October 18, 2012
Strive to be more
SUCCESSFUL INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL
 
Many Thanks!
Once again, the STM International Festival was a huge success.  With games, a moon bounce, the always fun cake-walk, tattoos, a raffle and, of course, the authentic, delicious food prepared by our own STM parents and students, the day was so much fun.

 

A special thanks to JOSE DIMAS and CAROLYN MAJOWKA for their outstanding leadership in chairing this event.  Thank you also to the many volunteers who donated their time to this event as well as to all of the families who donated raffle items, games, cakes and other items needed.  The International Festival is a wonderful event which showcases STM's diversity while also celebrating our great community.  Thank you to everybody who made this year's International Festival such a success! 

 

 

 

Reminders: 

Hate to wait in line at Drop Off in the morning?  At 7:45 there has been little to no cars going through the line. So come early and enjoy an almost stop free drop off. 
International Festival
 
A Very Successful International Festival! 
Thank you! Thank you!
 
The STM PTO and International Festival coordinators would like to thank everyone for coming to the Festival this year!  This year's Festival was the most successful to date thanks to the continued support and dedication of the STM students, parents, faculty and teachers!
 
Everyone had an "out of this world" great time enjoying the Cuisine of the World Buffet featuring food from more than 25 countries!
We all cheered on Father Rippy and the Chick Fil-A-Cow as they dance their way to a cake in our Cake Walk!  We celebrated more than 30 winners and it was quite the success!
 
The children, young and old (parents and teachers) learned about the International Space Station and participating countries.  Everyone created more than 10 activities in our International Space Station Activity Centers.  The stomp rocket launcher launched more than 100 rockets.  The mini lava lamps, origami stars, gliders, gum drop greenhouse gases, alien masks, orbiting earth, sun and moon, constellation wall art, Neil Armstrong's giant leap for mankind, and Mars landing were big hits!  
 
Mrs. Pore and Mrs. O'Rourke displayed real moon rock and moon dust and the children were given a close-up view of the International Space Station and its astronauts from various countries.  Our visiting helicopter pilot, Colleen Nevius, educated our kids with her tales of adventure. She even allowed them to try on her helmet and equipment to bring them closer to their dreams of flying.
We clapped for 25 space shuttle winners who strategically figured out how old they were on other planets and answered several questions about the International Space Station and the participating countries.
Best of all, we cheered and applauded the more than 20 lucky winners in the most successful Raffle ever!  We would like to thank the STM parents who donated magnificently decorated baskets.  Everyone wanted one of each!  We were so impressed with the details of the baskets that we decided for next year, we would hold a basket decorating contest for those who donate.
We would like to also thank all the STM families that donated cakes for the Cake Walk.  They all looked delicious!
 
Last, but not least, we would especially like to thank the volunteers for making this a successful event!  Without them, we would not have been able to succeed.
 
We are glad everyone had a great time!
 
-Jose Dimas & Carolyn Majowka
 

 


Thank you Joe Allen!

The students were thrilled Dr. Allen's presentation yesterday.  

Registration - 2013 - 2014

Almost 50% of students have re-registered and we have already closed one Kindergarten class, one 1st and one 2nd grade!! With the open house this weekend hopefully, we will have  a lot of interest from new families so that we can fill the two PK and the other 2 Kindergarten classes.  Registration for new families officially opens November 1st.

 

 

Pre-Kindergarten

If you have a child that will be age 4 by September 30th and you would like to register them for PK, please do so ASAP.  We will open enrollment to new Catholic families on November 1, but we want to make sure that our current families are enrolled. 

 
 
Please complete the attached form and return it to the office with your registration fee of $250.00.  If you have a hardship and cannot pay the $250.00 now, please contact the office and we will work with you.  
 
