St. Thomas Aquinas Year End Review 2019-2020

STA Year End Review #

WE WILL BECOME A STRONGER AND MORE RESILIENT SCHOOL BECAUSE OF THIS EXPERIENCE. #

STA Year End Review

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

Dear Parents ,

Last week, I was reminded to write my annual letter for our Year End Review publication. To be honest, I spent an inordinate amount of time staring at a blank screen. I would type a few words and then delete, type a few more and delete. You get the point. What could I say to you about the 2019 – 2020 school year that has not already been said? In my 25 years as an educator, I never thought the day would come when school buildings would close, our churches would be empty, that we would be in the midst of a global pandemic.

Martin Luther King, Jr. stated, “Out of a mountain of despair, a stone of hope.” I know, without a doubt, hope is on the horizon. In a recent letter to the staff, I spoke of how much I valued and appreciated all they have done during the past 10 weeks, and the truth is, the same is to be said of every parent, student, and friend of STA. So, as we close this school year, I hope you know…

You can celebrate! I know you did not sign up to be substitute teachers, counselors, and technology directors, but you did it. In fact, you did it brilliantly. Together with the staff of the school, we came together quickly and transitioned to a new way of learning. Was it perfect? Absolutely not; however, we know what we need to do better, and I contend that we will become a stronger and more resilient school because of this experience. Thank you.

You made history! You are the first group of parents to tackle a challenge of this magnitude. Years from now, 2020 will be remembered as the year we learned how to live life at a distance from each other and still continue to function as a community. Please pause for a moment and realize that what you did mattered! Thank you.

And finally, you may have grieved the loss of “normal.” Graduation, field day, sports, our musical, and our church were taken from us without notice. Yet we adjusted, and as STA always does, we came together and celebrated. We celebrated with amazing graduations for 8th grade and kindergarten, send-offs, and parades. Personally, if I had known that a goodbye would have been the last one of the year, maybe I would’ve hugged a little longer or high-fived more often. It’s okay to grieve, but August will be here soon enough, and we are planning to be back in the classrooms. Although things will be different, at least we will be back.

The STA Task Force for Reopening is hard at work, and you have my word that we will implement, to the best of our ability, all recommended safeguards and protocols to bring students back to campus. Also, we will continue to offer an online platform for families who are not ready to return to campus. You will receive the Back to School Guide in July, and within this communication you will find the specific protocols and all new procedures we will be implementing.

In closing, I thank you, more than ever, for your continued support of our wonderful school. I wish you a safe and healthy summer, and I cannot wait to see our students in August.

Sincerely,

Dr. Patrick Magee STA Year End Review 3

WELCOMES

&

FAREWELLS

TEACHER NOTES Farewells

We thank the following teachers who are retiring this summer. Our school has been very blessed to have them teach our students! They will be missed.

Nancy Bigney 16 years at STA 4th Grade Teacher

Sylvie Thompson 3 1/2 years at STA 1st Grade Teacher

We also say goodbye to the following teachers and wish them luck in their new endeavors:

Terry Riley Upper School (6th Crade) Math Teacher is moving to Wisconsin with her husband for his new job.

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Mindy Nelson Upper School (5th Grade) Social Studies Teacher is going to stay home with her son and work on her master’s degree.

Liz Hook Upper School (5th Grade) English Teacher is moving back home to Tennessee and will teach 5th grade.

Claire Reed Upper School (7th Grade) teacher is having a baby in June and will stay home to raise her family.

Thank you for your hard work over the years at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic School . You will be missed .

STA Year End Review

Welcome

We are happy to announce that the following faculty and staff are changing positions beginning next school year:

Katie Wendorf is moving from LS 1st grade Aide to 1st Grade Teacher.

Ann Stautz is moving from LS Kindergarten Aide to LS Art Teacher.

Chris Abbott is moving from LS Art Teacher to PK Aide.

Lisa Meara is moving from LS Kindergarten Aide to US Support Services Coordinator.

Erin Hammel is moving from LS PK Aide to Kindergarten Aide.

