From the desk of Mr. Rehder...
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, St. Stephen’s Families!
As we celebrate the birth of Christ and look ahead to a new year, I am grateful for the faith, joy, and strong sense of community that make St. Stephen’s such a special place. May this holy season bring your family peace, rest, and renewed hope, and may God bless you abundantly in the year ahead.
Wishing you a blessed Christmas and a joyful New Year,
Gerald Rehder, Principal
BELIEVE AND READ
Part of our Believe and Read instruction in the classroom is phonemic awareness exercises from our Heggerty manual. Phonemic awareness is the ability to hear, identify and manipulate the individual sounds (phonemes) in spoken words. This skill is essential for children as they learn to read. This helps them understand that words are made up of sounds that can be blended, segmented and manipulated.
Examples of Phonemic Awareness Activities
Sound Isolation: Identifying the first sound in a word. For instance, asking a child what sound they hear at the beginning of the word "dog" (/d/).
Sound Blending: Combining individual sounds to form a word. For example, saying the sounds /m/, /æ/, /p/ and asking
the child to blend them into "map."
Sound Segmentation: Breaking a word into its individual sounds. For example, saying the word "cat" and having the
child tap the sounds /k/, /æ/, /t/.
Sound Manipulation: Changing the beginning sound in a word to create a new word. For instance, changing the /k/ in "cat" to /h/ to
make “hat” to create rhyming words.
Try these exercises with your student at home to practice their phonemic awareness skills!
Ms. Fiedler, Kindergarten Teacher & Believe and Read Coach
Sarah Eiden, Believe and Read Coach, K-5 Reading Interventionist & Building Support Paraprofessional
TECH FEES - BILLED IN JANUARY!
Parents, please note that the Technology Fees will be added to your TADS accounts with a due date of January 15, 2026. Tech Fees are $150 per student. If you would like to pay the office via check/cash, please drop it off by January 10, 2026.
NON-UNIFORM PASSES FOR SALE
Non-uniform passes are once again for sale in the school office! They make great Christmas gifts! They are $5 each, or 5 for $20. Maximum of FIVE per child.
SIERRA CLUB ESSAY CONTEST WINNERS
As the final piece of the 8th graders' vocational field trip sponsored by the Sierra Club, they were asked to write an essay on their experience and how the Holy Spirit has spurred them to reflect on what God might be calling them to serve in their lives, either as a priest, brother, or sister. The Sierra Club is a ministry that focuses on supporting and encouraging vocations. This year, the essays our 8th graders submitted were so strong that they announced not one, but two winners. Ethan E. and Mason D. won a certificate and a $50 check! Congratulations to both of you!!!
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
DECEMBER
24 - Jan. 2: Christmas and New Years Break
JANUARY
5: Welcome Back to School!
5: Middle School Information Night for current 4th and 5th grade parents
19: MLK Day - No School
20: Kindergarten Round Up Day
24: Catholic Schools Week BINGO after Mass
25: Catholic Schools Week OPEN HOUSE
26-31: Catholic Schools Week - Field Trips, Restaurant Nights, Bingo
