St. Stephen Mission Statement: As a ministry of the parish, St. Stephen Catholic School inspires academic excellence by the pursuit of Truth, formation of disciples of Jesus Christ, growth in virtue, and service with mercy.

Dear St. Stephen Catholic School Families,

As we approach the joy and peace of Christmas, I want to take a moment to reflect on the blessings that this year has brought to our school community. Father John recently shared that this year has been the smoothest start to a school year in his twenty years as pastor at St. Stephen. What a testament to the grace of God and the strength of our school family!

This season invites us to pause and recognize the gifts and joys the Lord has given us in 2024. From the vibrant laughter in our classrooms to the friendships forged on the playground, our school is a place where faith, learning, and love come alive each day. As a family-centered school, your partnership is key to creating this nurturing environment for our children.

We’d love to hear from you about what makes St. Stephen Catholic School special to your family. Please take a moment to share your thoughts, whether it’s a favorite memory, a cherished tradition, or the ways our school has been a blessing to your family in the letter going home later this week. The slips can be returned to the School Office upon our return to classes in January. Your stories inspire us and may even be shared with our broader community to highlight the incredible spirit of St. Stephen!

Looking ahead, we are excited to welcome new families into our school community. Included with a letter going home is a flyer for our upcoming St. Stephen Open House on Sunday, January 26th, from 12:00 Noon to 3:00 PM. We ask for your help in extending an invitation to two prospective families over Christmas Break. Word of mouth is one of the greatest ways to grow our school, and your recommendation is invaluable in showing others the heart of St. Stephen Catholic School.

In preparation for this important event, I invite you to join us in the Novena to St. Stephen, which has been shared in this week’s newsletter. Together, let us pray for the intercession of our beloved patron saint, asking for his blessings on our school, teachers, students, and parish community as we continue to grow in faith and excellence.

Please see all the new AOD Tuition Assistance information. Our school received nearly $30,000 to help offset tuition costs last year for our students. That is in addition to the approximately $12,000 that the St. Stephen School Scholarship fund provided, plus thousands more donated by the generous Endowment Fund team, and thousands more from generous private donors. We also plan to again offer a multi-child discount for the 2025-2026 school year. There are additional webinars this year to help support application for tuition assistance. Our team is happy to help answer questions as Enrollment opens in January, 2025 this year.

May the spirit of this holy season fill your hearts and homes with joy. Thank you for being such an integral part of our St. Stephen family. Your commitment to our mission and your faithfulness in raising disciples of Christ are gifts to us all.

With prayers for a joyful and blessed Christmas,

Bradley J. Stalder
Principal

Together, let us pray for the intercession of our beloved patron saint, asking for his blessings on our school, teachers, students, and parish community as we continue to grow in faith and excellence.

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

During the Month of December, the first verse to "O Come All Ye Faithful" in Latin will be included in our morning school prayer. I encourage you to also pray this simple prayer at home with your child.

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

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.

There is a Scrip wish list for all teachers available in the parish office to assist you in any gift giving.

Please see more info here: https://www.ststephennb.org/scrip

2025-2026 AOD Tuition Assistance Application Window

The Department of Catholic Schools is finalizing details for the 2025-2026 AOD Tuition Assistance Application.

All families are STRONGLY ENCOURAGED to fill out the Tuition Assistance application provided by the AOD, regardless of income level.

The 2025-2026 AOD Tuition Assistance Application will open on December 16, 2024, and close on February 28, 2025. Parents may visit the Detroit Catholic Schools Tuition Assistance Page for application information.

• Link to Tuition Assistance Information

Parents should reference the Parent information Document for details regarding the application and contact FACTS Customer Service for individual application questions.

• Parent Information Document:
• English
• Español
• FACTS Customer Service
• 866-315-9262

For Catholic Families only: All awardee families must be current members of a Catholic parish within the Archdiocese of Detroit. Your Pastor’s signature on the form below is required to complete your application. Forms must be turned into your school’s office by February 28, 2025. Non-Catholic Applicants do NOT need to turn in a Pastor Signature Form.