Beginning in August we will welcome the following new faculty and staff to our STA family:

Tommy Barton 6th Grade Math Teacher

Lisa Bowdich 5th Grade Teacher

Sophie Hall 5th Grade Teacher

Piper Kent 4th Grade Teacher

Abby Orr Religion/Instructional Support Teacher

James Pena Middle School Spanish Teacher

Sarah Schmitt 7th Grade Math Teacher

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2019–2020 SCHOOL SUCCESS

LOWER SCHOOL OUR LOWER SCHOOL TEACHERS ARE PHENOMENAL!

Good News

KINDERGARTEN PK Meet and Greet at Tietze Park • Birthday Blessings and Chapel with Deacon Ken • Johnny Appleseed Week • T is for Tea Party • Occupation Parent Visits- Doctor, Lawyer, Coach, Shoe Designer, Police Officer, Vet, Dentist, Architect, Nurse, Photographer, Principal • Fire Station Visit • Blessing of the Animals • Scholastic Book Fair • Carnival • Pumpkin Painting • Dia de los Muertos • Fall Harvest Vegetable Soup • Veteran’s Day • Tie Dye with Vegetables • Thanksgiving Feast • Christmas Caroling and Concert • Frozen Day •

While our trip to the Dallas Zoo was sidelined, our kindergarten students were able to experience the San Diego Zoo in a big way through a virtual field trip. On Monday, May 11, students joined their teachers in viewing the San Diego Zoo virtually.

There was no risk of losing anyone on this field trip! Our students saw all kinds of fascinating animals: bears, monkeys, hippos, and different species of birds. Students chose a zoo animal they’d like to research and were given a packet to guide them through their animal research project. They made a circle map and tree map with facts about their animals, and made dioramas of their animals in their natural habitats. The following week, classes culminated their unit of study with Zoom meetings where students proudly shared their knowledge about their zoo animals.

Kindergarten graduation looked a little different but we hope our students still felt special as they drove through our celebration line and had their photos taken with their graduation caps on, proudly displaying their certificates.

As the kindergarten team and specials teachers waved good-bye, the first grade team was there to welcome them to their new adventure…first grade!

Reindeer Games • St. Lucy Day • Polar Express Day • Super Bowl Party • 8th Grade Visit • Grandparent’s Day “What a Wonderful World” • Private Clarinet Concert by a PK Grandparent • Mardi Gras • Walking Field Trip to the Postal Center: Students learned about the US Postal Service, wrote letters and mailed them. • Guest Readers • Dr. Seuss WeekGreen Eggs and Ham

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STA Year End Review

FIRST GRADE First grade celebrated Texas Independence with our annual Texas celebration, just before heading out for spring break. The kids dressed up in Texas-themed garb, and shared and tasted all things Texas as a first grade family.

First grade held their annual fairytale ball but with a twist. It was full of dancing, fairy tales, and laughter.

Our fairytale unit was raised to an extreme level complete with fairy tales from STA royalty and the opportunity to bake amazing cookies with television’s “Top Chef ” contestant Casey Thompson, (Mrs. Thompson’s daughter), starring in the baking videos straight from her kitchen in Sonoma, California.

SECOND GRADE Second grade is such a vital year for faith formation. Second graders, who usually experience their First Reconciliation at the Lower School, had their first confessions heard at the church in the confessionals. A wonderful reflection of our commitment to preparing saints and scholars is the saints unit of study. Each student selected a saint to study and researched, reported on, and dressed as their saint, culminating in the All Saints Mass for Upper School students, hosted by our second graders.

Developing a love of the arts is an important part of the Lower School experience. This includes opportunities to experience live theater. In December, our second graders took a field trip to the Moody Performance Hall in Dallas. They saw the musical Miss Nelson has a Field Day. Using this play with a theme of teamwork as the anchor for several lessons, second grade classes discussed the importance of working together as a team. They practiced lessons of friendship and cooperation as they collaborated in center group activities. Further integrating the theme, students wrote comparative pieces comparing and contrasting how they showed teamwork in the play versus how they showed teamwork in their classrooms.

