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Dear STM Families, So, what does Lenten sacrifice look like in your home? It’s true that the pandemic has forced us to “give up” so much of what we took to be normal life, and it has stretched on with an indefinite ending. Last year’s Lent began without really any idea of how our lives were going to change-- suddenly having to change our patterns of behavior and deal with a scarcity of certain resources (even toilet paper, right?) were very difficult. It might help us to consider the differences between these involuntary struggles, such as not being able to hug or kiss our distant loves ones and consider our chosen Lenten penance. It’s possible that we could embrace and offer these involuntary sacrifices to bring us closer to God as much as our voluntary Lenten resolutions will. We can use these sacred days of Lent to deepen our relationship with Jesus, who first called us to journey with him through faith. In his 2021 Lenten message to the Church, Pope Francis spoke of these pandemic times. He said, “In these times of trouble, when everything seems fragile and uncertain, it may appear challenging to speak of hope. Yet, Lent is precisely the season of hope, when we turn back to the God who patiently continues to care for his creation.” I pray that our STM community may find the hope that Pope Francis speaks of by embracing the crosses we are given and that we take on during Lent. STM SCHOOL UPCOMING EVENTS: TOMORROW, Friday, Feb. 26 February Health Screening Cards DUE (attached) Monday, March 1 2021-22 STM School Registration DUE for current families Wednesday, March 3 STM Dine-Out Night at Papa John’s Monday, March 8 Yearbook orders and money DUE Monday, March 8 St. Patrick’s Day Candy Gram Orders are DUE Monday, March 15-Friday, March 19 Spring Break; NO SCHOOL Sunday, April 18 2nd Grade First Holy Communion IF YOU PLAN TO TRAVEL OVER SPRING BREAK: Please inform your child(ren)’s teachers and the Absence line if they will need to quarantine after Spring Break (or other) travel. We request that you let us know by March 1 so teachers can prepare for your child’s absence. Please look at the STM Travel Policy with the COVID information below. REGISTRATION PACKETS SENT HOME LAST THURSDAY: Registration packets for the 2021-22 school year were sent home with students last Thursday. Please check your child’s backpack for this important information. Connected Learners’ packets can be picked up in the STM School lobby. Current Student Registration is due by Monday, March 1. A completed packet includes:
Because of limited class sizes due to social distancing standards, we will only be able to accommodate the following numbers of students: CURRENT CLASS SIZES DUE TO SOCIAL DISTANCING STANDARDS: Kindergarten = 41 1st Grade = 51 2nd Grade = 46 3rd Grade = 51 4th Grade = 45 5th Grade = 45 6th Grade = 52 7th Grade = 48 8th Grade = 50 We will make sure that the appropriate number of seats are available for all returning students in the next grade level. It may mean that we need to shift classrooms to accommodate the social distancing standards, but we certainly want to ensure that our current students will return. After March 1, though, we will open registration to new families for any unreserved seats. To secure your child’s spot in his/her grade level, please be sure to return registration paperwork by March 1. PATRICK’S DAY CANDY GRAM SALE: Share the Luck of the Irish with your LUCKY CHARM at STM! Please help support Dan Tanner and his efforts in the 2021 BMA Foundation Dine and Dance with Stars to raise funds for STM for All! STM for All will be selling Candy Grams to be delivered on March 12th. “When you support STM for All you are helping to ensure that all aspects of STM are committed to welcoming all of God’s children by providing the resources, acceptance, compassion, and love necessary to support the development of their true potential.”
