Fall is officially upon us! The leaves are changing, the air is crisp, and there’s a wonderful energy around school as we move deeper into this busy and beautiful season. With that in mind, a quick reminder that Daylight Savings Time ends this weekend—don’t forget to set your clocks back one hour on Saturday night!

With the weather turning cooler, please make sure your child is dressed appropriately each day for outdoor recess. We go outside whenever possible, so hats, gloves, and jackets are important as the temperatures drop. We only stay indoors in cases of extreme weather, so please help your child come prepared to enjoy some fresh air every day.

A friendly reminder that students must be in the building and in their classrooms by 7:30 AM each morning. Anyone arriving after that time will be marked tardy. Thank you for helping your children arrive on time and ready to learn—it truly sets a positive tone for the entire day. You can review more details about this policy in our Parent/Student Handbook.

Speaking of excitement, what an awesome showing by our 1st–5th grade students in last week’s Big Parade of Little People! They proudly represented our school in true St. Stephen’s spirit, and the smiles said it all. A BIG congratulations to this year’s Halloween button sales winner, Cienna Rgnonti, who sold an incredible number of buttons and earned the opportunity to ride in both Halloween parades in Anoka last weekend. Way to go, Cienna! A special thank you as well to all our volunteers who helped with classroom parties, costumes, and marching with the students. We couldn’t do it without you!

We also want to extend a huge thank you to all the staff and families who helped design, decorate, and walk with our St. Stephen’s float in the Grand Day Parade last Saturday. It was a wonderful success and another great example of our school’s community pride on display!