St. Thomas More Cathedral School
PTO Newsletter - March 2, 2018 - Volume 213
Included in this newsletter:
"I need Volunteer Hours!" - We've got you covered.
Important notes about logging volunteer hours
After-School Enrichment Registration
Fun & Games with Mrs. Bauer (Tuesdays after school through 3/27)
Instant Wine Cellar Raffle is OPEN!
Lenten Suppers at the STM Cathedral
Box Tops Contest Winners!
Auction Countdown & Request for Donations
Auction Decorations Committee in need of Vases
Arlington Little League Jr. Umpire Corps
Message from the President
Happy Friday!
Good luck to all of our CYO Basketball teams beginning their division playoffs this weekend!! If you are interested in attending to cheer them on, the schedule is as follows:
5th Grade Boys
Saturday, February 24 vs. St. Louis
1:10 p.m. @ St. Mary School (Old Town)
6th Grade Boys
Saturday, February 24 vs. St. Mark
2:00 p.m. @ St. Mark (Vienna)
7th Grade Boys
Saturday, February 24 vs. St. Francis
9:00 a.m. @ St. Francis (Triangle)
8th Grade Boys
Saturday, February 24 vs. St. James
2:45 p.m. @ St. James (Falls Church)
5th Grade Girls
Saturday, February 24 vs. St. John the Beloved
6:00 p.m. @ St. John (McLean)
6th Grade Girls (Loveland)
Sunday, February 25 vs. St. Mary
1:15 p.m. @ St. John (McLean)
6th Grade Girls (Jacques)
Saturday, February 24 vs. St. Joseph
12:15 p.m. @ Queen of Apostles (Alexandria)
7th Grade Girls
Saturday, February 24 vs. St. Timothy
2:30 p.m. @ St. Luke (McLean)
8th Grade Girls
Saturday, February 24 vs. Holy Spirit
5:15 p.m. @ Bishop O'Connell (Main Gym)
For detailed directions/location information, visit http://cdoa.sportspilot.com/Schedules.aspx#/schedule/list and scroll down to the age group of your choice. Click on the St. Thomas More name under each heading.
GO ROYALS!!!
Have a great weekend.
Kassie Stewart
PTO President
"I Need Volunteer Hours!" - PTO can help!
1. Pizza Lunches: Even if your child's grade is not listed, that doesn't mean you can't send in Market Day Table donations!! And, on the dates that the SPECIALS have pizza lunch, they are especially in need of (VIRTUS TRAINED) people to help as well as market table donations.
- 3/2 - Computer
- 3/9 - Choir
- 3/16 - 5th Grade
- 3/23 - CYO
- 4/13 - 4th Grade
- 4/20 - PreK
- 5/4 - 3rd Grade
- 5/18 - Band
2. Volunteer for Classroom Parties/Events: Individual dates are not listed, but if your child has a Valentine's or St. Patrick's or some other "special" event in their classroom - VOLUNTEER! (virtus-trained only for in-class). Send in craft materials or food items and log those under, i.e. FEBRUARY CLASSROOM PARTY, MARCH CLASSROOM PARTY, etc.
3. Classroom Field Trip: If your child's grade plans a field trip this Spring, or if you've already chaperoned a trip (individual dates are not listed; search for FIELD TRIP CHAPERONE in AtoZconnect), click on the event and log your hours under your child's grade. Virtus-trained parents only.
4. Sunday Morning Coffee/Donuts: Parents of children in Pre-K, 1st, 2nd, & 3rd grade have upcoming opportunities to serve coffee/donuts after the Sunday masses.
- 2/25 - PreK & Kindergarten
5. Spring Auction - April 14: The Auction Committee is in need of many hands (and DONATIONS!) to help make this year's auction another success!! Please visit the Spring Auction event listed in AtoZconnect for a list of ways you can support the auction AND earn volunteer hours. The list is LONG and virtus-training is not required.
6. First Communion Reception: (3rd Grade Parents only) - Help set-up, clean-up, manage & serve the 2nd Grade Families after their children receive their First Holy Communion in Burke Hall on Saturday, May 5th.
7. Choir Rehearsal Snack/Drink Donor (Choir families only) - Provide the snack/drink for Thursday afternoon rehearsals. At Press Time: Volunteers are needed for the next 9 of 10 weeks. If you've already sent in a snack for the year, log your hours under the 2/15 event in AtoZ connect called CHOIR SNACK DONOR.
8. Band Field Trip Chaperone (Virtus-Trained Band Parents Only) - The Band trip to Hershey Park is scheduled for June 1. This is an ALL-DAY event. Volunteer and you will fulfill 15 hours of service hours.
9. Graduation Reception (7th Grade Families ONLY) - Parents needed to help set-up, clean-up, manage & serve the 8th Grade Families after their children graduate. Reception held in Burke Hall on June 6th.
10. Field Day - May 29th. Typically for parents with children in the lower elementary grades. Commitment is from 7:45 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Run games, set-up & clean-up. Serve water. Virtus-Trained parents only.
11. Hot Dog Bash - June 4th (6 p.m. - 8 p.m.) - Set-Up, Clean-Up, run games, crafts, snow-cone machine and serve food.
12. Kindergarten Graduation Social (for 1st Grade Families only): Parents needed to help set-up, clean-up, manage & serve the Kindergarten Graduation Reception on June 6th at 8:00 a.m.
