February 21st, 2022

February 17, 2022


Dear STM Families,
 Growing up there was nothing better than waking up to the radio and hearing that school was closed for the day!  A Snow Day!  My six siblings and I were the envy of all of our cousins who lived on the same block because WE had the best sledding hills around.  There would be upwards of 20 of us at a time who were bundled up so we could barely walk, but spend hours in the winter wilderness of my backyard with sleds, saucers, and cookie sheets for the little ones.
 I was so glad that our last two Snow Days could be REAL days off.  Since we’ve burned those two extra days built into our school calendar, though, the teachers and I decided that we would make today the least ‘painful’ we could AND STILL count this as a learning day.
 It’s hard to believe that it’s almost March and time to register for the 2022-23 school year.  Thank you to those many parents who came to our first Registration Event this week.  We have two additional dates/times set aside to meet with you and prepare the necessary paperwork (personal data and financial planning) to secure your child(ren) a seat in their next grade level.  Your registration must be complete by Feb. 28 to take advantage of the reduced registration fee schedule.
We have been blessed with many inquiries from new families about joining our STM school community next year.  They are not able to begin registration until March 2.  At that time, if classes are filled, you will NOT be guaranteed a seat even if your child attended STM this school year. 
Please plan to attend one of our remaining registration events in the STM School lobby on: Tuesday, Feb. 22 from 9:00-11:00 a.m. or Feb. 28 from 4:00-6:00 p.m.  Please contact the school office if you have any questions.
While your children work to complete their Snow Day assignments through this 5-day break, I hope there is still plenty of time to build the same kind of magical memories I have from my childhood!
 St. Thomas More, pray for us. 
Peace and Blessings,
Linda Crosthwait, STM Principal


STM UPCOMING EVENTS: 
Friday, Feb. 18
NO SCHOOL–Diocesan Teacher Faith Development Day

Monday, Feb. 21
NO SCHOOL–President’s Day

Tuesday, Feb. 22
8th Grade Yearbook Ad Deadline–HARD DEADLINE

Tuesday, Feb. 22
REGISTRATION FOR 22-23 SCHOOL YEAR from 4-6 p.m. (see details in attached flier)

Monday, Feb. 28
REGISTRATION FOR 22-23 SCHOOL YEAR from 4-6 p.m. (see details in attached flier) Last day to register at a REDUCED RATE for returning families!  Be sure to secure your child’s spot in his/her grade level!

Wednesday, March 2
Ash Wednesday–School Masses: 9:30 am. & 2:10 p.m.

Wednesday, March 2
First day of Registration for New Families; 8:30-10:30 a.m.

Thursday, March 3
Signs of Suicide (SOS) presentations in grades 
6, 7, 8

Thursday, March 10
Last day of 3rd Quarter; LAST DAY TO ORDER A 21-22 STM YEARBOOK!

Friday, March 11
NO SCHOOL; Diocesan Professional Development Day for teachers

Friday, March 11--
Monday, March 21
SPRING BREAK for Students

Monday, March 21 
Staff Religious Formation Retreat & 3rd Qusrter Grade Prep–NO SCHOOL

Tuesday, March 22
First day of 4th Quarter
 TOO MANY TARDIES!
 Some of the most important information for the day is shared at the very beginning of the school day.  Last Tuesday, we had 33 STM students TARDY to school–most of them 5-15 minutes past our beginning time at 7:50 a.m.
 Please make sure that your child is in the school building by 7:45 a.m. so he/she can get to the classroom and get situated before the final bell rings and prayers & instruction begin at 7:50 a.m. 


TRAFFIC ON HOLMES:
Please be aware of our STM students and families who walk across Holmes Road as they arrive to school.  When you arrive or leave our parking lot, it’s important that you are observant of these walkers and yield to them as they cross the street.  Thank you for keeping our students safe!
DEADLINE TO ORDER 2022-23 STM YEARBOOK:
You don't want to miss out on ordering a yearbook for your family!  Our deadline for the printer is March 14--and we will NOT order extras this year.  We can't absorb the cost of ordering books that are not sold to families. and return by the deadline, March 14.
Please go to this website to order yours TODAY:  ybpay.com  
8TH GRADE YEARBOOK ADS AVAILABLE UNTIL TUESDAY, FEB. 22:
Once again, this school year you have the opportunity to purchase an ad for your graduating 8th grader.
We are offering 2 size options:

1. Business Card Size 3 ½ long x 2 inches wide approximately. Cost $15.00. Your message could include 120 characters, no pictures would be available on this size.
2. ¼ page ad could include (1) photo and a 250 character message. Cost $25.00. 

Photos should be of good clarity and in jpg format.
This year we do not have enough room for all 8th grade students to have a ¼ page ad, so it will be first come first serve. All ads received after the ¼ page ads are filled will be business card size. 
The editor will have final discretion if a picture does not appear clear enough. Every effort will be made to use what you submit. Please send your typed message in the font and size you would like to have used, again the editor may need to make adjustments.
Your submission should be sent to Dawn Elliott (elliott_dawn@stmcyclones.org) no later than Tuesday, February 22, 2022. Submissions received after this date may not be accepted. Payment should be sent to the STM school office.


