Good Luck and May the Answers Forever be in Your Favor

Relax and Breathe.  Two important words to stress this week because stress is something we want to avoid.  This test does not define anyone and we want students to remember that.  It's important they do their best so we can see what they really know but how well they do is not what's important for them.  How well they do will help us to see who our struggling students are, who the students are that should be enriched, and how well our curriculums are working.  If you are a test proctor, it is important that you are not doing anything else during testing.  You should be standing, observing, occasionally walking around, posting start/stop times with time alerts throughout (half-way, 10 min. left), etc.  What you should not be doing is sitting, grading papers, going on your computer, etc. Gina and I appreciate your efforts in making this a successful testing week.  

As some of you may be aware, this is my second year working on the School Initiative Committee and our primary task has been to create new religion standards.  Our work is complete.  Right now they are being formatted and proofed and the next step will be to present to the Bishop.  Once we have his approval we will be sending them out to teachers for feedback.  Next year we should be piloting the standards in a few schools.

Tuesday night is our 2nd Annual Pancake Dinner.  All teachers were asked to stop by and show support and my hope is that all faculty and staff will be there.  If we are asking the Parish to support us, it's important that they see the event is important to us too.  Pancakes will be served up from 4:30 to 7:00 pm.  Bring the whole family as there will be fun for everyone!  Also, NO HOMEWORK AT ALL FOR ANYONE on Tuesday night.  That means no tests on Wednesday or projects due on Wednesday.  We want to encourage everyone to attend.  

This week, religion teachers should be introducing Lent, the meaning of ashes, and the idea of a Lenten sacrifice.  Help students understand that this is not about giving up candy.  They should give up things that separate them from Christ and do something in its place to bring them closer to Christ.   Some examples:

• Fast from anger and Feast on patience
• Fast from video games and Feast on the Word of God
• Fast from complaining and Feast on appreciation
• Fast from apathy and Feast on enthusiasm
• Fast from social media and Feast on time with family

Please be sure all grades are complete tonight.  Report cards will be made available on Friday and I will be at the Pastoral Center Friday.  Saturday afternoon at 12:30 pm is Confirmation.  Please come celebrate with our 8th graders.  

Lastly, please put the maintenance phone number on your phone in case you ever need something and I'm not available.  It is 813-734-5877.  Have a great week!

Happy "Presidents" Day

Happy Birthday President Washington (almost) and thank you for being born in February giving us a day off this month.  I hope everyone did something amazing this weekend with the beautiful weather we had.

We have more field trips this week and the NJHS Bake Sale at lunch.  Be sure to complete the Terra Nova Practice Books this week.  Gina will send information regarding end of Trimester 2 and due dates for grades and incompletes.

There is it.  Holiday Weekend Blog - short and sweet!   Have a great week!

Love Is In The Air....

...and if it's not love I smell, then it must be the Student Council Smencils :)   Student council will be selling these this week and they will be distributed on Friday.   

Please remember to give your conference schedule for Friday to the front office and to Gina.  Jamie S. and Julianne will be attending the second part of the Layered Curriculum workshop on Friday.   Charles and Alton will also be attending a workshop that day.  All other teachers are expected to be here on Friday until 3:30.  If your conferences are complete or you are not a core subject teacher, you will need to put in for time off if you plan to leave prior to 3:30.  

At the Faculty meeting on Monday, we will be discussing Terra Nova and next year's theme.  It is an important meeting for all teachers since everyone is involved in the testing process.  

First and Third Grade will be out on field trips on Tuesday.  Sixth Grade will be at Focus 11 on Wednesday.  I hope everyone has a great time and learns lots of new things.  Let's keep 6th grade in our prayers on Wednesday as learn more about vocations.  

A special Thank You to Julianne for yet another awesome Interfaith Day.  This was our 4th year and when the other schools arrived it was like seeing old friends again and even after 4 years, I learned something new.  It is my favorite day of the year and I hope it's a tradition we can continue for a very long time.  

Have a wonderful week. 

"We love because He first loved us." 1 John 4:19

Harmony Starts with Acceptance

World Interfaith Harmony Week is an annual event observed during the first week of February.  It was proposed the King Abdulla II of Jordan at the UN in 2010 and adopted that same year to create mutual understanding and interreligious dialogue as a way to promote harmony between all people regardless of their faith.  The goal is to spread the message of harmony and tolerance among the followers of the three monotheistic faiths and all the world’s religions.  It also seeks to promote the common goals that most religions share - Love of God and Love of Neighbor. 

In February 2019, Pope Francis and Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb signed a historic declaration calling for peace between nations, religions, and races called the “Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together.”  The document asks people of all religions and cultures to spread the values of peace, justice, goodness, beauty, human fraternity, and coexistence.  It affirms the importance of family and the awakening of religious awareness especially in young people to confront tendencies that are individualistic and selfish.  It also declared that religions must never incite war and hateful attitudes and attests that freedom is the right of every person.  All life is a gift from God meant to be treasured and protected. 

This week, students from St. Stephen, Hebrew schools, and Islamic schools will come together to share their faiths and learn that we are more alike than different.  In order to have harmony, there must be acceptance and it is our hope that our efforts each year help others grow in acceptance. 

