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,

The New Year is a wonderful time for resolutions and fresh starts—a chance to set goals, create new routines, and reset structures in our lives. One area I am encouraging our students to focus on is establishing strong habits around classwork, homework, and turning in assignments on time. Timely completion of work reduces stress, enhances focus, and strengthens the connection between classroom teaching and long-term learning.

Inspiring academic excellence is central to our mission, and this is fostered through cultivating habits of scholarship. Our teachers are highly committed to supporting students who need extra help or have questions. To further enhance their expertise, teachers will participate in a professional development session on January 20, focusing on analyzing STAR testing data and utilizing STAR Renaissance programming for targeted interventions.

We are aware of increased cases of Norovirus and Pneumonia in schools across the area. To help keep our community safe, please consider the following preventive measures:

1. Encourage Frequent Handwashing
   Handwashing with soap and water is one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of infections. Please remind your child to wash their hands thoroughly throughout the day.

2. Promote Good Hygiene Practices
   Encourage covering coughs and sneezes with a tissue or elbow, disinfecting frequently touched surfaces at home, and avoiding close contact with others when sick. These simple actions can make a big difference.

3. Monitor for Symptoms
   If your child shows signs of a sore throat, fever, headache, or stomachache, please keep them home and consult a healthcare provider. Early diagnosis and treatment are essential for a quick recovery and preventing the spread of illness.

Last year, our school received nearly $30,000 from the Archdiocese of Detroit to support tuition assistance, in addition to the $12,000 provided by the St. Stephen School Scholarship Fund. We are deeply grateful for the generous contributions from our Endowment Fund team and private donors, who have also provided significant financial support.

For the 2025-2026 school year, we plan to continue offering a multi-child discount. New tuition rates will be announced in the coming weeks, and enrollment opens later this month. Additional webinars are available to guide families through the tuition assistance application process, and our team is happy to answer any questions you may have.

On behalf of myself, our teachers, and our staff, I want to express our deepest gratitude for the thoughtful gifts we received this Christmas season. Your generosity touched us all, and we are truly thankful for your kindness and support.

Wishing you and your family a happy and healthy start to the New Year!

Many Blessings,

Bradley J. Stalder
Principal

NOTE: The Parent Support Group Meeting scheduled for Wednesday, January 8th at 5:30 PM has a CHANGED TIME to 3:30 PM. The meeting will be held at the school.

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, 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, 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.

1/13-1/17 - Mid-Year STAR Testing

1/14 - End of Q2

1/20- No Classes - Teacher Professional Development

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

1/23 - End of Semester 2 Pep Rally (Honors Assembly) @ 1030 AM

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

2/12 - 3rd Quarter Progress Reports

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

3/14 - No 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.

Our next Jeans Day Wednesday January 22nd -- 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.”

The order window for the new spirit wear site has been extended. We need FIVE more orders for the printer to print the orders. 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 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/