• Pastor's Signature Form

New for the 2025-2026 AOD Tuition Assistance application, the Department of Catholic Schools alongside FACTS Grant & Aide will be hosting three webinars for parents. These webinars will be a chance for applicants to fully understand the application requirements and ask any questions they may have. The dates, times and webinar links are posted below.

Please note: These webinars will be recorded and posted on the Tuition Assistance page of the Detroit Catholic Schools website.

DCS & FACTS Parent Webinar Flyer & Dates:

• Parent Webinar Information
• Tuesday, December 10, 2024, at 5:30 p.m.
• Registration link
• Wednesday, January 8, 2024, at 12:00 p.m.
• Registration link
• Wednesday, february 12, 2024, at 5:30 p.m.
• Registration link

• You can submit a question here prior to the webinar.

Please be on the look out for "support" days upcoming in January where St. Stephen staff members will make themselves available to assist our families with this process.

12/18 - Jeans Day OR Comfy Cozy Day - $1

12/20 - Christmas Sweater/Sweatshirt to bring, change into after Mass

12/23-1/5 Christmas Break

1/6 - Return to Classes

1/14 - End of Q2

1/22 - January Jeans Day (Catholic Schools Week will be separate info.)

1/23 - End of Semester 2 Pep Rally (Honors Assembly)

1/24 - St. Stephen School Art Show - 5-6PM

1/26 - Open House & Begin Catholic Schools Week

1/27 - 815 AM Mass with Bishop Monforton to launch Catholic Schools Week. All families are invited to attend. Prompt arrival to school for students is expected.

2/2 - Ice Cream Social for Pre-K and Visitors/Guests

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.

Our next Jeans Day Wednesday January 22nd -- and then the last Wednesday of the month moving forward. The students may have the option for a school-appropriate comfy/cozy wear on that day as well. 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.”

The order window for the new spirit wear site has been extended. Please see the link below.

The Athletic Booster Club wishes to remind parents that tickets for the Cooler of Cheer Raffle are available in the office.

We want to thank everyone for supporting our Cooler of Cheer fundraiser this year. This year's winner was the Elliott Family, I am sure they will enjoy their holiday celebration a little more with this cooler. Thank you also to those that donated to the cause and the PSG for their donation of some school swag. We also want to wish all of you and your families a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

We are excited to announce that our school will be hosting a book fair on January 26th thru the 31st.

It's a wonderful opportunity for us to come together and celebrate the joy of reading and learning.

The book fair is not just an opportunity to expand your personal library but also a chance to support our School. We will be using Ignatius Book Fairs to be sure that the books offered foster a love of reading and ensure that our community can access literature that aligns with our Christian values.

Let’s discover books that will edify our children’s minds, character & deepen our faith.

We encourage you to share the shopping link https://store.ignatiusbookfairs.com/ with your family, friends, and neighbors to join us in celebrating the joy of reading and discovery. Your participation will make this event truly special.

Thank you, and we look forward to seeing you at the book fair!

God Bless!

To create an account to place an order: https://store.ignatiusbookfairs.com/

1. Click “Sign Up”

2. Click “Create an Account” then Choose your role

3. Fill out your information: name, email, create password

4. Add your child’s name

5. Find your school with zip code and/or State. Click “search” and select your school

6. Choose Classroom

7. Confirm

8. Click “Get Started” or click “Add another 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.

Don't Forget to Order This Year's School Pictures

ENJOY 10% OFF

your order!

CODE: F202410OFF

EXPIRES: July 31, 2025

Redeem Now

Don’t forget to order your FREE Digital SmileSafe card!

More about the Smilesafe program here.

For:

- The Parent Support Group

- The Special Intentions of the Stalder Family

- Fr. John Hedges

- For Sterling as she recovers from her surgery and outcome

- For the Armstrong Family

- For St. Stephen students for their spiritual, social, and academic health

-For the St. Stephen staff

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@StStephenNewBoston

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StStephenNB/

Facebook Parent Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/805655842880562/?ref=share&mibextid=adzO7l

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ststephennb/