From the desk of Mr. Rehder...
Hello St. Stephen’s Families,
Fall Sports Success!
We want to begin this week by celebrating an incredible Fall sports season here at St. Stephen’s! Our Volleyball, Soccer, and Cross Country teams represented our school with grit, growth, teamwork, sportsmanship, and coachability all season long. Thank you to every athlete, coach, and supportive parent who helped make this a strong, positive year across all sports. This past weekend, our Volleyball program wrapped up their year in the conference tournament with amazing success: Varsity earned the Championship trophy, our JV team brought home the 3rd place trophy, and our B Squad team finished as Consolation Champions! In Cross Country, the team competed in their Championship Meet on Friday, and we had several standout finishes including Nicholas placing 6th in Varsity Boys, Mackenzie taking 1st in Varsity Girls, Hadley placing 2nd in JV Girls, and Layla finishing 5th in JV Girls. We are incredibly proud of the entire team and the terrific season they had! If you are still wanting to sign up for Girls Basketball or Wrestling, please see the link in the newsletter to get signed up by December 1st!
We want to begin this week by celebrating an incredible Fall sports season here at St. Stephen’s! Our Volleyball, Soccer, and Cross Country teams represented our school with grit, growth, teamwork, sportsmanship, and coachability all season long. Thank you to every athlete, coach, and supportive parent who helped make this a strong, positive year across all sports. This past weekend, our Volleyball program wrapped up their year in the conference tournament with amazing success: Varsity earned the Championship trophy, our JV team brought home the 3rd place trophy, and our B Squad team finished as Consolation Champions! In Cross Country, the team competed in their Championship Meet on Friday, and we had several standout finishes including Nicholas placing 6th in Varsity Boys, Mackenzie taking 1st in Varsity Girls, Hadley placing 2nd in JV Girls, and Layla finishing 5th in JV Girls. We are incredibly proud of the entire team and the terrific season they had! If you are still wanting to sign up for Girls Basketball or Wrestling, please see the link in the newsletter to get signed up by December 1st!
Christmas Basket Collection Has Begun
We have officially started our annual “Christmas Basket” drive in partnership with our parish to support local families in need with food and essential household items. Students brought home a flyer earlier this week with the specific items each grade is collecting. If you have any questions, please refer to that form, your child’s classroom newsletter, or reach out to the school office. Thank you for helping us share Christ’s love in our community!
We have officially started our annual “Christmas Basket” drive in partnership with our parish to support local families in need with food and essential household items. Students brought home a flyer earlier this week with the specific items each grade is collecting. If you have any questions, please refer to that form, your child’s classroom newsletter, or reach out to the school office. Thank you for helping us share Christ’s love in our community!
MNSAA Conference Hosted on Campus Tomorrow
We are proud to host the Minnesota Nonpublic School Accrediting Association (MNSAA) Annual Conference tomorrow on our school and parish campus. MNSAA is the state’s largest accreditor of nonpublic schools — including ours! As we welcome school leaders from across Minnesota, please note that we will be using the back school parking lot for our guests. Preschool families should plan for pick-up in the main school parking lot along with our K–8 students tomorrow afternoon. Morning drop-off will run as normal. Thank you for your flexibility as we proudly showcase our parish and school community!
We are proud to host the Minnesota Nonpublic School Accrediting Association (MNSAA) Annual Conference tomorrow on our school and parish campus. MNSAA is the state’s largest accreditor of nonpublic schools — including ours! As we welcome school leaders from across Minnesota, please note that we will be using the back school parking lot for our guests. Preschool families should plan for pick-up in the main school parking lot along with our K–8 students tomorrow afternoon. Morning drop-off will run as normal. Thank you for your flexibility as we proudly showcase our parish and school community!
Veterans Day Tribute Service
We are looking forward to our Veterans Day Tribute Service next Tuesday as we gather to honor the brave men and women who have served our nation. We remain forever grateful for their sacrifices and their continued service to our community. All veterans and their families are warmly invited to join us for this special program. Please see the flyer below for more details.