LOWER SCHOOL MATH WIZARDS St. Thomas Aquinas Lower School was the number one school in the STATE for the month of May in First in Math. That means that our K-2 students solved more problems correctly while using Firstinmath.com than all the other K-8 schools in the state of Texas - quite an accomplishment!

In total, our K-2 students solved more than 1.9 MILLION math problems so far this year. Students can continue to play through July 31.

GRANDPARENTS AND SPECIAL FRIENDS DAY REVISITED Shifting this day to align with the celebration of Catholic Schools Week, we tried some new things this year, including a moving performance of Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World,” by our PK students.

Many happy tears were shared that day when it is estimated that the Lower school hosted at least 300 visitors.

NEW SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING PROGRAM At the Lower School, all classes in PK through second grade began using the PATHS program (Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies) for social-emotional learning. Evidence-based and designed by clinical psychologists and child development experts, PATHS helps students build essential skills, such as increasing self-control and developing empathy for others. Each teacher received training and taught the curriculum to their homeroom classes. Lower School Counselor/Learning Specialist Padmini Dayal continued to teach the curriculum during Distance Learning. We were very happy with how the children embraced the skills and we saw them using them on their own and even reminding each other when working through challenges at school. We believe these important skills will produce long-term benefits for students’ overall well-being as well as for their academic success.

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2019–2020 SCHOOL SUCCESS

UPPER SCHOOL CONGRATULATIONS TO MRS. SARA CASNER Congratulations to our 4th grade teacher and STA Teacher of the Year, Sara Casner, for receiving an honorable mention in the 2020 Halo Initiative Distinguished Educator of the Year award for the Diocese of Dallas.

Mrs. Casner was chosen from teachers around the Diocese.

We are honored to have her as a teacher and proud of the work she does at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic School.

2020 Halo Educator of the Year Honorable Mention

The day-to-day activities and events at the Upper School are grounded in rigorous curriculum, direct instruction, hands-on learning activities and creative extension activities designed to engage and develop the academic minds of all our students.

As a school community we embrace the additional learning activities and opportunities our STA students experience on a regular basis. Connection to the real world is a relevant and essential part of educating the whole child.

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC BEE Congratulations to 8th grader Peter L. who qualified for the State Championships and taking STA the furthest we’ve gone in the GEO Bee. The event had to be canceled state-wide.

VETERANS DAY PROGRAM STA held their annual Veterans Day Program inviting veterans from our parish and church community.

Over 100 veterans and their families celebrated this important day with their student family members.

We value your service!

SPELLING BEE Congratulations to 8th grader Jodie O. who placed 8th in the Dallas North Texas Regional Spelling Bee which qualified her for a chance to compete in the Scripps National Bee in Washington DC this May before it was unfortunately canceled due to COVID. 8

STA Year End Review

ROBOTICS In the FIRST Lego League Robotics Tournament the STA Wired Cats earned the Project Award - 2nd Place - for their design of an innovative solution to a Community Problem.

STA ART SHOW WITH GUEST ARTIST BILLY HASSELL The Art Department welcomed famous artist Billy Hassell. The Upper School celebrated with an extended invitation to the entire school and church community for an evening Art Walk. Artist Billy Hassell shared his knowledge and love of art, and students were able to show off their well-crafted art projects proudly displayed throughout the school halls.

BOOK CLUB AND GUEST AUTHOR

Middle school students gathered weekly for the Upper School Book Club during lunch time. Students read the books The Fountains of Silence by Rita Sepetys and The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson. Famous author Varian Johnson spent the afternoon with student readers enjoying Q&A, conversation, fun, and pizza! It was an afternoon not soon to be forgotten.

PSIA

STA MUSICAL

Although we have not had the chance to showcase the musical and acting talent of our 2020 cast and crew of the STA musical Disney’s Lion King Jr., we are once again moved by the talent of this young group of outstanding actors. Their live performance at the STA Goes Hollywood 2020 Auction was just a taste of the energy, talent, and enthusiasm this group put into the preparation of the show!