Registration Dates: 
October 1 -  Open to Current Families and Siblings
November 1 - Opens to New Catholic Families
December 1 - Opens to All Other Families  

Code of Conduct Update Additional Dates

If you can't make the update events this week, please check your calendar for these additional times and dates:

Code of Conduct Update:

10/19 - 1:00pm (after pizza lunch) K18

10/22 and 10/23 - 5:00pm

Extended day available for students in K-8 in the gym

10/24 and 10/25 - 8:00am right after drop off in the Computer Lab

 

VIRTUS Class 

The next VIRTUS class hosted at STM will be on Wednesday, November 14, 2012 from 6:00pm to 10:00pm in the gym.

 

Please follow the link to register for the class.  You must include your first and last name. 

 

If you have any questions, please contact Mimi Neubauer at mneubauer@stmschool.org.  

 

Nurse's Note 
Lion's Van Hearing and Vision Testing-
We still need 4 VOLUNTEERS to enable our van do do our hearing and vising testing for our students on October 24th from 8-1, training provided while van is setting up and it is a fun way to earn your volunteer hours! Please call clinic to volunteer this week! Permission forms have been distributed to the students and are on the nurse website under forms. If you have already filled one out, please disregard the second copy.  Forms need to be returned no later than 10/19!

Lion's eyeglass collection-The Lions are an international charitable organization that collect and refurbish old eyeglasses and hearing aids, then provide them to needy people overseas.  There is a collection box by the front office.  Please donate your old prescription eyeglasses and hearing aids to be delivered the the Eyeglass Recycling Center here in Arlington. Follow this link to see how your eyeglasses are refurbished to help another see!    http://www.valions.org/EGRC/ Open this website and click on "A Journey of a Pair of Eyeglasses"

Lead Prevention Week in Virginia-October 21-27 Simple Things You Can Do To Help Protect Your Family

·         Hire a certified professional to test your home for lead.

·         Ask your doctor to test your young children for lead even if they seem healthy.

·         Learn basic facts about preventing childhood lead poisoning. (An electronic Parent Lead Fact sheet are attached to this email for your use.)

 

Pizza Lunch
Please come to support the 5th grade pizza lunch this Friday.  Volunteers are needed between 11:00 and 1:15. . . we need more on the early side of the lunch to help the younger students!  Also, don't forget to send in healthy snacks and non-food items which we can sell at the Market Table for 25 cents! 
Teacher Appreciation Volunteers Needed!

Please volunteer to help show our wonderful teachers how much we
appreciate them. 

BONUS: You can earn volunteer hours while working from home.

WHAT WE DO: We host approx 4 teacher luncheons, an afternoon tea, and other special treats throughout the year.

WHAT YOU DO: When I contact you, you will choose whether you'd like to provide a food/drink item, which can be homemade or store bought, or make a monetary donation. I will send you a detailed email once you sign up. 
 
PLEASE DO NOT VOLUNTEER TO SEND IN ANYTHING
YET. I WILL SEND AN DETAILED EMAIL PRIOR TO EACH FUNCTION!!

IF INTERESTED: Please email me -
Cheryl Cirenza at: bcirenza@mac.com

provide your name, phone number, and the preferred method of contact. I use email a lot but am happy to call if that's preferred!

Thank You,
Cheryl Cirenza
Teacher Appreciation Committee Chair
Cross Country  
Cross country is underway and runners are invited to join.  We practice on Mondays and Wednesdays from 3-4pm once the parking lot is clear.  The release and participation form (1 form) can be found at 
www.nvjcyo.org under forms.  If your runner did not participate in track I will also need a medical release form which I am attaching.  The meet will be held on November 4, 2012 at Burke Lake Park.  Please contact Lanna Smith for any questions. lanna.track@gmail.com or 843-830-2761
.  The distances for cross country are as follows:  3-4th grade 1Kilometer, 5-6th grade 2Kilometer and 7-8 grade 3Kilometer.

Medical Release  



CYO Basketball

The 8th grade girls basketball team is in desperate need of a coach and assistant coach.  Please contact Evan Tracey as soon as possible at 
if you can coach or have any questions about coaching. 

