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Martyr Messenger
The Martyr Messenger is now being
printed as a pdf linked file.
Please click the below link to view
the Martyr Messenger
Friday, May
2, 2008

Friday, March 14, 2008
Prayers
Please:
In the last few weeks we have suffered the loss of two
of our school parents: Mr. Matthew Brester (Feb. 19), father of Josh
and Abby (kindergarten) and Caleb (pre-kindergarten) and Mr. Jim McCoy
(Mar. 7), father of Jimmy (fourth grade). Both of these fathers
suffered long battles with cancer. Please keep these families in your
prayers.
The Cost of
Educating a Child
In this Martyr Messenger you will find the new
registration information for this next school year. Our registration
process begins about this time every year and ends on April 15th.
You will notice that the registration fee is still $100 per student and the
tuition rate is now $2000.00 per student. This shows an increase of $125
over last year’s tuition rate.
The question that I frequently get is this: what is
the per-pupil cost to educate a child at St. Stephen the Martyr School? The
answer is really in two parts. The first answer is this: about twice the
amount of tuition. If you notice the out-of-parish tuition rate on our
registration form, you will notice the amount of $4000.00 is listed as the
tuition rate. This is very close to the actual cost. This number would
include everything it takes in the parish to make the school operate
(personnel, instructional materials, maintenance, heat, lights, etc.). The
second part of the answer is different. If you are a parishioner, and the
rate is $2000 for tuition, what is the per-pupil cost now? That tuition
amount covers about 75% of the cost to educate the student. This amount is
based on a specific formula where tuition accounts for 75% and the parish
subsidy accounts for 25%. (Now, we do off-set a little of the 75% with our
Magazine Fund Raiser each year-which makes a little over $20,000-so that
number is a little lower 74.1%, but the 75-25 model is what the Parish
Finance Board tries to use as a benchmark). This per-pupil cost takes into
account the salaries of our school staff, the instructional materials (books
and such), office and paper supplies, various expenses for workshops, staff
benefits, etc. This number does NOT include the heat, lights, and
maintenance costs to run the school. Those costs are absorbed by the
parish.
I want you all to realize this: we are a parish
school. We get no money outside of what we generate as a parish. While it
takes over a 2 million dollar budget to operate the school, it takes about
that much from the parish to keep it all going. That money comes does not
come from tuition. That money comes from Sunday stewardship. That money
comes from parish fundraisers. The support of all of our parishioners helps
in making the school run. As a parish we are a community and we are all in
this together.
Teacher
Appreciation Week Thank You!
We have had a fantastic Teacher Appreciation Week!
Thanks to Mrs. Lori Bonnett, Cat Keller and Trish Pickens, who
organized the event and all the parent volunteers that made it possible. It
was a fantastic week!!!
Kindergarten Experience Day
Next Thursday, March 20th we will have a
special Kindergarten Experience Day for our new, incoming Kindergarten
students (2008-2009). There will be NO Kindergarten and NO
Tuesday/Thursday Pre-Kindergarten classes that day.
1st – 8th
Registration for 2008-2009
Enclosed in this MM is the registration form for the
2008-2009 school year. Information has already been sent to our incoming
Kindergarten and
Pre-Kindergarten families. For
your convenience the TEFT form can be found at:
http://www.stephen.org/school/forms/TEFTAUTH0809.pdf. Registration
deadline is: April 15, 2008. Thank
you! Questions to Mary Ann at:
m.maier@stephen.org or 896-0754.
Kindergarten Registration for 2008-2009
Complete Kindergarten
registration information is now available at the school office.
Kindergarten registration deadline is: April 15, 2008.
Pre-Kindergarten Registration for 2008-2009
Pre-Kindergarten registration
information is also available at the school office and online.
Pre-Kindergarten registration deadline is: Thurday, March 20, 2008.
Children’s
Scholarship Fund
In this MM you will find a preliminary application for
the Children Scholarship Fund. Please look for it. If your family is
eligible and meets the guidelines please send in the form to the CSF address
given on the form. These are due by April 21st! Thank you!
Congratulations to our Bible Bowl
Team!
Congratulations to our Bible Bowl Team that took
second place this year! Our team: 4th graders Olivia
Behle (4C) and Hannah Kavan (4C), 5th graders Anna Finger (5C)
and Alex Minton (5B), 6th graders Brittlin Hoge (6C) and Thomas
Kalil (6B) Our alternates were Jonathan Vos (4C) and Madison
Kenney (6B). And a HUGE congratulations to Anna Finger for
taking FIRST place overall!!!
Easter
Vacation!!!
We will dismiss next Thursday, Holy Thursday, at noon
(1st through 8th grades). Classes will resume on
Monday, March 31st at 8:00 a.m. Our quarter will also end on
Thursday. Report cards will go home on April 4th.
Science
Fair!
Congratulations to our 7th grade
scientists! The results from our annual Science Fair, held on March 6th:
1st place: Ryan Jesperson for his project; “Skyscraper
Limits,” 2nd place: Amanda Olson and Nicole Zurich
for their project “Does Age Affect Taste?” and 3rd place:
Chris Biddlecombe and Andrew Whealon for their project
“Decomposition.” Thanks to all of the 7th graders for their
hard work and fantastic projects this year. Thanks to our science teacher,
Mrs. Kathy Jones, for all of her work with these students.
Willy Wonka!
Thanks to our Home and School Association for, once
again, providing our students the opportunity to share their gifts and
talents on stage! Tonight at 8 p.m. and tomorrow night, at 6:30 p.m. there
will be performances of the play “Willy Wonka.” Each year our
students, and parent volunteers work very hard on this production. I want
to thank our two parent coordinators: Mrs. Rose Benda and Mrs.
Anne Byrne, for all of their time and effort devoted to this project!!!
Looking Into the Future…mark your calendars now!
Here is the plan for next
year’s fundraising activities for St. Stephen the Martyr School:
Our 4th Annual
Martyr Marathon, sponsored by the Home
and School Association, will be held on Friday, September 5th!!
Please reserve this day now to join in the fun!
Also, our QSP Magazine
Fundraiser will begin on Monday, October 6th. This
year we are strongly pushing ‘Internet Sales’ only. After parental
feedback, we have pushed this fundraiser back as possible to allow for any
renewals to occur.
The next MM will go home on Friday, April 4th,
2008.
Take care,
David J. Peters, Ed.D.
Principal
Friday, February 22, 2008
Teamwork
Over the years you have probably heard the term
‘teamwork’ more than you could count. It means working with others for a
specific goal or purpose. Over the course of the school year we find
ourselves, as educators and parents, working together for the outcome of
educating our children in a Catholic Christian environment. That is our
joint goal. But what does it mean?
At conferences this past month I was able to chat with
a few parents. It is amazing to me the subtleties of growth and maturation
with children. Parents remember their children from before they were even
born. They remember getting ready for them. Their birth days are held as
prominent and important impressions in our minds. Sometimes, we ‘arrest’ in
our minds our children at certain ages as they grow. However, we cannot
stay stuck on these images and experiences. As parents and educators we
need to work with our children to get them ready for a variety of
expectations and tasks that change as they grow. They are growing and
growing quickly. Here is an important point: we do see our children as
they are at this very minute; but we need to see them as a continuum since
infancy.
This continuum involves looking at our children’s
accomplishments, talents, struggles and deeds. Teachers are prepared to
deliver curriculum to students. Curriculum, loosely defined, is every
single thing we teach and what the children experience. It is our academics
as well as our spiritual; it is the physical as well as the affective. It
is our words and actions communicated each day. It is tangible and
intangible. The subtly of the day-to-day masks the over-arching goal of the
school year at a single grade; each grade holds its wonders and set
experiences.
Teamwork is above all things, about relationships. The
relationship of the student, the parent and the teacher are essential to
make it all effective and workable.
Do you remember second grade and First Communion? Did
you have a favorite teacher that still stays with you? Do you remember
significant experiences when you were in school? Things do stand out, but
they also blend and become common. Chances are the person and the
relationship held greater impact than the day-to-day routines. The greatest
impact is remembering that specific lesson and the person or people that
were responsible for it.
The tedious is also where teamwork lies. It is the
day-to-day work that lays the bricks for the road that makes the school
year.
The work is not done just by the child, but it is the
support and the groundwork of the parents and teachers that make it
possible. It is this teamwork with three corners to it:
parents-students-teachers that make it all purposeful.
We do remember the lessons. We do remember the rules.
How to live as Catholic Christians in our secular world is most important.
These lessons hold the greatest strength.
