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Dear STM Families, What a wonderful day it is! Today we recognized Holy Thursday in our morning and afternoon prayers as the beginning of the Easter Triduum and the final school day before celebrating Christ’s resurrection at Easter! Our students were decked out in KC Royals and STM Spirit Wear and played some funny April Fools’ jokes on each other and their teachers (and principal!). The sun is shing, flowers are blooming, and our students are flourishing. Look at the picture above of the 6th grade student-created bulletin board in their hallway. Each flower petal represents a Lenten sacrifice made by a student. Pretty amazing! On this joyous occasion of Easter, I would like to share my deepest appreciation for our St. Thomas More School and Parish community. We are a team of like-minded lovers of God and His children who come together each day to give him glory. It’s hard to express how grateful I am to work with you in our mission to bring all of us closer to eternal life in heaven! I hope you and your family have a blessed and beautiful Easter! STM SCHOOL UPCOMING EVENTS: Thursday, April 1 3rd Quarter Grades posted to Sycamore Sunday, April 4 Alleluia! He is Risen! Happy Easter! Friday, April 2 and Monday, April 5 Good Friday and Easter Monday—NO SCHOOL Wednesday, April 7 8thGrade Fundraiser--prepackaged snacks/treats for $1 each at recess Week of April 12-16 Iowa Assessments for Grades 3-8 Sunday, April 18 2nd Grade First Holy Communion Monday 4/19- Sunday 5/2 Save the Date for the Spring Book Fair Tuesday, April 20th 8thGrade Fundraiser—Kona Ice Truck for all students; more details will follow April 26, 28, 29 8thGrade/Confirmation homeroom retreats Week of May 3-7 Diocesan Benchmark Assessments for Grades 3-8 in Math, English, and Written Expression Wednesday, May 12 8th Grade Graduation at 5 p.m. Thursday, May 20 Last Day of School for Students; 12:30 p.m. dismissal THIRD QUARTER REPORT CARDS ARE POSTED: Your child(ren)’s grades were posted to Sycamore today. Please review the grades with your child to celebrate the learning that has taken place through 3rd quarter and to discuss any challenges, as well. IMPORTANT—2020-21 STM ACTIVITY FEES PAST DUE! From Tim Waris: Just a reminder that your unpaid 2020-2021 activity fees are past due. We need all payments settled before your registration is effective for the next school year. If you have an 8th grader your grades will be held until the fee is paid. 8th GRADE FUNDRAISER ON WEDNESDAY: The 8th Grade will be hosting another Treat Sale during recess on Wednesday, April 7th as a fundraiser for graduation. All treats will be $1. IOWA ASSESSMENTS SCHEDULED FOR APRIL 12-16: St. Thomas More teachers will administer the Iowa Assessments for grades 3-8 the week of April 12-16. This is an important academic tool which measures a student's knowledge in reading, language arts, mathematics, science and social studies. The data collected will enable us to better differentiate your child’s learning as he/she moves forward this year and into next school year. Please make sure your child is not tardy on testing days and avoid any appointments or absences. If your child is sick, though, please keep him/her home. We can arrange a make-up in that case. Students who struggle the most on testing days are the ones who didn't have enough sleep or a good breakfast the day of the test. Also, your words about testing are so important to their mindset about taking them. You can say, “This will be a great chance for you to show how much you’ve learned this year” instead of “I know how much you hate to take tests.” We appreciate your support to help them do their best. Connected Learner families should have been contacted already about options for testing. Please call the school office if you have not heard, or if you have any questions. 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 SUMMER CYCLONES INFORMATION: The Summer Cyclones Camp is an amazing experience that will offer kids preschool aged to 7th grade the opportunity to forge a community unlike any other centered around an engaging experience of fun and enrichment. The enthusiastic staff at Summer Cyclones cannot wait to make this the best summer ever for the kids they as they stay sharp on their academic skills and participate in a healthy dose of fun-filled activities on site. Please see the attached flyer for all the details or check it out at this link: https://stmkc.com/summercyclones 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. We appreciate your partnering with us to verify that every child is fever-free and not experiencing:
Because today is Holy Thursday, the STM COVID Task Force agreed to reconvene on Thursday, April 8. EARTH DAY PROJECT—TRASH PICK-UP ALONG BLUE RIVER ROAD Saturday, April 24, 10am-Noon The St. Thomas More Green Team is planning a service project to celebrate Earth Day (which is April 22). On the following Saturday, we will meet at 10am in the parking lot of Children International, which is located at the northwest corner of Red Bridge and Blue River Roads. We will pick up trash for two hours along Blue River Road. We have made arrangements with the city to come and pick up the trash that we have collected. We encourage young and old, singles and families to come and be a part of this project. Children under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult. This is a great opportunity for students to get service hours. We recommend wearing long sleeves, jeans, gloves, and protective footwear. We will provide plastic bags. Please pray for good weather! For more information or to register for this event, contact David Butel at the parish office by April 21, dbutel@stmkc.com or 816-942-2492, x. 210. 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. STM SCHOOL ADVISORY BOARD OPENINGS FOR 2021-2024: We want to share our deep appreciation with three STM School Advisory Board members who have completed their three-year terms on the board. Many thanks to: Amy Cooper, Kathy Schimmel, and Tiffany Woods Because of their departure from the board, we need three new board members to serve through the 2021-22, 2022-23, and 2023-24 school years. Please prayerfully consider if you might bring your gifts and talents to serve in this advisory role. Please see the attachment below or follow this link to access the application. http://www.stmkcschool.org/volunteering.html Scroll down to the School Advisory Board section of the page and click on the 'SAB Application' button. ALL APPLICATIONS ARE DUE TO THE STM SCHOOL OFFICE BY MAY 7, 2021. Here is a prayer for you as we enter the Easter season: May the glory and the promise of this joyous time of year bring peace and happiness to you and those you hold most dear. And may Christ, Our Risen Savior, always be there by your side to bless you most abundantly and be your loving guide. St. Thomas More. Pray for us. Happy Easter to you and your family! Peace and Blessings, Linda Crosthwait, STM Principal  Dear STM Families, We have made it through Lent to the celebration of Palm Sunday this weekend. Now we prayerfully transition from Lent to Holy Week, in preparation for Easter. Our teachers have been praying with and preparing our students each day. Below are a few ideas for extending this preparation as a family in your home. Since the early days of Christianity, the week beginning with Palm Sunday and ending at sundown on Easter has been a sacred time because it commemorates the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We have so many family traditions as we celebrate Christmas, but we also want to help our children experience Easter as the greatest celebration of the liturgical year. Here are a few faith-filled ideas to help you keep the holy in Holy Week. Palm Sunday We began our celebration of the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem at Mass by holding our palms high as the priest blessed them this weekend. Continue the celebration at home.
STM SCHOOL UPCOMING EVENTS: TOMORROW, March 26 STM Health Screening Cards due for each student (see below and attached) Thursday, April 1 Holy Thursday—½ day of school; Students dismissed at 12:30 p.m. Thursday, April 1 STM Spirit Wear Day for “First Friday” Friday, April 2 and Monday, April 5 Good Friday and Easter Monday—NO SCHOOL Sunday, April 4 Alleluia! He is Risen! Happy Easter! Sunday, April 18 2nd Grade First Holy Communion Week of May 3-7 Diocesan Benchmark Assessments for Grades 3-8 in Math, English, and Written Expression Wednesday, May 12 8th Grade Graduation at 5 p.m. PLEASE SLOW DOWN IN OUR PARKING LOT! Safety is ALWAYS a top priority at St. Thomas More. Please always observe the 15 mph Speed Limit in and around our school. STM HEALTH SCREENING CARDS: Your child's current individual Health Screening Card will be due TOMORROW, 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:
SPECIAL INSTRUSTIONS FOR THURSDAY, APRIL 1:
