 1pm
3/6-3/7 Speech Tournament, Grades 3-8
3/8 No School, Teacher In-service
Partners in the Gospel
Dear St. Thomas More Family,
Last weekend marked the formal announcement of the Parish Families through Partners in the Gospel, including the confirmation that we will be partnered with Holy Rosary. As Archbishop Etienne noted in his letter, “the road ahead will have its twists and turns, and may seem long and rugged at times, but the Lord will always be there as our companion and guide.” Change can be hard and can make us uncomfortable. There are still many unknowns with what our partnership with Holy Rosary will look like and this uncertainty for those of us in this parish and school that we know and love can be unsettling.
There are a few “knowns” at this point in time. First, what we know is that we have been assured that there WILL NOT be any changes to schools in the near future. There is no plan or talk of merging schools with Holy Rosary or changing our Pre-K – 8 program. Leadership teams at STM and Holy Rosary have made steps to discuss our partnership and have a plan to introduce the School Commissions of both schools in a joint meeting in March. What we also know is that both schools will need to remain open to serve the number of students we have currently enrolled, as well as future students as we grow our school populations. We also know of the Grace of God in times of change and are assured that we, as a community, can walk together through this process.
We need each and every one of our families to stay together as we weather the journey of the unknowns ahead. Our close ties in our community at STM, and the care we have for each other and our school, will see us through to a bright and promising future.
In Christ,
Father Stephen Okumu, Pastor
Elizabeth Glaze, Principal
Intent to Return
Thank you to all who have already completed the Intent to Return for the 2024-25 school year. It is vital to our planning process for next year that we know the status of our returning families. If you have not already done so, please complete the Intent to Return survey linked below. It is important to include student(s) names and grades.
Fantastic Phoenix Winners
Fantastic Phoenix Winners (Feb 7-20)
| Andres – 4th | Paulina, 5th | Noah, 5th | Benjie, 4th | Carmine, 4th |
| Bala – 4th | Sophia, 5th | Daniel, 8th | Abby, 7th | Karmella, 6th |
| Kyle, 4th | Charlie, 5th | Sarah, 7th | Audrey, K | |
| Jovany, 5th | Elanam, 5th | Elijah, 6th | Ella, K | |
| Mahlet, 5th | Anouk, 5th | Cesar, 1st | Lucy, 4th | |
| Maria, 5th | Kaitlyn, 5th | Leo, 4th | Jessiah, 4th |
Black History Month
7th Grade worked with Ms. Gregorio and 5th Grade to create the bulletin boards in the breezeway and outside of the 5th Grade classroom. The 7th graders completed the research that you can read on the important figures in American history seen on these displays.
Welcome to St. Thomas More
You may notice a few new faces at STMS. We are pleased to welcome Jacqueline Kier and Lisa Wininger to our staff.
Jacqueline Kier, joins STMS as the new Early Learning Lead Teacher. She has 27 years of teaching experience. In addition to experience in Catholic schools and familiarity with PreK standards for the Archdiocese of Seattle, Jacqueline holds an AA credential from WSU in the Montessori Early Learning philosophy and many years of experience teaching this method. In addition, she had leadership experience as a center director and a program manager. In Jacqueline’s spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family, including her two grandchildren. She also enjoys creating Montessori materials and spending time with my family
Lisa Wininger joins us as our new Office Assistant. Lisa lives in Snohomish with her husband and four children, three girls and one boy ages 23, 21, 18, and 15. Over the past 10 years she has volunteered at their elementary, middle and high schools. Lisa has also served on the PTA board at the Elementary School. In her free time Lisa likes to watch movies and spend time with her family.
We also welcomed two new students at STMS this week – Liyu Ayalew in grade 3 and Mussie Ayalew in grade 6. Welcome Liyu and Mussie!
Yearbook Sales
Order Your Yearbook Today!
Yearbooks are on sale now! Pre-order yours today to ensure you get one. Each 68-page book of precious memories is only $35. Orders are due by Friday, April 12th.
Click here to download an order form.
Auction News
Auction Catalog Shout Outs
Make someone’s day! Auction Catalog Recognition Ads are a great way for parents, families, and friends to recognize and commemorate students, teachers, staff and volunteers. Please see the flyer linked below for more information.
Deadline to sign up is February 23, 2024.
DONATE WINE = 1 Volunteer Hour
Donate a bottle of wine, and we’ll sprinkle some volunteering magic your way with a whole hour per bottle ( 1 Wine Bottle = 1 Volunteer Hour). But remember, donate only the good stuff from the middle to the top shelf, because we’re aiming for excellence in every sip! 🍇🎉 We’re also looking for a couple of volunteers the night of the gala. Set up the Wine Pull Section and help sell the mystery wines between 330pm-7pm on auction night (3/9). We will train you!
