From the desk of Mr. Rehder...
Good Afternoon Families,
What a week it has been! We’ve been blessed with beautiful sunshine and warmer than usual fall weather—just right for recess, outdoor activities, and all the extracurricular events happening this time of year.
Yesterday, we were blessed to welcome so many grandparents and special friends for Grandparents Day—our biggest turnout yet! Seeing the church filled to the brim for Mass with Fr. Bennet was an amazing reminder of the strength and joy of our community. Thank you for helping to make the day such a success! We posted some fun pictures on Facebook if you are on-line, take a peek!
Tomorrow, I am excited for our Day of Service. Every student in our school will be participating in a service project to benefit our local community. Many of the projects will take place outdoors, so please make sure your child is dressed appropriately for the weather. As a reminder, students should wear St. Stephen’s Spirit Wear or their school uniform—no non-uniform passes will be allowed for this special day.
And of course, the big excitement continues with our Marathon Fundraiser! We are working hard to reach our goal of $40,000 in Prayers and Pledges. If we hit that milestone, the whole school will celebrate with a non-uniform day, and yes—you guessed it—I will keep my promise and dress up as Mr. Incredible for the day, taking pictures with all the classes. The students are already buzzing about it! Let’s finish strong and make this happen together!
One quick reminder about parent pick-up: after you pick up your child at their class cone, if you’d like to continue visiting with other families, please step inside the cone barrier so that traffic can keep moving safely out of the parking lot. Your help makes dismissal smoother and safer for everyone, and we truly appreciate it!
Thank you, as always, for your support and prayers for our school. It’s such a joy to be on this mission with you and your children.
Blessings,
Mr. Rehder, Principal
WHY WE FUNDRAISE
Many families ask, “Where does the money we raise actually go?” The simple answer is: fundraising helps us close the gap between what it costs to educate each child and what we charge for tuition.
At St. Stephen’s, tuition for one student is $6,038, but the actual cost to educate each student is $10,365.54. That leaves a difference of $4,327.54 per child, which the parish covers. Fundraising allows us to support the parish in covering this gap and make a Catholic education affordable for all families.
In addition, fundraising helps us take care of larger expenses that tuition alone doesn’t cover, such as:
- Building needs – roofs, parking lots, heating/cooling systems, and classroom updates
- Safety and security – technology upgrades, cameras, secure doors, playground safety
- Learning resources – curriculum materials, classroom technology, and student support services
- Faith life – sacramental preparation, retreat opportunities, and Catholic identity programs
Every dollar raised makes a real difference—it helps us keep tuition at a level families can afford while still providing a safe, faith-filled, and excellent education for your children. Thank you for making this possible!
SWEATSHIRTS & T-SHIRTS
FOR SALE IN THE OFFICE
We have quite a few uniform sweatshirts for sale in the office for $30, AND t-shirts for sale for $21. If your child needs one, please stop by! We have many sizes, but not all. We can add fees to your TADS account, or you can pay in the office.
PUMPKIN FEST & HALLOWEEN PARADE VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
On October 18, we will be celebrating Pumpkin Fest again this year! We will need many volunteers for this event to be successful. All volunteer opportunities are IN THE PORTALI! There are OVER 60 volunteer opportunities available! New families, please don't hesitate to reach out to Barb Novinska in the office with any questions. You can sign up directly here:
We will also be having a float in the Halloween Grand Day Parade on October 25, 2026! This is such a FUN, community event!! Please reach out to the school office at 763-421-3236 ext. 0 if you want to participate in this Annual Halloween event!!
We are also in need of candy for the float! When you purchase your Halloween candy this year, please consider buying an extra bag for our parade float! Thank you!!
HALLOWEEN BUTTONS FOR SALE
It's time once again for the Anoka Halloween Buttons! Anoka Halloween promotes family-friendly events in and around the Anoka area, and ALSO, donates to our media center. These buttons offer many local store discounts and entrance to several local events. The buttons may be purchased for $3, and Anoka Halloween will give back 50% to our school! Please read the attachments below, and send in money and orders beginning Monday, September 22 to the office.
VOLUNTEER NEWS
Good Afternoon SS Community -
Happy FALL! Soak up every bit of this awesome sunshine and warm weather!
Happy FALL! Soak up every bit of this awesome sunshine and warm weather!
We have many volunteer opportunities now loaded in the On Volunteer Portal for you to grab a spot or two! Currently, our daily needs include Breakfast, Lunch, Recess and Virtual Academy!
SS Pumpkin Fest (Saturday, 10/18) volunteer opportunities are loaded in the portal, and there are still many spots to fill! It’s such a great event you can enjoy, while giving a bit of your time! Please consider helping out at this awesome event!
We encourage ALL families to volunteer at least 10 hours at school/and or church this year!We are so happy to continue our amazing partnership with our community!
If you are a new family and/or need to complete the Virtus Training and access your On Volunteer Portal, (NEW FAMILIES, your Password is Parent@SS2025) please click on the link below.
Do not hesitate to reach out with any questions! Thank you for ALL you do for our school community!
