The Phoenix Flyer: St. Thomas More School Newsletter
May 27-31, 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,
On Wednesday, May 22, I had the honor of attending Confirmation Mass for many of our 7th and 8th grade students. Being a witness to the sealing of gift of the Holy Spirit was a true blessing. I pray that this young people will look to the Holy Spirit to help guide them as they continue to grow in their faith and as children of God.
This morning (May 29) we celebrated our families and welcomed parents and grandparents of our students at our Kinship Mass. The 1st grade students did a lovely job on this Mass and we appreciate the efforts of Mrs. Gibson and Mr. Ocfemia in getting them prepared. Family members were able to spend a little time in classrooms after Mass, and students were able to share some of the recent activities and projects they have been completing.
Thank you to all of our families for their continued support of our students, STMS and the gift of Catholic education.
In Christ,
Elizabeth Glaze
Dates to Remember
5/29 Kinship Mass, 9am (rescheduled from 5/24)
5/30 Parents Club Meeting, Volunteer Appreciation, 3pm in Renggli Room
5/31 Jog-A-Thon
6/2 Baccalaureate Mass, 10:30
6/6 Preschool 3 Last Day
6/6 8th Grade Graduation. 7pm
6/7 PreK 4 Last Day
6/10 Uniform Exchange, drop off until 12:30
6/12 “Scrub Day” and Knights of Columbus BBQ
6/13 Field Day
6/14 Last Day of School, Noon Dismissal
Uniform Exchange
The STMS Uniform Exchange will be Wednesday, June 10, starting at drop-off until 12:30. Come by the breezeway outside the office and drop off any uniform items your students have outgrown, and exchange for other uniform items. We will have another Uniform Exchange the week before school starts in August.
Margot McLaughlin, STMS Development Director
Spring Concert
On Thursday, May 23rd, our students gave some amazing performances at our Spring Concert. In addition to class performances, the Phoenix Choir performed, as well as the Phoenix Wind Ensemble (their first performance!). Thank you to all teachers for their help in getting our students prepared. A huge “Thank You!” to Mr. Ocfemia for all his work in helping all students find joy and success in this event, as well as his rich and diverse song choices.
Thank you, Michael Hequibal, for the beautiful photos!
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?
2024-25 Staff Changes
As we look ahead to a new school year next year, there are a few staffing changes to be announced at this time.
As most already know, Deanna Maddock is stepping into retirement after teaching here at STMS for 11 years! Mrs. Maddock will be spending time in her new home in Montana near her daughter and her family. We will certainly miss her and hope she will visit STMS when she is back in the area visiting other family members.
We are also bidding farewell to the following staff members:
- Jacqueline Kier, our PreK/Preschool Lead Teacher, is leaving STMS to pursue a degree in Elementary Education. In addition to the warm and nurturing presence she has provided for her young students, we appreciate all the guidance she has provided in our first year as a licensed childcare facility. We hope to hear about her progress toward elementary teacher certification.
- Julia Atkins, our 4th grade teacher, will be leaving STMS to spend more time with her young children. Mrs. Atkins has quickly integrated into our culture and has been a positive influence for teachers and students alike. We will miss her energy and her humor!
- Brandon Schmid, our 8th grade homeroom and Middle School Science teacher, really brought out students’ love for science this year. In addition to his passion for science, Mr. Schmid brought his talent in theatrics, including the amazing Passion Play he produced last year with his 6th graders. Mr. Schmid also had a flair for stealing the show on spirit days with his vibrant (and sometimes unexpected) costumes. We will miss his enthusiasm and vibrant personality.
These dedicated and beloved staff members have given so much to our community and will truly be missed. We thank them for their loving service to STMS, and we wish them all the best in their future endeavors.
In addition to departing staff, there will be a few internal changes with teachers moving into different teaching assignments:
- Ms. Gregorio will be moving into the middle school science and 8th grade homeroom position. In addition to two years as the 5th grade teacher at STMS, Ms. Gregorio also taught science in grades 4-8 in California.