2ND GRADE FIRST COMMUNION: Our 2nd grade students will make their First Holy Communion on Sunday, April 18. There will be three individual Masses for each of the classrooms: 2:00 p.m.--Mrs. Anwander’s class 3:30 p.m.--Mrs. Corkins’ class 5:00 p.m.--Mrs. Spiller’s class More details will follow. Please watch for additional information from your child’s homeroom teacher and/or in upcoming Cyclone Chatter newsletters. SPRING PLKC SPORTS INFORMATION: Boys’ volleyball registration for grades 4-8 is now open on the PLKC website. The session will run from March 8 through May 7. Games will be Friday nights. I am looking for coaches for teams as well so please let me know if you are interested. Rules for season will be same as girls COVID rules which are posted on the website. If you have any questions please feel free to email Jenny Smith at jkalbsmith@gmail.com. Registration for boys and girls track for 4th through 8th grades is also open. We are looking for a head track coach. If you are interested in the head track coach position or to register your child for the track team, please contact Tim Waris at 816-942-2492. COVID-RELATED INFORMATION: STM COVID DASHBOARD: See picture below Meeting notes from today’s COVID Task Force: The COVID Task Force met this afternoon with 17 of the 21 members present on the Zoom call. We were joined by two health experts from the Kansas City, MO Health Department who had agreed to answer questions and clarify concerns from our agenda. Discussed during the 45-minute meeting were:
Due to the 45-minute time limit, we tabled our own discussion of the above topics to be continued at next week’s meeting. The following Action Items will be addressed next week with outcomes expected at the end of the meeting:
STM PROTOCOL FOR TRAVEL: With Spring Break only two weeks away, we have received questions regarding student & family travel guidelines. Attached below is a letter from Dr. Dan Peters, Superintendent of Kansas City-St. Joseph Diocese schools. Here is an excerpt from his letter: “As we approach spring break, some parents may consider taking their family on a trip. While taking a family trip is not inherently “unsafe”, meaning it does not necessarily expose those on the trip to the virus any more than traveling to the grocery store, it can unnecessarily expose our school community depending on the circumstances of the trip. For instance, if a family travels by plane to Florida, where few precautions are required by the local civil authorities, and then spends time in Disney World with hundreds of other persons enjoying the rides and exhibits, there is a much higher chance of exposure to the virus then driving to Colorado and spending time in a cabin where there is little or no exposure to others. I highly encourage parents to wait on taking any trips for the rest of this year where exposure to the virus is potentially high. If a family decides to take a trip which has a moderate to high chance of exposing the children to the virus, parents should expect the school may require the children to be placed in quarantine after returning from the trip and attend school virtually. This minimizes the exposure to the rest of the school community.” With this information in mind, STM will enforce the following protocols regarding travel: The St. Thomas More School Travel Policy Travel Information Days in Quarantine By plane OUT of the U.S. 14 days AFTER your return By plane IN the U.S. 7 days AFTER your return Being in crowds of 11 people or more 7 days AFTER not being in crowds of 11 people or more STM HEALTH SCREENING CARDS ARE DUE: Your child’s individual Health Screening Card is due the last Friday of each month. The sheet for February should be returned TOMORROW. Please find the Health Screening Card attached to this email. We appreciate your partnering with us to verify that every child is fever-free and not experiencing:
STM YEARBOOK ORDERS: Order envelopes were sent home with your child for the 2020-21 STM School Yearbook. All orders are due on March 8—no extensions available. If you did not receive an envelope, you can order at ybpay.lifetouch.com and use the Yearbook ID code: 12113021 ROOM/TEACHER REQUESTS: The STM office will review requests for room assignments based upon a written request submitted to Mrs. Crosthwait. All requests must be submitted before May 1. Only requests having a firm educational basis will be accepted for review. MORE IDEAS FOR LENTEN ACTIVITIES FOR FAMILIES:
