The Phoenix Flyer: St. Thomas More School Newsletter
March 18-22, 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,
Last Friday, our school was a sea of green as we celebrated St. Patrick’s Day. Father was definitely in the spirit and enjoyed going to classes and getting some pictures with our students. I joked with the staff that it’s been more fun to dress up for St. Patrick’s Day since I found out through Ancestry.com that I am 13% Irish.
The playground in our Early Learning Center is really coming along. We have the bark installed and this had made it possible for students to enjoy this outdoor space. We have some wonderful plans to make this space inviting and perfect for outdoor exploring – stay tuned for after Spring Break. We would love to also include some custom built, simple items (like a table for our “mud kitchen” and a small boat. If you have a passion for carpentry, we would love to hear from you!
In Christ,
Elizabeth Glaze
Dates to Remember
3/22 Stations of the Cross, 2:15pm
3/26 State of the School (Mandatory Parent meeting)
3/29 Living Stations of the Cross, noon – Dismissal directly after
4/1 – 4/5 No School, Spring Break
4/11 Parents Club Meeting
State of the School
Our annual mandatory State of the School Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, March 26. This is will be an important meeting recapping our successes as well as sharing the plans for the future for STMS. Here is a “sneak peek” of some of the highlights of what 2024-25 will look like for STMS:
- Self-contained classes for K-8 (no combined grade levels)
- Expanded Extra Curricular offerings (e.g. Martial Arts for K-3; Japanese Club)
- Spanish Classes for K-8 (to replace Rosetta Stone)
Pi Day
March 14 was National Pi Day. At STMS, middle school students complete to see who can name the digits in Pi, starting with 3.14 (which is why we celebrate on March 14). Students who can recite Pi up to 75 digits get a laminated certificate on Mr. Rehberger’s Wall of Fame. Everyone enjoys a piece of pie afterwards. This year’s recipients of the Pi Certificate were:
- Tommy G (8th grade), Matthew R. (6th), Elijah G. (6th) and Ashlyn A. (6th) all recited 75 digits
- David S. (6th) went well beyond the number required (almost to 100 digits)!
Congratulations!
Mass Wednesday
Each Wednesdays, we are fortunate to attend Mass together as a school at 8:30am. To avoid disruption of the service and managing students arriving to church with their backpacks, please be sure to have your student(s) arrive to school on time.
Stone Soup
Our annual Stone Soup lunch with the school will be on Monday of Holy Week (March 25). Please see the flyer below for what to send with your student. Please note, some items need to be sent the morning of the event.
We still need volunteers!
Please return the bottom portion of the flyer, or call the school office at (425) 743-4242.
Palm Sunday Invitation
St. Thomas More Parish Palm Sunday Procession
You’re Invited! As part of our parish annual Lenten tradition, the Children’s Faith Formation Program invites all school and parish children from kindergarten through 5th grade to join the Palm Sunday procession on March 24th at the beginning of the 10:30 AM Mass. We will meet and prepare for the blessing of palms at 10:20 AM outside the church.
Fantastic Phoenix Awards
Our Fantastic Phoenix Award recipients for this week are:
Luke, Gr. 6 | David S., Gr 6 | Kendall, Gr. 6 | Elijah, Gr. 6 | Cece, Gr. 1 |
Japanese Club
Students in Grades 4-8 can travel to Japan without leaving the campus! Ms. Akashio (6th grade homeroom and MS ELA Teacher) will be leading a Japanese Club on Thursday afternoons starting in April. See the registration form linked below for more information. Please return with the $20 registration fee by March 28.
STMS Japanese Club Registration Form
2024-25 Calendar Highlights
2024-25 School Calendar – COMING SOON
The STMS School Calendar will be finalized after Spring Break. To help in your planning for next year, here are some of the dates that have already been set:
First Day of School | August 27, 2024 (1/2 day) |
Labor Day Holiday | August 30-September 2, 2024 |
Christmas Break | December 23-January 3, 2025 (school resumes January 6) |
President’s Day/ Mid-Winter Break | February 15-18, 2025 (1/2 day February 14) |
Spring Break | April 21-25, 2025 |
Last Day of School | June 13, 2025 |
DEI Grant from Fulcrum
Thanks to the generosity of the Fulcrum Foundation, STMS was able to purchase new religious pictures, icons and statues that reflect the diversity of our school and parish community. These beautiful works of art have been distributed to classes so students can learn about saints from many different cultures and backgrounds.
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.
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 $35. Orders are due by Friday, April 12th.
Click here to download an order form.
Auction News
Class Art Projects
We extend our gratitude to all the Parent Volunteers and Teachers who collaborated with their students to create beautiful class auction projects!
Kindergarten: Washington Love
- Lan VoBa
1st Grade: Heart Unity
- Angelica Moira & Nicole Lalwani
3rd Grade: Blue Pride
- Gretchen Neale
4th Grade: Roots & Wings
- Dayana Barajas, Bridgitte Poole & Lynn Benares
5th Grade: From Mind to Paper
- Anna Golla & Fadia Kassab
6th Grade: Together As One
- Ida Tolentino
7th Grade: We Are All One Body
- Anna Golla & Laurel Pehanich
8th Grade: Phoenix Legacy
- Jay & Zhey Asuncion
Service Hours Opportunity with STMP
Are your students looking for service hour projects? The parish is looking for young people (7th and 8th graders) who can help with proclaiming the Word of God (lectors) and ushering at the Mass specifically for the Youth Masses. The Youth Mass is offered every second Saturday of the month or 4th Sunday at 10:30 am from September-May. If interested please contact, Violeta at violetaj@stmp.org.
Parent Club
Family Fun Night – March 11
The Family Fun Night at the Lynnwood Bowl & Skate was a huge success! Look for more family events to come.
March Parent Club Meeting – Cancelled
The next Parent Club meeting is Thursday, April 11 at 8:30.
Box Top$ 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
Holy Rosary Dance
Holy Rosary has invited STMS 7th and 8th graders to participate in their school dance on April 12, from 6:30pm-9:00pm. Please see the flyer and permission slip (required) linked below.
Holy Rosary Dance Permission Slip
Knights of Columbus Fish Fry
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
NEW ON RAISE RIGHT!
You can now share your Raise Right account with friends and family have them help YOU reach your fundraising goals! We have only less than 5 weeks to reach your commitment of $700!
Just follow these steps:
1. Open up the Raise Right app (you might even have an auto pop up window to send invites)
2. Click on Account at the bottom right of the screen
3. Click on Settings at the top right of the screen
4. Click on the 4th tab down to Invite Friends & Family
5. Choose either email or text to share with Friends and Family. The link shared will be connected to YOUR account. (Not payment, just that what they purchase will go to YOU!
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, or do a Staycation! 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 SPRING Sign Up Genius to see where you can help: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D4AA5AB2AA1F5C70-48598345-spring
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
Sign up NOW!!
Spring CYO Track and Field
https://www.teamsideline.com/sites/seattlecyo/current-programs
Please reach out if you are interested or want more information. Practices will begin the week of April 8th. Hope to see you and your student/s there!
Cheer on our CYO Girls Volleyball!
We have 2 teams this year: 7th and 8th grade girls playing in 8th Grade Girls North AA, and 5th Grade Girls North. See their full game schedule here. https://teamsideline.com/sites/seattlecyo/schedules
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
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.
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. 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: Intercultural Festival/ 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
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.