We will be celebrating “Teacher Appreciation Week”
starting March 3rd. It is a week set aside to honor our teaching
staff for their hard work and dedication. It is a week to say thank you
to the teachers.
I want to thank you, our parents, for your
contributions to St. Stephen the Martyr School; your dedication and
commitment to our Catholic school and supporting your child/ren. I know it
takes time, hard work, devotion and dedication. It is not always easy.
Thank you for being part of the team. It could not get
done without you.
I think we as adults do not always take the time to
thank our own parents for their contributions to our education,
schooling, faith formation and life-lessons.
It is all a cycle. If you are still blessed to have
your parents I urge you to thank them for all they did while you grew up.
They also sacrificed, gave of themselves and were there for you. You might
not have thanked them then. You may not have even realized it. The days
flew by and you were growing, and growing fast. Thank them if you still can
or say a prayer of thanks to them if they are gone.
They were, after all, your teammates.
God bless.
Eighth
Grade Scholarships
Every year our eighth grade students take
entrance/placement exams at the local area Catholic High Schools. On
Wednesday, Feb. 13th we had representatives from these Catholic
High Schools present scholarships to our eighth graders who scored
exceptionally well on these exams. This year we had thirteen of our students
who earned academic scholarships! They are:
Creighton Prep.: Nathan DeMaria (8B) and Michael
Gehring (8C)
Duchesne Academy: Katie Whitaker (8B)
Marian High School: Emily Benak (8A), Emily Fisher
(8C), Ally Garrett (8A) and Abby Johnson (8C)
Mount Michael: David Dickey (8A) and John Byrne
(8B)
Skutt Catholic High School: Adam Maher (8B), Emily
Pachunka (8C), Kelsey Stratman (8B) and Matthew Warren (8A).
We are very proud of them and our entire 8th
grade class! Congratulations!!!
Duke
University Talent Identification Program
Over the past several years we have participated in the
Duke University Talent Identification Program. This program identifies
students who excel academically as noted on our standardized testing
program-the Iowa Test of Basic Skills. Students in our 7th grade
that score high enough on the ITBS are asked to take the high school ACT or
SAT exams. Students in our 4th and 5th grades are
also recognized with a ribbon for their achievement and high ITBS scores.
In January we received a glass trophy from Duke University stating: St.
Stephen the Martyr School, 2007 Nebraska #1 School, 4th/5th
grade Talent Search Participation, Duke University Talent Identification
Program. The letter accompanying the trophy stated: “On behalf of the
Duke University Talent Identification Program, I wanted to thank you for
your support of the 4th/5th grade Talent Search. Last
year St. Stephen the Martyr School was the #1 school in total participation
in the state of Nebraska! We know that this accomplishment is directly
related to your hard work and dedication. Please accept this award as a
token of our appreciation. We value the opportunity to partner with you in
serving gifted students. Sincerely, Joy Baldwin, Director; Identification
and Support Services, Duke University Talent Identification Program.” What
a wonderful honor! I am very proud of our students.
Thank
You!!!
We want to thank the St. Stephen the Martyr Knights
of Columbus Chapter for their generous contribution of $960.00! The
money was raised during the Pancake Breakfast held on Sunday, February 3rd.
Thanks to all of our families who supported the breakfast by attending and
our staff that assisted the Knights that morning working. We all had a
great time!
Progress Reports
We are, already, half-way through the third quarter of
school. Progress reports are going home with the students today. PLEASE
look for them! Thanks!
Stations of
the Cross
During Lent the students will be attending and
participating in the Stations of the Cross. They will be
walking the path of the Passion of our Lord. This is a good example of
‘prayer’ one of the areas of focus during Lent. Parents are welcome to
attend these with our students. These begin at 2:30 p.m. and will be held
in the main Worship Space. Our schedule:
Friday,
February 29th: 3rd, 4th and 5th
grades
Friday, March 7th: Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd
grades
Friday, March 14th: All School
Rice Bowls
Part of our Lenten Journey involves the area of
‘almsgiving.’ The students should have brought home Rice Bowls for
Operation Rice Bowl sponsored by the Catholic Relief Services.
The money the students donate will go to relief efforts in areas where
people are suffering. Please check out the CRO website:
www.catholicrelief.org/orb
Board of
Educations Surveys
The annual BOE surveys are attached to this MM. Please
look for them. They are to be returned by March 14th. Please
note the instructions on how to fill them out and where to return them. I
ask you to please take the time to fill these out, your input is very
important. Thank you!
Author
Fair, Science Fair, History Fair!!!
Every year we hold a special Fair night for our middle
school students. This will be held on Thursday, March 6th
from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. in our school gym. The students in the 6th
grade have been working on their Author Study projects. The 7th
graders have been working on their Science Fair projects and the 8th
graders have been working on their History Fair projects. These projects
are always very well done and researched by our students. They put in a lot
of hard work and hours of effort. The Fair is open for all to attend.
Please feel free to stop by that night and see the great work our students
have produced!
Kindergarten Registration for 2008-2009:
Registration information will
be mailed out to all parishioners who have children eligible for our
Kindergarten Program.
This mailing is set to go out
during the first week of March 2008.
If you have a child eligible
for Kindergarten this fall (five years old by October 15th), now is the time
to update your parish records at 896-9675, to guarantee that you receive
this information.
**Kindergarten parents may
want to mark your calendars now for Thursday, March 13, 2008 at 6 p.m. This
night we will host our annual Kindergarten Parent Informational Meeting.
This meeting is for parents only. It will be held in our dining room.
Pre-Kindergarten Registration for 2008-2009:
Registration information will
be mailed out to all parishioners who have children eligible for our
Pre-Kindergarten Programs.
This mailing is set to go out
during the first week of March 2008.
If you have a child eligible
for Pre-Kindergarten this fall (3 year-old by Oct. 15, 4 year-old by Oct.
15), now is the time to update your parish records at 896-9675, to guarantee
that you receive this information.
**Pre-Kinder parents may want
to mark your calendars now for our Open House dates. These open house
dates are for parents only: Tuesday, March 11th and Wednesday, March 12th.
Details will be in your mailing.
Looking Into the Future…mark your calendars now!
Here is the plan for next
year’s fundraising activities for St. Stephen the Martyr School:
Our 4th Annual
Martyr Marathon, sponsored by the Home
and School Association, will be held on Friday, September 5th!!
Please reserve this day now to join in the fun!
Also, our QSP Magazine
Fundraiser will begin on Monday, October 6th. This
year we are strongly pushing ‘Internet Sales’ only. After parental
feedback, we have pushed this fundraiser back as possible to allow for any
renewals to occur.
Inclement Weather
It is that time of year again to remind everyone the
procedures we use for inclement weather, snow days, as well as for daily
recesses. St. Stephen the Martyr School follows the Millard School
District when closing the school for any type of inclement weather.
The decision to close schools due to inclement weather is normally made by
6:00 a.m. The announcements will occur on: KFAB Radio and Channels 3, 6,
and 7.
If inclement weather occurs during the school day and
Millard closes early, St. Stephen the Martyr School will dismiss at regular
time, we do not close early once we are in session. But parents/guardians
are welcome to pick up their child at anytime.
Please contact Mary Ann with any questions at
m.maier@stephen.org or 896-0754.
Free and Reduced Lunch Forms
Forms are available in the
school kiosk-just outside the office door. If you feel you meet the federal
guidelines please stop by and get the proper forms, thank you.
The next MM will go home
on Friday, March 14th, 2008.
Take care,
David J. Peters, Ed.D
Principal
Friday, February 8, 2008
Lenten
Settings
If you were to ‘google’ the word ‘setting’ or
‘settings,’ you would easily find over 300 million entries. The word
‘setting’ can mean many things. Initially we probably think of setting as
that used in literature, movies or theatre productions; the where and when
of a story-the time and place. Next we might think of a setting as a
mounting for a ring or jewelry. We might also think of silverware, as in a
place setting. But, until very recently, the word setting now has more to
do with our ever-changing digital world than any of these other
definitions. What are the settings on the computer? What are the settings
on that new digital camera? What are the settings on the DVD player? This
definition has literally taken over as the premier meaning of the word,
setting.
People in the movie/DVD business now place unknown
items in the movie DVDs they release…they call these ‘easter eggs.’ Entire
variations of movies, various endings and hours of extras have been added to
certain DVD movies through the use of these ‘eggs.’ How do you access
them? You have to play with the settings on the DVD remote to find
them!
You cannot get the extras without the proper setting.
Let us look at our lives and our setting. Taking the
current meaning of the word setting; “The manner, position or direction in
which something is situated…” If we think of all of the things that make us
up: our physical world, our emotional world and our spiritual world, how
are we situated? What is our own personal setting?