The abrupt and unexpected end to this school year and canceled performances only leave us all anxiously awaiting the next school musical performance.

Postponed

SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING STAPA and STA partnered to present ScreenAgers, an opportunity to openly discuss the importances of Social Emotional Learning and the impact of social media on our students.

Postponed to 2021

To qualify for PSIA students must prepare, practice, and test. This year over 50 students were ready to participate in over 70 categories.

They studied and prepared until the last minute and now will be able to be seated in next year’s PSIA competition.

STA CHOIRS The STA WildTones and CatTones performed many times throughout the 2019–2020 school year and received a Superior rating at the choral festival this past fall. Distance Learning did not stop our school choirs from putting on their spring concert. The show must go on!

SPRING CONCERT STA Year End Review 9

Congratulations to the

CLASS OF 2020 OH, THE PLACES THEY WILL GO

35 Bishop Lynch

One of the largest graduating classes in STA history, the Class of 2020 graduated with a bang in May! We are so proud of all 92 graduates as they head off to 10 different high schools. The resiliency and passion this class has shown collectively and individually will forever be remembered in the hallways of STA school. You are loved and will forever be #alwaysawildcat.

28 13 Jesuit

Ursuline

7 Booker T.

28

Washington

4 Woodrow IB

Received the Presidential Volunteer Service Award

5

34

Received the President’s Award for Educational Excellence

6

Received the President’s Award for Educational Achievement

Other high schools

244K 8K 6K

$

$

Offered in scholarships to our graduates

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Class of 2020 Donated:

St. Albert the Great Scholarship

$

Assistance and Love (Emergency Tuition Fund)

WILDCAT ATHLETICS DPL CHAMPIONSHIP

Congratulations!

FOOTBALL Varsity

BASKETBALL 8th Grade D1 Boys

BOOSTER CLUB

4X

DPL Champions

DPL CHAMPIONSHIP RUNNERS UP FLAG FOOTBALL 5th Grade

BASKETBALL 7th Grade D1 Boys 5th Grade Boys Silver

With COVID our spring sports season was cut short. Our soccer, futsal, and baseball teams were unable to defend their previous year’s championships!

2

DPL Championships

98

%

Students in 5th– 8th grade participated in DPL sports

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Sports Offered

Our STA Booster Club worked hard this year for the Wildcats! Membership helps raise money for upkeep and improvement of our athletic facilities, annual scholarships for 8th grade graduates, and hosting sports kick-offs and celebrations.

132

6

Concession volunteer hours

Scholarships were given to STA studentathletes attending Catholic high schools

187

Students participated in the 2nd Annual 3v3 Hoops Challenge

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CATHOLIC IDENTITY 8th Grade May Crowning

88

8th graders received the Sacrament of Confirmation

2nd Grade May Crowning

88

Every Catholic is called to pass on our faith (Matthew 28:19) and to be a witness to the message of Christ. Our school’s curriculum, mission, and vision all reflect the importance of faith and Gospel values. From sacramental preparation to community service and from daily prayer to conversations on social justice and treatment of others, we continue to “Know it. Show it. Live it.”

SACRAMENTAL PREPARATION Both campuses participated in special Masses and celebrations including: • Catholic Schools Week

2nd graders received First Reconciliation

• Praise and Worship • Virtual Rosary • Virtual May Crowning • All Saints Day • Blessing of the Animals • Spiritual Retreats for 5th, 7th, and 8th grade students • Prayer partners pairing 3rd and 8th grade students • Christian Witness Awards at the Upper School • Angels in Action Awards at the Lower School

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Our students and families put their faith into action through a variety of opportunities to “Know it, Show it and Live it”. Ongoing community service projects promote social justice throughout our school community and your contributions make a huge difference.