If you have some time on Thursday, stop by the FLC to see amazing things happening.  Thank you Julianne for making this event happen!

The focus of this week's STREAM meeting will be used to discuss assessment, grading, and homework.  We will meet in the MakerSpace room.  Please be sure to view the videos Gina sent you. 

Have a Harmonious Week!

Happy Catholic Schools Week!

As I sat down to write my blog this week, I wasn't sure where to begin.  There are so many things happening this week.  Then a word came to mind....  flexibility.  I found two definitions for the word: willingness to change or compromise (and there is a great deal of change in schedules this week which require we compromise some of our academic time) and the quality of bending easily without breaking.  I actually like the second one and I hope we don't break you when we ask you to bend to our requests.  This year is no different than other years and yet it seems that more and more we are asked to give up instructional time for other events.  I'm in the process of creating next year's calendar and I'm looking at how we can find more balance between academics and non-academic events.  I do not pretend to be an expert at this and I would like to put together a committee to work with me on this.  If you feel inspired to work on the calendar, please let me know.  It will need to be a few sessions after school when everyone is available.  If I have many volunteers, I will choose people so that there is representation at different grade levels and positions.  Send me an email by Wednesday to volunteer.  

I'd like to give a Hats Off to Julianne for creating the very cool video that was played at Mass this weekend.  Also, Hats Off to Gina for making my words in this week's bulletin article sound awesome.  

Remember to give a last push for the Walkathon on Friday so that we can meet our goal of $15,000.  And also remember to be flexible and enjoy all the events of CSW!  Have a great week!

Do What is Right

Many of us know the quotes of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.  One I read today was meaningful to me.  Dr. King said, "The time is always right to do what is right."  There are many times when I make decisions that I believe are right but others don't always agree.  We can't always cave to others' desires, sometimes we have to do what we know in our hearts is right.  Does that mean I'm always right?  No, but it means I can live with my choices because they were made with the best intentions.   

Hats off to all our Teachers.  I know there are so many things you are asked to do and today when I looked at the Family Portal, I was so appreciative of how much information is there for parents to see.  The more information we can provide, the fewer questions our parents will have.

Please remember that all Tidbits submissions must be sent to Karen by Wednesday morning.  Anything sent later than that will be put in the following week.  

There is a General PTCO Meeting Tuesday night at 6:30 in the FLC.  You are welcome, but not required to attend.  

Our STREAM Fair students will be heading to St. Pete on Thursday and we wish them the best of luck.  

Gina is out Tuesday and Wednesday.  No one is allowed to be sick and if anyone feels inspired to help me at 7:25 with carline, that would be nice if you're not busy and like the cold weather :)  If you are sick, remember to call Karen Biase. 

I will be at Tampa Catholic on Friday.  Friday is also Marvelous Mustang and the Middle School Social.  

Have a Marvelous Week!

Peace as a Journey of Hope

The following is from Catholic Online https://www.catholic.org/news/hf/faith/story.php?id=83969   This new year, this new decade, begins much like the past year, the past decade: wars between countries, wars within countries, nations around the globe preparing for future wars and astronomical military budgets cemented in place to ensure all this unholy madness continues.  In his Jan. 1, 2020 World Day of Peace message "Peace as a Journey of Hope: Dialogue, Reconciliation and Ecological Conversion," the Holy Father writes "Hope is thus the virtue that inspires us and keeps us moving forward, even when obstacles seem insurmountable."  Francis says, "The world does not need empty words but convinced witnesses, peacemakers who are open to a dialogue that rejects exclusion or manipulation. In fact, we cannot truly achieve peace without a convinced dialogue between men and women who seek the truth beyond ideologies and differing opinions."

Where does St. Stephen fit in with this message?  Upcoming events show that we are living Pope Francis' words.  We have professional development at the end of the month on Sustainability and how we can do our part to protect our planet.  In less than a month we will hold Interfaith Day which is an opportunity for 8th graders of different faiths to come together and see how much alike they are.  Finally, living our faith is a testament of hope and without hope there is despair.  If you walk through our halls and see the smiling faces of the children, you know that we are all filled with joy and hope.  On Community Day we will open our doors so that others may witness the great joy and hope we have.

Teachers, please be sure to attend the Faculty Meeting on Monday as there a number of important items we will be talking about including the events for Catholic Schools Week.  Other things happening this week:

• School Board meeting Tuesday night
• Principal's Coffee Wednesday morning
• Bible Study with Youth Minister at lunch Grades 6-8
• Gina, Linda, Jill, and Gina A will be at the Pastoral Center on Thursday
• Re-enrollment begins on Thursday
• Final round of the Geography Bee is Friday last period for grades 4-8 in the FLC
• Gina will be at an Assistant Principal's meeting on Friday
• And it all ends with a 3-day weekend!

Please keep in mind that we are half-way through Trimester 2.  Teachers should be talking with parents of any student who has grades below a C for this trimester.  It can be as simple as a phone call or email, but you must make contact.  

On a personal note, thank you all for the thoughts and prayers for my sister.  Knowing there is an army of prayer warriors supporting you makes every burden lighter.  Have a wonderful week.