BOOK FAIR
Our book fair is back! The book fair will be here the week before conferences and during conferences.
Your child will visit the book fair during their Library time. Parents you can come shop before or after school or before or after your conference time.
Monday 10/13 - 7:00 a.m -3:00 p.m
Tuesday 10/14 - 7:00 a.m - 3:00 p.m
Wednesday 10/15 - 7:00 a.m - 3:00 p.m
Saturday 10/18 -During Trunk or Treat- 5:00 p.m - 6:30 p.m
Monday 10/20 - 8:00 a.m -12:00 p.m (Conferences)
Tuesday 10/21 - 7:00 a.m - 7:00 p.m (Classes & Conferences)
https://bookfairs.scholastic.com/bf/ststephenschool -Go to our homepage to set up your child’s e-wallet or send them with cash the day they visit the Library.
When you purchase books from our fair part of the money goes towards our school. I can’t wait to see you there! -Mrs. Zschokke
SIGN UP FOR CHEERLEADING
📣 Cheer at St. Stephen’s!
✨ Bring the spirit. Build the strength. Be part of the team! ✨
Practice Times:
- Mondays: 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM
- Fridays: 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Performance Opportunities:
- Cheer at home boys’ & girls’ basketball games 🏀
- Cheer at wrestling matches 🤼
Who Can Join?
- Open to boys & girls, Kindergarten – 8th grade 🎉
Why Join Cheer?
✔️ Improves strength, flexibility & fitness
✔️ Builds teamwork, leadership, discipline & confidence
✔️ Helps reduce stress & strengthens mental resilience
✔️ Promotes school spirit & a sense of belonging
✔️ Improves strength, flexibility & fitness
✔️ Builds teamwork, leadership, discipline & confidence
✔️ Helps reduce stress & strengthens mental resilience
✔️ Promotes school spirit & a sense of belonging
Did you know?
- Only 30 spots available!
- Last season, all spots filled in just 24 hours ⏱️
- Must attend informational meeting Oct 21st 7:00PM school gym
- Cost is $125.00 per person.
- T-Shirt included.
- Registration opens Oct 22nd.
WEBINAR RECORDINGS AND LINKS
FOR SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER
Oct 23, 7:00pm
Give your child the skills to adapt, recover, and thrive when life doesn’t go as planned.
Learn how resilience is built through everyday moments, not just in times of crisis. You’ll practice Family Storytelling, the Plan B Game, and Micro-Challenges to help kids become confident problem-solvers. Take home a Family Resilience Journal template to record growth moments.
PRESCHOOL SCHOLARSHIP INFORMATION
W are pleased to share that the Schulze Early Learning Scholarship (SELS) will continue to support middle-income preschool families. CSCOE and the Schulze Family Foundation will award $200,000 in Early Learning Scholarships each of the next three years (26-27, 27-28, 28-29). Please click on the information below.
LUNCHROOM NEWS
All K-8 students are eating for free this year. Preschool students will need to pay for their lunch. If your K-8 student orders an extra entree, or extra milk, the prices below will apply.
Lunch prices for 2025 are as follows:
Preschool students: $4.25
Adults: $5.00
Extras: $2.00
Milk: $.75
To ensure a consistent and safe environment for all our students, we will no longer permit the use of restaurant carry-out food for lunch, regardless of the reason. However, you are welcome to sign in at the office and join your child in the cafeteria to sit together, or purchase an adult lunch (please call the office in the morning to place your lunch order) to share the experience. Thank you for your understanding and support as we move forward with this change.
Reminder: Per the St. Stephen's Handbook, POP AND ENERGY DRINKS ARE NOT ALLOWED in the cafeteria. If they are brought into the cafeteria, they will be thrown away immediately.
CONFERENCE SIGN UP
It's time to sign up for the 2025-26 FALL PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES! Please click on the link below, find your student's teacher/advisor and sign up for the time that works for you. If you have questions, please contact Heidi in the office.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
OCTOBER
3-5: Marathon Weekend (see information above in newsletter)
13-21: Scholastic Book Fair in the library
16-19: No School, MEA
20: No School, Staff Professional Development Day/ Conferences
21: Evening Conferences
25: Grand Day Parade in Anoka - Look for the St. Stephen's School Float!!
NOVEMBER
6: Picture Retake Day & Tues/Thurs Preschool Picture Day
7-9: 8th Grade Confirmation Retreat
15/16: Drama Performance at Totino Grace
RECLAIMING SUNDAYS
October: Rest and Recreation
After all the work God did during the week, on the seventh day, He rested and made it holy. We should, too. In October’s video of our Reclaiming Sundays series, Dr. Pamela Patnode, Catholic educator, author and speaker, encourages families to “keep making the effort.” She reminds us, “The more we can enter into the Lord’s Day with worship, rest and leisure as He intended, the less it feels like an obligation and the more it feels like a gift.” Let’s reclaim Sundays for the Lord and our families. Here is a link to the October video : https://youtu.be/_VR-749Rhys
