Happy Valentine's Day

 Good evening.  I hope everyone had a great weekend.  A big thank you to Nicki and all her volunteers for putting together a wonderful (and profitable!) Gala for the school.  Everyone who attended had a great time.  

Be sure to check the calendar. Keep our 6th graders in your prayers on Wednesday as they participate in Focus 11.  This is an annual event focused on helping students discern their vocation.  On Thursday, Dominic DeMuro in 6th grade will be the principal for the day.  This is something his mom purchased at our Angel's event two years ago and we have not been able to accommodate it until now.  Dominic will spend the morning with me observing classes and doing uniform checks and then he will help with the ice cream event also purchased through Angels.  We will be delivering ice cream to every classroom that day during lunch to celebrate Ben Basilicato's birthday.  

This will be a busy week with many things happening.  A few reminders for the week:

• Tomorrow is Valentine's shirt and jean day and Tuesday is Holy Card free dress.  
• Teachers will meet in Heather's room Monday after carline to grade the Mustang Writes.
• Friday is the last day of the Trimester
• Feb. 15 is the day that all Intent to Return forms are due.    

Have a wonderful week filled with lots of love!

The Angels are Almost Among Us!

 Good afternoon and Happy Sunday!  If you are unsure what the title of this post means, I'm referring to our Gala which is only days away.  Nicki and her band of volunteers have been working for weeks (and months) to make this event happen.  I am grateful for all the hours and work they have put into this event.  It will be a fun time for everyone attending and hopefully, a financial success to fund the vision Gina and I have for the Media Center.  We have been blessed with many baskets and live item donations to help us reach our goal.  

Since school is closed on Friday, teachers please remind students of the following on Thursday:

• Feb. 12-13 is uniform/holy card weekend
• Feb. 14 is jeans and Valentine's shirt day.  Remind students of the rules. (Students may not wear leggings, sweat pants, pajama pants, etc., and the shirt must have a Valentine logo or be predominantly red or pink.  This is not a spirit shirt day but they can wear their PE shirt since it's red.)
• Feb. 15 is holy card free-dress day.  Again, please go over the free dress rules.  Anyone wearing leggings MUST have a tunic-style shirt over them which should reach approximately mid-thigh.  

As Gina has been reminding teachers, the last week of the Trimester is almost here.  Please do not give summatives in every class the week of Feb. 14.  If they are needed at this point in the trimester, they should be spread out over this week and next.  

Reminder to everyone, the Intent to Return form is due Tuesday, February 15.  We have received about half already.  Please be sure to turn it in by that date.  

Thank you all for continuing to be awesome!  Have a great week!

Celebrating Catholic Schools

 Happy Catholic Schools Week!  Thank you for your dedication to Catholic education and all that you do for our students and their families.  This is a week in which we take time to thank everyone who is a part of Catholic education or in some way contributes to it.  Please be sure you are aware of all the activities and feel free to dress up as the students will be this week.  The schedule was in Tidbits, the Sunday Bulletin, and teachers also received a more detailed copy.  Thank you to our CSW Committee and the Student Council for their hard work in putting together all the activities.  Also, be sure to thank PTCO for the upcoming lunch on Tuesday. 

For teachers, our PLC Faculty Meeting on Monday will focus on i-Ready scores.  Encore teachers should look for guidance from Gina if you need to attend.

Please keep Fr. Izzie in your prayers.  He was away on vacation last week and returned with an unwelcomed souvenir and is currently quarantined in the rectory.  He is fully vaccinated so our hope is that his case of Covid-19 will be mild.  

I want to take a moment to share with everyone my plans for next year in terms of administration and technology.  Thankfully, our enrollment has improved and I am able to put people back in place so that one or two of us are not trying to do the work of many.  For next year, my plans are to hire a full-time Assistant Principal and a full-time Media Specialist.  The plan is for both to attend the FACTS Elevate Conference in the summer to become skilled in FACTS/SIS and also to spend time with Gina before she leaves at the end of June.  The Media Specialist will be responsible for teaching technology and STREAM, managing all devices, maintaining the library and Makerspace, and collaborating with teachers to make use of the resources we have at school.  This person will also manage all our digital software and student databases as they relate to our curriculum.  This will take many of the tasks from the AP position, allowing that person to focus on providing instructional support to teachers.  If you would like more information on the roles of these two positions, please read the job descriptions on the DOSP website.  We are currently interviewing for both positions and already have a strong candidate for each position.  Please keep this in your prayers that the Lord will provide!  

Finally, Friday is a half-day and all teachers should plan to stay for Professional Development.  Details to follow.  

Have a great CSW!!  

Winter is Here

Good afternoon everyone!  I hope everyone is staying warm.  I do not have much to share today except to talk about the weather.  When temperatures are below 45-50 degrees (as we will see in the next couple of weeks), it's important that students are wearing a sweater or sweatshirt when they go outside.  We may even see temperatures below 40 during morning recess.  I try to catch it in carline in the morning as I'm always amazed when they come out of the car in their PE t-shirt and it's 45 degrees outside.  Please remind the students to wear their school sweatshirt or sweater.  