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. SUMMER CYCLONES INFORMATION: The Summer Cyclones Camp is an amazing experience that will offer kids preschool aged to 7th grade the opportunity to forge a community unlike any other centered around an engaging experience of fun and enrichment. The enthusiastic staff at Summer Cyclones cannot wait to make this the best summer ever for the kids they as they stay sharp on their academic skills and participate in a healthy dose of fun-filled activities on site. Please see the attached flyer for all the details! 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 met this afternoon. The next meeting is set for Thursday, April 8. 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: Large playground set is now used by students in grades 1-4 in rotation and sanitized between usages. Students are NOT allowed to bring playground equipment from home due to the necessary sanitization processes between usages (by the teacher) and lack of storage for the equipment except at the students’ desks (a distraction for students). All teachers are able, as they choose, to show a video or movie during lunch break to limit the exposure of students and the teachers while all masks are off. Members discussed the March 19 recommendations from the CDC regarding the change from 6 feet of spacing between students to 3 feet of spacing. These recommendations will have no impact on our school for the rest of the school year. There was conversation entailing the work that will need to be done as plans are made for the 2021-22 school year. STM Adult-Activity Fundraisers/Community Events were discussed. More information will follow. At the School Advisory Board meeting last night, a recommendation was made to re-frame the STM COVID Task Force as a subcommittee of the SAB. All current members of the COVID Task Force and others who are interested to serve for the 2021-22 school year will apply in the coming weeks. Because next Thursday is Holy Thursday, the Task Force agreed to reconvene on Thursday, April 8. EARTH DAY PROJECT—TRASH PICK-UP ALONG BLUE RIVER ROAD Saturday, April 24, 10am-Noon The St. Thomas More Green Team is planning a service project to celebrate Earth Day (which is April 22). On the following Saturday, we will meet at 10am in the parking lot of Children International, which is located at the northwest corner of Red Bridge and Blue River Roads. We will pick up trash for two hours along Blue River Road. We have made arrangements with the city to come and pick up the trash that we have collected. We encourage young and old, singles and families to come and be a part of this project. Children under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult. This is a great opportunity for students to get service hours. We recommend wearing long sleeves, jeans, gloves, and protective footwear. We will provide plastic bags. Please pray for good weather! For more information or to register for this event, contact David Butel at the parish office by April 21, dbutel@stmkc.com or 816-942-2492, x. 210. 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:
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. STM SCHOOL ADVISORY BOARD OPENINGS FOR 2021-2024: We want to share our deep appreciation with three STM School Advisory Board members who have completed their three-year terms on the board. Many thanks to: Amy Cooper, Kathy Schimmel, and Tiffany Woods Because of their departure from the board, we are in need of three new board members to serve through the 2021-22, 2022-23, and 2023-24 school years. Please prayerfully consider if you might bring your gifts and talents to serve in this advisory role. Please follow this link to access the application. Scroll down to the School Advisory Board section of the page and click on the 'SAB Application' button. ALL APPLICATIONS ARE DUE TO THE STM SCHOOL OFFICE BY MAY 7, 2021. Following is a prayer you might share with your family as we near the end of Lenten sacrifices and offerings: Lord, I am not always energetic in doing your will. I would often much rather take the easy road. Please be with me as we are near the end of this Lenten journey. Help me to be creative and enthusiastic that your own spirit can guide me in the right direction. I know that with your help, anything can be done. Amen. Peace and Blessings, Linda Crosthwait, STM Principal  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  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  Dear STM Families, What a wonderful Catholic Schools Week we have had at St. Thomas More School! We keep Christ at the center of all we do each day at St. Thomas More, and this week we celebrated in so many ways. Our students and staff have had a great time each day with activities that highlighted our joy and thankfulness for learning and working in a Catholic school. Thank you for making this learning environment possible with your never-ending prayers and support! We had some fun with a friendly competition with St. Lawrence School in Tampa, FL. Through your generosity we have collected 1,095 cans of soup for our Soup-er Bowl and $716.28 in our Penny War with them. We won’t get their totals until Tuesday since they have a ½ day of school tomorrow and NO school on Monday because of