A note from Mrs. Gunderson...
Dear Families,
On October 18 our school staff joined thousands of other Catholic School faculty at the Minneapolis Convention Center for the Summit of Excellence. The day began with mass celebrated by Archbishop Hebda and many priests. The traditional mass was accompanied by the contemporary Christian music group, “Sonar”.
Following mass, everyone went to three breakout sessions of their choice. The topics were varied, and all had to do with making Catholic schools better, stronger, and greater! The event concluded with a talk given by the principal, speaker, and comedian Gerry Brooks. We are very grateful to CSCOE (Catholic Schools Center of Excellence) for sponsoring the entire event! I believe I can speak for the staff at St. Stephen’s when I say that I am rejuvenated and excited to discuss implementing new ideas at St. Stephen’s to make it even better than it is today!
Last Saturday was The Great Anoka Pumpkin Fest! I had my doubts about Anoka claiming to be “the Halloween capital of the world”, but my doubts were put to rest. I am amazed at the number of people who came out to celebrate Halloween in family-friendly ways, an entire week before Halloween!
The highlights of the evening were The Light Up the Night Parade which was watched by many! In addition, St. Stephen’s hosted Trunk-or-Treat in which 15 cars were decorated by families that offered candy to trick-or-treaters. Several school staff decorated a trunk with the Monster’s Inc. theme, and two teachers decorated their cars with their families. In addition to Trunk-or-Treat, there were games, s’more roasting stations, food, beverages, music, and a Pumpkin Fest Raffle. Fun was had by all! On Sunday the Knights of Columbus sponsored a pancake breakfast at the parish. St. Stephen’s is a welcoming community with exciting activities for all ages. I am proud to be part of St. Stephen’s!
In November our all-school prayer at the end of the day will be The Memorare to the Blessed Virgin Mary. I encourage families to integrate this beautiful prayer into their family life. Perhaps you could say it at dinner time or bedtime or during your commute to school.
The Memorare to the Blessed Virgin Mary
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession was left unaided. Inspired with this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother. To thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen.
Have a wonderful rest of the week and weekend!
In Christ,
Mrs.Gunderson
Principal
Picture Retake Day
Picture retake day and Tuesday/Thursday Preschool Picture Day will be Tuesday, November 1. If your child needs retakes, please send the picture packet back to school, or grab a new form in the office on Tuesday morning!
Winter Sports Sign Up
Hello families!
I hope this email finds you well and that the school year has gotten off to a great start for both you and your child. I am reaching out this afternoon in regards to our winter sports that are quickly approaching us. St. Stephen's will offer wrestling and boys and girls basketball. In order to help plan and organize these winter sports, I’m asking parents to fill out one of the questionnaires below in regards to boys and girls basketball. Filling out this questionnaire will allow us an athletic department to know how many teams we can field for the sport (ex: B, JV, and Varsity). Our basketball teams are offered to students in grades 5-8. If you are interested in coaching please send me a direct email. After the questionnaire has been completed, you or your child should pick up a sign up sheet from for me. I will have plenty available during conferences next week if that works best for families.
If you and your child are interested in wrestling please send me an email and we can discuss those logistics then.
Have a wonderful rest of the week and stay warm! Go Angels!
Warm regards,
Mr. Taylor
Physical Education (K-8) & Athletic Director
St. Stephen’s School, (763)-742-3960, ttaylor@ststephenchurch.org
Technology Fees Applied to TADS
The $150 per student Technology Fee has been added to each TADS account for the 2022-23 school year. If you would like to pay be check or cash, just send it into the school office at your soonest convenience. Thank you!
Volunteer at St. Stephen's School
We have been truly blessed with many volunteers offering their gift of time – THANK YOU!
But, don’t stop now!
Every day we are looking for volunteers to help our with our students and staff! An hour or two a week or more! You can make a difference!! Do you have a family member, friend or neighbor that would like to give some time tour school? We would LOVE to have them. Just need to have their Virtus training completed!
Thanks so much!
Lunchroom: Help out during lunch times with student needs i.e. open milk cartons, assist with silverware, etc. The lunchroom is in need of 3 volunteers EACH DAY. The link below gets you a 2 hour spot (10:30 - 12:30) on any day or days that work for you. You do not need to sign up for consecutive days or weeks.
Virtual Academy Support: Assist small groups of students with signing into computers, passwords, etc. Once students are logged in and tutoring, you may work on your laptop, read, knit, etc. There are several time slots available throughout the day.
*** NEW Recess/Playground Supervision: We have a GREAT new volunteer spot we would LOVE to fill each day! Hello! Do you love fresh air? A nice brisk hour outside a day or two a week? We have a spot for YOU! We would love to give our teachers a bit of extra time each day! 2 shifts each day! We hope you will prayerfully consider!
31st Annual St. Stephen's Craft Fair: There are many volunteer opportunities at this big fundraising event for both adults and middle school students for their service hours. There are also spots available for Bake sale and Bottle pull donation items on this sign up.
Still don’t have your Virtus completed? Click below to cross that off your list!
We SO appreciate each of you!
ART ADVENTURE OPPORTUNITIES!
We are looking for interested Picture People for the Art Adventure Program through Minnesota Institute of Arts (Grades K-4, 1 volunteer for each teacher). This awesome program begins in December (approx. 5 hours TOTAL), which includes training and in-person/virtual classroom discussion with students. Connecting with teachers on what best suits their class needs. Each volunteer would receive a booklet of the art pieces and run with it however it would be appropriate for that age group. Please reach out to our Art Adventure Coordinator, Jackie Mjolhus, jtoulouse@hotmail.com
Please reach out to me if you have any questions!
Please reach out to me if you have any questions!
Raise Money for more Playground Equipment
with BoxTops for Education
You can help us raise money for new playground equipment by simply downloading the BoxTops App, buying products that have the BoxTop brand logo, and scanning your receipt! Just follow the easy directions indicated on the flyer below. Since the beginning of the year, we have already raised $53.00! Thank you families!
St. Stephen's Lunch Program
The lunch program is doing FABULOUS! Thank you, parents, for being aware of how much money is in your child's lunch account, and adding money when needed.
St. Stephen's Craft Fair BAKE SALE
Craft Fair Bake Sale Donations Needed!
Mark your calendars! Our Annual Bake Sale will be held Saturday, November 19th in conjunction with the Craft Fair. We need lots of baked goods to make this a successful event!
Please label your items and have them packaged to sell. We will price items at school. Package in zip-loc bags, sturdy paper plates inside a freezer bag, or place in disposable clear containers. Packages of 6-12 are recommended.
Please drop off your items in the school entryway on Friday, November 18 before 5 PM or drop them off the day of the bake sale from 8-10 AM.
What is coming up...
October:
28 - Big Parade of the Little People
29 - Anoka Grand Day Parade
November:
1 - All Saints Day
2 - Coats for Kids (please see picture below)
COVID and St. Stephen's School
As the school year is just beginning, we want to be transparent about our expectations of COVID and our students. IF your child tests positive for COVID, we will continue to stick with the policy that your child will stay home for 5 days from the symptom start date. After 5 days, if the child is symptom free, and off all medicines, he/she may return to school full-time. If you have any questions regarding COVID and your child, please do not hesitate to call Heidi in the school office at 763-421-3236.