When it gets cold it's also important to review the uniform rules as this is the time of year when they start wearing all sorts of items to keep warm (unlike those who wear nothing but a t-shirt).  Here are the rules:  

All Student Uniform Requirements and Options (Pre-K – 8)

• Red or navy fleece zip-up jacket with logo

• Navy Cardigan Sweater with logo

• Navy zip-up hooded sweatshirt

• Solid black shoes or solid black athletic shoes including outsole and shoe strings (no slip-on ballerina flats)

• White, black, or navy ankle socks (no logos)

• White ankle socks with plaid ruffle may be worn only with the plaid jumper or skort.

• White or navy knee socks (girls only)

• White or navy footed tights on cold days, no leggings. Generally. Leggings are much thicker, footless, and can sometimes be worn like pants. Tights are somewhat sheer or knit, cover the foot, and must be worn under another garment.

• Black, brown, or navy belt must be worn with flat-front pants (boys and girls, grades 3-8)

• Black, brown, or navy belt must be worn with flat-front shorts (boys grades 3-8)

PE Uniform Girls and Boys (Grades K – 8)

• PE shorts with logo

• PE shirt with logo

• Sweatpants with logo 

• Red Sweatshirt with logo 

• Solid black athletic shoes

Cold Weather

Only school logo sweaters, sweatshirts, or fleece are allowed to be worn inside the school building, the Family Life Center, and Church. Non-uniform jackets or sweatshirts can be worn to school but must be removed in the classroom. Leggings and sweatpants worn under the uniform must also be removed in the classroom.  Non-uniform outerwear will only be permitted outside during the school day on extremely cold days over their school-issued sweater or sweatshirt. White undershirts/camisoles may only be worn if they do not show beneath the uniform (no long sleeves). They have the choice of wearing a school sweater or sweatshirt.

One thing I am seeing a lot of is black tights and black knee socks on the girls - not allowed.  There are some students that I will be VERY surprised if they are in jeans or free dress on our next out-of-uniform day as I see violations almost on a daily basis.  I also saw gray shoes last week.  I don't like to say anything because they may have been wearing them for a while or there may be a reason I'm unaware of.  Please check uniforms daily.  

Teachers, we will all meet in Heather's room after carline for a brief meeting before you go off to your PLC meetings.  Thank you and have a great week.  Keep warm.

i-Ready and the 100th Day of School

 If you were wondering where we are in our 180 days of school, we are nearing the 100th day.  Thank you Kindergarten for always reminding us of this milestone.  This is also the week that most students will be completing the i-Ready diagnostic.  Please remind the students to do their best and that this is their opportunity to show us what they know.  Other than that, it seems to be a pretty typical week at St. Stephen.  

We are hoping that the Covid cases have peaked and will begin to drop.  While some of our students are testing positive, the good news is that they have not become seriously ill.  

On Saturday, our 8th graders became filled with the Gifts of the Holy Spirit in the Sacrament of Confirmation.  They all looked ready and excited to receive this gift.  Thank you Shaun for helping our students to prepare for this beautiful sacrament.  

I will end my blog today with some sad news but also a celebration of the gift that Gina has been to St. Stephen.  Gina shared with me that she does not plan to return to St. Stephen for the 2022-23 school year.  She is ready to embark on the next stage in her career.  Gina has been a vital member of our family since 2004 helping the school to grow from the first year we had a middle school, through a pandemic, and with preparing for the future.  When I think of all the things that Gina does for us, I know it will take someone special to fill her shoes.  With the experience she has gained here and with different opportunities available that meet her personal and family needs, it is time for Gina to continue her career beyond the walls of St. Stephen.  I am sure you all know how saddened I was when she told me, but I am also grateful for all the years of service she has given to the school, and I am truly excited about her next adventures.  We felt it was important that everyone heard this from us before I place an ad for her replacement.  I ask that you not discuss with parents until Gina has an opportunity to tell them in Tidbits this week.  Please join me in wishing her well as we spend our final months working together.

Have a joyous week!

Delta and Omicron and Deltacron, Oh My!