We are looking forward to our Veterans Day Tribute Service next Tuesday as we gather to honor the brave men and women who have served our nation. We remain forever grateful for their sacrifices and their continued service to our community. All veterans and their families are warmly invited to join us for this special program. Please see the flyer below for more details.
Thank you for your continued support and partnership in helping our students grow, learn, and shine each day. Wishing you a blessed and joy-filled week!
God Bless,
Mr. Rehder, Principal
SIGN UP NOW FOR GIRLS BASKETBALL
AND WRESTLING
All 5-8th grade students! Now is the time to sign up for Girls Basketball and Wrestling! Please click on the link below to fill out a form. Cost is $125 for the season. We are still looking for a girls basketball coach!! Please reach out to Mr. Rehder if you are interested at grehder@ststephenchurch.org.
ANGEL AWARD WINNERS
Congratulations to this week's Angel Award Winners: Charlie and Rose have been recognized for making our school a better place to be! Enjoy your out of uniform pass, and a free meal at Buffalo Wild Wings!
VOLUNTEER NEWS
Good Afternoon SS Community -
In advance, thanks to ALL of you who have been volunteering! We are SO appreciative of your gift of time!!
We have many volunteer opportunities in the On Volunteer Portal for you to grab a spot or two! Currently, our daily needs include Breakfast, Lunch, Recess and Virtual Academy (Additional days added- would LOVE help). Just added, Middle School Dance on Nov. 20! Please sign up on the portal!
URGENT NEED !!!
Annual Holiday Craft Fair – MANY volunteers needed! This is a wonderful way to shop AND volunteer for a shift or two!
Friday, 11/21 – Set up starting at 3:00 pm
Saturday, 11/22 – All Day spots available, starting at 6:45 am
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!
WEBINAR RECORDINGS AND LINKS
FOR NOVEMBER
Nov. 13, 7:00pm
Big feelings happen at every age — learn to help your child (and yourself) stay calm and in control.
Explore how emotional regulation develops and why co-regulation comes first. You’ll learn the Zones of Regulation system, create a Calm Down Space that encourages self-soothing, and use Stop–Breathe–Say as a family-wide pause tool. Take home a Feelings Chart and Calm Down Space Checklist for easy implementation.
Craft Sale Gift Baskets Needed
Attention St. Stephen’s families:
We could really use some gift baskets again this year! We will use the baskets to auction off during the craft sale on Saturday November 22nd.
All proceeds from the baskets go directly to the school! You have been so generous in the years past and I’m hoping to see some great baskets again this year. Please bring your baskets to the office by Thursday November 20th.
If you have any questions please contact Jennifer Klemz 763-213-2142
Your donations are VERY MUCH APPRECIATED!!
ANNUAL BAKE SALE
Our Annual Bake Sale during our Craft Fair is Saturday, November 22, 2025. Donations needed! We will need lots of baked goods to make this a successful event!
Please label your items and have them packaged to sell (ziploc bags, sturdy paper plates inside freezer bags or disposable clear containers). Packages of 6-12 are recommended. We will price your donated items at the school.
Bring your items to the hallway outside the Parent Resource Room (enter through the main school doors) on Friday, November 21st by 5 PM, or Saturday, November 22nd between 8 - 10 AM to the bake sale tables.
Remember, the more you bake, the more we make for St Stephen’s School!
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.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
NOVEMBER
7-9: 8th Grade Confirmation Retreat
11: Veteran's Day Parade
15/16: Drama Performances at Totino-Grace
20: Preschool Open House
20: Middle School Dance
21: Food Brigade
22: Craft Fair
24-28: NO SCHOOL - Blessed Thanksgiving Week
DECEMBER
15: Advent Program in the Church. 12 PM Dress Rehearsal / 6 PM Program
24 - Jan. 2: Christmas and New Years Break