Peace and Blessings, Linda Crosthwait, STM Principal  Dear STM Families, We began our Lenten journey yesterday on Ash Wednesday. Lent is the season of reflection and preparation before Easter, and a time of sacrifice, penance, and prayer in preparation of the risen Lord. At St. Thomas More School, we approach the Lenten season with great anticipation. We see Lent as the greatest season of the year as we prepare for the second coming of Christ with a sense of renewal, a sense of life, of death, and of rebirth. It’s a time to renew our baptismal commitment and to turn away from sin. Fasting is an important part of the Catholic Lenten season. Fasting ideas that a family can do together include giving up things like sweets, pop, donuts. Here are some other ‘fasting’ ideas you can do with your family, many that came from the newsletter “Teaching Catholic Kids”:
STM SCHOOL UPCOMING EVENTS: Thursday, Feb. 18 Registration packets for 2021-22 School Year went home in backpacks today Tuesday, Feb. 23 Lifetouch at STM for Spring Photos & Graduation Picture Re-Takes Monday, March 1 2021-22 STM School Registration DUE Monday, March 8 Yearbook orders and money DUE Monday, March 15-Friday, March 19 Spring Break; NO SCHOOL REGISTRATION PACKETS SENT HOME TODAY: Registration packets for the 2021-22 school year were sent home with students today. Please check your child’s backpack for this important information. Connected Learners’ packets can be picked up in the STM School lobby. Current Student Registration is due by Monday, March 1. A completed packet includes:
Because of limited class sizes due to social distancing standards, we will only be able to accommodate the following numbers of students: Kindergarten = 41 1st Grade = 51 2nd Grade = 46 3rd Grade = 51 4th Grade = 45 5th Grade = 45 6th Grade = 52 7th Grade = 48 8th Grade = 50 After March 1, we will open registration to new families. To secure your child’s spot in his/her grade level, please be sure to return registration paperwork by March 1. SPRING PICTURES AND GRADUATION PICTURE RE-TAKES: LifeTouch photographers will be at STM to take Spring photos and 8th Grade Graduation Photos for those who missed our first opportunity. Students may choose a school appropriate shirt for Spring Picture Day and wear khakis or jeans. Of course, the STM uniform is always a choice, as well. We will begin taking pictures at 8 a.m. for the Connected Learners. Please bring your Connected Learner to STM at 7:55 or 8:00 a.m. tomorrow for these pictures. All other students will be called by homeroom to take individual photos. Due to social-distancing standards, we will not take class photos or group shots this year. Only individual student photos will be taken. 8th Grade students who need to get a graduation photo taken should wear:
2ND GRADE FIRST COMMUNION: Our 2nd grade students will make their First Holy Communion on Sunday, April 18. There will be three individual Masses for each of the classrooms: 2:00 p.m.--Mrs. Anwander’s class 3:30 p.m.--Mrs. Corkins’ class 5:00 p.m.--Mrs. Spiller’s class More details will follow. Please watch for additional information from your child’s homeroom teacher and/or in upcoming Cyclone Chatter newsletters. COVID INFORMATION BELOW. A suggestion from some parents to cancel Spring Break this year was discussed in previous School Advisory Board and COVID Task Force meetings. I was asked to consider this opportunity again today, so a survey was sent out to members of the School Advisory Board and the COVID Task Force. The results were: 2 votes to cancel Spring Break; 32 votes to not cancel Spring Break. The COVID Task Force did not meet this week. On Feb. 4, the Task Force was asked to read through the related documents from some resources shared by parents. Those documents, some new information from the CDC, and additional conversation topics will continue at the next COVID Task Force meeting on Thursday, Feb. 25. Please share your discussion topics for the next meeting with any member of the COVID Task Force or with Mrs. Crosthwait. STM PROTOCOL FOR TRAVEL: With Spring Break only four weeks away, we have received questions regarding student & family travel guidelines. Attached below is a letter from Dr. Dan Peters, Superintendent of Kansas City-St. Joseph Diocese schools. Here is an excerpt from his letter: “As we approach spring break, some parents may consider taking their family on a trip. While taking a family trip is not inherently “unsafe”, meaning it does not necessarily expose those on the trip to the virus any more than traveling to the grocery store, it can unnecessarily expose our school community depending on the circumstances of the trip. For instance, if a family travels by plane to Florida, where few precautions are required by the local civil authorities, and then spends time in Disney World with hundreds of other persons enjoying the rides and exhibits, there is a much higher chance of exposure to the virus then driving to Colorado and spending time in a cabin where there is little or