Are we set to fully engage in living lives as
Catholic Christians? Because these three domains; the physical, emotional
and spiritual are so intertwined, we need to, during this Lenten season,
reflect on all three, so that we have the proper settings for living lives
like Christ.
People grow and mature. At certain times in our life
we are open to different experiences. At certain times in our life we are
more receptive to ideas. People may be more liberal in their thinking while
younger, and more conservative as they age. What we find important at one
time in our life may hold absolutely no significance for us at a different
time. We may take people, events and things for granted when we are
younger, and may hold on and treasure those people, events and things as we
age. While our perspective may change, the seasons do not.
The earth turns and orbits the sun. Weather happens,
we age and grow…time goes on. The seasons, holidays and feast days come and
go. Our birthdays come and go.
We have begun the season of Lent. This is our most
sacred, solemn and prayerful time in our Church calendar and in our year.
It can hold for us insurmountable potential for spiritual growth. We just
need to tap into where we are and where we want to be. Because time has a
way of seemingly passing so quickly, I feel people generally slow it down
for these six weeks. We need to look at the three fundamentals: prayer,
fasting and almsgiving and see how we can live them during this Lenten time.
I have heard of many people imposing upon themselves,
during this season, things like: I will not eat sweets, or I will drink
only diet pop, or I will reduce caffeine, or I will try to commit to
exercise or I will not be negative or I will pray every morning or I will
attend daily Mass or….the list goes on and on. What happens, as a result
is, we form healthy and good habits (for our bodies, minds and souls) during
this time! We may enter into prayer, or give alms or impose moderation in
our lives…that stays beyond the forty days!
This is significant. But is it enough?
Here is my challenge, and one I offer to you all, since
we age and grow and mature, our focus, our internal settings do change. It
is gradual, but, like the seasons, it occurs slowly and unnoticeably until
we look out the window and see that winter is over and green grass is on the
lawn. So, the challenge is this: during this time of Lent we need to
reflect. Reflect on your internal settings. Reflect on our families,
our interactions, our relationship with God. Maybe the goal of your Lenten
season is to find those hidden ‘
‘easter eggs’ that are truly there within us, we just
did not have the proper settings until now. You can go through the three
elements of this season; prayer, fasting, almsgiving, but where is it
leading you? Do you live your life encouraged by a larger good? Do you
live upon beliefs that run deep: that convictions mean more than shallow
promises? Are you ready, because now you have the strength and assurance
that just regular living of life has now given you, to change the paradigm?
Are you ready to forgo your previous settings-to change internal landscape
that will make you sleep better at night?
The greatest contribution you can give yourself during
these forty days is a time to slow up and reflect.
Push away what time has hidden from you.
There is a new season upon you. Dig deep. It is what
Christ offered the apostles: drop it all and follow me. The rewards will
be immeasurable.
But here is the irony; if you do this, if you truly
place all of your cards on the table, the deep needed lessons, the true,
honest, wholesome and relevant means to living a good life were taught to
you when you were a mere child.
The Lenten season is a time of prayer. It is also a
time of rebirth. Return to the simplicity of your childhood. The egg is
there within you, you just need to have the right setting.
God bless.
Spelling
Bee
Our annual Spelling Bee took place on Tuesday, January
29th. The following students participated: 5th
grade: Mary Bennett (5C), Ellie Carmody (5B), Bayli Cook (5A), Matt
Harris (5C), Anna Little (5B), Jason Stratman (5A), 6th grade:
Jacob Fisher (6A), Ryan Grimes (6B), Jacqueline Koenig (6A), Patrick
McDermott (6A), Abby Nelson (6A), Jimmy Nesci (6B), 7th grade:
Christopher Chavez (7C), Adrian Dammerman (7A), Aubrey Fleming (7B), Maddy
Kaplan (7C), Lauren Keenan (7B), Mitchell Sullivan (7B), Courtney Van Hoosen
(7B), 8th grade: Zach Franco (8B), Michael Gehring (8C), Taylor
Korensky (8B), Tommy McClenahan (8C), Josh Pudlowski (8C), Kelsey Stratman
(8B), Brett Wenke (8A). Congratulations to our first place winner
Tommy McClenahan and our runner-up Adrian Dammerman. Both will
represent St. Stephen the Martyr School in the Archdiocesan Spelling Bee on
Feb. 9th here at St. Stephen the Martyr School.
Thank you
for CSW!!!
I want to thank everyone who helped to make our
Catholic Schools Week such a success! The week was one of celebration,
caring and prayer! Our theme this year was: Catholic Schools Light the
Way! The students collected HUNDREDS of items for our parish pantry. I
want to that our teachers and specifically our CSW planning committee (Mrs.
Cowell, Mrs. Erickson, Mrs. Hoover and Mrs. Kincaid). I HUGE Thank You to
Mrs. Lori Bonnett and all the volunteers that put on the Teacher
Appreciation Luncheon. I want to thank the Knights of Columbus for
sponsoring the Pancake Breakfast this past Sunday. Thank you to Board of
Education for supplying special coffee, hot chocolate for the teachers
and staff! Thank you to all of you parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and
friends who attended our special All School Mass with our students. I want
to thank the Home and school for providing the cookies and a special thank
you to Mrs. Katie Backhaus for helping organize the large volume of
guests we had that day! It was a beautiful liturgy. Thanks to Fr. Jim,
Fr. Mike and Fr. Andy for their support, presence, leadership and
inspiration during this week and throughout our year!
Eighth grade Catholic Schools
Week Mass
During Catholic Schools Week our eighth graders
attended the all-city eighth grade Mass at the Cathedral. Eighth grade
students from all over the metro-area Catholic schools attend. Over 1200
students were in attendance this year! Some of our eighth graders had roles
in the Mass: our banner carrier this year was Katie Whitaker (8B).
The worship aid/program cover was designed by Richie Benda (8A), Katie
Gottschalk (8C), Sarah Kavan (8C), Alexis Keenan (8A), Mary Mier (8A),
Rachel Persinger (8C), Sam Schlecht (8A). Please see the cover
reprinted in this MM!
Parent-Teacher Conferences:
Conferences will be held the evening of Feb. 13th
and 14th for students in our K through 8th grades.
These are at the request of the teacher or parent. There will be no
school on Friday, Feb. 15th and on Monday, February 18th.
Pre-Kindergarten will not be held on Wednesday, Feb. 13 or Thursday, Feb.
14. Pre-Kindergarten conferences will be held from 8 a.m. to 8 p .m. on
Wednesday and 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. on Thursday. Thank you!
Second
Grade Parent First Communion Meeting
The First Communion parent
meeting will be held this Sunday, February 10th at 7:30 p.m. in
the Worship Space. This is for parents of second grade students only. Thank
you!
Stations
of the Cross
During Lent the students will be attending and
participating in the Stations of the Cross. They will be
walking the path of the Passion of our Lord. This is a good example of
‘prayer’ one of the areas of focus during Lent. Parents are welcome to
attend these with our students. These begin at 2:30 p.m. and will be held
in the main Worship Space. Our schedule:
Friday,
February 22nd: 6th, 7th and 8th
grades
Friday,
February 29th: 3rd, 4th and 5th
grades
Friday,
March 7th: Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd
grades
Friday,
March 14th: All School
Reconciliation
Services
During the school year we have special reconciliation
services for our students (in the 2nd through 8th
grades). These are held during our Advent season and our Lenten season.
Our Lenten reconciliation service will be this year on Tuesday, February
19th at 1 p.m. (5th-8th grades) and 2
p.m. (2nd-4th grades). Fr. Jim, Fr. Mike and Fr.
Andy, will be joined by several visiting priests. The students will have
their individual confessions heard at this time. This is an important aspect
of our faith: the ability to receive the sacrament of reconciliation. I
urge you to take time during this Lenten season to go to confession.
Rice Bowls
Part of our Lenten Journey involves the area of
‘almsgiving.’ The students should have brought home Rice Bowls for
Operation Rice Bowl sponsored by the Catholic Relief Services.
The money the students donate will go to relief efforts in areas where
people are suffering. Please check out the CRO website:
www.catholicrelief.org/orb
Book Fair!
The Book Fair will still be set up today through our
parish fish fry tonight. If you have not had a chance to visit, please plan
on stopping by the library today, thanks!
Valentine’s Room Parties
Valentine Room Parties will be in the afternoon
of Wednesday, February 14th. These parties are for the students
in K through 5th. Thanks to our Home and School, room parents
and volunteers for making these parties possible. The middle school
students will be going bowling that day. The middle school students will be
out of uniform that day. Regular free dress day rules apply.