SYNOD ON SYNODALITY LISTENING SESSION:Pope Francis has called for a gathering of the world’s bishops for October 2023. By convening this synod, he is inviting the entire Church to reflect on what the Holy Spirit is saying to us today— How do we journey together to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit?


We will be holding a Listening Session in More Hall on Sunday, February 20, from 10:15 - 11:45 a.m. to give parishioners the opportunity to give input on the themes that will be discussed at the synod. We invite you to attend the session and to help prepare yourself, we encourage you to read the information on the parish website beforehand (stmkc.com), especially the ten themes and the accompanying information. There is also a link to the diocesan website where you can give input if you are unable to attend a Listening Session. For more information, contact David Butel at the parish office, dbutel@stmkc.com or 816-942-2492, x. 210.


BOYS’ VOLLEYBALL INFORMATION:
4th-8th grade Boys volleyball Registration is open now at the PLKC website.   Please sign up as soon as you can so we can get an accurate count of boys and know if we will need to hold evaluations to make even teams, and also so we can secure enough coaches.   If you have any questions please feel free to send a message to the volleyball coordinator, Jenny Smith at jkalbsmith@gmail.com.  
The season starts March 7th and runs through the first week of May.   Games are on Friday nights starting March 25th.  More info is on the website under register now tab.  Www.plkc.org. 


PLKC TRACK INFORMATION with St. Elizabeth’s (Coach John Reyna):
FOR:  3rd-8th graders
REGISTRATION:  from 2/1/22 through midnight on 2/24/22
PROGRAM DURATION:  3/7/22 through 5/7/22
MEETS:  4/9/22, 4/23/22, 4/30/22  City Meet:  5/7/22
TO REGISTER:  https://www.plkc.org/user/SignIn.aspx?d=neeyAnV7CDLACPCWPcPU7xbZQU0lvcCn 


STM BOOSTER CLUB PRESENTS: BAGS 2022-ROAD TO THE RED JACKET:
Teams: Co-ed Teams
When: February 26, 2022
Doors open at 6:00 pm for check-in, food, drinks, and warm-up.
Games start at 6:45 pm
Where: STM GYM 
50/50 Raffle the Night of the Event! Bring Cash!
(See details in the flier below)
 COVID-RELATED INFORMATION:  STM COVID DASHBOARD:  Week ending 1/27/22    Week ending 2/10/22    Week ending 2/17/22
                                                                     Students in quarantine                    0                                               0                                       2
                                                              Staff members in quarantine                0                                               0                                        0
                                                                     Students in isolation                        4                                               8                                        1
                                                                 Staff members in isolation                 2                                               3                                         0
                                                                 Percentage of attendance                94%                                         94%                                  96%

Total # of Student COVID cases this school year:  33 on Dec. 16; 82 on Feb. 17 
Total # of Staff cases this school year:  2 on Dec. 16; 13 on Feb. 17
Total # of Students in Quarantine this school year:  64 on Dec. 16; 90 on Feb. 17
Total # of Staff in Quarantine this school year:  1  
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.    
We appreciate you partnering with us on school days to verify that every child is fever-free and not experiencing:   

• New cough   
• Difficult breathing   
• Loss of taste/smell   
• Fever (equal to or greater than 100 degrees) or chills   
• Sore throat   
• Congestion/runny nose   
• Headache   
• Muscle or body aches   
• Nausea/vomiting/diarrhea   

If your child has any of these symptoms, they should not attend school. Notify the STM Health Room of any symptoms or exposure to COVID-19 by calling 816-942-5581 or email health@stmcyclones.org 
Per our plan shared on 1/28/22, we will share a NEW Parent Survey link every two weeks through May 2.  This information will be utilized in discussions with both the COVID Task Force and the STM School Advisory Board in upcoming meetings.  Here is the link to the current Parent Survey shared :  https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WN6GWGP 


MAD SCIENCE AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS FOR GRADES 1-5:
Mad Science Spring session will take place on Tuesdays, 3/1 - 4/26 from 3:25 - 4:25 p.m.  Read all of the details in the flier below.
LITURGICAL LIVING CALENDAR:
Liturgical living is a beautiful way for individuals and families to learn about the traditions, saints, and rituals of our faith. This leads to a deeper comprehension and connection to our faith. Pick a few things each month to try and start to see the connection of the Catholic Faith to life outside of mass on Sunday! Give it a try! 
Here is the link:
https://stmkc.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Liturgical-Living-January-2022-Calendar.pdf


BLESSINGS FOR A SNOWY DAY:
May you have a warm hearth to curl up next to and keep your toes and nose toasty warm.
May you never run out of hot cocoa and a good book to enjoy with it.
May your snow-angel-making be full of laughter, and may your snowpeople not melt too quickly.
May your paths not be too slippery, and may your footsteps be steady.
May your world gleam like it’s covered in glitter and sparkling new.
May the coziness of snuggling with your loved ones remain with you throughout the days to come.
And may you realize that God made you as special and unique as a snowflake and far more precious.


Attachments:
 messages/attachments/c2de1a6f23652ceb37eb3146c07bb336/Bags_Tournament___QR_Code_%281%29_%281%29.png (855.2 KB)
 messages/attachments/a1f62c1de972c25bc43e93acadf6c0e4/Mad_Science_Spring_22.pdf