Sign Up Here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D4BAEA923A3FDC25-48089796-donate
Volunteers Needed: NEW POSITIONS ADDED – There are still openings!
New volunteer positions added for the day of auction! We also still have a few open volunteer opportunities that needs your attention to prep for the event!
View Volunteer Opportunities Here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D4BAEA923A3FDC25-45401522-auction
Hotel Room Block Available Now to Book!
Banish stress and stay with ease at the Embassy Suites to make your night a grand slam! The hotel is rolling out the red carpet for us with a group rate of just $131/night (plus taxes)
PLUS! Breakfast is included and will be waiting for you! What better way to start your day, right?
Book Here: ST. Thomas More Parish School Auction (hilton.com)
Service Hours Opportunity with STMP
Are your students looking for service hour projects? The parish is looking for young people (7th and 8th graders) who can help with proclaiming the Word of God (lectors) and ushering at the Mass specifically for the Youth Masses. The Youth Mass is offered every second Saturday of the month or 4th Sunday at 10:30 am from September-May. If interested please contact, Violeta at violetaj@stmp.org.
Parent Club
Family Fun Night – Save the Date!
Our next Family Fun Night will be a roller skating event on March 11th from 6-8pm. The cost is $12 per student. Check back for more information coming soon.
March Parent Club Meeting
Please note: The next Parent Club meeting is March 14 (rescheduled from March 7 due to the Speech Tournaments.
St. Thomas More Early Learning Center
We are proud to announce that the St. Thomas More Early Learning Center is now fully licensed with the Washington State Department of Children, Youth & Families. Starting in January, we will offer a full-day option in our 4- and 5-year old PreK Program. Please contact the school office for more information.
School Commission Committee Members Needed
Do you need volunteer hours? Our School Commission is looking for volunteers to help our various subcommittees. Please review the committee descriptions below.
Development Committee
Volunteer Opportunity! We have an opportunity for YOU!!
Do you like photography/videography?
Do you like web content development?
Do you like print design for brochures and flyers?
Do you like being creative?
The School Commission, Development Committee is looking for volunteers to help update the STMS website, create marketing brochures and help tell our school’s story.
Our meetings are flexible, we will meet via Zoom and in-person based on availability!
Please reach out to Vickie Jarman@vljarman@hotmail, if you are interested.
Grant Writing Committee
The purpose of the Grant Committee at STMPS is to collaborate with a team of parent volunteers to provide aid in supporting grant research, application and writing to help with school operations, expenses and building improvements for our school. This team will meet once or twice a month for quick meetings via zoom beginning in March 2024 to kick off this work effort. Please reach out to Maria Houser at Maykahlo34@yahoo.com for further information.
Safety Committee
The School Safety Committee at St. Thomas More Parish School plays a pivotal role in safeguarding its students and faculty. Comprising dedicated educators, administrators, and community members, the committee meticulously identifies safety priorities through assessments and open dialogues with stakeholders. They leverage their expertise with the grant writing committee to secure necessary funding for enhancing campus security measures, whether it’s installing modern surveillance systems, fortifying entry points, or conducting safety workshops for staff and students. By meticulously developing timelines and action plans, this proactive committee ensures swift and effective implementation of crucial changes, thereby fostering a secure environment conducive to learning and growth within the school premises. Please contact Nick Golla at nngolla@gmail or Eric Miller at ericmiller22@gmail.com for more information.
Box Top$ for Education
Parents help us raise fund for STMS when you shop. It’s as easy as registering on the BoxTop$ For Education app the scanning your receipts! Please call Mrs. Heather Anderson in the school office if you have any questions (425) 743-4242.
Local Area Events
Check back in this space for local area events.
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.
Check back for the March Hot Lunch Form
We need volunteers! Please use the Sign Up Genius link below to earn volunteer hours by helping us with our hot lunch.
Patrol
Please see the link to the current Patrol schedule.
Scrip
Just a reminder that our Fundraising commitment of $700 is due by April 30th. As of now, only Scrip and Direct Contributions are what will count towards that. Check your email from our Parent’s Club treasurers for your balance.
We are in the Lenten Season, which means Spring Break is coming up March 30-April 7. We have the same Spring Break as most of the Country and the public schools too. You might want to get out of town! Check RaiseRight for hotels, AirB&Bs, and airfare to go towards your Fundraising! Some hotels that are on the app are Fairmont, Hotels.com, Sheraton, Marriott, & Best Western to name a few. You can earn up to 10% on some of those. The 2 airlines that are on the app are Delta and Southwest, which both have a 4% rebate.