no exposure to others. I highly encourage parents to wait on taking any trips for the rest of this year where exposure to the virus is potentially high. If a family decides to take a trip which has a moderate to high chance of exposing the children to the virus, parents should expect the school may require the children to be placed in quarantine after returning from the trip and attend school virtually. This minimizes the exposure to the rest of the school community.” With this information in mind, STM will enforce the following protocols regarding travel: The St. Thomas More School Travel Policy Travel Information Days in Quarantine By plane OUT of the U.S. 14 days AFTER your return By plane IN the U.S. 7 days AFTER your return Being in crowds of 11 people or more 7 days AFTER not being in crowds of 11 people or more STM HEALTH SCREENING CARDS ARE DUE: Your child’s individual Health Screening Card is due the last Friday of each month. The sheet for February should be returned on Friday, Feb. 26. We appreciate your partnering with us to verify that every child is fever-free and not experiencing:
STM YEARBOOK ORDERS: Order envelopes were sent home with your child for the 2020-21 STM School Yearbook. All orders are due on March 8—no extensions available. If you did not receive an envelope, you can order at ybpay.lifetouch.com and use the Yearbook ID code: 12113021 Following is a short prayer you could pray with your family tonight or any day during Lent: Lord Jesus, please accept our small acts of penance today. As we journey through Lent, let us remember the feast you have prepared for us and let us be filled with thanks to You. Inspire us to pray more fervently throughout this time of penance as we await your resurrection. Peace and Blessings, Linda Crosthwait, STM Principal  Dear STM Families, Many thanks to all who participated in the STM Virtual Auction last weekend! I know that I bid against many of you—and lost out to many of you. I did ‘win’ some really great merchandise, too. The best feeling of all was knowing that my shopping was going to benefit our school and STM community. Our Fund-a-Need goal was not met, though. We have raised only $22,767 of our $75,000 goal to purchase additional learning devices to provide for every student at STM. The good news is that you can still donate. If you are able and willing, please go to www.stmauction.org and click on the tab for ‘Make a Donation.’ My sincere gratitude goes out to Stephanie Rogge and all of you who worked so hard to take a robust community fundraiser from the fun & games in Flanagan Hall to the virtual quiet in individual family living rooms. Your efforts are so appreciated! May this weekend be filled with many warm family moments as the temperatures continue to plummet over Valentine’s Day weekend! We will make up for missed Valentine’s parties in the classroom as we celebrate Valentine’s Day, Fat Tuesday, and the 100th Day of School when we return on Tuesday, February 16. STM SCHOOL UPCOMING EVENTS: Friday, Feb. 12 NO SCHOOL; Teacher Professional Development Monday, Feb. 15 NO SCHOOL; President’s Day Tuesday, Feb. 16 Registration packets for 2021-22 School Year go home in backpacks Tuesday, Feb. 16 8th Grade Yearbook Ads Due Tuesday, Feb. 16 Valentine’s Day Parties Tuesday, Feb. 16 100th Day of School! Tuesday, Feb. 16 Fat Tuesday Wednesday, Feb. 17 Ash Wednesday Monday, March 1 2021-22 STM School Registration DUE Monday, March 8 Yearbook orders and money DUE Monday, March 15-Friday, March 19 Spring Break; NO SCHOOL NO SCHOOL TOMORROW: STM teachers will engage in virtual Professional Development activities tomorrow, Friday, Feb. 12. The following topics will be covered:
NO SCHOOL ON MONDAY: There will be no school on Monday, Feb. 15 in recognition of President’s Day. 8TH GRADE GRADUATION YEARBOOK ADS DUE: Please take a look at the attached form if you would like to purchase a Yearbook Graduation Ad for your 8th grader. There are two sizes available: $25 for 1/4 of page or $15 for a business card-size ad. Deadline for submissions to Dawn Elliott, yearbook supervisor, is Tuesday, Feb. 16. You can send your submissions with the form below to elliott_dawn@stmcyclones.org . COVID-RELATED INFORMATION: STM COVID DASHBOARD: PLEASE SEE PICTURE BELOW The COVID Task Force did not meet this week. Last Thursday, the Task Force was asked to read through the related documents from some resources shared by parents. Those documents and additional conversation will continue at the next COVID Task Force meeting on Thursday, Feb. 18. STM PROTOCOL FOR TRAVEL: With Spring Break only four weeks away, we have received questions regarding student & family travel guidelines. Attached below is a letter from Dr. Dan Peters, Superintendent of