The Phoenix Flyer: St. Thomas More School Newsletter
March 25-29, 2024
Principal’s Message
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,
Holy Week is always a special week at St. Thomas More School. We began the week with Stone Soup, a much-loved tradition in which students share a simple meal together that they helped to create by bringing in different components of the meal. Thanks to our volunteers (both parents and staff), the meal was wonderful and students enjoyed sharing it together in their faith families.
Just in time for Easter, the chicks in Mrs. Gibson’s class hatched this past weekend. Students were overjoyed to find the young chickens on Monday morning. The students are trying to be mindful that the chicks need some rest time – Mrs. Gibson reported that at the end of the day, the chicks were so exhausted that several fell asleep with their tiny heads hanging over the feed bowl!
Tomorrow after Mass, students in grades 3-8 will celebrate the Rite of Reconciliation. Thursday we will have two STMS traditions: the 5th graders will participate in the Seder Meal with the Dejongs, (Suzanne is the former Music Teacher), and all students will participate in the Washing of the Feet prayer service, organized by the 7th grade.
Friday, I hope you will join us for the very moving Living Stations of the Cross. I remember how impressed I was the first time I saw this last year. Mrs. Golloway has been helping prepare our 8th graders for this production, and we have been happy to have her back on campus to make sure they are prepared.
I wish you all a blessed Easter with family and friends.
In Christ,
Elizabeth Glaze
Dates to Remember
3/29 Living Stations of the Cross, noon – Dismissal directly after
4/1 – 4/5 No School, Spring Break
4/11 Parents Club Meeting
4/21 School-led Mass, 10:30am (Grades 1 and 2)
4/24 Stewardship Mass, 9:00am
4/26 Noon Dismissal, Teacher in-service
State of the School
Thank you to all who attended the State of the School on Tuesday, March 26. The 3rd grade class will enjoy a pizza party for the highest attendance.
A copy of the presentation is linked below. Please come to the school office to collect your registration packet. Registrations are due by April 12, 2024.
State of the School Presentation
Welcome to STMS
Last week, Adrian joined the 3rd grade classroom. We are so happy you are part of the STMS family, Adrian!
Fantastic Phoenix Awards
Our Fantastic Phoenix Award recipients for their accomplishments in Accelerated Reader are:
Isaiah, Gr. 3 | Layla, Gr. 3 | Kennedy, Gr. 3 | Emilia, Gr. 3 | Jeremy, Gr. 3 |
Gianna, Gr. 3 | Saskia, Gr. 3 | Kate, Gr. 3 | Addison, Gr. 3 | Selina, Gr. 3 |
Greyson, Gr. 4 | Leo, Gr. 4 | Lucy, Gr. 4 | Mahlet, Gr. 5 | Jeff, Gr. 5 |
Charlie, Gr. 5 | Anouk, Gr. 5 | Gregory, Gr. 5 | Noah, Gr. 5 | Paulina, Gr. 5 |
Mussie, Gr. 6 | David S., Gr. 6 | Sarah, Gr. 7 | David P., Gr. 7 | Maddie, Gr. 7 |
Additional Fantastic Phoenix Awards were given to the following students last week:
David S., Gr. 6 | Kendall, Gr. 6 | Elijah, Gr. 6 | Cece, Gr. 1 |
Isaiah, Gr. 3 | Gianna, Gr. 3 | Claire, Gr. 4 | Lucy, Gr. 4 |
Katie, Gr. 8 | Amaya, Gr. 8 | Shannon, Gr. 8 | Adrian, Gr. 8 |
Gavin, Gr. 8 | Olivia, Gr. 8 |
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
Early Learning Center Programs – NEW
Starting in September 2024, we will have some changes and additional offerings in our Early Learning Center. In addition to our half and full-day options for 4-year-olds, we will now offer 3-year-old full day program. Also, our 3-year-old half-day program will now run Monday-Friday. Please see the flyer below and contact the school office for more information. Our spaces are filling up quickly!
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 |
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
Gala Auction News
Fund-A-Need: School Safety
Good news – even if you missed the Gala Auction, it’s not too late to make a contribution to our Fund-A-Need, which is focused this year on school safety. Take a look at the video linked below. Please consider making a donation to make our campus safer. Many employers also offer a matching donation program. Please take a moment to get more information from your employers. All donations may be 100% tax deductible and eligible for corporate matching. Contact the school office for more information.
Parent Club
Intercultural Festival and Family Auction
It’s time to get ready for the St. Thomas More Intercultural Festival on Pentecost Sunday, May 19th from 11am – 6pm. This year, the STMS Family Auction will be joining forces with the Intercultural Festival. The Intercultural Festival will include some of the components from the Family Auction, including a silent auction including the chance to bid on teacher experiences. We are excited to bring our community together to celebrate our cultural diversity by spending the day together enjoying live music, performances, an assortment of food & desserts, merchandise, vendors, silent auction, arts & crafts, and a bunch of fun activities for the whole family!
If you need more volunteer hours, no worries, you can have fun and get them completed here! We need lots of help like selling raffle tickets after masses, sending out sponsorship letters from home, helping with the silent auction, wrapping door prizes etc. We just ask that you keep track of your hours.
Please note that the Sign-up Genius will continue to be updated on the dates and time slots for some activities, so stay tuned!
If you have any other great ideas for the festival that are not listed here or would like to share your talents in other ways, please reach out to Francesca Abellera @ fbabellera@gmail.com or 206-496-9468.
Thank you in advance for your tremendous help!
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0C4BAFAC2CA0FA7-48780711-intercultural
Parent Club Meeting – April
The next Parent Club meeting is Thursday, April 11 at 8:30.
Coffee & Donuts
Thank you to the following who volunteered this year for Coffee and Donuts:
Vickie, Kraig, and Hudson Jarman
Jason and Cindy Palacpac
Lynn Benares
Yodit Seyoum
Jason and Janelle Triplett
Kennedy and Olivia Ellis
Giselle and Darran Walker
Thu-Hong Vo
Lilliana Sanchez
We have one more month. On April 21st, it’ll be the last time this year that the school will host Coffee and Donuts after the 8:30 & 10:30 Masses. We are looking for more folks to join our team next year, as well as someone to take over for Nick Golla to organize and oversee this program. This role is in communication with Cathy Bellande in the Parish and Principal Glaze to coordinate dates to match up when the school hosts the Masses (usually the 3rd week of the month) as well as organizing the volunteers for each Sunday we host. Super easy and a great way to get those volunteer hours. You will be trained!
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 $35. Orders are due by Friday, April 12th.
Click here to download an order form.
Service Hours Opportunity with STMP
Are your students looking for service hour projects? The parish is looking for young people (7th and 8th graders) who can help with proclaiming the Word of God (lectors) and ushering at the Mass specifically for the Youth Masses. The Youth Mass is offered every second Saturday of the month or 4th Sunday at 10:30 am from September-May. If interested please contact, Violeta at violetaj@stmp.org.
Box Top$ 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 Easter Egg Hunt
On March 31st, the Knights of Columbus will hose an Easter Egg Hunt immediately following the 10:30am Mass. Please see the flyer linked below for more information.
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.