Dear St. Stephen Families,

Our first all-school field trip is Friday October 4th to Trabbic Farm.

I am overjoyed to continue this St. Stephen school tradition.

As with all field trips, safety should be at the top of our minds to ensure that we have a fun and enjoyable experience.

To support the safety of our students, our office has been working to ensure that all volunteers and drivers have the appropriate paperwork and permission forms. If you have not done so, and plan to drive/volunteer, ensure that all permission forms and PGC modules are completed by Thursday night.

Additionally, I will be "checking in" and "checking out" families/drivers at Trabbic farm. While there have not been firm start and end times to this field trip in the past, I am asking that drivers check-in with me at arrival & check-out with me before departing.

I look forward to a fun and enjoyable trip with our school families.

Many blessings.

In Christ,

Bradley J. Stalder

Principal

St. Stephen families can walk in the AppleFest Parade Saturday October 5th. Please meet Mr. & Mrs. Frank with the St. Stephen banner at the entrance to Huron Metropark on Waltz Road. Line-up begins at 11:30, but the parade doesn't start until 1:00 PM. The parade route will begin at the park entrance and will continue over the blue bridge into downtown New Boston and straight out Huron River Drive. The parade may begin dispersing anytime outside of town and you may park your cars at the end at Casper Studios or at the beginning at Metropark in the field. Please see https://www.hurontownshipapplefest.com/parade for more details.

Volunteers are needed for this weekend's AppleFest. Fulfill part of your required service hours volunteering using this link.

The Athletic Booster Club is looking for Applefest Parking Volunteers. Service hours are available. Use this link to sign up.

Please use this link for signing up for AppleFest Pie Making or use the QR Code.

All parents/guardians volunteering in any capacity for St. Stephen are REQUIRED to complete Protecting God’s Children. This includes volunteer drivers. Please read the information here. Use the following link to register here.

Any parent planning to drive for field trips will need to complete the form linked here and submit the required driving information to the front office.

Additionally, volunteers who have not already completed a background check this year should complete this form and return it to the front office OR e-mail to schooloffice@ststephennb.education

We are excited to announce that MS Teacher Ms. Rachel Hutcherson has been selected as one of two MANS Faith-Filled Teacher Award Winners.

From the award letter:

This award is conferred to an educator who exemplifies the very best in faith-based educaton. Your nominator, and the peer review team, noted that you have been a dedicated educator demonstrating unwavering commitment to both the academic and spiritual growth of students. Your award includes a complimentary registration to the 2024 MANS Education Conference and Expo in Detroit, Michigan. You will be recognized before your peers during the morning welcome on October 18th.

Congratulations on being recognized for your commitment to guiding the intellectual and spiritual formation of the St. Stephen Catholic School students you teach every day. We join the St. Stephen Catholic School community in thanking you for your service to Christ through your service to students.

This is a well-deserved recognition for Ms. Hutcherson. Please extend your congratulations as you see her during school.

The PSG is selling merchandise in honor of 70 years of St. Stephen Catholic Education. The order form went home with students, is available in the office, and is attached. Please also see t-shirt images for reference. Note that this merchandise is spirit wear and is not to be worn on regular uniform days. Use this link for the order form to turn into the front office. Orders are due tomorrow, Wednesday October 2.

The Parent Support Group (PSG) October Newsletter is linked here.

Quilt raffle tickets are now available, and the quilt is on display in the school in the Parent Support Group (PSG) display cabinet. See the flier.

PSG Sponsored Trunk or Treat will be hosted at St. Stephen on Monday October 28th at 4:30 PM. Guidance for car designs will be provided soon.

The PSG is excited to announce a new Nursing Nest for nursing mothers at AppleFest. See here for more details.

During the Month of October, the "Sign of the Cross" in Latin will be included in our morning school prayer. I encourage you to also pray this simple prayer at home with your child.

Dear parents,

School pictures are ready!

To order, log in to your account on mylifetouch.com or create an account using your student's student ID number.

All families can also log on and order a FREE Digital SmileSafe card.

More about the Smilesafe program here.

Thank you!

Math and Reading Intervention began last week.

Students were identified from STAR testing to be the best candidates for Intervention Support.

Please see our Interventionist Kim Goins message for parents here.

We will be celebrating All Saints Day on Friday November 1st. Students are strongly encouraged to dress as a Saint that they wish to honor or is meaningful to them/their family on Friday November 1st. More Details will be coming soon.

Our school will be in session during Halloween. In the past, students have been permitted to dress in costume. Please consider the following guidance regarding costumes: refrain from costumes containing or referencing blood/gore, masks, swords/weapons (including play versions), devil/demon/witches, etc. We want to honor the fun of this holiday while also ensuring appropriate attire for a Catholic school.

