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Dear STM Families, “Slai`nte” or “Cheers” to all! Tomorrow is our STM celebration of St. Patrick’s Day and our final day of school before Spring Break! We are ‘wearing the green’ tomorrow in honor of St. Patrick, and students and staff may wear school-appropriate green tops or bottoms (or dresses). Khakis or jeans with green may also be worn. Of course, the school uniform is always appropriate. (This is not a 'regular'Spirit Day.) Students have been learning about St. Patrick in classrooms and many projects have focused on his life and the traditions surrounding the celebration on March 17, the anniversary of St. Patrick’s death. St. Patrick is credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland and is the patron saint of the country and all Irishmen. He’s most well-known for his explanation of the Holy Trinity using the three leaves of a native Irish clover, the shamrock, to represent the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Those bearded sprites known as leprechauns have become synonymous with St. Patrick’s Day and Irish culture, especially in our country. According to Irish folklore, leprechauns were cranky tricksters you wouldn't want to mess with. Some of our students are setting traps to catch these naughty imps in their classrooms. Be sure to visit with your child about their St. Paddy’s Day activities tomorrow! STM SCHOOL UPCOMING EVENTS: TOMORROW, Friday, March 12 St. Patrick’s Day Spirit Wear Day: Wear school-appropriate GREEN tops and/or bottoms Sunday March 14 Daylight Saving Time 2021 begins at 2:00 a.m.--Spring Forward! Monday, March 15-Friday, March 19 Spring Break; NO SCHOOL Week of March 22 Students in grades 2-8 attend Reconciliation Services during regular Mass times Tuesday, March 23 STM Parish Blood Drive Wednesday, March 24 STM Blood Drive pass for March Madness Out-of-Uniform Day (see details below) Thursday, April 1 Holy Thursday—½ day of school; Students dismissed at 12:30 p.m. Friday, April 2 and Monday, April 5 Good Friday and Easter Monday—NO SCHOOL Sunday, April 18 2nd Grade First Holy Communion Wednesday, May 12 8th Grade Graduation at 5 p.m. 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 requested that you let us know by March 1 so teachers can prepare for your child’s absence. IF YOU HAVE NOT NOTIFIED THE STM OFFICE, PLEASE DO SO TODAY. Please look at the STM Travel Policy with the COVID information below. 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-RELATED INFORMATION: STM COVID DASHBOARD: See below If your child has tested positive for COVID, and STM was not notified, please email Health@stmcyclones.org with the date of the positive test. COVID Task Force Meeting Notes: The COVID Task Force did not meet this afternoon. The next meeting is set for Thursday, March 25. Any additional agenda items for the next meeting can be shared with Mrs. Crosthwait or any COVID Task Force member. Following are the parents who serve on this team: Ben Lizak, Stephanie Rogge, Layne Griffith, Natalie Rellihan, Matt Pomianek, McCall Creswell, and Courtney Fitzgerald. The following actions have been taken since last week’s meeting: Playground equipment procedures:
Next week is Spring Break. 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: Your child's current individual Health Screening Card will be due Friday, March 26. 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:
MARCH MADNESS BLOOD DRIVE DONATION = OUT-OF-UNIFORM PASS! St. Thomas More students have an opportunity for an Out of Uniform or favorite sport team shirt day. Students may have an adult friend or relative donate blood at the upcoming STM blood drive on Tuesday, March 23 from 1:30-6 pm. The friend or relative will receive a coupon for the student(s) to redeem on March 24th. Only blood donors are allowed at the blood drive. Appointments strongly suggested. Go to savealifenow.org (stthomasmore) or email Linda Heiman hdc635@aol.com to sign up. To answer your questions please visit www.savealifenow.org or 1-800-688-0900. 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. SUMMER CYCLONES INFORMATION: COST PER WEEK: $200.00 for 5 days $150.00 for 3 days $100.00 for 2 days $50.00 to add a day Family discounts for more than one child, i.e., 10% off for 2nd child. + ONE-TIME ACTIVITY FEE OF $200 per child -(refundable) Summer Cyclones will run from June 1st through August 7th. More information to come. Always a favorite and so appropriate as we head off to Spring Break: An Irish Blessing May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face; the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of His hand. Peace and Blessings, Linda Crosthwait, STM Principal  Dear STM Families, Ahhh, it’s March! I don’t want to jinx us, but these past few days certainly give us hope that spring is just around the corner. STM students are enjoying more time outside with ‘picnic lunches’ and classes on the front porch of our school. Our 6th graders participated in outdoor Stations of the Cross on the track yesterday in the bright sunshine. A kindergarten class experimented with an erupting volcano outside in today’s warmth. This season of Lent coincides with spring, calling to mind the new life and growth, the hope and change that should characterize this time of prayer, sacrifice, and almsgiving. May your family’s 3rd week of Lent continue to bring you closer together and in your relationship with Christ as we journey toward Easter. STM SCHOOL UPCOMING EVENTS: TOMORROW, Friday, March 5 STM Spirit Day: Wear STM Spirit Wear, jeans, khakis, Spirit Wear bottoms, or uniform bottoms Monday, March 8 Yearbook orders and money DUE Monday, March 8 St. Patrick’s Day Candy Gram Orders are DUE Friday, March 12 St. Patrick’s Day Spirit Wear Day: Wear school-appropriate GREEN tops and/or bottoms Weeks of March 8 and March 15 Students in grades 2-8 attend Reconciliation Services during regular Mass times Monday, March 15-Friday, March 19 Spring Break; NO SCHOOL Thursday, April 1 Holy Thursday—½ day of school; Students dismissed at 12:30 p.m. Friday, April 2 and Monday, April 5 Good Friday and Easter Monday—NO SCHOOL Sunday, April 18 2nd Grade First Holy Communion STUDENT VISION SCREENING: A free vision screening sponsored by the Leawood Lions Club will be offered to your child during school from 3/10-3/12/21. The screening consists of an electronic scan of your child’s eyes to determine the presence of six eye disorders. This scan takes several seconds. Students who wear corrective lenses are screened wearing their glasses/contacts. No physical contact is made with your child and the school nurse will be present during the screening.
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 requested that you let us know by March 1 so teachers can prepare for your child’s absence. IF YOU HAVE NOT NOTIFIED THE STM OFFICE, PLEASE DO SO TODAY. Please look at the STM Travel Policy with the COVID information below.
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. COVID-RELATED INFORMATION: STM COVID DASHBOARD: See photo below If your child has tested positive for COVID, and STM was not notified, please email Health@stmcyclones.org with the date of the positive test. COVID Task Force Meeting Notes: The COVID Task Force met this afternoon with 18 of the 21 members present on the Zoom call. Discussed during the 45-minute meeting were:
ALSO DISCUSSED:
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: Your child's current individual Health Screening Card will be due Friday, March 26. 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. SUMMER CYCLONES INFORMATION: COST PER WEEK: $200.00 for 5 days $150.00 for 3 days $100.00 for 2 days $50.00 to add a day Family discounts for more than one child, i.e., 10% off for 2nd child. + ONE-TIME ACTIVITY FEE OF $200 per child -(refundable) Summer Cyclones will run from June 1st through August 7th. More information to come. This short Lenten prayer for children reminds them that God loves them and can help them show generosity to others. Please consider praying this together as a family during this 3rd week of Lent. Dear God, Thank You that You are loving and forgiving. Help us to love people in the same way as You have loved us. Help us do generous things for others because we love You. Amen. 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
March 2023
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