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.

Good afternoon, St. Stephen Families,

Our STAR testing results are in, and both our students and teachers have much to celebrate. On average, students in grades 2-8 achieved 1.2 years of growth in Reading during the fall semester alone—140% of the expected progress. This remarkable achievement underscores the impact of our classical curriculum in Reading, Literature, and Vocabulary, which our dedicated teachers and students have fully embraced.

Our teachers have worked tirelessly to implement and refine this curriculum, and while narrative feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, our standardized test results now provide concrete evidence of its effectiveness. Additionally, our Math scores reveal that, on average, students are performing nearly a semester ahead of their grade level across all grade bands.

As our mission states, we inspire academic excellence by pursuing Truth. These results demonstrate that our students are not only growing but also excelling, embodying the high standards of learning we strive to cultivate.

Last week, our students were given a Saint to ask for intercession from and research over the next few weeks from Father John. Many saint books are in the front office, donated by Mrs. Kruso, if families are still looking for resources. I was given Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati, who will be canonized this coming August. All Holy Men and Women, Pray for us!

Two IMPORTANT Dates are upcoming:

1. February 28th - Archdiocese Tuition Assistance Application
2. April 1st - $200 Re-Enrollment Credit Deadline

Re-Enrollment for 2025-2026 Is Now Open

Re-enrollment is now available here . Use District Code SS-MI to complete the process.

To support our families, we are pleased to offer tuition assistance opportunities:

• Last year, we awarded over $40,000 in tuition assistance, including:
  • Nearly $30,000 in AOD Tuition Assistance
  • $12,000 from the St. Stephen Scholarship Fund
  • Additional contributions from the Endowment Fund team and private donors
• Upcoming scholarship opportunities include:
  • St. Anne's Scholars Fund (Opening Soon)
  • St. Martin de Porres Scholarship Fund (Opening Soon)
  • Education for a Brighter Future Endowed Fund (Opening Soon)

Families with multiple Catholic students also receive:

• 17.2% discount per student for families with two Catholic students
• 24.7% discount per student for families with three Catholic students

Early Registration & Tuition Discounts

To encourage early enrollment, families who register by April 1, 2025, will receive a $200 enrollment fee credit, applied to their payment plan. (Please note: This fee is non-refundable.)

Additional early payment incentives:

• $100 tuition discount for full payment by April 1, 2025
• $50 tuition discount for full payment by June 1, 2025

Parish Raffle Ticket Program

To help offset tuition costs, families are required to sell four parish raffle tickets, earning a $50 credit per ticket for a total of $200.

• Tickets will be distributed in May 2025 and must be submitted by October 3, 2025 to receive credit.

Thank you for your ongoing commitment to St. Stephen Catholic School. Your dedication strengthens our community and ensures a bright future for our students.

In Christ,

Bradley J. Stalder

Principal

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 January and February, the "Hail Mary" in Latin will be included in our morning school prayer. I encourage you to also pray this simple prayer at home with your child.

2025-2026 AOD Tuition Assistance Application Window

The 2025-2026 AOD Tuition Assistance Application opened on December 16, 2024, and will 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
• Wednesday, February 12, 2025, at 5:30 p.m.
• Registration link

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

By utilizing Scrip for your regular expenses you can help your family save money. St. Stephen buys the scrip at a discount and sells it to our school families at face value. Each family has the opportunity to buy Scrip to help reduce their tuition for the following school year. If you participate in Scrip, you have until February 15, 2026 to earn a tuition reduction with 50% of your profit being given as a rebate/credit off of your tuition for the following school year For example: For every $100 Meijer card you buy (3% profit), you will accumulate $1.50 towards your tuition for the 2026-2027 school year.

See Mrs. Fluent in the Parish office or call 734-753-5268 for questions about SCRIP.

2/6 - PSG Meeting 815 AM

2/12 - 3rd Quarter Progress Reports

2/14- 2/17 - No School - Winter Break

2/28 - Archdiocese of Detroit Tuition Assistance Application Deadline

3/5 - Ash Wednesday - All School Mass

3/12 - PSG Meeting 530 PM

3/14 - No School

3/17 - No School - Bishop's Day off

3/18-3/20 Fr. Zachary Mission

4/1 - $200 Re-Enrollment Fee Credit Deadline

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 February 26th -- and then the last Wednesday of the month moving forward. 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.”

Orders for Spirit Wear are processing and should be ready in approximately 1 week. Thank you for your patience as we receive these items.

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

-For the Felton Family

-For the Duran Family

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/