Foundations
of Faith: Prayer
Our teachers will be attending a deanery in-service on
Monday, February 18th at St. Geralds. “Foundations of Faith” is
a program offered by the Archdiocese of Omaha on topics that deal with our
faith and practice. The topic this year is “Prayer” Fr. Al Salanitro
will be our presenter. There will be no school on
February 18th.
Kindergarten Registration for 2008-2009:
Registration information will
be mailed out to all parishioners who have children eligible for our
Kindergarten Program.
This mailing is set to go out
during the first week of March 2008.
If you have a child eligible
for Kindergarten this fall (five years old by October 15th), now is the time
to update your parish records at 896-9675, to guarantee that you receive
this information.
**Kindergarten parents may
want to mark your calendars now for Thursday, March 13, 2008 at 6 p.m. This
night we will host our annual Kindergarten Parent Informational Meeting.
This meeting is for parents only. It will be held in our dining room.
Pre-Kindergarten Registration for 2008-2009:
Registration information will
be mailed out to all parishioners who have children eligible for our
Pre-Kindergarten Programs.
This mailing is set to go out
during the first week of March 2008.
If you have a child eligible
for Pre-Kindergarten this fall (3 year-old by Oct. 15, 4 year-old by Oct.
15), now is the time to update your parish records at 896-9675, to guarantee
that you receive this information.
**Pre-Kinder parents may want
to mark your calendars now for our Open House dates. These open house
dates are for parents only: Tuesday, March 11th and Wednesday, March 12th.
Details will be in your mailing.
Looking Into the Future…mark your calendars now!
Here is the plan for next
year’s fundraising activities for St. Stephen the Martyr School:
Our 4th Annual
Martyr Marathon, sponsored by the Home
and School Association, will be held on Friday, September 5th!!
Please reserve this day now to join in the fun!
Also, our QSP Magazine
Fundraiser will begin on Monday, October 6th. This
year we are strongly pushing ‘Internet Sales’ only. After parental
feedback, we have pushed this fundraiser back as possible to allow for any
renewals to occur.
Inclement Weather
It is that time of year again to remind everyone the
procedures we use for inclement weather, snow days, as well as for daily
recesses. St. Stephen the Martyr School follows the Millard School District
when closing the school for any type of inclement weather. The decision to
close schools due to inclement weather is normally made by 6:00 a.m. The
announcements will occur on: KFAB Radio and Channels 3, 6, and 7.
If inclement weather occurs during the school day and
Millard closes early, St. Stephen the Martyr School will dismiss at regular
time, we do not close early once we are in session. But parents/guardians
are welcome to pick up their child at anytime.
Please contact Mary Ann with any questions at
m.maier@stephen.org or 896-0754.
Free and Reduced Lunch Forms
Forms are available in the
school kiosk-just outside the office door. If you feel you meet the federal
guidelines please stop by and get the proper forms, thank you.
The next MM will go home
on Friday, February 22nd, 2008.
Take care,
David J. Peters, Ed.D.
Principal
January 25, 2008
Circle of
Grace
The Archdiocese of Omaha has
successfully fulfilled the mandates issued by the United States Conference
of Catholic Bishops (USCCB:
http://usccb.org/) regarding the Charter for Protection of Children
and Young People. Many of our parents and parishioners have
participated in the Safe Environment training sessions. Throughout the
Archdiocese this is required of all teachers, staff members, coaches,
teacher associates, classroom assistants and any others who work directly
with children.
Part of the response to the
requirements of the Charter included the development of Safe Environment
training for students in kindergarten through twelfth grade attending any of
the Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese of Omaha. The Catholic School
Office assembled an archdiocesan committee in K – 12 Catholic
religion/theology teachers who developed the lessons for this training. The
program is entitled “Circle of Grace.” All of the Catholic Schools
have received the curriculum and lessons for this program. There is one
lesson designed for each grade level. These lessons correspond directly to
the Archdiocese Religion Curriculum already in place here at St. Stephen the
Martyr School. Teachers have, or will, incorporate the Circle of Grace
lessons into their religion/theology classes.
A copy of the Philosophy
and Program Content Standards for the Grade K-12 Circle of Grace School
Program is found in this MM. Also attached is a copy of the vocabulary
that will be taught at the designated grade levels. I do have a copy of the
entire curriculum in my office and parents/guardians are welcome to review
these at any time-just let me know.
Thank you for your support of
this program and in keeping our students safe.
AND, speaking of keeping our
children safe, I ask that you, if possible, attend the internet safety
presentation put on by Sgt. Scott Christianson on Thursday, February
7th at 7:30 p.m. in the parish center. I guarantee that what he
shares with you will be insightful, alarming and significant. The internet
offers so much to all of us, but it needs to be managed appropriately,
especially with the innocence of our youth at stake. Please consider
attending.
God bless.
Catholic
Schools Week!
Please look for the flier in this Martyr Messenger
outlining our events planned for all next week! This week is always a lot
of fun for our students and staff. The theme this year is: Catholic
Schools Light the Way. You will notice the large school banner in our
main commons area that has the theme on it. Please feel free to join us for
our Kick-Off assembly on Monday, our Spelling Bee on Tuesday, our middle
school Talent Show on Thursday or the All School Mass on Friday
(Grandparents are our guests that day!).
Congratulations!
Congratulations to our middle school students who won
their classroom competitions for our annual National Geographic Geography
Bee: 6A: Patrick McDermott, 6B: Caleb Schwartzkopf, 6C: Keegan Young,
7A: Ryan Jespersen, 7B: Aaron Hilgemann, 7C: Christopher Chavez, 8A:
Michael Labadie, 8B: Grant Kros and 8C: Tommy McClenahan.
Congratulations to our two finalists: Christopher Chavez and Grant Kros.
And a huge congratulations to Grant Kros for placing first overall.
He will represent St. Stephen the Martyr School at the next level of the
competition!
Leggings!
Change to the School Uniform Policy
The St. Stephen the Martyr Board of Education decided
to make the following change to the family handbook: Leggings will now be
allowed as an optional item for the girls to wear. The parameters set forth
by the BOE: Leggings: optional attire: Solid color, navy blue, must be
Dennis Uniform and they have to be fitted (tight at ankle).
Pancake
Breakfast!
The St. Stephen the Martyr parish Knights of
Columbus will be hosting a Pancake Breakfast on Sunday, February 3rd!
The Breakfast will be in our dining room following the Sunday morning
Masses. All proceeds will go to the school. Please note the flier in this
MM. At the 9:00 a.m. Mass our students and faculty will be responsible for
being greeters, lectors and gift bearers. After Mass please stop by the
dining room for pancakes and have the faculty and staff serve you
breakfast! Thanks to the Knights of Columbus for hosting this event and
supporting St. Stephen the Martyr School.
Valentine’s
Room Parties
Valentine Room Parties will be in the afternoon
on Thursday, February 14th. These parties are for the students
in K through 5th. Thanks to our Home and School, room parents
and volunteers for making these parties possible. The middle school
students will be going bowling that day. The middle school students only
will be out of uniform for that day. Regular free dress day rules apply.
Foundations
of Faith: Prayer
Our teachers will be attending a deanery in-service on
Monday, February 18th at St. Gerald’s Church. “Foundations of
Faith” is a program offered by the Archdiocese of Omaha on topics that deal
with our faith and practice. The topic this year is “Prayer”, Fr. Al
Salanitro will be our presenter.
St. Stephen
the Martyr School Calendar for the 2008-2009 School Year
Attached to this MM is a copy of the school calendar
for next school year. The dates are subject to change. You may want to
note the following: our Back-To-School nights are scheduled for August 13
and 14; our first day of school is Monday, August 18th. Thank
you!
End of
First Semester/Second Quarter Report Cards
Report cards are going home today, Friday, January 25th.
Please look for them. Parent-teacher conferences will be scheduled for the
evenings of Wednesday, Feb. 13 and Thursday, February 14th.
These conferences are at the request of the teacher or parent. Look for
these request forms are also going home today.
Internet Safety: Social Networking Presentation
On Thursday, February 7th
we will have a guest speaking coming to present to parents on the topic of
Internet Safety. Sergeant Scott Christensen of the Nebraska State
Patrol will be here to talk to parents about the hazards of the internet and
what we can do to keep our children safe. Please look for the flier in this
MM.
Kindergarten Registration for 2008-2009:
Registration information will
be mailed out to all parishioners who have children eligible for our
Kindergarten Program.
This mailing is set to go out
during the first week of March 2008.
If you have a child eligible
for Kindergarten this fall (five years old by October 15th), now is the time
to update your parish records at 896-9675, to guarantee that you receive
this information.