- After 7 years in 3rd grade, Mrs. Del Rio will moving to the 5th grade teaching position. Mrs. Del Rio is looking forward to having her former students again, and the excitement of working with a different grade level.
We are filling needed roles for the 2024-25 school year and have already hired two teachers for open positions at the elementary grade level. We are currently interviewing for one more elementary teaching position, as well as a PreK lead teacher and a Spanish teacher. Detailed information on all new hires and placements will be coming when positions are finalized.
Martial Arts Class (K-3)
Our new Martial Arts program for students in Kindergarten through Grade 3 is a fun and multicultural program that teaches respect for others, enhances listening skills and helps improve focus, balance, strength and fitness.
It’s not too late to register! Please see the flyer below to sign up to register. Each class is $15 per student.
Martial Arts Program Registration
Sensei Mitch took these pictures of his young students – they are really showing their stuff in class!
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!
Library
AR Final Dates
Cut-off for students trying to earn the AR Party; June 3rd – For classroom grades.
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 7) |
| Teacher In-Service (No School for Students) | January 6, 2025 (school resumes after Christmas Break on January 7) |
| 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 |
St. Thomas More Parish Events
Vacation Bible School, August 5-9, 2024. See the flyer below for information on how to register.
STM Vacation Bible School Flyer
Parent Club
Thank You to Our Volunteers
The next Parent Club Meeting, which will be held on Thursday, May 30, is dedicated to thanking all of our volunteers for this year.
Please join us at 3:00pm in the Renggli Room for some refreshments and fun.
WSCC Newsletter
Below please find the links to the WSCC’s (Washington State Catholic Conference) Catholic Schools Newsletter for Spring/Summer 2024 in English and Spanish.
English: WSCC’s Catholic Schools Newsletter, Spring/Summer 2024
Spanish: Boletín (wacatholics.org)
Coffee & Donuts
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!
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
Fundraiser CAR WASH during Sunday masses on June 9th
Come support BSA troop 304. Just park your car in the designated area while you are at mass and come back to a clean car!
Half of our troop are students or alumni from STMS, and meet here at STM every Monday evening
Donations support troop activities and summer camp!
Hope to see you there!
Mountlake Terrace High School’s STEM & Hawkeye Journalism Staff & our MTHS student leadership is sponsoring “STEM & Journalism Summer Camp 2024.”
Dates: August 20, 21 & 22
Times: Session 1: 9am-NoonSession 2: 1pm- 4pm Combo Session: 9am-4pm
Registration: See link to flyer below
There is a QR code on the flyer for sign-up & payment
MTHS STEM & Journalism Flyer and Registration
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
Hello and welcome to a new year of Fundraising! When filling out a Scrip form, don’t forget to put the new grade of your oldest student. Now through Summer time is a great time to spend on Scrip, because when school actually starts, you feel ahead, and less to raise until next April.
Speaking of next year, we are looking to build our Scrip Team. See at the end of this section and reach out to Therese, our volunteer coordinator. In-person scrip sales days could be subject to change depending on availability of the sellers for next year.
In the meantime, please see our SPRING Sign Up Genius to see where you can help:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D4AA5AB2AA1F5C70-48598345-spring
If you are interested in selling, you can show up to any of our in person selling sessions and you can learn on the spot! See at the end of this section for our current sales schedule.
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:
- Open up the Raise Right app (you might even have an auto pop up window to send invites)
- Click on Account at the bottom right of the screen
- Click on Settings at the top right of the screen
- Click on the 4th tab down to Invite Friends & Family
- 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!
Lastly as always….WE NEED YOU! We are looking to add more members to our Selling Team for next year and onward!
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
Time to get ready for fall CYO sports!
If you are interested in participating in soccer (K-8) or cross country (K-8), please let Mr. Gomula or Lan VoBa (l.p.voba@comcast.net) know! Registrations will be due towards the end of summer, so start thinking about if your child would like to participate. Go Phoenixes!
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
Are you handy with tools? We need someone to help us assemble a water table and an outdoor easel for our preschool playground. Please contact 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.