the Super Bowl. We really hope that STM and the KC Chiefs will be victorious after this weekend! KSHB-TV did a short segment about STM and our Tampa rivalry. You can see it at this link: https://www.kshb.com/sports/road-to-repeat/schools-in-kansas-city-tampa-compete-in-soup-er-bowl Have a wonderful action-packed weekend! I’ll be bidding with/against you at our STM Virtual Auction on Saturday!! Let’s cheer on our Chiefs for a ‘Run it Back to Back’ Super Bowl victory on Sunday!! Peace and Blessings, Linda Crosthwait, STM Principal STM SCHOOL UPCOMING EVENTS: Friday, Feb. 5 Celebrating Volunteers and Teachers: NO SCHOOL; Student Learning Conferences; Staff Appreciation Luncheon and Surprise Saturday, Feb. 6 Celebrating Families: Families celebrate each other by sharing time together Saturday, Feb. 6 STM VIRTUAL AUCTION! (details below) Sunday, Feb. 7 St. Thomas More’s Birthday Tuesday, Feb. 9 Spring Photos; Re-takes Thursday, Feb. 11 Registration packets for 2021-22 School Year go home in backpacks Friday, Feb. 12 NO SCHOOL; Teacher Professional Development Monday, Feb. 15 NO SCHOOL; President’s Day Wednesday, Feb. 17 Ash Wednesday Monday, March 8 Yearbook Orders Due STM VIRTUAL AUCTION IS SATURDAY! The challenges we face to successfully educate our children today have changed. Keeping our students and faculty connected during this difficult time is essential for effective learning, and every student deserves access to an exceptional education. As a community, we can RAISE UP and provide each and every student at St. Thomas More the tools they need to access that education. The 2020-2021 Fund-A-Need campaign will use every dollar raised to buy individual student learning devices for every student enrolled at STM. While the job is big and the future is unclear, one day we will be a community learning, playing and praying together again. Please plan to attend our virtual auction on Saturday, Feb 6th and donate to our 2020-2021 Fund-A-Need campaign. We can RAISE the money needed for this goal!! Thank you for your continued support of our St. Thomas More students. Ready to support our amazing school?! Then, don't miss out on St. Thomas More's Virtual Auction this Saturday, February 6 at 7 p.m. All money will go towards Fund-A-Need. Our Fund-A-Need goal is to put an individual learning device in the hands of every student. Auction Items include:
Fundraising Powered by OneCause, creator of BidPal www.stmauction.org Here is how to logon to BidPal:
COVID-RELATED INFORMATION: SEE PHOTO BELOW The COVID Task Force met this afternoon. The team processed the information from Superintendent Dr. Peters’ letter and agreed to the standards of quarantine at STM for students who travel (see below). Also discussed was information and resources shared by parents who requested a review of the quarantine and/or closure of STM in the case of COVID exposure. It was related that some pediatricians will clear a child for return to school after a shorter period than recommended by the KCMO Health Department. There are several variants ‘out there’ involving the length of quarantine periods. 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. Also shared was information about an online program sponsored by Children’s Mercy Hospital that will take place tomorrow called “What’s New in COVID-19 Risk Mitigation.” Several members will take part in this program. Information will be shared at the next meeting. STM PROTOCOL FOR TRAVEL: With Spring Break only five 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 : PLEASE SEE PHOTO BELOW 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:
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 CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK ESSAY CONTEST WINNER: STM 7th & 8th graders compete in an essay contest each year during Catholic Schools Week. Teachers ask the students to consider the benefits they have personally experienced because they attend a Catholic school. The winner of this essay contest would normally be able to read it aloud at the CSW All-School Assembly. Because we are not able to have such an event during these COVID times, I’m sharing it with all of you and your families. I am not sharing a prayer with you this week since I see this essay as one of the best prayers of thanksgiving I’ve ever read. Congratulations to Zackary, STM 8th grader, the winner of this year’s essay contest: “What Catholic Education Means to Me” People always ask me what it is like to go to a Catholic school. I always respond with the same thing. Going to a catholic school means being a part of a family that always supports you. The teachers, students, and staff always want the best for you. Most importantly, your classmates are welcoming to anyone who wants