**Kindergarten parents may
want to mark your calendars now for Thursday, March 13, 2008 at 6 p.m. This
night we will host our annual Kindergarten Parent Informational Meeting.
This meeting is for parents only. It will be held in our dining room.
Pre-Kindergarten Registration for 2008-2009:
Registration information will
be mailed out to all parishioners who have children eligible for our
Pre-Kindergarten Programs.
This mailing is set to go out
during the first week of March 2008.
If you have a child eligible
for Pre-Kindergarten this fall (3 year-old by Oct. 15, 4 year-old by Oct.
15), now is the time to update your parish records at 896-9675, to guarantee
that you receive this information.
**Pre-Kinder parents may want
to mark your calendars now for our Open House dates. These open house
dates are for parents only: Tuesday, March 11th and Wednesday, March 12th.
Details will be in your mailing.
Looking
Into the Future…mark your calendars now!
Here is the plan for next
year’s fundraising activities for St. Stephen the Martyr School:
Our 4th Annual
Martyr Marathon, sponsored by the Home
and School Association, will be held on Friday, September 5th!!
Please reserve this day now to join in the fun!
Also, our QSP Magazine
Fundraiser will begin on Monday, October 6th. This
year we are strongly pushing ‘Internet Sales’ only. After parental
feedback, we have pushed this fundraiser back as possible to allow for any
renewals to occur.
Inclement
Weather
It is that time of year again to remind everyone the
procedures we use for inclement weather, snow days, as well as for daily
recesses. St. Stephen the Martyr School follows the Millard School District
when closing the school for any type of inclement weather. The decision to
close schools due to inclement weather is normally made by 6:00 a.m. The
announcements will occur on: KFAB Radio and Channels 3, 6, and 7.
If inclement weather occurs during the school day and
Millard closes early, St. Stephen the Martyr School will dismiss at regular
time, we do not close early once we are in session. But parents/guardians
are welcome to pick up their child at anytime.
Please contact Mary Ann with any questions at
m.maier@stephen.org or 896-0754.
Free and Reduced Lunch Forms
Forms are available in the
school kiosk-just outside the office door. If you feel you meet the federal
guidelines please stop by and get the proper forms, thank you.
The next MM will go home
on Friday, February 8th, 2008.
Take care,
David J. Peters, Ed.D.
Principal
Friday, January 11, 2008
Conditions
Guilt can manifest itself within us. It is generally
laced with shame. Our society has moved farther and farther from embracing
these two emotions. It seems like we have a myriad of ways of justifying
our actions. Rationalization is a means to a guilt- and shame-free
existence. This ultimately takes us farther from God.
Many of us grew up attending Catholic schools where the
norms; what is right and wrong, moral or immoral, were very specific. We
knew where we stood. Good, positive and right actions resulted in a closer
relationship with our Lord. Bad, negative and wrong actions resulted in
distancing us from God. Reconciliation; accounting for our sins and
embracing forgiveness for our own actions, resulted in reestablishing this
healthy relationship with God.
There is a large dichotomy taking place that we need to
be very careful of and it is one of conditions. While I think
children, and all of us, should feel bad if we have made a choice that
results in sin, we also know there is a way for us to ask forgiveness and
reestablish this relationship with God.
Love for our children should never be one based upon
conditions. It should be unconditional. True relationships should be
without conditions. When couples start keeping score, or start placing
conditions upon the other, the result can be a stress filled marriage and
relationship. But, loving someone unconditionally does not mean we do not
have expectations of them, or of ourselves. Unconditional means totally and
absolutely, but not disrespectfully or taking someone for granted.
Growing up and attending Catholic School there were
pressures to do good and right. But, in defining sin in our lives, we came
away with the idea that the love of God for us was conditional. Sometimes
the shame and guilt brimmed over and put us in positions that we could not
live fully in God’s love because we were burdened and over-shamed by our
human choices. We needed to turn it around: knowing God will always love
us unconditionally then we could, and may, live healthy lives. We just
needed to ask for His forgiveness if we had committed sin. While we may
have fought with guilt and shame and asked: how can God love me for my
actions; we needed to just embrace the fact He does love us and live good
Christian lives as a result.
God needs us to love Him as much He loves us.
We found that many of us were bound by shame to the
point we could not even live productive lives.
Things have now gone the other way. Have we embraced
all of the good and positive elements in our relationship with God? But,
have we done it at the cost of sin?
Have we put conditions on our relationship with
God? For example: “God, I will do this thing for you, if you could just do
this for me…”
There is a little adage that used to be used quite
often and I wonder do we still ask this of ourselves: ‘Do I make decisions
in my life that I can live with?’
The fact is many of us make innumerable decisions that
we rarely give a second thought to their impact. Why? Because we have not
put any conditions upon ourselves. We have learned, by embracing
objectivity, independence and detachment that we can live with no shame and
guilt. We can live in this life because we do not care.
Frankly, if I have a child in my office that has done
something wrong, I like to see them be disappointed with themselves, to be a
little upset. I have seen a few tears. I think this is important to them
as growing, healthy Catholics. I never berate them, but what I want is for
them to berate themselves. They need to get after themselves if they have
done something wrong, not me.
That is the beautiful and intrinsic aspect of God’s
unconditional love:
We form the conditions He has asked us to, by
personally placing them on ourselves to live lives as Catholic Christians.
The conditions are our own.
A great analogy: if we run a race we need to compete
against those running beside us. But, for it to have the greatest impact,
we need to run the race competing against our own past performance and
time.
Think of it this way: we need to compete against our
own goodness.
We need to make good, healthy choices and even better
choices as we grow older.
AND, when we do fall and make a poor choice, we need to
examine it and do the good, right and wholesome thing next time. We need to
own the conditions and do the healthy examination of our life. This
has been called: our conscience, our inner voice, our true sense of right
and wrong.
Conditions are not bad things. They just need to be
imposed on ourselves from within. By this discipline the question of: “is
this a decision I can live with” has a large impact and will bring moral
integrity into our lives and spill over to our relationships. It is not
easy, but it is right.
As we enter into the New Year of 2008, and with the
Lenten season fast approaching, it might be a very personal goal to try and
examine and reexamine the healthy conditions asked of us by God. It is a
very personal journey and only one you can make, but I grant you this:
those who love you unconditionally will see it within you because it will be
pure, wholesome, healthy and nourishing.
Guilt and shame can manifest itself within us, and it
should to a point, but the point is not to be burdened by it, but to grow
from it. Come on, get going, the race has started…
God bless.
Textbook
Loan
The forms for the Textbook Loan program have gone
home. These need to be returned by Monday, January 14th. Please
send those to school if you have not done so, thank you! I want to thank
our parent coordinator, Mrs. Lisa Diederich, for her work on this project.
Catholic
Schools Week!
Catholic Schools Week is scheduled for the last week of
January, 2008. PLEASE look for the informational flier in this MM. It
begins on January 28th and runs through February 2nd.
Our theme this year is: Catholic Schools Light the Way!
Eighth
Grade High School Placements Exams:
The area Catholic High Schools placement/entrance exams
take place tomorrow, Saturday, January 12, 2008. Please keep our eighth
graders in your prayers as they take these exams!
End of
First Semester/Second Quarter
Our first semester ends on Friday, January 18th.
There is no school Monday, January 21st: it is a teacher work
day. Report cards will be going home on Friday, January 25th.
Please look for them at that time. Parent-teacher conferences will be
scheduled for the evenings of Wednesday, Feb. 13 and Thursday, February 14th.
These conferences are at the request of the teacher or parent. Look for
these request forms on January 25th.
Congratulations!
Congratulations to 3rd grader Kelly
Straub (3C) who placed second in the Polish Heritage Society of
Nebraska annual coloring contest. Kelly won an award certificate, a
Polish flag and a cash prize of $15. Way to go Kelly!!!
8th
grade Spaghetti Dinner
On Saturday, January 19th,
our 8th grade class will be hosting a Spaghetti Feed from 6 p.m. to 9:00
p.m. in the dining room. Spaghetti Works will be providing the food.
The proceeds from this dinner will help pay for the 8th graders
trip to Washington, D.C. (April 7th- 10th) The cost is
$7.00 for adults, $4.00 for children and children 3 years of age and younger
are free. Take-out orders are also welcome. They will also be hosting a
raffle that night! Come, enjoy a great meal, have fun and support our 8th
grade class!!!
Middle School Music Program: A Prayer for All the
Nations!
Our middle school students,
in the 6th, 7th and 8th grade, have been
preparing for their annual Music Program. The theme this year is: A
Prayer for All the Nations! Thanks to Ms. Michele Kruger, our middle
school music teacher, for all of her work in getting these students ready.