Registration for the 12'-13' St. Thomas More CYO Basketball season is now open!

Please complete the attached 4 forms and send into school, with the necessary payment, addressed to:

STM CYO - Grade and Team (boys/girls). Ex. STMCYO 6 Girls

Registration for all teams closes October 15th. So don't delay. 

Teams must have a minimum of 8 players to form a team.  Please don't delay sign-up NOW!

During registration, if you have any questions about the process or about our CYO program, please contact: Evan Tracey 703.299.9461 or at stmcyo@live.com.

 



Tennis  
Hello CYO Coaches, Parents and Volunteers 
 
My 2 kids are excited to play in Wimbledon II but my 9th grader misses CYO Tennis and no longer qualifies in the CYO Tennis Program.

We are looking for opportunities for those students in High School to play some competitive tennis in the Fall under the "USTA Junior Team Tennis".
We are putting together a team for the upcoming 
USTA Junior Team Tennis Fall Program.  
We are looking for students to play
* Under 18 yrs old, Advanced AND Intermediate divisions
*Under 14 yrs old, intermediate or advance 

For clarification, USTA is not a CYO Program.


What is USTA Jr. Team Tennis?
USTA Jr. Team Tennis brings kids together in teams to play singles, doubles and mixed doubles against other teams. It promotes social skills and important values by fostering a spirit of cooperation and unity, as well as individual self-growth. Also, it's a fun environment for kids in which they learn that succeeding is really more about how they play the game - win or lose.

How does it work?
Matches can be held anywhere from a local park or school to a commercial or private club.  Teams are preferably co-ed but can also be single gender (boys only or girls only).  They are divided by the following age and play levels:
Age Groups: U18, U14, 
Play Levels: Intermediate, Advanced
Qualifying JTT teams play off in a District Championship and the winning team(s) advance to the Sectional Championships, and then National Championships.TennisLink

All players have access to tennislink, the USTA's online player registration system.  TennisLink allows registered players to keep track of their records and stats, as well as scout their competition.  Whether on the court or online, USTA Jr. Team Tennis builds a passion for a sport kids will be able to play for life.


Costs
The costs to participate can vary by local market. Minimum fees include a TennisLink fee and having a USTA membership, and can also include a league  t-shirt, awards, tennis balls, court fees, and an end-of-the-year party.
 Interested in signing up for a league?  

Questions? Please Contact
Ed Tiong, Skyline Courtmasters Team
 or b est 
 
League fee includes: 
USTA registration fee, courts, balls, scheduling, etc.
$147.50 per person fee
 
10 WEEK FALL/WINTER SEASON STARTS 10/20/12 RUNS THRU 1/13/13 
 
. Districts DATES JULY 2013, TBD 
 . Sectional DATES AUGUST 2013, TBD  
. National Championships fall of 2013
 
. Minimum 6 per co-ed team (3 girls, 3 boys)
MANDATORY
 
. USTA membership required
 
. Team registration is open 9/1/12, team registration ends 10/10/12
 
League rule and general information are located on  
 
  

Charity Walk -  

STM Walk for Military Veterans is on!  We will be walking on Oct.31st at 9:00am and returning by 11:00am.  Forms and more information will be sent home on Thurs. Oct. 11th.
 
STM Development 
 
The Development Committee is about to release it's Second Annual Report - we are including a list of all the families and individuals who gave to our school in 2011 -2012 this includes - Auction Donors, Race for Education, Annual Appeal and Fund the Need.   Attached please find the
- if you do not see your name listed and you gave, please contact Tara Quaadman at tquaadman@stmschool.org so that we can rectify the mistake.  
UNITED WAY/COMBINED  
FEDERAL CAMPAIGN

 

Give to STM using our designated United Way number:  8976 or the Combined Federal Campaign number:  58640.

 

Chick Fil A

STM just kicked off the Chick Fil A fundraiser for our school that now runs through December 31, 2012.  You will receive more information in a flyer on Wednesday.  