to join our family. A Catholic school is not as much about the education, it is about the faith and the people. A Catholic school means that I can come to school and not just learn how to multiply or read. I can learn about God and why Jesus Christ came onto the Earth to save us from our sins. But faith is much bigger than God and Jesus. Faith also means to believe that we are one with God. A Catholic school makes you feel one with God with all your classmates and teachers. It gives you the opportunity to participate in the Mass and receive the Eucharist. They provide us a chance to go to Reconciliation. A Catholic school makes you feel at home. They believe that everyone was created in the image and likeness of God. Therefore, we should all be accepted and treated with respect. A Catholic school allows you to embrace your God-given talents. Whatever your talent may be, they want you to use them. I have gone to this school since preschool and have never once thought I was being manipulated or bullied by another student. A Catholic school is a group of people all striving towards one goal: heaven. A Catholic school allows you the ability to come to school and talk about Sunday’s Mass and discuss the scripture. A Catholic school is a family that cares for one another, treats each other how God would have wanted and together celebrates the good of God. A Catholic school gives me an opportunity to participate in weekly Mass. Most of all, it gives me a place to feel safe and cared for.   Dear STM Families, Next week is a huge week for all of us! Catholic Schools Week begins on Sunday and culminates on Saturday with the STM Virtual Auction—and then the Chiefs play in the Super Bowl the next day!! We are blending these two events at St. Thomas More School with some friendly competition with St., Lawrence Catholic School in Tampa, Florida. Our teachers are working together for some collaborative virtual learning projects while we ask you to join in on the fun with some charitable collections and fundraising. The principal at St.Lawrence Catholic School has agreed to send us a basket of treats from the Tampa Bay area if they win while I will send a basket of KC BBQ sauces and rubs if our school doesn’t triumph! Thanks for your help in playing along! Special thanks to Michelle Lizak and her committee for all of their work on our STM Catholic Schools Week activities. I will delineate each day for you below and attach her amazing graphics below. Please watch for an email from your child’s grade level teacher for their individual activities, as well. STM SCHOOL UPCOMING EVENTS: Sunday, Jan. 31 Celebrating Parish: share a photo of family attending or watching Mass (in uniform) to get an out-of-uniform pass for Monday; see details on attachments Monday, Feb. 1 Celebrating Community: Kick-off of Class and School-wide service projects; see details on attachments: STM Spirit Wear Day Tuesday, Feb. 2 Celebrating Students: Surprise snacks, classroom games, virtual art show, No Homework night, STM Dine-Out Night; Sweats/Sports Wear Day Tuesday, Feb. 2 Southern Kitchen KC—Dine-Out Night; mention STM when ordering Wednesday, Feb. 3 Celebrating Nation: Specialized classroom activities tied to celebrating our nation and the world; 8th grade Fundraiser—treats at afternoon recess for $1/ each; Student’s favorite color shirt day Thursday, Feb. 4 Celebrating Vocations: Thank-you notes to priests; share donated gift cards to the priests; celebrate vocations in the classroom; Chiefs Spirit Day! Friday, Feb. 5 Celebrating Volunteers and Teachers: NO SCHOOL; Student Learning Conferences; Staff Appreciation Luncheon and Surprise Saturday, Feb. 6 Celebrating Families: Families celebrate each other by sharing time together Saturday, Feb. 6 STM VIRTUAL AUCTION! Tuesday, Feb. 9 Spring Photos; Re-takes Thursday, Feb. 9 Registration packets for 2021-22 School Year go home in backpacks Friday, Feb. 12 NO SCHOOL; Teacher Professional Development Monday, Feb. 15 NO SCHOOL; President’s Day Wednesday, Feb. 17 Ash Wednesday CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK INFO: Attached is a schedule of the events for next week’s Catholic Schools Week. We kick-off the week with weekend Masses. To help celebrate we are asking Students to wear their STM Uniform to one of the weekend Masses (in person or virtually) and post on Facebook or submit a picture via email. If they participate, they can dress in Spirit wear on Monday. We have a lot of fun activities going on next week – so each day next week you will be receiving email and text message reminders of CSW events that will be coming up the following day. To help you prepare for next week, here are some quick question/answers: What does my child wear next week?