IMPORTANT NOTES ABOUT VOLUNTEER SIGN-UPS!!!
- If you volunteered for something throughout the year via a Sign-Up Genius, THIS DOES NOT COUNT AS LOGGING YOUR VOLUNTEER HOURS FOR YOUR 20-HOUR COMMITMENT. Sign-Up Genius is only helping out the planner of the event you signed up for.
- Emails or personal excel spreadsheets do not count as logging hours. All hours must be submitted via AtoZConnect. If you need help, contact Mike Schiller or Kassie Stewart.
- You must commit to and log all hours prior to May 1 or you will be billed for the balance of unfulfilled/logged hours. Final #s of hours will be pulled at that date [in order to give the STM office time to process FACTS payments prior to Kinder/Pre-K's last day], so there will not be an opportunity to go back and add after the fact. Basically, we are asking you to PLAN AHEAD, but please keep in mind....
- If you volunteer for an event that is scheduled after May 1, you are committing to the planners that you will be there to fulfill your obligation. #goodfaith #honorsystem #catholicschool
Registration is now open for the Spring 2018 After-School Enrichment session, to be held March 19 – May 18! The Enrichment program provides an easy, safe, convenient way for your child to explore a new hobby, dive deeper into a developing passion, or hang out with friends after school in a fun, structured environment.
Registration for the Spring Session
is open through Monday, March 5, Midnight*.
For program information, schedule, and registration,
visit the STM Enrichment site www.em-stm.jumbula.com.
*Please note that if your child is currently enrolled in Hip Hop for the Winter Enrichment session, the class runs through May 17. No additional registration is needed to continue with this class.
For more information, please contact
Ellen Walsh, STM PTO Enrichment Coordinator (ellenwalsh703@gmail.com).
INSTANT WINE CELLAR RAFFLE SALE is Open!
The highly coveted Instant Wine Cellar is open! We are up to 40 bottles and still collecting. If you would like to donate a bottle to the wine cellar, please drop it off at the office. Advance discounted tickets to win the cellar are also available, see the attached form to purchase tickets. The drawing will be held on April 14th at STM's Copacabana: An Auction in Paradise.
Each Friday during Lent beginning on February 16, 2018, the Women’s Council serves a delicious meatless meal in Burke Hall from 5:30-7:30pm. This is an excellent opportunity to have dinner with friends and family, and very convenient for those who wish to participate in Stations of the Cross at 7:30!
Our menu during Lent:
- February 23 –meatless soups
- March 2 –pasta and other Italian meatless dishes
- March 9—veggie chili and cornbread
- March 16—meatless casseroles and main dish salads
- March 23 — fish and chips
Salad will be served with every meal along with coffee, tea, lemonade and water.
Peanut butter and jelly and fruit cups will be available at every meal for our little parishioners!
All meals are free — donations are welcome.
What a wonderful way to prepare for Easter!
BOX TOPS WINTER CONTEST WINNER!
The results are in… Congratulations goes out to the 5th grade class of Mrs. Busekrus for collecting the most Box Tops for Education during February’s Classroom Collection Contest! They will now get their choice of an in-class Donut Party or a special Dress Down Day pass. We had widespread participation in the contest, and that’s great news for this school fundraiser. A huge thank you to everyone who clipped and sent in Box Tops. Remember, for each valid Box Top turned in, STM gets money for our school. Please keep collecting Box Tops all year round. For more information on this program, visit www.BTFE.com/earn
February 2018
Dear STM Parents,
The 2017 Auction Committee is excited to announce that we are approximately two months away from Copacabana ~ An Auction in Paradise, which will be held on April 14th at the Knights of Columbus in Arlington. This major fundraising event is sponsored by the PTO and needs the attendance and participation of all parents to make it a success. The money raised at this event directly benefits EVERY CHILD at St. Thomas More! Invitations will be sent home via backpack mail in the coming weeks. In the meantime, make sure to clear your calendars for the night of the auction – it’s sure to be an evening in paradise.
We hope all families will participate by donating an item, hosting a sign-up event, advertising in the auction catalog, or volunteering to help with this event. Every donation will contribute to the financial success of the evening and the following items, in particular, are huge hits: vacation homes or timeshares, tickets to a local sport or theater event, and theme baskets of goodies. Also very popular are the sign-up parties. Please consider hosting a sign-up event with your friends from STM – auction attendees then sign-up by donating a set amount to attend your party. These events can be geared toward adults or children!
Your donation, whether an auction item or a gift of your time, will be greatly appreciated! To donate an item or service to the auction, please complete the enclosed form and forward to the 2018 Auction Committee in the school office by March 16 so that it will be sure to make it into the auction catalogue. If you have an idea for a sign-up party or donation item and want to run it past us, please feel free to contact us at stmschoolauction@gmail.com.
Thank you, in advance, for your support and generosity!
Tara Ashworth & Cindy Urick
Auction Co-Chairs
Auction Committee in Need of VASES
STM Cathedral School PTO
Email: kassiestewart2000@gmail.com
Website: www.stmschool.org
Location: 105 Thomas Street Northwest, Washington, DC, United States
Phone: 7035286781