Lastly as always….WE NEED YOU!
Volunteers Needed!
We need your help! Please see our Winter Sign Up Genius to see where you can help- https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D4AA5AB2AA1F5C70-46513153-winter
We also need people to learn how to sell Scrip to be on a sub list and we are looking for core sales people for next school year!
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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; 11/26, 12/10) 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
Cheer on our CYO Girls Volleyball!
Thank you to those who are supporting our Girls Volleyball teams! We have 2 teams this year: 7th and 8th grade girls playing in 8th Grade Girls North AA, and 5th Grade Girls North. Games begin this weekend. See their full game schedule here. https://teamsideline.com/sites/seattlecyo/schedules
Girls 3rd grade basketball
If you have a 3rd grade girl who would like to play basketball, sign ups begin in March. Talk to your classmates now to form a team and find a coach!
It’s almost time for Spring CYO Track and Field
A huge thank you to Dorrin Wanjiru for volunteering to organize our CYO track team this year! We are still looking for coaches for our track team! Please reach out if you are interested or want more information. Sign-ups for track will be in March; practices will begin the week of April 8th. Hope to see you and your student/s there!
Contact Laurel Pehanich or Mr. G if you have any questions (or want to help volunteer)!
STMS Referral Program
Would you like to get a month’s tuition for free? When you refer a family and they enroll their child(ren) at STMS grade K-8, once that family completes their first year with us, both the new family and the referring family will receive the equivalent of one month’s tuition (single-child tuition).
Who could you refer to STMS?
Please contact the school office with any questions, (425) 743-4242.
STMS Spirit Wear
Don’t forget to order your STMS Spirit Wear. Use the link below.
Please note: Only clothing available in the Uniform Code Approved section are to be worn at school.
For questions on ordering, please contact Eric Miller, ericmiller22@gmail.com.
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.
For information on how to create your profile and register for a class, please contact Heather Anderson at heather.anderson@stms.org or (425) 743-4242 for instructions. Training and background checks are good for 3 years. If you need to renew your status, you can do so online at Virtusonline.org.
Archdiocese of Seattle – Safe Environment
Volunteer hours
The St. Thomas More Parish School Volunteer hours are due May 31, 2024! Per our school contract, families are to contribute 40 of volunteer time of which at least 4 hours are to be contributed directly to the Auction. If you have not completed your volunteer hours you will be billed on June1, 2024, $30 for any hours not served.
There is still time to do your volunteer hours! Volunteer opportunities yet to come: Gala and Family Auctions, Scrip, helping around the school, parent club meetings, school commission meetings, and more—watch for sign-up ideas in the newsletter!
Directions to log hours:
- Log into Family Portal (District Code: St-Wa)
- Click on Family on the left-hand menu
- Find Service Hours on the right side and click “+ Add”
- Fill out the hours and click “save”
- Hours will show up on the family page under Service Hours. You can add more throughout the year.
If you would like me to send more detailed instructions for logging in your volunteer hours, please contact Heather Anderson at heather.anderson@stms.org or (425) 743-4242
Auction Volunteers Needed
*Lots of Auction Volunteer Positions are still OPEN! Fulfill your 4-hour auction commitment and sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D4BAEA923A3FDC25-45401522-auction#/
School Commission Committees
Please see the information above under School Commission for volunteer opportunities on one of the School Commission subcommittees.
TV Installs
We need a few muscles to help us install a TV in our Early Learning Classroom and another tv installed in our Extended Care classroom. You may need a few of your own tools to remove the brackets and reinstall on the preschool wall. If you are interested, please call the school office at (425) 743-4242.
COVID, Flu and RSV
As we head into the cold and flu season, I would like to send out a general reminder about health and safety guidelines. We have a host of illnesses circulating, including strep throat, continuing COVID cases, and at least one reported case of RSV.
Recommendations of the Snohomish Health District as we navigate the cold and flu season include ensuring that if students have active symptoms from any respiratory infections and/or have a fever, they should not come to school. Students who have had a fever must be fever-free for 24 hours without the use of medication before returning to school. In addition, The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends teaching children to cover their coughs and sneezes using their elbow or a tissue, and to always wash their hands afterwards.
Also, as we have had a recent case of RSV, I am including a resource provided by the Snohomish Health Department on signs of RSV, in addition to general guidelines and benefits of vaccinations for flu, COVID and RSV.
*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.
