St. Thomas More Cathedral School
PTO Newsletter - Vol. 118 - May 1, 2015
In This Issue
STM Focus Groups
PTO Board Open Positions for Next Year
LABELS FOR EDUCATION and BOX TOPS Coordinator
Volunteer Hours/Volunteer Opportunities
Remaining STM Auction Items
Shoparoo
Soccer Kicks and STMSTM Student Directory
STM Calendar Button
Message from the PTO President
Happy Friday and 1st Day of May!
Thank you to all of our wonderful parents who came out on Wednesday morning to volunteer for yet another successful Race For Education. Luckily, the weather cooperated with us this year!! To Alison Lynn and Catherine Razzano Ryall....BRAVO!! You pulled it together with a very short turn-around, and it was wonderful. The kids had a blast and I think everyone who volunteered to hand out water or mark lap cards had a great time seeing the energy in our students!!
As you know, three of our PTO Executive Board positions are open, and I'd be very interested in talking with any of you who envision yourself in the role of VP, Secretary or Treasurer. This is a great opportunity for you to play a very important role at STM.
For those of you with a volunteer hour balance, please consider signing up for our end-of-the-year Hot Dog Bash! This annual event is great fun for our children and families. It will be held on June 8th from 6-8 p.m. on the STM play lot. Stay tuned for more details!!
Please reach out to me or Gail Mattoon (gmmattoon76@gmail.com) to volunteer for set-up, clean-up, food service, craft supervisor, moon bounce cop, ticket sales and Sno-cone sales! Thank you to Gail who graciously agreed to help me co-chair this event (I could use someone to replace me)!! The wonderful Jane Posey will be passing the torch! Thank you for all you have done for STM Jane!
Have a great weekend everyone!
Kassie Stewart
PTO President
STM Focus Groups - Letter from Mrs. McCormack
Dear Parents,
Last Fall, we asked for your help by completing a survey in support of the upcoming Design for Excellence (DFE) that will be conducted in the 2015-2016 school year. The DFE is a recertification process that is both an assessment of the current school curriculum, programs and staff and an assessment of plans to grow and improve our school.
Response to the survey was very positive with 184 or over 66% of school families responding with many providing additional comments. Thank you.
Based on the survey responses and comments, we are scheduling grade level group meetings, really Focus Groups, to gain more information and insights to help St. Thomas More Cathedral School grow and meet the needs of our students now and into the future. The groups will be facilitated and scheduled by grade groupings in an effort to gain the most insight from parents with students in these grades. Only Parents and the Focus Group facilitators will be in attendance.
Meetings will begin at 7:00 p.m. in Lee Hall (School Gym)
· Tuesday, May 12 – Grades 5,6,7 and 8
· Wednesday, May 20 – Grades 2,3 and 4
· Tuesday, May 26 – Pre-K, Kindergarten and Grade 1
If you are unable to attend your child’s grade group meeting, you may attend another session. However, please note that the focus of the meeting will be the grades listed on the date scheduled.
In the Fall, we will share the focus group feedback and action plans with parents
Thank you for your continuing support of St. Thomas More Cathedral School.
Regards,
Eleanor McCormack
Open PTO Board Positions for Next Year
We are nearing the end of the terms for three current PTO board officers. The following positions will need to be filled for next year:
- Vice President
- Treasurer
- Secretary
If interested, please contact PTO President, Kassie Steward at kassie.stewart2000@gmail.com.
Here are the position descriptions of the PTO board officers for your reference (from the STM PTO bylaws):
Section 1. The President shall preside at the meetings of this Organization and of it’s PTO Board, appoint the chairperson of committees with the approval of the PTO Board, sign orders on the Treasurer for the payment of bills, and perform such other duties as are incumbent of the office. The President ex officio is a member of all committees except for the Nominating Committee.
Section 2. The Vice-President, in the absence of the President, shall perform all the duties of the President and such other duties as are assigned to the office.
Section 3. The Secretary shall keep the minutes all Organization meetings and meetings of the PTO Board; shall keep a list of all members of the Organization; shall notify members of their appointment on committees; and discharge such duties as are incumbent upon this office.
Section 4. The Treasurer shall receive all dues and other monies of the Organization; shall keep an accurate account of same; and shall pay bills upon the written order of the President, or as directed by the President with the approval of the majority of the PTO Board. In performance of these duties, the Treasurer shall comply with current Church directives regarding the receipt, accounting and disbursing of monies, and the controls applied thereto, as provided by the rector, or his designee.
Section 5. The At-Large Officers of the PTO Board shall participate as voting members thereof, shall serve as spokespersons for the general PTO membership and perform other duties and functions as necessary to facilitate the operation of the PTO Board and the goals of the Organization as a whole.