Kansas City-St. Joseph Diocese schools. Here is an excerpt from his letter: “As we approach spring break, some parents may consider taking their family on a trip. While taking a family trip is not inherently “unsafe”, meaning it does not necessarily expose those on the trip to the virus any more than traveling to the grocery store, it can unnecessarily expose our school community depending on the circumstances of the trip. For instance, if a family travels by plane to Florida, where few precautions are required by the local civil authorities, and then spends time in Disney World with hundreds of other persons enjoying the rides and exhibits, there is a much higher chance of exposure to the virus then driving to Colorado and spending time in a cabin where there is little or no exposure to others. I highly encourage parents to wait on taking any trips for the rest of this year where exposure to the virus is potentially high. If a family decides to take a trip which has a moderate to high chance of exposing the children to the virus, parents should expect the school may require the children to be placed in quarantine after returning from the trip and attend school virtually. This minimizes the exposure to the rest of the school community.” With this information in mind, STM will enforce the following protocols regarding travel: The St. Thomas More School Travel Policy Travel Information Days in Quarantine By plane OUT of the U.S. 14 days AFTER your return By plane IN the U.S. 7 days AFTER your return Being in crowds of 11 people or more 7 days AFTER not being in crowds of 11 people or more STM HEALTH SCREENING CARDS ARE DUE: Please send your child’s individual Health Screening Card with records kept from Jan. 4-Jan. 29 to your child’s homeroom teacher. These sheets are due the last Friday of each month. The sheet for February should be returned on Friday, Feb. 26. We appreciate your partnering with us to verify that every child is fever-free and not experiencing:
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR STM VIRTUAL AUCTION RAFFLE WINNERS! Jeremy Borchert won the 50/50 Raffle! James Smith won the Registration Raffle! TJ and Jill Brennan won the School Activity Raffle! The winners of the Fareway Market Hams were: Keri Hanrahan, Jessica Griffiths, Kelley Young, and Angela French-Sweeny. TRAFFIC REMINDERS AT DROP-OFF AND PICK-UP: Just a few safety reminders about morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up: All K-8 students should always exit the car on the side of the car closest to the school building. Parents of PK students should park and escort the child to the Gym Lobby Entrance. Both child and parents should be masked when entering the building. Please do not park in the drop-off lane as it backs up the process for everyone else. If a grandparent or friend is picking up your child, please email the teacher and the office so that we will allow the child to dismiss with that person. Please make sure that anyone dropping off or picking up your child has the who was trying to back out of a parking space in front of the gym and exit at that light and it was causing confusion. Your child should exit the car from the door closest to the sidewalk. Exiting from the parking lot side is a definite safety hazard. Thank you for your support in keeping our parking lot a safe place for all students. SPRING PLKC SPORTS INFORMATION: Boys’ volleyball registration for grades 4-8 is now open on the PLKC website. The session will run from March 8 through May 7. Games will be Friday nights. I am looking for coaches for teams as well so please let me know if you are interested. Rules for season will be same as girls COVID rules which are posted on the website. If you have any questions please feel free to email Jenny Smith at jkalbsmith@gmail.com. Registration for boys and girls track for 4th through 8th grades is also open. Please contact Tim Waris for more information. STM YEARBOOK ORDERS: Order envelopes were sent home with your child for the 2020-21 STM School Yearbook. All orders are due on March 8—no extensions available. If you did not receive an envelope, you can order at ybpay.lifetouch.com and use the Yearbook ID code: 12113021 ASH WEDNESDAY IS THIS WEEK: Social distancing standards will not allow for the traditional ceremony of ashes on Ash Wednesday this year. I have attached a Family Prayer Service below that includes your own ashes ceremony. Please consider beginning Lent with your family in reflection and preparation with these prayers. Peace and Blessings, Linda Crosthwait, STM Principal  |
Cyclone ChatterThis is a weekly letter that Linda Crosthwait, Principal of STM puts out for school families. Archives
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