• Collection for James Moore • Reverse Rett Syndrome • Caprock Canyons State Park Conservation Efforts • Fill the Stocking for St. Vincent de Paul • Pancreatic Cancer Action Network • Spreading Good Cheer for Catholic Charities • Food Round Up for Catholic Charities • Blankets for people experiencing homelessness • Care Bags for Texas Pediatric Oncology • Notes and cards for Meals on Wheels • Letters of support and thanks to Military Veterans • Veterans Day Celebration supporting all veterans

James Moore Update: Thank you for the amazing community support for long time dedicated employee James Moore. He is doing well and continues to get stronger every day.

Bison Conservation Update: This year Magee had her first baby calf, Baby Bison Wiley.

The STA cheerleaders brought home the Spreading Good Cheer trophy and represented STA with lots of spirit. Thank you for your donations.

EAGLE SCOUT AND GIRL SCOUT SILVER AWARD PROJECTS Three STA alumni, John R., Marshall N., and Carson N. and their STA alum friends spent over 100 hours working on three separate projects. All three projects were dedicated to the beautification, clean-up, and improvement to STA campus. Two class of 2020 graduates, Janelle F. and Audrey Z., completed their Girl Scout Silver Award by converting the St. Dominic courtyard into an outside area for classroom instruction.

STA Year End Review

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STAPA

St. Thomas Aquinas Parents’Association

STAPA

ST. THOMAS AQUINAS PARENTS’ ASSOCIATION Parent involvement and volunteers are an integral part of what makes St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic School such an outstanding educational environment for our students. STA would not be the community it is, if it were not for our parents. With our parents’ support and involvement, STA is able to provide students many opportunities and experiences both inside and outside the classroom.

St. Thomas Aquinas Parents’Association

STAPA

By being a parent, you are automatically a member of STAPA. This school year, STAPA volunteered over St. Thomas Aquinas Parents’Association 18,000 hours for the Game On Carnival and our STA Goes Hollywood Auction, in the classroom, supervising recess, planning teacher appreciation meals, hosting the book fair at both campuses, serving as homeroom parents, planning parties, coaching, volunteering in the Church, and in hundreds of more ways! None of this would have been possible without the love and dedication of our STAPA Board and parents.

STAPA 18K

St. Thomas Aquinas Parents’Association

Volunteer Hours

Many thanks to all who purchased raffle tickets, donated used uniforms, and supported our carnival and auction. We are grateful to the many community sponsors who helped make our events successful with their generous support.

We are proud to announce that due to all of these tireless efforts, the Parents’ Association raised over $860,000 this year to support programs and initiatives for our school!

STAPA raised over

$860,000 14 STA Year End Review

$300K+ Most importantly, this year we were able to use these funds to provide COVID emergency tuition assistance, in addition to, our annually budgeted STAPA line items such as: • Training and enrichment programs for STA teachers and classroom supply stipend • Costs associated with library and fine arts programs • A portion of the cost for the STA ISEE prep class for our 8th grade students preparing for Catholic high school • 8 scholarships to graduating students attending Catholic high school • Middle School dances and the special 2020 drive-in 8th grade graduation ceremony

• Open House and Admissions receptions

• Science lab materials, Library books, and Upper School author visits

• FACTS emergency alert system

Thank you for the generous gift of your time and your hearts.

We love our volunteers !

The 2020-2021 STAPA Board, led by President Lindsay Ivory, is already gearing up for exciting events and volunteer opportunities for next school year. If you are interested in getting more involved in serving our school, please email us at stapa@staschool.org.

SAVE THE DATE Oct. 23rd – Oct. 24th

Carnival might look a little different this year.

Please save the dates for our fantastic STAPA fall fundraiser.

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Our STA family is blessed to have the support of so many local businesses and families that invest in our children and their education.

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! 2019 Carnival

Thank you for bringing your game.