 

Open House Signs
Yes - it is that time again - if you would like to put an Open House Lawn Sign at your home email tquaadman@stmschool.org or meet me in the parking lot on Thursday, October 18 to get your sign.  

Open House Volunteers
If you are available on Sunday, October 21, 2012 and would like to help out at the Open House, please contact 
Ali Chen at AChen@stmschool.org.
Mark Your Calendar

Women's Council Spaghetti Dinner
 Saturday, November 3, 2012
4:00 to 8:00pm

See the flyer for more details!

America Sings!  

Kindergarten Families - Please join us for a musical extravaganza by STM's wonderful Kindergarteners! See flyer for more details.  Questions about this event?  Please contact Cristy Rugo: cristyrugo@me.com

John Paul the Great Events and Invitations for Middle School Students!

 

The Main Event:

Open House - November 18, 2012

Learn more about all the GREAT things happening at Pope John Paul the Great Catholic High School by attending their Open House on Sunday, November 18, from 1 - 4pm. (Presentation at 1:15.) Meet the Dominican Sisters, JP students, teachers, and parents while exploring their successful college prep curriculum, Bioethics program, House System, and more. The Open House will conclude with a PEP Rally and House Competition! For more information, please click here or  visit www.jpthegreat.org or call 703-445-0300.

 

More Special Middle School Invitations:

All Middle School students (grades 6 - 8) are invited to participate in these special events hosted just for you! More details to come, but for now, please Save-the-Date!

 

1.    Shadow at JP the Great: October - May. Click here for more info!

 

2.    Girls Lacrosse Clinic: October 27 & 28 and November 3 & 4. Click here for registration information! Contact: Coach Erin Dove:Erin.Dove@jpthegreat.org

 

3.    JP5K Run/Walk for Options: Support the Special Education Options Program! November 17, 2012. Contact: Megan Battle:Megan.battle@jpthegreat.org or Click here to register!

 

4.    Open House: Sunday, November 18, 1 - 4:00pm. Presentation begins at 1:15pm. Click here for more info!

 

5.    Free Admission to Wrestling Tournament: December 1. Contact: info@jpthegreat.org

 

6.    2nd Annual Futsal Tournament: December 8. Contact: Coach Jay Jesse: Jay.Jesse@jpthegreat.org

 

7.    Band and Choir Music Festival: January 26. Click here for registration information! Contact: Music Director, Mrs. Kingett:Kelly.Kingett@jpthegreat.org

 

8.    Free Admission to V. Basketball Games: February 14. Contact: info@jpthegreat.org

 

9.    Preview Open House: March 14, 4 - 6pm. For Grades 5 - 7 (or anyone!) who wants to preview high school at JP! Contact:admissions@jpthegreat.org


Issue: 8
In This Issue
International Festival Thank You!
Morning Drop Off
International Fesitval
Thank You Joe Allen
2013 - 2014 Registration
Code of Conduct
VIRTUS Class
Nurse's Note
Pizza Lunch
Teacher Appreciation
Cross Country
CYO Basketball
Tennis
Charity Walk
STM Development
United Way/ Combined Federal Campaign
Chick Fil A
Open House Lawn Signs
Women's Spaghetti Dinner
America Sings
John Paul the Great Events

Looking Ahead: 

 
October 21, 2012

Open House

Prospective Pre-K and K

 

October 31, 2012

Charity Walk 

2:00pm Dismissal

 

 

December 8, 2012

Barnes and Noble Book Fair at Seven Corners

EBlast

Submissions for the EBlast are due on the Tuesday before the Wednesday Eblast.  Send articles to:

Eblast@stmschool.org

Thanks!  

Please join us at 

Mass on 

Friday, 

October 19

at 10:00 am in the Cathedral.  

STM Night at  
Silver Diner 
  in Claredon

November 7, 2012

5:00 - 8:00pm  

STM teaches faith!