A Few Reminders...

 I hope everyone is enjoying the long weekend.  Teachers, enjoy your workshops tomorrow.  The teachers who are meeting me at school have received emails regarding the plan for tomorrow.

Reminders for this week:

• Tuesday is picture day.  Everyone comes to school in regular uniform.  No PE uniforms.  8th graders were told what to wear for graduation pictures.
• Boo Gram sales continue during lunch
• Barbara will only be in on Tuesday and Wednesday this week
• 6th grade Focus 11 video is due to the Diocese
• 7th grade will be on a field trip all day Friday with Mr. Plumer 
• Friday is Family Movie Night

Please remember All Saints Day is just around the corner.  I will be sending a google form to teachers so I know the plan for your homeroom.  

Hurricane days decision was included in Tidbits this week.  

Have a great week!

Boo!

 Thank you to everyone who helped with and supported the Pumpkin Patch.  It was a great success and everything looked beautiful.  Note for next time...  More face painters need to be on hand!  That was very popular and our students did a great job painting.  I'm not sure the older students appreciate how much the little ones look up to them and think they are really cool.  

This week the fun continues with Boo Gram sales.  Mr. Brozak should have sent teachers information on what to expect.  Sales will take place all week for delivery on Halloween.  This is also the time to prepare for All Saints Day.  Typically our PK-2nd grade will dress up as saints for Mass.  How much of the costume the students wear throughout the day is up to the teacher.  I recommend PE uniforms underneath.  Our other students have decorated a plain white t-shirt with images of a saint and things that represent them they have researched (Ex. St. Therese - flowers).   For 8th graders, it should be their Confirmation saint.  In middle school, you could think about the option to decorate a t-shirt or maybe have them dress as the saint or what they are the patron saint of.  What is most important is to put this in your religion lessons plans soon so students have time to learn about their saint.

Remember that there is no school on Friday and students do not have school on Monday.  As discussed previously, the plan for Oct. 17 is PK teachers are registered for one event, Mary G and Maria are going to the Instructional Coaches PD, All teachers K-5, David, and Connor are going to the ELA PD.  The Encore teachers (Yesenia, Denet, Darien, George, and Claudia) are here with me as are Marianne and Lisa.  If you have any questions, please see me.  

Finally, the superintendent was vague about hurricane make up days and for a few reasons.  It was too late to cancel Oct. 14 and 17, he didn't want to mess with Thanksgiving, and we are still not out of hurricane season.  I think he is also taking the lead from the county where they are looking at hours and not days.  We will address this again after Christmas and he will decide what to do then.  In the meantime, I will be paying everyone for all four days for your regularly scheduled hours.  If you were scheduled to work and were able to work any of those days (Tues-Fri), you will be paid for your regular hours.  Please put your hours in Paylocity as if you were here those days based on your regular schedule.  Again, see me if you have any questions.  

Have a wonderful week!

Prayers for those affected by Hurricane Ian

 Good afternoon.  I hope everyone is doing well and hopefully most of you have power.  I know some were affected more than others, but I am sure we are all grateful when we see the damage Ian caused for those south of us.  Let us continue to pray for them.  

October is the month of the Rosary.  Teachers were sent an email this morning regarding what we do as a school during the morning show this month and rosaries were placed in each K-8 homeroom teacher's mailbox this morning.  If anyone needs more or if PK would like some, please just let me know.  I will be in late tomorrow and Mary will lead the Rosary tomorrow on the Morning Show.  After that, the morning show crew will lead it.  

I can't thank you all enough for how quickly you pulled it all together on Monday to send the students home for two days of virtual learning.  I popped in on most classes on Wednesday and was very impressed with the attendance.  I have a principal's meeting on Friday to learn more about how we will make up the two days we missed.  After I learn that decision, I will inform everyone on how to complete your time card for last week (including part time personnel).  

Please be careful on the big playground.  The picnic tables under the green awning are off limit until we can secure the one pole that came out of the ground.  PreK will also need to stay away from the awning on their playground.  I am asking Duffy to put up caution tape until they can be repaired.  There is still a lot of debris to clean up on the property and I'm hoping the lawn crew will be here Monday to work on that.  