UNDERWRITERS

SPONSORS Frontline ER Chisholm Trail Financial Group - Brian Bessner The Starcher Family Tart Bakery Veritex Bank Chick-Fil-A Renaissance Tower

Baylor Scott & White Family Medicine Lakewood Gia Marshello - Allie Beth Allman & Associates The Wehner Family Walton’s Garden Center J.L. Luik - The Anastopulos Family

Allie Beth Allman & TheTM Slovak Family Associates - A Berkshire www.burgerhouse.com Jennifer Wilcox State Hathaway Affiliate Farm Insurance Mathnasium The Bettachi-Young Family Gilhang and Hays Financial The Little Family Management Group HOUSE Micheal’s Realty The Law Office of Alana Gilhang The Sorg Family Truck Yard

Yard Card

The Corcoran Family

The Richardson Family

Tesoro Baking Co.

The Gagnon Family

The Rivas Family

The Keck Group

Bishop Lynch High School

Knights of Columbus Council #11937

The Christian Family

Benincasa & The Stockstill Family

Dallas Bandits Sports

Ellis Orthodontics

Blow Salon

Lakewood Orthodontics

The Putman Family The Starcher Family SettlePou

TCBY 16 STA Year End Review

Alt & Co. - Hal Penchants The Smith Family Agnew Media LLC The Lopez Family

Angela Young Monticello Liquor

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! 2020 Auction

Thank you for painting the town red.

UNDERWRITERS

Debbie & Sergio Andrade

Karrah & Garry Gagnon

Nicole & Brandon Ross Family

Mona & Sam Barnett

Heather & Derek Hubbard

Michele & Kenneth Sheets

Jennifer & Tony Campiti

The Little Family

Jenny & Mike Starcher

Meghan & Alex Christian

Claire & Scott Maestri

Carolyn & William Vandiver

Melissa & Alain Dermarkar

Stacy & Sean Murphy

Buffy & Ryan Wehner

Jennifer & Michael Emerson

Vivian & Joseph Nguyen

Jaime & Patrick White

Barbara-Ellen & Sean Gaffney

Christen & Greg Richardson STA Year End Review

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FATHERS OF ST. THOMAS AQUINAS Fathers of St Thomas Aquinas (FOSTA) is an organization associated with St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic School providing organizational and fundraising support dedicated to enhancing the educational experience of the students and greater school community. All proceeds from FOSTA events and efforts go directly to the school to help fund projects related to security and campus improvement.

FOSTA Fridays

College Football Kick-Off Party

FOSTA Initiatives and Support • Created FOSTA Fridays to help with carpool on both campuses • Hosted launch event (College Football Watching Party) • Raised $650 to support “Spreading Good Cheer” • Staffed manpower needs for carnival and auction set-up and take-down • Volunteered for Admissions Open House Tour • COVID Book Drop-Off and Pick-Up volunteers

Lower School Walkway and Security Improvement FOSTA’s own David Holy expanded the concrete sidewalk at the Lower School campus for families parking at Luby’s to walk safely to school.

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FU

N

D

ED

FU Secure Outdoor Learning Areas

N

D

ED

Upper and Lower School Secure Channel Walkie Talkies

Supported Spreading Good Cheer

Book Drop-Off and Pick-Up Assistance

APRIL 10, 2021 STA Year End Review

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FACILITY IMPROVEMENT • New HVAC in gymnasium, St. Anne Hall and Church • Asbestos removal and replacement of floors in the Upper School cafeteria • Upper School gym locker room renovations • Upper School library renovation - Installation of new LED lighting and ceiling tiles - Installation of new high-traffic carpet - Purchase of movable tables, chairs and circulation desk - Creation of built-in window seat and computer stations • Access card security on both campuses •

Acquisition of 100 laptops for teachers and classroom conversion for integration with Smart Boards

SCHOOL ADVISORY COUNCIL The School Advisory Council (SAC) worked with administration in the first quarter of the year to develop core values for the school. In conjunction with STAPA and teachers, we helped identify six core values that serve as non-negotiables. From hiring practices to classroom management, these core values define who we are as a school and signal to everyone in our community what STA really is about:

Responsibility • Compassion Achievement • Honesty Faith • Joy Originally, the core values were developed as part of the process to prepare for accreditation and long-range planning that happens every five years. They quickly took on a new and more immediate meaning with the sudden pivot to emergency distance learning that took place in March.