The program is scheduled for Thursday, January 24th at 2 p.m. and
6 p.m. Parents, family, relatives and friends are all welcome to attend!
Internet Safety: Social Networking
On Thursday, February 7th
we will have a guest speaking coming to present to parents on the topic of
Internet Safety. Sergeant Scott Christensen of the Nebraska State
Patrol will be here to talk to parents about the hazards of the internet and
what we can do to keep our children safe. Please look for the flier in this
MM.
Essential Pregnancy Services
Thank You to all who contributed to our Advent
Baby Shower for Jesus. Hundreds of dollars of items were donated to
Essential Pregnancy Services: thank you for your generosity and kindness.
Kindergarten Registration for 2008-2009:
Registration information will
be mailed out to all parishioners who have children eligible for our
Kindergarten Program.
This mailing is set to go out
during the first week of March 2008.
If you have a child eligible
for Kindergarten this fall (five years old by October 15th), now is the time
to update your parish records at 896-9675, to guarantee that you receive
this information.
**Kindergarten parents may
want to mark your calendars now for Thursday, March 13, 2008 at 6 p.m. This
night we will host our annual Kindergarten Parent Informational Meeting.
This meeting is for parents only. It will be held in our dining room.
Pre-Kindergarten Registration for 2008-2009:
Registration information will
be mailed out to all parishioners who have children eligible for our
Pre-Kindergarten Programs.
This mailing is set to go out
during the first week of March 2008.
If you have a child eligible
for Pre-Kindergarten this fall (3 year-old by Oct. 15, 4 year-old by Oct.
15), now is the time to update your parish records at 896-9675, to guarantee
that you receive this information.
**Pre-Kinder parents may want
to mark your calendars now for our Open House dates. These open house
dates are for parents only: Tuesday, March 11th and Wednesday, March 12th.
Details will be in your mailing.
Looking Into the Future…mark your calendars now!
Here is the plan for next
year’s fundraising activities for St. Stephen the Martyr School:
Our 4th Annual
Martyr Marathon, sponsored by the Home
and School Association, will be held on Friday, September 8th!!
Please reserve this day now to join in the fun!
Also, our QSP Magazine
Fundraiser will begin on Monday, October 6th. This year we
are strongly pushing ‘Internet Sales’ only. After parental feedback, we
have pushed this fundraiser back as possible to allow for any renewals to
occur.
Inclement Weather
It is that time of year again to remind everyone the
procedures we use for inclement weather, snow days, as well as for daily
recesses. St. Stephen the Martyr School follows the Millard School District
when closing the school for any type of inclement weather. The decision to
close schools due to inclement weather is normally made by 6:00 a.m. The
announcements will occur on: KFAB Radio and Channels 3, 6, and 7.
If inclement weather occurs during the school day and
Millard closes early, St. Stephen the Martyr School will dismiss at regular
time, we do not close early once we are in session. But parents/guardians
are welcome to pick up their child at anytime.
Please contact Mary Ann with any questions at
m.maier@stephen.org or 896-0754.
Free and Reduced Lunch Forms
Forms are available in the
school kiosk-just outside the office door. If you feel you meet the federal
guidelines please stop by and get the proper forms, thank you.
The next MM will go home
on Friday, January 25th, 2008.
Take care,
David J. Peters, Ed.D.
Principal
December 14, 2007
Merry Christmas
and Happy New Year
from the Faculty and
Staff of
St. Stephen the Martyr
School!
I want to wish you the hope and strength found in the
birth of our savior, Jesus Christ.
Jesus suffered a violent death. It was shocking to
those who loved Him and followed Him. His life began as a small baby, in a
manger in Bethlehem. This imagery is one of peace. We picture a clear sky,
a bright star and soft light. Our focus is on a young mother, a woman
without sin, bringing our savior into this world. We celebrate this event.
We reach out to those we love and to those in our community who need our
support. There are those that are less fortunate than us. We want to
help. This is done through our actions, resources and prayer.
I ask that you keep in your prayers all those that have
suffered from the recent tragedy that has hit our community. I ask that you
keep in your prayers all who have suffered at the hands of others. Our
savior was no different.
Why we have many questions, the one thing that is
certain is this: God loves us. He gave us His son to bring hope into this
world. His entrance, His birth in Bethlehem, was the beginning of our
salvation. His path through life: miracles, parables, and teachings, would
all lead to the act that would save us all: His death and resurrection.
And it began in a manger.
Keep those that you love close to you this Christmas
season. And, please tell them you love them. Tell them how much they mean
to you. This act, while simple, is our plain and straightforward way of
bringing peace and security to those around us. And when we have peace in
our hearts and souls, when we know we love and are loved, then we are all
Christ on earth. By being this, we keep evil away. Merry Christmas.
Christmas
break
Our Christmas vacation begins at noon on Friday,
December 21st. We will have an all school Mass at 8:15 a.m. that
morning. Parents are always welcome to join us for these liturgies.
Classes will resume at 8 a.m. on Monday, January 7th, 2008.
Textbook
Loan
Watch for our Textbook Loan forms. These will be going
home right after we get back from our Christmas vacation. These need to be
signed and returned. This program saves us hundreds of dollars in text book
costs. Thanks to Mrs. Lisa Diederich for coordinating this for us.
Thank you: Teachers and Staff Christmas Gift Certificate Program!
On behalf of the faculty and staff I want to express
our gratitude and thanks to all of our parents that participated in the
annual Teacher and Staff Gift certificate program that is sponsored by our
Home and School Association. The generosity of our parents and families, as
always, is very overwhelming! I want to thank Mrs. Lori Bonnett for
organizing this program and the many volunteers for making it possible!!!
(Mrs. Bonnett has been doing this for the last several years and does a
fantastic job coordinating and putting it all together-Thanks Mrs. Bonnett!!!).
Catholic Schools Week!
Catholic Schools Week is scheduled for the last week of
January, 2008. It begins on January 28th and runs through
February 2nd. Watch for more information coming home in our
January Martyr Messenger. This week is set aside each year to celebrate our
Catholic School heritage and pride. It is always a lot of fun too!
J
8th
Grade High School Placements Exams:
The area Catholic High Schools will hold their eighth
grade placement exams on Saturday, January 12, 2008. Please keep our eighth
graders in your prayers as they take this important step.
KoAm:
In the past few years a
handful of our metro Catholic elementary schools have participated a student
exchange program with students from Korea. The KoAm Education Alliance has
students, in the 3rd through 7th grades that spend
either a full school year, or a part of a year, living with a host family
and the Korean student attends the Catholic elementary school. This program
is an opportunity for students to experience and share in a culture other
than our own. This program is limited to the Midwest and is found only in
private schools. Information can be found at the following website:
http://koameduall.org/ We are looking at hosting students in a short
program (five weeks) during January or February of this school year. The
following letter comes from the Omaha area coordinator for the program. If
you are interested in being a host family (and, without a host families we
would be unable to have this program) please call Ms. Mison Cowell.
“Dear St. Stephen the
Martyr School families,
In order to promote global
awareness in our families and classrooms, we would like to participate in a
student exchange program. The students will be 3rd through 7th grade and
attend school during their stay in the U.S. The length of their stay for
the Short Visit Program will be four (4) weeks or five (5) weeks. We’re
looking for host families who would like to experience an exciting cultural
exchange and broaden perspectives on the world. It's a great education and
it’s a lot of fun! The students who are carefully selected come to your
home hoping to learn our culture, language and values. Please call the
school office or KoAm Education Alliance’s area coordinator, Mison Cowell
(991-4616 or 301-5257) for more information. Sincerely, Mison Cowell, Omaha
Area Coordinator
Tel:402-991-4616,
Cell:402-301-5257, Fax:402-991-4616”
Advent Service Project: Advent Baby
Shower!
This year we are collecting baby items for Essential
Pregnancy Service of Omaha. Students are asked to bring these specific baby
items from December 3rd through December 19th.
Donated items can be dropped off in the designated collection area in the
school commons. WE WOULD LIKE ALL ITEMS TURNED IN BY WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER
19th! Thanks for your support of this important ministry.
Primary
Music Program: SIMPLE HOLIDAY JOYS!
Our primary students (kindergarten, first and second
grade classes) have been very busy getting prepared for their annual school
musical. It will be held in the gym on Thursday, December 20th at
2 p.m. and 6 p.m. This is open for all to attend. The 3rd
through 8th grade students will be attending the 2 p.m.
performance that afternoon. Thanks to Mrs. Susan Smith, our primary
music teacher, for all of her work getting the students ready for this
program!