 If you have been watching the news, there is possibly a new strain of Covid that was discovered in Cypress that has properties of both Delta and Omicron and they have named it Deltacron.  You may have also read in the news that we need to start changing our mindset about Covid-19.  I had a discussion in carline one morning with Coach Green about Covid, measles, smallpox, etc., and how the vaccines are different.  I then read an interesting article on the topic and what I learned is that the Covid vaccine is not meant to eradicate the virus as other vaccines did.  It's meant to contain it to a level that would end the pandemic.   If you are interested in learning more about vaccines, here is the article that was in Scientific America https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/vaccines-need-not-completely-stop-covid-transmission-to-curb-the-pandemic1/

What I'm also reading in many places is that we need to learn how to live in a world with Covid, not hide from it.  A good example of how the Diocese is moving forward with this mindset is their decision about positive cases in schools.  No longer are classes shutting down.  Instead, students are all wearing masks and taking precautions (masks, social distancing, eating lunch outside, etc.) that allow them to stay in school.  The only time the Diocese will approve closing a class or school is if there is not enough teachers and staff in the building.  The best advice I can give you all is to talk to your doctor about what is right for you, continue to get vaccinated, get the booster, wear a mask if you do not feel well, and continue to maintain a healthy lifestyle.  And if anyone can give me some advice as to where to buy half and half for my coffee, it would be appreciated.  Did Covid take out the cows?  Of course, I'm not serious, but we need to find some humor in all of this - see below :)

For some good news, our 6th graders participated in an overnight adventure to the Kennedy Space Center on Friday.  How exciting it was to bring back this field trip even with the face of Omicron.  Thank you Christine for taking them on this adventure!  It looks like they had a good time.  

For teachers, Monday's faculty meeting is s PLC (I did change this on the calendar).  Middle school and Encore teachers will meet in Room 20 to discuss pages 45-54 in our book study of The Successful Middle School.  Gina will give directions to the other two groups.  Monday is also holy card free dress day.  Teachers, please be sure you are checking uniforms.  I continue to see jewelry, nail polish, logo socks, pink socks, very short shorts and skorts.  I do speak to students when I see violations, but if you are not giving out uniform violations and following up by not letting them participate in free dress days, my talk with them means nothing.  Review the handbook if you are unsure.  On Friday I saw a female student (in an older grade) in very short shorts.  When I got closer I realized she was wearing the shorts meant for grades PK-2.  Once they hit grade 3rd grade, they should be wearing the mesh shorts which are longer.  A couple of years ago the uniform section of the handbook was edited and I didn't realize this was changed.  I will change it back for next year.  It should read:

PE Uniform Girls and Boys (Grades K – 8)
• Knit PE shorts with logo (Gr. K-2)
• Mesh PE shorts with logo (Gr. 3-8)
• PE shirt with logo
• Sweatpants with logo (cold weather)
• Red Sweatshirt with logo (cold weather)

Third grade is a transition year so some grace is given.  We also allow the pull-on navy shorts in 3rd grade as needed even though that is the year they transition to flat-front zipper pants.  Any student (including those in first grade) who chooses to wear the zip-up pants, must have a belt.  Otherwise, they look like a plumber when they bend over.  

Thank you all for your continued support and I hope everyone is feeling well this week!

Happy New Year!

 Welcome to the new year.  I hope everyone had a wonderful break and was able to spend quality time with friends and family. I'm sure many of us continue to have hopes that each year will be better than the last and I'm sure you have seen the memes that talk about the pronunciation of the year 2022 and how it sounds like "2020 TOO!"  With the arrival of Omicron and how many people are currently sick with it, that may not be too far off.  However, I do believe there is much hope that things will continue to improve.  I know most of us got our vaccines at the same time and are therefore eligible for the booster.  If you have not received your booster shot, I encourage you to go get it.  It seems that Covid is here with us and this is how we protect ourselves from getting seriously ill.  If you have not read my email that went out yesterday to all families and staff, please take some time to read the new updates for Covid.  Teachers should also continue to monitor changes to the opt-out file as parents continue to submit the form.  

Just like other businesses, we are experiencing staff shortages due to Covid.  We all need to be patient and understanding as we may be asking everyone to take on some different roles.  Gina and I do not want to overburden anyone, but we may be asking that you do something different.  For example, assistants may take on different tasks and our Resource Department may become a resource for all.  For office staff and administration, the priority for the next few weeks will be getting ready for re-enrollment and the Angel's Gala so know that we all will be working very hard for the next few weeks but together we will get through this and we always need to remain focused on what is most important - our students.  I did tell Fr. Dermot not to panic if he sees all the students in the FLC watching a movie with just 2 teachers supervising but I'm sure we will be able to do much better than that.  It is somewhat comforting to know that it's not just our school.  I had a zoom meeting Friday morning for principals and we are all dealing with the same problems right now.  The Diocese will continue to monitor the situation and we will have weekly updates like at the beginning of the year.  

The new teacher computers have arrived, however, the monitors did not.  I have followed up on the status and I know John is getting the computers ready for when the monitors arrive.   

Teachers should be receiving a schedule next week for i-Ready testing which is currently scheduled for the second week back.  Since we have a Professional Development day on Friday, Jan. 7, I am tentatively canceling our faculty meeting on Monday.  I'm sure everyone has plenty to do coming back from break.  I say tentatively because some of us may need to meet briefly if we need to map out a plan for the week once we see what the staff and student attendance is on Monday.  Please monitor your email for updates Monday morning.  For Friday's professional development, all teachers PK-8, Encore, and ESE should plan to attend.