Each year the Advisory Council asks for parish and school nominations to serve on the Council. Votes were tallied from both the school families and parish members and we will welcome Nicole Bosworth and Jon Stanley to the council for the 2020-2021 school year. We would also like to thank Mark Dufilho and Kyley Harvey for their service over the past three years.

2019-2020 School Advisory Council Kyley Harvey, Chair Nicole Little, Chair Elect Mark Dufilho, Treasurer Jim Thomas, Secretary John Libone, Pastor Dean Galvin

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Todd Kirby Mitch Paradise Dionne Rainey Trey Schroeder Jyothi Titus

SUMMER 2020 Pre-Order Your 2020-2021 Polos, Fleeces, Socks, and Face Coverings Pre-order your STA monogrammed uniform pieces for the 2020–2021 school year.

We have added STA face coverings in youth and adult sizes. Pre-ordering is highly encouraged. Orders are due no later than Wednesday, June 24, 2020.

Pre-Order Uniforms

Look for Summer Emails

SPIRIT STORE Pre-Order Catalog Ready to update your spirit wear for the fall semester? All NEW spirit wear is available to be ordered through our Spirit Wear Catalog link below. Orders will only be taken through June 24th.

Very limited quantities will be sold in the Spirit Store this fall, so order now!

Order by Wednesday, June 24th.

Order Today

Pre-Order Your 2019–2020 Yearbook Make sure you capture all the memories created this year at both the Lower School and Upper School. Pre-order your 2019-2020 yearbook today! Yearbooks are pre-ordered through Balfour for $35 each.

Order Today

Summer Math and Reading Packets Lower School summer enrichment ideas and Upper School (rising 3rd – 8th grade) summer enrichment packets can be found on the Distance Learning Moodle page.

The packets have enrichment activities for students to complete this summer to maintain their skills and prevent the loss of some of the academic gains they’ve made during the year. Keep the learning Slow the COVID slide.

PACKETS

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DISTANCE LEARNING Distance learning became reality quickly in March 2020 due to COVID-19. Before spring break, all teachers prepared two weeks of online review lessons in the event of a temporary school closure. These lessons were designed as a temporary stopgap to keep students engaged in study. While students and parents adjusted to a new routine, our administration and teachers finalized plans for a more long-term distance learning program by training on platforms such as Moodle, Flipgrid, and Zoom to teach concepts in a new way.

There are not enough words to express appreciation to all our parents for becoming teachers in the last quarter of the school year. Balancing work, home, school, and the stress of this unprecedented time in our history makes all of you Teacher of the Year.

Your innovation, patience, and flexibility remind us of what it means to be a part of this great community.

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We all worked harder than ever to embark on a different educational journey.

Parents, teachers, and students pivoted and showed great resilience by helping others through a variety of community service projects, creating alternative, amazing celebrations for Upper School and Lower School May Crowing, showing up for the epic all campus drive-by, and creating a memorable 8th grade Tribute and graduation and kindergarten graduation.

Way to go, students, teachers, and parents!

You did it!

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Look for your Back to School Guide on July 24th The 2020-21 Back to School Guide will be in your inbox on Friday, July 24th, filled with new related COVID information and important dates for the upcoming school year. The detailed school calendar will also be added to the website for next year at this time. Don’t forget to subscribe to the school calendar from your desktop or mobile device.

STA will host a used uniform sale (including 8th grade blue shirts) and pre-order pick-up day on Saturday, August 1st, at 9 AM at the Upper School. Risse Brothers School Uniforms will have a pop-up store featuring all STA uniform items for sizing and purchase on August 4th. The STA Spirit Store will also have STA logo shirts, fleeces, performance pullovers, and Wildcat socks available for sale.

Risse Brothers Pop Up & Spirit Store Open Tuesday, August 4th 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM Upper School Gym and Spirit Store

www.staschool.org

Used Uniform Sale Saturday, August 1st 9:00 AM –1 PM Upper School Gym