Pre-Kindergarten Christmas Program!
Our pre-kindergarten students have been preparing for
their Christmas programs. These will be held in our main Worship Space at
9:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 18th and Wednesday, Dec. 19th.
Thanks to Mrs. Margie Crowe and Mrs. Julie Andresen for all of their
work in getting our little ones ready for their programs!
Inclement
Weather
It is that time of year again to remind everyone the
procedures we use for inclement weather. St. Stephen the Martyr School
follows the Millard School District when closing the school for any type of
inclement weather. The decision to close schools due to inclement weather
is normally made by 6:00 a.m. The announcements will occur on: KFAB Radio
and Channels 3, 6, and 7.
If inclement weather occurs during the school day and
Millard closes early, St. Stephen the Martyr School will dismiss at regular
time, we do not close early once we are in session. But parents/guardians
are welcome to pick up their child at anytime.
Please contact Mary Ann with any questions at
m.maier@stephen.org or 896-0754.
Free and Reduced Lunch Forms
Forms are available in the
school kiosk-just outside the office door. If you feel you meet the federal
guidelines please stop by and get the proper forms, thank you.
The next MM will go home
on Friday, January 11th, 2008.
Take care,
David J. Peters, Ed.D.
Principal
Friday, November 30, 2007
Peace in
Our Parish
Please look for my article in this MM:
Peace in our Parish.
It has been published nationally in the National Catholic Educational
Association LINK newsletter. It can also be found at:
http://www.ncea.org/UserFiles/File/Elem/LinkAccent/link-112707.doc
Thanks!
Iowa Test
of Basic Skills
I would like to give a report on how our students
performed on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills given this past September. The
ITBS test is a standardized test, which means all conditions in giving the
test are the same. The ITBS is given to thousands of students nation-wide,
and when it is given, the conditions (instructions, time to complete, etc.)
are always the same. This leads to as fair a comparison with like-groups
throughout those students tested. However, the caution I have is this:
these test scores are considered a ‘snap shot’ of how the student performed
on a given day at a given time.
Attached to this MM is a
spread sheet showing a
breakdown of the composite score in percentile rank (99 is the highest
possible score), of the students in the 2nd through 8th
grades. (The 2nd grade score is what is referred to as the core
total and not a true composite). The core total, in 2nd grade,
is a total score based upon: reading, word analysis, listening, language
and mathematics. The composite (in the 3rd through 8th
grades) is a total score, based upon all testing areas: reading, language,
mathematics, social studies, science and sources of information.
Some things of note:
601 students in the 2nd through 8th
grades took the ITBS the week of Sept. 24-28th, 2007.
88.4% of the students had composite scores of 50th
percentile and above. This accounts for 531 out of 601 students.
11.6 % scored in the bottom half (49th
percentile and below) with their composite score (2nd grade core
score). This was 70 students out of 601.
305 total students had composite scores of 80th
percentile or higher! This accounts for 51% of the students tested.
28.1% of the students, 169 of them, scored in
the 90th percentile or higher!
In the 3rd through 8th grades
there were 55 students who had composite scores in the 99th
percentile. This is 10.9 % of those tested. You cannot get a higher
score than 99 percentile.
These are impressive results. Each family received a
copy of their child’s individual performance profile at parent-teacher
conferences. I urge you to look at those results. If you have any
questions please feel free to contact me or your child’s teacher. I am
very, very proud of our kids.
KoAm:
In the past few years a
handful of our metro Catholic elementary schools have participated in a
student exchange program with students from Korea. The KoAm Education
Alliance has students in the 3rd through 7th grades
that spend either a full school year, or a part of a year, living with a
host family and the Korean student attends the Catholic elementary school.
This program is an opportunity for students to experience and share in a
culture other than our own. This program is limited to the Midwest and is
found only in private schools. Information can be found at the following
website:
http://koameduall.org/. We are looking at hosting students in a short
program (five weeks) during January or February of this school year. The
following letter comes from the Omaha area coordinator for the program. If
you are interested in being a host family (without host families we would be
unable to have this program) please call Ms. Mison Cowell.
“Dear St. Stephen the
Martyr School families,
In order to promote global
awareness in our families and classrooms, we would like to participate in a
student exchange program. The students will be 3rd through 7th grade and
attend school during their stay in the U.S. The length of their stay for
the Short Visit Program will be four (4) weeks or five (5) weeks. We’re
looking for host families who would like to experience an exciting cultural
exchange and broaden perspectives on the world. It's a great education and
it’s a lot of fun! The students who are carefully selected come to your
home hoping to learn our culture, language and values. Please call the
school office or KoAm Education Alliance’s area coordinator, Mison Cowell
(991-4616 or 301-5257) for more information. Sincerely, Mison Cowell, Omaha
Area Coordinator
Tel:402-991-4616,
Cell:402-301-5257, Fax:402-991-4616”
Safe and
Secure Grant
I want to publicly thank Mrs. Mary Ann Maier for
her diligence in putting forward the grant idea and grant for utilization of
safe and secure funding for our new and revised intercom and public address
system in the school. Thanks to this grant we were able to install new
external speakers, have new intercom speaker phones installed in the school
and religious education office and have rewiring done over this past
summer. Thanks to Mary Ann over $5000.00 was procured for this new system
which is pivotal to the ability for us to communicate with the students and
staff during the school day!
First
Reconciliation Services
First Reconciliation is fast approaching! Please keep
our second graders in your prayers as they prepare for this important
sacrament. These students will receive their First Reconciliation during the
week of December 10th. During that week there will be nightly
parish reconciliation services beginning at 7 p.m. each evening. Our second
grade classes will be joining Religious Education classes at the following
services: Mrs. Figura (2A) on Monday, Dec. 10th, Mrs. Roduner
(2B) on Tuesday, Dec. 11th, and Mrs. Winkler (2C) on Wednesday,
Dec. 12th. These Reconciliation services will be held in the
main Worship space. All families are welcome to attend these services!
Advent
Service Project: Advent Baby Shower!
This year we are collecting baby items for Essential
Pregnancy Service of Omaha. Students are asked to bring these specific baby
items from December 3rd through December 19th. Please
look for the informational flier in this MM listing the appropriate items.
Donated items can be dropped off in the designated collection area in the
school commons.
Primary
Music Program!
Our primary students (kindergarten, first and second
grade classes) are busy getting prepared for their annual school musical. It
will be held in the gym on Thursday, December 20th at 2 p.m. and
6 p.m. This is open for all to attend. The 3rd through 8th
grade students will be attending the 2 p.m. performance that afternoon.
Thanks to Mrs. Susan Smith, our primary music teacher, for all of her
work on getting the students ready for this program!
Music in
Catholic School Christmas Band Concert
The annual Music in Catholic Schools Christmas
band concert will be held on Sunday, Dec. 9th, at 7:00 p.m. at
St. Gerald’s School (7857 Lakeview Street). Our band students have been
working hard this entire semester preparing for this concert. This is open
for all to attend! Please plan on attending, this concert is free to the
public. Congratulations to our two honor band members, 8th
grader Emily Pachunka (8C) and 6th grader Kellie
Simerly (6B), who participated this past week in the annual holiday
honor band tour. They traveled to several area Catholic schools giving
concerts and performed for our students this past Wednesday.
Pre-Kindergarten Christmas Program!
Our pre-kindergarten students have been working hard
preparing for their Christmas programs. These will be held in our main
Worship Space at 9:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 19th and
Tuesday, Dec. 20th. Thanks to Mrs. Margie Crowe and Mrs.
Julie Andresen for all of their work in getting our little ones ready
for their programs!
Santa
Secret Shoppe
Our annual Santa Secret Shoppe will be taking place the
on December 10th, 11th and 12th in our new
parish center. Students will be able to shop for the loved ones on their
list! Thanks to our Home and School Association for making this possible
and for our parent coordinators: Mrs. Kellie Broadstone, Mrs. Robbin
McCoy and Mrs. Jeanne Swain for all of her work on this project. There
is an informational flier in this MM, please look for it
J!
Progress
Reports
Progress reports will be going home today, Friday,
November 30th. Please look for them. They are to be signed and
returned within a week, thank you!
Congratulations!!!
Congratulations to seventh grader Nathan DeMaria
(8B) who placed second in the Math Sprint Contest held at the annual
Central High Math Contest held on November 15th.
Congratulations to our entire team:
Individual Sprint Test: Nathan DeMaria (8B) and
Katie Whitaker (8B)
Individual Target Test: Tommy McClenahan (8C) and
Emily Pachunka (8C)
Leapfrog Test: Megan Han (7A) Ryan Steffes (8A)
Thanks to our middle school math teachers: Mrs. Jen
Hoover and Mr. Mike Smith for work and guidance with our students.