The school calendar has changed slightly from earlier this summer. The St. Stephen mid-winter break is now better aligned with Huron School District’s break. Please see the updated school calendar linked here.

Picture Re-Take Day is November 5th.

The traditional Fall all-school field trip to Trabbic Farm is scheduled for Friday, October 4th– The Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi. If you wish to purchase items from the gift shop, note that the gift shop is cash-only.

The Fall pilgrimage for 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th graders to Sorrowful Mother Shrine in Bellevue, OH is scheduled for Thursday, October 24th. Permission Slips have gone out and should be returned ASAP.

The Fall pilgrimage for the Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th graders to the Solanus Casey Center will be Friday, November 22nd. More Details and permission slips will be going out soon.

Our next Jeans Day Wednesday October 30th and then the last Thursday of the month moving forward. Thursday October 31st is the last Thursday in October, and we will be celebrating Halloween. Per the handbook, “Jeans must be blue denim and loose fitting. Gym shoes are to be worn with jeans. Money collected on this day is put into the Technology Fund.”

Volunteers are needed for the CYO Junior I-League Soccer Tournament. Use this link to sign up to volunteer.

St. Stephen Winter sports registration is now open. Please register as soon as possible if interested in playing and coaching (parents).

Registration will be open until October 4, so we can register with CYO in time for team deadlines.

The registration link is below and will also be available from the St. Stephen Athletics webpage.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfVScbkUM1a8zraopdqPgypTRKLL-adbxxKxgFGgnUOhR-Fuw/viewform

JV Soccer Upcoming

Friday Oct 4 5:30 PM Anderson

Saturday Oct 12 TBD St. Stephen

VARSITY

Wednesday Oct 2 515 PM JP2

Saturday Oct 5 1000 AM St. Joseph (Erie)

Wednesday Oct 9 515 PM Anderson

Friday Oct 11 515 PM St. Stephen

8th Graders are invited to Discover Day at Divine Child High School on Thursday October 3rd. Please see this link for more information.

8th Graders are also invited to University of Detroit Jesuit High School’s Open House Sunday October 27th. Details are linked here.

St. Mary’s Catholic Central High School is inviting our community to their Open House Sunday November 3rd. Please see the flier linked here.

Gabriel Richard Catholic High School is inviting our 7th & 8th grade parents to Arnaldo's Banquet Center on October 16. See this link for more information.

Gabriel Richard Catholic High School is also hosting a Pioneer Exploration Day Friday October 25th. The student will experience what it's like to be a student at GR by attending interactive "mini" classes and workshops. They will be escorted by our Student Ambassadors and have an opportunity to ask about our academic, athletic, and extra-curricular activities. We also provide free lunch and a t-shirt. E-Mail Mr. Lamb at lambs@gabrielrichard.org to confirm attendance. Notify Ms. Hutcherson if your child plans to attend.

Senate Bill 280 was signed into law in December 2023. Beginning in the 2024-2025 school year, the parent/guardian, who registered a child for the first time in kindergarten or first grade in a school in Michigan, must comply with the following:

Have a dentist or dental hygienist conduct a dental oral assessment on the child not earlier than six months before the date of the child’s registration with the school and obtain from the dentist or dental hygienist a written statement certifying that the child has received the dental oral assessment.

Please utilize the form linked here for all kindergarten and first grade students.

Please see the information regarding concussion awareness linked here and the AOD policy here. Please sign the following concussion material acknowledgment linked here and bring it to the front office or e-mail to schooloffice@ststephennb.education.

Please contact the St. Stephen school office if you wish to find out more information about Huron District provided bussing– even if your family utilized district bussing in previous years.

Time is running out to sell St. Stephen Parish Raffle Tickets. The Drawing will be held on Saturday, October 5th at 6 PM. Please see Mrs. Fluent in the Parish office if you wish to sell more tickets. Each ticket directly helps offset the costs for the school.

1st Prize- $10,000

2nd Prize - $2,000

3rd Prize- $1,000

One of our parents is looking for immediate babysitting support. Please see this link for details.

The Knights of Columbus at St. Stephen Catholic Church are inviting our school community to join them in a Rosary Rally at Lajko Park at 12-Noon on Saturday October 12th. Please contact Jim Cislo (313) 405-2683 for more information.

Plymouth Right to Life is sponsoring a Jr. High Oratory Contest. $100 to 1st Place, $50 to 2nd Place, $25 to 3rd Place.

If St. Stephen has the highest number of participants, Plymouth RTL will award our school $500 toward pro-life efforts.

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