Mass this week will be a Communion Service as priests are not available.  This means everything is the same except there is no consecration.  Melissa will let choir know if they are singing.  Denet, please be sure choir members have all the new songs including the two new 5th graders.

Finally, we will have Marvelous Mustang on Thursday.  Please be sure you have let all the parents know their child was chosen and invite them to be present on Thursday for the morning show.  

Have a wonderful week!

Ian is Coming!

No, not Ian Fleming or Ian Anderson, but a different, unwelcome Ian.  Hopefully, you all took time this weekend preparing (not buying 14 cases of water, just preparing).  As the cone of uncertainty is very wide and keeps changing, most likely decisions will not be made until Tuesday or Wednesday.  Remember, we do NOT follow Hillsborough County closures.  At times, public schools close a day early to prepare because they are used as evacuation shelters.  I will keep you all up-to-date as the week progresses.  

Here are some reminders for this week:

Monday - For teachers - Subject area PLC (directions to follow on Monday)

Thursday - Encore teacher PLC at 2:15 (meet in the art room)

Friday - Marvelous Mustang and PK/K Trike-a-thon

If you have chosen your Marvelous Mustang with the reason why, please do so by Monday morning so that we have time to print out the certificates.  

Finally, Book Fair was a GREAT SUCCESS!  Thank you to Nicki and Yesenia and all the PTCO members and parent volunteers for helping to make this happen.  Our gross sales were over $15,000 and everyone had a great time!

Have a wonderful week!

I Love Rock and Roll

 Whether it's Chuck Berry singing "Let me hear some of that Rock and Roll" or Led Zeppelin singing "It's been a long time since I rock and rolled," I Love Rock and Roll, and maybe you do too.  So make sure you make like a Rolling Stone and find some Satisfaction at the Book Fair this week.  Teacher preview is Monday morning at 7am with breakfast treats provided by PTCO.  It's going to be a crazy week so please be sure you have read all the emails.  If you have any question about Friday, please come see me.  

Saturday was the SVDP Ladies Tea and some of our students were the entertainment.  Bree and Mallory in grade 4 sang, Nina and Alli in grade 7 played piano, and Leah in grade 7 sang a solo that was beautiful.  We have some amazing talent in our school and I was so proud of our students.  

Teachers have two professional development workshops this week, i-Ready on Monday at 3:30 in the Media Center for all homeroom teachers grades K-8, Lisa, Amanda, Barbara, and Melissa.  For Friday's professional development, please refer to my emails.  

In case you missed it, I put lockdown magnets on all the doors.  All classroom doors should remain locked at all times.  The magnet will allow the door to stay open.  In the event of a lockdown or shelter in place, just remove the magnet and the door will be secure.  

Have a great week!

Remember

 ... to say a prayer for those we lost on 9/11/01 and especially those who gave their life to help others.

I hope everyone is enjoying a break from the rain today, at least for now.  We have a fairly quiet week coming up before our exciting book fair week.  Teachers, please be sure you have read everything related to the book fair so that you are prepared for next week (Sept. 19-23).  

Our faculty meeting tomorrow will be time to work on CIPA.  The schedule says, "Review benchmarks and discuss the evidence needed and create a plan to collect evidence." Chairpersons should reach out to their committee and let them know where you will meet at 3:30.

Please be sure you are promoting our SVDP food drive. The last day to bring in canned/dry food is Thursday.

Have a wonderful week!

Happy Labor Day

 Good afternoon to all.  I hope you all found some rest from your labors this weekend.  There is not much happening this week. Please remind your students to wear their uniform to Mass this coming weekend for a free dress on Monday.  Mary will be attending a CE Tracker training Thursday morning and I will be at a principal's meeting on Friday.  

For those of you who were here in 2014, I want you to be aware of a trial involving the HCSO that is starting in Tampa the week of Sept. 12.  Andrew Joseph was an 8th grade student at St. Stephen the year he met with a tragic accident after attending the state fair.  The trial centers around the circumstances that led to his death.  Should anyone form the news media approach you as a representative of St. Stephen, your reply is no comment and you may direct them to me.  Please keep the Joseph family in your prayers.

Have a wonderful 4-day week!