Congratulations to our 3rd grade Artists! WOW!
The United States Air Force Heartland of America Band
held an art contest for their upcoming performance, “Rudolph the Red-Nosed
Reindeer.” Hundreds of students entered this art contest. Twenty students
had their artwork chosen to be displayed during the Heartland of America
Band’s 2007 Holiday Concert Series, “I’ll Be Home.” Of those twenty, four
of the students whose work was selected, came from our third grade class!!!
Congratulations to: Madison Han (3B), Gabby Lamberty (3C), Renee Mergens
(3C) and Megan Phillips (3B)!!! Our third graders will be attending this
concert on Thursday, December 20th.
Inclement
Weather
It is that time of year again to remind everyone the
procedures we use for inclement weather, snow days, as well as for daily
recesses. St. Stephen the Martyr School follows the Millard School District
when closing the school for any type of inclement weather. The decision to
close schools due to inclement weather is normally made by 6:00 a.m. The
announcements will occur on: KFAB Radio and Channels 3, 6, and 7.
If inclement weather occurs during the school day and
Millard closes early, St. Stephen the Martyr School will dismiss at regular
time, we do not close early once we are in session. But parents/guardians
are welcome to pick up their child at anytime.
Please contact Mary Ann with any questions at
m.maier@stephen.org or 896-0754.
Free and Reduced Lunch Forms
Forms are available in the
school kiosk-just outside the office door. If you feel you meet the federal
guidelines please stop by and get the proper forms, thank you.
The next MM will go home
on Friday, December 14th.
Take care,
David J. Peters, Ed.D.
Principal
Friday, November 9, 2007
Memorials and Meals
When we take our eighth graders to Washington, D.C.
probably some of the greatest high lights of the trip are the visits to the
memorials. We visit the World War II, the Vietnam War and the Korean War
memorials. We also visit the Jefferson, Lincoln, FDR memorials and the
Washington Monument. These memorials are to remember and recognize past
presidents who did significant things to leave an impression on this
country. The war memorials are there for us to remember all of those who
have died in keeping the world free from tyranny and to keep our country
free.
During the month of November we remember all those that
have gone before us. In the Catholic Church we have All Saints Day, on
November 1st, to honor those who have been beatified; they were
significant people who lived holy lives and impacted our Church. On
November 2nd we honor all those who have died. We honor all
those who have ‘gone before us.’
On Thursday, November 22nd, we in the United
States will celebrate Thanksgiving. This day is a day to give thanks,
recalling that first Thanksgiving meal when the people of Plymouth and the
Native Americans sat down in peace and shared a meal.
Meals are significant. They are times when we come
together as family, as friends and as community to share something that we
all have in common: food. When we get together on November 22nd, with our
aunts and uncles, parents and grandparents, children and friends, we recall
and honor an event of the past. We do it in memory.
Every Sunday, during the liturgy, we share another
meal. We share in the Eucharist. This event is a repetition of the Last
Supper. Jesus Christ performed one of the most significant events of His
life at that Last Supper. This event was not extravagant, flashy, elaborate
or rare. It was very real. It was very ordinary and, it was very
significant. It was momentous, not because of what it ultimately
symbolizes for us, but for how it plays out everyday: the simplicity of the
event is what made it important.
Meals are memorials.
When we come together each Sunday we do this ‘in memory
of Me:’ We do this as a community and we share it. Meals are about
sharing. The sharing of Jesus’ body and blood is intimate. A meal is
intimate. It is also ordinary.
When we recall those who have died, we may visit the
memorials, the gravesites of our cherished loved ones that have left this
Earth. In the not so distant past, families would pack a picnic lunch and
head off to spend a Sunday afternoon, right at graveside: with the blanket
laid out and the food there. Family members would tell stories of their
loved ones. They would spend time with them. It was significant.
Today, in our rushed society, where we try, in so many
ways, to control the time of our day and lives: we have events planed and
places to be. What about the family meal? Does it hold the significance
that it should? Have we lessened the significance of the meal? I think the
challenges present to us in our society today are counter to much of what we
believe as Catholic Christians. But, I also believe there is a lot of hope
and beautiful life out there. I think we are trying.
As we celebrate the feast of Thanksgiving, always one
of my favorite holidays because of its simplicity and meaning, we need to
reflect on all meals. Because they are common and everyday, we loose sight
of their meaning: we need to eat to stay alive.
We need the meal present at Mass to stay truly alive.
We do it as a memorial, but not because we are dead,
but because we are alive.
It is all about life and how we live it. That is why
His Son came: to give us life. But, we cannot have this life without
reflecting on the past. We need to remember what Christ did. We need to
remember what the saints did and how they lived their lives. We need to
remember those that were in our life, but that are no longer here. We
need to be having a lunch by those graves and telling those stories. We
need to be honoring the dead. This honoring gives us life. Our lives,
then, are the witness to the past. Our lives then are the memory.
Life is the ultimate memorial; we become the living
embodiment of those who have gone before us. We remember by living. It is
the greatest example and honor that we can give. It is like visiting an
important monument in Washington D.C., but we do it within our own hearts
and souls. I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Happy Thanksgiving and God bless!!!
St. Stephen the Martyr Parish Mission
St. Stephen the Martyr will be hosting their annual
parish mission next week. There will be special evening events Nov. 12
through 16th beginning at 7 p.m. in the main Worship Space. All
parishioners and their families are welcome to attend! We would like to see
our families in attendance. Please look for the flier in this Martyr
Messenger explaining the Mission schedule for the week. Our Home and School
will be hosting on Thursday night, November 15th. There is a
music concert planned for that evening. Plan on having the whole family
attend. If you have any questions please feel free to call the school or
parish office.
Youth
Frontiers Presentation
Next Thursday, November 15th there will be a
presentation at St. Wenceslaus by Mr. Joe Cavanaugh. Mr. Cavanaugh is the
founder of Youth Frontiers. Youth Frontiers recently gave Courage retreats
to our seventh and eighth grade students. These retreats were very well
received by our students. Youth Frontiers goal is lofty; to transform every
hallway in America. I have met Mr. Cavanaugh this past summer and was very
impressed with YF and their programs. I think you would enjoy hearing his
presentation on “Our Kids: Why Being Smart is Not Enough.” It begins at 7
p.m. Please look for an informational flier in this Martyr Messenger.
Thanksgiving Mass
Our annual All School Thanksgiving Mass will be on
Tuesday, Nov. 21st at 8:15 a.m. Our eighth grade class will be in charge of
the Mass. Every year they collect food items for our parish pantry. We are
asking all of our students to bring at least one item. Look for a list of
food and perishable items that each student is to bring: the list is in this
Martyr Messenger. All parents and family members are welcome to join us at
this important Mass! Thanks!
Thanksgiving Vacation
We will dismiss at 3:15 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 20th,
there is no school on Nov. 21, 22, 23. Happy Thanksgiving!!!
Inclement
Weather
It is that time of year again to remind everyone the
procedures we use for inclement weather, snow days, as well as for daily
recesses. St. Stephen the Martyr School follows the Millard School District
when closing the school for any type of inclement weather. The decision to
close schools due to inclement weather is normally made by 6:00 a.m. The
announcements will occur on: KFAB Radio and Channels 3, 6, and 7.
If inclement weather occurs during the school day and
Millard closes early, St. Stephen the Martyr School will dismiss at regular
time, we do not close early once we are in session. But parents/guardians
are welcome to pick up their child at anytime.
Please contact Mary Ann with any questions at
m.maier@stephen.org or 896-0754.
Free and Reduced Lunch Forms
Forms are available in the
school kiosk-just outside the office door. If you feel you meet the federal
guidelines please stop by and get the proper forms, thank you.
The next MM will go home
on Friday, November 30th.
Take care,
David J. Peters, Ed.D.
Principal
Friday, October 26, 2007
The Wizard
of Oz
In the classic story of the Wizard of Oz we find four
people on the road to Oz. They are traveling to see the Wizard; to ask him
for things they feel they are missing. The scarecrow needs a brain, the tin
man needs a heart, the lion needs courage and the young girl needs her
home. In reality, they have all of these things, all are found within
themselves.
They just do not recognize them.
The story vibrates and reverberates through the
years. Its message is as meaningful for us now, as when it was written in
1900 by L. Frank Baum and performed for the movie screen in the classic 1939
adaptation with Judy Garland.
I think, at times in our lives, we end up identifying
with one or more of those characters. This can |