Looking for a New LABELS FOR EDUCATION and BOX TOPS Coordinator
The next contest will run from May 1st thru June 1st and Mickey and Cristina will help get you started and show you how it is done.
Please step up and help this program continue, as its proceeds help us order gym and art supplies that are always in need! To volunteer, or if you have questions, please contact Mickey mickeyinva@gmail.com and Cristina mario2cristina@hotmail.com
Please Log Your Volunteer Hours!
Thank you to the countless families who have stepped up to volunteer at the school this year. We really appreciate you!
If you have put in hours of service to date, please be sure to log them via the web site in a timely manner If you have any questions about how many hours you have remaining currently, please email Nicole Mayer at seibelfamily4@gmail.com. We will be sending out balance due notices with your volunteer status to date.
Ways to Earn Volunteer Hours
- Friday Pizza Lunch - assist with pizza lunch or the Market Table (the kids are thrilled to see you there!)
- Race for Education
- Goods & Monetary Contribution - contributions to PTO events are valued at $15/service hour
Auction Flash Sale Remaining Items
Thank you to everyone who came out to support STM through our auction last Saturday night! If you love a bargain, we have just a few items left over that are now available for sale in the school front office. These are "first come first serve" so be sure to pick it up today if you are interested! Check out the list below....
Catalog # 104: Have a budding musician in your house? Help your child hone the craft at summer camp at Contemporary Keyboard Studios in Fairfax. This gift certificate offers $40 off the summer camp of your choice. Must be redeemed by August 24, 2015.
Price: $15.00 (Value $40)
Catalog #126: Studio Theatre is Washington’s premier venue for contemporary theatre. Studio produces the work of today’s greatest writers, augmented by occasional productions of modern classics. Enjoy two tickets
to your choice of “Jumpers for Goalposts” or “Mary-Kate Olsen is in Love.”
Price: $40.00 (Value $120)
Catalog #143: How about the Cello? No room for a piano but want your child to learn classical music? The cello is perfect! Three hours of lessons (three 1-hour lessons or four 45-minute lessons) include one month rental of 1/8th -3/4 size cello. New students only, any level for children ages 4-13 Parent/legal guardian must attend lessons and agree to the terms and conditions of the cello rental and return the cello in the same condition.
Price: $80.00 (Value $420)
Catalog #314, #329, #332 (three available): Two-week session at Camp Twin Creeks. Get the full camp experience at Camp Twin Creeks, in Marlinton, WV. Certificate is good for any two-week session, subject to availability. Session 1 (June 21-July 4), Session 2 (July 5th – 18th), Session 3 (July 19th – August 1), or Session 4
(August 2 – 15th). CHILDREN 7-12 ONLY, NEW FAMILIES ONLY, ONE CHILD PER FAMILY.
Price: $1,500.00 each (Value $2,700)
Catalog #318: This package from Jeff Lubin Portrait Photography Studio Includes pre-portrait consultation, photography session and custom made 11 × 14 imperial portrait. Not valid on weekends. Up to 8 people in the photo.
Price: $250.00 (Value $1,400)
Catalog #434: Washington Family Magazine is the Washington metro area’s largest parenting magazine reaching more than 60,000 moms monthly. They will design a 1/4 page color ad for your business to run in one monthly issue. Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity to reach thousands of new customers for your business!
Price: $250.00 (Value $759)
Catalog #501: 5 free classes at Sun & Moon Yoga Studios. Expires March 2016
Price: $100 (Value $200)
Catalog #503: $75 for Tippi Toes. Can be used towards Fun, Energetic dance classes for boys & girls 18M-12Y, Birthday Party Package, or Princess Dance Camp (3-7Y)
Price: $40 (Value $75)
Catalog #517: One Month Unlimited Classes at Local Motion Studio
Price: $50 (Value $120)
Marymount University
One 3-Credit Undergraduate or Graduate Course to be taken between August 2015 and May 2016. Valued at $2,730 for an undergraduate course and $2,775 for a graduate course.
Sale Price: $500
One Hour Customized Massage from Massage Heights (Bradlee/Idylwood locations only) Value $50.
Sale Price $25
One session at Camp Cody.
Sale Price $1900
Soccer Kicks and STM
Soccer Kicks is a soccer specialty store dedicated to soccer fanatics. We specialize in shoes, apparel and all types of soccer equipment.
We are located at:
6019 Wilson Blvd.
Arlington, VA 22205
703-533-1667
We are excited to offer a 15% discount to all STM students! So come visit Soccer Kicks where Faith, Family, and Fitness is our Goal! Simply mention STM for your discount.
St. Thomas More Cathedral School
Email: kassiestewart2000@gmail.com
Website: www.stmschool.org
Location: 105 N Thomas St, Arlington, VA, United States
Phone: 703.528.6781