We’d love to see photos of the children and families doing something together – with a special visitor! See attached instructions and printable to use! STM VIRTUAL AUCTION NEXT SATURDAY!: The St. Thomas More Community has consistently shown they RAISE UP STM when it comes to the annual Fund-a-Need campaign. In the last two years, over $167,000 has been raised for a specific educational need at STM. We have successfully provided all faculty and staff with new laptops, replaced all desktop computers in the student computer lab and provided $15,000 to the arts and library programs. In the face of a pandemic our needs have grown, and we will RAISE UP and meet those needs! Stay tuned for more information regarding the 2020-2021 Fund-a-Need campaign, and plan to attend our virtual auction on Saturday, Feb 6th, 2021. ACTIVITY FEES: All Activity Fee amounts were due by January 15, 2021. On January 31, 2021 any unpaid fees will be charged to the credit card on file with the parish office. Please take care of any charges before that date or contact Tim Waris for more information. 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 COVID DASHBOARD BELOW... The STM COVID Task Force met this afternoon to discuss a proposed document: “STM Travel Expectations.” Much conversation was shared regarding international and domestic travel, air travel, car travel, and travel to areas with large crowds. Team members debated whether to share strong language about expectations for travel from each of these scenarios or to share suggestions only. Another scenario was the option to cancel Spring Break and keep everyone in school instead. A decision was made by the group to wait for information that is forthcoming from the Diocese regarding travel. That information will be shared along with STM recommendations next week. Another topic covered was a statement from Bishop Johnson that virtual learning during the 2021-22 school year will be offered only to students who have health issues that prohibit them from attending school in person. Information was shared about STM parent inquiries regarding COVID:
Today is the feast day for St. Thomas Aquinas. Please consider sharing this prayer written by him with your family: Grant to me…Grant me, O Lord my God, a mind to know you, a heart to seek you, wisdom to find you, conduct pleasing to you, faithful perseverance in waiting for you, and a hope of finally embracing you. Amen. Peace and Blessings, Linda Crosthwait, STM Principal  Dear STM Families, Tomorrow, January 22, is designated in all the Dioceses in the U.S. as a particular day of prayer and penance called the "Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children.” As individuals, we are called to observe this day through the penitential practices of prayer, fasting and/or giving alms. The 2021 March for Life in Washington D.C. is going virtual this year--find FAQs, tips for observing from home, and sign up for the livestream link on the March for Life website: https://marchforlife.org/statement-on-2021-march-for-life/ I hope January has brought as much joy to your homes as your children have brought to our halls and classrooms! We are so grateful for the vaccines that are beginning in Jackson County. Yet, we are keeping Covid-19 guidelines at the forefront as we work to keep your children and ourselves as safe as possible. Thank you for your ongoing partnership with us in staying safe and reporting any COVID-related illnesses or questions. Please don’t hesitate to email us at Health@stmcyclones.org . LOST & FOUND RECOVERY EVENT TOMORROW: Our cold mornings and 'warm' afternoons have caused a huge increase in our mound of Lost & Found jackets, sweaters, hats, gloves, etc. Tomorrow (Friday) you will have the opportunity to look through these items to recover your child's missing articles. Please come by the front of school to check through these from 3-3:30 p.m. DOES YOUR CHILD HAVE TISSUES, HAND SANITIZER, PENCILS & PAPER?: With half of our school year over, it's important to make sure that all students have the necessary supplies to finish out the year. Each student should have a small hand sanitizer and box of tissues for personal use at his/her desk. Please ask your child about supplies and replenish these necessities as necessary. Thanks so much for your support! STM AFTER-CARE ACCEPTING PK-5 STUDENTS NOW: Please call our school office if you are interested in after-school care for your preschool through grade 5 student. We are now accepting registrations for the second semester and are including preschool students, as well. Call 816-942-5581 for more information or to register. 8TH GRADE PARENTS: The final payment for 8th Grade Graduation will be due February 15th. The total amount due is $100. Please drop off check to Colleen in school office. If you need to Venmo the money please contact Tiffany Garcia at t.garcia621@hotmail.com. The 8th Grade Class will also be doing a graduation fundraiser during Catholic Schools Week. We will need each student to donate pre-packaged Treats/Snacks to sell during lunch on Wednesday of that week. Watch for a Sign-up Genius later this week. Thanks, Tiffany Garcia CATHOLIC SCHOOLS' WEEK: We are so excited to celebrate Catholic Schools’ Week at the end of January! Our Catholic Schools’ Week organizers have worked so hard to provide a faith-filled and fun week for our students! See the attachment below for a look at our plans for January 31 through February 6. Please consider this prayer to share with your family: God our Creator, we give thanks to you, who alone have the power to impart the breath of life as you form each of us in our mother's womb; grant, we pray, that we, whom you have made stewards of creation, may remain faithful to this sacred trust and constant in safeguarding the dignity of every human life. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. St. Thomas More, pray for us. 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
October 2021
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